#REGENT Files - Organization

[falloutcaldera]

This monster of a document is finally done!

This is an in-universe comprehensive overview of Humans, Super Mutants, Ghouls, and other Man-made Sapients, made by a Nightkin scholar named Zekhau, who features in our Fallout: Caldera faction The Firemen.

I've included little citations to certain concepts, though this also contains quite a bit of speculative lore-welding - including everything from the original Vault 13 GURPS timeline to the apocrypha of the Fallout Bible - as well as references to our unreleased Fallout Rewrite.

Below the cut is a full excerpt as a preview!

Misconceptions On Nightkin

To be Nightkin is to reject the harsh light of the great flame and to become kin with the night, for in its darkness all are equal. Such is the name we choose for ourselves, still reverent to our Night God even as we unlearn or reject his tenants - in fact, it was once that all Metamorphs were Nightkin, until age and changing tongue saw the shift. Now only those who pledged themselves the deepest are still referred to as such - telltale in our strange skin and manner.

Many misconceptions reside on both - but in truth the explanations are some simple and some complex. 

To the nature of our skin, it is a simple mutation: In all strains of Metamorph, a curious development of yellow-pigment in place of our melanin as brought about by FEV - but so too is another, which causes blue or purple tones, those typical in the ‘Born’ Igneous. It is the loss of the former which causes our cerulean parlor - the Old World termed such ‘Axanthism’, that which prevents yellow in many green Amphibians thus turning them to blue. 

This seems to be an effect of our use of Stealth Boys - to which many ascribe the changes in our minds as well. The latter is… not an untruth, but not correct either. In all natures of the mind, the answer is more complex.

It is true that the Stealth Boy, prolonged of use, causes paranoia, delusions, a creeping organic psychosis which makes the world fuzzy and strange - the inner circle of the Brothers of Steel have reported as much, so say the watchers. Yet this is so often confused, conflated with the Pre War term ‘Schizophrenia’, a diversity of neurology with many stigmas even then, whose presentation is not always the similar - more often catatonia in nature, or flat in emotion, chaotic of speech or sense. 

Similar, but distinct - for while this can be supported by community or aided with Chems known Antipsychotics, the usage of a Stealth Boy deteriorates the physicality of the brain itself, requiring other methods of assistance. Even so, this does not elaborate the reason why even without, so many Nightkin are strange in compatriots eyes. 

Nightkin were the best and brightest of the Master’s Unity, and as such were given the hardest tasks - those of bloodshed and subterfuge, of hearing the First Hive most clearly, to which the loss of such we know was devastating. This reveals another secret: that of remembrance -  where as others change upon transformation begat a forgetting, many of us recalled old harms, of overseers and vaults and pain of wasteland or fear of being taken to the Unity. 

For some, we were always this way, and our diversity of mind made pain and change natural to us. For those who were many living as one, their mind-kin stepped forward to take the pain. For those who survived pain, we embraced it. 

For some, when the Master fell, we embraced Stealth Boys, becoming one with the Night in the only fashion left to us. In the absence of Hive, we listen to whatever voices we can - and in the absence of even that, our minds invent ones to hear. 

For some seeking stability the answer may lie in Nullification of noise, Amplification of voice, or in medicines strange. For others, simply others familiar may be our savior. I myself have found kin in strangers, born not from Unity but from Spore, and in those that read my scriptures. 

Should you require it, seek out the strange - kin in mind can work as one, should we have kin in heart to guide us.

[essie-essex]

WoD OC Meet Cute:

"Only When We Run Do We Become Prey"

My entry for the World of Darkness OC Meet Cute Event. Thanks so much to @crownedinmarigolds @porcelainseashore and @vampemoqueen for organizing this! This was super fun!

I was paired up with @calyshine and their VTM OC R.C. You can find their amazing art contribution of our OCs' antagonistic meeting here: https://www.tumblr.com/calyshine/782127023456976896/wod-meet-cute

Meet? Yes. Cute? No.

Amid a backdrop of tension between the Anarchs and the Camarilla, R.C arrives to The City as part of a road trip in search of someone from their past. After meeting the local anarchs, they organize a race along the deserted nighttime streets, attracting a variety of racers and spectators. All proceeds as normal, until R.C is approached by a mysterious Kindred, looking to join the race.

Asha Mariam crosses into anarch territory in pursuit of information about an attack on a Tremere Regent. Of course, the anarchs will not trust a member of the Camarilla, but in disguise, perhaps R.C will tell her the names of the Regent's assailants. If not, then there are other ways of persuading them to give her the answers she needs.

R.C should have known that something was off when the woman approached them. The bulk of the group attending the street race had assembled by the starting line, surrounding the columns of cars modified especially for the occasion. They conversed in a mashup of voices along with the hum of idling engines. The young Toreador had broken off from the rest of the crowd, finding a spot farther back on the road, underneath a streetlight. R.C, as the organizer of the event, filed through all the steps in their head, various requirements for running a successful street race. Road blocks had been set up in all the necessary places, and the route selected. Racers had started to arrive, rides rigged for speed and style.

It was the click of her heels on the hard ground that alerted R.C to the woman making her way towards them. She approached with a casual saunter, her boots clapping out a sluggish rhythm that echoed down the empty section of road, and her shadow followed silently, stretched along the black pavement. R.C didn't recognize her, but she locked eyes with them, clearly wanting to talk.

“Hey,” she said, moving out of the darkness and into the halo of light from the lamp above. “How's it goin'?” She smiled.

R.C effortlessly mirrored her grin.

“Hey, you, uh, need something?”

R.C studied the woman's face, noting that what had at first seemed like a genuine smile lost a bit of its shine as she closed the distance between them. She reached up, lightly brushing a few locks from a cascade of curls behind her ear.

“You the one who organizes these races?” she asked, her dark eyes peering out from under thick lashes.

“Yeah, for the next few nights, at least,” they responded, their enthusiasm apparent. R.C had just arrived two nights ago, stopping in the city as part of their cross country road trip, the reason for which, well, was both looking for and running from someone. R.C had no intention of staying in the same place for too long. A few nights was all they needed to hit some of the local bars, check out the anarch scene, and organize a few street races. If any word of the Kindred they were looking for surfaced, they would know before it was time to leave.

R.C hadn't met this particular woman before, but it was nothing out of the ordinary with the limited time they had spent in the city. Still, a strange chill trickled up their spine as they made eye contact with her. Something about her vibe, R.C thought. It didn't match what they expected from an anarch. They figured it was probably nothing, but the woman made them tense nonetheless. Chasing their doubts from their mind, they assumed a friendly demeanor.

“I'm R.C,” they said with an upward nod of the head.

“R.C,” she repeated, thoughtfully. “Call me Mara.”

“Wassup?” They greeted her, their hands shooting finger guns before pointing at the gathered crowd. “You here to bet? There's a few people taking wagers over there.”

“Actually, I was looking to race,” said Mara. Her white fangs, although retracted, displayed sharp tips as she spoke.

R.C rubbed the back of their head, jostling their green-tipped half ponytail before giving the woman an awkward smile.

“Aw, we've already got our racers for tonight, but I can totes put you in tomorrow's race,” they offered. “What kinda ride you got?”

Mara recited a description, listing all the customizations she had made to her car.

“Awesome, sounds like a sick rig,” said R.C, a sparkle in their eye. “Can't wait to see it. You park here?”

“Uh, no. I left it a few blocks away. Figured I wouldn't be racing tonight, so I just came to watch.”

“Nice, the race is gonna be hella dope. You come here solo?” R.C's arms rested at their side, thumbs gripping the striped black and green straps hanging from their belt.

“Yeah,” Mara answered, a nervous chuckle escaping her throat. “I, uh, don't know too many folks around here, you know?”

“Ha, me neither. I just got here—only planning on staying a few nights—so most of the folks I've met were at that bar, what's it called?” R.C took a moment to think before Mara chimed in.

“Coarse & Crass.”

“Yeah! Coarse & Crass. You go there a lot?”

“Not really,” she answered with a shrug. “I might stop by for the occasional gossip, get to know what's going on around town.” She paused for a beat. “Speaking of which, did you hear about that crazy fight a few nights ago? I heard someone managed to injure a Tremere pretty bad.”

R.C had heard of the event from more than one of the local anarchs, three of whom had boasted about taking part in the attack. The ones who had faced off against the solo Tremere had burst into the bar, unaware of R.C's presence, loudly declaring themselves the victorious warriors against tyranny and defenders of justice before the others yelled a variety of phrases, all of which basically translated to: “shut up, you idiots.” Personally, R.C didn't see the point in provoking the cammies, especially the Tremere, but it wasn't like anyone would care about the opinion of someone just passing through town. Still, in the short time they had spent in the city, they had managed to gain some trust from the anarchs. R.C wasn't about to give up info on them to a stranger. Especially one with... weird vibes.

They studied Mara as she stood before them. Her outfit seemed strangely formal, her legs wrapped in a knee-length black skirt and heeled boots of the same color on her feet. At least the sweater was more like what R.C would expect in the alternative scene, holes of various sizes ripped into the fabric, giving it a worn look. Under her curly black hair and pencil lined eyes, her mouth was accented by a silver hoop around the right side of her bottom lip. R.C 's tongue automatically moved to their own snakebites, nudging each stud in turn. Really it was only the skirt that bothered them. It seemed almost inappropriate for the occasion. Like she tried to dress in a style that her closet couldn't quite accommodate.

“Nice 'fit,” said R.C, changing the subject from the battered Tremere. “Prolly not the best to race in, just f.y.i., but y'know it's your choice. I'm not about to tell you what to wear.” They chuckled briefly, rubbing the back of their neck. R.C couldn't quite figure out why Mara made them uneasy, but they stood on edge, ready to move at a moment's notice.

“Thanks. I'll keep that in mind,” Mara said, a curious impatience in her voice. She veered the conversation back to the previous subject. “Can you imagine getting to beat up a Tremere, though? Must have been awesome. You know any details about it?”

“Nah, like I said, I just got here,” R.C repeated.

“Right, of course.” Mara laughed, slapping herself lightly on the forehead. “I'd love to hear about it though. Do you know the ones who fought him?”

Maybe it was her posture. The way she stood, back straight, hands folded in front of her. Also, her manner of speaking. It was casual, but behind her words, her tone almost seemed practiced. As though she were acting. Plus, why was she so interested in the fight with the Tremere? R.C, once again, changed the subject.

“How'd you hear about the race?” R.C asked, doing their best to mask their intentions. Mara didn't seem bothered, the same fake casual smile scrawled on her face.

“Through Kat,” she answered, referencing a bartender at Coarse & Crass. R.C hadn't been in town for long but knew that the anarch hangout was the place to go if you were looking for information about the local scene. The night bartender, Kat, knew almost all the kindred around town, anarch or independent. Of course, she stayed out of Camarilla business, but it didn't hurt to at least know who they were.

“You ever race before?” R.C asked, crossing their arms.

“Of course,” Mara replied, the confusion in her voice apparent.

“You ever win?”

“Me? No,” Mara said, chuckling lightly. “Never.”

“What place did you come in for your previous races?”

She paused, her mouth twisting as she wiggled her lip ring with her tongue.

“Here and there. Doesn't matter.”

“Doesn't matter?” R.C repeated, clearly skeptical.

R.C doubted that this woman was here to race, but they had no proof. If they wanted to uncover her rouse, they were going to have to ask harder questions.

“How long you been racing?” R.C inquired. They leaned back against the light post, assuming a casual stance, but still ready to move if needed. The Toreador's eyes flitted towards the area where the racers were gathered. If they needed it, help was only a short dash away.

“On and off for about a year now. I've only been in a couple of races,” Mara answered. “I'll race every now and then, but not enough to really be known for it.” She made eye contact with R.C, seemingly amused by their attempts to trip her up.

“You're racing on a rainy day. Short Ram intake or Cold Air?” R.C asked. Mara replied quickly.

“Short Ram.”

“Yeah? Why?”

“Works better in wet conditions since it won't take in water and hydrolock the engine.” She crossed her arms, a smug grin forming on her face.

There was no doubt in R.C's mind. Mara was thoroughly enjoying their little trivia session.

R.C considered using Auspex. It wouldn't hurt, would it? They would at least get an idea of who she was and maybe determine if she was lying. Concentrating, they expended their blood, reaching out to Mara's energy field for a clear view of her aura. However, they were instead sucked into a vision.

Finding themself in a hallway, they confusedly pivoted in place, attempting to get their bearings on their surroundings. The long corridor consisted of red carpet and white walls, lined with an alternating pattern of wooden doors and ornate golden lamps. R.C had no idea how they had gotten to this place when all they wanted to do was view Mara's aura, but maybe they had accidentally accessed her mind, and this was some sort of space within it. If they were correct, then it was possible that they would be able to find something that would tell them more about the strange woman. They needed to explore. Choosing a way to go, they walked down the hallway until it branched into other hallways on the left and right. R.C turned a corner, coming to another intersection.

“What the... ”

R.C could easily get lost in this place, which they perceived, branched out into countless halls and doorways. Not wanting to advance any more than they already had, they focused on the nearby doors, noting that each one had a symbol engraved into it.

“Okay, just pick one,” they told themself. Choosing a random one on the right, they turned the handle, opening the door to a room filled with objects and furniture. It didn't look out of the ordinary. The only odd detail they noticed was that there were no matching items. The lamps were different shades and sizes, chairs, various colors and styles. On a wooden desk, sat a jar of pens, each one unique. R.C approached the desk, picking up a pen and holding it in their hand, but all that came to them was a detailed render of the pen, which they could study closely, pivoting and flipping it, and zooming in and out at will. They replaced the pen, feeling various objects around the room, only to produce the same result. Returning to the hallway, they tried a different door, which led to another room, but still the objects refused to surrender their secrets. It was the same for any room they tried. Any item they touched. Defeated, R.C left Mara's mind, only to emerge from what they realized was a trance. They found her standing before them, a shrewd gleam in her eye.

“Get anything?” she asked.

Mara's expression alone nearly activated their fight or flight instinct. R.C managed to suppress it for only a few seconds before quickly excusing themself and heading back toward the race. They weren't running away, they reasoned, they just needed some backup. If this Mara, or whoever she was, had dark intentions for them, she would have to fight off a bunch of pissed off anarchs too. R.C slipped their phone from their pocket—a burner, flip phone, only to be used for the few days they planned on spending in the city—and texted Kat.

R.C: u knw a mara? rcr

Kat texted them back quickly.

Kat: Rcr?? R.C: racer Kat: No never heard the name. Pic? R.C: 1 sec

Mara had followed R.C to the mass of people gathered near the start line and now passed them to join the bulk of the group. The street, a dark river between the mountains of high-rise buildings, reflected the rear lights of customized vehicles, glimmering red under the crowd's feet. Various racers hung out by their cars, chatting up the onlookers as others placed their bets. Mara mingled among them, starting a conversation with a group near a bright yellow car. They seemed to get along fine, Mara smiling and laughing easily. R.C crept forward, aiming the flip phone at her and discreetly snapping a photo just before a line of people pushed past them, blocking the view. Reviewing the picture, it was a bit dark and blurry and also showed her at an angle, but they could still make out most of her face. It would have to do. R.C sent it to Kat and waited for a reply, receiving a text a few seconds later.

Kat: What did u take this with? A ducking potato? R.C: ya

There was about a fifteen second gap before Kat texted them again.

Kat: Gimme a sec R.C: k

Directing their attention back to Mara, they noted that she was still busy conversing with the small group of anarchs, but the mood was much different from before. The others were not smiling anymore, the atmosphere growing tense. Soon, they all turned, leaving to speak with one of the racers. They eyed her suspiciously as she scanned the crowd, her eyes landing on R.C.

Flashing them a wide grin, she waved. This time, R.C's face did not mirror hers, and they turned away, reluctant to interact with her again. However, as the time dragged on, they found themself wondering if they had possibly overreacted. Maybe Mara was just a bit strange. Nothing to fret over.

Finally, Kat texted back, but relief turned to dread as R.C read the note.

Kat: Thats the fuckign tremere regent

Puzzled, R.C replied.

R.C: da 1 tht got jumpd? Kat: No thats his replacement. Asha marie or smth. Got here after the fight. Heard shes got a rep for being dangerous. Get out

R.C's stomach fluttered as they snapped the phone shut and tucked it back into their pocket before turning to search for Mara. She had disappeared. If they could put out an announcement, warn everyone, she wouldn't be able to hide among the crowd anymore. They headed toward the bettors' table, eyeing a megaphone placed on a chair behind it.

Suddenly, Mara's persistence in asking about the attack on the Tremere made sense. She was here to figure out what happened and identify the culprits. The Tremere weren't known for doing things halfway. If she managed to find out who the Regent's attackers were, they were dead. R.C pushed past a tightly packed group of people next to a flame-painted car. They were almost to the megaphone.

“Looking for someone?” R.C jumped, startled as Mara appeared behind them. They turned, locking eyes with the Tremere as she began to speak again. “COME WITH ME,” she ordered, dominating their will until all there was left to do was obey.

Together, the two left the main crowd, heading out and away from the race.

It wasn't difficult for Asha to obtain the anarchs' text messages. Her hacker ghouls had cracked their network nights ago, remotely installing Thaumaturgically-enhanced spyware and leaving the opposition's texts open to Regent Mariam and the other members of the Camarilla who sought access through her. So, when she went to make contact with them one night, hoping to gain the advantage by pretending to be new to the group, she had no worries. If the local anarchs wouldn't talk to her, there was another option. A new anarch had come to town, hanging out at various Kindred hotspots and organizing street races, and Asha hoped that the newcomer would simply assume that she was another one of the sect and speak to her openly. If her plan worked, obtaining the information she needed would be simple and quick.

Asha had only just arrived to the city less than a week ago, an emergency replacement for the Regent of the city's chantry, Lemuel Dominguez, who had been badly beaten by a group of unruly anarchs, falling into torpor. Her superiors had demanded a full investigation into why the Regent had traveled into anarch territory and the identities of his assailants.

Honestly, the story wasn't that complicated. It started with a missing novice. Dominguez had sent some of the apprentices out to search for her, but when they returned without the neonate, the Regent took it upon himself to make contact with the anarchs, believing that perhaps they had seen her. Unfortunately, his presence was not well-received, and he ended up in a physical altercation with more than one anarch goon. Asha felt that it was truly a cowardly act on the anarchs' part, pitting several against one. Dominguez was a very competent sorcerer, but his specialty was in scholarship, magical alphabets and lore. He was barely able to make it back to the chantry before collapsing in the foyer.

Of course, the missing novice returned on her own. She hadn't left the building at all, but had inadvertently walked into a pocket dimension created by a journeyman apprentice. The journeyman claimed that his leaving the portal open was simple oversight, but Asha suspected that it was no accident at all. How better to test out the stability of one's artificial dimension than to have a novice walk into and subsequently get lost in it? By the time the novice had found her way out, she was near frenzy, stressed to her limits and desperately hungry, but after feeding and taking some time to recover, she was no worse for wear, having returned to normal, with the exception of her newly-acquired phobia of walking down chantry hallways alone.

Now, Asha needed to complete the second part of her investigation: finding the culprits behind the attack on Regent Dominguez. However, once she had made contact with the other anarchs, and then R.C, she realized that obtaining her objective would not be so simple. The anarchs refused to talk about the attack with her, and the newcomer was sharper than they seemed. Despite the Toreador's easygoing demeanor, they were still aware enough to question her assumed identity.

It was a mistake on Asha's part, underestimating R.C, and now that her cover was blown, she would have to confront the anarch in a more direct manner. She suspected that they had no intention of submitting to her, and if it came to that, they would not make it easy. They were a fighter.

She had taken her captive to an abandoned garage, far enough away from the race to not be heard. Still, the fluorescent lights surrounding the meeting of racers, bettors, and spectators were visible in the far distance, and the sound of roaring engines reached the two faintly in the light breeze. However, in the immediate area, aside from the light in the garage, darkness surrounded them. Even the streetlights seemed to glow dimly, their light unable to penetrate the thick void. They shrank back towards their source, as though in fear.

R.C had backed into the far corner of the structure as Asha entered and stood in front of the only open exit. The Regent eyed the anarch before her, the two contrasting like a passionflower next to ash. R.C's facial piercings and chain link necklace glittered under the glow of the single bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling, complemented by the blues and yellow-greens of their outfit.

Asha cleared her throat.

“As I'm sure you've figured out, I am not here to race, and the name I gave you was false,” she started.

“Yeah, no shit,” R.C said, crossing their arms.

“If you would allow me to introduce myself again?” The Tremere stood with her back straight, hands folded in front of her.

“Like I really have a choice?” Their tone flat, R.C faced down their captor with a defiant glare. Asha stared back, lips pursed, on her face an expression given only to the most pitiful of creatures.

“I suppose not,” she answered, continuing on to her second introduction. “My name is Asha Mariam. I am currently filling in for Regent Lemuel Dominguez after his encounter with a group of anarchs that left him incapacitated. Please understand that I have no intention of harming you. I'm just here to figure out what exactly happened to Regent Dominguez and find the perpetrators of this spineless attack.” Asha spoke softly, keeping her distance from the Toreador. “You anarchs have become more than just a nuisance lately. What would you say is behind this sudden increase in violence? Dominguez meant no harm when he crossed into anarch territory. Why start a fight when all he wanted to do was talk?”

“If anyone started anything, I'd suspect it was the cammy,” R.C spat, the agreeable smile wiped from their face. “I'm just here to race. I don't know shit about the anarchs' business, and I don't wanna know. I hang out, I race, I have fun, and then I leave. That's it.”

“Maybe you've heard rumors. About the perpetrators. That's all I really want to know.”

“Even if I knew, I tell you, and they're goners.”

Asha paused, shadows in her eyes, as she faced R.C.

“I know you're lying to me,” she murmured. “I truly don't want to hurt you, R.C. I just want names.”

“You can't hurt me. By the time you got over here, I'd have my blade in your neck.” R.C reached toward the knife on the back of their belt, freezing as Asha spoke.

“That would be a mistake. It would take only seconds for me to have you engulfed in flames,” she threatened.

“Not if I get to you first,” they said, grinning darkly. Before Asha could stop them, they briefly reached their right hand into the large pocket of their blue cargo pants, a wooden stake appearing in their grip. The Tremere stayed in place, eyeing the object in R.C's hand.

“You just keep that with you?” the Regent said flatly, moving her hands to her hips.

“Hey, doesn't hurt to be prepared, right?” R.C answered with a shrug.

Asha nodded, regarding the Toreador with calculating eyes as she went through scenarios in her head. She could attack: Raise her hand, a quick scratch to release the blood, establishing the connection to the element of fire, its symbol seemingly forming before her eyes, injecting her vitae into the stream as fuel, and then... ignition. To someone less skilled, it may have seemed like a fair number of steps to achieve the final product, but the Regent knew the spell intimately. The steps, she could execute consecutively, without thought, a rapid succession of cause and effect.

But, would it be the best action for her to take in this situation?

Meanwhile, R.C waited, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Their blood buzzed, adrenaline accumulating within them. Any sudden movement from the Tremere, and they would be on her in an instant.

Come on, they thought. Make your move. Just give me an excuse. No one dominated them against their will and got away with it.

The Beast clawed at them from the inside, creating butterflies in their stomach, a savage intensity building within them, showing in their eyes. They almost seemed to glow. Saliva filled their mouth, as though their Beast were a starving dog, a feast of meat set before it.

The Toreador waited in anticipation while the Tremere's cool demeanor masked her racing thoughts. She really should have had one of the apprentices take care of this business. Asha was far too old to be confronting anarchs herself. They could be temperamental and unpredictable. However, selecting the right apprentice for the job was difficult when she had hardly gotten to know them. She was sure that this would have been a good teaching moment for some of the novices, but obviously, it was too late for all of that now. She was here, and she would have to decide what to do.

Attacking R.C physically would be a bad idea, she concluded.

She would have to talk to them.

“Tell me,” the Regent started. “Why did you come here?” She hoped to throw her opponent off by asking a personal question.

“No offense, lady, but that's none of your business, plus you're hella uncomfy to talk to. You gonna let me go or what?” R.C held up the stake, ready to move.

The Regent didn't answer right away. Instead, she examined them. She looked them from head to toe, noting their stance, the tension in their muscles and face. She peeled away the mask, gazing deeper, under the hard shell.

Asha's face softened, pity in her eyes.

“Perhaps this is how the situation went with Dominguez, as well,” she considered.

R.C blinked.

“What?”

“I mean, the anger, the threats. This doesn't have to be an unpleasant exchange,” Asha said, trying to appeal to R.C.

“You're the one making it unpleasant,” they countered.

Taking a moment to carefully construct her next sentence, the Regent spoke softly.

“Is it usual for you to stay only a few nights in one place before taking off again?” she asked, concern in her voice. “Why is that? What are you running from?”

“I said, none of your—” R.C started, but a sudden chill ran up their spine, silencing them abruptly.

Asha sighed.

“You know, I deal with many Kindred much younger than myself. I teach them how to successfully navigate through unlife. One of the many things that can lead to our undoing is running from our demons, because no matter how fast or far you run, they will always catch up with you, and by that point, they've had time to grow. To become powerful. More powerful than you could ever be so long as you continue to flee.”

The Tremere's words resonated somewhere in R.C's mind, bringing forward memories of the life they left behind.

“It's complicated...” they started, trailing off into silence.

“We are predators, R.C. Only when we run do we become prey.” Asha's voice had become richer, smoother. Almost calming. “So, will you at least tell me where you come from? Surely, it won't hurt to share just a bit of yourself with me.”

R.C seriously considered her words.

“L.A.,” they said finally.

“What do you know,” answered the Regent. “I lived in L.A. as well. As a neonate.”

“For real?” asked R.C. Asha nodded, and they locked eyes, both sharing a secretive but genuine smile.

“I have fond memories of it,” Asha shared, her gaze growing wistful. “I still visit occasionally. Maybe I was there when you were. We were unlikely to meet, of course. Different circles and all.” She paused. “Were you familiar with the more prominent anarchs?”

“Uh, not so much.” R.C tugged at their turtleneck with their left hand, wooden stake forgotten in their right. “I was a—I mean, I...” Should they really tell her this? It wouldn't hurt, would it? “I got involved in a car theft ring. It was pretty great for a while, y'know? The thrill and all that, but it was dangerous at times. Things got a little too... real. It, uh, really drove a wedge between me and my partner.”

“I see.” Asha nodded sympathetically. “Is it your... partner you're running from?”

“Yeah.” Rowan. The name echoed through R.C's mind. “It just... it sucks that things went so bad, y'know?”

“A very common theme among Kindred, I'm afraid. Maybe there is something inherent in us that eventually sours all of our relationships.” The Regent projected genuine concern. “It's best to focus on the good times you had.”

“Honestly, I just can't. I try not to think about him at all.” They shook their head, as though trying to fling their thoughts from their mind.

“And how's that going?”

“Real shitty,” R.C answered, they and Asha briefly chuckling.

“Your demon,” the Regent warned. “Will only get stronger if you continue to run from it. I've seen it before. We have to turn and face them, and either accept their judgment or fight.”

Icy fear gripped R.C's heart. Face Rowan? And then what? Surely, it would end with one of them dead, and R.C had no desire for either outcome.

“Your care for your partner makes you fear confronting him,” the Tremere stated. R.C couldn't help but agree.

“Yeah.” R.C looked the Regent up and down, truly seeing her for the first time.

“There was a time when I wanted to run,” Asha admitted, her voice quiet.

“Really? Did you?” The Toreador's posture had relaxed significantly, and they idly reached their left arm behind their shoulder to play with their hair.

“No. However, I wasn't given the chance. I was made to take responsibility for my actions. My punishment, it was unpleasant, to say the least, but it was justice.” Her eyes connected with R.C's, a rueful smile on her face. “Do you believe in justice, R.C?” Asha asked.

“Of course.”

“So, why are you so against justice for Lemuel Dominguez?”

The name snapped R.C back to the reality of the current situation.

She's nice for a second, and you turn it into a damn therapy session, R.C scolded themself.

“I—dammit.” Anger built up within the Toreador's body, and they clenched the wooden stake, still present in their right hand. “You're good,” R.C admitted. “I, for real, believed you weren't a soul sucking Tremere for a second. You done playing me? I meant what I said. I'm not telling you a thing. Last time for you to bail before shit gets real.” They brandished the stake, the point facing Asha who still stood on the other side of the garage.

She glared at them with an expression that could only be read as treacherous.

“Or what?” she replied. “Do you really think you're going to get me with that stake? Think of the odds. If you're untrue in your aim, even just a bit, you'll be standing inches away from a very pissed off, non-paralyzed sorceress. I don't think you want to die your final death tonight. I know I don't.” She paused and then added, “and I probably won't.”

R.C realized that they truly despised this woman. So far, she had done nothing but lie and manipulate them. And she was so... arrogant about it too. Time to turn the tables. Physically, R.C had the advantage, and Asha knew it. That's why she had insisted on talking.

“Let's find out,” R.C hissed, a gleam in their eye. Activating Celerity, they crossed the vacant space and reached Asha in less than a second, thrusting the stake forward and jamming it into her...

She shifted, the stake entering just below her rib cage, and then stumbled backwards.

“Shit...” R.C froze, unsure of what action to take next as they both stared at each other, Asha gripping the stake protruding from her abdomen. She yanked it out with a grunt, clutching it in her right hand as blood dripped from the point onto the cement floor.

“Uh,” an awkward smile formed on R.C's face in the silence that followed as they searched for the correct words that would help them out of this increasingly sticky situation. Unfortunately, the only thing their mind could conjure was : “Sorry.”

A few more seconds passed, Asha seemingly stunned, before she moved, hurling the stake at R.C's chest. The Toreador dodged it right before the Regent started towards them. They clearly had no intention of waiting around to be roasted by an angry Tremere, and activated Celerity once again, sidestepping Asha and exiting the garage. Leaving the light of the building, the night seemed to engulf them as they ran. They picked up speed, aiming to get back to the crowd at the race, as the Tremere followed, falling increasingly behind. A blossom of blue flame erupted to R.C's right. The sudden heat only motivated them to move faster as they swerved towards the left. They then veered right, more fire to their left side altering their course. Only after dodging the third fountain of flame did they realize the Regent's intent. They were being herded straight towards a circle of blood smeared on the dark asphalt. R.C tried to stop, but it was too late.

As soon as the Toreador entered it, a ring of sigils appeared around its circumference. R.C smacked into the circle's edge, as though hitting a solid wall. They fell back to the ground, blood running from their nose before they were able to direct their vitae away from the injury, and ran their tongue along their teeth, hoping they hadn't broken any. As for the pain in their face, arms, and knees, there wasn't much they could do for it, especially right now as Asha caught up to them and approached the invisible cage.

She flashed them a mocking smile, pacing the edge of the circle as her hand moved to the hole in her abdomen. “Guess luck's on my side, tonight,” she said, wiping blood from the open wound with her sleeve. The Regent stopped and folded her arms, her voice taking on a more serious tone. “Now, why don't you tell me what I want to know? All I need are the names of those who were involved in the assault of Regent Dominguez.”

“I'm not telling you shit, cammy.” R.C rose to their feet, determined to keep up the fight, despite being trapped.

“So, you admit you do know something,” Asha surmised. “What is your allegiance to these Kindred? You arrived here but a few nights ago, correct? Surely you haven't found solid allies in that short of a time. So, why protect them?”

“'Cause we don't give in to bullies like you.”

Asha paused, considering her words before speaking again.

“Bullies,” she repeated. “The Kindred you protect ganged up on a member of my clan, several against one. His arm was torn off, head cracked, bones broken.” Her voice grew more intense as she continued to speak. “He is now in torpor after being mercilessly beaten with no provocation. So, tell me, in this situation, which one is the bully?”

“I don't snitch to cammies, period,” R.C answered. “You done asking me the same question over and over again? 'Cause I'm about zonked from all that running, and all I wanna do now is get outta here.”

The Tremere's eyes narrowed.

“Perhaps a different approach, then. You've already breached my mind...” Asha started.

“Yeah, gnarly trick you pulled on me with that hallway thing,” R.C said flatly.

“...So, it wouldn't be inappropriate for me to do the same to you.”

R.C's eyes widened.

“Oh, come on, I didn't even mean to do that. I just wanted to view your aura. You're the one who pulled me in!”

“Doesn't matter. Anyway, you practically project your thoughts. I won't have to go far to find the ones I need.” Despite R.C's protests, Asha breached the barrier of their mind, taking care not to delve in too deep. The information she needed would be towards the surface, the subject fresh among the Toreador's thoughts. She came to a memory. A bar, faces, all bragging about how they defeated the Tremere who had trespassed into anarch territory. Asha could view the image, but she received no names.

Another thought came to the forefront, a strong one. Asha detected longing, regret. A name: Maverick. It bounced through R.C's mind and was clearly something they thought of often. Only after further examining the thought did the Regent realize what she had captured.

If R.C truly didn't know the names of Dominguez's assailants, then maybe they would be willing to find out. For the right price, of course.

“You're not just running from someone. You're searching for someone, too. Your sire... what's his name? Maverick Sutton,” Asha started. R.C suddenly stilled, their eyes darting to hers. “You're here looking for him, aren't you?”

“I—” R.C stopped themself from confirming her question, but their body cues gave the answer away immediately.

“I see.” Asha stepped partially into the circle, seemingly unaffected by the invisible wall. “Your sire wasn't too happy about your decision to become a car thief, was he?” The Regent paused, noting the guilty expression on the Toreador's face. She grinned thoughtfully. “What if I could give you information on his whereabouts?” She took another step forward.

As soon as the Tremere crossed the barrier, R.C didn't hesitate. Throwing all caution to the wind, they leapt forward, grabbing the Regent by the front of her sweater.

“What do you know?” they hissed, pulling her towards them. “Tell me!” R.C held Asha in place, lips curled back and fangs bared. Their sire's face flashed before them, followed by a cascade of emotions. Anger. Regret. Frustration. So far, their quest to find their sire had been fruitless, but now the Tremere standing right in front of them claimed to know the information for which they had desperately searched.

Asha cleared her throat, gaining R.C's attention. Clearly displeased, the Regent stared down at the Toreador's hands as they gripped the fabric of her black sweater.

“First,” she said calmly, the slight edge in her voice betraying the rage beneath her words. “Unhand me, please.”

R.C came to their senses, letting go of Asha's sweater and stepping back.

“Right, I just, uh—what do you know?” R.C repeated in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. “About Maverick?”

Asha straightened her sweater before answering.

“I have many contacts in various cities. You give me the names of Regent Dominguez's assailants, and I will give you all the information I can find on your sire. Perhaps I'll even be able to locate him for you.”

R.C swallowed, a sensation building up inside of them that they hadn't felt in a long time.

Could it really be? Hope.

“I—” they said, hesitating. “I know who they are, but not their names. I can find out, though.” If they gave up the names of the Kindred who attacked the Regent, the anarchs would discover R.C's treachery. They would turn on them. Asha would kill the ones they named. Still, this was a chance to finally find their sire. Wasn't that what truly mattered to them? “Okay,” R.C answered, finally. “I'll do it, but I want info first. Then I'll give you names.”

There was a pause as an overly sweet smile bloomed onto Asha's face.

“Of course,” she said, her voice taking on a pleasant, almost motherly, quality. However, soon her tone dropped, a heavy darkness settling in the air. “But, we bind this agreement in blood.” The two stood facing each other under the moonless sky, Asha eyeing R.C expectantly. “Your knife,” she clarified, as the Toreador stared back at her in confusion.

“Oh,” they breathed, slipping the knife from their belt and offering it to Asha. The Regent held it by the handle, running the blade along her palm. Blood swelled from the cut, the flow controlled at her will. R.C took the knife from her, cutting their own hand before wiping the blade on the side of their pants and slipping it back into their belt.

Asha held out her hand, and R.C gripped it in return, both feeling the sensation of their vitae mingling. R.C knew that whatever kind of deal this was, there had to be some sort of trick to it, but it was all worth it, right? To find Maverick.

The Tremere locked eyes with R.C, iridescent pools flowing in her dark irises.

“I am so glad that we were able to come to a resolution. Our agreement is sealed in blood,” the Regent recited. “Let it be so.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Tom Perkins at The Guardian:

Michigan’s attorney general, Dana Nessel, announced on Monday that she was dropping all charges against seven pro-Palestinian demonstrators arrested last May at a University of Michigan encampment. The announcement came just moments before the judge was to decide on a defense motion to disqualify Nessel’s office over alleged bias. Defense attorney Amir Makled said the motion largely stemmed from an October Guardian report detailing Nessel’s extensive personal, financial and political connections to university regents calling for the activists to be prosecuted. “This was a case of selective prosecution and rooted in bias, not in public safety issues,” Makled added. “We’re hoping this sends a message to other institutions locally and nationally that protest is not a crime, and dissent is not disorder.” Nessel’s office is still moving forward with cases involving the alleged off-campus vandalization of the home and workplace of several university leaders. A handful of other cases against campus protesters still have not been dropped, but Makled said he was hopeful they would be. The protesters and their supporters, among them the US representative Rashida Tlaib, had previously alleged bias in Nessel’s office, arguing that the university recruited her because she was a political ally.

[...] Nessel was recruited by university regents, who were frustrated by local prosecutors’ unwillingness to crack down on most of the students arrested, to take over the case and file charges, three people with direct knowledge of the decision told the Guardian at the time. The investigation also found that six of eight regents contributed more than $33,000 combined to Nessel’s campaigns. Additionally, her office hired a regent’s law firm to handle major state cases, and the same regent co-chaired her 2018 campaign. Meanwhile, Nessel received significant campaign donations from pro-Israel state politicians, organizations and university donors who over the last year have vocally criticized Gaza protests, records show. In September, just days before Nessel announced the charges, a regent posted on Instagram a picture of himself with Nessel and the pro-Israel state representative Jeremy Moss, another outspoken critic of Gaza protests, at an event for the Michigan Jewish Democratic caucus with the caption “grateful for these two”.

Good news: Michigan AG Dana Nessel (D) rightly drops all charges against seven pro-Palestinian campus protesters arrested at the University of Michigan solidarity encampment last year.

[cairfrey]

Surviving humans take note.

...

Per Syndicate rules, subsection 543 of the Precious Elemental Reserves Code, having failed to file a proper appeal for mineral and elemental rights within 50 Solars of first contact, your planet has been successfully seized and is currently being mined of all requested elemental deposits by the assigned planetary regent.

Every interior of your world has been crushed and all raw materials— organic and inanimate—are in the process of being mined for the requested elements.

Per the Mined Material Reclamation act along with subsection 35 of the Indigenous Planetary Species Protection Act, any surviving humans will be given the opportunity to reclaim their lost matter. The Borant Corporation, having been assigned regency over this solar system, is allowed to choose the manner of this reclamation, and they have chosen option 3, also known as the 18-Level World Dungeon. The Borant Corporation retains all rights to broadcast, exploit, and otherwise control all aspects of the World Dungeon and will remain in control as long as they adhere to Syndicate regulations regarding world resource reclamation.

Upon successful completion of level 18 of the World Dungeon, regency of this planet will revert to the successor.

A Syndicate neutral observer AI— myself—has been created and dispatched to this planet to supervise the creation of the World Dungeon and to ensure all the rules and regulations are properly followed.

Please pay careful attention to the following information as it will not be repeated.

Per the Indigenous Planetary Species Protection Act, all remaining materials—estimated to be 99.999999% of the sifted matter—is currently being repurposed for the subterranean World Dungeon. The first level of this dungeon will open approximately 18 seconds after the end of this announcement. The firstlevel entrances will be open for exactly one human hour and one hour only. Once the entrances are closed, you may no longer enter. If you enter, ther completed all 18 levels of the World Dungeon or if you meet certain other requirements.

If you choose not to enter the World Dungeon, you will have to sustain yourself upon the surface of your planet, and this may be the last communication you receive during your lifetime. All previously-processed matter and elements are forfeit. However, you are free to mine and utilize any remaining and naturally-occurring resources for your own benefit. The Borant Corporation wishes you luck and thanks you for the opportunity.

For those who wish to exercise their right of resource reclamation, please take note.

There will be 150,000 level-one entrances added to the world. These entrances will be marked and easy to spot. If you so choose to enter the first level of the dungeon, you will have five rotations of your planet to find the next level down. There will be 75,000 entrances to level two. There will be 37,500 entrances to level three. 18,750 to level 4. 9,375 entrances to level 5 and 4,688 entrances to level 6. The number of available entrances to the next lower level will continue to decrease by half, rounding up until the 18th level, which will only have two entrances and a single exit.

Crawlers who choose to enter the World Dungeon must find a staircase and descend to the next level down before the allotted time is up for that level. Once the time has passed, the level will be reclaimed and all remaining matter in the level, organic and inanimate, will be forfeit. Generated loot and other matter that is not gathered and claimed may be placed in the Syndicate market.

Each lower level will have a longer period of reclamation. Additional rules come into play once any crawlers descend to the tenth floor. These rules will be explained when and if any crawlers reach this level.

If you so choose to enter the World Dungeon, it is highly recommended you immediately find and utilize a tutorial guild. Multiple tutorial guilds will be seeded throughout the dungeon on levels 1 through 3.

If you have any additional questions, or you wish to file an appeal, such requests must be submitted in writing directly to the closest Syndicate office.

Thank you for being a part of the Syndicate. Have a great day.

-Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 1: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman

[buzznovahub]

Native American group joins fight against NY's logo ban in public schools: 'Key piece of American culture'

An anti-woke Native American organization is joining the fight against New York State’s ban on tribal-themed names and logos in public schools, The Post has learned. The Native American Guardians Association filed a preliminary injunction against the state Board of Regents — as its representative said members are tired of people telling Native Americans how they should view their own culture. “It…

[40-years-in-the-desert]

Gee, Corruption Much?

[nursingwriter]

¶ … RN Risk prevention policy in practice The proposed study looks at lateral violence in U.S. healthcare institutions, through the scope of policy formation as it pertains to medical malpractice and organizational behavior in healthcare institutions. In recent years, investigations into lateral violence (LV) in the practice setting have become increasingly important as professional liability to 'duty' in patient care has been put under the microscope. In Tarasoff v. The Regents of the University of California , a wrongful death action filed against Regents of the University of California, charged that psychotherapists at a university hospital and campus policemen, had failed to respond adequately to information of patient, Prosenjit Poddar's intention to murder Tatiana Tarasoff in October of 1969. Charges against the Regents of University of California, alleged that Poddar confided homicidal ideation toward the victim Tatiana to Dr. Lawrence Moore, a psychologist employed by the Cowell Memorial Hospital at the University of California at Berkeley. At Moore's request, the campus police had briefly detained Poddar, but released him in brief assessment. The plaintiff's charged that Dr. Harvey Powelson, Moore's superior, also took no further action to follow upon the on the threat. In the initial trial court decision, the defendants' demurrers to the complaint went without leave to amend, with judgment entered in favor of defendants. Upon appeal, the State of California Supreme Court affirmed the judgment in favor of the police officers; yet reversing the earlier decision in favor of the therapists and the regents. The reversed decision held that plaintiffs could amend their complaints to state a 'cause of action' against the defendants based on threat of imminent danger to the victim whom had put into serious peril. The court maintained that pursuant to the standards of professional 'duty to a standard of reasonable care' should have interpreted liability, and had nevertheless failed to exercise reasonable response toward protections of a third party threatened with intentional harm In the landmark negligence ruling, the court held that when a therapist determines, or is forced to put an ethical dilemma to the test of professional expectations where a patient expressly states intent to cause harm or serious danger of violence to another, he/she incurs an obligation to exercise fair warning in part to the scope of 'duty' defined by reasonable care. The case was instrumental in further defining obligation to warn, stating that it was not a discretionary act within the immunity provisions of Gov. Code, § 820.2. Judicial reinterpretation which reversed the original decision cited breach to duty in the failure to communicate danger, yet held that they were insulated from substantial liability (Gov. Code, § 856). Nondisclosure (§ 5328), was redefined by the decision, however, as a measure for ensuring greater safety where healthcare organizations are involved. The policy definition of the case is articulated in the Healing Arts and Institutions § 30, 'Medical Practitioners and Duty of Therapist to Dangerous Patient's Intended Victim,' in provision of standards to profession conduct, including points of appropriate disclosure where serious danger of violence to another might be sustained. The research proposal advances this topic, and looks at the general field of 'duty' to disclosure where healthcare practitioners are concerned. Of key importance to outcomes of the 1976 matter, is the recent trend in best practices policy recommendations directed at risk mitigation of violence in healthcare settings. If Tarasoff v. The Regents of the University of California set the pace for future decision on patient consent, and disclosure where imminent danger may be present, the expansion of the topic in the last thirty years or so now permeates the clinical practice setting. In keeping with contemporary interest on violence as a pronounced aspect of healthcare policy, the current study turns the disclosure issue toward questions of ethical obligation where peer-to-peer or lateral violence (LT) is present, and the formidable job that healthcare administrators, policy makers and practitioners are doing to ensure that 'duty' is adequately addressed. Problem statement According to the Center for American Nurses (CAN) (2008), the prevalence of lateral violence in healthcare organizations has increased exponentially in the last several decades. Nearly half of all nonfatal injuries in the workplace result from violent acts conducted by co-workers in the healthcare sector. U.S. Federal Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that many if not in most states, the healthcare sector ranks amongst the top five sectors in workplace violence. Nurses, nurse's aides and orderlies are reported as victims of those injuries most consistently (OSHA, 2004). Incidences of disruptive and other anti-social behaviors experienced by staff in the high demand healthcare institution are indexed as 'serious' in the U.S.; with negative behavior, and misconduct issues cited as the norm rather than exception. As a result, much attention to bullying and sexual harassment stems from patient related stressors where malpractice litigation is already in process. Since the emergence of such reported occurrences has reached what are discussed as 'epidemic' proportions, policy makers have been put to the work of crafting adequate legislative responses to excessive risk and misconduct. This movement toward depth in policy regarding violence, and especially lateral violence (LV) is of real concern to healthcare organizations, as conflict resolution and protection from liability suits is fiscally impactful, as well endangering to comprehensive patient care. Staff shortages, long hours, and stressful circumstances in hospital environments implicate employees into duress with each other. The pervasiveness of LV is substantiated in the number of legal complaints filed against healthcare institutions, as described in policy consideration of regulatory restrictions articulated by the Joint Commission, OSHA and NIOSH in 2001. In 2002, the Joint Commission extended recommendations to violent perpetration and threats of physical assaults as 'workplace terrorism' under the definition of the U.S. Federal MPC (Modern Penal Code). Policy incorporation of MPC statute really underscores the 'last straw' imperative promoted by advocacy specialists on behalf of healthcare professionals concerned with their own and patient safety. The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) replicated this amendment in 2003, in public support of U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) wording that "any action that may threaten the safety of an employee, impact the employee's physical or psychological well-being, or cause damage to company property." In an occupational study of the healthcare workforce, nursing was targeted for multidimensional analysis toward interpretation of the 'domino effect' that persists in clinical practice settings, that begins with triggered stress in individuals, but ultimately serves as a feedback loop; impacting safety in the environment in general. Proposed solutions to LV in healthcare organizations it is said must include the entire scope of considerations, including the nurse-patient journey. Patient related risk and intentional negligence by colleagues goes hand in hand. For instance, exhaustion on the job is a standard complaint within nursing. It is relevant, then to argue that LV's elements vitiate without control. Violations may include an entire host of threats, including intentional humiliation, infighting, non-verbal innuendo, risk to safety, verbal affront, undermining activities, withholding job pertinent information, sabotage, scapegoating and efforts to make vulnerable (Griffith, 2004). Almost without exception, it is also suggested, that breach of privacy or failure to respect privacy of individuals is the core root to detrimental misconduct and subsequent risk. Lateral violence in nursing practice is defined in table 1. Table 1 Type Manifestation Nonverbal cues (covert/overt) Raising eyebrows, making faces Verbal remarks (overt) Snide, rude and demeaning comments. Interruption of discussion Actions (overt) Actions that undermine the Victim's ability to perform or to be recognized for performance Withholding information (covert/overt) Deliberately not disclosing critical information to job, or protection from risk Purposefully sabotaging (overt) Blocking performance Group infighting (overt) Cliques, and exclusion Scapegoating (covert) Blaming identified colleague irrespective of real responsibility Passive aggressive behavior (overt) Failure to respond directly to conflict (i.e. backstabbing) Broken promises/disrespect of privacy (covert) Sharing of information without consent Table 1. Types of Lateral Violence (Griffin, 2004). The proposed research looks at the new directives in policy dedicated to the management of lateral violence risk in the healthcare workplace. It also examines 'policy in practice' through change management strategies in combating the force of malpractice litigation related to LV, through institutional adherence to protocols, and attendant morale building and leadership within horizontal nursing teams. Finally, following the Stanley/Martin Applied Model of Oppressed Group Behavior to Explain Lateral Violence in Nursing (2007), the study examines how policy influences healthcare practice in group accountability to liability, and duty to a reasonable standard of care of patients, as illustrated in Figure 1. igure 2: Stanley/Martin Applied Model of Oppressed Group Behavior to Explain Lateral Violence in Nursing (De Marco and Roberts, 2003). Interpretation of the practice setting through the lens of policy on disclosure where violence may pose danger to colleagues and patients is in essence, the intention of the proposal. Review of research on LV encompasses a range of evidence-based practice cases. Six Sigma diagnostic assessments of institutional best practices recommendations and application, will serve to support the study, and advance theoretical perspectives on organizational and professional transformation of healthcare institutions through measures of expropriated evaluation (Ramos, 2006). Purpose The purpose of the research investigation on lateral violence in a practice setting is to contribute to the professional dialogue on policy in the healthcare workplace. Outcomes to the study will provide valuable insights into the practical and policy spheres of clinical practice, as well as hospital safety programs in adherence to national standards of compliance. From a theoretical perspective, the study proposes to further recent queries in common law nations on the 'duty to a standard of reasonable care' as acknowledged within U.S. Federal law, and in other nations like Canada, that offer distinct interpretations to institutional and professional liability. Patient care models also offer a site of investigation on the topic of violence, and disclosure. Lateral violence or peer-to-peer abuse also affects patients. It is through the matrix of violence that parties find themselves compromised to negligence, or potentially worse. Professional relationships between medical practitioners and patients continue to be defined by concerned policy makers aware of the complications to non-disclosure agreements. Contentious and rather unwieldy rights, responsibilities and protections all circulate in and through hypotheses on the distinction between privacy, imminent danger and professional immunity. Legal records supply much of the information shared in the policy making arena, and data generated from those cases will serve to inform the convenience sample survey and SWOT analysis dedicated toward understanding of policy in action. Replicable investigations on the topic, where already applied to the development of best practices dedicated to a 'culture of safety' within institutional policy implementations will supplement the research, by offering independent instances on lateral violence mitigation in healthcare organizations. Research question Informed by Stanley/Martin Applied Model of Oppressed Group Behavior to Explain Lateral Violence in Nursing (2007) the research question is outlined in PICO (T) FORMAT in Table 2. Table 2 P = Patient Population is general Intervention/Issue of Interest is risk management of lateral violence in the practice setting C = Comparison Intervention is drawn from a Convenience Sample of Nursing Staff O = Outcome of findings will be disseminated in report form for peer review and potential publication (T) = Time of the study is one month Table 2. PICOT Format. In Stanley and Martin's (2007) research on nurse-on-nurse violence, a pilot test of an instrument to measure presence of LV in practice settings toward intervention by nursing oversight. The proposed project will replicate the pilot in a micro study that incorporates a similar survey instrument. In the original study, the testing revealed that horizontal hostility between peers was fostered via divisiveness, with indicators that low self-esteem was the most universal independent variable to anger in the subjects in the United States. Findings showed a high incidence of susceptibility to LV; and correlation to gender (94%). Disempowerment on the job was the number one cited cause for cycles of violence within female LV misconduct cases. To test this, the study employed a Silencing the Self Scale -- Work (STSS) for retrieving data on oppressed group beliefs and behaviors, with subscales indicating compliance and care as 'self-sacrifice.' Augmented by the Behaviors Scale (SNWBS) for interpretation of internalized sexism and minimization of self, the research provided seminal foundation to policy in the making. Literature Review Theoretical consideration to the study has evolved from review of scholarly literature on policy measures to reduce lateral violence in the healthcare workplace. Administrative, cognitive, and legal approaches to risk reduction of LV in the practice settings constitute the analytical framework to the research through: 1) Analyses of conflict resolution and mediation criteria employed within policy formation (Gerardi, 2004, Martin, 2008); 2) Recommendations to evidence-based best practices in application of those policies to risk intervention training in the cognitive setting (Griffin, 2004, Ramos, 2006); and 3) Replicable research studies that continue to inform the practice community on LV and 'oppressed group theory' through longitudinal comparison (Stanley, et al., 2007). Methods Methodological consideration in the study reviews policy, law and attendant institutional protocols on ethics and conduct where LV is a consideration. Application of those guidelines to the micro replication of the Stanley/Martin pilot study Survey incorporates both qualitative and quantitative factors that reflect 'oppressed group theory' in the hospital setting. To this end, the study employs a tri-partite research design: Phase I: Survey; Phase II: Data Analysis; Phase III: Archival comparison of findings. Aggregate statistical reporting of findings from CAN, OSHA and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Labor will augment analysis and dissemination of findings. Figure 2 illustrates an example of the survey population index. Figure 2 Figure 2: Survey Population Sample (Stanley et al., 2007). Survey sampling on the project will be drawn from a convenience study of a single tertiary care medical center. Survey respondents will be contacted by email, and requested to respond to the anonymous survey. Supplemental input may be sought through nursing alumni institutions. The Survey will ask questions about LV policy, and professional conduct in the practice setting, and administered by way of online digital response panel. An example of the survey is shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 Figure 3. Lateral Violence in Nursing Survey (Stanley et al., 2007). Three (3) constructs: 1) perceived seriousness; 2) oppressors; and 3) mediators serve to delineate factors to the study. A semi-structured survey, the tool includes ordered and/or dichotomous items, and space for descriptions of potential occurrences or causes of LV. Demographic variables accounted for are age, gender, race, current job category, years of experience in this job category, and general area of nursing practice are part of the standard rubric (Stanley et al., 2007). To better understand how policy works in action, informant agency is critical to the survey response panel. Assumption that negative influencers inform bias in the data, the Survey interfaces with a Silencing the Self Scale -- Work (STSS) which provided indicators of oppressed group beliefs and behaviors, and the subscale of 'duty' to care as 'self-sacrifice.' The cross between policy and psychology is worked out through individual professional reporting in the Behaviours Scale (SNWBS) providing subscale indicators on internalized sexism and minimization of self. An illustration of the results to the Survey is found in Figure 4. Figure 4 Figure4. Results to the Lateral Violence Web Survey (Stanley et al., 2007). G. Data Analysis Both qualitative and quantitative will be analyzed using SPSSTM (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Descriptive statistics on the subjects, and inferential statistical methods where causation of LV is applicable will inform the qualitative analysis of coded data useful for interpretation of outcomes on the three constructs to how healthcare professionals experience policy, revealed throughout the analysis. Of significant interest are indicators relevant to conflict management mediation of oppressive and negative behaviors and those leading to potential exacerbation of lateral violence. Liability factors to institutional responsibility will further external insights into the forces that cause risk to duty to a reasonable standard of care. Six Sigma analysis of institutional Charter, and environmental factors to policy will be addressed in the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis. Conclusive to analysis of the survey data, findings to the research will contribute to scholarly dissemination of findings in the dissertation, and article publications. Dialogue on the topic at professional organizations, conferences, and workshops will also include potential contribution to healthcare knowledge sharing networks. H. Conclusion and Summary Since Tarasoff v. The Regents of the University of California institutional task forces dedicated to policy mandated planning in risk management has opened the doors on the liability question, where hospitals and other healthcare institutions are forced to 'think' better about adequate responses to lateral violence. The proposed research is meant to foster dialogue on risk management as an aspect of 'duty' to professional conduct in the practitioner-patient relationship. References American Nurses Association. (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Silver Spring, MD.: American Nurses Association. Bartholomew, K. (2006). Ending nurse-to nurse hostility. Marblehead, MA 01945: HCPRO, Inc. Camden, C. et al. (2009). SWOT analysis of a pediatric rehabilitation programme: A participatory evaluation fostering quality improvement. Center of Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Research and the Estrie Rehabilitation Center. Quebec: Universite de Montreal. Center for American Nurses. (2007). Bullying in the workplace: Reversing a culture. Silver Spring, MD: Center for American Nurses. Cook, J.K., Green, M., & Topp, R.V. (2001). Exploring the impact of physician verbal abuse on perioperative nurses. AORN Journal, 74(3), 317-318, 320, 322-327, 329-330. Cox, H. (1991a). Read the full article

[dankusner]

UNT

University pauses drag performances to comply with executive orders

The UNT System Chancellor Michael Williams sent a directive to the presidents of each university campus to inform them of a pause on drag performances on state-funded property on March 28, 2025.

UNT System Chancellor Michael Williams sent a directive on March 28 to the presidents of each university campus, informing them of a pause on any drag performances on campus or any state-funded facilities, effective immediately.

The directive states that the pause is supported by the Board of Regents to comply with state and federal laws and executive orders.

“As a public university it is our responsibility to comply with all applicable federal and state laws and executive orders while balancing our duty to carry out our core missions of teaching, learning and research,” Williams said in the directive.

The directive says the university will “wait on a definitive ruling on litigation against other Texas universities” before providing “necessary guidance.”

Nicole King, the Student Government Association’s director of advocacy, said Elizabeth With, senior vice president for Student Affair had reached out to the GLAD Queer Alliance – a student organization aimed at representing the needs and concerns of the queer community – and the Sigma Lambda Gammas – a sorority focused on empowerment for women of all cultural backgrounds – to “inform them about this new decision.”

The two student organizations at the university had previously planned drag shows for April.

The GLAD Queer Alliance was planning to hold the GLAD Queer Alliance UNT Drag Show 2025 on April 10 in the Emerald Ballroom in the University Union.

UNT Gammas Drag Night with the Gammas was slated to be held on April 11 in the Lyceum Theatre in the University Union.

The Daily could not confirm whether the two events will be moved off-campus at the time of writing.

Other Texas universities have enforced drag bans in the previous months in what they say is a response to President Donald Trump’s January 20 Executive Order “defending women from gender ideology extremism” and Gov. Greg Abbott’s letter stating that Texas “recognizes only two sexes,” though neither reference drag specifically.

The Texas A&M Board of Regents voted to ban drag shows on its campus on Feb. 28, according to an article from The Battalion.

Following the ban, the Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council retained legal counsel from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and filed a lawsuit against the Board of Regents on March 24.

The court granted a preliminary injunction – which preserves the status quo until a final judgment can be made – that barred the board from enforcing its ban, allowing the QEC to hold its annual “Draggieland” on campus on March 27.

The University of Texas System Board of Regents announced on March 18 that UT will no longer be permitted to fund or host drag shows on campus, according to an article from The Daily Texan.

“All activities at UT institutions are expected to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws and executive orders, including any restrictions on the use of public funds,” Board Chairman Kevin Eltife said in a statement.

“Our public university facilities, supported by taxpayers, will not serve as venues for drag shows.”

The ban followed a letter Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare sent to UT Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife urging him to ban drag shows on UT System campuses.

In the letter, O’Hare cites President Trump’s Executive Order and Gov. Greg Abbott’s letter urging compliance as reasons for his request.

“Rather than promoting anything to do with education, drag shows and related events denigrate women,” O’Hare said in the letter.

“Drag shows highlight men reducing the perception of women to stereotypes and body parts. I would be encouraged to see the UT System focus on fostering environments of learning and not use resources to prop up sexually-oriented events.”

The most recent pause on drag performances mirrors last year’s cancellation of the University Program Council’s Drag Show because of governmental scrutiny.

Last May, the UPC Drag Show and University Libraries’ Campus Pride Week were canceled by the UNT System’s Office of General Counsel due to Senate Bill 17.

SB 17, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2023, prohibits Texas public institutions of higher education from undertaking diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and from requiring employees to participate in DEI training or make DEI statements.

GLAD, being a student organization and therefore exempt from SB17, took over the show's planning and hosted the event in the University Union.

The university’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America posted about the recently announced pause on drag on its Instagram page after being made aware of the directive by King.

“THIS IS BLATANT FACISM,” YDSA said in a post on Instagram.“UNT CONTINUES TO PRIORITIZE GOVERNMENT FUNDING OVER THE RIGHTS OF THEIR STUDENTS.”

YDSA said in a direct message to the Daily that they “absolutely condemn” the university’s decision.

“The UNT administration’s capitulation to the Abbott and Trump administrations show they do not care about the wellbeing of their students, and the principles of their university,” YDSA said.

“Drag will always exist, no matter what legislator or administrator has to say about it.”

The Daily reached out to the university communications team but did not receive a response in time for publication.

[normanwlucas]

Via the ACLU: Singled Out for Speaking Up: How UCSC Seized My Digital Life After I Joined a Lawsuit Against Them

Singled Out for Speaking Up: How UCSC Seized My Digital Life After I Joined a Lawsuit Against Them When I was a little girl, my family visited the Santa Cruz boardwalk and nearby beach. It felt familiar and safe to return here for college. My freshman year at UCSC was great. I joined woodshop, made friends, hiked, and worked at a children’s museum. I maintained good grades while working towards a double major in environmental studies and biology. I was just a regular, happy college student. Everything changed once the genocide in Gaza started, however. I couldn’t look away from what was happening. I joined fellow students in protesting, I attended UC Regents meetings, and I organized. I was hoping to see action from the school in solidarity with Palestine. Or, at the very least, I wanted the school to acknowledge what I and my fellow students were saying about the war. But numerous students, including myself, faced harsh punishment for this protest activity and were banned from campus for up to two weeks at the end of the quarter, when finals were happening. Following these events, I joined a civil rights lawsuit challenging the University’s treatment of protesters. Just 15 days after joining the lawsuit, campus police seized my phone during an early morning fire drill in my building. I was outside, still in my pajamas, when two UCSC officers approached me. They asked for my name and to confirm that I was a Resident Assistant. Then, they stated that they had a warrant for my phone. I asked to see the warrant, but they refused, demanding I hand over my phone first. I gave them my phone, and they showed me the warrant. Right up front, the warrant had a screenshot of me doing an interview with a local TV station about my lawsuit against UCSC for how they treated me and other protesting students last spring. This was startling because the school has my student ID and could have used that picture instead. A few other RAs checked on me after the police left. I borrowed a phone and called my sister, who contacted a friend, who reached out to my professor, who told my lawyers what had happened. I never imagined campus police could seize a student’s phone—accessing photos, internet searches, messages, and personal data dating back many years. But after the pro-Palestine protests last spring, people were being punished and kicked off campus. There was this looming question in the organizing community: Who’s next? The timing between when I filed the lawsuit against UCSC, naming the UCSC Chief of Police as a defendant, and when the UCSC police seized my phone makes me feel like the two events are connected. It was just over two weeks. And the fact that the police’s warrant included that picture of me giving the interview about the civil rights case feels like the school was motivated to punish me for having spoken up.  It’s also troubling because the search warrant gives the UCSC police access to my privileged communications with my lawyers in my civil rights case against UCSC. The weeks after the UCSC police confiscated my phone were extremely challenging and it was hard to keep up with my studies and work. The phone had been a gift from my father, and I couldn’t afford to replace it. It was a beautiful blue color, brand new, and I loved it so much. The feeling of violation continues to feel overwhelming—strangers now have access to everything, from my random casual conversations to incredibly intimate family exchanges. I thought I could get back to my studies after the challenges of last spring when I was excluded from campus after the protests. But having my phone seized right at the start of the year has really set me back. Now, I’m just trying to hold on, and it’s hard. Published March 7, 2025 at 12:07PM via ACLU (https://ift.tt/WY24iy3)

[the-firebird69]

They're really only eight households really and BG has one of them okay cuz more than eight left and we started with 33 last night there's 23 and it didn't go like we said but that's where it is and all of those 23 John remillard has seven and bja has eight BG has three and Garth has two then there are three left which are clones is Tommy f and two of his first born clothes and if I fight each other it is a mess and they fight each other as a whole too and 23 is low they're reduced in power and today they're prepping for tomorrow and they're going to fire people and Trump is now in five court cases three of them are criminal apparently the guy can't take a hint and what's coming up too the January 6th committee is going to file more charges it's going to vote to accelerate the trial. They're trying to use the analogy that he's our people or something that's really coming from the max they've been saying it the whole time about all the morlock and these trumps a little bit more not ton more and they keep saying it and saying it and saying it and they get hit and they're going to get hit tonight badly and they're going to get floored it is going to be a monumental occasion and they are going to be in a lot of trouble

-a lot of people are signing on to duty to attack the max and here we're talking about right now and to go after their stuff is he foreigners with it and others and they have to try and compete

-hours are signing on at a blistering pace and they heard it say we asked you to told you to we gave you the call and this is why and the max are at it right now and they're signing on because they hear their own people saying sign on God damn you and things like that and they've been begging them too so we're starting to see something there was a conversation between them and our people were not listening. It started asking what's happening and for real it wasn't going that well and we know what the problems are and it said we're no longer in maintenance it's going to get hot and heavy when you try and extract huge things and if we're not ready our people suffer and we can't let them win because we'll all die and he said that to people it went around and start catching and it's going to go out again today

Thor Freya

Olympus

There's a few more people who are regents in 23 households that you knew and they don't want to go into combat and trying to get different trucks and they know which one works better but they still think it's stupid and trying to get people organized and it's getting difficult and getting troops on the outside is difficult and we think it might be a while and what you're saying is they're desperate and pushed by their own and mean people are going to go out there and think they can win and that's what I found too so there's a mix but really out of the 23 remaining 10 of them are ready to go out right now and they're getting ready and they say we see your words and we understand that our perspective is if we get closed in here by McDonald's we're in trouble anyways and it's true she just moved to California but nobody wants to do that either need a credit card princess Meghan Markle credit card the odd because as her face on it but it's everybody else's money so he started laughing saying I don't have any time for this they're not really doing that but there it is. Prince Harry is laughing and her son says when a prince and princess get together aren't you king and queen and he's telling me to shut up he says

Hera

Zues

[falloutcaldera]

Totally didn't not realize for months that the invite link in our pinned was expired- nope. I am good at server admin-

Fixed it now lol

Anyone joining to ask about or continue discussion of recent events regarding community behavior will be alternatively timed out for a week or banned depending on how insistent you are about it. The server is for discussing fallout or other things directly related to the Caldera Project or its authors other fallout projects. We hope to see you play in our sandbox! <3 we understand feelings may run high, but our personal community is not for those discussions.

[victorawhi]

Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, dies at 93

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (June 8, 2023) — Marion Gordon “Pat” Robertson religious broadcasting pioneer, philanthropist, educator, Christian leader, businessman, and author died on

June 8, 2023, in his home, surrounded by his family. He was 93.

The Christian Broadcasting Network announced his death.

Dr. Robertson served as the founder and chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. (CBN); founder, chancellor, and chief executive officer of Regent University; founder of Operation Blessing Relief and Development Corporation (OB); founder and president of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ); co-founder and chairman of International Family Entertainment, Inc.; and a leading force behind several other influential organizations and broadcast entities.

His greatest treasure in life was knowing Jesus Christ and having the privilege of proclaiming Him and His power to others.  His life was lived to the glory of God.

Early Life, Education, and Military Service

Pat Robertson was born on March 22, 1930, in Lexington, Virginia, to A. Willis Robertson and Gladys Churchill Robertson. His father served for 34 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

After graduating with honors from McCallie School, a military prep school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mr. Robertson entered Washington and Lee University in 1946, where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa.

In 1948, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. After graduating magna cum laude from Washington and Lee in 1950, Robertson served as the assistant adjutant of the First Marine Division in Korea. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1952 upon his return to the United States.

Mr. Robertson received a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1955 and his M.Div. from New York Theological Seminary in 1959.

Family

In 1954, he married Adelia “Dede” Elmer Robertson. They were married 67 years before she predeceased him on April 19, 2022, at the age of 94.

Together they had four children: Timothy Brian Robertson of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Elizabeth Robertson Robinson of Dallas, Texas; Gordon Perry Robertson of Chesapeake, Virginia; Ann Robertson LeBlanc of Portsmouth, Virginia; plus 14 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

Religious Broadcasting

In 1959, Mr. Robertson moved his family to Tidewater, Virginia, with just $70 and a vision of establishing the first Christian television network in the United States.

Although he didn`t even own a TV, he filed incorporation papers for The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., then raised funds to purchase a defunct UHF station.

On October 1, 1961, CBN began broadcasting from WYAH-TV in Portsmouth, Virginia. At the time, its signal barely reached the city limits, recalled his son Gordon Robertson, CBN`s president and CEO.

The ministry’s scope grew exponentially over the decades, reaching viewers across America and around the globe through television broadcasts, cable, satellite, the internet, and other media.

Today, CBN is one of the world’s largest evangelistic ministries, proclaiming the Good News in over 100 countries and dozens of languages, including Russian, Arabic, Spanish, French, and Chinese.

CBN`s flagship program grew out of a telethon in 1963, when Mr. Robertson asked a “club” of 700 viewers to give $10 a month.

In 1966, The 700 Club program was created, airing each weekday with interviews, prayer and ministry. Today, it is one of the longest-running religious television programs in America.

He hosted the daily program until October 1, 2021, the sixtieth anniversary of CBN`s first broadcast, when he announced that Gordon Robertson would be the show`s new full-time host.

Over the years, Mr. Robertson`s co-hosts included Ben Kinchlow, Sheila Walsh, Gordon Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, and Wendy Griffith.

Throughout its broadcast history, The 700 Club and CBN News have covered national and international events and issues, including key elections, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war on terror, Israel, and the Middle East.

Guests have included former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump; key congressional leaders from both parties; as well as a “Who’s Who” of world and national figures, journalists, professional athletes, celebrities, and pundits.

Regent University

In 1977, Mr. Robertson incorporated CBN University, and classes began in 1978.

Later renamed Regent University, the school quickly became a leading academic center for Christian thought and action, and now has over 30,000 alumni. Today, thousands of students take classes on its Virginia Beach campus and online around the world.

With the mission of “Christian leadership to change the world,” Regent University offers associate`s, bachelor`s, master`s, and doctoral degrees in numerous disciplines and holds accreditations from bodies including the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

U.S. News & World Report has listed Regent among the top national universities four years in a row.

Distinguished faculty and lecturers have included John Ashcroft, former U.S. Attorney General; Vern Clark, former Chief of Naval Operations; Steve Forbes, president and CEO of Forbes, Inc.; Justice Samuel Alito, U.S. Supreme Court; and Michelle Bachmann, former U.S. Congresswoman.

Operation Blessing

Operation Blessing was established by Mr. Robertson in 1978 as a nonprofit organization with a mission “to demonstrate God`s love by alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world.”

Its programs focus on the primary goals of providing hunger relief, clean water, medical aid, and disaster assistance to help break the cycle of suffering for those in need.

Operation Blessing has provided relief aid in the aftermath of numerous disasters across America and around the globe, including the COVID-19 pandemic, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and fires.

Since its founding, Operation Blessing has touched the lives of millions of people in America and around the world.

The American Center for Law and Justice

In 1990, Mr. Robertson founded the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a public-interest law firm and education group that defends the First Amendment rights of people of faith.

Focusing on pro-family, pro-liberty, and pro-life issues, the ACLJ has argued before the Supreme Court and won several high-profile religious freedom cases.

Author

A prolific and New York Times best-selling author, Mr. Robertson wrote 24 books, including The Secret Kingdom, Answers to 100 of Life`s Most Probing Questions, and The New World Order, which were each the number one religious book in America in the year of their respective publication.

His other books include the autobiographical works Shout It From the Housetops and I Have Walked With the Living God; along with My Prayer for You, Maximum Security, Beyond Reason: How Miracles Can Change Your Life, America’s Dates With Destiny, The Plan, The New Millennium, The Turning Tide, The End of the Age, Steps to Revival, Bring It On, The Ten Offenses, Courting Disaster, Miracles Can Be Yours Today, The Greatest Virtue, Right on the Money, Successful Families and Finances in the Secret Kingdom, The Power of the Holy Spirit in You, and The Shepherd King, released in May 2023.

Presidential Candidate

In 1986, Mr. Robertson announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for president of the United States on a conservative platform.

While he enjoyed some success in the early primaries, he eventually placed third.

At the 1988 Republican Convention, Mr. Robertson endorsed Vice President George H. W. Bush, who won the nomination and the presidency.

Organizations, Awards and Honors

Mr. Robertson was a past president of the Council on National Policy.

1982 he served on President Ronald Reagan`s Task Force on Victims of Crime. He previously served on the Board of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and on the Governor`s Council of Economic Advisors in the State of Virginia. Mr. Robertson founded and served as the president of the Christian Coalition of America until his resignation in 2001.

Over the years, numerous officials and groups have recognized Mr. Robertson`s achievements, including Humanitarian of the Year in 1982 by the Food for the Hungry organization; Man of the Year in 1988 by Students for America; Christian Broadcaster of the Year in 1989 by the National Religious Broadcasters; one of America`s 100 Cultural Elite in 1992 by Newsweek magazine; the Cross of Nails award in 2000 for his vision, inspiration and humanitarian work with The Flying Hospital; and the Distinction in Ministry Award in 2009 from New York Theological Seminary.

In 2013, he received the Winston Churchill Lifetime Achievement Award, the first of its kind awarded by the Faith & Freedom Coalition in Washington, DC. And in 2017, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th Silver Anniversary Movieguide Awards in Hollywood, California, having served on the Board of Reference for their Christian Film & Television Commission since 2010.

In honor of his support for Israel, Mr. Robertson received the Defender of Israel Award in 1994 from the Christians` Israel Public Action Campaign; the State of Israel Friendship Award in 2002 by the Chicago chapter of the Zionist Organization of America; and a Lifetime Achievement Award for Support of Israel in 2008 by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

For more information on the life and ministry of Pat Robertson, please visit https://cbn.com/Pat.

In lieu of flowers, the Robertson family respectfully requests that anyone wishing to honor Pat can do so by visiting here (cbn.com/HonorPat) and supporting the organizations he loved dearly: CBN, Operation Blessing, and the Regent University Pat Robertson Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Categories: National, News, Top Stories

Tags: 700 club, Christian Broadcasting Network, Pat Robertson

[coochiequeens]

Why would a drag show on a university campus ever be described as “family friendly?”

South Dakota’s regent board will devise a policy to “enhance the protection of minors” during campus events, following strong conservative backlash against a drag show at one of its universities.

The governing board, which controls the state’s six public four-year universities, voted unanimously at a December meeting to move forward with the policy, despite not having language drafted for it.

The Gender and Sexualities Alliance, an LGBTQ student organization at South Dakota State University that sponsored the drag show there, billed it as “kid-friendly” and appropriate for families to attend.

The new policy represents the latest in campus culture wars, which have also included fights after conservatives objected to critical race theory, a decades-old academic framework that describes racism as systematic.

A conservative movement has demonized drag shows performed in front of children. Republican policymakers have suggested drag artists are exposing children to sexually explicit routines and even gone so far as to accuse them of grooming young people. 

Drag supporters say the art form is not intrinsically sexual, that it only serves as a way to break gender norms and that no evidence exists showing children have been harmed at a drag show. 

Still, several state legislatures, including those in Tennessee and in Missouri, have recently introduced bills intended to curtail drag shows. 

Conservatives quickly registered their objections to the South Dakota State drag show. One Republican state representative, Jon Hansen, said on Twitter that he wrote to South Dakota State President Barry Dunn, telling him it was inappropriate for children to take part in the event. 

“Drag, as you likely know, is mostly cross-dressing men masquerading around as hyper-sexualized women, often times in scant lingerie,” Hansen said. “Drag is hyper-sexual by its very nature, and kids should not be invited to partake in this.”

So intense was the uproar that Dunn in November made a public statement clarifying the student group organized the event and did not dip into university funds to do so.

In December, the regents chimed in. The regent president, Pam Roberts, said in a statement then that the board asked university presidents to temporarily block minors from attending campus events sponsored by student organizations.  

“We respect the First Amendment, but none of us are happy about children being encouraged to participate in this event on a university campus,” Roberts said. 

Late last month, the board held an impromptu meeting to discuss the controversy. During that meeting, regents voted in favor of a new policy, directing their central office to craft one.

A board statement did not reference when regents will make a finalized version of the policy public. It said that in the interim, officials “will review all upcoming events involving the presence of minors on campus to confirm adequate protocol and safeguards are met.”

Another Republican state senator, Julie Frye-Mueller, told the regents at an earlier December meeting she intended to file a bill restricting drag shows in the state.

[pyroaress]

@pulchramundii​  asked: "Unlike others, your opinion in a matter is one I actually trust."

   * ♕         ›         “ That makes sense. I’m the most practical person you know. ” Her answer came in a candid quip but behind her wiry smile she was beaming. Embarrassed even she had to look away to and pretend to keep busy. Suddenly the already perfectly organized files and plans need yet more fiddling with.

“ You are king of the new world. What kind of regent would I be if I do not offer my most sure thoughts? And well- ”

        She finally turns with a hum.

“ I’m touched you don’t take my words for granted. ”

[uwmadarchives]

Student Memory: What It Is & Why It Matters

Rena Yehuda Newman, Student Historian in Residence 2018 - 2019

Black Student Leaders Wahid Rashad, Harvey Clay, and others at Rally During UW Black Student Strike, February 1969

A song to listen to as you read: Archive, by Mal Blum

Student memory is a constant struggle. This is an axiom that every student organizer or worker knows intuitively. On college campuses, every four or five years means a complete turnover of knowledge. There is only a brief window for continuity. So, what does it mean to pass down memory in a place with such a transient population?

As a student historian, I’ve been researching the student activism of the 1960s Vietnam War era on UW-Madison’s campus. But there are significant gaps in the collections, namely, the voices of the student organizers who led the most major protest movements of their time, like the Black Student Strike. While it’s a relatively new phenomenon for archives to serve communities rather than powerful institutions, the same problem seems to be happening continually -- no one is documenting the campus activism of 2019.

Not only does this mean the erasure of student history, but also the continued forgetting of modern student memory, leaving each successive generation of students without context. This causes major problems for students engaged in social issues and policy change. Without memory of previous happenings and student-led initiatives, ideas and already-fought battles, students are at a severe disadvantage. Tireless hours by student activists can be undone. And if each year brings new amnesia, momentum is irrecoverably lost.

With this in mind, we have to ask: Who benefits from forgetting?

In my time as a student organizer, activism for or against new policies often feels like a race against the clock. I’ve heard time and time again that the administration and board of regents relishes a certain temporal safety. However awful a policy, however bad the student backlash, they can just wait it out until no student on campus remembers the time before. Those in power always benefit from public forgetting.

For example, in 2017 - 2018, University Housing unleashed a new mandatory meal plan without the input or consent of the student body, requiring all first years living in residential housing to pay an additional $1400 into WiscCard accounts, to be used exclusively for eating at the dining halls. This policy directly harmed low income students, students with eating disorders and dietary restrictions, and impacted students’ right to choose where and how they eat on campus. Major protests ensued all of last year, including an hour-long shutdown of UW’s most major dining hall. But many incoming freshman have no idea this policy is new, or that their fellow students spent countless hours fighting for an opt-out. Without a sense of memory, the student body is ill-equipped to advocate for itself and address harms they may experience but never be aware of.

Another example: in 2017, Governor Scott Walker tried to slash students’ ability to self-tax through allocable segregated fees, which would have effectively killed all of UW-Madison’s most major student organizations, many of which offer vital services for students like the Rape Crisis Center or the campus food pantry, The Open Seat. Students fought and won against this policy proposal, but the same issue could arise again. If students don’t know about this history of advocacy, the next time segregated fees are attacked, those future students will be forced to reinvent the wheel.

I want to bring together these two strands of maintaining student memory and recording student history. It seems that they are heavily dependent on each other -- if new students are given a sense of memory, “caught up to speed” with previous events on campus, all students benefit. I’m going to spend this spring collecting student materials to fill in the gaps. But I can’t do it alone, especially because as a white student, many of these are not my stories to tell.

We have so much to gain from remembering.

How should a student body organize against collective amensia?

Last week I presented to Associated Students of Madison (ASM), the UW-Madison student government about maintaining student memory. I believe student government can have an important role to play in creating workshops, sessions, and publications to educate students about their own past. Student government might also take it upon itself to do documentation work, creating folders full of posters and graphics and materials from recent organizing movements, especially on campuses where there isn’t a paid student historian to do this labor.

But this kind of documentation should happen at a grassroots level beyond student government. Student institutions and organizations have important roles to play, but are not representative. All students, especially students of marginalized identities, should keep records of themselves, write about their experiences, compile the materials of daily life and continuous struggle present in their time on campus. Creating “Disorientation Guides” to give to new students is useful. Though an individualist and professional culture usually means hoarding credit, fight back against this impulse by saying the names of fellow students and organizers who have also done the work. Create a folder on your computer of screenshots, receipts. Leave citations, make a record.

Collect for the future and fine ways to revive the past. Take opportunities in classes to research local historical student issues. Go dig around in your university’s archives. Ask for the wisdom of elders who have been around for a while. Tell the stories you learn, especially the stories that give you hope or create resilience in you -- make art about them, publish zines about them. Keep it alive.

Memory is protection against erasure. People and institutions of power will not record our stories, but we can. Create your files, archive your experiences. Make memory out of story then find a way to tell it. If you trust them, donate your materials to your local archive, especially university archvies. If you don’t, make your own. Either way, write it down. Collect it.

To all student activists engaged in the struggle: In fifty years, there may be a student wondering what their campus did during Trump Era America. Don’t let that story be written for you. Pick up your pen, fill up your boxes.

You are a historical subject, act like it.

- Rena Yehuda Newman (They/Them)

[oroycristinemae]

NEWS RELEASE         

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             

NOVEMBER 17, 2019 

23 WORKER’S STARTED A LABOR PROTEST

Regent Foods Corporation Faces Labor Protest as Workers Demand Fair Treatment

Manila - Regent Foods Corporation, a leading food manufacturer in Pasig, Metro Manila, is facing a labor protest as workers demand fair treatment and better working conditions.

The protest, which began on October 6, involves hundreds of workers from Regent Foods Corporation's factory, who are demanding better wages, improved safety standards, and an end to discrimination and harassment in the workplace. According to the workers, they have been subjected to unfair treatment and hazardous working conditions, which have put their health and safety at risk. They claim that they are not being paid fair wages for their work and are being denied basic benefits, such as healthcare and sick leave.

The workers have also accused the company of discrimination and harassment, claiming that they have been subjected to verbal abuse and intimidation by their supervisors and colleagues. RFC reprimanded Mr. Sotto in a social media post after he assisted the 23 workers in posting bail after they were jailed on Nov. 9 following a violent dispersal at the picket line.

Sotto stated that he met with and listened to both Regent management and employees during a protest that led to violence and the arrest of 23 people: 20 workers, two members of another organization, and a tricycle driver who "just went down to see what was going on." Twelve people have been released on bond, including the tricycle driver for whom Sotto claims they obtained funds, while 11 remain in jail.

The youthful mayor said he requested owners Irwin and Susan See to drop the accusations, and the couple indicated they would talk with their board of directors. Sotto said he learned on Saturday that the corporation would not withdraw the complaint. Sotto, who overturned the Eusebio dynasty in Pasig in May, promised to "do everything in my power to assist these 23 in regaining/maintaining their liberty." Meanwhile, labor groups praised Sotto's support for the workers and asked for his assistance, warning that the Regent administration will file more cases against the unions.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Cristine Mae Oroy at 09398678617

REFERENCES:

Patajo-Kapunan, A. L. (2019, November 24). Regent reacts | Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan. BusinessMirror. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/11/25/regent-reacts/?fbclid=IwAR0-Kv1LUuvzn9qPEaYgAjoA5Yl7U2R3JmkxGoDnWWdsrNUyrPv7ux_O1bI

ABS-CBN News. (2019, November 19). Regent eyes Pasig exit as Vico Sotto sides with striking workers. ABS-CBN News. https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/11/19/19/regent-eyes-pasig-exit-as-vico-sotto-sides-with-striking-workers?fbclid=IwAR3ziy14jBdaXLgVPzrKYkSp4QE4E6OQw8X0mrCaGzSwzKfUAy-eWLKJuF0

DONA MAGSINO,GMA News & DONA MAGSINO, GMA News. (2019, November 21). DILG: Mayor Vico Sotto can’t pressure Regent Foods to drop charges vs. 23 individuals | News |. GMA News Online. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/716292/dilg-mayor-vico-sotto-can-t-pressure-regent-foods-to-drop-charges-vs-23-individuals/story/?fbclid=IwAR3ziy14jBdaXLgVPzrKYkSp4QE4E6OQw8X0mrCaGzSwzKfUAy-eWLKJuF0