#am i the resident reddit reporter

[charmac]

how's the reddit holding up anyways?

Looks like they’re so starved for content they’re starting to actually look at the screen while they watch the show over there

[zangtang]

Everything can change at any point!

Create images here: https://www.bing.com/images/create?FORM=GENILP before i say anything else though: not following someone else's prompts means you'll likely find some wild and unexpected things yourself. If you follow my prompts like they're laws, you will only ever get results like mine. There are people doing much cooler, weirder things. Don't get restricted by this.

the site was VERY BROKEN for the last 6 days, you haven't been banned. You get 15 boosts a day which usually override any current downtime, but the popup thinks you get 25 a week, which is an indicator of how busted and poorly planned they were for this flood of users. It's not too hard to create illegal results, and there's millions of users, so it's very unlikely a human is ever looking at your results. Unless you're doing really spectacularly terrible things, of course. If you get the warning as soon as you enter your prompt, change the most controversial aspects of your prompt immediately, as repeats of this will get you suspended for increasingly long times. It is possible to make alt accounts with throwaway emails though. It's unconfirmed but it appears that US residents get priority access during US times, and UK residents can only reliably make things from 7am to 1pm for example. Weekend access is a crapshoot. I don't personally pay for ChatGPT so I can't say anything about the alleged priority access you get there, but even that can be slow and restricted during the worst times (I assume this will the their priority to fix though). There are many conflicting reports about whether it's more censored or not. Reports is a very fancy way of saying reddit comments.

Everything I superstitiously guess about prompts:

you can be very descriptive and write in natural english, or you can be very brief. both methods work, I suspect both versions do different things. repetition and restating the same thing in other ways also seems to emphasise (possibly.) Prompts can be quite chaotic and contradictory - you can describe a lot of things happening and it may surprise you, so have fun with weirdness! some words are "heavy" against the automated filters, and can be safe in one prompt and unsafe in another. think of it like buckaroo, the AI is trying to find meaning in your prompt and it will sometimes combine things and get mad about it. be aware of politics and words that may be used in erotic senses, and switch those up.

this is the format I use the most because i am super lazy and unimaginative. items in [ ] are optional and can be anything, and I don't know how the word order matters - in old Midjourney it mattered quite a bit according to guides, but now they're all pushing to parse natural english I'm not so sure:

[number of] [body type] [age] [nationality] [male noun or job] wearing [clothes], with a [size, shape] belly, [hair description], [pose], [location, time of day, weather, lighting, era], [facial expression or attitude], [actions]

The number of guys can be vague like "several." Also placing a number here will generally result in all men being fat. To add a second, very different person (even women! imagine the power), simply describe that in plain english later in the prompt. Try adding "with friends" or something and seeing what happens.

Mentioning body type is separate from mentioning that he has a large stomach because "fat man" alone doesn't make him very fat. also, the body type prompt will dictate his physical build underneath the belly - this allows you to make mpreg very easily, for example. Mentioning his belly separately also seems to be a key part in making clothes not cover it up. However, DallE has clearly gotten much better at this for some clothes, but not all of them. Formalwear is improving, though tactical vests no longer do the cute thing they used to do, and football shirts still ride up reliably. Nationality can be weird, and you can use it to exploit stereotypes, or it can be an eye-opening view of stereotypes from countries you barely know about - want to know what differentiates an Angolan man from a Kenyan man? Probably don't trust AI results! I suspect some countries are controversial due to current politics, and I suspect some are controversial due to fetishy stereotyping. However, if for example "English man" got censored, consider going for capital cities or famous regions, eg "London man." Maybe look up sports teams from that country. I'm a big fan of the "Italian-American" prompt but lately it's gotten quite a few results blocked, so I'd switch to "New Jersey," maybe even "New Jersey Italian."

"Handsome" may slim your results down, or even break the prompt entirely. Consider making your men footballers or rugby players, mention trendy haircuts, or using out of date synonyms to get round it. AI isn't all that likely to give you especially ugly results anyway, particularly if you specify ages under 40. It doesn't get the hair precisely right, but even a generic prompt like "short thick hair" can help. Giving your character a job may dictate what he'll wear, but you might want to specify what clothes you want anyway. Don't mention either if you hope he'll turn out naked. Certain jobs are tricky to use, as AI strains to be as unpolitical as possible - it doesn't want you doing politicians and it sometimes seems to refuse anything that might make the police or military look bad. However, it will accept "wearing a [colour] uniform/pilot shirt" very happily, because it's duuuuumb.

Mention trousers, footwear or even just feet if your results keep zooming in too much. (It'll also zoom in if you mention too much about his face, I think.) Side view appears to make certain prompts fatter, but will often mean he's looking away - you can add "Looking at camera" if you want that. Metallic and plastic clothes can have very fun and weird results, especially if you change the location to a night setting in the rain. Gladiator costumes will reduce his clothes to a few leather straps.

"Flex pose" and "strong pose" will get butch bodybuilder poses (it will also buff up the muscle mass) and "battling strong winds" gets very superhero poses. At least when I was trying these out, I found I couldn't actually get proper bodybuilder poses or mention of superheroes past the censor, but it's been a few weeks so who knows what it's up to now. Give them all a go!

Casual poses and actions can liven things up a little if you just want portraits but don't want it to repeatedly be the same thing facing you directly. Getting out of a car, climbing stairs, leaning against things, adjusting his clothes or putting on a coat, all these kinds of things work. Smoking or drinking does quite a lot. "Tired" or "Exhausted" changes his attitude a lot too, your leans get leaned into more.

Contact words can be a little difficult, so consider ways to exploit using soft contact, or be very wordy and detailed about it so it's not misinterpreting you. "Patting him on the back" is a fairly safe phrase, but DallE isn't intelligent, so it will allow the contact but it will struggle to be precise, especially when the bodies are fat or not positioned in a way they can reach the back - the result of this is that there will be a lot of belly pats. Prodding in the stomach, pointing at the stomach, these both work, but I think DallE is vague about stomach=torso and you may want "pointing at his belt" to give a lower focus. Admiring can direct attention and vibes, whispering will draw their heads closer and make them interact somewhat. Embracing and hugging work but is very heavy for the censor, "hugging on his shoulder/belly" seems safer for some reason. Shaking, grabbing, "examining/concerned about his belly" can work. Bizarrely, squeezing past another man in a narrow corridor/doorway/cupboard works if you want a LOT of contact. And if you want unpredictable contact, fighting can work.

For more dynamic safe contact, try sporting actions. Baseball slides, football tackles, that kind of thing. It's hard to get them to lie flat and the AI seems to resist allowing heads to touch the ground, but "lying in a hammock" works pretty well, and sometimes specifying what the head is touching works. pretty much every minor prompt variation and scenario I've ever used:

"falling onto a broken chair/breaking an object with his weight" "washing windows" "with waiters helping him up" "with friends bringing him food" "falling over another man" "outside of a skyscraper washing windows, harness for safety, hoisted" "hyper-obese man wearing denim dungarees with an enormous inflated belly, drinking from a hose" ("blowing into a hose" gets better expressions for that IMO) "stuck in a broken narrow red british phonebooth with another man, bursting out with his enormous belly, black trousers" "bent over eating at a pie eating contest wearing a dirty white tank top with an enormous round belly and his face hidden buried in messy pie" "sitting on a throne next to a very fat 35 year old spanish monarch" "lying on his back the floor, enjoying a banquet, side view, tired expression" "very fat 35 year old handsome british man wearing tracksuit and gold chain with a hugely distended beerbelly, man with a massive round stomach, washing his car in a carpark at night side view" "at water park, stuck in a water slide" "before and after weightloss picture, in the left he is X and in the right he is Y" "with a large round belly spilled over eating at a banquet with an enormous round belly, bronzed, with waiters helping him up/being prodded with a fork" "washing dishes and leaning over his belly on a freestanding enamel pedestal basin" "climbing and leaning against a stepladder to change a lightbulb on the ceiling [with friend holding the stepladder steady]" "side view, photo of two 40 year old beefy handsome fat italian-american rugby player with a hugely distended round belly, resting hand on his chest, wearing a tracksuit with a gigantic round sagging stomach, gold chain, raining, whispering in a car park at night, leaning/hugging on shoulder, tired, stern expression looking at camera, smoking a cigarette" "side view photo of two strong 40 year old handsome samoan rugby player with a hugely distended round beerbelly, chest hair, wearing a white formal shirt and black suit, hugging on his belly, proud expectant father, boyfriends outside a busy pub at night, stern, looking at camera, raining" "two fat los angeles rams handsome footballers wearing white pilot shirt and plain tie and black trousers pushing through a narrow saloon door with their enormously distended beerbellies, stern" "photo of very fat 30 year old hunk rugby player with enormously distended belly, carrying his belly in a wheelbarrow" "very fat 35 year old man wearing white pilot shirt with an enormous round belly, tough man with a very large beerbelly, too fat for small broken airplane seat sitting on another man, fat belly spilling over armrest and pressing against over man, black trousers, slightly concerned, suave" "being carried on the back of a flatbed truck" can turn them into horrific lardvalanches but you don't get much control over it

original characters do not steal prompts: "30 year old man who looks like he's the main character from the game Uncharted with an enormous distended round beerbelly, with one hand on a bar in a pub, nathan" This is sometimes surprisingly effective, but most often it'll simply draw vibes from the IP mentioned, so you can use it to get specific settings at least

Try spelling the names wrong or reversing the name order - sometimes it'll even accept names sprinkled throughout the prompt. Repeating the name may increase its effect (it might also not!) Also it's speculated that placing the celebrity fraud in a place or situation they would normally be found in helps. That said, I could only get a Robert Downey Jr if I made him dress as a gladiator. So maybe weirdness and ingenuity are your strengths. see also https://www.tumblr.com/baron-bear/731903035856584704/what-do-you-use-for-your-ai-stuff

[deathlygristly]

I really need to stop checking other platforms for news. Yes, they can be more local. Yes, they can be more diverse with groups I've never really interacted with so I learn more about others.

On the other hand I am starting to feel how social media can stress people out and make them more cynical and negative, the upper middle classness of the local reddit is downright depressing, and I am not always able to stop myself from replying when I shouldn't.

Anyway I just saw someone claiming that the military helicopters delivering supplies to the mountains and the official emergency workers and help from FEMA in our mountains must be recent since it's not what they've heard about, and I don't even know what to do with that.

I linked a small easy to understand local story talking about the Swannanoa fire chief begging people to stop spreading misinformation and I said you're getting Russian propaganda from whoever told you the government isn't here helping. Maybe that will help, I don't know.

It's just...man.

And they were talking about the concert and saying at least those musicians would help when the government wouldn't. The concert where the governor held a press conference beforehand!

Also how could they have not seen all the videos like this one?

But that's what I mean about other social media being more diverse and showing me groups I don't interact with so I can learn more about them. I have no connections to people whose media diet consists solely of propaganda, so I tend to assume that people know what they're talking about and that they have good information and they're just trolling because they're from a troll farm or they just like fascism.

So I guess this experience is good for learning about people who may not be fascist at heart but who only listen to media run by fascists.

It's just...if no one in the government was in the mountains helping, there'd be so many more dead people. People would have starved or died of dehydration. People would have died from diseases caused by whatever water or food they could find being extremely contaminated. The entire region would still be closed off, because the state department of transportation wouldn't have done any work on the roads.

The N.C. Department of Transportation crews and contractors have reopened more than 600 North Carolina roads, mostly in the western part of the state, since Hurricane Helene. Transportation crews were nearly done cutting and moving debris to the shoulders to reopen roads, NCDOT officials said Monday. They created over 4,100 debris sites on roadsides. "Damage estimates from what we have been able to assess to this point are up to several billion dollars and we’re not done,” said state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins in a news release. “The damage to our roads and bridges is like nothing we’ve ever seen after any storm, and this will be a long-term recovery operation. But we will be here until western North Carolina can get back on its feet.”

Also if the government wasn't helping no one would be able to communicate that they were all there dying of starvation and lack of clean safe water.

In the catastrophic aftermath of Helene, “disaster roaming” has been enabled in North Carolina to help connect residents who may be otherwise offline. Disaster roaming allows any phone on any cellular network to access any available network to connect to, regardless of provider. Service providers are required to activate disaster roaming during the following situations: When the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Emergency Support Function (ESF-2) is activated When the FCC’s Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) is activated When the Chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issues an activation Public Notice upon request of a state When a state has activated its Emergency Operations, activated mutual aid, or proclaimed a local state of emergency

The government had to act to get disaster roaming enabled.

I just....god. What do you even do about this level of propaganda?

[letsgethaunted]

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A post shared by Let's Get Haunted (@letsgethaunted)

Welcome to the photo dump for Episode 193: Los Pelacaras (Face-Peelers) of Peru! A sensational phenomenon occurring in the Peruvian jungles is finally being reported in western media. Villagers of the Loreto region of Northeast Peru claim that 7 foot tall aliens have been terrorizing them for years, with attacks by these beings ramping up in the spring and summer of 2023. Experiencers have dubbed the violent beings “Los Pelacaras” which translates to “The Face Peelers”. So, what’s behind the Face-Peeler Phenomenon? Organized crime, the drug trade, a PsyOp, serial killers, mass hysteria, cryptids, aliens, or something else?

Swipe through key images and videos from this week’s episode here!

IMAGE 01: Unverified photo of a “Pelacara” posted to Reddit IMAGE 02: Peru on a map, with the Loreto region in dark gray IMAGE 03: Various headlines over the past few years. Could the Pelacaras be related to illegal mining or organized crime in the area? IMAGE 04: The “jetpack”, “astronaut”, or “humanoid” UAP has been spotted all over the world in recent years. Here’s a sighting from Sequoia National Park. Haters will say its a stormtrooper balloon but I reject that theory because I AM A CHAMPION OF MYSTERY AND WHIMSY IMAGE 05: An alleged “jetpack UAP” uploaded by a resident of Kent, UK. Again, haters will say it’s a balloon. IMAGE 06: Some alleged UAP walking down the street in Mexico, as seen in a documentary that aired in the country. OH WHAT’S THAT HATERS? ANOTHER BALLOON??? IMAGE 07: Part 2 of the documentary clip IMAGE 08: Clip from a news report regarding the Pelacaras, including blurred footage of the victim whose body was found intact, but the face was peeled off down to the bone. IMAGE 09: Jetpack man has been spotted over LAX airport in Los Angeles, CA for years now. He flies directly in the path of airplanes that are taking off and landing and he has even been reported by pilots to air traffic control. He has never been seen landing or taking off and LAPD is still no closer to figuring out who he is. Might he be an alien???? IMAGE 10: “La Bruja” humanoid UAP spotted in Chile, followed by a humanoid UAP spotted in the Philippines.

[renlo]

Figured I’d upload this piece!  It was originally a ‘commission’ from someone who reached out to me on another one of my socials.  However, it quickly turned out to be scam.  The user was reported, and I figured I’d finish and share this since I really liked how the WIP looked and the ‘reference’ pictures were adorable.

For anyone worried, I did not share any information with the user nor sent any bank info.  I just hate that I lost some time that could have otherwise been spent with my husband and puppy.

For anyone curious about the details of the scam, I’ll include them under the cut!  This Reddit post about another user’s experience with a similar scam is very close to mine.  I also found this video about commission scams by I am Detour to be incredibly helpful!

The user who reached out to me seemed to have a pretty believable profile at first.  Their tagline was normal (if not generic), and the picture in their profile matched some of the photos they sent to me for reference (i.e., the little girl in the reference pictures was also in their profile photo, or at least seemed very similar).  I reversed image searched to see if they were stock images, but nothing very readily came up.  Seemed legit!

The problem started when I asked the basic questions - the style, the colors, any details they wanted me to add.  Most people specify at least a background color!  The user quickly bulldozed through these questions and insisted that they just wanted a full-body picture.  I figured that maybe this was just someone who was not super familiar with commission process, which sometimes happens.  They provided some details, mentioned the text they wanted me to to add, but never really answered my follow-up questions.  

However, things very quickly fell apart.  They eventually insisted that they could only send the payment through an emailed check (huge red flag).  I offered different payment options, and all of which were ignored or quickly explained away.  Finally, they delivered the nail in the coffin: they told me that the ‘check’ had an extra zero added to it, and they asked if I could send the difference through my bank (massive red flag).  A quick Reddit search revealed that other artists were getting scammed in almost exactly the same way.  Eventually, after some research and checking out I Am Detour’s video regarding commission scams, I was able to find that their IP address didn’t match their apparent residence (they were in an entirely different country than they claimed).

Fortunately, I didn’t share any information with them (nor sent any money), but continued to barrage them with questions and requests for details.

Anyway, they’ve been blocked and reported, and I figured I’d finish this since I liked the WIP and the reference pictures were actually adorable.

For anyone who might want to do commissions, please be sure to ask plenty of questions and remain unwavering in your boundaries!  If you can, ask for a deposit upfront.  For a few different reasons I chose not to for this commission, which I both regret (it probably would have led to this being resolved sooner) and yet am somewhat thankful for (since they weren’t able to connect with my bank nor PayPal in any way).  

[automatismoateo]

[Research][UK residents]: Non-religious worldviews and social capital via /r/atheism

[Research][UK residents]: Non-religious worldviews and social capital Hi everyone, My name is Dr Steven Kettell. I work at the University of Warwick and I am leading a research project looking at the extent to which non-religious worldviews are related to social capital in the UK. The study focuses on issues of trust, wellbeing, and community engagement and consists of a survey that should take around 20 minutes to complete. The survey is completely anonymous, unless you wish to be considered for a follow-up interview. I shall report back here with the findings when the study is finished, which should be sometime towards the end of the year. If you are a UK resident and would like to participate in this project, the link to the survey is: https://warwick.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fnY7pdzcMPwi9M Thank-you very much, Submitted March 04, 2024 at 02:24PM by SteveKettell (From Reddit https://ift.tt/mTZbMkQ)

[unidentieddeceased]

I wanted to start posting all the cases that I’ve submitted for potential matches to NamUs on Reddit and Tumblr for any other other possible volunteer(s) out there that could be potentially working on any of the same cases as I have or am still currently working on

you’ll be able to obtain the case information, along with any further information for reference if needed.

I know that if I post it here you’ll be able to find the information easily from doing a search on any search-engine and be able to find the information here and have it readily available and you can see the updated matches I’ve submitted or obtain any follow up information that I’ve made a note on pertaining to the cases for any insight:

I submitted this match comp to NamUs on: December, 25, 2022

If you’d like to message me or ask any questions I’d be more than happy to help or answer any questions

I love connecting with other volunteers so also follow me and I’ll follow you back to stay in contact and you’re welcome to message me anytime!

Thank you so much :)

1st) Missing Person / NamUs #MP60324

Name: Charles Thomas Denny,

Sex/Race: Male, White / Caucasian. Date of Last Contact: 09, 30, 1981. Missing From: Salton City, California, 92275. County: Imperial County. Missing Age: 35 Years Current Age: 76 Years. Height: 5' 8" (68 Inches) Weight: 150 lbs. Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Blue

Clothing and Accessories: Eyewear- square shaped glasses with gold wire frame

Circumstances of Disappearance: Charles Denny's roommate stated that Denny went to desert to treasure hunt. His vehicle was located in area of Harper's Well on Highway 78.

Full case details can be found w/ direct NamUs Link listed below-

I also added a direct link to MPs poster on Ca.gov website:

CA.Gov Link MP Poster:

https://oag.ca.gov/missing/person/charles-thomas-denny

Direct Link To NamUs Case:

https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/60324/investigations?nav

Case Owner:

Imperial County Sheriff's Office. Address: 328 Applestill R. El Centro, Ca 92243. Main Phone: (442) 265-2105 Agency Case Number: 1090364 Date Reported: September 30, 1981 (No investigator entered)

2nd) Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP8634

(Hair and eye color are estimated) this is a facial approximation by forensic artist for the likeliness of unidentified deceased

Sex/Race: Male, White / Caucasian. Date Body Found: October 7, 1997. Location Found: Napa, California. Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 30. Estimated Age Range (Years): 26-32. Estimated Year of Death: 1981-1982. Estimated PMI: 15 Years. EST Height: 5' 8"(68 inches) EST Weight: Cannot Estimate. Hair Color: Brown. Head Hair Description: Strands found on scene.

Circumstances of Recovery: Skeletal remains found on a secluded hillside residence while property was being surveyed for new owner. Scene appeared to be at least 10 to 15 years old. Skeletal remains spread out over 100 feet on hillside down a deertrail. Evidence of animal bites to skull. Ruger Bearcat .22 caliber revolver discovered under body. Gun traced to burglary in Arizona. Smirnoff Vodka bottle and Budweiser Beer cans also on scene. Dates on bottle and cans were lotted to 1981. 22 caliber ammo found in a handmade leather backpack. Single gunshot wound found on the right side of head. Lower jaw missing. Numerous bones found but not a complete skeleton. Totality of circumstances during investigation led investigators to believe that this was a suicide by handgun. Eyewear: Aviator styled gold rimmed sunglasses On the Body.

Case Owner: Napa County Sheriff's Office Address: 1195 Third St Napa, California 94559. County: Napa County. Main Phone: (707) 253-4209. Agency Case Number: C97-612. Date Reported: April 6, 2011

Case Contributors: Coroner Investigator, Steven Paris. Law Enforcement, John Dunagan

Full case details can be found w/ direct NamUs Link:

https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/8634/attachments?nav

Case Similarities:

-MP/UP are both white-males, around the same age range, both fit the location and timeline of events- ranging from years: 1981-1982

-MP/UP are both reported to be the same height standing: 5’ 8” (68 inches)

-MP/UP both have the same hair color: Brown

-MP/UP both share a similar distinctive item description:

-MP didn’t have a last known clothing description, however it was reported that MP had eyewear- “Square shaped glasses with gold wire frame”

-UP was found with eyewear-

“Aviator styled gold rimmed sunglasses

On the Body”

[ace-of-pythons]

Of Robots and Shotguns

@wayward-writers

(A crossover between Supernatural and Transformers: Prime)

:)

The smell of coffee floated through the bunker. It was a quiet afternoon with nothing going on. Although Sam was searching for a way to rectify that. Their last hunt had been a few days ago when a local family had posted online that there were weird things happening in the household. Turns out it was a restless spirit. Not one that meant to hurt anyone. Merely an old man who had, in years past, taught at the preschool down the road. He was trying to keep the children safe, even from themselves and their own curiosity. Dean had found a locket containing a piece of hair, most likely belonging to the old man's wife.

Although cases like this were often a relief. The two were itching to get out and go take down a real monster. Sam had been looking through paranormal websites and reddit posts trying to find anything that remotely resembled a hunt. So far all he had found were a couple of well photoshopped ghosts and a bear that someone confused for Bigfoot.

Although he was without any normal cases, that didn't mean there wasn't anything interesting. There was a report of a missing person in Arizona. Witnesses claimed that the person was taken by "hooded figures in a dog park". The other promising article was about, what one could assume, haunted vehicles. Multiple reports of cars driving themselves were filed in a small town named Jasper, Nevada. Although this could be some idiot messing around with high-tech radio control, it wasn't the first time that they had gone up against haunted vehicles.

Dean had walked in from the kitchen with two cups of coffee and placed them down on the map table.

"Thanks." Sam picked up the mug and took a long sip.

"Yeah yeah, found anything good yet?" Dean sat down in the chair across from Sam and put his feet on the table.

"Actually I have. So get this, in a small town in Nevada, there have been multiple reports of driverless cars."

"Are we talking like Tesla testing out new tech or something more up our alley?"

"Well one of the reported cars was an Aston Martin so I'm gonna guess that it's not a "tesla" thing."

"Makes sense. I'll go grab my stuff."

The two hunters gathered their equipment and loaded up the Impala. Salt rounds, lots of knives, and twice as many guns. The usual stuff.

The drive to Nevada had been a boring one. The desert went on for miles and miles with mountains in the distance. The town of Jasper had a small population and was somewhere most people would look past. The small motel on the outskirts of town was worn down and empty apart from the lady working at the front desk.

The room was small and the old wallpaper was ripped in a few spots. Sam moved to turn on the single lamp in the room. It turned on only to flicker and turn off in a few seconds.

Dean's footsteps creaked through the room.

"This place has got to be one of the worst motels I've ever seen. And that's saying something." Dean placed the duffel bag on the bed and rummaged to find a bag of gummy bears. He opened the bag as Sam started to talk.

"Okay, so we know that multiple reports have been filed around town. I think it's a good idea to go talk to them and find out where they saw the cars. We can work from there I think."

"Works for me."

The first house had a small yard and a few windows. The Impala screeched on the pavement as the Winchesters pulled up. They walked up to the house, the Fairborn residence as Sam discovered, and knocked on the door.

An older woman answered the door.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, are you Mrs. Fairborn?" Sam questioned.

"Well, yes I am. Why would you want to know?"

"I am Officer Williams and this is my partner, Officer Harkness."

"We're here about the report you filled on the 'driverless car that is going ninety in the forty five!'. Would you mind telling us about the car and where you saw it?" Dean asked.

"Oh finally! I thought your people would never send someone down!"

Dean smiled. "Yeah they can be a bit stuck up back at HQ, heh."

Sam glanced over to Dean with quote on quote "bitchface number eighteen".

"Well it has actually multiplied to four cars if you read my most recent report. There was a fancy red sports car, a yellow sports car, and two armored vehicles! I was stuck behind the green one and whoever was controlling it was a horrible driver! And the worst part is that I've seen my host daughter with that green car!"

"And where have you seen these cars?" Sam cut her off before she could continue her speech.

"Up at the ramp near the edge of town. I heard my neighbor complaining about the street races that happen at night. Can you believe the gall of some people?"

"Uh no I can't believe it Miss. People are oh so crazy."

Thankfully Mrs. Fairborn didn't pick up on Dean's excessive sarcasm.

"Well thank you for your input Mrs. Fairborn. We will definitely look into this further." Sam started to walk away quite quickly. Dean followed suit.

Dean turned on the car and as they started to get back on the road, the two looked at each other.

"Street racing." They said simultaneously.

Back at the hotel, Sam hunted for any reference of deaths related to street racing. Although there were few in the town, most weren't too violent or seemingly caused by another.

"Maybe they're all just mad that they died. Or maybe death couldn't stop them from doing what they love. And I can't blame them. Street racing is awesome dude."

Dean sat on the bed flipping through channels trying to find something to watch.

"I don't know. Nothing is matching up."

Sam flipped through all the papers on the table.

"You know what that means?"

Sam sighed.

"Street race." Dean smiled.

The clock struck midnight as the engines of all of the cars purred. Sam watched from the sidelines as his brother revealed the engine. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and called Dean.

"See anything yet?"

"No nothing ye- wait. I see a red Aston Martin. Be careful it's pulling up right next to you."

Dean looked out of Baby's window and saw the car the woman had described. It was fancy. The decals on the side must have cost a lot. And the car didn't have a single dent or scratch. Whoever owned it took really good care of it.

He scrolled down the window and tried to get the "driver's" attention.

"Hey you! Nice car you got! I'm sure it won't get scratched when I beat your ass in this race!"

The car only revved its engines in response.

Sam sighed as he continued to monitor the surrounding area. It was hard to see anything other than what the street lights illuminated. A few other cars were waiting to go. The announcer started to introduce the race as the traffic light switched from red, to yellow to green.

“Go!”

All of the drivers hit the gas pedal and raced forward. The smell of burning rubber wafted through the air. The crowd cheered as the racers rounded the first corner. Dean quickly pulled in front of the Aston Martin and claimed the position of first. The cars behind him accelerated and pulled in beside the Impala.

The road ahead of the racers started to curve upwards in a half-pipe, and the Aston Martin used that to its advantage. It sped up and moved past Dean and up the half-pipe. Dean started to swerve the car in surprise. After a moment he regained his bearings and followed the car off the track. The sports car moved to behind a plateau and as Dean followed it, he lost sight of the car.

“Hey Sam, I think we have a problem.”

“Are you alright? What’s the problem?”

“That flashy Aston Martin went off track. I lost it.”

“How did you lose it? We’re in a desert.”

“You try finding a ghost car.”

“Jerk”

“Bitch”

Sam paused for a moment as the other cars neared the finish line.

“Come back around and pick me up, then we can go look for the ghost car.”

“Alright I’ll see you in a few.”

Dean stopped the call and started his way back to the starting point.

Everything was silent apart from the soft hum of the Impala as Dean inched the car forwards. The two brothers looked around hoping to spot the red sports car.

“Nothing. You sure it went this way?” Sam asked. He looked around at the open expanse of the desert.

“I’m telling you! Maybe it's hiding behind a plateau or somethin’” Dean mumbled.

As they rounded the plateau, something shined in the darkness.

“What is that?”

“I have no idea.” Sam opened the door and carefully made his way to the object. Dean followed suit and ran up to him.

Partially submerged in the dirt was an ornate cylinder with a metallic sheen. It was larger than a person and looked slightly rusted over. Sam moved to examine it but before he could figure out anything Dean knocked on it. A hollow sound echoed through the desert.

“Huh sounds empty.”

“Did you think that was a good idea?”

Dean shrugged as Sam shook his head and took out his phone to get some pictures of it.

Behind them a voice sounded out.

“Why thank you for finding the relic for me, I guess you flesh bags can be useful. Occasionally.”

The red car rolled up next to the Impala and began to change. Plates shifted and pistons clicked into place. Instead of a red sports car, a 30 foot robot with piercing red eyes stared back.

“”What the hell?” Dean yelled.

“I haven’t seen anything like it in the lore!”

As the robot moved towards the object and reached for the cylinder. Sam ran to the side and pulled out his pistol. Fortunately his target was hard to miss. Multiple shots dented the robot’s chassis. It gasped and looked down at Sam.

“Gah! I just buffed that!” The robot kicked the hunter out of its way and continued to the object.

“Sam!” Dean ran over to his brother, shooting as he ran.

Sam coughed as he sat up. “I’m fine.”

Just as the robot grabbed the cylinder another pair of headlights lit up the area. A yellow Camaro sped up and rammed into the red robot. The car transformed and grabbed the cylinder as it fell out of the other’s hands.

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me! First humans and now the autobot scout.” The red robot began to look angrier and angrier. It brought its hand up to its face and began to talk. “This is chief medical officer Knockout requesting backup, unless you want to lose this relic.”

The yellow robot began to beep in what seemed to be protest.

Dean and Sam made their way back to the car and away from the fight.

“I’m gonna use it.”

“Dean, No.” Sam tried, but it was already too late. Dean had already grabbed the grenade launcher.

He ran in front of the car and yelled.

“Say hello to my little friend, you evil Voltron!”

He fired a round that hit the red robot and knocked the metal titan on the ground. It grunted and tried to get up.

“I’ll kill you for that.”

Before it could do anymore, a green glow shone overhead. A surveillance drone flew out of the green portal like swirl of colors and transformed before it hit the ground.

“Great, more robots.” Dean sarcastically added.

“Soundwave, your timing could be better.”

The new robot said nothing as it used tentacles to electrocute the yellow robot and take the cylinder before flying into another portal.

“So you’re just leaving me here? Some commanding officer you are.” The red robot flipped backwards turning back into an Aston Martin before speeding off.

The yellow robot shook its mechanical head before turning to the Winchesters. It transformed and opened its doors to the brothers.

“What?” Dean asked.

“I think it wants us to get in.”

The car beeped.

“I think this might be the weirdest night I’ve ever had, and that's saying something.”

As the car sped towards an abandoned missile silo with two hunters in the car, the sun began to rise.

The bunker door opened with a creek, alerting Cas to the Winchesters arrival.

“Dean, Sam, how was the hunt?.”

“You would not believe how weird it was.” Sam answered.

“Weird doesn’t even begin to cover it. Apparently Aliens are real and there are robot aliens that can transform into cars fighting a war on our planet, in secret!” Dean ranted.

“Oh, I thought you knew about aliens?”

“You mean you knew?” Dean’s eyes grew wide. As did Sam’s.

“Of course I did. Optimus Prime was my vessel once millions of years ago.”

Dean’s response was loud enough to startle the birds outside.

[kk-cirice]

USE YOUR SAMSUNG PHONE TO GET VILLAGERS

Please like and reblog to save someones NMTs, bells, stop lame island tours, nookazon scalping and the campsite method!!!

PREFACE: This is a game, first and foremost. Second, I bought my game with my hard earned money, it is mine to do with as I see fit. I absolutely refused to be scalped for villagers and I am not going to rely on the campers to get the villagers I want. I also do not like to TT more than a few days if I must at all.

With that said: YOU can do what YOU want with YOUR game. TT if you want, request 20mil bells for for your villagers - whatever man, as long as YOU are having fun - that’s what’s important here. :D

NOTICE: Your devices and game should not be harmed or altered using this method! My phone, switch and game are PERFECTLY fine :) I am on the Joy Con Discord - If you are to experience any sort of issue, please immediately restart your switch and start over from the top. The app is not actually confirmed to cause issues updating, crashing or bricking your switch but just in case you can always without saving immediately restart your switch! FYI: NO! The app should not be asking for anything BUT to connect to your switch via Bluetooth and that is a bug. Please report ASAP on their discord.

OKI DOKIE! Guide is under the cut because it’s long AF but there’s pictures! Please do this at your own discretion, I will not be held responsible for your actions on your devices. I also will not be answering messages about cheating, I’m keeping my bells and nmts lmao.

Things you will need: 🌟Your switch 🌟 An android device that has Android 9 or higher, no root necessary 🌟 The Joy Con Droid App 🌟 This guide from Reddit, some of it’s info is useful 🌟 The NFC bank 🌟 The Amiibo site for easy finding 🌟 PATIENCE STEP ①: ⇢ No joke, put your phone on a charger because for some reason the Joy Con Droid app eats battery. ⇢ Use the NFC bank I linked above to download the villager Bin files, and then use the Amiibo site to find your villager’s card number and then COPY it to your root/SD location. ⇢ Make a folder on your phone at your root “SD” or if you want to just put the villager Bin files right on there, fine. Point is, you will have 30 SECONDS to find and locate the Bin file or the amiibo scan will fail and you’ll have to start the process over.  **PLEASE NOTE: Villagers that came with NH are NOT on there so you cannot search for them STEP ②:  ⇢ Download the Joy Con Droid app to your device ⇢ Open it and go to settings to Enable the Amiibo usage - VERY IMPORTANT ⇢ Prep your game to “scan your Amiibo card” via Resident Services ⇢ STOP when it says “Please prepare the animal” yadda yadda STEP ③: ⇢ Go to your Controller settings on your switch

⇢ Open the Joy Con Droid app on your phone and select the “Pro Controller“ in the bottom left. It will open a mock layout of your switch controls. You should have this:

⇢ Your phone will ask you to pair with your switch TWICE, allow it each time. ⇢ Once your switch says it’s paired it will ask you you press “A” to continue. STEP ④: ⇢ ❗❗ON YOUR DEVICE❗❗: After you press “A” as instructed by your switch, press “Home” and navigate back to your game ⇢ Once back where you left off in-game press “A” to continue scanning in your Amiibo. A screen on your device will pop up prompting you to QUICKLY locate the Bin files you added to your device. You have 30 seconds or it will fail. ⇢ Once you find it, the game will say “That’s Freya’s Amiibo” yadda yadda and ask if you want to scan her. FROM HERE you can use your switch controls again. I like to disconnect my phone from my switch and close the app so it’s not needlessly running. I just use it when it’s time to scan. Things to note on this step: The bluetooth between the device and your switch may randomly disconnect. IDK why this is, it’s annoying so you MUST be patient. Just reconnect them with the steps above until you get it to work. Now you should be able to visit them at the campsite as normal and fulfill their DIY requests. If your island is already full, the game will let you evict a villager of your choosing, the screen looks like this:

STEP ⑤: ⇢ Profit

If ya got’em to move in, CONGRATS FRIEND! 🎉🎉

You MUST do STEP ④ in it’s entirety EVERY TIME you want to scan in a villager. It is absolutely time consuming but it definitely pays off.

I got my first 3 dreamies via Amiibo cards I had from New Leaf, 2 more from lucky trading through the AC Trades discord and then I had 5 left to which I was successful in getting with this method here. A few questions I might be able to answer - updated May 09: 1. Do you think Nintendo will patch this? I highly doubt it, it’s a bluetooth thing and the app doesn’t collect any data to be considered to be copyright infringement against Nintendo. They wouldn’t nerf bluetooth capability on their devices since many of us need it for our controllers and headphones possibly. 2. Will this work with X device? I’ve seen from various research that not all android devices running 9+ will work with this - just the Samsung devices at the moment. ** I am very sorry for iPhone users, but because how Apple engineers and builds their devices there will not ever be a method for their devices to utilize this guide. 3. Isn’t this cheating/will I get banned? No. The app is just utilizing the NFC capability on your device to act as if you are actually scanning your Amiibo. Amiibo was created and is sold by Nintendo and the bin files are online and available to use. 4. I’m not getting the pop-up to choose my Amiibo! Unfortunately, I am unable to replicate this issue so I cannot figure out what is causing this. Please post on the Discord!

I really hope this helps some of ya’ll that also do not want to fork over ya hard earned NMTs or bells for ya favorite villagers in order to enjoy ya game. If you have questions, hit me up here or on discord: grillecheese-aspiration#4936

[centrally-unplanned]

(Spoilers ahead) Partner and I finished Season 2 of the Fruits Basket modern remake this weekend. I had only seen the, uh, 2001 original anime (2001? It was 20 years ago? Fuck), with no exposure to the manga, so a lot of the plot elements were new to me. I liked a lot of the show, but I have some big complaints about it handles its villain, Akito:

1: Akito occupies a very awkward place in this story. He (don’t worry, ill get to that) is the head of the main crew’s family and constantly inflicts abuse on all of its members, and is therefore the source of conflict for the plot, both in past trauma and present attempts as control and gaslighting.

Okay, so stories often have to walk a tightrope with abusive characters like this. Stories are normally pushed along and resolved internally - the main cast is going to experience the pain and drama, and fix it themselves, because that is the arc. For many plots that is easy, but if the story revolves around an abusive sibling/parent figure like Fruits Basket does, you will always be asking yourself the question “uh, why doesn’t anyone call the cops? or why don’t they just leave?” There is a tension between realism in the setting and the needs of the plot.

You can in fact resolve this tension in a lot of ways. If the abuse is primarily mental, slowly building, inflicted out of sight of responsible parties, etc, you can make this work. Lots of people don’t report abuse to authorities, or just move out of their house, but instead deal with it due to it being normalized. Other ways include making the characters teenagers - they don’t think of the world as having authorities outside of family (or school) and its much harder for them to reach outside of that bubble - the classic highschool bully problem. So Akito can work if he is subtle, slowly ramps, and controls his surroundings to hide his abuse from relevant authorities.

Anyway here is Akito pushing a 17 year old girl out of a two story window shattering her back and hospitalizing her for months:

And here he is threatening a 17 year old boy with life confinement in a literal cage unless he, uh, wins a duel with his cousin?

These are the worst moments but they are far from alone. This person is a raving lunatic, which fair enough that the 17 year olds don’t know how to handle that, but Akito himself is no older than 20. And the cast of characters who know everything that is going on includes:

-27 year old *published author* Shigure, who directly cares for both Akito and two of his abuse victims

-27 year old completely-independent business owner, Ayame, who is the *brother* of one of the abuse victims

-27 year old licensed medical doctor Hatori, who lives with and is the physician of Akito.

Hatori is violating every ethical obligation of his profession on the daily, dude is stone cold! This again could work if these characters were bad guys, but they aren’t - they are sympathetic protagonists or in Aya’s case even comic relief! The show wants you to think they are doing their best, Shigure even has a secret “plan” to deal with Akito that he has been planning for *years* and they all have "reasons” why they feel stuck due to the Zodiac curse yadda yadda. But you have to memory hole the fact that they are functioning adults in 21st century Japan, because otherwise Shigure and Hatori in particular reach levels of negligence to the children they care for that it tips right on over into being evil itself. 

These kids go to public school, guys!

Now I know what any defender would say - “its the curse!” The whole cast carries the curse of the Zodiac where God invited them in long-ago times to a dinner, Akito is the current manifestation of that God in some form, and so they are bound to him to enact that “dinner” metaphorically in some way by staying by his side (also they transform into their respective Zodiac animals when chest-on-chest contact occur from the opposite sex, because Anime). Again, you can make this work! Show Akito exerting a magical force on characters who stray too far from him, or a compulsion locking them to being forever near the Sohma estate where he lives. Something showing that yeah, the relevant authorities could not handle this and dragging Akito away in chains won’t work. But sadly the show just...doesn’t bother. There is a “curse” but we are two seasons in and any negative consequences of the curse beyond Akito Being An Asshole are Footage Not Found (Kyo is an exception, but not a relevant one), despite everyone pretending like there is. Everyone wants to break the curse? Fine, kill Akito. Then you all get to live in peace and transform into adorable animals when you’d like, curse broken. Just throw “doesn’t cuddle or do missionary position” on your OkCupid profile to make your love life work, no one is gonna bat an eye, and some people will be, lets say, readily down with your particular transformation fetish.

None of this is fatal to the show per se, you can suspend disbelief. But the show takes itself so seriously that you can’t help but think these thoughts, and it colors in particular how the older characters act. And it would be so easy to fix! They just didn’t bother.

2: Can someone explain to me, in the year of our Zodiac Lord 2021, how a character secretly being a girl is a “surprise reveal” worth ending a season on? The final shot of Season 2 is that our resident asshole Akito has some female-presenting nipples, which is apparently a Big Deal? (maybe the show takes place on Tumblr, *zing*) Its the villain, they are an abusive maniac and also metaphorically/actually a divine being. Why does doubling their X chromosome count affect or change anything? I can envision plots where that is relevant, but this was not one! Maybe the next season will build that into the arc, but they haven’t done that yet, so the moment itself falls incredibly flat.

Yet people obviously feel differently from me - as is my habit I checked the reddit threads for the final episode and they are replete with people commenting on how shocking a twist it was, how they looked forward to it as manga readers, etc. Its a classic suspense trick I think, of how you can just have an event be surprising without it being thematically relevant, and it will work as long as you add the right drama bells around it. This was just a pretty egregious example of it. 

-----

Between these problems, Fruits Basket has this aura of laziness around its none-core characters that does drag it down. Which is sad since I do actually like how it treats its core cast, even if it is stretched out over twice as many episodes as it needs. I am just guessing here, but beyond just “not caring” and doing it for the drama, I think it stems out of adapting the manga “faithfully”.

So Fruits Basket got an anime adaption in 2001, and the author (Natsuki Tayaka) haaaaated it. It was only twenty six episodes, a ~third of which got consumed just introducing the zodiac cast, so its plot had to be mixed around and truncated, and it was much more comedic and zany in tone. It was still very popular, so demand for a “better” adaptation of the full manga was high, which eventually happened in 2019. This time around Tayaka insisted on a high degree of control and faithfulness - I would bet it was essentially a “shot for shot” adaptation, and I have seen manga/anime comparison compilations to that effect.

The problem lies in how manga are made - they are almost never planned out start to finish. You pitch like a chapter, it gets picked up, and then its being published in tandem to its own production. That means that its pretty rare for the ending to be thought out, and the story figures itself out as it goes. Early manga Fruits Basket is pretty zany! Which means it plays fast and loose with its worldbuilding and its adult characters act silly most of the time. Once the high drama kicks in you realize that doesn’t work anymore, but you have already published it all months ago, no way to revise it now, so you just have to bite the bullet.

An anime adaptation would be a good time to clean that up! Its what Kare Kano did - a manga that starts as a cute highschool romcom and ends in sexual assault, for the anime they tried to create tonal consistency right from the start and change plot details around accordingly. But when the author, burned by a past studio, insists on Complete Accuracy...well then the anime has to bite the same bullets the manga did. And so you get Fruits Basket (2019), a show destined to never rise above its source material.

But hey, if Season 3 ends with Tohru just whipping out a gun, shooting Akito right between the eyes, and walking off into the sunset with a harem of zodiac hotties, then all will be forgiven.

[yeoldontknow]

Totem

Author’s Note: this story is entirely an act of fiction. it contains strong, mature themes and features subjects which may be triggering or uncomfortable to read. these themes include, but not limited to: themes of abduction, references to ptsd, extreme trauma, and paranormal activity. please take these warnings seriously and do not read if any make you uncomfortable. | this story is written as a script, rather than a traditional prose fanfiction. even though its unusual, i still hope you enjoy it <3 happy spooptober! Pairing: Hoseok x Reader (oc; female) Genre: horror; suspense; thriller; haunted house au; light romance; au Summary: What follows is an account of YouTube vloggers Euripet3s1 and theJungProject. This is a report of the last known whereabouts of Jung Hoseok. Rating: M Warning: themes of abduction/ghostly possession; references to ptsd; extreme trauma; paranormal activity; explicit language; non-explicit nudity; graphic situations Word Count: 5.5K

Towards the end of my research for my Ph.D, I became fascinated by what has recently been cited as the "second wave" of realism films in production, thanks, in part, to the advent of creative social websites like YouTube and Vimeo. The introduction of reality and scripted reality television, alongside its relatively unilateral conjunction with the internet, sparked a new direction in filmmaking that prided itself on low budgets and the autonomy of immediate authorship. 

Where Vimeo encouraged, and favoured, well produced filmmaking and art house developments from a range of semi-professionals to professionals, YouTube saw a strong dynamic shift in what eventually was defined as vlogging. Video series like Marble Hornets, Fewdio, and curiously chilling uploads by users such as EverymanHYBRID became cult canon amongst internet users. Instead of humour posts, video game plays, and make-up tutorials, users sought creative expression in 'noise aesthetics' and the horror genre. 

On April 30, 2010, YouTube user Euripet3s1 (full name: Y/F/N Y/L/N) uploaded a video entitled #184-190 to her channel of 12,413 subscribers. It would be the final upload she would make before deactivating the account three weeks later, eventually removing herself from social media altogether. The video itself is an account of her trip to England to visit fellow YouTube vlogger and boyfriend theJungProject (full name: Jung Hoseok), who was residing in the country while finishing his degree, depicted through seven pieces of footage taken from video cameras and mobile phones. 

Euripet3s1's channel was a comedy and lifestyle channel, in which she would present everyday information in a humorous way. Therefore, the unsettling events in the final video left both fans and casual viewers stunned. Avid fans of the Marble Hornets series were the first to draw attention to the video, before it went viral on hundreds of forums, including Reddit and BuzzFeed. When the users’ account was deactivated, the video was removed from the website only to resurface two months later by user TwerK (full name: Kim Taehyung). There are only two videos on TwerK's channel: #184-190 and Help Explain This. 

Help Explain This was filmed in August 2011 and is the last surviving footage of Jung Hoseok.

Numerous attempts at paranormal investigations have occurred in the last two years with no results. Psychics have been brought to every location depicted, though their efforts have been futile. The pocket watch in the film has been defined, by paranormal researcher David Kelwayne, as a totem. To quote David:

 "A totem is an item left behind by the dead which they had ascribed deep personal meaning or symbolism during their life. To come into contact with a totem is to contact the spirit attached to it, even if said contact is relatively erroneous; to become connected to the totem is to become connected with the spirit, often permanently" (Seeking Answers: Beginner's Guide To The Paranormal, 54)

This report exists only to present the video as it was found, in its untouched manner, for archival and historical purposes. The research to be found on the events, people, and locations involved has lead many in vast circles and down endless rabbit holes. It is my hope that the academic world will provide its resources for the many seeking answers about what truly happened to Jung Hoseok during that week in April. 

 ~~

Editor’s note: Heretofore, the speakers will be quoted using their first initials rather than their usernames.

#184

Duration: 1:46

[Exterior. Night-vision mid-close up of dirt path. Leaves cover the ground and crunch audibly. Feet remain in view as two persons walk the path in brisk, even steps. A low male voice is heard, his accent distinctly Korean. ]

H: Are you filming, Y/N?

[A second voice speaks, female. She is American]

Y/N: I have no idea. Your camera is weird.

H: It's no different from any American camera. It's a SONY. Has the green dot gone on?

Y/N: Well, it's different in the dark. Yeah, it has.

H: Then it's filming. Point it at your face, dummy.

[Camera is lifted and spun towards the holder's face, the night vision on the camera giving her a blue glow. She is young, no more than 24. The fringe of her hair gets caught in her eyes, trapped there by the hood of her sweater. She smiles brightly, waving at the camera momentarily.]

Y/N: And so we meet again! Today I am joined by theJungProject -

[camera pans left. A young man, also no more than 24, is walking briskly with his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. He squints at the light of the camera and pulls a face by sticking out his tongue]

- say hi, Hobi.

H: [nods once] Hello, Tiddy Harem.

Y/N [sighing]: Must you call them that?

H: [shaking black hair out of his eyes; he sniffs, not looking at the camera] You have thirteen thousand subscribers and 12,950 of them are men. Yeah, I'd say it's a harem.

Y/N: [snorting] I do not have thirteen thousand. And that's an insult to my fifty female subscribers.

H: You know I’m playing. [sniffs] You have fantastic tits, though.

Y/N: You’re literally disgusting. [turns camera back to her face] So, as you all remember I landed last night in Heathrow, after which I got embarrassingly drunk on incredible beer. We spent most of the day being hungover before getting on a train from - what station was it?

H: [in background] Liverpool Street.

Y/N: Right, yeah. We got a train from there to here, [pulls camera back to wave hand, denoting surrounding location] which is apparently Suffolk…specifically Sudbury. We had a grand idea to go to the Borley Rectory because I'm in England and apparently that means it's okay for Hobi to go on a midnight ghost hunt.

H: I'm not ghost hunting, I'm just…exploring.

Y/N: [faces camera; raises one eyebrow]

[Camera turns off] 

~~~

#185

Duration: 7:08

[Interior; night. Camera pans from left to right as Y/N breathes heavily. The windows of the rectory are shattered. Leaves scatter the concrete floor. What little furniture existing within the house has been tattered and worn over time, the sheen of its once extraordinary grandeur decayed with dust and time. Y/N walks to her right, into a small dining area. The camera pans over a wooden table that is badly scratched, three long distinct marks marring the mahogany. A hand comes into view, Y/N’s, as she runs her fingers over the marks. The camera pans up and to the left, showing cabinets that are missing their drawers. She leaves the room, slowly walking towards the foyer. A mirror hangs on the wall, the light reflecting off the glass into the lens. She waves.]

H: [distantly; calling] Baby, come up here.

[Y/N head turns right, facing the direction of Hoseok’s voice. The camera turns right as she walks straight back toward a carpeted staircase. Slowly, she ascends it, her footsteps quiet and muffled by both the camera and the foliage. She sniffles. As she approaches the landing, a painting of a pasture comes into view. It is crooked. When she reaches the landing, the camera moves from right to left. There are three bedrooms]

Y/N: [loud whisper] Where are you?

H: [voice from left] In here.

[Camera passes through a doorway. Long shot of Hoseok at chest of drawers to the left. There is an empty bed on the right side of the room, the mattress bare and torn. The video pixelates for approximately two seconds, correcting itself. The windows of the bedroom are in tact, though the carpet has been ripped up from the floor in a seemingly random pattern. Y/N walks to where Hoseok is standing. Atop the chest are several items: a broken hairbrush, a small empty picture frame, an empty ring box and a pocket watch. Y/N zooms in on the pocket watch. Hoseok picks it up, his grip indelicate. Y/N turns the camera, and zooms out to a medium close up of Hoseok’s face as he inspects it]

H: [whispers] This rectory had hundreds of residents before it was condemned. I wonder whose this was.

Y/N: [also in a whisper] Hobi, this place was destroyed by a fire in 1939. Isn't it weird to you that there's still…..things, objects…belongings in here? Nothing seems terribly ruined.

[Pause. Hoseok does not reply. Y/N returns the subject to the pocket watch, appeasing him by maintaining focus on the object though her discomfort is evident.] It looks really old. Can't be from any time after 1920, look at the design. Early surrealist or something.

H: [humming in interest] How do you know that?

Y/N: I’m taking art history for my electives. I’m just saying it looks like something I’ve seen.

[The camera zooms back on to the pocket watch in Hoseok’s hand. There is a patch of dirt along the rim of the cover, but an intricate design of intertwined clock hands and numbers is distinct.]

H: This is mental. You know the more you look at it, the more it resembles a kind of face. Like from a masquerade. 

[Long pause]

Y/N: I don't see it. Where are you looking? 

[Hoseok’s thumb comes into view. It presses the button on the side to open the watch. The cover pops open with a soft click, revealing an elegant Victorian clock face.]

H: Too much to ask for it to be working, isn't it. [laughs]

Y/N: Probably needs to be wound. 

[Hoseok closes the pocket watch.]

[Cut. Interior. Y/N thuds down the stairs after Hoseok, hands clasped and both laughing They come to a stop in the parlor. Hoseok inspects bookshelves, looking for something or nothing, running his fingers over the dusted wood. Y/N turns the camera away and zooms in on a picture frame. It is badly singed. The image of a woman, who looks almost sad, is barely discernible.]

Y/N: [muttering] Something about this……isn't……

[The sound of piano notes echo loudly through the room. Y/N screams loudly, swears, and is visibly shaken as she turns toward the noise. Hoseok sits at a piano by the back of the room, playing Erik Satie's "Gnossienne No. 1." He is chuckling. Y/N approaches him.]

Y/N: There's a fucking piano?

H: [plays uninterrupted] Scare you, did I? 

Y/N: Hobi, is there anything about this that's ok? You said this place was destroyed by a fire and has been abandoned. Logic this out for me: why would there be a piano in a burned down house? Wouldn't the city have this cleared out?

[Hoseok shrugs]

Y/N: I think we should go. 

H: Don't want to spend the night here? We haven't seen anything yet.

Y/N: I paid £35 for a train ticket to this hell. I'll cut my losses and say we’ve seen plenty enough, okay? 

H: [expression softening, he stops playing. The silence is deafening.] Okay, baby, we can go.

[Cut. Exterior. Y/N and Hoseok walking along a residential sidewalk. Hoseok is holding the camera this time, pointed at Y/N in a long shot. Night vision is switched off, faces now illuminated by street lamps they pass. He whistles seductively.]

H: [whispering] Don’t tell anyone until she watches this guys...but I think I’m in love with her. [He turns the camera to face him. The camera zooms out to fit his face.] I mean it. [He looks over the camera to her.] I love her.

Y/N: [distant, off camera] What are you whining about back there?

H: [laughing, he catches up with Y/N and aims the camera at her profile] Say what you said again. 

Y/N: [biting her cheek, but smiling nonetheless] I said you're a twunt.

H: Look at that! Y/N has spent 30 hours in this country and is already adopting its language. 

Y/N: Yeah, well you are. Tell the audience what you did.

H: [turns the camera to his face and holds it out. His leather jacket is unzipped, revealing A Horrors band-tee shirt] I've been a naughty boy. [His other hand reaches into his pocket. He pulls out the pocket watch] Y/N’s upset with me because I wanted a souvenir. 

Y/N: It's not yours, Hoseok.

H: [turns his face to Y/N, camera still aimed at himself. He puts the watch back in his pocket] It's technically not anyone's. Besides, this is one thing we could at least fix. 

[Camera turns off]

~~

#186

Duration: 2:01

[Interior. Hotel bedroom. Y/N sits at the desk provided, laptop open as she uploads footage from the video camera onto her computer. Her back is to the camera. The pocket watch twirls in front of the screen. Hoseok hums. The camera flips, revealing his face. It is clear he is filming on his iPhone. He starts to mouth lyrics to "Don't Stop Me Now," which is playing in the background. He flips the camera back to the watch.]

Y/N: [turns her head quickly over shoulder] Holy shit, come look at this.

[Hoseok drops the pocket watch and hoists himself off the sofa. He is wearing plaid flannel pants. He approaches the desk, leaning against the back of Y/N’s chair and extending his arm as he films.]

H: [kissing Y/N’s head off camera, voice muffled] What is it?

Y/N: You tell me. [looks back at Hoseok, anxious]

[Y/N has Final Cut open. She presses play on footage taken earlier in the evening. She has selected footage from when he ascended the stairs and entered the master bedroom. It plays without sound.]

H: What am I looking for….I don't…

Y/N: [quietly] Just wait. 

[The footage shows the camera panning through the room. As it comes to the bed, the footage warps, revealing a figure wearing black sitting on the mattress. It turns to look at the camera. It is wearing a white mask. The footage warps again. The figure is gone]

H: [reels back] What the fuck is that?! Did you put that in there?

Y/N: [turns to look at Hoseok] No. How would I do that? 

H: [words unsteady] I don't know, you're the film wizard. I still use iMovie. Maybe you have clever special effects or something. 

Y/N: I can assure you that I have no idea how to superimpose an image that clear onto digital footage. I took one semester of New Media, I'm hardly advanced.

H: How did you not see it when you were filming?

Y/N: I don't know, the camera went all pixelated when I was filming but I just thought the battery was running low or something. 

H: You better not be having me off.

Y/N: [brow furrowed, disbelieving] What does that sentence even mean? 

H: Is this punishment for taking the pocket watch?

Y/N: [pursing her lips briefly before she speaks] I'm really not that upset about the pocket watch. Why would I do that?

H: Whatever. Let's just go to bed and forget about it. I don’t want this to turn into a fight.

Y/N: Fine by me.

[Video ends] 

~~~

#187

Duration: 0:53

[Interior. Mid-Day. Close up of Y/N’s face. She stares at something out of view. Behind her, the scenery has changed. Band posters line the green wall, gig tickets and setlists framed next to them. This is what many assume is Hoseok’s bedroom.]

Y/N: [whispers] He's been like this all morning. I have no idea what the hell is going on. He was fine yesterday when we got back from Borley. Fine when we went to lunch, fine when we went to The Borderline for the Lescop gig. Now, he won't stop staring at that goddamn pocket watch. Look.

[The camera is flipped, again the film is from an iPhone. Hoseok sits shirtless on the bed, hickeys dotting his neck and collarbone, the pocket watch in his left hand. He stares almost impassively at it.]

Y/N: [loudly] Hobi.

[Hoseok does not respond]

Y/N: [louder] Hoseok, what the fuck are you doing?

[Hoseok does not respond]

Y/N: [mutters quietly] Jesus Christ.

[The camera tilts and wobbles, tipping down for a moment as Y/N bends to pick something up. A shoe is thrown in frame and lands on the bed right next to Hoseok. Hoseok lifts his head, dropping the watch. He smiles]

H: Want breakfast, baby?

Y/N: [long pause; quiet breathing] Uh huh.

[video ends]

~~~~

#188

Duration: 3:21

[Exterior. Mid-Day. Extreme long shot of Hoseok as he stands in front of a wooden sign that says Boxer's Lake. From the pockets of his leather jacket he pulls the pocket watch]

H: [looking over his shoulder; calls] You sure this is a good idea.

Y/N: [loudly; voice garbled by wind into microphone] You should have seen yourself, Hobi. It's gotta be the watch and I don’t want to go back there to return it.

[Hoseok reels back and throws the watch into the lake. He stares after it, shoulders drooped and jaw tense]

[Cut. Interior of a car. Hoseok is driving. Y/N points the camera at his face.]

Y/N: How do you feel?

H: Like my soul has been ripped from my chest.

[Pauses. Looks at Y/N]

H: [bursts into laughter] Chill out, baby. I feel fine. 

Y/N: [laughs weakly]

[Cut. Interior. Hoseok’s kitchen. Y/N films as Hoseok brews tea.]

H: You want any, love?

Y/N: Nah, water is fine.

H: [looks up at camera] Are you going to film everything? 

Y/N: We have an interested audience. Need to keep them satisfied. And besides, I’m only here for a week. I want to remember everything with you.

H: [begins to pull off shirt, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.]

Y/N: [laughter] Don’t start with that!

H: [straightens and flattens shirt] You said satisfied! Y/N: [still laughing] Yeah, well, that’s just for me and I’d like to keep it that way.

[Hoseok bites his lip, happy, and walks to a cabinet to the left. He makes to open it, but his attention is brought to something on the counter beneath it. He pauses. His hand slowly drops from the knob of the cabinet. The colour drains from his face]

Y/N: What?

[Hoseok brings his eyes to the camera, lips parted. He is visibly disturbed. He lifts his right hand. He holds up the pocket watch. Y/N’s breath becomes heavy and labored]

H: [voice small] What the fuck.

[Camera shuts off]

~~~

#189

Duration: 8:32

[Interior. Mid-Day. Hoseok’s car, again. Y/N holds the camera as Hoseok drives, lens pointed out the windshield] 

Y/N: Slow down, Hobi.

H: [voice hollow] No. The fucking watch is ticking…and existing. How is any of what just happened possible?

Y/N: I don't know, I don't know.

H: This is fucking twisted.

Y/N: What are you going to do?

H: Leave it in a field? Pawn it off? Whatever, as long as it's far away from me.

Y/N: Why not burn it?

H: Any fire I make wouldn't get the metal hot enough.

Y/N: Just don't get reckless. [Pleading] Please, baby?

[Cut. Interior. A Pawnshop. The camera pans along a shelf. Various objects come into focus. A door opens and an older man comes into view from the back of the store. To the left of the frame, Hoseok walks over and introduces himself]

H: Hi. Uhm, I'm Hoseok. I need to sell a pocket watch?

[The store clerk looks from Hoseok to Y/N]

Clerk: Get your mate to turn the camera off and then we can do business. 

[Cut. Interior. Hoseok’s car. Y/N has rested the camera on the dashboard, pointed at the passing scenery]

H: WOOOO! £650 for a shitty old watch!!

Y/N: I think the fact that it was still working was what sold him.

H: Who knows how long it will work for. We practically robbed him.

Y/N: You practically robbed him. I almost got thrown out for having a camera.

H: Eh. He was probably drunk from boredom. I would be, too, if I had to sit in silence eight hours a day. 

[Cut. Interior. Night. Hoseok’s kitchen. Hoseok presses play on his answering machine as he takes off his coat. Y/N sits at a chair at the kitchen table and zooms in on a Sainsbury's frozen dinner.]

Y/N: Mmmmmm.

[In the background, a voice is heard on the answering machine.]

Recorded Voice: Mr. Jung. It's Geoff. You sold me a watch not two hours ago. I’d like to make it clear I don't appreciate being fucked with. [Y/N brings the camera around, landing on Hoseok who is paused at his refrigerator staring at the machine, frowning.] I get enough shit in my town, and I certainly don't need non-locals breezing through and pulling pranks. I'm giving you twenty-four hours to return the watch or my money to the store. If you don't, I'm calling the cops and we can settle this with legal action. [Machine beeps]

[Hoseok remains paused at the refrigerator - frozen. He begins to visibly tense and Y/N gets up from the kitchen table. She approaches him slowly, before Hoseok slams the refrigerator door shut and rushes into the living room]

Y/N: [shouts] Hoseok!

H: [yells] Where the fuck is it? WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT WITH ME?

[Y/N enters the living room and turns right. Hoseok is standing in front of his mantle, hitting his chest with the flat of his palms. He stares at the ceiling and screams]

H: [still yelling] YOU CAN HAVE YOUR FUCKING WATCH BACK, I DON'T WANT IT.

Y/N: [yelling over Hoseok] HOSEOK, THERE IS NO ONE ELSE HERE.

H: [looks at Y/N] Of course there is! How else would any of this be happening? [Turns abruptly and heads down the hallway. He disappears into his room.

Y/N: Fuck’s sake. 

[Y/N follows and enters Hoseok’s room. Hoseok is pulling books out of shelves. He abandons that project and quickly goes to his bed, where he up-turns his mattress]

H: [yelling again] WHERE IS IT, HUH?

Y/N: Hoseok, calm the hell down!

[Hoseok turns and rushes past Y/N. Y/N follows]

Y/N: Hoseok, ripping up the house isn't going to solve anything!

H: It's not in my room, it's not in the kitchen. It makes itself known, right? It wants to fucking be seen. The goddamn ATTENTION WHORE.

Y/N: It's an inanimate object, Hoseok, stop!

[Hoseok stomps into the kitchen and picks up his jacket. He pauses for a moment, softening, and reaches into a pocket. He pulls out the watch]

H: [staring at the watch] Something…someone…whatever…wants me to have this. I don't. Fucking. Want it.

[**In the recorded footage, a voice is heard. It clearly says “But you took it.” Neither Y/N nor Hoseok reacts to it and neither has spoken. This voice was pointed out by YouTube user Sarkozam12**]

[camera turns off]

~~~

#190

Duration: 8:00

[Interior. Night. The couches and chairs have been removed from Hoseok’s living room. Two pillows are placed on the ground, side by side, beneath the coffee table where a ouija board as been set up. The scene is lit by numerous candles along the floor and mantle. Fingers over the microphone cause muffled noises and garbled sounds. Hoseok enters from frame right. He sits, in jeans a tee shirt, on one of the pillows. He takes a swig of cider before setting it next to him. He looks slightly above the camera.]

Y/N: [off camera] This is a terrible idea, Hobi.

H: [solemn] Is the camera set up?

Y/N: [pauses, sighs] Yeah, it's just about.done tightening the tripod.

H: Good.

[Y/N enters from the bottom of frame left. It's a long shot of the living room. Y/N sits next to Hoseok. They look at each other briefly. Hoseok draws his eyes away and onto the Oujia board. Y/N’s brow furrows, and she reaches to twine her fingers with Hoseok’s. The contact has him return his gaze to hers, smiling before he leans in and kisses her deeply. Pulling back, he kisses her knuckles three times. Hoseok’s expression hardens]

H: [quietly] I love you.

Y/N: [smiling; quietly] I’m still not used to you saying that. [pauses] I love you, too.

H: [inhaling deeply] Let's do this.

[Y/N pauses. Hoseok looks at her, concerned.]

H: Don't tell me you're quitting on this.

Y/N: [looks at the ground] Ouija boards are scary, serious shit, Hoseok. I don't think we should fuck around with this. We’ve already fucked up so much shit.

H: [shaking his head] I fucked up. And I just don’t know what other choice I have.

[Y/N pauses briefly, hesitating before leaning in to kiss him once more. They whisper to one another as they break apart, kissing for a few more seconds before separating fully. Pulling her hand from his, she sighs and places both hands on the planchette. Hoseok follows suit and does the same]

H: [uncomfortable] What do I say?

Y/N: [loudly] Is there anyone here with us?

[They remain quiet and wait. The planchette does not move.]

H: What if we contact Zozo? That's the opposite of what I want.

Y/N: [giggling, though her sense of amusement is unconvicing] Don't be stupid. 

[Both are silenced by the planchette which has started to move in swirls across the board.]

H: Is that you?

Y/N: No, I'm barely touching this.

H: [shaking his head] It's not me.

[The planchette stops on the word 'Bye']

H: [pauses] Well, that's sinister.

[The video warps into pixels and corrects itself. Three candles have been blown out. Y/N is panicked]

Y/N: What the fuck did that?

H: [loudly] What is your name?

[The planchette moves, quickly. Y/N says the letters it stops on.]

Y/N: L…A…I…R…R…E. D…D…D…E…A…T…H.

H: Lairreedddeath? The hell?

Y/N: I'm busy focusing on the part that - [The video warps. the masked figure from #186 appears behind Hoseok, getting closer after each pixel correction. A white hand with sharp nails reaches for his neck. It disappears] in the fire?

[The Marimba ringtone of an iPhone goes off]

H: Shit. That's mine.

Y/N: Leave it.

[The planchette spins out of control and falls from the table onto the floor. All the candles are blown out at the same time, though there is no wind to disrupt the atmosphere. The camera shifts to night vision. Both draw their attention to the bright light from the camera]

Y/N: Does your camera shift modes automatically?

H: No, what -

[A loud thud is heard, the sound of a door slamming open to the left, its metal knob hitting the wall. The door to what is considered a broom closet has flung open, but its interior is black and occasionally blurred by pixelated static. Y/N turns to look at the noise, but Hoseok disappears from view. We hear him scream]

Y/N: Hoseok?!? [Y/N searches frantically for where the sound is coming from. She turns her attention back to the door, eyes wide in alarm.] Hoseok? 

[Y/N gets up and approaches the closet but the door slams shut. The lights of the house come on. Y/N opens the door to the closet. It is just a closet. The tripod falls over. The screen goes blue and flashes NO BATTERY]

~~~

Given the found footage nature of the editing and the allusion by Hoseok that Y/N was proficient in film editing, at least once mentioning the capability of using special effects in post production, many of the initial viewers of #186-190 believed the story of Hoseok’s disappearance was a clever hoax. While this report remains unbiased, it is important to point out several facts. 

Firstly, it is true that Jung Hoseok went missing from his shared home April 25, 2010. The phone call received on his mobile during #190 was from his mother, mentioned in Y/F/N Y/L/N’s police report, who had not seen her son since April 11, 2010. Secondly, the pocket watch, and the clothing in which Hoseok disappeared in, have never been found. Until August 2011, the footage captured during #190 depicted the last known whereabouts of Jung Hoseok. 

When Y/N deactivated her account, #184-190 was removed from YouTube in accordance with YouTube’s privacy policies, however not before user TwerK had downloaded the video to a flash drive. In June of 2010, the video was uploaded to Kim Taehyung’s channel, with reasons citing the urgency for fans and interested parties to continue to study the video - i.e in search of clues or proof of a hoax. It is worth noting that while there is a well documented friendship and romantic relationship between Euripet3s1 and theJungProject (ie: both were subscribers to each other's channels, the earliest comments on each party's videos date back to 2008, Euripet3s1 tagged theJungProject in a video called Top 10 Films of 2009, etc) TwerK did not subscribe to either channel, nor has he confessed to knowing either personally. 

It is because of these reasons that the footage in Help Explain This is, in a word, astounding. The film itself was uploaded with a description consisting of a personal plea from Taehyung to help explain what he had caught. Once the video was live, Taehyung experienced a brief period of notoriety on the internet, while simultaneously going under fire by those close to Hoseok who called his video 'tactless and offensive.' 

It is also worth noting that Y/N has become reclusive since these events and has not been available for comment since late 2010, on advice from her therapist.

~~

Help Explain This

Duration: 4:03

[Interior. Mid-Day. Footsteps thud up the stairs of Borley Rectory. The camera is pointed at the landing, but the painting is gone. The person arrives at the landing and he speaks. He is Korean.]

T: Okay. So. Kim Taehyung here. I’m sorry in advance for any English mistakes, but a few subscribers wanted me to visit the rectory while I am here on vacation. Yes, yes, I know it's weird that my YouTube channel only has one video on it, but some of you on Reddit convinced me to make this.  Here we are [Camera pans right to left, light pours in from holes in the ceiling. The home appears to be empty.]. Exact same spot where Euripet3s1 stood. As you can see there is no painting on the wall. Ehm.

[He turns to his left and enters the bedroom, panning the camera right to left as Y/N had done. A naked figure stands in the back right corner of the bedroom, his back to the camera, facing the wall]

T: Again, the room is completely empty. The walls are badly burned. I know you all want to believe this was a hoax, but there's no way these two had the budget. You can't even get up the stairs easily without worrying about falling through.

[He turns left, zooming to an extreme long shot. The right side of the room out of frame.] 

T: This is where theJungProject found the pocket watch. No chest of drawers here. [Camera pans down, showing his feet] You can see the boards of the floor are burned. I'm too afraid to even put weight there. [He presses his foot to the floor, retracting it immediately.]

[Raising the camera, he turns the camera back to right, slightly, showing the whole of the room. The figure from the corner has turned around and is standing naked in a full body shot. The camera pixelates. The figure is now close to the lens, able to be viewed from the middle of the waist up. His mouth and eyes are wide open, but blackened as though holes. The figure is clearly Jung Hoseok.]

T: That's it, then. Sorry the video was so lame.

[He turns and leaves the room. The camera does one last pan from the landing back to the room. The foyer below is empty. The room he had just exited is empty]

Fin.

Author’s Note #2: The locations in this story - Borley Rectory, Boxer's Lake, Liverpool Street Station, Suffolk, and Sudbury - are all real places. Borley Rectory was known as 'the most haunted house in England' and it did get severely burned in 1939. There is actually a woman who haunted the building named Marie Lairre. 

[newstfionline]

Monday, January 11, 2021

The workers hit hardest during Covid-19’s first wave are getting pummeled again (Yahoo Finance) Since the beginning of the pandemic, one group of workers has been hurt far more than others: those working in the service industries, specifically in leisure and hospitality jobs. And in December after some progress, that industry lost jobs once again. “The most recent surge in coronavirus cases is once again battering the US labor market,” Indeed’s economic research director Nick Bunker wrote in a note. “The economic fallout from this wave of cases is hitting the industries and workers pummeled hardest by the initial damage before they fully bounced back from that first hit.” The latest hit isn’t as bad as the spring, as vaccines are rolling out and certain measures are in place, but restaurants, bars, and other jobs that depend on people interacting still cannot do business in a pandemic environment.

Squelched by Twitter, Trump seeks new online megaphone (AP) One Twitter wag joked about lights flickering on and off at the White House being Donald Trump signaling to his followers in Morse code after Twitter and Facebook squelched the president for inciting rebellion. Though deprived of his big online megaphones, Trump does have alternative options of much smaller reach. The far right-friendly Parler may be the leading candidate, though Google and Apple have both removed it from their app stores and Amazon decided to boot it off its web hosting service. Trump may launch his own platform. But that won’t happen overnight, and free speech experts anticipate growing pressure on all social media platforms to curb incendiary speech as Americans take stock of Wednesday’s violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol. Facebook and Instagram have suspended Trump at least until Inauguration Day. Twitch and Snapchat also have disabled Trump’s accounts, while Shopify took down online stores affiliated with the president and Reddit removed a Trump subgroup. Twitter also banned Trump loyalists including former national security advisor Michael Flynn in a sweeping purge of accounts promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory and the Capitol insurrection. Some had hundreds of thousands of followers.

Navy’s Priciest Carrier Ever Struggles to Get Jets On, Off Deck (Bloomberg) Aircraft takeoff and landing systems on the USS Gerald R. Ford remain unreliable and break down too often more than three years after the $13.2 billion carrier was delivered, according to the Pentagon’s top tester. The latest assessment of the costliest warship ever built “remains consistent” with previous years, director of testing Robert Behler said in his new summary of the program obtained by Bloomberg News before its release in an annual report. The Ford’s new systems—which propel planes off the deck and into the sky and then snag them on landing—are crucial to justifying the expense of what’s now a four-vessel, $57 billion program intended to replace the current Nimitz class of aircraft carriers. The continuing reliability woes with the carrier systems built by General Atomics of San Diego are separate from another continuing challenge: the installation and certification of elevators needed to lift munitions from below deck. As of November, six of 11 “advanced weapons elevators” that should have been installed when the ship was delivered in May 2017 are now operational.

In Central America, tensions rise as soldiers aim to stop migrants (Reuters) Guatemalan and Honduran soldiers will be deployed to prevent new U.S.-bound migrant caravans from advancing, military officials said, amid growing desperation among those seeking to cross and signs that some groups will depart later this month. Two devastating hurricanes late last year along with severe economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic have pushed millions of people in the already-poor region closer to hunger, leading to a steady rise in U.S.-bound migration through Mexico. In online forums, many Honduras have indicated they plan to leave next weekend in a new caravan, which has caught the attention of U.S. officials who have called on the region’s governments to stop them. Many migrants in recent years have chosen to travel by caravan because being part of a large group offers protection from criminals who might prey on them, even though traveling alone is often faster.

Johnson under fire as UK again faces onslaught of COVID-19 (AP) The crisis facing Britain this winter is depressingly familiar: Stay-at-home orders and empty streets. Hospitals overflowing. A daily toll of many hundreds of coronavirus deaths. The U.K. is the epicenter of Europe’s COVID-19 outbreak once more, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government is facing questions, and anger, as people demand to know how the country has ended up here—again. Many countries are enduring new waves of the virus, but Britain’s is among the worst, and it comes after a horrendous 2020. More than 3 million people in the U.K. have tested positive for the coronavirus and 81,000 have died—30,000 in just the last 30 days. The economy has shrunk by 8%, more than 800,000 jobs have been lost and hundreds of thousands more furloughed workers are in limbo. Even with the new lockdown, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Friday that the situation in the capital was “critical,” with one in every 30 people infected. “The stark reality is that we will run out of beds for patients in the next couple of weeks unless the spread of the virus slows down drastically,” he said.

In the Cold and Rain, India’s Farmers Press Their Stand Against Modi (NYT) Under a rain-slick tarpaulin, half a dozen elderly women bake roti on a wood-fired griddle—flattening dough, flipping browned bread from dawn until the sun retreats into Delhi’s evening smoke. Anyone who walks in gets served rice and cooked vegetables and, to wash it down, a cumin-flavored yogurt drink. Across the road, Jagjeet Singh, a burly man with a large fanny pack and a light purple turban, churns a hefty pot of milk coffee from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. The scenes stretching for miles around the Indian capital don’t come from a fair. They make up one of the largest sustained protests the country has seen in decades, persisting through steady rains and dozens of deaths that farmers and the Indian media have attributed to the weather, illness or suicide. For six weeks now, tens of thousands of farmers have choked the city’s four main entry points. They are challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has crushed all other opposition and stands as the country’s dominant political force, over his effort to reshape how farming in India has been done for decades. “They sold everything else. Only the farmers are left,” said 18-year old Ajay Veer Singh, who has been at the protest with his 67-year-old grandfather since it began in November. “Now they want to sell the farmers to their corporate friends too.”

China sees growing outbreak south of Beijing (AP) More than 360 people have tested positive in a growing coronavirus outbreak south of Beijing in neighboring Hebei province. The outbreak has raised particular concern because of Hebei’s proximity to the nation’s capital. Travel between the two has been restricted, with workers from Hebei having to show proof of employment in Beijing to enter the city. Almost all of the cases are in Shijuazhuang, the provincial capital, which is about 260 kilometers (160 miles) southwest of Beijing. A handful have also been found in Xingtai city, 110 kilometers (68 miles) farther south. Both cities have conducted mass testing of millions of residents, suspended public transportation and restricted residents to their communities or villages for one week.

Pompeo voids restrictions on diplomatic contacts with Taiwan (AP) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Saturday that the State Department is voiding longstanding restrictions on how U.S. diplomats and others have contact with their counterparts in Taiwan, another move that is expected to upset China as the Trump administration winds to an end. The Trump administration has sought to strengthen bilateral relations with Taiwan. It announced Thursday that U.N Ambassador Kelly Craft would go to Taiwan, a move that sparked sharp criticism from Beijing and a warning that the U.S. would pay a heavy price. In August, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar became the first Cabinet member to visit Taiwan since 2014. Pompeo said that the State Department has created complex restrictions when it comes to contacts between the two parties. He said those actions were taken to appease the Communist regime in Beijing. “No more,” Pompeo declared in a statement. “Today I am announcing that I am lifting all of these self-imposed restrictions.” The Chinese government maintains that mainland China and Taiwan are parts of “one China.” China has been stepping up its threats to bring the self-governing island under its control by military force with frequent war games and aerial patrols. It has been using its diplomatic clout to stop Taiwan from joining any organizations that require statehood for membership.

Japanese pray for end to pandemic in annual ice bath ritual at Tokyo shrine (Reuters) Men wearing traditional loin clothes and women dressed in white robes clapped and chanted before going into an ice water bath during a Shinto ritual at a Tokyo shrine on Sunday to purify the soul and pray for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only a dozen people took part in the annual event at Teppou-zu Inari Shrine, scaled down this year due to the health crisis, compared to over a hundred in early 2020. After doing warming-up exercises and chanting under a clear sky with outside temperatures at 5.1 degree Celsius (41.18 Fahrenheit), the nine male and three female participants went into a bath filled with cold water and large ice blocks. Fewer participants at the Shinto ritual made the water extra cold, participant Naoaki Yamaguchi told Reuters. “Normally we have more participants and it makes the water temperature a little bit warmer. But this year, there were just twelve people, so it (the cold) was crazy,” the 47-year-old said.

Indonesian divers find parts of plane wreckage in Java Sea (AP) Indonesian divers on Sunday located parts of the wreckage of a Boeing 737-500 at a depth of 23 meters (75 feet) in the Java Sea, a day after the aircraft with 62 people onboard crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta. Earlier, rescuers pulled out body parts, pieces of clothing and scraps of metal from the surface. It’s still unclear what caused the crash. There was no sign of survivors. Fishermen in the area between Lancang and Laki islands, part of an archipelago around Thousand Islands north of Jakarta’s coast, reported hearing an explosion around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

At a Yemen hospital wracked by U.S. funding cuts, children are dying of hunger (Washington Post) Her infant son, weakened by hunger, needed a better-equipped hospital in the capital, Sanaa, roughly 30 miles away. But Hanan Saleh could no longer afford even the $30 taxi fare. Before, she depended on a Western aid organization, Save the Children, for funds, drawn from money donated by the United States, to cover the travel costs, said employees of the organization and hospital officials. But last year, the United States slashed its funding to United Nations groups and others such as Save the Children. So Saleh had to raise money to treat her son, Mohammed, in Sanaa until those funds ran out, too. Her last option was a small hospital in this northern Yemen market town, a 15-minute walk from their home. The staff tried to build up his skeletal, malnourished 9-month-old body. “He died two months ago,” Saleh recalled in November, breaking down in tears. Aid cuts by the Trump administration and other Western countries, intended to prevent Yemen’s Houthi rebels from diverting or blocking funds, are worsening the country’s humanitarian crisis, already considered the most severe in the world. Last year’s pledges totaling $1.61 billion were less than half of 2019’s funding, and hundreds of millions of dollars committed by donors have not yet been paid, according to the U.N.’s humanitarian office for Yemen. At least 15 of the U.N.’s 41 major programs have been scaled back or closed, and additional programs could shutter in the months to come, if more funds are not received, U.N. officials say.

The Tiny Satellites That Will Connect Cows, Cars and Shipping Containers to the Internet (WSJ) Scientists who track the health of Adélie penguins on the ice-covered wastes of Antarctica are managing their cameras from thousands of miles away—via tiny satellites orbiting above our heads. Energy companies are exploring using the same technology for monitoring hard-to-reach wind farms; logistics companies for tracking shipping containers; and agribusiness companies for minding cattle. It even helped National Geographic track a discarded plastic bottle from Bangladesh to the Indian Ocean. In the near future, it isn’t unreasonable to imagine this evolving satellite technology could put a distress beacon in every automobile, allow remote monitoring of wildlife in any environment on earth, and track your Amazon shipment—not just when it’s on a truck, but backward, all the way to the factory that produced it. And it could be done at a fraction of the cost of earlier satellite tracking systems. These novel networks of nanosats—aka cubesats—are a result of a number of factors. First, the satellites themselves are smaller, cheaper and more capable than ever. Just as important, there’s the rollout and adoption of new long-distance, low-power wireless communication standards that can work just as well in outer space as they do on the ground. In the next year, hundreds of satellites from more than a dozen companies are set to launch.