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southeastasianists · 24 days ago

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It was the mid-1980s when Paul Toh came of age as a gay man, decades before smartphones and dating apps made sex a lot more accessible right at your fingertips. Toh has been diagnosed with HIV since 1989.

Now semi-retired with his own business distributing antiretroviral therapy medication and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the 59-year-old said that in those days, cruising in public parks, toilets, and back alleys of dirty shophouses along pre-cleanup Singapore River for sex was par for the course.

Unsurprisingly, cruising in public made gay men easy targets for police officers. “They started going to these cruising grounds undercover, with the explicit intention of entrapping and arresting gay men,” Toh added.

Police raids in nightlife establishments with gay clientele also became common, with prominent gay discotheque Niche having its liquor license withdrawn by the police in 1989 and the Rascals incident of 30 May 1993, in which multiple patrons were arrested for not having their NRICs on them. This came to be remembered by veteran activists as Singapore’s Stonewall.

Fear about the spread of AIDS was part of the reason why police intensified their clamp down on queer spaces. In April 1987, Singapore experienced its first AIDS-related death. And one year later, the Director of Public Affairs of the Singapore Police Department said in a Straits Times article that “homosexual activities have been strongly linked to the dreaded AIDS disease,” making it an “added reason in the public interest for police to disallow homosexuals to convert places licensed for entertainment into places where they can congregate.”

Iris’ Work of Fighting Stigma

76-year-old health advisor Iris Verghese was among the first health workers to rise to the occasion when Singapore reported its first HIV/AIDS cases.

“I knew just as little about HIV/AIDS as everyone else,” said the retired nurse, who first joined Middle Road Hospital, a now-defunct treatment centre for sexually transmitted diseases, in 1974. As part of her job, Verghese was tasked with contact tracing people who had sexually transmitted infections.

The job brought Verghese to brothels and nightclubs in Geylang’s red-light district, which meant she was no stranger to serving society’s Others with kindness.

“A lot of it has to do with my faith.”

“I thought about my role models like Jesus and Mother Teresa—they didn’t care what illness you had. If they could hang out with people with leprosy, then who am I to refuse to care for those with HIV/AIDS?”

Verghese’s work is well-documented, and everyone has given her the accolades she deserves—from President Halimah Yacob to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore to the Straits Times, which named her an everyday hero in 2019.

Plague, a 15-minute short film by Singaporean filmmaker Boo Junfeng, captures the emotional gravity of the care work performed by Verghese and health workers like herself.

The emotionally-stirring film is inspired by Verghese’s work with HIV/AIDS patients in the ’80s and offers a look into the life of Jamie, a patient who stopped coming to the clinic for treatment and counselling.

In the film’s climax, set in the patient’s HDB flat, Verghese tries to dissuade Jamie from inflicting internalised stigma. Jamie insists on using disposable plastic cups and utensils and cleaning every surface he touches for fear of passing the virus to his loved ones.

Wanting to prove that HIV/AIDS is not transmissible through saliva, Verghese takes Jamie’s plastic cup and drinks from it. She then hands him a regular glass, beckoning for him to drink from it, only for him to swipe it away, breaking the glass and cutting himself in the process.

Thus comes the true test of Verghese’s dedication to her profession as she steels herself to the drastically heightened risk. Now that her patient is bleeding, she is dealing no longer just with saliva, but with blood carrying the virus.

In our interview, Verghese recalled many incidents like these. One that stuck with me was her counselling session with Singapore’s first HIV patient, a young gay professional, in 1985. “As I listened to him and gave him a hug, he broke down and cried,” she said. “He said he felt so good afterwards.”

Safe Sex Outreach in the 80s

“Things were very different in the ’80s and ’90s,” said Professor Roy Chan, Founding President of Action for AIDS Singapore (AfA). AfA is a non-government organisation founded in 1988 to fight HIV/AIDS infection in Singapore.

“There was no internet then. When we set up AfA, we had to rely on word of mouth, phone calls, faxes, pagers, and so on. Mobilisation was not as easy then, but we overcame the obstacles we faced. It was very much more hands-on in those days,” Chan recalled.

Chan set up AfA as a non-governmental organisation in 1988 to respond to the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as to advocate for greater action and awareness around HIV/AIDS.

AfA was also one of the first community groups in Singapore that served the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals—namely men who have sex with men—disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS.

“Back then, people didn’t have as much access to the internet as we do today, meaning that accurate information on HIV/AIDS was much harder to come by, making education efforts vital,” Chan recalled. “On the flip side, no internet meant the gay nightlife scene was more vibrant than what it is today.”

Since the gay community in the 1980s and 1990s did not have the internet and mobile phone apps to meet other people online, they had to go to physical spaces to fulfil their need for connection, whether it was nightlife establishments or cruising grounds.

Gay clubs were hence crucial in AfA’s outreach programs on safe sex practices back in the ’80s—even if it meant risking the possibility of police raids.

Back then, there were very few places in Singapore where gay men felt safe enough to gather in abundance, making gay clubs a viable hub for outreach and education.

AfA’s outreach efforts endure today in the form of the Mobile Testing Van initiative on weekends. The van, parked outside popular gay nightlife spots in Singapore, aims to bring HIV testing closer to the public, bridging the fear and stigma of walking into a stand-alone clinic to get tested.

The Consequence of Outreach

The people brave enough to put themselves out there to serve a larger cause were but a small minority, especially given the cultural milieu of the time.

“There was so much that was unknown about HIV/AIDS even among the medical community, much less the general public,” said Verghese.

“Even at Middle Road Hospital, two doctors resigned, and twenty-five nurses asked to be transferred out.”

AfA’s awareness campaigns and fundraiser drives drew a lot of publicity—and no doubt some backlash.

Still, beneath all the headlines and the star power lent by high-profile celebrity allies was the silence surrounding individual HIV/AIDS cases.

“It was all very hush-hush. People didn’t want to talk about it. No one wanted to know who died of AIDS,” Verghese shared when I asked if the atmosphere in the 90s was similar to that depicted in films and drama series such as The Normal Heart and Pose.

The shows portrayed the HIV/AIDS crisis in the disease’s epicentre in New York as being a time of deaths and countless funerals attended by surviving gay men.

One exception to this veil of silence was Paddy Chew, the first Singaporean person to come out publicly as being a person living with HIV/AIDS.

Chew—well-known for his one-man autobiographical play Completely With/Out Character—told Verghese and her husband that he wanted no crying at his funeral.

“He asked me to arrange his funeral such that his ashes will be thrown into the sea from a Singapore Armed Forces boat,” said Verghese. She and Chew’s close friends were instructed to be dressed in their party best, with helium balloons that were to be released out at sea.

“There was one helium balloon that drifted away from the other balloons. To me, that felt like it was Paddy’s soul saying goodbye to us one last time.”

A Tale of Two HIV Diagnoses

Perhaps by coincidence—or not, since Verghese was one of the very few nurses dedicated to caring for HIV/AIDS patients at the time—Toh’s then-partner was also one of Verghese’s patients.

“My then-partner Freddie and I handled our HIV diagnoses very differently, but of course, we also came from very different backgrounds and life experiences,” said Toh.

“I found out about my status because an ex-lover of mine had come down with pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). I flew to Sydney for a diagnosis so that I wouldn’t be registered in the local system here if I was found to be positive.”

On the other hand, Freddie found out about his HIV-positive status because he was a regular blood donor. Not only was his diagnosis inevitably recorded in the national registry, but Freddie also ran into legal trouble. He was charged in court for false disclosure of his sexual activity.

“Because of how the entire trial turned out, Freddie was sentenced to imprisonment for twice the expected duration. It affected his entire outlook in life, feeling like he was being framed by a bigger power with an agenda, with the whole world against him,” said Toh, who cared for Freddie until he passed in 2008.

Toh, on the other hand, took his diagnosis as an opportunity to re-evaluate his life and make the most of the eight years that the doctor told him back in 1989 he had left to live.

“When I received my diagnosis, the only thing in my mind was this: it is the quality of life that matters, not the quantity.” And so, the two spent the next few years of their lives travelling the world, making their remaining years as meaningful as they could be.

Anything for a Chance at Life

Maximising his remaining years did not stop at travel for Toh. Having managed to get his hands on antiretroviral therapy in Sydney in the form of azidothymidine (AZT), he went on to look for more effective forms of medication while the technology was being developed in real-time. Toh wanted to help other HIV patients like himself.

In 1994, Toh joined the Asia Pacific Network of People with HIV/AIDS (APN+), a regional network advocating for the improvement of the lives of people with HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region, later becoming a Board member and secretariat.

“North America and Europe were progressing swiftly in their battle against HIV/AIDS thanks to the work of activists there putting pressure on their governments and the medical community to channel funding towards the research and development of suitable treatment for HIV/AIDS,” said Toh.

“In Asia, however, it’s a different story. We had to be street smart in our advocacy while also looking elsewhere for allies.”

This meant looking to donors in the West who could be persuaded to recognise the importance of HIV/AIDS advocacy in Asia.

“I was very lucky to have the opportunity to be one of the first few Asians who had access to HAART, said Toh.

HAART (Highly active antiretroviral therapy) is a triple-combination of antiretroviral drugs discovered in 1996 by Professor David Ho. Toh had been invited to attend the 11th International Conference on AIDS in Vancouver, Canada, where the discovery of this triple cocktail was announced.

Within three months of beginning HAART treatment in 1996, Toh saw his health improving tremendously, with his CD4 count—a measure for the immune system of PLHIV—increasing exponentially and his viral load becoming undetectable within the fourth month.

Although Toh already had a supply of free antiretroviral medication from his healthcare provider in Sydney, he continued to look elsewhere for alternative sources for patients who were unable to afford the patented medication.

“Unlike Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea, where medication for HIV/AIDS was provided to patients for free, Singapore was the only Asian Tiger which did not do so,” said Toh.

“Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies in developing countries like Brazil, India, and Thailand were manufacturing their own generic antiretroviral medication in spite of patent laws, making it more affordable.”

While still not free, MOH announced in 2020 that HIV medication would become subsidised.

Singapore’s Very Own ‘Buyers Club’

With patented HIV/AIDS medication in the ’80s continuing to be inaccessible to many who needed it, buyers clubs—similar to the one featured in the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club—would soon emerge worldwide, including Singapore.

“The funny thing was that Australia had easy access to HIV/AIDS medication, so there was a lot of stock available in Sydney,” said Verghese. A family vacation down under in 1987 turned into an informal research trip for her to network and gather the information that she needed to perform her job optimally.

During her trip, she met HIV researcher Dr David Cooper, who brought her to Albion Street Centre (now known as The Albion Centre), which specialises in HIV/AIDS management.

Through her newfound contacts, Verghese managed to get her hands on some of the unused stocks of medication in Sydney back to Singapore for her support group.

“We even got the help of the Singapore Airlines flight attendants to pool together their unused baggage allowance to bring this medication back,” she recounted with a laugh.

Antiretroviral medication was not the only asset that Verghese brought back. She learned a lot about the virus from the professionals she met in Sydney, allowing her to move faster than the national response and gather the information needed to tend to her patients.

A Ground Up Initiative

“George Yeo was actually very impressed with what we were doing,” recounted Verghese. “He wanted to meet with the community to learn more about our efforts and arranged a closed-door meeting with us.”

The meeting was the culmination of months of sending letters to Yeo, the Minister of Health at the time. The dialogue session was held to discuss the government’s rule that mandated the bodies of AIDS sufferers to be buried or cremated within twenty-four hours of dying.

This rule was finally lifted in December 2000, after four years of advocacy by AfA.

They argued that the policy was outdated, having been implemented in the mid-1980s when hardly anything was known about HIV/AIDS.

“I think we’ve certainly had to prove ourselves as an organisation over the years,” Chan said. “There might have been concerns among some who thought of us as a gay rights organisation, or misconceptions that AfA worked solely on issues that concern gay people.”

“But we’ve proven ourselves over the years to be a serious and effective organisation tackling HIV/AIDS and sexual health with clear metrics of success, and the results and continued support from the government speak for themselves,” added Prof Chan.

Toh, who served as AfA’s Executive Director from 2007-2009, concurs.

“Actually, not many people know this, but MOH has been quite supportive of AfA over the years. Even during my term, they would hold closed-door discussions with us, intently wanting to work with us on eliminating HIV/AIDS,” said Toh. He reckoned that MOH did not want to be publicly seen as supporting something considered by society as ‘morally corrupt’ no matter how beneficial it is to wider society.

The Fruits of Our Predecessors’ Labour Are Not Handed on a Silver Plate

The history of HIV/AIDS and its role in fomenting community-building among the LGBTQ+ community has always been a topic of fascination for me.

I can only imagine what it must have been like to see everyone in your social circles and communities succumbing, one by one, to an unknown disease.

Covid-19 provided the closest representation of the tumultuous and uncertain time in the ’80s.

In the midst of writing this, however, the comparison became a much closer one. Monkeypox is now affecting men who have sex with men more than the rest of the general population.

“It’s not the same thing,” Chan said, cautioning against making blanket comparisons between monkeypox and HIV/AIDS.

“For starters,” he intoned, “monkeypox is not an unknown disease. We’ve known about monkeypox for decades, so it is nothing close to HIV back in the ’80s.”

Admittedly, life is easier for a gay man like me, who came of age at a time when HIV/AIDS is no longer considered a significant threat.

With common knowledge of medication as well as preventative measures like safer sex and pre and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP), it is easy for me and my peers to take for granted the freedoms that we now enjoy, thanks to decades of advocacy and destigmatisation.

But as Prof Chan said, “It is important not to be complacent. The freedoms and advancements we have today were not handed on a silver platter. Earlier generations had to fight very hard for all of these things.”

#Southeast Asia #Singapore #History #LGBTQIA Issues #Health #HIV/AIDS

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covid-safer-hotties · 2 months ago

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Also preserved on our archive

A lot of good sources linked in the original article!

By Bruce Mirken

As the dangers of Long COVID become more recognized, the country's going backwards on preventing new infections.

While I’m far from the only person worried about Long COVID and our society’s general inclination to look away and pretend it’s not there, people like me certainly feel badly outnumbered. It’s beginning to feel reminiscent of how people with AIDS and their loved ones felt circa 1986—and maybe it’s time for the same kind of response.

For those of you lucky enough not to have lived through that era, by the end of 1986, AIDS had killed nearly 25,000 Americans, but president Ronald Reagan had yet to speak the word “AIDS.” His press secretary had joked about it and the White House press corps laughed. While individual scientists were doing important work, the bureaucracies running the NIH and FDA seemed very much to be in business-as-usual mode. Because the casualties had largely been gay men and injection drug users, it seemed like no one with any power cared whether we lived or died.

So, a group of New Yorkers – mostly gay men – decided it was time to start raising hell. Calling themselves ACT UP, they disrupted the New York Stock Exchange and, as chapters sprang up nationwide, they staged protests that shut down the FDA and NIH. Eventually, people like Anthony Fauci began to see they had a point. I joined the Los Angeles ACT UP chapter in 1988 and ended up getting arrested half a dozen times in protests at the LA federal building, the County Board of Supervisors and the U.S. Capitol, among others. We won major improvements in HIV/AIDS care in the Los Angeles County health system, which cared for thousands of people with AIDS who had no health insurance. When I landed in San Francisco in 1993, I connected with ACT UP Golden Gate.

Here I am (with my late boyfriend Tim at the left) at one of the protests in that L.A County healthcare campaign. Most of my closest friends from that era have been dead for decades.

I get that COVID has played out very differently than HIV/AIDS. AIDS ramped up slowly and seemed not to affect “normal” people until it killed closeted gay movie and TV star Rock Hudson in 1985, and even then officials largely looked the other way. Only scientific breakthroughs in the 1990s finally stemmed the tide of death. In contrast, the much more highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 virus came on fast and furious, turning Americans’ lives upside-down almost immediately.

But now, we’ve arrived at what seems in some ways like an eerily similar place. When needed precautions to curb a highly infectious airborne virus spurred frustration and political pushback, officials largely threw up their hands and gave up. Even measures that don’t involve mandates or restrictions on behavior have mostly either been dropped or never happened in the first place.

LONG COVID’S GROWING TOLL

Unfortunately, the virus hasn’t gone away, even if the initial wave of mass death has receded. In August, as a summer surge peaked, US COVID-19 deaths exceeded 1,000 per week, though the latest September data suggests the numbers have begun declining toward pre-surge levels, when deaths were generally in the 300-400 per week range. That’s still equal to a 9/11 every eight to 10 days. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracking of SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater—probably the best data on US viral prevalence now that cases aren’t being reliably tracked—showed 15 states with “very high” levels and another 19 rated as “high” as of Sept. 19.

But COVID is not just a matter of cases and deaths. The disease’s long-term effects have disabled millions of Americans, and the numbers keep growing with each new wave of infection. An updated review published in Nature Medicine puts the current global number of Long COVID sufferers at 400 million and estimates the worldwide economic impact at a staggering $1 trillion.

We now have plenty of people experiencing repeated SARS-CoV-2 infections. The good news, if you can call it that, is that these reinfections may produce fewer new cases of Long Covid than a person’s first infection – but they absolutely produce some, and the Omicron variants circulating in the last year or two seem to produce more Long Covid than earlier viral varieties. Every time you get COVID, you roll the dice with your health – maybe for the rest of your life.

If I sound alarmed, well, I am. As longtime readers may know, I have some first-hand experience with Long COVID, though in milder form than many experience. My January 2022 infection left me with peripheral neuropathy—painful nerve damage—in my legs and feet. It’s incurable and nearly impossible to treat, as conventional pain drugs don’t help. I will likely never live another day without pain and walking more than six or seven blocks at a stretch is a struggle. I used to enjoy hiking, but will probably never do it again. Still, I don’t have the more debilitating symptoms like crushing fatigue or dysautonomia—disruption of the part of the nervous system that controls automatic functions like heartbeat, blood pressure, digestion and breathing—that afflict some Long COVID sufferers. Lots of people have it way worse than I do.

We know that COVID can have lasting impacts on many parts of the body, including the brain. A recent study of 52 COVID survivors—about half with mild to moderate initial illness and half with more severe disease—found that compared to healthy controls, both groups “had a significantly higher score of cognitive complaints involving cognitive failure and mental fatigue” 27 months after their original illness, with no significant difference based on the severity of that initial illness. On a series of tests, researchers found “changes in brain function” that may explain the reported problems.

Just as scary, a study of people aged 65 and up just published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease reports that “people with COVID were at significantly increased risk for new diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease within 360 days after the initial COVID diagnosis.” This review of the medical records of over six million patients found that the risk escalated with advancing age. As with many of these long-term impacts, the mechanisms involved remain unclear.

Survivors of an initial SARS-CoV-2 infection also have increased rates of high blood pressure, now documented in multiple studies. High blood pressure increases your risk of deadly cardiovascular complications like heart attack and stroke.

I can’t help but wonder whether these issues have affected me, but there’s no way to be sure. My blood pressure, well-controlled for a dozen years with a very low dose of medication, began ratcheting upward about a year and a half ago, necessitating three medication adjustments since then. I’m also definitely more forgetful than I was, mostly little things like walking into a room and forgetting why I went there. But those things can happen to older people with or without COVID, and it’s hard to know cause-and-effect in a given individual.

But I sure as hell know I don’t want to get this virus again and risk these and other issues getting worse. Unfortunately, avoiding it is getting harder by the day, and neither government at any level nor public health authorities seem to care.

PREVENTION? WHAT PREVENTION?

While there’s some evidence that the antiviral drug Paxlovid can reduce the likelihood of Long COVID if administered early enough, the results so far are mixed and not overwhelming. The best way to avoid Long COVID is to not get infected in the first place. As a society, we’ve pretty much stopped trying.

The government is still encouraging vaccination, as it should. But it’s been clear for some time that while the vaccines are very good at reducing the chance of severe illness and death if you get infected, they offer only limited protection against getting infected in the first place. “Vax and relax” can prevent mass death, but it can’t prevent mass infection and an ever-growing number of cases of Long COVID, even if most people get vaccinated. And vaccination rates have been declining for a while, with a new Ohio State University survey reporting that only 43% of U.S. adults have gotten or plan to get the new COVID-19 shot.

And in a bit of absolute madness, Florida’s Ron DeSantis-appointed Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has actually advised against use of the newly updated mRNA vaccines. In a post on Mastodon, Yale epidemiologist Gregg Gonsalves called this “beyond irresponsible. It is malpractice.”

Ladapo is an outlier, but even his saner colleagues around the country downplay the fact that we don’t have to limit ourselves to vaccination. It’s an airborne virus, so there are two main ways to stop it from spreading: 1) Get the virus out of the air, or at least reduce its concentration to a very low level, and 2) Protect yourself from breathing in any virus that’s in the air around you. We know how to do both.

Masking works, but the type of mask matters. As the Mayo Clinic notes, “Respirators such as nonsurgical N95s give the most protection. KN95s and medical masks provide the next highest level of protection. Cloth masks provide less protection.” Two and a half years ago, a CDC study found that those who reported regularly wearing an N95 or KN95 respirator in indoor public settings had an 86% lower risk of catching COVID-19.

Recently, during my first return visit to San Francisco after moving in early 2022, I met my nieces for lunch at the Ferry Plaza. It was a Saturday, Farmers Market day, and the place was jammed. In three-plus hours I saw no more than half a dozen people wearing any sort of mask, and only a couple were N95s. In my new hometown of Hilo, masking is only slightly more common. At the supermarket, I see barely 10% of customers and staff in some sort of mask. In some venues, it’s less.

A recent Ipsos survey found that half of Americans believe they’ll never get COVID again. Only 20% described themselves as “trying to stay as safe as possible.”

None of this is a surprise—people are simply responding to the messages they get from the people supposedly leading on health issues. The CDC promotes vaccination but barely talks about masking anymore; it acknowledges the value of indoor air quality but doesn’t seem to be doing much about it. In interviews, CDC Director Mandy Cohen regularly urges vaccination but almost never brings up masking or air quality and says little about Long Covid. Political leaders mostly talk about COVID in the past tense and pat themselves on the back for a job well done in prior years. The result is what you’d expect: Most Americans now treat COVID like a common cold, disregarding most precautions and not bothering to test when they get sick.

Back in 2022, when public policy on COVID was still relatively sane, the Biden administration published indoor air quality guidance and made congressionally-approved funds available that “that can be used in schools, public buildings, and other settings to improve indoor air quality.” It’s unclear exactly how much of that money has been used and for what, although some school systems have definitely made HVAC upgrades. But we’ve never had either enforceable indoor air standards or a coordinated plan to implement them. As Science noted in July, “The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown the vulnerability of society to the spread of infectious diseases. At the same time, with frequent outbreaks in elder care facilities and school classrooms, it became clear that it was a fatal mistake to largely neglect the recommendations of scientists and engineers regarding minimum standards for ventilation and indoor air quality.”

In any case, those federal dollars were aimed at schools and public buildings. It’s been left entirely to the private sector to do, or not do, anything to reduce airborne pathogens in supermarkets, theaters, clubs, malls and other privately owned spaces. Local groups like Chicago’s Clean Air Club and Austin’s Clear the Air ATX have tried to fill the gap by lending HEPA filters and other clean air equipment to arts and performance venues and other gathering places.

A RADICAL IDEA: DO WHAT WORKS

We know what to do. As Clean Air Club founder Emily Dupree and co-author Shelby Speier wrote in Sick Times in May, “We possess the technology to make public spaces safer. Studies show HEPA air purification and far-UVC lamps drastically reduce the number of airborne pathogens in a room and therefore lessen the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission. When combined with other layers of protection, these tools have the potential to finally make our shared spaces more accessible during an airborne pandemic.”

A key word here is accessible. Failure to address indoor air quality and other prevention measures makes public spaces seriously dangerous for those at highest risk, including the elderly, the immunocompromised and those with long-term health issues, including Long Covid.

Such simple, factual messages are rarely heard in official statements about COVID. “What I find the most frustrating about official handling of COVID and prevention is the lack of care, education, and honoring the science around COVID,” comments Clear the Air ATX founder and Long Covid activist Katie Drackert. “Telling people to ‘stay home when they feel sick’ for a virus that spreads asymptomatically? Well, they are just straight up ignoring science.”

Admirable as they are, the small, volunteer-driven efforts of groups like Drackert’s and Dupree’s are not remotely comparable to the scale of the problem. For now, people must take matters into their own hands. “In the year 2024, people still need to be wearing a well fitted KN95 or above for optimal communal and individual protection,” Drackert says. In the absence of reliable information about air quality in indoor spaces, she suggests getting a portable air quality monitor, which can be reasonably affordable. “High CO₂ levels indicate poor ventilation, which may lead to higher concentrations of aerosols that could contain the virus,” she explains. “Some air quality monitors track particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), which are small airborne particles. While COVID is smaller than these particles, high PM levels may indicate poor indoor air quality.”

Most of us can’t entirely avoid being in spaces with poor air quality, and that leaves us with masking, which the country has largely abandoned. Worse, we’re starting to see bans on face coverings in public spaces being enacted—for example, in Nassau County, New York, and North Carolina.

These laws typically contain exceptions for people masking for health reasons, but, as New Jersey’s Star-Ledger noted in a recent editorial opposing a proposed mask ban, “t leaves it up to the cops to decide whether someone has a legitimate medical reason for wearing a mask at a public gathering. “How will they know that? It’s subjective. And based on past experience, we know what that means: Police will disproportionately stop and question Black and brown people, who have also been the most likely to continue wearing masks to protect against COVID-19.” It’s hard to imagine a more demented public policy than making disease prevention illegal. And it’s not hard at all to imagine a COVID-19 prevention framework that would make a meaningful difference without causing a nationwide freakout: Encourage masking. Even if mask mandates are a political non-starter, there’s still plenty we can do. First, officials can talk about it and actively encourage people to wear high-quality protection like N-95s when in busy, indoor spaces. They can remind people of its importance—that COVID is not over, not just a cold, and that even a “mild” case can change your life forever. Federal, state and local governments could distribute N-95s or KN-95s free or at minimal cost. Get serious about indoor air purification. Build on what the Biden administration started a few years ago: Develop medically informed, enforceable indoor air quality standards and create a verification system so that people know when a building they enter meets them. Start with public buildings and the largest, busiest private venues, like sports arenas, concert halls and theaters, and move on from there. Give business owners generous technical and financial support in meeting those standards, and a reasonable amount of time in which to do it. While this program is ramping up, fund the local organizations now struggling with limited resources to fill the gap. None of this is that difficult. It’s not even that expensive when you consider that the federal government is in the process of spending $634 billion to upgrade nuclear weapons that with any luck will never be used. What’s missing is political will, and that won’t be there until people scream bloody murder. That’s why I think it may be time for a new version of ACT UP focused on COVID-19. The issues are somewhat different, but less so than you might think. While the original ACT UP focused a lot on research, treatment and care, it also addressed prevention. ACT UP chapters around the country started syringe exchange programs, handed out condoms at high schools, and sometimes succeeded in shaming the system into doing the right thing. And of course, there are issues to tackle around Long Covid research that I haven’t addressed here, but which I will try to cover in a future piece. The fundamental problem is much the same as people with AIDS faced in 1986: a system stuck in neutral, politicians stuck in denial, and a public closing their eyes, covering their ears and shouting, “I don’t hear you!” The first task must be to break the system–and the broader population, as much as possible–out of its present inertia, complacency and denial. I honestly don’t know whether ACT UP tactics like occupying the CDC and disrupting state and local health commission meetings will have the same effect they did decades ago, but at this point I don’t know what else to try. Nothing good lies at the end of our current path.

#mask up #covid #pandemic #covid 19 #wear a mask #public health #coronavirus #sars cov 2 #still coviding #wear a respirator #long covid #covid conscious #act up

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metamatronic · 1 year ago

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Could you talk a little about your MCI from your Fnaf au?

This isn’t exactly what you asked, but here’s my timeline! It’s altered a bit over the years and characters have changed roles, but this is my little AU:

1983: Evan “Jack” Afton is bitten while Henry murders Charlie behind the pizzeria. Charlie mistakes her killer for William. Fredbear’s Family Diner closes and the springlock suits are moved to Freddy’s. Jack continues to haunt Michael and creates night terrors for him.

1984: Circus Baby’s Rental opens and Elizabeth “goes missing.” William, after losing his second kid, becomes consumed with finding Elizabeth and fails to notice Henry reprogramming the animatronics. Funtime animatronics steadily kidnap/kill kids from 1984~86.

1985: Official first Missing Children’s Incident™. Henry lures five kids (Gabriel, Jeremy, Susie, Fritz, and Cass) and stuffs their bodies in the suits. William is suspected but never convicted, Freddy’s is shut down.

Early 1986: William, suspecting foul play and feeling guilty, goes to the now closed Freddy’s location to search for clues. Charlie and Co, believing their killer to be William, scare him into the suit and he is springlocked. Using William as a scapegoat, Henry has the walls sealed up so that William can “remain at large” should the case be reopened. Becoming more paranoid that he will be found out, he hunts down Michael’s friends from the bite of ‘83 and hides their bodies in the not-yet-released toy animatronics.

1987: After the disappearance of his father, Michael finds William’s frantic theories over Elizabeth’s whereabouts and decides to go look for her. Scoopage occurs.

After discovering the truth of the incidents, the not-yet-rotting Michael takes a job at the new Freddy Fazbear’s under the guise of Jeremy Fitzgerald. (The dayshift guard, also named Jeremy, gets bit by Mangle) Michael comes back later as “Fritz Smith” and sneaks Charlie out with him.

~1988: Ennard (without Baby) sneaks into Michael’s apartment and asks to stay. Michael begrudgingly lets Ennard live in his closet.

~1991: Circus Baby finds Michael’s apartment and demands to stay. Michael and Ennard begrudgingly let her.

1993: Mike takes a job at the reopened Freddy’s. Finds out that his uncle (Phone Guy) died there not too long before him. Mike continues working there for a while until he gets fired for “tampering with the animatronics” and the place gets shut down. He sneaks Phone Guy’s ghost out with him and hides him in his apartment.

2017: Michael takes a job at Fazbear Fright under the name Eggs and “meets” Springtrap. Neither recognize each other and form a friendship. This culminates in the two of them burning the place down and Michael sneaking William back to his apartment, where Phone Guy reveals both of their identities to each other.

2019: Michael, in an attempt to lure Henry and kill him, franchises a Freddy’s location and steadily sneaks his animatronic family members in. It’s the most successful Freddy establishment and becomes incredibly popular. When Henry tries to burn the place down, the Afton family captures him and forces him to burn in the restaurant with them. Despite everything, everyone but Henry survives. Henry’s soul escapes into the computer.

2020: Realizing they now have to live “normal lives” in the aftermath of the fire, Michael and William retrofit illusion discs so the whole family can pose as living people.

2023: After developing into a malicious computer virus, Henry/Glitchtrap poses as a Fazbear Entertainment email address and commissions a VR studio to make the FNAF series. On top of using this to possess the beta testers, he uses this to spin the narrative that William was the murderer and that he was the hero that stopped him. Michael joins the VR team as “Iggy Wilson” in order to stop Henry.

I don’t really have anything for Security Breach. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#fnaf #five nights at freddy's #fnaf au #meta talks #fnaf timeline #michael afton #william afton #elizabeth afton #lore post #long post

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conacoflakes · 9 months ago

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Conan O’Brien media archive

As a rule of thumb I avoid any movie streaming services or other ways to download that aren't totally virus free, etc. so these links lead to Drive, archive.org, and YouTube or other trusted media sharing sites.

Shows + TV

Conan O'Brien Must Go (2024) | Drive

Conan visits his fans from around the globe and indulges in various countries cultures. His most recent show with only 4 episodes: Norway, Argentina, Thailand, and Ireland. All four episodes can be found at this drive link

Late Night With Conan O'Brien (1993 - 2009) | archive.org @ mountainmikeinoregon

Archived episodes of Late Night sorted by year. Not a complete collection, many episodes are missing (for example the 1993 collection jumps from episodes 1-4 to episode 35) but a great deal of them are here. Easy to access and watch.

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009-2010) | archive.org

The show he briefly inherited from Leno which would cause the infamous TV war between them. Conan would leave NBC for TBS after this. All 145 Conan episodes that aired are in here.

Conan Without Borders (2018) | dailymotion

A series of specials that aired on Conan where he travels various countries. The precursor to the 2024 show. Filmed during the height of the Trump administration which is reflected in a lot of the jokes, topics, and other parts of the show. Various clips are also avaliable on YouTube. QnA's are also avaliable on YouTube.

Episode List:

1. Conan in Cuba - 49:18 2. Conan in Armenia - 42:48 3. Qatar - Unable to find 4. Conan Does Korea - 36:23 5. Conan in Berlin - 42:58 6. Conan Without Borders: Made in Mexico- 42:20 7. Israel - Unable to find. Judging from the clips this episode paints Israel in an extremely sympathetic light. Know that I stand with Palestine and that Israel is an Apartheid state. Learn more at decolonizepalestine.org 8. Conan Without Borders: Haiti - 42:04 9. Conan in Italy - 50:13 10. Conan in Japan - 42:03 11. Conan Without Borders: Australia - 42:03 12. Conan Without Borders: Greenland - 42:01 13. Conan Without Borders: Ghana - 43:00

Film

CONAN O'BRIEN CAN'T STOP (2011) - Part 1 / Part 2 | dailymotion

CONAN O'BRIEN CAN'T STOP is a documentary about what Conan and his crew did on tour before TBS. After Jay Leno took back his show, Conan travels to 32 different cities to do improv while attempting to severe all ties with NBC. Fun film with more intimate and candid moments of him and his crew.

CONAN O'BRIEN CAN'T STOP - Commentary by Conan, Andy Richter, Sona Movsesian & More (2011) | archive.org - YouTube

CONAN O'BRIEN CAN'T STOP is a documentary about what Conan and his crew did on tour before TBS. This version of the film has his own commentary over it.

Podcasts & Radio

The Conan and Jordan Show (Podcast) | soundcloud.com | episode 1 | episode 2

Only two episodes have been uploaded. Apparently the site that it’s hosted on (SiriusXM) doesn’t even show all the episodes available.

To be updated as more links are found

#archive #media #conan o'brien #the tonight show with Conan o’brien #late night with Conan o’brien #Conan Without Borders #The Conan and Jordan Show #CONAN O'BRIEN CAN'T STOP #conan o'brien must go

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thequiver · 5 months ago

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Who is....James Proudstar | Warpath? - A Reading Guide

James "Jimmy" Proudstar, is an X-Men affiliated character from Marvel Comics first introduced in 1984. Jimmy is a member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, and was born in Camp Verde, Arizona. Jimmy grew up idolizing his older brother, John, who would die while on a mission with the X-Men, prompting Jimmy's own path into the world of mutant infighting. Jimmy's story includes topics around the mistreatment of indigenous people (including the medical experimentation that they've suffered), as well as dealing heavily with themes of grief and healing. However, given the nature of American comic books and the lack of diversity among writers, the comics do not always do a good job addressing themes and plots specifically related to Jimmy being Apache.

Many earlier comics do not accurately depict Jimmy's skin-tone or culture, so while in the graphic above I have adjusted some coloring, please be advised that in an unfortunately large number of the following issues...he will look white.

Reading list is under the cut!

From Hellions to X-Force

Jimmy's first appearances are with the Hellions, a villainous group of mutants under the direction of Emma Frost. Jimmy joined their ranks following the death of his brother, John, when he was determined to get revenge on the X-Men- he soon found that he didn't fit in with the Hellions and returned home. Cable approached him about joining the New Mutants but he declined until he discovered that the Hellfire Club (of which Emma was part) had murdered his entire tribe. Now fueled by a desire for revenge against Emma Frost, Jimmy agreed to join the New Mutants right before they turned into X-Force.

New Mutants (1983)#16-17 Uncanny X-Men (1981) #193 Firestar (1986) #2-3 New Mutants (1983) #39, 43, 53-54, 56, 62, 99-100, Annual 7A New Warriors (1992) #Annual 1A Uncanny X-Men (1981) #Annual 15A X-Factor (1986) # Annual 6A X-Force (1991) #1-3 Spider-Man (1990) #16 X-Force (1991) #4-5, Annual 1C Warheads (1992) #4-5 X-Force (1991) #6-7A, 9A-15 X-Cutioner's Song X-Men (1991) #17 New Warriors (1990) #31 X-Force (1991) #19, 21-26, Annual 2, 27-33 New Warriors (1990) #46 X-Force (1991) #34-38 Blaze (1994) #4-5 X-Force (1991) #39-41, 43 Cable (1993) #21 X-Force (1991) #44-53, 55-58 X-Force and Cable '96 (1996) #1A X-Force (1991) #59-61, 63-64 X-Force and Cable '97 (1997) #1 X-Force (1991) #65-66, -1, 68-71 Deadpool (1997) #12 X-Force (1991) #72-93, Annual 1999, 94-98 Cable (1993) #73-75 X-Force (1991) #99-117

X-Corporation

After the dissolution of X-Force, Jimmy would join the international mutant taskforce, X-Corporation.... it didn't last very long....

New X-Men (2001) #133 X-Force (2004) #2-3

X-Men

Jimmy keeps his powers after M-Day and returns to the Xavier Institute where he ends up "joining the X-Men". (It's complicated).

Uncanny X-Men (1981) #475-476, 478-479, 481-482, 484-491

X-Force: Take 2 (Now with Wolverine)

A new X-Force was formed, led by Wolverine (Logan) to do the more....extreme tasks the normal X-Men won't.

Uncanny X-Men (1981) #493 X-Factor (2006) #26 New X-Men (2004) #45 X-Men (1991) #206 X-Factor (2006) #27 (mostly here as set up for the next issue) New X-Men (2004) #46 X-Men (1991) #207 Uncanny X-Men (1981) #498-499 X-Force (2008) #1-6 X-Force: Ain't No Dog (2008) #1B Cable (2008) #6-7, 9-10 X-Force (2008) #7-11 X-Men: Legacy (2008) # Annual 1A, 230A X-Force (2008) #12-13 X-Force/Cable: Messiah War (2009) #1 Cable (2008) #13 X-Force (2008) #14 Cable (2008) #14 X-Force (2008) #15 Cable (2008) #15 X-Force (2008) #16-18, 20

Necrosha, etc.

After the events of Messiah War, Jimmy became embroiled in Necrosha (reanimated mutants were being controlled by Selene and the T-O virus). After fixing that scenario, Jimmy quit X-Force, stayed in Utopia after the schism, and would join the X-Men in a war against the Avengers. (This era technically includes Age of X, but Jimmy doesn't really...do much there so I didn't include those appearances).

X-Necrosha (2009) #1A,C X-Force (2008) #21, Annual 1A, 22A-25 Nation X (2010) #4C X-Men: Schism (2011) #5 (Jimmy's only in like 3 panels but they're important) X-Men: Legacy (2008) #260 X-Men (2010) #20-29

Weapon X

After all...that. Jimmy was captured by the restarted Weapon X Program, after being rescued the team Jimmy was on started by renaming themselves "Weapon X" as a way to reclaim the program that had hurt them. During this time, Jimmy started dating Domino...which was certainly a choice on the writer's part....

Weapon X (2017) #2, 4 Weapons of Mutant Destruction: Alpha (2017) #1 Totally Awesome Hulk (2016) #20 Weapon X (2017) #5 Totally Awesome Hulk (2016) #21 Weapon X (2017) #6 Totally Awesome Hulk (2016) #22 Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey (2017) #1-5 Weapon X (2017) #7-21 Astonishing X-Men (2017) #13A-17 Extermination (2018) #3-5 X-Force (2018) #1A-5, 7-10

Krakoa and Fall of X

Like many mutants, Jimmy moved to the mutant nation of Krakoa. While on Krakoa he joined the New Mutants, and would have a chance to reconnect with his beloved brother, John.

New Mutants (2019) #14-15, 18-24 Giant Size X-Men: Thunderbird (2022) #1 New Mutants (2019) #29 New Mutants: Lethal Legion (2023) #1 X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic (2021) #121-123, 138-142

#james proudstar #jimmy proudstar #warpath #x-men #x-force #reading guide #reading list #comic reading guide #comics reading list #comics reading guide #comic reading list

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darkpeacemusic · 5 months ago

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ℂ𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕪𝕡𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕒 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤: 𝔹𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤 (+𝔸𝕘𝕖𝕤)

Jeff the Killer - June 2nd, 2000 (Age: 24)

Homicidal Liu - December 21st, 1991 (Age: 33)

Sully - December 21st, 1991 (Age: 33, though he's seven minutes younger than his twin, Liu)

Randy - July 25th, 1990 (Age: 34)

Keith - September 23rd, 1991 (Age: 33)

Troy - July 27th, 1991 (Age: 33)

Jane - September 1st, 1993 (Age: 31)

Mary - May 10th, 1992 (Age: 30)

Ben Drowned - April 23rd, 1990, died April 23rd 2002 (Age: Permanently 12, 34 if he were still alive today)

Ticci Toby - April 28th, 1994 (Age: 30)

Masky/Tim - June 19th, 1988 (Age: 36)

Hoodie/Brian - April 18th, 1989 (Age: 35)

Kate the Chaser - June 25th, 1995 (Age: 29)

Laughing Jack - Unknown but he was created on Christmas Eve, 1800s (Age: 200+)

Eyeless Jack - November 13th, 1994, died May 20th, 2011 (Age: 17 physically, actually in his 30s)

Slenderman and his brothers - Honestly no one ones. Some say they've been around since the 1600-1700s (Ages: 1000+)

Sally - April 5th, 1958, died April 5th, 1966 (Age: Permanently 8, 66 if she were alive today)

Dr Smiley - October 20th, 1984 (Age: 40)

Nurse Ann - October 31st, 1983 (Age: 41)

Nina - February 2nd, 1997 (Age: 27)

Candy Pop - Unknown but is said to have been created sometime in the 1400s (Age: 500-600+)

Jason the Toymaker - November 15th, 1940, died August 2nd, 1959 (Age: 19 by the time of his death, 84 if he were alive today)

The Puppeteer - July 25th, 1974, died November 30th, 1994 (Age: Permanently 20, 50 if he were still alive today)

Clockwork - November 6th, 1996 (Age: 28)

Rouge - January 7th, 1990 (Age: 34)

Wilson - August 27th, 1988 (Age: 36)

Zalgo - Unknown. He's been around since the beginning of time. (Age: Millions of years old)

Nathan - October 29th, 1990 (Age: 34)

Bloody Painter - October 1st, 1992 (Age: 32)

Kagekao - December 29th, 1994 (Age: 30)

Laughing Jill - Unknown, possibly around the same time as Jack (Age: 200+)

Sadie - October 21st, 1996, died March 12th, 2014 (Age: Permanently 18, 28 if she were alive today)

Hobo Heart - August 31st, 1900s (Age: 100+)

Cat Hunter - January 16th, 1990 (Age: 34)

Chris the Revenant - December 28th, 1999 (Age: 25)

X-Virus - December 12th, 1996 (Age: 28)

Dollmaker - June 13th, 2001 (Age: 23)

Frankie the Undead - September 13th, 1924, died sometime in 1974 (Age: Permanently 50, 100 if he were still alive today)

Judge Angels - April 2nd, 1998 (Age: 26)

Lifeless Lucy - April 5th, 1987, died April 5th, 1997 (Age: Permanently 10, 37 if she were alive today)

Lost Silver - June 21st, 1992, died sometime in August 2004 (Age: Permanently 12, 32 if he were still alive)

Glitchy Red - Unknown, is said to have been created sometime in 1990-1994 during the early stages of Pokemon Red/Blue (Age: Likely somewhere in his his late 20s-early 30s)

Dr. Locklear - March 7th, 1634, died sometime in 1665 during the Great Plague (Age: 30 by the time of his death, 390 if he were still alive today)

Lulu - February 15th, 1999, died sometime in 2013 (Age: Permanently 14, 25 if she were still alive)

Killing Kate - October 29th, 1996 (Age: 28)

#creepypasta #creepypasta headcanon #creepypasta au #i made this at like 3 am #birthdays

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savage-kult-of-gorthaur · 1 year ago

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SPEAKING OF THANKSGIVING TURKEY... SEASONAL PUNS OF YESTERYEAR.

PIC INFO: Resolution at 2093x3124 -- Spotlight on back cover art/print advert/Dark Horse house ad for November 1993 titles, including: Frank Miller's "Sin City," "Age of Reptiles," Andrew Vachss "Under Ground," "ALIENS Salvation," Stan Shaw's "Beauty & the Beast," & "The Mummy" comic-book adaptation.

EXTRA INFO: Back cover art to "VIRUS" Vol. 1 #4 (of 4). August, 1993. Dark Horse Comics.

Source: https://cyborgone.com/shop/virus-1993-1-4-complete-miniseries.

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haveyouseenthishorrormovie · 5 months ago

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Stats from Movies 1301-1400

Top 10 Movies - Highest Number of Votes

964 Pinocchio (1991) had the most votes with 925 votes. Screamplay (1984) had the least votes with 269 votes.

The 10 Most Watched Films by Percentage

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) was the most watched film with 66% of voters out of 844 saying they had seen it. Discopathe (2013) had the least "Yes" votes with 0,3% of voters out of 352.

The 10 Least Watched Films by Percentage

Pet Sematary II (1992) was the least watched film with 70.7% of voters out of 491 saying they hadn’t seen it. Bondage Ecstasy (1989) had the least "No" votes with 5,1% of voters out of 490.

The 10 Most Known Films by Percentage

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) was the best known film, 3,1% of voters out of 844 saying they’d never heard of it.

The 10 Least Known Films by Percentage

Bondage Ecstasy (1989) was the least known film, 94% of voters out of 470 saying they’d never heard of it.

The movies part of the statistic count and their polls below the cut.

Needful Things (1993) The Ninth Gate (1999) Last Radio Call (2022) Mind Body Spirit (2023) Digging Up the Marrow (2014) Howard's Mill (2021) Cold Ground (2017) Wekufe (2016) They're Watching (2016) Archivo 253 (2015)

The Thin Man (2015) Bramayugam (2024) Exhibit A (2007) Z (2019) The City of the Dead (1960) Night of the Eagle (1962) Psycho Gothic Lolita (2010) Incident at Loch Ness (2004) Cannibal Holocaust (1980) The Ninth Configuration (1980)

Home Movie (2008) The Reflecting Skin (1990) Hatchet II (2010) Hatchet III (2013) Victor Crowley (2017) Door in the Woods (2019) The Evil Within (2017) In the Cold of the Night (1990) Alien: Covenant (2017) Dust Devil (1992)

It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) 964 Pinocchio (1991) The Witches Mountain (1973) Screamplay (1984) Terror Eyes (1989) Maximum Overdrive (1986) Colossus: The Forbin Project Exte: Hair Extensions (2007) Bats (1999) Mirrors (2008)

Old People (2022) Sea Fever (2019) Interview with the Vampire (1994) Gothika (2003) Helter Skelter (2012) One Missed Call (2008) Truth or Dare (2018) The Unholy (2021) Children of the Corn (1984) Feral (2017)

Sweetheart (2019) The Invasion (2007) A.M.I. (2019) Look Away (2018) Fatal Frame (2014) It Lives Inside (2023) The Voices (2014) We Are the Night (2010) The Unborn (2009) Cold Prey (2006)

Cold Prey 2 (2008) Cold Prey III (2010) Death Spa (1988) Cat's Eye (1985) Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004) The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) The Omen (1976) Mondo Weirdo (1990) Bondage Ecstasy (1989) Pet Sematary II (1992)

Amityville 1992: It's About Time Freddy vs. Jason (2003) You'll Never Find Me (2023) The Ranger (2018) Virus (1999) Eternal Blood (2002) Hannibal (2001) Hannibal Rising (2007) God Told Me To (1976) Meet the Applegates (1990)

Discopathe (2013) Evil Ed (1995) Rasen (1998) The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) Saturday the 14th (1981) Carnosaur 3: Primal Species (1996) Anaconda (1997) Anacondas: The Hunt For The Blood Orchid (2004) The Video Dead (1987) Guinea Pig 2: Flower of Flesh and Blood (1985)

Destroy All Neighbors (2024) Lady Frankenstein (1971) AM1200 (2008) Stigma (1980) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) Shutter (2008) The Whisperer in Darkness (2011) Gaia (2021) Lurking Fear (1994) Them! (1954)

3-Headed Shark Attack (2015)

#not a poll #recap

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arconinternet · 1 year ago

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Hard Drive (Book, David Pogue, 1993)

By technology and science writer, TV presenter and Mac journalism veteran David Pogue. You can digitally borrow it here.

#internet archive #book #books #novel #novels #computer history #computing history #virus #viruses #computer virus #malware #1993 #1990s #90s

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thechaddyengine · 5 months ago

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The James Timeline

1912-1923:

James worked as a goods engine on his old railway. He didn't like pulling dirty trucks but he wanted to be really useful. He's the only L&YR Class 28 that was built a Bissel truck making him a 2-6-0 engine. He came to Sodor in the 1920's as a new goods engine. He took his first train and... well, you know what happened lol.

1924-1993:

In 1924, he was repainted into a NWR red livery, suiting him very well. He now pulls goods and passengers and a really useful engine, he may boast about his shiny red paint, but he's always there for his friends in need.

1994-2004:

1994 was the year when Emily had her devastating crash and was infected with the parasitus virus, James was almost the first engine to become one of her meals. He became so horrified about it that he could not work for months. He was sent to Wellsworth by the fat controller where Edward would look after him. He'd stay in the shed for a long time to recover from his dramatic experience. James would have PTSD and Depression because of it.

2005-Present day:

James now is just like any other engine, however he doesn't boast about his red paint anymore, he doesn't have a big ego and he does whatever work he's given, even trucks. James also doesn't have his number 5 on his tender not because fat hatt took it off, but because of him wanting it off, thinking that he does not deserve it. he just wants everything to go back to normal...

#ttte #my edit #ttte james #ttte edward #infected au

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itfitsitshipsart · 4 months ago

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Resident Evil Insert

Left to right: Pregame through first game, Code:Veronica, RE5

Name: Evelyn (Birkin) Wesker

DoB: July, 1973

Age: 25 (RE, Code:Veronica), 36 (RE5)

Blood Type: A

Height: 5’5”

Weight: 120lbs

Occupations: Art Teacher (1993 - 1998), H.C.F. Tech Assistant (1998), Albert Wesker's Personal Assistant/Housewife (1998 - 2009)

Relationships: William Birkin (elder brother), Albert Wesker (husband), S.T.A.R.S. members (friends), Excella Gionne (enemy), Michael Wesker (son), Gabrielle Wesker (daughter), Jake Muller (AU - stepson)

History

Born in the summer of 1973, Evelyn Birkin was quickly seen as a bright child, excelling in technology and botany, though not considered a prodigy like her elder brother, William. Because of their age difference, William paid little attention to his sister, barely acknowledging her presence. She did not receive special schooling, showing more interest in the arts, and proceeded through school only slightly faster than the average child. Evelyn pursued a career as a teacher, earning her degree in 1994, at the age of 21. She acquired a job at Racoon City's Private Academy in later that year, teaching art to Elementary students.

In 1994, Evelyn met Albert Wesker by coincidence, the two of them starting a romantic relationship with each other. William quickly switched from uncaring to protective upon learning who his sister was dating, his vocal distaste only pushing Evelyn and Albert closer together. In May, 1998, the two married, and Evelyn took Wesker as her last name. In the year before marrying, Albert disclosed a limited amount of information about Umbrella, making her give his full support and trust.

Evelyn was devastated to believe she lost her new husband after the events taking place at the Arklay laboratory, shutting down and not talking with anyone, despite Chris Redfield taking time to try and help her. A week after the news, in the middle of the night, Evelyn was awoken by the sound of an intruder, surprised to find Albert alive. With little explanation, Evelyn packed a few things and followed him, vanishing from the public and leaving everything and everyone else behind.

Evelyn Insisted on being of help to Albert, joining him as a Tech Assistant on his mission to Rockfort Island. She managed the technical side of things, including tracking and deploying both scanners and drones.

Evelyn proceeded to follow Albert closely wherever his work brought him, loosely being considered his personal assistant. She found herself pregnant multiple times through the years, never successfully having a living child. Both of them came to the conclusion it was very likely they'd never succeed in having children due to the genetic mutations Albert had undergone. This took a heavy toll on Evelyn, both mentally and physically.

Evelyn clung possessively to Albert during his work at Tricell, growing antagonistic towards anyone who showed romantic or sexual interest towards him, especially Tricell Exec. Excella Gionne. Both of them were quietly hostile to each other in public, in private Evelyn complaining to Albert about the “bitch” and wanting her gone. She happily helped get rid of her with Albert, assisting with his Uroboros project as well. She remotely controlled the bomber used to release the virus, watching from the monitors as she lost contact with the bomber crashing Into the volcano.

Afterwards, she fled from the BSAA tracking her, and a few months later, was captured by Chris Redfield, peacefully giving up after almost successfully shooting him. She was once again with child and was carefully monitored by the BSAA. Ironically, after the many years of longing, she gave birth to a pair of healthy twins, which she gave the angel names of Michael and Gabrielle. They stayed under the heavy supervision of the BSAA, due to the nature of the children being Albert Wesker's biological children.

AU Fun

I have a favorite AU which the main difference is Albert raises Jake as a single father until Evelyn shows up, absolutely adoring the child and loving him as her own.

#resident evil #self ship #self shipping #self shipper #yeah im main tagging cause im feeling bold right now #self insert #Whiskers 💉❤️#resident evil oc

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