#Review de Monitor

[meugamer]

Monitor Gamer KBM! GAMING MG100 24": Vale a Pena para Jogos? Confira Nossa Opinião

Monitor Gamer KBM GAMING MG100 24" da KaBuM!: Será que ele entrega uma boa performance para jogos? Descubra nossa análise completa e veja se vale a pena incluir esse modelo no seu setup! ✅ #MonitorGamer #Review #SetupGamer #KBMGaming #kabum #gaming

[nerdybouquetpeanutworld]

Monitor LG 24ML600M: Análise, Desempenho e Custo-Benefício para Trabalho...

https://tecparatodos.com/lg-24ml600m/

[tinyshootingstar]

Meet the OC - Sinesi Kore

Family:

Aglaia "Kore" Ballisto (Mother) Sideri Kore (Father) Chrisante Kore (Older sister)

Other names:

Rubecula (Hacking community) Betta (Floyd) Reine des papillons (Rook)

Personality:

A carefree and coquettish girl, with an omnipresent smile of who knows better than you. She may carry herself with an air of superiority, but a bit of flattery is all it takes to win her over.

All her problems are hers alone and, for that reason, she tend to keep others out of them. Seeing her open up to someone is a rare sight, very few people can say they've seen her vulnerable side. Her strong and resolute nature allowed her to fight one of the deepest sorrow she ever felt, but she risked being overwhelmed by it on several occasions. Among all her friends, Vil Schoenheit seems to have the best influence on her. Despite he often claiming he hate her innate passion for lowbrow cinema, he's always there to bring her back down to earth, perhaps the only one truly capable of making her question her choices and pushing her to take a step back. When someone is asking her for help, she's always answering in an annoyed tone, but she ends up helping out, even if she sulks the whole time. Just flattering her ability is enough to soften her up. Both with friends or strangers, she's a very frank girl, but her manner may be a little unfriendly or caustic. Moreover, she's a very resentful person, and everyone at school knows this side of her: if someone wrongs her, it's a bit difficult that she'll let it go, and she'll do whatever it takes to get even.

Signature spell:

"Come and serve me well. Who's in control?" In a botnet, allow her to replace the main terminal, physically becoming the botmaster of the network. The larger the network, the more energy she consumes and less time she has. Since botnets are often very large, she has no more than five minutes.

Trivia:

Sinesi's name comes from the greek word σύνεσις, meaning 'understanding', 'unification', 'insight'.

Her surname, Kore, comes from the greek goddess Persephone, and sounds like "core" in english.

She's a promising engineer, but she's dyscalculic. When she was younger, she wanted to surrender at the idea that she would never be a technomantic engineer, but Theia, her sister's girlfriend, pushed her to continue her studies. Now, her goal is to be the best in her field of research, so she can make her proud and repay her for all the kindness and support she’s given.

Since she's slower than her classmates at programming, she wrote a handbook with all the problems she’s already encountered and various precompiled programs ready for use, so she can review them and complete her tasks more quickly.

After the chaos she did during her first year and after spoken with the ARU, they're watching over her devices to monitoring her behaviour online for the time being, a security precaution. Meanwhile, also their cybercrime department put an eye on her...

She has a fondness for shooter, hack-and-slash and horror games. She often play with Idia, who always push her to try some RPGs. She really don't like them, with the exception of one, single game he maneged to make her like.

She's holding a podcast for the film research club with her club's companions. They have fun talking about B and Z movies, mostly horror, but they also promote their main work done under the guidance of Vil. It's a compromise she did with him.

When she's angry, all her magic run through her robotic butterflies and devices, causing multiple glitch and error that she must repair all the times.

To scary the Ignihyde freshmen, she's developed an hologram of a frightening demon coming from a story written by her friend Adane. They named it Larry, and now "he's infesting the second floor of Ignihyde". Idia's backing her up.

When their ex dormleader wanted her to be the new housewardern, she declined. Now, despite idia not appointed her as his vice, most of the dormitory see her like their vicehousewarden.

At first, she was sorted in Pomefiore, but choose to change dorm after the first semester.

[princess-leaorgana]

Any Excuse to Kiss You

VDAY Fluff

Fandom: Dragon Age The Veilguard

Pairing: Emmrich x Leo de Riva (Male Crow Rook/OC)

Summary: Before bed smooches, just fluff (*′☉.̫☉) also warning, i don't speak Spanish good.

Emmrich was propped up by about four pillows as he sat in bed, reading a book on the Fade and making corrections in the margins. His time at the Lighthouse and Crossroads had opened his eyes to the behavior of valances, and he was hoping to get a full report out for peer review quickly. Emmrich very rarely had time alone anymore, he was either tutoring students, monitoring Manfred or with Leo. He didn’t mind it so much, but he did appreciate this quiet time before bed. Leo was in the washroom showering, shaving, primping himself. Getting ready for bed for Leo was its own event. He took well over an hour doing so. Emmrich would enjoy the peace. Well, as much peace as he could have with Leo singing to himself in the washroom, anyway. Emmrich muttered a little under his breath at a spelling error of his own doing, carefully scratching out his mistake. The washroom door opened and Leo walked out. Emmrich glanced up at him from his book to see what he was in for that evening. How Leo came out of the washroom was always an indicator of his mood. Emmrich looked back down at his book, he was safe for now. Leo was shirtless, as he often was, but he was wearing loose cotton pants. Emmrich thought they were gorgeous on him, the way it tied tight on his hips, and they flared out until the ankles were very flattering on Leo. Though, Emmrich would argue most things were flattering on his partner.

Leo chucked his towel in a large hamper and walked over to their bed. He crawled in and gave his back a nice big stretch. Emmrich looked at him again. Just a quick glance and then back to his book. But something caught his eye. Usually, Leo was fresh faced before bed, his usual black kohl eyeliner gone, his hair down, nothing on his face as all. But for some reason, Leo had on his lips a deep mauve lip color. Emmrich’s brow furrowed in confusion. Leo had worn color on his lips before, but after such a long wash up, that didn’t make any sense. Leo looked at Emmrich and smiled.

“Do I smell?” He asked, remarking on the incredulous look on Emmrich’s face. Emmrich shook his head and sighed.

“Why do you have on a lip right before bed?” Emmrich asked him and Leo’s smile only grew.

“Damn, I didn’t think you would notice,” Leo said, a little playfully. Emmrich’s eyebrows shot up. How could he not notice? Leo’s skin was very tanned, but not dark enough for Emmrich to not notice that color.

“Darling, it’s incredibly dark,” Emmrich said and Leo chuckled, moving to his side to face Emmrich.

“I think the color will look good on you,” Leo remarked and as Emmrich attempted to understand what Leo meant by that, Leo leaned over Emmrich, getting in the way of him and his book. Emmrich grunted, but before he could properly protect, Leo littered his face and neck with kisses. Emmrich wished he could have been annoyed, but how could he? Emmrich set down his pen and laughed, flinching away from Leo as the younger man tickled him with his aggressive, and frankly obnoxious kisses.

“Leo de Riva!” He laughed through scolding Leo, but Leo only became bolder. Emmrich had to push his book aside as the large man practically climbed on top of him, Leo undoing buttons on Emmrich’s nightshirt to gain access to his chest. Emmrich was wrong about Leo’s outfit, clearly, Leo had been in quite the mood, even in his cotton pants. Leo got to a fourth button and Emmrich sighed and scoffed, but still laughed. “Leo, I was in the middle of something,” he scolded and Leo glanced up at him. Those brown eyes, full of joy and danger.

“Do you want me to stop, professor?” He asked in a low voice and Emmrich smiled, lifting a hand to Leo’s face, cupping his cheek gently. The two looked at each other for a moment, not a word or sound between them. Just a visit to each other’s eyes, enjoying the energy and love in the room. They were coming up on a year, being romantic partners. It astonished Emmrich how easily they got along. How their bond grew so strongly, Emmrich didn’t understand. An Antivan Crow and a mage, a rake and a gentleman. Their age gap alone always gave Emmrich pause, but as much as Emmrich worried, Leo pushed him further. He feared it was only physical, Leo was gorgeous, and Emmrich knew he was no spring chicken, but he had a decent conceit of his own looks. Leo praised his beauty constantly, but it was more than physical attraction. Leo was quickly becoming Emmrich’s confidant, his comfort. His best friend. Leo laughed and broke the moment they were sharing. “The color does look good on you,” he said and brought his thumb to Emmrich’s cheek, brushing some of the color that transferred to Emmrich’s face. Emmrich was covered in kiss stamps. The put together mage was a mess and that always put a smile on Leo’s face.

“Wonderful, lovely, now I must go and wash up once more,” Emmrich sighed and Leo shook his head.

“No, no, this is my mess, let me,” he said and gave Emmrich one last kiss, a proper one on the lips. After a sweet kiss, Leo got out of bed and walked to the washroom. Emmrich placed his book and pen on his nightstand and picked up a small grooming mirror from a drawer. He laughed when he looked at himself. It was a beautiful color, it just wasn’t exactly in the right places. Leo got one right in the middle of his forehead, it was perfectly placed. He still had perfect aim. Leo returned quickly with a bottle of oil and a wet cloth. He got into bed, but on Emmrich’s side, crawling over into Emmrich’s lap. Emmrich grunted. It wasn’t the first time Leo got into his lap, but this wasn’t the normal moment of passion. Leo straddled Emmrich’s lap and lifted Emmrich’s chin with his thumb. Leo had such rough hands, and Emmrich’s skin was so delicate and smooth. But Leo had a very soft touch, he was wonderful with his hands, and he was terribly tender with his touches. Leo poured a dash of oil in his hands and rubbed it in. He placed his hands on Emmrich’s face, his thumbs massaging the stained skin, easily removing the color. With every little kiss he removed, he wiped it away with the face cloth. Emmrich closed his eyes and leaned back, enjoying Leo’s touches, his gentle massage. Leo began to hum, taking his time removing his hard work, enjoying the intimacy as much as Emmrich was. Leo loved taking care of Emmrich, being the source of his joy. Leo began to hum lightly, certainly making this procedure more luxury than necessity. Emmrich would be the last person in the world to complain. “La vida estaría vacía sin ti,” Leo muttered, Emmrich would learn Antivan some day, more than Leo had taught him. But Leo only spoke Antivan when he was either incredibly angry or enamoured. The mystery amplified when Emmrich was less clued in on what Leo was saying. Emmrich opened one eye to look at Leo quickly. He looked dreamy. Those dark lashes half lidded as he concentrated on Emmrich’s face. It was divine just to watch him, but he closed his eyes again.

“What does that mean?” Emmrich asked softly.

“You know some of those words, guess,” Leo said, his hands moving from Emmrich face to neck, forgetting his original task of cleaning his face. The lip color was gone, except for one on Emmrich's chest. Leo would let Emmrich keep that one.

“I know one of them. ‘Vida’ means life,” he said and Leo moaned in agreement. “But I don’t know the rest of it, darling,” Emmrich said and Leo hummed a little louder and softly sang in Antivan.

“La vidaa…..estaría….vacía…sin ti,” as if that would help Emmrich. Emmrich just softly. He was not getting a language lesson tonight. Leo rolled his knuckles down Emmrich’s neck and Emmrich sighed happily.

“Well, whatever it is, I am glad it’s putting you in such a good mood,” he whispered.

“Todo es gracias a ti, mi vida,” Leo said and Emmrich sighed.

“You speaking Antivan and with your hands on me, I don’t think you are going to achieve what you set out to do this evening, darling. I am very close to sleep,” Emmrich said and felt Leo’s lips on his.

“Then we switch,” Leo said softly and climbed off of Emmrich and sat on his side of the bed. “Come now, head in my lap Volkarin,” he ordered and Emmrich sighed. He sat up and moved in front of Leo and laid down on his back. How could he complain? Leo rubbed more oil in his hands, looking down at Emmrich in his lap and slowly began a soft massage. Emmrich was always so proud of his knowledge of the human anatomy, he was quite the show off with massages and healing. But Leo? Leo didn’t know a muscle from a bone, but he had a natural instinct on what people liked, what made people feel good. Leo just had a certain touch, as if his love was radiating off of his fingertips. Even after almost a year of committed monogamy, Emmrich still felt a little self conscious in their relationship. But having Leo touch him like this, he had never felt more secure. Emmrich felt heavy with sleep in about five minutes, and Leo must have noticed. “Que duermas bien, cariño,” he whispered and kissed Emmrich’s lips gently.

One last stamp, one of his lips, one over his heart.

[eretzyisrael]

Saudi school textbooks drop hatred of Israel

A bright spot in the current gloom that is the Middle East is Saudi Arabia: a new report idenitifies a strong shift in the Saudi education system away from anti-Israel ideology and toward more liberal, Western ideals. The Palestinian textbooks, regrettably, show the opposite trend. The New York Post reports:

De facto’ Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman

The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), issued a report on the 2023/24 curriculum in Saudi Arabia. Following a critical review of 371 Saudi textbooks from 2019 to 2024, IMPACT-se evaluated changes made to textbooks for the current school year. As always, we measured them against internationally recognized UNESCO standards of peace and tolerance in education.

What we found was very encouraging. Continuing a steady positive trend in Saudi textbooks over the last several years, passages that endorsed violent jihad have been removed, antisemitic language is no longer found and texts that in the past promoted male superiority over women have been removed or altered, providing much-needed gender-parity in a region where it’s been lacking. Meanwhile, Zionism is no longer portrayed as the product of European colonialism.

As Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) works towards implementing his comprehensive vision for his Kingdom’s future, the way Saudi children are being educated is instructive. It is no coincidence that these textbook changes are taking place as MBS, who has faced scrutiny, opens his Kingdom up to the world. As the Saudi desire for economic development, modernization and closer relations with the West persists, a curriculum which is increasingly tolerant and inclusive makes this prospect all the more likely.

Read article in full

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Law approved by the president of Brazil threatens the Amazon’s hydrological cycle

The victory of President Lula in the 2022 elections was seen by researchers and environmentalists as an achievement for science and the Amazon, due to the government’s stronger commitment to environmental issues. The journal Nature Human Behaviour highlighted the perspective of researchers who were optimistic about this change in an article entitled The Future of Brazilian Science. However, in my contribution to the journal, I emphasised that the Lula Government still needs to review important issues, such as the repaving of the BR-319 highway and oil and gas exploration in the Amazon, in order to mitigate climate change and other environmental and social impacts.

These same concerns were also highlighted in other scientific journals, such as Environmental Conservation, edited by the University of Cambridge, in an article led by researcher Rodrigo Vilani from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro. In other words, it is becoming increasingly evident that President Lula’s environmental promises have significantly diverged from what was advocated in his campaign.

Over the past two years, the Amazon has faced an unprecedented drought scenario, particularly in the Upper Rio Negro region, which has caused great concern among researchers. In a study published in the journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, we demonstrated that even species currently considered common and not at risk of extinction are already in decline and are expected to disappear within the next 15 to 20 years.

However, the damage of climate change to the Amazon is not limited to biodiversity and rivers. The region may face lethal heatwaves, with a heat index reaching up to 71°C, which could collapse the healthcare system and decimate part of the population of Manaus, particularly the most socially vulnerable, as previously addressed in CENARIUM.

Given this alarming scenario, how can President Lula, a proponent of progressive environmental rhetoric, sanction a law that further exacerbates the factors responsible for these devastating impacts? In the latest edition of Science, one of the most important scientific journals in the world, I highlighted how the sanctioning of Law No. 14,876 by President Lula intensifies drought and compromises the hydrological cycle of the Amazon biome, which is essential for the climatic stability of South America.

Continue reading.

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Hurricane Oscar: Foresight, solidarity and unity in the face of any contingency

https://www.granma.cu/

Preserving people's lives is the priority in the face of the onslaught of Hurricane Oscar, said Joel Queipo Ruiz, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and president of the Provincial Defense Council.

This governing body, activated in full composition, just like that of the municipalities, reviewed the provisions with which it acts in the current phase of cyclone alarm in which the territory finds itself.

Here, according to the assessment, the population protection commissions are activated up to the CDR level, with emphasis on the transfer of people to the homes of relatives and friends, and evacuation centers determined for these cases.

The actions aimed at ensuring the lives of our fellow citizens, although they have been accelerated in recent hours, have been based on rational movements that are made from the most distant and difficult-to-access sites, while taking into account residents in coastal flood zones.

Also taken into account are those who live near riverbanks, as well as in areas that may be covered by water due to rainfall, and in areas downstream of reservoirs, especially in the municipalities of Moa, Sagua de Tánamo and Frank País.

In addition, the protection of inhabitants in mountain communities and rural areas that may be isolated is being monitored, and they have been advised to move them to caves or engineering works near these sites.

The guidelines included strict restrictions on access to risk areas such as rivers, streams, canals, reservoirs and bridges, areas of potential landslides and waters below dams.

The municipal defense councils were required to increase the supply of drinking water to the most remote populations and those that depend on water trucks, while they were instructed to carefully follow and comply with what was established for the protection or evacuation of material resources stored in facilities with structural vulnerabilities.

Regarding the actions to be undertaken in the recovery phase after the passage of the meteor, among other things, it was decided to collect the vegetables and other agricultural products that the winds and rains could destroy, and at the same time speed up the harvest of those that could be damaged, which will be followed by the immediate sowing of short-cycle crops.

Regarding the handling of the storm in tourist resorts, where thousands of foreign visitors are staying, the authorities in the sector reported that all of them, as well as the nationals staying there, are protected.

It was also learned that in all coastal municipalities instructions were given for the return to land of vessels that were carrying out work at sea, so that they could be transferred to points that offer them safety.

Particular attention was paid to the availability of food, with agricultural authorities stating that instructions had been given to supply the markets with food and other products, and that their entities had been instructed to prepare soups and ajiacos, among other things, to sell to the population.

The actions undertaken to speed up the sale of the products in the standard family basket and to protect those in the warehouses were specified. In the province, actions continued for the distribution of fuel to the municipalities, so that the operation of the emergency generators can be assured, which guarantee, above all, the vitality of the medical services, the supply of water to the population and communications. Likewise, the sale of liquefied gas to the population continued.

[nicklloydnow]

“On Monday, the biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences revealed, with much fanfare, that they have created a trio of white wolf hybrids. Named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi, these wolves, Colossal says, were created by making 20 edits on 14 gray wolf genes. These were used to generate hybrid cell lines that were placed in donor eggs, carried to term by domestic dogs. Four pups were born, one of which died. The surviving three now run around a 2,000-acre private facility in the United States where they are “continuously monitored.” It seems that the wolves may never know life outside some kind of confinement.

The company calls these creatures dire wolves, claiming to have brought the species Aenocyon dirus back from extinction. Exactly what Colossal accomplished, however, is opaque. The private company did not publish a scientific, peer-reviewed paper along with its media blitz—there was a flurry of credulous articles that I’m sure you’ve seen on your news feeds—though they promise that a paper is coming next week. A spokesperson told Slate on Wednesday afternoon that the paper has been submitted for peer review, and a preprint version “is being submitted” and should be posted in a day or two. For now, we have precious little to go on outside of the company’s own claims.

(…)

First, dire wolves and gray wolves, like the ones whose genes Colossal modified, evolved independently from each other over millions of years, though the exact degree to which they are related might depend on whom you ask. In 2021 a multidisciplinary group of researchers found that fossil dire wolves, like those found by the thousands in L.A.’s La Brea asphalt seep, were not closely related to the wolves that roam our planet today. Dire wolves appeared to be descendants of an older line of canids (the larger family that includes everything from domestic dogs to foxes) that split off from other canids about 5 million years ago. Though they are genetically closer to jackals, they convergently evolved to resemble gray wolves. The skeletal resemblance can be close enough that even experts sometimes have difficulty properly identifying a dire wolf fossil from a prehistoric gray wolf one. When dire wolves went extinct about 10,000 years ago, gray wolves became more numerous and expanded to fill the niches dire wolves left open.

That’s the current thinking, anyway—as with anything in science, new evidence can change things. Now, Colossal’s own researchers have claimed to journalists that their research has again adjusted the picture, proposing that dire wolves arose from interbreeding between two different wolf lineages between 2.5 million and 3.5 million years ago. This would put them a bit closer to gray wolves. It will be useful to see their reasoning for this shift outlined in a scientific paper, in a format where their techniques can be critiqued by other experts, which is a crucial part of scientific research. But even so, it’s hard to imagine that even a “mere” 2.5 million years of evolutionary change can be captured by 20 gene edits. (According to a statement from Colossal Biosciences sent to Slate, the company aimed “to resurrect the key traits that defined dire wolves.” Its team stopped at 20 edits“[b]ecause we didn’t need more” and because every edit poses some risk to the goal of birthing a health animal.)

Then there’s the Biology 101 fact that an organism is not just its genome. Even if Colossal did make a wolf with a complete Aenocyon dirus genome, those genes would not dictate every choice and every behavior of the creatures they belonged to. The reality is that genes interact with environments, and organisms emerge from the interplay from the two. We know from the fossil record that dire wolves were social creatures, but we’re too late to observe exactly how each generation of pups learned skills from the one before it. Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi do not have dire wolf parents to learn from—and we have absolutely no way of knowing whether they are truly behaving like dire wolves at all.

(…)

What we’re really looking at, it seems, are gray wolves modified to be dire wolves of George R.R. Martin’s books rather than living, breathing replicas of the actual prehistoric carnivores that hunted bison, horses, camels, and baby mammoths in packs during the Pleistocene. They look like the animal actors on the HBO adaptation of Game of Thrones. Given that Martin is both an investor in and adviser to Colossal, it feels awfully convenient that the company is heavily promoting wolves that are the spitting image of those in his fantasy series. The canids might be “dire wolves” in the fictional sense, but they are not literally dire wolves. Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi are, at best, a shaky hypothesis of what dire wolves might have looked like. As creatures that were created by modifying modern organisms, and who live in modern times, they are untethered from the evolutionary history embodied by the real dire wolves who now rest in the fossil record. Sure, Colossal has, perhaps, done something here. But Colossal’s wolves are not dire wolves, and they never will be. “As one of our founders stated, ‘this is the moon landing of synthetic biology,’ ” Colossal told Slate in a statement. But the fact is that gene editing can’t reconnect the social lives and ecological roles of animals that have been extinct for thousands of years. Trying to “bring back” dire wolves by modifying gray wolves is like saying you can reach the moon if you jump really high on a trampoline. Maybe you can get an inch closer than you could before. Maybe you can put the trampoline on a platform, too. But you’ll never arrive.

To put it another way, Colossal’s dire wolves are like Tesla’s disastrous Cybertruck. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the co-founder of Colossal is a billionaire. Someone rich felt a pang of nostalgia and made a demand. The infamous and ugly Cybertruck was inspired by video game vehicles. Colossal’s wolves are prestige TV creatures. This kind of thinking is everywhere: Blue Origin is sending Katy Perry way high up into the sky, a stunt to help sell a sci-fi daydream of one day taking a bus to Moon. This isn’t progress; it’s a bunch of toys. Meanwhile, the government is actively gutting science and health agencies, and firing people who do the challenging and often-unglamourous work that research involves—not for personal glory and a shiny press treatment, but simply to advance knowledge and make the world better for the humans and creatures who already live here. Careful and painstaking conservation work, such as the work restoring wood bison herds to Alaska, is overlooked in favor of designer species given meme-sprinkled promo reels.

Facts, as we have bitterly learned over the past two decades, count for little right now. Colossal’s very questionable marketing of its genetic tinkering has already prompted Donald Trump’s oil-friendly Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to insinuate that the endangered species list will be a thing of the past if we can just refresh and resurrect species at will. “[T]he status quo is focused on regulation more than innovation,” he posted on X. To say Colossal is the future of conservation is to task the offensively wealthy with deciding the future of life on Earth. Any number of environmental injuries and insults can be justified if we believe that everything can be placed back how it was with a little innovation. Looking at Colossal’s wolves, I don’t even feel a “wow” moment like Ellie Sattler had spotting an InGen-made Brachiosaurus in Jurassic Park. I hurt for these wolves, creatures wholly unaware that they were created to be trophies.”

[neshabeingchildish]

We'll Raise Him Right, Part 2

Tagged: Charlotte Page, Max Thunderman, Mika Macklin, Chapa De Silva

Notes: Don’t mind me. Just clearing my mind of a little bit of Charlotte x Max lore from my notes.

Plot: Mini Max has been training underneath Mika, AKA Shoutout, and Chapa AKA Volt comes around to see the progress. Potentially Zenryverse, but no mention of Zenryverse characters.

If Mini Max was startled, he would let out a yelp and everyone was startled. Not from the sound of the yelp, but from the link of his feeling with the sound. If he was nervous, everyone got nervous. He learned to hum a tune for everyone else to calm down, even if he couldn’t calm himself down. But if he cried, it was like a cloud of dread covered everyone in his immediate world. 

Once, he began crying when he couldn’t pet a service dog, because Charlotte told him, “That doggie is working, Maxi. We can’t play with him right now.” His tears were practically immediate. The disabled pet owner began crying, the dog began barking and Charlotte saw on the faces of nearby bystanders that they were next. Hurriedly, she tried to get her child away from people, while Max reached out to take him off of her hands. “We aren’t honing this skill with him. Why is he wielding it?” She asked, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Max, unable to find his singing voice in this despair, cried back, “Because he can’t control it, since we aren’t honing it. It’s tied to his feelings! Either he’ll have to be taught how to disable his feelings, or taught how to enable his powers.”

It would be cruel to try to make him disable his feelings. He was a little kid. He was human. He deserved to have his feelings.

“I’ll schedule training with Mika,” Charlotte said, her voice a little clearer. She realized that the dread was gone and hope came in. Max let out a relieved laugh and they both checked on the boy. He was distracted by a Happy Fun Burger. They nodded at each other and headed that way to get him a meal and a toy.

Theoretically, they knew how the hypnosis worked, and Mika could teach him based on that. Fortunately, more often than not, he was a very happy child. That fact made him a joy to be around for most people, most of the time. Humming and singing felt nice, so he often did it to turn his feelings around when they began to go to sadness or fear. Those were generally the bad feelings that got to him sometimes. He hardly ever got mad. 

When it was time for training, Mika set the first goal. This goal was that his voice would become both a serenade and a stronghold. He had a human vocal coach and a super vocal coach, and Mika was his mentor and manager. She would review his training with both coaches, monitor his scans, and give him lessons according to those findings.

“I was a teenager when I got my superpower. I was criticized for blooming later than everyone else on my team. I know what it's like to think constantly about your superpower. This is what I want you to always remember, because it can be even more important for you, considering that you were born super and your power has an emotional aspect to it. It may feel like your superpower is your identity. It is not. Your superpower is a characteristic. It can be a gift, a tool, an instrument, a weapon, etc; but it is not who you are. And, it is not in control.” 

He smiled at her and she felt a tingle in her heart. A flutter of appreciation and of trust. She would never let him down. He wasn’t just her greatest project. He would be one of the most important aspects of her life as a superhero.

Mini Max was advanced in learning. Max was quite arrogant about making a perfect genius the first time around. Because he played guitar and sang to him when he was in the womb, he also took credit for Mini Max’s musicality (despite the fact that Charlotte could also play guitar and Maxi only ever fiddled with instruments when attempting to collect notes to assign voice actions to). He would find a note, sing it and attach it to some type of command. 

By age 4, he had began to use a vocalise in order to move things around. “I don’t scientifically understand this aspect of his superpower,” Chapa said, watching him sing softly at a small ball and keeping it in the air with his song, almost like a seal. “Doesn’t he have voice hypnosis and sonic scream? How the heck does that give him… singing telekinesis, or whatever?”

“Because his voice is moving the object,” Mika said, as though it was obvious. The two of them were in their superhero outfits and Mini Max was in his training gear, oblivious to their discussions, as they were too far away and he was preoccupied with the day’s practice.

“Breath control is an important part of vocal technique, so he’s able to manipulate his breath and vocally move the object. Sonic scream can devastate things when aimed to do so. But, if we tone down the volume and regulate the breath less forcefully; yes, we can move things. I think of it as a vocal shove. He is a natural with great practice and teachings, so he can turn it down as low as even a vocal nudge, and that’s what you’re watching him to with the ball.”

Chapa was impressed. “Could he… could he whisper an attack?”

Mika’s smile grew wide at her partner’s interest. “Not whisper, but check this out…” Mika made a call with her sonic voice to gain Mini Max’s attention, then made a gesture like a choir director to end the singing. Maxi quickly stopped his vocalise and caught the ball in one hand to turn his attention to his teacher. “Will you show Volt your “hit a note” move?”

He nodded, smiling. This was something that he was quite confident about. Mini Max threw the ball gently into the air, then hit a particular note for just a moment, and with that note, spiked it across the yard as far through the sky as he could.

“No way! Kid can throw a punch with his singing voice!” She gave him a fist bump.

Mika interjected, “More than that, Volt. He can use his voice to quite literally touch things. Humans, he can touch both emotionally and physically. Other objects, he can touch at just about any volume or pitch, and depending on what he puts into the notes determines how hard or soft he touches things.” She leaned in and whispered, “I have a theory that at a certain pitch, he may be capable of killing someone.”

“That is AWESOME!” Chapa cheered.

“It is… a fascinating but terrible possibility.” She handed Chapa a pair of extra noise blocking earmuffs and put on a pair of her own. She lifted her hand to get Mini Max’s attention, then asked, “Wanna show Volt how to handle a tough crowd?”

Now, the kid gulped and looked at an arrangement of rows of various glass containers, lined up on multiple heighted surfaces. There were several rows, and so many glass containers, not evenly spaced or anything. He had seen Shoutout do great things, but when he tried some of the same things, he could never accomplish them. Now, she was requesting he do this in front of someone else? A fellow superhero, at that?

“Remember!” Mika chimed, “I’ve been a hero for years and have been training and working since I was a teenager. You are not a hero and nobody expects you to be. You’re a child with a superpower that you’re practicing to develop. I don’t expect to see you do what I can do. I want you to show us what you can do.”

He held these words in his heart and mind as he put one finger into the air and one to his ear.

“Can do, can do, can do…” he sang, raising his voice until he found the note he needed, then pointed the lifted finger towards the rows of glasses and sung a very pointed, “Ooo! Ooo! Oo! OOooo!” He either moved, cracked, knocked over, or broke one of most of the glasses. His shoulders sank and he remembered the awe he was in seeing Mika shout and reduce each glass that she aimed at to chards within moments. 

He turned to face the heroes as they removed their ear muffs and came forward. “Crowd’s still tough.”

Volt guffawed, “Are you kidding? It took Shoutout forever to be able to pull off a move like that.” Mini Max squinted his eyes in confusion.

“Not forever, obviously. Just a while.” She looked at Chapa, “I told you don’t use hyperbole with him. He’s four.”

“A genius four, though,” Chapa challenged.

Ignoring her words and placing a hand over her mouth, Mika said, “Good job, M. That’s it for today.”

[applythaivisas]

Thailand Visa Exemptions

Thailand's visa exemption system operates under:

Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979)

Ministerial Regulations No. 14 (B.E. 2535)

Bilateral agreements with 64 countries (as of 2024)

The policy is administered by the Thai Immigration Bureau with oversight from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Unlike true visa-free entry, exemptions are technically "visas on arrival" granted under Section 12 of the Immigration Act.

2. Current Exemption Scheme Structure (2024)

A. Standard Exemption (Tourism Purpose Only)

Duration: 30 days (land/sea entry) or 30-90 days (air entry)

Nationalities: 64 eligible countries

Entry Points: All international airports, 26 land borders

Key Distinctions:

Air vs. Land Entry:

Air arrivals receive 30 days (57 nationalities) or 90 days (7 nationalities)

Land arrivals strictly limited to 30 days (extendable once)

B. Special Bilateral Agreements

90-Day Exemption: Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Korea

60-Day Exemption: Russia (temporary measure until 2025)

30-Day Exemption: Most ASEAN members (extendable to 90)

3. Technical Entry Requirements

Documentation Standards

Passport Validity:

Minimum 6 months remaining

At least 2 blank pages

Machine-readable or biometric only (no handwritten passports accepted)

Proof of Onward Travel:

Confirmed ticket within exemption period

Airlines may require at check-in (IATA TIM regulation)

Acceptable formats:

Flight itinerary (PNR must verify)

E-ticket with 13-digit ticket number

Bus/train tickets for land border exits

Financial Proof:

Official requirement: 20,000 THB/person (40,000/family)

Enforcement protocol:

Random checks at discretion of Immigration Officer

Cash or traveler's checks only (bank statements not accepted)

New 2024 measure: Credit limit verification for card holders

4. Operational Procedures at Entry Points

A. Airport Processing

Automated Verification:

Advance Passenger Information (API) screening

Interpol database cross-check

Previous immigration history review

Secondary Inspection Triggers:

More than 3 exemptions in 12 months

Previous overstays (even if paid fine)

Suspected "visa run" patterns

B. Land Border Specifics

Daily Quotas:

Poipet (Cambodia): 300/day

Sadao (Malaysia): 500/day

Time Restrictions:

No crossings after 18:00 at most borders

Mandatory 6-hour minimum stay abroad for re-entry

5. Extension Mechanisms

Official Extension Process

Eligibility: One 30-day extension permitted

Requirements:

TM.7 form + 1,900 THB fee

Proof of residence (hotel receipt or lease)

4x6cm photo (specific biometric standards)

Processing Time: 45 minutes to 3 hours (varies by office)

De Facto Alternatives

Border Run Limitations:

Maximum 2 land border exemptions per calendar year

Automated tracking via TM6 departure cards

Visa Conversion Option:

Change to Non-Immigrant visa possible at some offices

Requires showing 200,000 THB in Thai bank account

6. Special Cases and Exceptions

A. Diplomatic/Official Passports

90-day exemption for 46 countries

Must present note verbale for official visits

B. APEC Business Travel Card Holders

90-day stay privilege

Fast-track lane access at major airports

C. Crew Members

30-day exemption with valid:

Crew ID

Operator's letter

Layover schedule

7. Compliance and Enforcement Trends

A. New Monitoring Systems

Biometric Facial Recognition: Rolled out at 32 entry points

Advanced Passenger Processing (APP): Pre-arrival screening

Overstay Blacklist: Automated 1-10 year bans

B. Recent Policy Changes

2023 Digital Nomad Measure:

Exemption holders can now apply for 5-year LTR visa without exiting

2024 Financial Verification:

Pilot program at BKK/Suvarnabhumi for cashless proof of funds

Border Run Restrictions:

Electronic TM6 system flags frequent exempt entries

8. Practical Considerations for Travelers

A. High-Risk Scenarios

Previous Overstays:

Even 1-day overstay may trigger secondary inspection

Frequent Exemptions:

More than 6 exemptions in 24 months risks denial

Suspected Employment:

Carrying work equipment without proper visa

B. Recommended Protocols

Document Preparation:

Printed hotel confirmations for first 7 days

Embassy contact details

Health insurance (increasingly requested)

Entry Point Strategy:

Airports generally more lenient than land borders

Avoid "visa run" border crossings (e.g., Poipet)

9. Future Policy Directions

Digital Nomad Visa Integration:

Planned merger with exemption system

ASEAN Harmonization:

Potential 60-day standard for ASEAN+6 countries

Blockchain Verification:

Pilot program for digital proof of onward travel

Dynamic Pricing Model:

Proposed fee structure based on nationality risk factors

This technical breakdown demonstrates Thailand's visa exemption system as a carefully managed balance between tourism facilitation and immigration control, with increasingly sophisticated compliance mechanisms. The system continues evolving with new technologies while maintaining its core accessibility for legitimate travelers.

[dustedmagazine]

2024: Patrick Masterson

It was the year I finally got robbed at gunpoint. Or, wait, is that too glib? Maybe that’s too glib. Here, let me try again:

It was the year I did mushrooms, and nothing happened. It was the year I saw one of my brothers marry. It was the year I spent full days at the lake, the year I tried to take more time off because I owed it to myself, the year I saw Iceland in the dark. It was the year I did not check my bank account or my investment portfolio. It was the year I got robbed twice, one of them at gunpoint on a main drag in walking distance from where I live. It was the year I wandered and fell upward. It was the year of Cindy Lee.

Looked at a certain way, then, my year didn’t really start until April 5th, when I saw this tweet (you remember those, don’t you?) from Cokemachineglow (you remember Cokemachineglow, don’t you?) alumnus Chet Betz. I’d slipped into the CMG orbit as more than just a longtime reader by way of a brief Substack backdoor in 2021, where I shared space with a few of those writers for long enough to earn their follow-back. There wasn’t much interaction once it went dormant, but I kept an eye out anyway — in a mephitic posting environment, these people inevitably had something worth reading.

So when Betz said Cindy Lee would’ve been the sort of thing his old cohort ‘glowed over, I tracked Diamond Jubilee down to the Angelfire page required to download it. Let’s pause here to appreciate what the Lycos (well, Brightcom) intern tasked with monitoring Angelfire’s health in 2024 must’ve thought when the visits and downloads to Cindy Lee’s page spiked in the wake of a long tail of positive press that looked askance at the Angelfire thing as a quaint gimmick in the age of instant gratification amid a year where more music was recorded than any other ever before in the history of Earth. What’s the German word for loathing a wave of thinkpieces before it even occurs?

In any event, it worked everywhere: grocery shopping, bus rides, hazy hours before and after sleep, getting robbed, whatever. I was hooked immediately, to the point that it had me revisiting Women and appreciating both the self-titled and Public Strain in a way that I really didn’t when they first came out. It’s not like I wasn’t aware of them, my interest just wasn’t there in the manner it was this time around. Maybe there’s something to Patrick Flegel’s nostalgic debt to bygone eras and maybe it was the seeming effortlessness of his simple guitar licks and maybe there’s something to me simply getting older — Jonathan postulates better in his year-end than I could, really — but it felt like a warm blanket every time I put it on. I purchased a ticket to the Empty Bottle show a few days before the Pitchfork review dropped that got everyone in my immediate orbit talking (you remember that phenomenon, don’t you?) and was all set to see this simple setup play out in person. Road-tested and already rolling on tour, the scene was set, the moment appearing to be seized.

Then, all at once, it wasn’t. Flegel canceled all remaining tour dates and wrapped the Cindy Lee project altogether, the moment flatly rejected. I couldn’t be heartbroken given how long Patrick’s been out there doing this; to the contrary, rejecting such attention seemed perfectly in line with the whole ethos of the thing, from the unwieldy size of the album to the Angelfire page. To paraphrase Anne de Marcken a bit, it was admirable and it lasted forever and then it was over.

Don’t get me wrong, there were other music moments I enjoyed in a year where I finally felt like I’d let the rat race of it go for good. Chief Keef’s 1-2 punch on both the celebrated Almighty So 2 and much less heralded (but arguably more fun) Mike Will Made-It collaboration Dirty Nachos was a moment of congregation for a lot of people who’d spent the last decade checked out on him, and it was heartening to see his return to play Chicago welcomed so openly; to think he had his hologram banned here once upon a time still gives one pause. There were two venerable standbys — and here’s where I tell you I probably played Pile and Greet Death as much as anything else in 2024, which, who knows, maybe indicates where I’ve been for what feels like a long time now. Joy Orbison and Blawan and Or:la, more old favorites, gave me something to smile about in the dance world. I’ve said my piece on the raps I enjoyed from guys like Elucid and 03 Greedo, but shouts to Young Thug for getting free, too: Even if he never makes another good song, he still deservedly walks out here among us. The first time I heard Loma’s “How It Starts” and Svaneborg Kardyb’s “Arendal” and Fontaines D.C.’s “Favourite” felt like minor miracles, full breaths of fresh air amid a world of suffocation. And God forbid we should forget Brat Summer; for several months in the middle of 2024, I hardly had to do more than walk into a bar for its playlist to wheel up either “365,” Sabrina Carpenter (about which more soon) or Chappell Roan, the latter of which was especially weird and annoying to me given I’m almost 40 and had already moved on from a record nearly a year old that a lot of people almost half my age suddenly seemed bent on. I guess we can call it an accident of history that I was ahead of the curve there.

There were so many other musical moments I enjoyed in a year where I finally felt like I’d let the rat race of it go for good, but reading the above paragraph back brings me to the same conclusion I always reach this time of year: I’ll never get out, and I don’t think I want to. I will always be listening just enough because there is so much music, so much more every single year, so much creativity made by real humans spending real hours tinkering away on instruments and buried in programs manipulating sample packs and exploring, learning, revealing to themselves and the rest of us that they have more in them to uncover, more in us as listeners to hear, more in humanity’s desire to grow for everyone to appreciate. And who wouldn’t want to invest in that?

So, yes: It was the year I got robbed at gunpoint. It was the year of AI slop and chocolate mushrooms, of lake lounging and autumnal nuptials, of billionaire triumphs and way too much whisky. It was a very long leap year. But I have to remind myself of the small moments of satisfaction, the wins in miniature, the curlicues of sad delight three minutes at a time. I’ll say the end again so we both remember: It was the year of Cindy Lee.

Patrick Masterson

[francebonapartiste]

26 février 1815 : Napoléon s'évade de l'Ile d'Elbe

Après son abdication du 6 avril 1814, Napoléon Bonaparte reçoit la souveraineté sur l’île d’Elbe et conserve quelques centaines de soldats, pensionné par le gouvernement des Bourbons restaurés. Pendant ce temps, en France, le régime de la Restauration dirigé par Louis XVIII est fragilisé malgré ses efforts pour apaiser les tensions. Napoléon, profitant de cette instabilité, prépare secrètement son retour, planifiant minutieusement son évasion de l’île d’Elbe pour rétablir son pouvoir en France.

Le 26 février 1815, après avoir minutieusement préparé son évasion pendant plusieurs jours, Napoléon quitte l’île d’Elbe à bord de l’Inconstant, un navire préparé en secret pour ce voyage.

Cette nuit-là, le commissaire anglais Neil Campbell, chargé de surveiller Napoléon, s’était absenté pour se rendre à Livourne, laissant ainsi l’opportunité à Napoléon de finaliser ses préparatifs sans être perturbé.

Napoléon termine les derniers préparatifs avec ses généraux et officiers.

Le matin du départ, Napoléon assiste à la messe, passe en revue ses troupes et embrasse sa mère avant de rejoindre le port. Il salue la foule venue lui rendre hommage et monte à bord de l’Inconstant, accompagné de ses proches et de ses fidèles grenadiers. Portant son habit vert caractéristique, Napoléon quitte Elbe avec détermination, laissant derrière lui des proclamations dénonçant le règne des Bourbons et appelant les Français à le rejoindre.

La traversée, bien que ponctuée de moments de tension, se déroule sans encombre. Les précautions prises pour éviter la détection, comme le retrait des insignes distinctifs des grenadiers et l’utilisation d’un pavillon neutre, contribuent au succès de l’évasion. Arrivant près de la côte française, Napoléon remplace sa cocarde elboise par le tricolore français, symbolisant son retour imminent.

Le 1er mars, la flottille atteint le golfe Juan, où Napoléon débarque avec environ 1200 hommes. Malgré les effectifs limités, sa confiance en son charisme et son autorité reste inébranlable. Ainsi, débute un événement unique dans l’histoire : le ralliement d’un pays par un seul homme, marquant le début des Cent-Jours et le retour de Napoléon au pouvoir en France.

***

After his abdication on April 6, 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte received sovereignty over the island of Elba and retained a few hundred soldiers, retired by the government of the restored Bourbons. Meanwhile, in France, the Restoration regime led by Louis XVIII was weakened despite his efforts to ease tensions. Napoleon, taking advantage of this instability, secretly prepared his return, carefully planning his escape from the island of Elba to restore his power in France. On February 26, 1815, after meticulously preparing his escape for several days, Napoleon left the island of Elba aboard the Inconstant, a ship prepared in secret for this voyage. That night, the English commissioner Neil Campbell, in charge of monitoring Napoleon, was absent to go to Livorno, thus giving Napoleon the opportunity to finalize his preparations without being disturbed. Napoleon completed the final preparations with his generals and officers. The morning of the departure, Napoleon attended mass, reviewed his troops and kissed his mother before reaching the port. He greets the crowd who came to pay tribute to him and goes aboard the Inconstant, accompanied by his relatives and his faithful grenadiers. Wearing his characteristic green habit, Napoleon left Elba with determination, leaving behind proclamations denouncing the reign of the Bourbons and calling on the French to join him. The crossing, although punctuated by moments of tension, goes smoothly. Precautions taken to avoid detection, such as removing the distinctive insignia of grenadiers and using a neutral flag, contribute to the success of the escape. Arriving near the French coast, Napoleon replaced his Elbese cockade with the French tricolor, symbolizing his imminent return.

On March 1, the flotilla reached the Gulf of Juan, where Napoleon landed with about 1200 men. Despite the limited numbers, his confidence in his charisma and authority remains unwavering. Thus begins a unique event in history: the rallying of a country by one man, marking the beginning of the Hundred Days and the return of Napoleon to power in France.

[waugh-bao]

So I was reading some concert reviews on IORR (I know) about the Ottawa 2005 concert. I'd read that Charlie left the stage during SFTD because of some technical troubles and wanted to know more about it. The reviews mentioned that both he and Keith left and Charlie seemed upset about his headphones. Then somebody mentioned that Charlie came in wrong on Brown Sugar and that Mick walked over and smiled at him and then Charlie got back on track. I think there might have been some technical issues for everyone because they also said guitars were cutting out so I assume Charlie was maybe having a bit of trouble hearing.

Anyway, two of the people who were there mentioned that at the end Keith, Mick, and Ronnie were trying to get Charlie to take a solo bow but he refused. One reviewer said they then "attacked him with kisses." And it made me think of how this was after his cancer and wondering if he could still play and keep up with the band and that they must have realized he felt down after the mistakes (whether or not they were his own or related to technical difficulties) and wanted to make him feel better and show him love. My heart!

Based on this:

Something definitely happened. I would hazard to guess there were issues with the sound engineering that were affecting both the instruments themselves and the monitor set-up (what the musicians are hearing in their headphones/ear buds).

What I hate about this, and what is so typical of IORR, is that all of these dipshits come out and act like they’re musicology professors at Yale when the extent of their musical training or ability is the 3 weeks they played guitar in college to try to pull girls.

Like the genius who wanted to inform us that the “click track on the drum machine must have failed” and that’s why Charlie didn’t enter right on “Brown Sugar”:

I have no clue what he means by drum machine, because the only time the Stones utilize drumming that isn’t Charlie himself playing in a live context are the pre-recorded bits of atypical drums for a few songs, like “Sympathy.” They never used any kind of drum machine before Hackney Diamonds. And they’ve very famously never used click tracks, which are a tool for drummers, not a component of a drum machine. Keith and Mick have both mentioned it multiple times, the only instance click tracks were used was one singular day in 1989:

Which all culminates in this pièce de résistance from the same reviewer:

Because somehow, while Keith’s fuck-ups are a charming example of how ‘raw and real’ he is and Mick’s are excusable, it’s all Charlie’s fault that the sound engineering equipment failed on him and the rest of the band.

That said, I absolutely love the descriptions of what happened after. How they tried to get him to take his own bow:

And, when he wouldn’t do that, the way they responded:

[whomst-art-thou-whomst-whomst]

Whomst Reviews: Ghost Doctor

(For those of you Kdrama Tumblrites who haven’t seen this masterpiece yet)

So you know how you watched an episode of Gray’s Anatomy and thought, this would be better if it was gayer and had more ghosts?

Have I got the show for YOU

Episode 1 Recap:

Once upon a time, there was a grumpy introvert heart surgeon named Cha Youngmin. He’s out here in his fancy little suits existing day to day for his work, being That Bitch to everyone to avoid feeling things, just him and his sugar glider son Man Du against the world.

Enter: one (1) naive but pure-hearted rich boy twink named Go Seungtak who loves drinking fancy coffee, showering people with gifts, taking naps, and avoiding real responsibility due to trauma-related anxiety and depression issues (so this is my drama debut tbh)

Necessarily, they clash! Bc Seungtak is the hospital foundation heir, his grandfather has decided that in order to manage the hospital, Seungtak should become a surgeon instead of using his MBA to manage things (not quite following the logic here but sure), and Youngmin, as an esteemed (if disliked) surgeon and all-around girlboss, does Not Like That.

Seungtak immediately falls in love becomes fascinated with Youngmin’s personality and impressed by his skills, and follows him around like the puppy-brained little shit he is. 

Unfortunately, as Youngmin simultaneously decides to make “tormenting Seungtak” his whole personality, this leads to a sad Puppy being first humiliated during a surgery then exiled to ER work. Mondays, bro. 

It’s the first warning we see that Youngmin can allow his emotions to sway his judgment (you know, that thing he bitches at everyone about doing? yeah), because:

1.) he let a first-year resident help with an operation on his first day at work,

2.) he immediately jumps to conclusions and publicly berates that resident for failures instead of assessing what went wrong, and

3.) he’s assigned as Seungtak’s mentor but jettisons him asap the next day after Seungtak witnesses him arguing with his ex (more on her in a sec)

It’s hard to say what would have become of the pair if not for a series of unfortunate and premeditated events brought to us by Hospital Mean Girl Han Seungwon and Corporate Asshat Jang Minho, and liberally edited by Bitch-Ass-Liar An Taehyeon. 

The grandpa-style chairman of a corporation thingy goes in for surgery that Youngmin is initially reluctant to try, as it has a low chance of success and would not give him much more time. We see multiple times that Youngmin will give up on a risky patient rather than spend extra money for what he assumes/judges to be futile efforts. However! Then his ex SeJin shows up, and surprise she’s the daughter of said chairman, who left Korea and now works in Seattle as a neurosurgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital

Having researched her dad’s condition, she doesn’t want Youngmin to do the surgery either; so naturally, Youngmin decides to do the surgery. 

This is ultimately what sets everything else into motion. The chairman’s surgery is an initial success, but then Youngmin gets a text from SeJin and leaves his resting  patient behind (we are told that a surgeon is supposed to stay and monitor the patient until they wake up).

Next thing we know, Youngmin has been in an accident:( and he’s having an out of body experience. We are talking full Patrick Swayze here. He gets rushed to his own hospital.

Who’s available in the ER to assess the patient? Yep, Youngmin’s played himself here, because Seungtak is on duty. Ghost Youngmin screams a lot at people who can’t hear him, realizes that he can’t touch anything in the physical world and thus can’t save himself with his ghost body, and cycles through stages of grief like he’s doing the Tour de France. Oops. 

After assessment, Seungtak takes him to the ER so some surgeon can perform a cardiac tamponade surgery—except the surgeons aren’t answering their phones. Like, none of them. What the hell is going on in this hospital??

So then our brave little toaster Takkie decides to pick up the scalpel himself, despite being visibly panicked. Youngmin, an eternal micromanager, automatically reaches to correct Seungtak’s grip and possesses him instead. 

We end the episode with Youngmin doing surgery on himself??

[arthurium-key]

Channel 7: Stop using our videos without consent. Remove harmful de-transitioning segment!!

On Sunday 3 September 2023, 7NEWS ran a Spotlight segment on de-transitioning. Within the segment they shared videos and images of transgender and non binary people without their consent, wrongfully implying that they regret transitioning. "I was horrified to find one of my post top-surgery videos (expressing how much better my life is because of surgery) included in this segment without my consent." This is not only unethical but immensely harmful to the trans and gender diverse community. Please sign and share our petition calling on Channel 7 to remove this harmful segment and apologise to everyone who's images/ videos were shared without consent. We are also calling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stop amplifying this harmful content on their platforms.

If this program remains online it will support the bigoted systemic inequality that already exists for the Trans and Gender Diverse Community within Australia. It will continue to harm the mental health of the transgender, non-binary and queer people it featured, as well as those in the community. It will continue a lie about the individuals who were featured, without consent, by insinuating that they regret their decision to have transitioned or had gender affirming surgery. It will continue the lie that transitioning is harmful and something to be regretted – when multiple studies from around the word have revealed that less than 1% of gender non conforming individuals regret gender affirming healthcare.

Advertised as “Thousands of kids are doing it” and “Is a generation being brainwashed”, this inhumane use of trans and queer joy has stolen a fundamental right to exist safely in our country. Channel 7 owes our community the basic duty of care to be able to monitor and remove the hateful, transphobic comments that are littered on every platform under their story. Media platforms need to review their editorial policy.

We need to act now:

Channel 7 needs to be held accountable for this dehumanising, untrue, transphobic journalism created with limited supporting statistical evidence.

The people who were featured without consent deserve compensation.

Channel 7 owes the Gender Diverse Community a sincere apology and a public review of their editorial processes to ensure this never happens again.

The program needs to be removed from all platforms, 7 Plus and social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Sign this petition to support trans, non-binary, queer and gender diverse people. Gender affirming healthcare is life saving healthcare.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Deadly Posts: Brazilian Criminal Groups Are Allegedly Monitoring Social Media For Perceived Rivals

As the influence of Brazil's criminal gangs expands into small towns across the country, their presence is reshaping community dynamics

On January 6, 20-year-old Marcos Vinícius Alves Gonçalves was shot dead in Feira de Santana, a city in northeastern Bahia, Brazil. He became the latest victim in a string of killings authorities suspect involve criminal gangs and their monitoring of social media posts.

Investigators said two men approached Alves Gonçalves on the street and reviewed the contents of his phone. Police believe he may have been killed because of a photo he posted to social media which featured a hand gesture.

A month earlier, 16-year-old Henrique Marques de Jesus was vacationing with his father in Jericoacoara, a picturesque beach town in northeastern Brazil, when he too was killed by suspected gang members.

Local media reported that the young tourist from São Paulo had taken photos on his phone in which he made a hand gesture that could have sealed his fate. Local gangs operating in the area gained access to his phone and discovered photos in which Marques de Jesus displayed three fingers -- thumb, index, and middle -- on one hand. The teen was subsequently kidnapped by eight men, beaten, and killed, his body dumped in a nearby lagoon. Investigators believe the perpetrators may have associated the gesture with the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), one of Brazil's largest criminal groups, and a rival of the Comando Vermelho (Red Command), Brazil's oldest drug gang which operates in the region.

As the influence of Brazilian criminal gangs expands into small towns across the country, their presence is reshaping community dynamics, instilling fear, and spreading violence.

Continue reading.