#also don’t get me started on the trump era of it all

[o-wild-west-wind]

While I’m still a bit bummed that they didn’t go with a more book-aligned POC Fiyero for the Wicked movie, I’ve been thinking (heheh) about how his being white highlights the really interesting foil relationship between him and Glinda (and, in many ways, the audience yourself).

At its core, Wicked is a cautionary tale about propaganda, (literal) scapegoating, and what it means to uphold the status quo. The audience is watching through Glinda’s eyes—it is through her, arguably the most beautifully tragic character of the show, that we learn how lonely life becomes when you forfeit your values in favor of systemic power and likability (“No One Mourns the Wicked” is, in many ways, about HER).

Now, this is where Fiyero’s whiteness can get interesting—if you consider him and Glinda to share roughly equal footing at the beginning in terms of privilege/how much they have to lose (applying our real-world lens of race and power here, where whiteness is the apex), his storyline essentially represents what could have happened if Glinda had made the brave (and arguably wise and loving, if you’re picking up what I’m putting down 👀) choice to go with Elphaba and fight the good fight (this is also why I feel like a queer reading of G&E’s relationship is almost implicit to the story, but I digress).

As the POC/marginalized allegory, Elphaba has much less of a real choice in her curtain-pulled-back turning point. But Fiyero and Glinda—both representing privilege—get to choose. So in Act II, we see the consequences of both the choice to stay (Glinda) and to go (Fiyero). In Fiyero’s case, his ultimate rejection of his own power, privilege, and even beauty leads to immense physical loss—including his own body—but that is then compared to the loss of love, community, and identity that we see Glinda left with by the end. And this brings us to the question that the audience is left grappling with: in an unjust system where loss is inevitable (a.k.a. our own world, as the Wizard himself represents), which of these things are YOU more willing to give up?

It’s important that Glinda is an empathetic character because, in reality, most people are going to be Glindas (obvi this is nuanced among us Elphabas of marginalized identities, but I’d still argue that there’s some level of Glinda in us all)—and it’s important to be rattled by the end of the show when you realize that she is the one who has the sad ending. But it’s also so important that Fiyero is empathetic (which I’m SO glad this movie leaned into)—because he’s ultimately who Glinda—and thus we, as the audience—should have been.

And especially given the state of US politics right now…this is just all more relevant than ever.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from The Revelator:

There’s no sugarcoating it: The 2024 election was terrible news for science, the environment, and the role of expertise and evidence in public policymaking. A lot of important things we care about and have worked hard to create and protect are going to be broken, some beyond repair. Destructive things we worked hard to prevent are going to happen — including some that we won’t be able to undo.

While nothing exactly like the second Trump administration has happened before, some elements of what we’re likely to see mirror the era of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. And several scientists affected by Harper’s repressive policies tell me that by working together and planning strategically, we will be able to stop some of this.

During Harper’s time in office, from 2006-2015, Canadian government scientists were prevented from sharing their expertise in government policymaking. The government also banned them from speaking to journalists or the public, often referred to as ��muzzling.” The Harper administration destroyed libraries and stopped some new hiring of experts in key areas.

The intent was simple: The administration had ideological policy goals, and they weren’t interested in letting facts, evidence or reality get in the way of achieving them.

The second Trump administration will almost certainly do this — and worse. They already took a stab at it the first time, when government experts who warned the public about harmful policy choices faced serious professional retaliation and taxpayer-funded sources of key information were suppressed, hidden, or even deleted.

What can we do about it?

I spoke with several colleagues who experienced working under the Harper administration, as well as several experts in the role of evidence-based public policymaking. They offered some clear advice.

Step One: They Can’t Delete What They Don’t Exclusively Control

For scientists working at government agencies, they suggest making copies of everything so it can be stored somewhere else — and to do that as soon as possible, certainly well before the next administration starts.

Step Two: Prepare to Speak Out (or Blow the Whistle)

Once the new administration takes place, one of the first things they’re likely to do will be to institute their own muzzling policy.

With this in mind, several colleagues pointed out the importance of getting information about what’s happening to the public. Investigative journalism sites like ProPublica are already actively seeking sources from government agency employees and have provided detailed information on how to safely and anonymously  communicate with them. Research those options now, so you have the tools in your back pocket.

Step Three: Collaborate (Sometimes Quietly)

There’s another way to make sure important work still happens and gets communicated, several colleagues told me: Government scientists can work as part of teams that include external scientists. Working with collaborators on research projects means that even if you aren’t allowed to comment on a result or project, someone else can share it.

Step Four: Reveal How the Sauce Is Made

Several experts pointed out that agency-level regulatory decisions and reports, and changes to internal policies about how to communicate them with the public, rarely make headlines. This means that far too much of this will happen in the shadows. At the same time, we all have a duty to make sure that everyone knows that — despite some occasional bureaucratic annoyances — we are safer, healthier, and more prosperous when key decisions are made by people who know what they’re talking about evaluating the best available evidence, rather than by uninformed idealogues. 

Step Five: Embrace Bureaucracy

And what if you see potential harm coming down the pike? Some experts advise using all the resources at your disposal to slow their implementation. Large bureaucracies like government agencies have their advantages in this regard.

Step Six: As Painful As This Is, We Can Get Through It

While the “muzzling” of scientific expertise under the Harper administration has effects that are still being felt a decade later, it did not and will not last forever. Neither will this.

[nikethestatue]

In my opinion people hate acofas for three reasons: 1. Feyre deciding to start trying for a baby with Rhys. They can’t stand that she became a young mother and that hatred continues to this day. 2. Elriel moments. Elucien was officially dead in the water and elriel was sailing. 3. Characters, especially Rhys, being mean to their favs. Whether it’s Tamlin or Nesta.

I know the fandom changed a lot in 2021 and that was the beginning of the end, but I also think you can trace a lot it back to 2018. I noticed people started getting more “anti” Feysand (because of Rhys’s “meanness” and for the pregnancy decision). Which continues to this day, people think Rhys was too mean in ACOSF and people belittle Feyre and hate that she had a baby in ACOSF, and they call her horrible misogynistic things. Obviously some people didn’t like elriel then and they hate them now. People started to feel sympathy for Tamlin then and they stan him now. People started to be “team Nesta” or “team Feyre” and I know you love Nesta but I think there is now a type of “Nesta stan” now that… we all know about and avoid lol. So I think these factions have roots in the ACOFAS era. It’s just x100 now. In my mind, the fandom falls into two categories. Category 1 is feysand lovers, elriel lovers, people who look at the text closely and have high reading comprehension, people who love most or all the main characters, dislike ACOSF, like ACOFAS, favorite book is ACOMAF.. and category 2 is gwynriel lovers, Nesta stans, people who yap a lot on tik tok, come up with crack theories they believe aren’t crack, people who read too much into certain phrases, people who hate the main characters except like 2, Azriel stans, favorite book is ACOSF, hate ACOFAS. I know not everyone falls into these categories but I think ACOFAS was the start of this divide.

All this to say I think the hate for ACOFAS is based on pretty petty, and sometimes harmful, reasons. I don’t really think it’s based on “there was no plot.” I think they didn’t like the direction acotar was going in that everyone didn’t girlboss their way into the sunset, and there remained conflicts between characters and feysand was starting the next chapter of their immortal lives. I love ACOFAS and it’s a red flag to me if someone hates it.

I think I would agree with this. I think the fraction of Feyre vs Nesta became pretty apparent after ACOFAS.

Overall, I've come to realize that Elriel and Feysand stans are more cerebral in their reactions and their arguments. Gwynriel and Nessian are intensely emotional, where 'feelings' trump any rationality and common sense, and forget canon. And Eluciens only care about Lucien, so everything else is irrelevant. That's why 94% of all debates end up with Gwynriels blocking the other person, because emotions take over and it's as if they can't deal with the argument.

To me, the whole 'don't read ACOFAS it has nothing to offer!' call to action from GAs is very telling. I, or any Elriel, would NEVER and have NEVER told a new reader not to read ACOSF or Azriel's bonus. We don't care. We have enough evidence that we don't need to hide a whole book because the book is 'inconvenient' towards our ship.

Elriels also don't prosthelytize on every platform and preach the Gospel of Elriel. We don't care. We don't descend in droves on every newbie and start screaming 'BUT DID YOU READ THE BONUS CHAPTER!?!?!" Elriel is endgame regardless of how many faithful adherents it has. We just enjoy the pairing because it's a good pairing. And it's canon.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Don Moynihan at Can We Still Govern?:

Elon Musk’s and Vivek Ramaswamy’s proposal for changing government has, thus far, been disheartening. They want to change things, but it is hard to take the whole enterprise seriously when you have to spend a lot of time sorting through their mixture of vagueness, misstatements, and hyperbole. Doing so made made me realize: I don’t think Muskawamy themselves actually know what they are doing.

Like Trump, they don’t know much about government, except as businessmen. Like Trump, they are serial bullshitters, who do not seem to value basic public service tasks and, for Musk in particular, given to conspiracy theories. And there is the rub. They will make big promises without knowing if they can fulfill them, and wild claims without knowing if they are true. But the point is to hold our attention, to convey the message that the government is broken, and to justify radical actions, even if the consequences of those actions are unknown, or, clearly damaging to state capacity. One thing is clear: for all the “government should work like a business” rhetoric, private organizations are typically not led by people who oppose the mission of the organization, make sweeping reorganizations that are not informed by basic operational facts, or make a habit of denigrating their employees. This is because that sort of toxic leadership would get you fired. But this is the sort of vibe that Musk and Ramaswamy are bringing to the table. Previously, I broke down some of their claims about federal spending. Now, lets look at what they have been saying about the federal personnel system, and sort out fact and fiction.

They Can’t Fire Lots of Employees, But Can Encourage the Best Ones to Leave

One problem with Muskawamy is that they can’t give a straight answer about what they will do and how they plan to do it. It will be amazing, and historic, but lets not get into the details. “It’s going to be very easy,” said Elon Musk’s Mom, who is apparently sitting in on her big boy’s meetings. Their claims will work for a MAGA audience, or for people who do not understand how government works, but start to vaporize when forced to engage with reality. And soon they will actually be in power, so reality will start to matter.

Lets take the example of firing employees. As a presidential candidate, and until relatively recently, Ramaswamy claimed that the president could fire 75% of federal civilian employees. Ramaswamy uses the trick of citing an old and obscure law, claiming that it enables radical actions, and hope that no-one checks up on the details. In this case, he refers to the Reorganization Act of 1977. But, the Reorganization Act was about reorganizations of federal agency structure, not layoffs. The Act also requires the President to go to Congress to get permission to pursue his actions. Also, the Act has expired. And in 1983 the Supreme Court found its mechanisms of operating to be unconstitutional!

In short then, Ramaswamy claims that an expired and unconstitutional piece of legislation from the Carter era gives Trump a power unmentioned in the legislation. This also applies to the claim that the President can unilaterally eliminate agencies. Again, reorganization authority has expired, so the President does not have this power. Only Congress can create or eliminate an agency or Department.

Notably, in his Wall Street Journal op-ed with Musk (which was presumably written by someone from a Trump-aligned think tank like Heritage or America First Policy Institute), Ramaswamy is no longer talking about the Reorganization Act. At this point, it is no longer feasible to pretend this gimmick is real. That does not mean that his other promises are realistic, just that they reflect more sophistication. Instead, Muskawamy rely on Section 3301 of Title V, Code of Federal Regulations, to promise “large-scale firings.” That section gives the President power to “prescribe such regulations for the admission of individuals into the civil service in the executive branch as will best promote the efficiency of that service.” I am emphasizing the “into” because the section is clearly about hiring, not firing. (See more from Nicholas Bednar on this point).

Jennifer Nou, an administrative law professor at the University of Chicago told me it is “likely illegal” that the President can pursue mass firings based on this Section 3301, with the uncertainty of the “likely” reflecting less the plain text of the law than how far certain Judges will allow Trump to go. She also points out that adverse action policymaking is limited to the Office of Personnel Management, and would require a new rule that has to follow the timing and evidence of the Administrative Procedure Act, a constraint that Muskawamy explicitly reject. Even if such mass firings were feasible, they are bad personnel policy. Jennifer Pahlka points out that Part 351 of Title V means that reductions in force must first eliminate specific term and temporary positions, those under various special authorities, plus those in the first three years of service, before reaching career employees, and then prioritizing non-veterans first.1 This means younger employees, and employees with specific skills like digital expertise, will be the first to go.

[...] Muskawamy promise to make cuts that “use existing laws to give [employees] incentives for early retirement and to make voluntary severance payments to facilitate a graceful exit.” This, they can do. The Clinton administration did so in the 1990s to reduce the number of employees. The criticism of this approach is a) it will never generate the numbers that Muskawamy are claiming need to go, b) the people most likely to leave are those who are at retirement age, or feel confident that they can land a job in the labor market. In other words, this is not a good tool for sorting good from bad employees, and is most likely to be used by people with the most marketable skills, while keeping in place employees who doubt that they can land a job in the private sector.

[...]

Return-to-Office Policies

Muskawamy also have promised to compel federal employees to return to the office five days a week. If you think this is about performance, it doesn’t make a lot of sense that Muskawamy both want a) to move more jobs out of DC, and b) want all DC employees in the office five days a week. In fact, they are pretty up front that the purpose of return to work policies is not to improve government efficiency, but that it “would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.” Here are some basic things about return-to-office that Muskawamy would benefit from understanding.

People differ on the value of remote work and telework. But it is certainly not clear that in-person work is better. Private companies that have adopted return-to-office policies have seen slower growth.

Telework can be a useful tool to attract a broader pool of employees. This is especially likely to be true if your headquarters is in an expensive region like DC. Federal managers I have spoken with consistently say that telework and remote work (where an employee is hired with no expectation of an in-office work) allows them to access a much broader pool of talent then they could otherwise find.

The idea that telework is some public sector perk while the real America is toiling at their offices is false. Private sector companies use remote work at about the same rate as public organizations.

Most federal work is in-person. About 54% of federal employees work fully on-site, and the remainder can use telework. If you exclude remote workers, which is about 10% of federal employees, almost 80% of regular hours work occur in-person, and 61% of work for those who are telework eligible.

The suitability of telework depends on the task. For TSA staff or Veterans Health doctors, telework does not make sense. And guess what? Those sort of jobs are mostly not offered telework options! About 94% of work occurs in person in Veterans Affairs, and about 85% of work at Homeland Security. By contrast, the rate for the National Science Foundation is about 42%, which mirrors university-style work environments that they are similar to. (Anyone who actually cares about this sort of detail, and agency justifications for their use work of telework can find more information here).

Forcing employees back to the office will have to contend with labor agreements that provide telework options. Social Security is one of a number of agencies that have rushed telework options in collective bargaining agreements. If you are genuinely interested in improving public services, there are other more productive fights to pick with public sector unions.

Since the federal government is a vast employer with lots of different jobs and needs, it is entirely possible to build policies around remote work that are nuanced and will improve services. A one-size-fit-all approach is dumb, and the use of punitive return-to-office policies to drive people out is going to hurt state capacity. And guess what? The federal government largely has the former type of policy, delegating authority to agencies, requiring them to justify the use of telework vs. in-person with an emphasis on pushing them toward at least half of work to be in-person. Muskawamy want the dumb one-size-fits-all policy.

Don Moynihan wrote a solid Substack piece on how the federal government under Trump/Musk/Ramaswamy’s axis of evil would become a toxic employer by encouraging a brain drain exodus of qualified employees out of the federal government.

[professor-in-progress]

Engineering is Inherently Political

Okay, yea, seemingly loaded statement but hear me out.

In our current political climate (particularly in the Trump/post-Trump era ugh), the popular sentiment is that scientists and other academics are inherently political. So much of science gets politicized; climate change, abortion, gender “issues”, flat earth (!!), insert any scientific topic even if it isn’t very controversial and you can find some political discourse about it somewhere. However, if you were to ask people if they think that engineering is political, I would bet that 9/10 people would say no. The popular perception of engineering is that it’s objective and non-political. Engineering, generally, isn’t very controversial.

I argue that these sentiments should switch.

At its base level, engineering is the application of science and math to solve problems. Tack on the fact that most people don’t really know what engineering is (hell, I couldn’t even really describe it until starting my PhD and studying that concept specifically). Not controversial, right? We all want to solve the world’s problems and make the world a better place and engineers fill that role! But the best way to solve any problem is a subjective issue; no two people will fully agree on the best way to approach or solve a problem.

Why do we associate science and scientists with controversy but engineers with objectivity? Scientists study what is. It’s a scientist’s job to understand our world. Physicists understand how the laws of the universe work, biologists explore everything in our world that lives, doctors study the human body and how it works, environmental scientists study the Earth and its health, I could go on. My point is that scientists discover and tell us what is. Why do we politicize and fear monger about smart people telling us what they discover about the world?

Engineering, however, has a reputation for being logical, objective, result oriented. Which I get, honestly. It’s appealing to believe that the people responsible for designing and building our world are objective and, for the most part, they are. But this is a much more nuanced topic once you think deeper about it.

For example, take my discipline, aerospace engineering. On the surface, how to design a plane or a rocket isn’t subjective. Everyone has the same goal, get people and things from place to place without killing them (yea I bastardized my discipline a bit but that’s basically all it boils down to). Let’s think a little deeper about the implications though. Let’s say you work for a spacecraft manufacturer and let’s hypothetically call it SpaceX. Your rocket is so powerful that during takeoff it destroys the launch pad. That’s an expensive problem so you’re put on the team of engineers dedicated to solving this problem. The team decides that the most effective and least expensive solution is to spray water onto the rocket and launchpad during takeoff. This solution works great! The launchpad stays intact throughout the launch and the company saves money. However, that water doesn’t disappear after launch, and now it’s contaminated with chemicals used in and on the rocket. Now contaminated water flows into the local environment affecting not just the wildlife but also the water supply of the local community. Who is responsible for solving that issue? Do we now need a team of environmental or chemical engineers to solve this new problem caused by the aerospace engineers?

Yes, engineers solve problems, but they also cause problems.

Every action has its reaction. Each solution has its repercussions.

As engineers we possess some of the most dangerous information in the world and are armed with the weapon to utilize it, our minds. Aerospace engineers know how to make missiles, chemical engineers know how to make bombs, computer scientists know how to control entire technological ecosystems. It’s very easy for an engineer to hurt people, and many do. I’m not exempt from this. I used to work for a military contractor, and I still feel pretty guilty about the implications of the problems that I solved. It is an engineer’s responsibility to act and use their knowledge ethically.

Ethical pleas aside, let’s get back to the topic at hand.

Engineering is inherently political. The goal of modern engineering is to avert catastrophe, tackle societal problems, and increase prosperity. If you disagree don’t argue with me, argue with the National Academy of Engineering. It is an engineer’s responsibility to use their knowledge to uplift the world and solve societal problems, that sounds pretty political to me!

An engineer doesn’t solve a problem in a vacuum. Each problem exists within the context of the situation that caused it as well as the society surrounding that situation. An engineer must consider the societal implications of their solutions and designs and aim to uplift that society through their design and solution to the problem. You can’t engineer within a social society without considering the social implications of both the problem and the solution. Additionally, the social implications of those engineering decisions affect different people in different ways. It’s imperative to be aware and mindful of the social inequality between demographics of people affected by both the solution and the problem. For example, our SpaceX company could be polluting the water supply of a poor community that doesn’t have the resources to solve the problem nor the power or influence to confront our multi-billion-dollar company. Now, a multi-billion-dollar company is advancing society and making billions of dollars at the cost of thousands of lives that already struggle due to their social standing in the world. Now the issue has layers that add further social implications that those without money are consistently prone to the whims of those with money. Which, unfortunately, is a step of ethical thought that many engineers don’t tend to take.

Engineers control our world. Engineers decide which problems to solve and how best to solve them. Engineers control who is impacted by those solutions. Engineers have the power to either protect and lift up the marginalized or continue to marginalize them. Those who control the engineers control the world. This is political. This is a social issue.

Now look me in the eyes and tell me that engineering isn’t inherently political.

[placeinthisworld]

i mean taylor was the bridesmaid in lena's wedding a couple years ago (2021-ish) and i think there was some other post that lena made a while back that included a polaroid of her & tay... so i do think taylor & lena are still friends/acquaintances - just NOT publicly. because that's how taylor is, the moment anyone in her close circle starts being problematic, she starts to distance herself from them publicly (i'm not so sure abt privately). remember the blank space mv director joseph kahn? she was collaborating with him back to back throughout the whole 1989 & rep era... and then right before lover he started to do problematic shit like stirring up controversies on twitter with the beyhive. and then taylor just... dropped him. just like that. said she wanted to branch out with directors and she even picked up directing later on. but i suspect she & joseph are still close or atleast acquaintances and there isn't bad blood between them because he seems to have nothing but nice things to say abt taylor even after all these years. but keeping this in mind... i just don't understand how she's brazenly walking around with that trump supporter nazi woman after everything. like..... ms taylor "i care about my reputation" swift who's KNOWN for publicly distancing herself from close associates now just doesn't give a fuck at all?? i don't get it. this is why i fully believe in the theory that joe made her a better and more politically conscious person lol. because it's like she's literally gone back to square 1 after the breakup.

nahhhh 2021 was literally four years ago, so much has changed. taylor has always been closer to jack and lena just happened to hop on the taylor swift bandwagon via him for a couple of years. and then jack and lena got divorced and when he get asked about her he looks like he just saw a ghost 😬 if anything, lena tries to maintain that image that they’re still friends to keep the tiniest bit of relevancy (just like todrick hall tbh - they can pull the “okay he’s a pic of taylor and i from 2019 she likes me so you can’t hate me” card) but like in reality we know taylor’s public circle of friends changes depending on her PR needs lol. as long as you’re giving her positive buzz you’ll be in the circle, as soon as cancel culture gets ya ur out (bye blake)

as for the joseph kahan situation he’s just a messy person and i think taylor only used him for his skills and connection at the time. he’s also one to pull the “i worked with taylor!!! she loves me!!” card to defend himself. taylor swift is NOT known to be a good public defender of people she cares about so she’s not gonna make a statement about anything unless it’s true or actually pisses her off. besides she’s been trying to get her foot in the door with filming/ directing herself (hence why i think she sucked up to gracie and hard launched her career lol) once kahan did his job and she got what she needed, she dropped him and never looked back. and then he started drama with children on the internet and ruined his own reputation- so taylor will never acknowledged him again.

honestly i don’t think people outside of the east coast/ the sports world even really know or care who the mahomes are sooo they prob don’t know or care that she’s a MAGA idiot. only a few people have made it an issue on the internet, but it’s clearly not enough to impact their relationship irl lol. either taylor is making too much to even care about the small backlash from fans or she genuinely doesn’t care and willingly supports the mahomes . either way. she sucks lol. like most people i talk to irl only know brittany as a WAG and that’s literally it. doesn’t help that the kelces only hang out w them too and for some reason people love that family so by relation they just don’t know. most people who i have talked to had no idea brittany was MAGA bc they only see her with taylor at games or him playing in games…like they’re not super popular independently.

joe was absolutely the only reason why she was politically aware and it’s fucking horrifying lmao. like good god….her partners really do effect her personality….huh…..😅

[ninihousebears3000]

I just wanna say thank you @zestyaahbutler for befriending me and making me brainrot for my ocs that were just one off little guys for an episode special. Now I am insane for them. You, son of a gun, these little guys are now more developed than they were initially. So um, everyone anything posted previously about them is now retconned because yeah. Also look at their updated hero forge looks!

Welcome to the House of Gloria

Madam Zoella Amaris Gloria and Soto Gloria

Madam Zoella Amaris Gloria is the current head of the House of Gloria. To give the abridged version the House of Gloria makes sure supernatural matters and issues get resolved. (Someone has to stop the witches from turning people into frogs)

When speaking with Madam Gloria you can't help but feel like you are wrong and that she is right about everything. Even if she is wrong. Sure she is trying to manipulate you but she knows what's best.

She is a powerful sorceress and the youngest of five.

Walter and Alucard were her sidekicks during WWII. That is how she retells the events.

She was taller than Walter during the war and was roasting him alive. He was simping for her. They are still very good friends and she is still roasting him alive. He's practically second father to her daughters.

She has a maniacal laugh. It's music to her husband's ears.

Soto Gloria is an assistant/gardener to the great Madam Zoella. And also her loving dutiful husband and gentle father of their two daughters.

Born and raised in Brazil where exactly, that’s irrelevant. But he is old friends with Hellsing’s very own Walter C. Dornez. They met in Rio in the early 50’s. They were just a couple of homies that kissed each other goodnight that’s all.

He’s always been a simple gardener. Don’t get him started on plants. No please because this quiet man suddenly has a lot to say about plants.

If asked about his plant powers he will just give you a sweet smile and shoulder shrug, “I guess Mother Nature blessed me ☺️” Anything else is irrelevant you got it.

He is irresistible when drenched in blood. Zoella knows this very well 😏

Maris Evergreen Gloria

The firstborn daughter and the one who ran away. And then became head of the house after the battle 🙂‍↕️

Since she was young she was prepped to head the house. She was a very sheltered homeschooled magic girly who was in a rude awakening when she ventured out on her own.

That fit is in her carefree girl era.

She also has always loved drawing, and painting, and dreamt of being an artist.

Zoella "Zo" Edith Gloria

Ah, yes the lovely Zo the menacingly cute seven-foot-tall trump card.

She may or may not eat people or monsters but don’t worry guys they usually had it coming.

She watches anime, reads comics, and plays video games.

Zo has shadowy powers and has other forms as well.

She’s baby.

[christinescupofcoffee]

The “Blackjack” era (also called the “Ace of Spades” era, the epic era, the fantastic era, the “Artist in the Orange Apocalypse” era, the “Victorialand” era, and the “Moon Shadow” era)

stories which I started either sometime in the first half of the 2020s and led me into the second Trump era or here in 2025.

Sadly, I am having to keep them all offline because, among other things, I’m terrified about the future of self-expression, as an American and a woman: the whole world hates us now (I wish I knew why he got re-elected; I really do) and our own country wants to kill us and/or imprison us. There’s also the fact that I have fading trust in ao3–genuinely unsure how anyone can do anything over there now as it’s like every time I turn around, it’s either slow or going down for some reason.

My stories also feel too niche, too “for myself and two other people”, and I don’t get along with fandom, either—I never really have, anyway, but the disconnect is more pronounced as I get older. I feel like I’m too mature, too strange, too dry and twisted in terms of humor. I kind of have no choice but to go underground.

I chose “blackjack” and “ace of spades” because there are 21–ahem—22 stories listed here. The day I feel comfortable to share them in their full form, you bet it’ll be a gamble. “Victorialand” is something carried over from last year, where a general theme throughout the year was one of wanting to be alone with my thoughts (it’s traumatic watching someone you love slip into ill health, feeling like you’re going to lose your house, and feeling like no one wants to talk to you either): Victorialand is the region of Antarctica overlooking the Ross Sea and the Southern Pacific Ocean, and the one region of the continent that’s actually somewhat green (it’s also the name of my favorite Cocteau Twins record). “Moon Shadow” is after a restaurant down in Malibu, one of the many places that burned down in the Palisades Fire: my parents went there when they were dating; I chose that name because I feel like I’m hiding, hiding my love and my crushes, here in the shadows cast down by the moonlight.

The Dead of Night: Anthrax and Rush fanfic started in January 2021 as a spin-off of my “dead” trilogy as well as my “up all night” trilogy, and then put it on hiatus to work on fever in fever out. The search to find Francine will resume once I have it on my thumb drive.

Eerie Inhabitants series: began life as actually two original stories in October 2018, called “Night Owls” and also “Dead Pets”. I brought it back as a vampire!Testament fanfic in August 2021. Went on hiatus in late 2022, and then again in late 2023, and I’ve been thinking about it A LOT lately.

Xenon Dreams: sci-fi Sedoretu Testament fic started in October 2021, went on hiatus sometime in 2022 and came back briefly on New Year’s Day 2023. Homie, I wrote this in October 2021 and I got chills reading that prologue, with the arranged marriages and the fact the country has collapsed.

Love is Not Enough: erotic Alex fic started in April 2022 where he asks himself “why can’t I scratch my itch?” and meets two hookers who love every inch of him.

Like Blood from a Stone: erotic Bay Area thrash royal!soulmate! AU started in August 2022, went on hiatus in February 2024 when my mom got sick, and came back in December 2024. Also involves arranged marriages but also the trope of royalty, but no one wants it, though.

Blood and Chocolate: erotic Eric and Alex fic started in November 2022 surrounding my biggest kink and the one that makes me feel my rawest and at my most exposed.

The Apple Shed: holiday mock Hallmark fic started in January 2023 immediately after dead man walking ended, went on hiatus that March, and I’m thinking I’ll bring it back as an original story.

As the Seasons Grey: teacher!Alex fic. First book came in February 2023 and was completed in September; second book started on Halloween, went on hiatus with Blood from a Stone and came back in October 2024, and I lowkey wanna make this a four book series. I feel this to be my magnum opus next to now it’s dark: idk, I just have such an emotional attachment to this one.

Time is Coming: a more Fantasy-driven sequel to now it’s dark involving Testament and Death Angel as well as Joey and Lars. Began sometime in January 2024 and I’m hoping to push it along again because I thought for sure 2024 was going to be the year of this.

The Skeleton Key: erotic Alex fic started on January 20, 2024 and was slow to update all year due to my own personal problems as well as my work on Kinktober. Brought it back in time for the holiday season. Notable for involving Metal Allegiance as well as the Stu Hamm band and PAKT so I actually have hell of a time trying to tag this one as it progresses.

The Confectioner’s Tale: slice of life fic with Alex, Peter Steele, and Ben Shepherd started on April Fools Day 2024. The baker telling the story, Hannah, has a bit of a… reputation.

Throughout the Dark Months of April and May: murder-mystery Top Gear fic started in late April 2024. In my last update, I had just introduced Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon to the storyline as Gabby is after men who look like her dead fiancé (as Richard soon found out).

Quarter After Twelve: Science Fiction “Rashomon” Style started in September 2024. Notable for being my first original work in 6 years!

Midnight Oil: erotic fic with Alex and Christian from Powerwolf started in October 2024. Originally started out as a Hanukkah story but I decided to make Hanukkah the centerpiece instead.

Blood for Cream: vampire! grunge scene fic that began life as an idea I had since 2012 and finally gave it life in October. I never explicitly say it but it takes place in the same universe as Eerie Inhabitants.

First Strike is Deadly/The Scorpion Ladies: began life as drawings of girls with braids in the shape of scorpion tails from summer 2018, and I finally gave them life in October 2024.

The Last Remaining Light: slice of life Alex fic started Thanksgiving 2024. “Slice of life with a tragically romantic flavor” as I describe it.

House of Ill Repute: original Coming of Age story started Thanksgiving 2024. Another idea I had in my repertoire since 2012 as well: your skeletons in your closet need to come out at some point or another.

All That Glitters is Not Gold: adventurous Night at the Museum fic started the day after Thanksgiving 2024. Jed is drunk and obsessed and Octavius has blood in his eyes and a cobra in hand.

After the Gold Rush: a Fix-It Around the World in 80 Days (2004) fic started 4 days before Trump’s inauguration (pray for me). I really only wrote this one because I think Steve Coogan is cute.

Tree of Ténéré: a very dark original story started a couple of weeks ago, after experiencing a bad dream she had about a man murdering his daughter and then burying her out in the Sahara.

Meet me on the Mesa: Science Fiction Romance fic involving the team from Skinwalker Ranch (of all things) started just a few nights ago when my mom and I started rewatching it again. The idea just crossed my mind and a folder on my thumb drive next to Midnight Oil and my merfolk drawings, and I think I’ll keep it that way.

[strideofpride]

On that note, can you imagine how INSANE the media circus would be if it did come out publicly that Chuck and Blair illegally backdated their marriage certificate and the case against them was actually re-opened? Especially in 2023, at a time when anti-billionaire “eat the rich” sentiment has become very mainstream, and true crime is one of the most popular and profitable genres of entertainment?

Like, the events of season six happen so fast that we don’t really get to appreciate just how wild they are from the outside looking in. Imagine if Michael Bloomberg or pre-presidency Donald Trump died in a car crash, and their then-teenage progeny took over their real estate empires. Everyone just gets used to the idea of a little boy real estate mogul, I guess, and a few years pass, and then - surprise! They were faking their death all along!! Yes there was a funeral, yes they were legally declared dead, but who cares! They’re back baby, and ready to go back to being the same shitbags they were before!

Except, a mere handful of months later, they’re dead again - this time having gone careening off the side of one of their company’s most famous buildings (imagine if Donald Trump died falling off of Trump Tower lmaoooo). Did they fake it again? Was it foul play? By the time rumors start to swirl of the alleged involvement of their recently deposed nepotism baby, the cops close the case and rule it an accident. Their heir, still barely an adult, retakes the reigns of leadership - newly married, a detail no one realizes is suspicious because they likely have no idea that the spouse was at the scene of the crime.

Years pass. YouTubers and online conspiracy theorists periodically bring up the case, but the public at large once again more or less accepts the public narrative. Another piece of shit real-estate mogul gets elected president, and the attitude of the general public towards the uber wealthy turns increasingly hostile. Then there’s 2020, and 2021, and 2022, and- And then. “Billionaire boy and family linked to father’s mysterious death after discovery of faked marriage license”.

Even though we, the audience, knows Chuck didn’t actually kill his father, do you think in a world where this was an actual case involving actual public figures anyone would believe that? The coverup is so ridiculously suspicious that the general public almost definitely assumes they really did do the crime.

And consider the players in this case - a terrible billionaire who died a deliciously ironic death, his somehow worse son who in a post-#MeToo world is already a PR nightmare waiting to happen, and the ex-princess of Monaco (?!) who just so happens to already be tabloid fodder. If they get especially unlucky, Dan (a pretty famous novelist, at least according to the reboot), Serena (a 2000s era “it girl” and semi-celebrity), and Nate (an ex-NYC mayoral candidate, media mogul, and in universe Kennedy equivalent) might just find themselves implicated too - or at least forced to testify - given they were at the very much in public wedding where any rando could have snapped a picture.

There is just soooo much fucked up entertainment value in a case like this I can’t imagine it being anything less than a public fucking spectacle, and not the kind Chuck or Blair could just shake off. I genuinely do not know how they could absolve themselves in the court of public opinion if it actually went to trial, even if they managed to prevail legally.

Oh my god. Okay well, first of all, I really want the fake Serial podcast that unpacks all of this lol. Someone should make that lmao.

"little boy real estate mogul" took me out lololololol

also like...faking your death is a crime right??? how was Bart just able to re-enter society so easily??? did they ever say???

i'd also like to point out that it's actually much vaguer whether or not Chuck killed his father. They cut away during their fight and then next thing you see is Bart hanging onto the edge. Chuck himself says that he isn't sure whether or not he pushed him or Bart fell over. but also Chuck and Blair both just stood there and did nothing to help Bart before he fell, which is involuntary manslaughter I believe

But seriously though, you're so right anon that all of this was made for true crime. In 2030, someone makes a "Jinx" style doc about Chuck I bet

[beneathsilverstars]

how about some artist commentary on the I'm Still Here songs?

omg all of them… since you asked for the whole folder i’ll include the completed songs too!

these songs are grouped together bc i was hoping to making an album. they were probably all written between 2015-2017 ish! that era of my life includes: dropping out of college, dating my first partner, getting engaged to them, moving across the country to live with them (and my now-wife and their then-wife who is now both of ours ex), breaking up with the fiance bc they stopped including me in their life at all, and then starting to date my now-wife and our now-ex. it also includes dragon age, overwatch, and the adventure zone fandoms, but that’s not relevant to the songs that’s just how i measure my life.

1. Any Color We Want

this song is completely written, but not recorded, and not my style anymore (plus it’s about my ex) so i probably never will. it’s cute enough for what it is, though, it’s very baby gay’s first relationship. here’s a verse and chorus (ugh formatting this is annoying on mobile, so no line breaks so this post isn’t a thousand screens long)

A white wedding dress / We say “I do” as our mothers cry / A groom dressed in black / The honeymoon will be paradise / I want a white wedding dress / Or at least I’ve been told / It’s what I'll want / When I grow older

I used to be scared / Of the things I thought I’d have to do / Then I found a different path / Then I found you / I feel so safe when I’m with you / I know that i want to be with you / It’ll all be ok if I’m with you / If we get married we can wear any color we want to

the first iteration of the chorus ends with “we can paint our house any color we want to” and the third ends with “we can live our lives any color we want to” which i think is a cute conceit, if very cheesy. i love a chorus that changes!

2. Boredom is complete and recorded. i wrote it during the half a year i spent rotting in bed at my parents’ house after i dropped out of college due to anxiety/depression. i still think the “reveal” of the last verse is fun, and i like the percussion!

3. break up ambivalent

wait wtf is this song doing in here i wrote it in 2022. ok here’s baby’s first aro song. i only wrote two verses, and a chorus i later stole/changed to use in a different song. i still like it i think, i did a better job than usual at not getting too nursery rhyme about the cadence, lol

If you left me, my nights would- / Well I’d probably sleep just fine / With no one stealing blankets / And no cold toes next to mine / But I’d prefer to sleep crowded against you

If you left me, what would I- / Well I’d still have things to do / I have all my own hobbies / And my friends who don’t know you / But I admit I’ve been waiting for a chance to introduce them

You don’t need to be / In love with me / I’ll never fall in love with you / But I like how / I feel right now / And I’d like to see this thing through

4. I Wish You Everything is complete and recorded. it’s also about my first ex, so it annoys me that one of the verses is very specific to their interests, but it’s cute if i ignore that. :|

5. Near You

this one was meant to be more EDM, so the lyrics are just simple/catchy! here’s two of the verses.

I can't say what I wanna say / I can't do what I wanna do / I can't be where I wanna be / I just wanna be, near, you

I can’t say it to your face / I can’t hold you while I do / You’re just way too far away / I just wanna be, near, you

6. We Are Still Here

this one i wrote like the day after trump got elected for the first time, and there is basically nothing interesting or unique about it. ig focusing on it made me feel a little better at the time, so it did its job! you get two lines ONLY

They talk their talk rub in the salt / They say it’s unfortunate but not their fault

[angelo-tiger-woods]

Read this: Part 2 The Dialogue Between Angelo (POW) and FBI Agent Explained:

The subject of the dialogue is the alleged criminal activities of certain Hollywood celebrities (Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson) during the Obama and Biden presidencies. Angelo discusses how these celebrities allegedly used their political power and connections to commit serious crimes such as murder, human trafficking, and drug-related offenses, all while being protected by the Obama-Biden administration. Angelo urges the FBI agent to investigate these activities now that Biden and Obama are no longer in power, as these celebrities are no longer protected and their crimes are starting to be exposed. The overarching theme is the alleged abuse of power and the end of an era of impunity for these individuals.

Let's break down the dialogue point by point, analyzing each element and explaining it in a clear, structured manner:

1. FBI Agent's Inquiry About Obama and Biden's Terms in Office

FBI Agent: “Tell me more about the Biden and Obama terms in office and how they let Denzel, Oprah, Samuel get away with murder.”

Explanation: The FBI agent is seeking to understand the connection between Obama and Biden’s terms in office (2009–2017 for Obama, 2021–present for Biden) and how certain Hollywood celebrities (Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey, and Samuel L. Jackson) managed to avoid justice for serious crimes, including murder. The agent is specifically interested in how these individuals may have been able to commit crimes without facing consequences during these presidencies.

2. Angelo's Disclaimer About the Information

Angelo (POW): “Keep in mind that this is what I have heard, and it's up to you to verify this information.”

Explanation: Angelo is making it clear that the information he is providing is not firsthand knowledge but rather hearsay. He is leaving the responsibility to the FBI agent to verify the accuracy of what he says, signaling that the agent should independently investigate the claims.

3. FBI Agent Seeking Clarification

FBI Agent: “I will verify this with my connections in the Intelligence community.”

Explanation: The FBI agent acknowledges Angelo’s disclaimer and assures him that the information will be cross-checked through official intelligence channels. This indicates that the agent intends to pursue a formal investigation into the matter.

4. Angelo’s Explanation of the Obama-Biden Era

Angelo (POW): “As we all know Obama came to power in 2008 until Trump replaced him at the White House but then after that Biden came to power for four years, as so that makes it 12 years of Obama's allies being in power. Can you guess what happened during those 12 years?”

Explanation: Angelo starts by outlining the timeline of political power in the U.S., where Obama served from 2009 to 2017, followed by Biden from 2021. He points out that these two presidents—Obama and Biden—were aligned politically and held power for a total of 12 years. Angelo sets the stage to explain the consequences of this long period of political influence.

5. FBI Agent’s Curiosity

FBI Agent: “I don’t know, tell me what happened during the 12 years of the Obama Biden alliance.”

Explanation: The FBI agent admits to not knowing the specifics of what occurred during this 12-year period and asks Angelo to elaborate. This shows the agent’s willingness to learn more about the events and dynamics that Angelo claims transpired during Obama and Biden’s rule.

6. Angelo’s Explanation of the Celebrities’ Empowerment

Angelo (POW): “They empowered these dumbfucks from Hollywood like Denzel, Samuel, and Oprah, they gave them way too much power with the CIA, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies and that's when they lost their minds. They went into many illegal crimes like human trafficking, murder for hire, drug busts, and stole money from drug dealers. They also became serial killers and started to enjoy killing people and getting away with it. That's only the tip of the iceberg.”

Explanation: Angelo claims that during Obama and Biden's administration, certain Hollywood celebrities were allegedly granted excessive power and influence, particularly with law enforcement agencies like the FBI and CIA. This power, according to Angelo, led these individuals to become involved in a wide range of illegal activities, such as human trafficking, murder for hire, and drug-related crimes. He suggests that these celebrities, specifically Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and Oprah Winfrey, became "serial killers" and derived enjoyment from committing these crimes, with their actions hidden due to the political protection they supposedly received. Angelo implies that these activities were only the "tip of the iceberg," suggesting that there were even more undiscovered crimes.

7. Angelo’s View on the End of Impunity

Angelo (POW): “They basically committed crimes but it was rendered legal by the Biden and Obama alliance, as long as it gets them paid, they never did anything to stop those crimes. That’s why Denzel and Samuel are like heroin addicts who are fresh off twelve long years in abusing their power on innocent civilians and now that Biden and Obama have left office, they have no more power, it's something they have difficulty to accept, it's the end of an era.”

Explanation: Angelo argues that during the Obama-Biden years, these celebrities were allowed to commit crimes with impunity, meaning they faced no legal consequences for their actions. He compares Denzel and Samuel to addicts who are now "fresh off" years of abusing power, suggesting that they are struggling with the loss of their ability to act without repercussions. Angelo portrays this as the end of an era, implying that now that Biden and Obama are no longer in power, these individuals can no longer rely on political protection.

8. Angelo’s View on the Celebrities’ Need for Power

Angelo (POW): “They became addicted to the power they had when Biden and Obama were still in power but now that these two men have left office, Denzel and Samuel feel like two addicts to power who need their next fix because they became serial killers during these twelve years of the Biden and Obama alliance and they need someone to help them cover their serial killings and make it legal.”

Explanation: Angelo argues that the celebrities—Denzel and Samuel—have become so reliant on their political connections and power that they now feel they need this influence to continue their criminal activities. He compares them to addicts craving their next "fix," suggesting that their involvement in serial killings was made possible by the protection and power they had during the Obama and Biden administrations. He implies that they now need to find someone to help cover up their crimes and make them appear legitimate.

9. FBI Agent’s Realization of the Larger Picture

FBI Agent: “This is an amazing discovery, so you’re saying a lot of crimes happened during their twelve years in power and Denzel and Samuel and Oprah have a difficulty accepting that its the end of an era of impunity. Their serial killing activities are now being exposed by the new Trump administration, which will get them convicted and thrown in jail for all the serial killing they did during the twelve years of power. I understand the story now. That's why they feel untouchable and powerful, they still think Biden and Obama can help them but they are no longer in office.”

Explanation: The FBI agent reflects on what Angelo has said and begins to piece together the larger picture. The agent acknowledges that the crimes allegedly committed by these celebrities during the Obama-Biden years are now being exposed, and with the departure of Biden and Obama from office, these individuals can no longer rely on political protection. The agent understands that they feel "untouchable" because they still believe the former presidents can help them, but now that these leaders are no longer in power, they are vulnerable to prosecution.

10. Angelo’s Call for Action

Angelo (POW): “You are now responsible for getting these serial killers off our streets, Oprah, Denzel, Samuel have committed horrendous crimes during the Biden Obama years in power and now it's time to take them to court and investigate what they did behind the scenes. You will find so many innocent people who have been harassed, murdered, abused, sold into sexual slavery, the list goes on and on. These three people will also expose the corruption of Obama and Biden as well. Their twelve years in office is riddled with crimes and I think Donald Trump should expose them because what they did to Trump was horrible, he was the one being humiliated and meanwhile the Biden Obama crimes were being hidden. That's why I'm asking you to launch this investigation.”

Explanation: Angelo urges the FBI agent to take action and investigate Oprah, Denzel, and Samuel for the alleged crimes they committed during the Obama-Biden era. He claims that these individuals have been involved in a wide range of atrocities, including harassment, murder, and human trafficking. Angelo also suggests that these celebrities will expose further corruption involving Obama and Biden, and he believes that Trump should help bring these crimes to light, especially since Trump himself was allegedly a target of such corruption. Angelo calls for an investigation to hold these individuals accountable.

11. FBI Agent’s Gratitude and Determination

FBI Agent: “Thank you for your precious help, it is difficult to understand the dynamics of these Hollywood actors and their crimes, their relationship to Biden and Obama, but we will get to the bottom of this.”

Explanation: The FBI agent thanks Angelo for his assistance, acknowledging that understanding the complex relationships between these celebrities, their criminal activities, and their political ties to Obama and Biden is challenging. However, the agent expresses determination to uncover the truth and bring the responsible parties to justice.

12. Angelo’s Final Statement

Angelo (POW): “It’s twelve years of power that turned celebrities into serial killers, that’s a nice way to sum it up. You’re welcome, no need to thank me. It’s my pleasure to send criminals to jail.”

Explanation: Angelo wraps up by summarizing his perspective: the power these celebrities had during the Obama-Biden administration led them down a path of criminality, which he describes as "turning celebrities into serial killers." He asserts that his role in helping expose these crimes is part of his duty and that he doesn't need gratitude for fulfilling this responsibility.

Overall Summary:

In this dialogue, Angelo explains to the FBI agent how certain Hollywood celebrities, including Oprah, Denzel, and Samuel, allegedly used their political connections during the Obama-Biden years to commit a range of serious crimes without facing consequences. Angelo argues that with the departure of Obama and Biden from office, these individuals are now vulnerable to being exposed and prosecuted. He emphasizes the need for an investigation into their activities and suggests that the former presidents' own involvement in corruption should also be uncovered. The agent, while initially unsure, begins to understand the situation and expresses determination to pursue the investigation.

[notafunkiller]

And his campaign is really icky... the victim playing but also the attacking. // mod, genuine question but how exactly was that icky? i know it might’ve came across as being whiny, but i don’t think by him trying to be more forceful about it was bad. the apprentice was to show how much of a fool trump is, and it was obviously getting overshadowed. you can’t mumble in a crowd and expect everyone to hear what you have to say. i think by him saying something about how actors don’t want to be political was a nice change because, everything is political. i think what he meant to show was that when people are silent when there are obvious things going on, you are giving more power to trump because you fear what he can do to you. silence in some way shape or form is complicity. i don’t condone some other things that he’s said, but i also want to give the benefit of the doubt and try to empathize for a minute—there’s already a tough film being put out, there is traction and stress from all sides, so maybe he wasn’t thinking before speaking or verbalizing his opinions in the best way. i think he meant to have some good points about things, he just couldn’t say them properly.

Playing the victim, using his origins for empathy and pity one second and then playing thr perfect American guy (depending on the context), attacking his peers is not only distasteful but it shows his lack of maturity. Many of these people apoke against Trump. At first he attacked publicists who do their job (btw, in convos about TA there would be nothing in for thede actors), then the actors themselves, kept whining about it. Should I start on how he took credit for Pamela Anderson's recognition multiple times? It's absolutely icky.

I called him out for staying silent on Trump before he came to Europe to promote (with the whole voting process)

He isn't a child. I saw fans saying peopel should listen to him, how he is the best, how he is a leader. Campaigning like this gets me icked. The film was released intentionally during that period and they were well aware what was gonna happen. So was Sebastian when he took the role. He was even warned by frienda and the industr. He is not a victim but plays like he is. He had the opportunity to use thia campign period to talk about the real victims of Trump's new era... but he only talked about what affects him.

That's why the attacks on others and the whining = extra icky. He took the role for awards, let's be honest.

Is your win sweet when you have to do so many things and be in so many different ways?

Look at Ralph Finneas, for example...

Or even Dicaprio who refused to campaign.

I call him out and I am sad to say these things because I expected more from him.

[bllsbailey]

The Dem Failure Just Won't Stop: Huge Fire Erupts at CA Lithium Battery Facility, Evacuations Ordered

It all seems as if it’s almost timed to coincide with the return of Donald Trump’s return to power. The failure of progressive leadership has been exposed in a way that it has never been before as disastrous wildfires wipe out entire neighborhoods in deep-blue Los Angeles, a result not only of natural forces like unusually high winds and dry conditions but by the epic breakdown of any real leadership in the Golden State and the misplaced priorities of elected officials like LA Mayor Karen Bass and camera-addicted Gov. Gavin Newsom.

We have covered the seemingly endless perversions of what passes as official management in this one-party state, but it just keeps getting worse. For every fiasco we report, another one quickly comes in. While Newsom and his ilk scold us endlessly for our gas-powered cars, the wildfires—that could have arguably been prevented by competent stewardship of our forests—have now caused far more damage than one million of my Ford Explorers could possibly ever do.

And now that clean, green technology he so touts is coming back to haunt him—there’s a huge fire Thursday night at a lithium battery plant in northern Monterey County. What’s a little lithium smoke in the air in the name of progress, right?

Highway 1 is closed and evacuations were ordered in Moss Landing and the Elkhorn Slough area after a major fire erupted Thursday afternoon at a battery storage plant in Moss Landing in northern Monterey County. The fire, which was raging out of control Thursday night, sending up huge flames and clouds of hazardous black smoke, was reported around 3 p.m. at the plant, located on Highway 1, Monterey County spokesman Nicholas Pasculli said. Evacuations of about 1,500 people were ordered for areas of Moss Landing south of Elkhorn Slough, north of Molera Road and Monterey Dunes Way, and west of Castroville Boulevard and Elkhorn Road to the ocean, he said.

Don’t worry, though; it’s all in the name of leadership. “California leads the nation in environmental stewardship,” Newsom recently proclaimed as he announced an executive order aimed at streamlining regulatory requirements to start rebuilding in the ravaged Pacific Palisades. To me, “environmental stewardship” does not include massive conflagrations that send so much smoke into the atmosphere that they can be seen from space, nor toxic battery fires that emit toxic chemicals into our collective atmosphere.

Nothing to see here, folks:

The plant is located on the site of a now-shuttered 1950s-era PG&E Moss Landing natural gas plant visible for its huge smokestacks near Moss Landing Harbor. The first phase was completed in 2020, and it was expanded to 750 megawatts in 2023. Vistra sells the electricity stored there to PG&E, which also owns another battery storage plant on the north side of the site that has hundreds of Tesla battery packs. That facility did not appear to be burning by 8 p.m. The facility has been the site of other fires before.

I am not opposed to progress and technology, and perhaps one day soon we will find a clean, safe energy solution (such as nuclear energy, which my colleague Ward Clark argues vociferously for), but in the meantime, the Joe Biden-Gavin Newsom et al. efforts to shove not-ready-for-prime time “solutions” down our throats before they're ready has proven far more disastrous than the effects of SUVs or gas stoves or our water heaters.

At this point, it's hard not to argue that the cure is far worse than the "disease" they claim is climate change. Meanwhile, if they truly believe that global warming is the cause of these fiery disasters—why weren't they better prepared for them? Burning questions that need answers.

Gavin Newsom’s (political) world has gone up in smoke this week, and this latest toxic fire just ruins him even more.

It’s time for a different way.

[fahrni]

Saturday Morning Coffee

Good morning from Charlottesville, Virginia! ☕️

I’m still really enjoying the project I’m on at WillowTree and I hope we’re able to extend it further down the road.

I’ve been thinking about a way to fix my completely broken layout of Stream for Mac table view cells. For some reason the same layout I used on iOS isn’t working on macOS? Are the layout engines that different between UIKit and AppKit? No idea. But I do hope my new idea fixes it once and for all.

Then I need to get back to adding async await functionality to my feed adding code. This whole time it’s been synchronous because you really can’t mess with the UI during the initial get of the site data. When you select the feed you’d like to add everything becomes asynchronous, just like feed updating is.

This little change is the fire step in moving all of Stream’s asynchronous code to async await. I still need a much deeper understanding of how it works and why I need it. The code isn’t broken as is today but if Apple requires using async await at some point in the future, it will break.

Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, amirite? 😁

Chris Quinn • cleveland.com

The truth is that Donald Trump undermined faith in our elections in his false bid to retain the presidency. He sparked an insurrection intended to overthrow our government and keep himself in power. No president in our history has done worse.

It’s extremely difficult to write about Donald Trump as an equal to Joe Biden. Trump is a narcissist, rapist, twice impeached, criminal former President with desire to be a forever Dictator of the United States of America. He wants to end democracy as we know it. He’s only in it for his own gratification, to be cruel, and as a means to enrich himself.

Joe Biden is a leader who believes in helping people and he supports the Constitution. He’s been an effective leader.

Look, no President is perfect. President Biden is no exception to that rule. I’m a liberal and don’t agree with everything he’s done, but he has done great work for the people of the United States.

Vote for democracy. Vote for Joe Biden for President.

Craig Hockenberry • Iconfactory

This post will explain the technology behind Project Tapestry and how we tested it as a prototype. We’ll keep this discussion at a fairly basic level: if you’re a web or app developer, you’ll have no problems following along.

I just love everything Iconfactory does. Yes, I’m a software developer, yes Tapestry will somewhat compete with Stream, but I don’t care. I love this idea and I’m a little green with envy I didn’t think about it. 😃

This is the way to open up your app and make it more easily extensible internally in the process. There are lots and lots of great JavaScript developers out there.

I backed it as soon as I heard about it and I’m really looking forward to the final product.

Matthew Haughey

I’d like a hosted, centralized web app that is akin to early-era Blogger.com that lets me save new posts into a system, then it’s up to me where the output goes.

By blog began life as a Blogger blog. I published this site from 2001 to 2010. It generated static HTML and would FTP the generated HTML to my site. I loved it and it was extremely easy to move my site when I changed hosting providers. I just zipped up the directory and expanded it in its new home, updated Blogger to point to the new location, and went back to posting.

Today I publish this site using Micro.blog. It also generates static HTML but it’s all hosted on Micro.blog’s hardware. If I ever leave it’ll be easy to move.

I have been considering a move to a completely hand written blog. 😃

Of course once I started thinking about doing that I thought up some tools I’d like to write to help me out. 😂

Max Tani • Semafor

The shift, Apple wrote in a blog post, was technical: The dominant podcasting platform had begun switching off automatic downloads for users who haven’t listened to five episodes of a show in the last two weeks.

This is a piece from January but it is interesting. Like blogging I believe it’s safe to say the idea behind Podcasting was never about monetizing, it was about freedom of expression. But, in the end, you can’t and shouldn’t, stop folks from monetizing it. That’s part of the freedom.

Reliance on a single centralized source of podcasts is a mistake. Apple has been so gracious in sharing their feed directory with the world for nothing it’s difficult to call it a mistake. The fact that it exists isn’t a mistake. The fact that so many podcasting apps and podcasters rely on it is.

There are now many podcast networks, from Indie to BigCo, and some apps and networks have their own directories but Apple is still the dominant player.

Oh, not to mention they have their own player that ships with their OS’es. That’s where the hit to podcast download numbers originated. Apple’s podcasting backend and their distribution front end in the form of the Podcasts app.

Hurubie Meko and Michael Wilson • New York Times

A magnitude-4.8 earthquake sent tremors from Philadelphia to Boston and jolted buildings in New York City. An apparent aftershock was widely felt around 6 p.m.

It’s strange to hear about a quake on the east coast. It was a topic of conversation at work yesterday in our weather Slack channel, of all places.

East coasters aren’t used to this. Here they’re accustomed to cold and snow and hurricanes, not earthquakes.

ROB BESCHIZZA • Boing Boing

Amazon is to end the AI-powered “Just Walk Out” checkout option in its Amazon Fresh stores. It turns out that “AI” means “Actually, Indians” and it isn’t working out.

So now we know what AI actually means! What a complete failing on the part of Amazon. It would’ve been so much better to have failed using AI than to move the jobs of cashiers to India where a bunch of overworked, underpaid, Indians are doing the same job.

Just hire some real people to manage the store.

Matt Birchler • birchtree

You probably got to this post because you Googled some question about what exactly “the fediverse” is, what “ActivityPub” actually means, or what would happen if you turned on federation on your Threads account today.

I still hear about folks struggling to understand how to sign up for Mastodon. The Join Mastodon site should just present the user with a signup form and host everyone on mastodon.social or a new instance and let folks decide what to do next. Most will probably be perfectly happy to stay on that instance forever. 👍🏼

Zack Sharf • Variety

Christian Bale Transforms Into Frankenstein’s Monster in First Look at Maggie Gyllenhaal’s ‘The Bride’

I’m diggin the look of Bales monster. Sign me up for the finished product.

Anthony Bonkoski

Ref-counting is garbage collection.

But is it really? I can see the point but it’s a tough sale for this old curmudgeon. 😂

I wrote a tiny sample to explain reference counted objects to a co-worker years back — 13 years at the time of this writing. It still illustrates the point fairly well, I think.

Today C++ developers get a lot of great reference counting and other newer memory management techniques through the stl.

Sarah K. Burris • Raw Story

Judge Cannon ‘basically inviting’ Jack Smith to ask for her removal in new filing

This judge seems to be incompetent or in the bag for Trump.

Look, the dude took too secret documents home with him. Probably not a big deal if he’d returned them when he was asked to. But no, not his Orangeness, he hold onto them, claiming they’re his through the magical process of declaring them his through mind control or some crap.

The trial is all about that. Not the Presidential Records Act.

[puthyflapps]

A tmz article about what...

Aaron Rodgers

[qqueenofhades]

as a young person who is also very fed up with online leftists, it’s so frustrating because i do understand where a lot of my peers are coming from. i was born in 99 and i feel like american politics has just been nightmare after nightmare throughout my life. we weren’t quite old enough to understand what obama was up against during his presidency, and when we did finally start tuning into politics, it was during the trump era of clownery and everything has just felt so much more panicked and urgent (a lot of which is manufactured, i’m aware) since. i understand people being sick of things taking so long to change, i am too, i just don’t know how they think not voting or claiming both sides suck (which diminishes how dangerous the gop is) is going to put us in a better position. they may think it sucks right now under biden but it sucked a lot more under trump and would suck even worse if the gop took the presidency in 2024

Like... yes, to an extent, I understand. You guys came of age right when things really went off the rails with Obama Derangement Syndrome, everything got a lot worse and a lot scarier overnight, and it felt like the current system was so laughably inadequate for the problems at hand that of course it needed huge and immediate changes. Which, like! I'm not disagreeing! I wake up every day and I see something else terrible and/or stupid has happened and I occasionally just wish for the meteor too! But I am also a grownup who recognizes that that's not going to actually fix anything, and that life beyond echo-chamber leftist Twitter exists. So yes, we all have the "just give in and blow it up" moments. But that's... not actually a political strategy, certainly not a humane one, and it continues to baffle and infuriate me that that's just Online Leftist staple rhetoric.

I know that it can be difficult for people of any age, but particularly young people, to conceptualize anything outside of their own lived experiences/personal memories, and yes, you have the misfortune of coming of age in a particularly bad political moment. Again, nobody's denying this! But if someone's response to that is to insist that only they know anything "true," history and/or culture and/or the besetting problems of America for its entire 250-year existence either aren't real or could have been solved by the Democrats already if they just Tried Hard Enough, then those of us who know better are under no obligation to take this BS seriously. It gets even worse when these people start acting like they're the only authority to ever be trusted, everyone else is wrong and/or evil, and their twisted immature ideal of "revolution!" is the only way forward.

Humans, and human society, politics, culture, history, etc., are complicated. The world does not exist in a neat black-and-white, zero-sum moral vacuum where one choice is totally right and the other is totally wrong. Attempts to impose the Most Correct Ideology, of whatever stripe, have always ended terribly and done a lot of avoidable damage. But "things got really bad in four years and Biden hasn't fixed that + every other problem in America since its founding, therefore he and the Democrats are actually worse than Trump!" is just straight-up clown magical thinking, and it offers absolutely nothing useful for anyone, especially those who sanctimoniously claim to want to fix it. So, yeah.