#also the news are abhorrent today

[erika-xero]

Boosty stopped accepting payments via PayPal, they say that they're going to fix this issue, but I am nervous AF. It still accepts bank cards and I still have EasyStart, which is comfy and reliable, but my commissioners rarely agree to using it.

I AM SO F-ING TIRED am I going to lose my job

[matan4il]

In today's edition of "The UN is complicit," we now have proof that this "respectable" organization has been sweeping under the rug a crucial report on the situation in Gaza.

On Jun 5 this year, headlines based on false statements from the UN released on that day were still being published, claiming that by mid Jul over 1 million people (about half the Gazan population) could be facing the highest level of starvation if the war continues. This was when we've been going through 8 months of war, in which the UN constantly made claims of imminent genocidal starvation, now, right now, truly, any moment now, if the war doesn't stop.

Except, it turns out that on Jun 4 already (a day earlier than the UN's starvation claims were being made and published), the IPC (an organization made up of several NGOs and UN bodies) has had to admit that there is no reliable evidence of starvation in Gaza, or that its existence is even plausible. This is particularly significant because it was actually the IPC's own Mar 2024 report that many of the claims regarding starvation relied on!

(please read the linked article if you can, it also links to researchers like Mark Zlochkin, quoting the findings of the Famine Review Committee, which are compelling in showing that there is no starvation in Gaza)

This means the UN has known for two weeks at this point (in an official capacity) that there is no starvation, but proceeded to ignore and even contradict its own people on this.

It means Israel has been slandered by false accusations of causing intentional starvation when there is no evidence that there even is one for EIGHT AND A HALF MONTHS, it means that the "clearest piece of evidence" of the supposed genocide in Gaza has never been substantiated, it means every Israel supporter accused of being pro-genocide has been deeply wronged, it means every antisemitic abuse of a Jewish person attacked over the situation in Gaza has been based on an antisemitic libel, it means countless anti-Jewish crimes have been justified using a lie that the UN has been actively enabling for two weeks (if we only count the time they've known about this on an official level, but since the UN has 13,000 employees on the ground in Gaza, it surely knew even before the Jun 4 report)...

And I find it particularly gruesome that I found out about the IPC report on the same day I learnt a 12 years old Jewish girl in France was gang raped as an antisemitic hate crime. This is the second time a Jewish female has been raped in France due to antisemitic motivation in recent months, when during the first rape (that we know of) the rapist was clear about his anti-Israel motivation. And we all know where the inspiration came from, to rape women just because they're Jewish, and knowing they will be victims who will not be listened to, or worse, whose rape will be justified as "resistance"...

IDK how anyone can have a conscience and not be bothered by this. All of it.

The UN is complicit.

The international NGOs are complicit.

The news sources that have not published the report are complicit.

The people who didn't believe rape reports from Oct 7 just because they came from Jews are complicit.

They all prove that Jews are NOT protected, or even just treated with basic human decency, as we should be.

My heart breaks for this girl. I wish I could do something for her, but there is nothing, except to scream here over this abhorrent injustice, and to beg people to raise their voice. Our sister's blood is calling out to us from the ground, and we CANNOT be silent.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[theroyalsims]

"A DISGUSTING INVASION OF PRIVACY" PALACE CRIES FOWL OVER ANYA AND GUS PHOTO LEAKS

Our favourite newlyweds are currently on their secret honeymoon, but it looks like it's not so secret, after all!

Last night multiple paparazzi photos showing Anya and Gus on a beach were posted by a Champs Les Sims tabloid on their website and social media accounts. The photos also predominantly feature on the gossip rag's latest issue, out today.

The photos were released with the headline:

"SEE ANYA AND GUS' TROPICAL LOVE FEST!"

Snippets of the article are reproduced and translated below:

"Brindleton's future Queen should reconsider and ditch her dowdy long dresses and stuffy coats, especially since the whole world now knows what she's hiding underneath her grandma outfits. Maybe flash some more cleavage! She should throw a palace pool party and wear that tiny red bikini again so her royal subjects can get a better look!"

"Brindleton need not wonder why Anya waited so long to marry so she could track down Gus - look at him! Wonder what he's hiding under his flashy green shorts?!"

A total of five different photographs were published by the tabloid. The grainy snaps, clearly taken using a long-range lens, show the couple enjoying what should have been their private vacation. Included in the released photos are intimate pictures of Anya and Gus kissing and hugging.

The article claims that the photos were taken on a private island, off the coast of Enamorada. The tabloid also admits to using high-power telephoto lenses from a yacht to capture the photos.

The Palace is reportedly outraged, and a well-placed source claims:

"There are now serious talks about what legal remedies the Prince and the Crown Princess may seek against the magazine. They have spoken to The Queen and their legal team.

Their Royal Highnesses feel betrayed and disappointed at this disgusting invasion of their privacy. After a very public wedding, they were hoping they could finally privately enjoy their new life together, even for just a little while."

Several women's groups have also shown their dismay and called out the rag for being "demeaning and utterly misogynistic."

Side note - look, we know that Gus has tattoos but we didn't know he had this many! Is that a massive pair of wings on his back!?

Okay, back to the important matter - we're hoping TRHs sue the crap out of this tabloid because this is so abhorrent and incredibly upsetting! Leave these two be! They're on their honeymoon, for crying out loud! They already gave us a very public engagement and wedding - let them enjoy each other's company in peace!

[contemplatingoutlander]

In the 1920s, a series of greed-based, racially charged murders of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation occurred in Oklahoma. (The linked article is a gift 🎁 link, so anyone can read the entire article, even if they do not subscribe to The New York Times.)

The article's authors, Jim Gray and David Grann, also point out how legislatures in red states like Oklahoma have created laws that are being used to prevent the teaching of significant racist incidents in American history for fear that it could be implied that students are being taught that they "'should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress' on account of their race or sex." Consequently, teaching about the Reign of Terror against the Osage Nation is being stifled in some Oklahoma schools.

Here is a video about the murders.

.Below are some excerpts from the article:

During the early 20th century, members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma were systematically murdered by white settlers. Yet outside the Osage Nation, the history of this racial injustice — one of the worst in American history — was distorted and then largely erased from memory. “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a film directed by Martin Scorsese, shines an extraordinary light on these events and provides a long overdue opportunity to restore them in our consciousness. But ironically, at the same time that the film is being released, there is a new attempt to suppress the teaching of this very history in the state where it took place. In 2021 the Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill prohibiting teachers in public school from instructing several concepts, including that “any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress” on account of their race or sex. The vagueness of the law has caused teachers to censor themselves, for fear of losing their licenses or their school’s accreditation. In a high school classroom in Dewey, Okla., copies of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the nonfiction book behind the film, were left unread because the teacher worried about running afoul of the law. Another teacher confessed that she was uncertain if she could refer to the settlers who murdered the Osage as white. At stake in these fights is not only factual accuracy. It is also how new generations will be taught to record and remember the past — both the good and the bad — so that they can learn to make their own history. The story of what’s now called the Osage Reign of Terror is essential to understanding America’s past. After vast oil deposits were discovered under their lands, the Osage were suddenly, by the 1920s, among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. In the year 1923 alone, the roughly 2,000 Osage on the tribal roll received a total of more than $30 million, the equivalent today of more than $400 million. As their wealth increased, though, it unleashed an insidious backlash across the country. The U.S. government passed legislation requiring many Osage to have white guardians to manage their fortunes — a system that was both abhorrently racist and widely corrupt. Then the Osage began to die under mysterious circumstances: There were shootings, poisonings and even a bombing. [color emphasis added]

I encourage you to read the entire article. It is tragic that red states are so afraid of their racist past that they are making it extremely difficult for children in those states to learn about the racist underbelly of American history, and how that history continues to reverberate in our society.

_______________ Video source for gif (before edits/caption) Originally posted 10.21.23; last edited 01.20.24

[scotianostra]

August 1st 1834 saw the abolition of slavery, an abhorrent thing, and something Scotland can't just wash its hands of.

Many of you will have walked through St Andrew's Square in Edinburgh, and some, myself included will have taken the obligatory pics, most of which will be dominated by a sort miniature Nelson's Column, but atop is the statue of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, the 'Uncrowned King of Scotland'. You can just see him in the pic. Your eyes will fall also on several buildings that would have been homes or business premises of Scots who made their fortunes in the transatlantic slave trade. Many of the houses in the New Town were owned by people with investments in the slave trade.

Back to Mr Dundas, with his immense power he held at the end of the eighteenth century, he was able to use his influence to almost single handedly delay the abolition of slave trade a further 15 years to 1807 and the subsequent abolition of British slavery in 1834. He was impeached in 1806 (then acquitted) for the misappropriation of funds, and he never held office again. Who knows how much more suffering was inflicted on African people in the Middle Passage during those 15 years?

There has been much controversy recently about his statue. What words on his plaque would be appropriate to reflect this unsavoury side of his legacy and give necessary context to his role in Scottish society?

The magnificent Royal Bank of Scotland’s headquarters, Dundas House, was the original home of Lawrence Dundas, cousin to Henry Dundas. His brother George Heneage Lawrence Dundas owned plantations in Grenada and Dominica.

The 4th Earl of Hopetoun, the nephew of Henry Dundas’ second wife, and the vice governor of the bank, is immortalised in the bronze statue outside the bank. He was second in command to fellow Scot, Ralph Abercromby, commander-in-chief of the British forces in the West Indies. Together, the men helped to end the two year slave revolution led by French-African Julien Fedon in Grenada in 1795-6 in the fight against the French for islands in the West Indies. Fedon was a highly skilled strategist, and his men executed 40 British, including Scottish governor Ninian Home at his home in Paraclete.

After 15 months of fighting the rebels were captured and executed in the Market Square. Yet Fedon was never found. Legend says he escaped to a neighbouring island on a canoe, aided by either the Amerindians or ‘Black Caribs’ in St.Vincent.

The suppression of this revolution resulted in slavery continuing for almost another 40 years in Grenada.

And when the eventual abolition came it was Dundas and his cronies who profited further with compensation deals running into what today would be billions of pounds.

I'm turning of commenting on this as it can attract some comments that I would end up having to delete, you can vent your opinions through emoticons

Read more on this despicable man and the trade helped lengthen here. https://historycompany.co.uk/.../henry-dundas-lofty-hero.../

[monicahar]

the wanderer despises the day of love; valentine's, was it? whatever, it's just a foolish mortal event that he swears to never participate on. he finds each nook and cranny of sumeru completely abhorrent when the day comes. sucking each other's faces in public? are you serious? handing each other cheesy flowers and gifts? what? and the irritable songs he'd heard that were sung to people perched on their windows and balconies—not much unlike a pathetic attempt of some animal's mating call? disgusting. absolutely puke worthy material.

which is why you're led to nothing but disappointment when he doesn't even mention the name of the special occasion you've looked forward to.

“it's today, huh?” he says airily to no one in particular, as if he could care less when his eye catches onto the fact that there were more flowers and bouquets around than usual, and there's a lot of those heart stuff around, much to his dismay and unfortunately keen observation.

red ceramic mugs, heart shaped candies, heart balloons, tulips and other florals with much more vibrant colours than the normalcy of contrast he's used to seeing around the city. it grates his nerves.

he hates this. all of this.

“hey—wanderer!”

[name].

he says the sacrilegious name in his mind, turning around to meet your approaching form whilst struggling to keep his lips from creeping up a smile.

his solemn and hate-filled day is immediately better with your appearance, but he'll never mention that outloud.

“and what's got you here, pipsqueak?” the former harbinger eyes you up and down, finding the whole conversation immediately suspicious with that nervous smile on your face. he'd also be an idiot not to notice the slight shake in your voice when you called out to him. fortunately for him, he's far from one.

although, all that ferocity and harshness of his—gone in an instant.

a bouqet messily bunched up with pink and red flowers is shoved onto his face before he could even add another insult to his less-than accomodating greeting—his eyes widening as he stares at the petals that seem to somehow also stare back with how small the proximity is.

wait, don't these colours mean...ugh! the power you hold against him is demeaning! he curses mentally as he tries to pull down his hat to quickly hide the rising of temperature that would show on his pale face.

in a split second, meeting your bashful face behind the main focus of his line of vision, which is hilariously slowly turning into the same hue of the flowers you're gripping. he wants to laugh at something—your face, the whole ordeal of foolish gift giving, the evident and embarrassing romanticism laced in your actions—but instead, he finds himself utterly speechless. unfathomably impossible to let out words at the moment.

no one had ever done this before, and he had never expected anything from anyone at anything at all.

muttering a near silent gratitude towards you, he gently accepts your generous gift, his first instinct being to put the flowers onto his face to have a small whiff. he deliberately ignores the cute and expectant look you have on your face, probably trying to search for a new reaction from him.

aha, as expected. he smirks against the flowers, hiding his smile in the bouquet. they're fake and scented, that much he could pick up, but he couldn't bring himself to return it to you and complain. he knows it's within your capability to get real flowers, but you probably got these fake ones because you both know that he'd just forget to water them.

it's the thought behind it that counts, even if he preferred something real. i mean...it's not like he'd water it everyday for your sake or something, right? pfft. who does that anyway? haha...

...?

staring at the bouqet for a second and then back to you—he promptly pats your head gently. once, twice, before he runs off once again, leaving you to melt in a puddle after his small act of affection.

he's a certified and avid hater of this type of love and whatnot but perhaps...valentine's isn't so bad after all when it's with someone he cherishes.

just a short drabble for my man lel happy valentines everyone!

[luxe-pauvre]

I don’t need these people’s psychodramas in my head anymore. The closest thing to a political point I want to make is that I’ve dedicated far too much brain-space, in recent years, to marinating in the psyches of the angry, cynical and damaged men currently ascendant in our politics – which is basically what you’re doing when you spend time on Twitter, idly surf online media, or consume most TV news. I’m not talking about people in general here. We’ve lots of work ahead to try to understand how large swathes of the population – people like us, in so many ways, who love their kids, and so on – could embrace viewpoints we find so bewilderingly abhorrent. And we’re going to have to be willing to accept the possibility that some of the failings might be, at least partly, on us. But these tasks won’t be aided in any way by remaining addicted to the feuds and fragile egos of the demagogues at the top, or their hangers-on in the commentariat, and the shocking things they say for attention and money. We can’t ignore the deep societal problems that have fuelled their rise. But we absolutely can choose to excise from our lives all their distracting psychodramas, their whiny podium speeches, social media bloviating and related bullshit (which includes, by the way, the output of many of those building media empires by railing against them, too). And we can do it right now: click “log out” on the relevant app, and they’re gone from your world, just like that – leaving you better placed to address those deeper problems anyway, while also making progress on your other goals. At a minimum, I think this means drawing way back from social media, and probably heeding Cal Newport’s advice to get your news weekly, ideally in print. As Cal suggests, why not “use the stress of this election to be the final push needed to step away from the exhausting digital chatter that’s been dominating your brain”? But mainly today I just wanted to articulate the intention, and the doability of it. May all those angry attention-seekers one day find effective therapists! But in the meantime: screw them. Every single person reading this has better things to be doing with their limited time on the planet.

Oliver Burkeman, How not to freak about about the US elections, part two

[eretzyisrael]

by Dion J. Pierre

Granting a request for injunctive relief filed by Jewish students who sued the university, US Judge Mark Scarsi of the District Court for the Central District of California grated UCLA’s defense of its role in supporting the encampment — which argued, in his words, that it “has no responsibility to protect the religious freedom of its Jewish students because the exclusion was engineered by third-party protesters” — and described what took place there as “so unimaginable and so abhorrent to our constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.”

He continued, “The injunction does not mandate any specific policies and procedures UCLA must put in place, nor does it dictate any specific acts UCLA must take in response to campus protests. Rather, the injunction requires only that, if any part of UCLA’s ordinarily available programs, activities, and campus areas become unavailable to certain Jewish students, UCLA must stop providing those ordinarily available programs, activities, and campus areas to any students.”

Scarsi, who formally assumed office in 2020 after being nominated in 2018 by former President Donald Trump, also affirmed the plaintiffs’ contention that Zionism is an integral part of their Jewish faith. The ruling is the first to address directly how university administrators handled pro-Hamas encampments on their campuses, which, across the country, descended into proclaiming support for terrorism, threatening a genocide of Jews, and unobstructed vandalizing of school property and assault.

“Shame on UCLA for letting antisemitic thugs terrorize Jews on campus,” Mark Rienzi — president of the public interest law firm Becket, which represented the plaintiffs — said on Tuesday, praising the decision’s defense of religious liberty. “Today’s ruling says that UCLA’s policy of helping antisemitic activists target Jews is not just morally wrong but a gross constitutional violation. UCLA should stop fighting the Constitution and start protecting Jews on campus.”

A slew of lawsuits filed by Jewish students and against their universities over their handling of antisemitism after Oct. 7, when Hamas invaded Israel and launched the ongoing war in Gaza, have been decided this summer or remain in the courts.

Earlier this month, a Massachusetts federal judge “in part” denied Harvard University a motion to dismiss a suit which accuses it of failing to respond to numerous antisemitic incidents during the 2023-2024 academic year, clearing the case to proceed to trial. Throughout the summer, Columbia University and New York University (NYU) settled two lawsuits, with NYU paying an undisclosed sum of money to avoid further discovery and litigation.

[1996harvest]

nottemdude brainrot....

under 18 dni // nsfw rambles ahead // dont like? block me

tagging just for reach since i have no mutuals yet,,, (i'll stop tagging after a few posts i proomiisseee)

this is a tamer post that covers a lot of non-nsfw headcanons as well but expect my posts to get a bit... heh.... 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 as i continue posting LMFAO

ugh all day today i could NOT stop thinking about dude & nottem. just imagining dude bending nottem over a table and making nottem take him raw, causing nottem to leave scratches in the wood <3 nottem wouldn't be very vocal, letting out totally-super-manly grunts unlike dude who i'd imagine is very comically vocal purely to piss off the neighbors

realistically dude is not that good of a performer, but a guy can daydream, right?

also, in the game (and the comics, for those who didnt know they exitsed) nottem is shown to be some big manly man (see: that frame in SUBSCRIBE OR DIE where he's... shirtless... for some reason????) but im of the opinion that hes a big sissy when it comes to dude. i like the headcanon that he became a mass murderer because of dude, and that hes actually just a big dude fanboy lol :P nottem being such a big fan would freak the fuck out of dude at first, but he'd probably stop caring after like, an hour of this emo freak following him around and begging for attention like a sad puppy.

so, obviously, since he's just such a big fan of dude, he would love to serve! i'd imagine him being at dude's beck and call for whatever... always on his hands and knees ready to serve (even at inopportune times or places) (scratch that, ESPECIALLY at inopportune times and places. dude's probably into some weird shit like that) i dont know whether he'd be more into praise or degrading, probably a mix of both depending on the day.

when they first meet, dude would be his friend at first, but both men being abhorrently touch starved it would go from "friends" to "friends with benefits" pretty quickly. they'd call each other boyfriends if nottem wasn't so internally homophobic, he'd probably say some shit like "dude is the only guy im gay for, so im basically not gay at all" but is also the same type of guy to be REALLY grossed out if a woman after flirted with him. dude would probably use that fact to tease nottem, forcing nottem say he's gay while fucking into him like a rabid animal or calling him things like "my girl" and other feminine nicknames to get him worked up.

(alternatively instead of being an asshole, he just calls nottem fem nicknames because nottem likes them better than masculine ones, for whatever reason that may be! whether its a gender thing or just something he enjoys :-)~

i really want to write a fanfiction about them but recently whenever i write smut, i really hate how it comes out... but ill be honest these two have been stuck in my mind for the entire day!

if anyone has any other nottemdude scenarios (fluff, smut, angst... mix of all three, i dont care!) feel free to leave them in my inbox (wink wink nudge nudge)

also guh this is my first post on this account so im a bit shy :pleading_emoji: but i'll probably get more graphic and writer-esque as i get used to this or as people leave feedback!

i'll try not to spam the tags toooo much lol just tagging for reach since im new and i need mutuals :broken_heart:

[vomitdodger]

In other news…Boeing 737s continue to fall apart in the sky.

The articles last paragraph is wrong though:

These are not “recent” incidents as the usual media collusion would have you believe with the 737 models. It officially started with two catastrophic crashes in 2018 and 2019:

Granted the 737 Max was the newest model and MOST nefarious but the pattern of intentional abhorrence to safety is manifest throughout Boeing for years if not over a decade as documented in the 2022 movie:

John Barnett who was recently arkancided plays a prominent role in the movie. The guy is brilliant.

And given todays constant barrage of distractions, psyops and coverups most didn’t hear of the latest Boeing whistleblower to testify to congress where he tells of retaliation and covert death threats after documenting the staggering safety violations. He even did this:

He also says he will not let his family fly ANY Boeing plane as the pattern of intentional recklessness is pervasive at Boeing. His testimony to congress was relentless in the violations. And given these problems took a decade or two to fully manifest the problems, it’s going to take a decade or more to address them. Especially since the lifespan of a typical airliner is 30 years.

Curiously, in 2021 the company Avelo was launched. So right about the time Boeing would have had to internally acknowledge they were facing a cosmic anal probe of investigations and it’s eventual consequences. Even if it’s the usual “whoopsie my bad” without any jail time or true consequences…because of the usual secret deals, payoffs and/or compromised investigators. Such as the current Boeing CEO stepping down by the end of the year.

Avelo is the latest in ultra low cost airlines. Basically Spirit but worse. Based out of the Carolinas where of course Boeing is based out of. Where Nikki Haley is based out of. Nikki Haley being a former Boeing CEO has never been question or commented on all of Boeing woes to the best of my knowledge. And she would have been there at the height of the violations. But the best part of Avelo…it’s an ALL Boeing airlines. Ha ha. Talk about your kickbacks and work arounds for pending investigatory anal probes!!! Hard pass on Avelo!

That’s it for now, until the next great and most certain Boeing disaster.

[mephinomaly]

[TL] Flashback/Epilogue 2

[ This post uses Ois~su ♪ ]

Kaoru: Grandpa was throwing a bit of a tantrum, saying he “hates complicated things”, so for the time being, we’ll just be going by UNDEAD.

Koga: Not much point in usin’ two separate brands. Besides, that criminal came up with HELLSING so I don’t wanna use it. Pisses me off.

Adonis: The delinquent most likely had his own ideas for UNDEAD, which was HELLSING.

Kaoru: Yeah. He was probably like “I can make the best version of UNDEAD!”

But we don’t need his idealised version of UNDEAD, we just need to shine brighter and brighter, as the real us.

Adonis: Easier said than done.

As Hakaze-senpai said earlier, both the radical immoral side and the variety programs side of us can be successful— It wouldn’t be superficial of us to do so.

Koga: It’s fine for us to get rid of one of them though. I, personally, think we should get rid of the variety programs.

Kaoru: You really hate those sorts of jobs, don’t you? …Like I said on stage yesterday, you can gain experience from anywhere.

You can’t grow big and strong if you’re a picky eater, you know?

Koga: Who do you think you are, my parents? Anyway, I get it, but I’m not gonna stop complainin’.

We need to eat everything, even if we don’t like it, so we can grow big and strong.

Kaoru: That’s the spirit ♪

Let’s do our best, ‘kay? The AIIE experiment was set up in order to trick us, nothing more to it—it almost felt like a dream.

We’ve seen real robots of ourselves and those kids from Ra*bits too.

The fakes were almost identical to the real us. At least, visually.

Technology and AI will only improve from here, and AI idols will become even more realistic.

Rei: Umu. That is how it seems to be progressing.

Kaoru: Oh? I didn’t see you so I thought you’d had an early morning bath? But then I didn’t see you in the bathroom either…?

Rei: Nay, I was enjoying the peaceful bliss of the early morning by taking a stroll.

I spoke with some neighbours who were also awake at this time, and once I grew tired, I basked in the sun on a nearby bench…

Kaoru: You actually act so much like an old man. You get more and more senile as the years go because of some character you force yourself to play.

Rei: Rather, I used to force myself to act young. I feel more comfortable now than I did back then. I am showing my true colours.

Of course, those who caught a glimpse of the previous me will have seen the immaturity in me, befitting of my young age at the time.

Anyhow. I apologise for interrupting, but I do believe you should keep Kaoru-kun’s worries in the back of your minds.

Humanity continues to evolve, scientific capability is growing ever closer to the abilities of a god.

Robotics, AI, VR— artificial idols will be comprised of those parts.

Then when non-human creatures rise in strength, and become stronger than humans, when monsters arise, when they become the new normal—

What value do humans have, other than being authentic beings?

Will we become pieces of art, displayed in museums for all to see, rather than something a part of your everyday life?

I do not know what the future holds, but that future is fast approaching.

We stand at a crossroads.

If we give up, we die where we stand. We must explore and search for what it means to be human.

We must demonstrate time and time again the value of being loved.

Otherwise, we can easily fall into the position our criminal was in.

A foolish, pitiful creature that can only look into the distance and envy how bright others shine.

What happens to one today may happen to another tomorrow. But I am not so pessimistic.

We are alive.

If we continue to live and grow, we have no reason to fear this lifetime.

That is the strength and beauty of being human.

Let us drive away our abhorrent past, and our anxiety-inducing nightmares alongside it. Let us step into the day with a smile on our faces.

～...♪

[ ☆ ]

Epilogue 1

Directory

[nnycore]

Hunger was one of those annoying, unavoidable things about being a human.

Even though Johnny C. was pretty confident that he could survive on sheer force of will if he had to, living hungry was uncomfortable, and while there were plenty of sacrifices Nny was willing to make for the sake of becoming a feelingless, empty husk, hunger (at this time at least) was just a pointless preventable discomfort. 

And so he took to the kitchen.

To say that Nny’s kitchen was barren was an understatement. His fridge contained exactly four items: a carton of milk that expired a month ago (why did he even buy that? he’s lactose intolerant), a tupperware full of something unidentifiable (he really didn’t want to know what was in it), a jar of pickles (great for snacking!), and a single cucumber. His pantry wasn’t much better; all he had there were some cans of tuna (also expired, he accidentally bought them in oil instead of in water and refused to touch them), a bag of chips (only the crumbs were left), and three cans of spaghettio-s. There was also the matter of his lack of tableware. And proper cutlery. He had the basics: ice cream scoop, pizza cutter, a fork, and of course, knives. Lots and lots of knives. Nny was like a magpie when it came to those things. Any time a new knife caught his eye, he just had to have it. Whether it was the design of the handle, the curve of the blade, or the way it caught the light, something about them just drew him in. Of course he didn’t need it. He knew that. His set of kitchen knives could get the job done just fine. Hell, he could probably do his job with a spoon if he had to (actually, that’s not too bad of an idea… maybe that ice cream scoop would come in handy? FUCK that’s why he bought it! damned memory problems…). 

That’s not the point, though. The point is, Johnny’s living space was absolutely abhorrent, and he had nothing to put his fucking spaghetti-o’s in and the screams from the basement were getting loud enough to be annoying. Fuck he didn’t have time for this, he had things to do! People to kill! Walls to paint! Well, one wall. Regardless, he was a busy man.

Nny grabbed a can and a knife and headed down the stairs. While he walked, he worked the blade of the knife around the edge of the can, cutting the top off with a horrible screeching noise. He really should just invest in a can opener. Once the top was hanging on by just a shred of metal, he ripped it off with his teeth and gulped the pasta down. A glob of sauce missed his mouth and landed on the stairs with a plop. 

“God… DAMMIT!” he screamed. 

“Are you gonna pick that up?” a high, croaky voice asked him.

Fuck, on top of this, he had to deal with a stupid disembodied rabbit corpse following him around, squeaking out useless suggestions. Well, not useless, he supposed. He just didn’t want to hear it. 

Nny glared at the floating head. “Fuck off, Nailbunny. I’m not in the mood today.”

“You’re never in the mood, Nny.”

“And why do I have to be, huh? Who am I trying to impress? Because it isn’t you, it isn’t the doughboys, and it sure as hell isn’t the people down in the basement.”

The rabbit pouted. “Alright, I see how it is… but what about that little kid, huh? What’s his name… Tom? Todd?”

“Squee?”

“Yeah, him. Don’t you want to be a good example for him?”

“If Squeegee is looking to me for an example of anything other than what not to do, he’s already too fucked to be helped.”

“Aw, come on, don’t say that! You have plenty of good qualities.”

“Like?”

“Well… uh…” the rabbit faltered. “You’re very polite.”

“I kill people, Nailbunny,” he deadpanned.

“Well, when you’re not killing people, you’re always very nice. Even when you are killing people you can be polite.”

“Like hell I am! Name one time I’ve ever been nice to someone I killed.”

“There was that one guy… Almost a year ago, remember? You two had a nice chat right before you killed him. Very enlightening. I could see you being friends with him if things had gone differently.”

“Yeah, if things went differently. Which they didn’t. Now are you going to let me clean up my mess or what?”

Nailbunny said nothing and drifted away in response.

Nny sighed. Conversations with his head-voice-entity-things were always exhausting. Why were they so adamant on him questioning everything about his existence? Why did every conversation have to be deep and thought provoking? Was it not enough to simply chat about the weather? Or how ironic the death he planned for his latest victim was? Honestly, he put so much thought into the way he killed and there wasn’t even anyone around to appreciate it. But then again, he might just be talking to himself, and if that was the case, he didn’t even want to think about what subconsciously psychoanalyzing himself meant for his already nearly non-existent mental health.

“Nobody fucking helps me in this house,” he grumbled as he retrieved the cleaning supplies from under the kitchen sink.

Returning to the scene of the mess, Johnny realized just how small the glob of tomato sauce was. He had gotten his heavy duty stuff (yellow gloves instead of his usual black ones, a mop, and some windex) out for nothing. “I guess I’ll just…” He paused, dragging his hand down his face in exhausted frustration. “...get a towel then.” As he turned to slink back up the stairs, the steel toe of his boot caught on one of the steps, sending him tumbling down into the basement. Johnny C. landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, his mop and cleaning supplies scattered around him. He groaned, annoyed at the unexpected turn of events. As he struggled to get up, he heard a soft, timid voice from the corner of the basement. 

The source of the disembodied voice stepped into the dim light, revealing a young boy with wide, fearful eyes. It was none other than Squee, the kid from the neighborhood who always seemed to cross paths with Johnny in the most unfortunate situations. "Uh, hi, Mr. Nny. Are you okay?"

Johnny C. scowled, attempting to save face despite the embarrassment of his fall. "Of course, I'm fine. Just testing the structural integrity of the stairs, you know, for safety reasons. How did you get down here, anyways?”

Squee looked skeptical but didn't press the issue, instead fidgeting nervously with his fingers. "I-I heard noises, and I thought it was safer down here. But then you fell, and I didn't know what to do." He hesitated before asking, "Um, why were you screaming and making a mess upstairs?"

Johnny sighed, realizing that the evidence of his spaghetti-o mishap was still splattered on the stairs. "Just hungry, Squee. And those damn voices in my head won't leave me alone."

Squee furrowed his brow, clearly concerned. "Voices? Like, in your head?"

Johnny waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, don't worry about it. Just annoying chatter. Happens all the time."

As Johnny started to gather his cleaning supplies, Squee tentatively approached. "I... I could help you clean up. If you want."

Johnny blinked, genuinely surprised by the offer. He was used to people running away from him or, at the very least, avoiding any involvement with his chaotic life. Squee, on the other hand, seemed genuinely willing to assist.

"Well, kid, you might regret saying that, but sure. Why not? Just don't get any blood on you," Johnny replied with a smirk.

Squee hesitated for a moment before nodding nervously. Together, they began to clean up the mess on the stairs, and Johnny couldn't help but notice the mixture of fear and curiosity in Squee's eyes.

As they worked, Nailbunny floated into view, watching the unlikely duo with a bemused expression. "Looks like you found a cleaning buddy, Nny."

Johnny shot a glare at the floating rabbit head. "Shut up, Nailbunny. It's just a one-time thing. I don't need help from anyone."

But deep down, as he glanced at the timid yet determined Squee, Johnny C. couldn't deny that maybe, just maybe, having someone around wasn't the worst thing in the world.

[loredwy]

OAS Press Release about Venezuela's situation

[Title] Notice from the Office of the Secretary General on the Electoral Process in Venezuela and Report from the Secretariat for the Strengthening of Democracy/Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation.

[Date] July 30, 2024

Today, the Office of the Secretary General received the report from the OAS Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) regarding the presidential electoral process in Venezuela in 2024, which is attached to this release.

The worst form of repression, the most vile, is to prevent the people from finding solutions through elections. The obligation of every institution in Venezuela should have been to ensure the freedom, justice, and transparency of the electoral process. The people should had have the highest guarantees of political freedom to be able to express themselves at the polls, and protect the rights of citizens to be elected.

Throughout this entire electoral process we saw the Venezuelan regime apply its repressive scheme complemented by actions aimed at completely distorting the electoral outcome, making that result subject to the most abhorrent manipulation. It continues to this day.

The Maduro regime mocked important actors in the international community over the years and once again went into an electoral process without guarantees, mechanisms nor procedures to enforce those guarantees. The entire manual of fraudulent handling of the electoral result was applied in Venezuela on Sunday night, in many cases in a very rudimentary manner.

There has been talk of an audit or a recount of the electoral material that has not had the slightest conditions of security and control. Moreover, we must keep in mind that, regarding audits, the regime is at least 11 years behind, having committed to UNASUR (in a meeting on April 18, 2013 in Lima) to conduct a 100% audit of the electoral records from the April 14, 2013, election. It is obvious to say that it was never fulfilled. It is obvious that a new mockery would be unacceptable.

Considering that the opposition campaign headquarters has already presented the records by which they would have won the election and the Madurismo, including the CNE, has not yet been able to present the records showing they would have won, which at this point would be laughable and pathetic if it were not tragic; in this context, it is imperative to know whether Maduro accepts the records held by the opposition and consequently accepts his electoral defeat, thus paving the way for the return to democracy in Venezuela. Failure to do so would require new elections, but in this case with the MOES of the European Union and the OAS present, and a new CNE to reduce the margin of institutional irregularity that plagued this process.

The burden of injustice on the people of Venezuela continues, this people is once again the victim of repression, undoubtedly its most relevant government characteristic, as a result of an inefficient administration that has sown the most severe humanitarian and migration crises the region has ever known.

Not so long ago, Secretary General Luis Almagro expressed that "No revolution" "can leave people with fewer rights than they had, poorer in values ​​and principles, more unequal in the instances of justice and representation, more discriminated against depending on where their thoughts are or whats their political north."

The Secretary General also expresses that he regrets the lack of cumulative memory of actors in the international community, which systematically leads to repeating errors, as well as forcing the General Secretariat to reiterate pronouncements and concepts expressed for a long time.

Reference: C-046/24

[mitsdriveswhere]

The Seven Cities of Gold

I've always been a little fascinated in how myths affect myths and one great example of this is the Seven Cities of Gold. This, primarily, is considered one of the oldest European-American myths, one created by Spanish colonists and invaders.

The Seven Cities of Gold, or the Seven Cities of Cíbola, was a Spanish myth of indigenous cities built of or filled with gold, around the beginning of the sixteenth century. They are most closely associated with the 1540 entrada headed by Vasquez de Coronado into primarily modern day Arizona and New Mexico. The origin of this myth, however, is a bit confusing, for a couple reasons.

There are no Seven Cities of Gold

Which Seven Cities has never actually been solidified

This myth seems to predate European knowledge of the Ancestral Puebloan cities in New Mexico for which they are named (Cíbola being one of the first terms Europeans used to describe Zuni)

Which gets into the reason as to why such a myth exists. Fundamentally, (in my opinion) there are two factors that resulted in the creation of the myth of the Seven Cities of Gold: the economics of slavery and abolitionism, and the age old equivalent of the game Telephone.

The economics and history of slavery at this time, I think is fairly well understood, but I digress: Spain colonized Mexico and every other part of the Americas they could reach for imperial advantage. Spain needed money to fund its Inquisition (yes that one), and to rebuild after the Reconquista. As imperial powers do, they needed a source of income, preferably with unpaid labor. The Americas provided both of these, especially in Southern Mexico, where the Aztecs, already quite adept at mining and refining gold, had populous cities and traversable infrastructure. The Incas, like the Aztecs, also indicated to Spain that the Americas were filled with the riches they desired (people they could enslave, and precious metals - especially gold and silver).

Abolitionism on the other hand, especially in the early 1500s, is something I don't really hear so much about, even though it was a strong political force at the time. Granted, not abolitionism in the way we think of it today - let's not pretend that democracy was even on the horizon. But at the very least, Spain was at the forefront of a political movement away from the equivalent of chattel slavery - a shift the US would not catch onto for another three hundred years. The human rights violations of Spain's early conquistadors (and yes, the people of that time also thought of it that way) were abhorrent both politically and - worse for Spain - economically. Surprising to no one, someone willing to commit the worst acts imaginable on another human being is not all that willing to then go along with society's basic functions of decency. If you can name an early conquistador, I can name exactly how they fell from grace, were convicted, exiled, or yes - even murdered. It's all of them. So, Spain had a human rights movement, which manifested in several "protectionary" laws for the indigenous - especially the Laws of Burgos and the Ordinances of Discovery (I use quotations because, again, Europeans were still doggedly racist, and these laws reflected this). Some of these laws were so humanitarian in nature, Spanish colonists revolted in some areas because of how many rights were being granted to the indigenous (truly, please read about Pizarro's assassination, it's magnificent, and contextually relevant).

One actor in this movement, of course, was the first viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza. Mendoza, while politically very shrewd, was in favor of these humanitarian movements. He would not have agreed to breech the northern border of his colony - was was then Central/Northern Mexico - only to conquer, like those before him. That position of his changed only after a survivor of a once-thought-to-be-very-very-very-dead entrada from ten years prior wandered out of Northern Mexico and back into Spanish occupied lands - Cabeza de Vaca. De Vaca spoke of cities he had been told about that were encrusted with jewels. This, Mendoza would move for, so he sent a scouting party, the survivors of said party returned to say they had also been told stories of cities of gold. Somewhere along the way, this report was twisted to say that the scouting party had actually seen cities of gold - specifically the city Cíbola (Zuni). Gold moved Spanish action, this is a constant through history. So Mendoza began preparing the first entrada of his office - the entrada of Coronado. From there, it's history (Coronado was also a fail-son like every conquistador before and after him. Look it up, he's cringe.).

But, where the fuck did the myth of Seven Cities come from? The scouting party saw one (1), and it was from a distance. This is where we get into the equivalent of the game of Telephone, aka how information was disseminated for nearly humanity's entire existence until the Phoenicians.

Humans, oddly enough, have a penchant for the number 7. We just really like it, for whatever reason. Lots and lots of legends and myths involve the number 7, but the two specially that likely influenced the myth of the Seven Cities come from two backgrounds - the Seven Caves of Chicomoztoc, and the Seven Cities of Antillia. Fascinatingly, two completely separate myths that evolved entirely independently of each other. The Seven Caves is a Nahua (Aztec) myth, about the origin of the Nahua themselves. Like many other Central American and American Southwestern peoples, the Nahua origin myth tells of the people emerging from the underground, specially from seven caves in this instance. It's an absolutely beautiful reminder just how well humans are able to keep our history even without writing it down. Unfortunately, the Spanish heard this myth, and thought 'Oh, how great would it be if we could find these caves, and loot them.' After all, the great Aztec cities they'd looted so far yielded a lot of gold. So, already, Spanish colonizers were primed with the desire to search for yet-to-be-discovered hordes of gold.

The second myth is of European origin, before the Americas were ever sailed to. The myth of the "lost" island of Antillia, or the Seven Cities of Antillia, revolved around a phantom island, of all things. Phantom islands are islands that do not exist, but were created through mapping errors when maps were made by hand by some guy going "yeah that looks about right". Maps were collaborative, so if some guy put down on the portion of the sea that he'd mapped that there's an island there, the next person over would also put it down, because how is he to know that the first guy was wrong. Phantom islands were chronic in early seafaring, because people also have a penchant for, scientifically speaking, making shit up. (See early maps of the gulf of Mexico, it does wonders for imposter syndrome. They were legit just making shit up.) The phantom island of Antillia was an island once incorrectly drawn off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula, long before 1492, and was said to be the hiding place of several prominent members of the Catholic Church - with highly desirable land and lots and lots of money. It was this myth that already existed in the mind space of Spanish citizens, once again priming them for the rumors told of Cíbola.

There have of course been speculations of what the Seven Cities might actually be, or at the very least, the remaining six, but it remains a fact that there were no cities of gold. No matter how much National Treasure 2 wants us to think it's in some god forsaken place like South Dakota.

[deedjre]

day 5 - redesign !! initially red was created as a stock generic anime boy in red because i was lonely in minecraft. so i made up a fake minecraft boyfriend. he was SUCH a bland love interest i literally wasn't even into guys like that? continuing after this brief aside of the fact i gave literally every character gray pants for whatever reason. red was so much a generic love interest character that i redesigned him to look more to my tastes (hence cropped hoodie and ponytail). and then at some point (honestly probably before 2024) i picked him up and gave him the MOST abhorrent personality. genuinely. he's now the farthest thing from my type somehow but i did realize i preferred women and femmes after his creation so. then i drew him again in 2024. honestly. 2018 red looks so puntable. new red could punt him ez

(prompt list) character ref below

his new personality is misogynist btw. but he's in high school. he can change. he's like. he's the popular guy who thinks he gets all the ladies but he only gets like. a quarter of them. and most people fucking hate him. but he's the principal's son AND the favorite. so. guess who taught him to be this way lmao also charcoal from yesterday's prompt is his cousin. it's a big family.

thought about doing his twin instead for today's prompt but he's a lil fucked up. idk if this is foreshadowing yet i haven't prepped day 12

[legacyshenanigans]

In a very HC information mood today, don't mind me 😊🤍

🐍Marvolo/Rowan🐺

A HC on information about them regarding the way they are.

(TW, I guess: Mentions of them being killers, but if you ain't new here, you already know that, haha)

Though they're friend's, and similar in some ways, Marvolo and Rowan are quite different.

Make no mistake of Rowans sometimes playful and silly ways, he's a killer, that's just facts, Rowans need to kill comes from of course instincts, but also his own personal trauma. Behind the mask he's filled with anger and resentment, and those feeling have to come out, it's not enough for him to just hunt animals in the woods, he enjoys the fear of others, he likes seeing it on their face, he likes hearing their screams. In a calm state Rowans personality would appear like he wouldn't hurt a fly, he can be very soft and affectionate, but agitated and worked up, Rowan is a violent man, and wouldn't think twice about ripping someone apart just for looking at him funny. It's an extreme "switch" situation for Rowan. His feelings burst, and that comes with every emotion, not just anger, and it can switch from one to another in the blink of an eye. Which is why you need to be careful around him. Though he's a killer, and weird as it may be to say, in general, Rowan isn't a "nasty person." But he CAN be when pushed or when driven by his intense flare-ups and mood swings, which can happen at any given time for seemingly no reason.

Marvolo, on the other hand, is a "nasty person" in general. He has a mean and malicious demeanour, which is constantly evident in the way he acts, carries himself, and talks, although he's VERY good at being incredibly charming with it. Though Marvolo can and will get extremely angry at times, he isn't so much filled with pent-up anger like Rowan. He's full of repugnance and abhorrence, which drives his 'want' to kill. He finds certain things and people DISGUSTING, which comes from his father, with him being a Gaunt (Ominis also carries similar traits but goes about things differently to Marvolo. It's just "Gaunt traits.") And in Marvolos fucked up and conditioned head, those things and people don't deserve to live, and he has no issues making it so. It's all a power thing with Marvolo, that's always the goal with the things he does, though he does thoroughly enjoy being "challenged" at times, he likes power dynamics and shows of power. Like Rowan, Marvolo does have a "Soft side" kept very private for those he actually cares about, which isn't MANY people, he has to REALLY like you for it to come out. When he loves, he loves HARD, He can be romantic, he can be sweet, but it still feels a little odd to him when he has these moments of love and sweetness, they were feelings he'd never really properly had..Before he met you.

~