#amer services

[eaglemsjk]

Streamlining Visa Processing: Eagle Management's Comprehensive Support for Hassle-Free Immigration

Eagle Management marks the inauguration of the third Amer services center.

Amer Centers exclusively handle visa applications and operate under the direct oversight of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). Our centers are responsible for processing a wide range of immigration applications:

Issuance of Entry Permit

Employee Visas and Residency

Cancel Visa

Green Visa

Family Visas and Residency

Establishment cards

Golden Residency

Job Seeker Visa

Eagle Management Services holds official government authorization as a provider of Amer services within Dubai. The company's dedicated team of customer service representatives, specialists, and experts is committed to streamlining the UAE's intricate legal and governmental processes. This assistance allows you to allocate your valuable time toward your core business activities and operational endeavors.

Our range of services has significantly contributed to customer retention, with our clients expressing high satisfaction levels regarding our exceptional processing and programming capabilities. Our documentation services play a crucial role in reducing operational costs and overall expenses, thereby contributing to increased profitability. Additionally, Eagle Management's typing services are competitively priced and offer cost-effective solutions.

At Eagle Management Services, we specialize in providing comprehensive support for visa organization and management. Our wide range of services encompasses work permits, DED licenses, and facilitation of all aspects of application, submission, approval, and delivery processes for GDRFA and DNRD services. Backed by a team of skilled experts, we are dedicated to offering continuous guidance and aid, aiming to deliver the utmost convenience and cost-effectiveness.

Eagle Management Services: End-to-End Support

Our assistance is designed to offer you enhanced clarity, transparency, and streamlined procedures in all your desired endeavors.

[reasonsforhope]

"The Biden administration on Thursday [August 15, 2024] released prices for the first 10 prescription drugs that were subject to landmark negotiations between drugmakers and Medicare, a milestone in a controversial process that aims to make costly medications more affordable for older Americans. 

The government estimates that the new negotiated prices for the medications will lead to around $6 billion in net savings for the Medicare program in 2026 alone when they officially go into effect, or 22% net savings overall. That is based on the estimated savings the prices would have produced if they were in effect in 2023, senior administration officials told reporters Wednesday.

The Biden administration also expects the new prices to save Medicare enrollees $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2026 alone.

“For so many people, being able to afford these drugs will mean the difference between debilitating illness and living full lives,” Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, told reporters. “These negotiated prices. They’re not just about costs. They are about helping to make sure that your father, your grandfather or you can live longer, healthier.”

It comes one day before the second anniversary of President Joe Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, which gave Medicare the power to directly hash out drug prices with manufacturers for the first time in the federal program’s nearly 60-year history.

Here are the negotiated prices for a 30-day supply of the 10 drugs, along with their list prices based on 2023 prescription fills, according to a Biden administration fact sheet Thursday.

What Medicare and beneficiaries pay for a drug is often much less than the list price, which is what a wholesaler, distributor or other direct purchaser paid a manufacturer for a medication before any discounts...

The administration unveiled the first set of medications selected for the price talks in August 2023, kicking off a nearly yearlong negotiation period that ended at the beginning of the month.

The final prices give drugmakers, which fiercely oppose the policy, a glimpse of how much revenue they could expect to lose over the next few years. It also sets a precedent for the additional rounds of Medicare drug price negotiations, which will kick off in 2025 and beyond. 

First 10 drugs subject to Medicare price negotiations

Eliquis, made by Bristol Myers Squibb, is used to prevent blood clotting to reduce the risk of stroke. 

Jardiance, made by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly, is used to lower blood sugar for people with Type 2 diabetes. 

Xarelto, made by Johnson & Johnson, is used to prevent blood clotting, to reduce the risk of stroke.

Januvia, made by Merck, is used to lower blood sugar for people with Type 2 diabetes.

Farxiga, made by AstraZeneca, is used to treat Type 2 diabetes, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. 

Entresto, made by Novartis, is used to treat certain types of heart failure.

Enbrel, made by Amgen, is used to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. 

Imbruvica, made by AbbVie and J&J, is used to treat different types of blood cancers. 

Stelara, made by Janssen, is used to treat autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease.

Fiasp and NovoLog, insulins made by Novo Nordisk.

In a statement Thursday, Biden called the new negotiated prices a “historic milestone” made possible because of the Inflation Reduction Act. He specifically touted Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote for the law in the Senate in 2022.

Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, said in a statement that she was proud to cast that deciding vote, adding there is more work to be done to lower health-care costs for Americans.

“Today’s announcement will be lifechanging for so many of our loved ones across the nation, and we are not stopping here,” Harris said in a statement Thursday, noting that additional prescription drugs will be selected for future rounds of negotiations."

-via CNBC, August 15, 2024

[amerbabalfalah]

Visa assistance at your fingertips. Let us bring our services to your doorstep and make all your visa needs hassle-free.

At Amer Centre, we’re committed to making your visa application experience convenient, efficient, and stress-free. With our VIP Visa services and door-to-door approach, you can leave the complexities of visa applications in our capable hands. 

[altareshamer]

Al Taresh Amer Center offers a full range of government services such as visa services, DED applications, Emirates ID renewals, legal translations and many others. Visit our Amer Center or browse our website to learn more.

For more details, Visit: https://altaresh.com/amer/

[reportwire]

Cash is king for sanctioned Russian, Venezuelan oligarchs

Cash is king for sanctioned Russian, Venezuelan oligarchs

MIAMI — It was a deal that brought together oligarchs from some of America’s top adversaries. “The key is the cash,” the oil broker wrote in a text message, offering a deep discount on Venezuelan crude shipments to an associate who claimed to be fronting for the owner of Russia’s biggest aluminum company. “As soon as you are ready with cash we can work.” The communication was included in a…

[odinsblog]

Dear President Biden,

We come together as artists and advocates, but most importantly as human beings witnessing the devastating loss of lives and unfolding horrors in Israel and Palestine.

We ask that, as President of the United States, you call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost. More than 5,000 people have been killed in the last week and a half – a number any person of conscience knows is catastrophic. We believe all life is sacred, no matter faith or ethnicity and we condemn the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians.

We urge your administration, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages. Half of Gaza’s two million residents are children, and more than two thirds are refugees and their descendants being forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach them.

We believe that the United States can play a vital diplomatic role in ending the suffering and we are adding our voices to those from the US Congress, UNICEF, Doctors without Borders, The International Committee of The Red Cross, and so many others. Saving lives is a moral imperative. To echo UNICEF, “Compassion — and international law — must prevail.”

As of this writing more than 6,000 bombs have been dropped on Gaza in the last 12 days — resulting in one child being killed every 15 minutes.

“Children and families in Gaza have practically run out of food, water, electricity, medicine and safe access to hospitals, following days of air strikes and cuts to all supply routes. Gaza’s sole power plant ran out of fuel Wednesday afternoon, shutting down electricity, water and wastewater treatment. Most residents can no longer get drinking water from service providers or household water through pipelines…. The humanitarian situation has reached lethal lows, and yet all reports point to further attacks. Compassion — and international law — must prevail.” – UNICEF spokesperson, James Elder

Beyond our pain and mourning for all of the people there and their loved ones around the world we are motivated by an unbending will to stand for our common humanity. We stand for freedom, justice, dignity and peace for all people – and a deep desire to stop more bloodshed.

We refuse to tell future generations the story of our silence, that we stood by and did nothing. As Emergency Relief Chief Martin Griffiths told UN News, “History is watching.”

Alia Shawkat

Alyssa Milano

Amanda Seales

Amber Tamblyn

America Ferrera

Andrew Garfield

Anoushka Shankar

Aria Mia Loberti

Ayo Edebiri

Bassam Tariq

Bassem Youssef

Cate Blanchett

Channing Tatum

Cherien Dabis

Darius Marder

David Cross

Dominique Fishback

Dominique Thorne

Elvira Lind

Farah Bsaiso

Fatima Farheen Mirza

Hasan Minhaj

Hend Sabry

Ilana Glazer

Indya Moore

James Schamus

Jeremy Strong

Jessica Chastain

Joaquin Phoenix

Jon Stewart

Kristen Stewart

Macklemore

Mahershala Ali

Margaret Cho

Mark Ruffalo

May Calamawy

Michael Malarkey

Michael Stipe

Michelle Wolf

Mo Amer

Oscar Isaac

Quinta Brunson

Ramy Youssef

Riz Ahmed

Rooney Mara

Rosario Dawson

Ryan Coogler

Sandra Oh

Sebastian Silva

Shailene Woodley

Shaka King

Susan Sarandon

Vic Mensa

Wallace Shawn

Wanda Sykes

👉🏿 https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/hollywood-demands-gaza-israel-ceasefire-joaquin-phoenix-cate-blanchett-1235763646/

[piss-pumpkin]

🍓The weight of a baseball bat🪨

Older!dipper pines x reader, Douce amere chapter 22, ~3.4K words Masterlist Prev

You stared into the mirror. You had put a large square bandage on your forehead, dead centre between your eyes. Waning off the pain killers, it ached a little. At least the doctor had said there wouldn’t be bad lasting damages at your follow up, not too bad a concussion. All you had to do was take it easy. 

But that sucked. It was summer.

You decided to head for the diner on foot. You weren’t supposed to look at your phone much, but exceptions could be made. There was something still left too do. You shot Dipper and Mabel a text. A few scores had to be settled. 

You pocketed the device as you walked the rest. Being alive felt a little weird. People in town were walking around like nothing happened. For them things didn’t, you supposed. Weird to think most of the town had survived a Bill themed apocalypse, and all collectively decided not to mind any of it. You couldn’t help but wonder if they felt the same as you did now, at any time even, nearer or farther from when it happened. You swished the inside of your cheeks around, and chewed them up a little. Weird shit. 

The sidewalks were cracked and weathered, and of the gaps grew a few blades of grass and weeds. You did well to avoid stepping on them. 

Greasy’s diner wasn’t busy. You took a seat at the counter, and Robbie was quick to greet you. He slouched with his elbows rested on the table, “So, it’s here,” he said. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be using a customer service voice on me?” You asked dryly, raising your brow. It didn’t hurt your forehead as much as it had before. 

He snickered, “Not for you. How’s your head?”

You winced, shifting your lips around in a tired frown. “Meh,” you shrugged. On instinct, you lightly tapped the place of your bandage. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to agitate and make it itch with the sensation. “Can I have like, a drink or something?”

”What do you want?” Robbie grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“How have you not been fired,” you laughed. “Are you bitchy with all the customers? Do I need to speak to your manager?” You grinned, tapping your fingers against the counter. 

“Just you,” Robbie sighed. “And other people who-“ he paused, squinting as he looked to the side.“-are lame.”

You huffed a laugh, “yeah, whatever man.” You glanced around the cafe. A few people were chatting in booths, and there was one other guy a good few seats down the bar. They all seemed unbothered. By what, you weren’t sure. But they all seemed rather peaceful living their lives. “Surprise me,” you said, only half looking at Robbie. “You probably know what I like, by now, right?”

Robbie laughed under his breath, “you give me way to much power.”

”Don’t be shitty,” you called, but he was already walking away to the other end of the counter to grab a cup. 

Your phone buzzed in your pocket. You closed your eyes a long moment before pulling it out to look. Dipper and Mabel responded at the same time. Figures. 

They’d meet you here. You asked them to bring a bat, you were certain you’d seen Stan with one a few times. You’d be damned if the three of you weren’t going to smash shit. 

You hadn’t realized you were grinning at your phone until Robbie gave you a questioning look from a few seats down counter. You shot back a wink and a thumbs up as he made up a drink. 

When he came back, he slid you something pink and in a clear cup with a lid. Ice inside sloshed when as he did it, and it left a trail of condensation across the counter. “It’s fruity,” he said. 

“Oh my god, just like you,” you quipped back without hesitation. You put your lips to the lids opening, and tasted it. Sweet, cold, and pretty good. Though what fruit it was flavoured for was hard to place. 

“That’s it, you’ve lost your friends and family discount,” Robbie complained. 

You rolled your eyes, sipping the pink concoction, “I am going to kill you.”

Eventually, Dipped and Mabel showed up. You smiled as the bell on the door ring with their arrival. They were worse for wear, on the tired side, and Mabel was carrying a metal bat like a walking cane at her side. But even seeing them was enough to make you happier. 

Mabel bounded towards you, picking up her bat as she hopped onto the stool beside you, and spinning around.  It was only as she turned it that you saw the Hello Kitty sticker she’d put by the handle. “Hey what’s that?” She asked, pointing at your drink. “Can I have sippies?”

You nodded as Dipper came up behind you to your other side, resting as he leaned on the counter. His eyes lingered on your forehead a few moments longer than you’d have liked, but they flickered back down when he spoke. “So, what are we doing?” He asked. 

Your lips curled into a smile. “There’s something I want to completely destroy,” you announced. Mabel stuck a straw into your drink, and it made a scraping sound against the plastic as it went down. 

Dipper raised his brow, silently asking you. This was the tricky part. You weren’t sure he’d ever want to go back there, to that spot. You took a breath to steady yourself. It was worth the ask. 

“Well,” you started, looking at the floor. “Uh- Bill, actually.” 

Dipper swallowed, and you could feel Mabel’s eyes on you as she sipped your drink. You glanced between both of them, and sighed, hands folding and playing on the table. “The stature, I mean,” you clarified. “I wanna smash it up…”

Both twins paused, and you stared at the counter. You’d think the cafe wouldn’t be quiet, but an awkward silence filled the air around you. 

Mabel slid your drink back over you you, and plucked the straw out. “I’m down,” she said finally as you leaned over to take a drink. Mabel had definitely taken more than a sip, you noticed. The cup was noticeably lighter. 

“Me too,” Dipper nodded softly. 

A weight lifted off your chest. Okay, they we’re cool with it. You smiled, kicking your feet a little under the counter. “Alright. Today?”

“First, pancakes,” Mabel said, waving over Robbie, who was rolling his eyes. 

It was weird to eat at the counter of the diner like usual. Mabel smothered her pancakes in syrup, Dipper had a more sensible amount, and had berries on the side, and the world didn’t stop for your possession and concussion. Even if it paused for a bit for you. 

Susan noticed you from the kitchen for the first time, and shot you a pressed look. You figured she trusted Dipper and Mabel with you a little less now. Her eyes seemed to soften when she saw you didn’t have your phone out, though. At least she knew you could handle your restrictions. 

Robbie said the food was on the house for you, Mabel got the friends and family discount, and Dipper had full price. After a fair amount of complaining from her brother, Mabel laced her fingers once again around the bat as you left. Unfortunately, you knew the path well from all summer’s experience. You might’ve been able to navigate with your eyes closed. 

Your tired feet had walked it the day after Pacificas party. Off to go complain about Dipper. It was funny how it usually rained when you went there, like an omen of Bills misfortune. You guided Dipper and Mabel through the woods, and held Dippers hand when he passed a corner or trail that made him grimace. 

Right. When bill had led Dipper there, he’d taken every trail, every dead end path to stall and torture you. You looked away from those paths, too.  

Mabel was the only one surprised when you reached the clearing. The statue was still knocked over, the same way Dipper had left it when he was fighting shock to save his life here. Sun was shining down overhead, and cutting through the tree line wherever light dipped behind it. Dry grass and dandelions brushed at your ankles. 

Dippers hand trembled a moment, but only for one. You glanced over at him. The sun was hitting his brown eyes and lighting them like a lantern, but it was unmistakable the way they held his grimace. His gaze softened when he met your eyes, and he used your hand to crack his knuckles. 

You looked behind you. Mabel’s hand was covering her mouth, hiding a deep frown. She still had the bat at her side, but the way she held it made it seem even more like a cane or a brace. She sighed, and brought her other hand down on it, raising it like a baseball player. “Okay, I want to fuck him up.”

You grinned, “You taking first swing?”

Mabels hands tapped at the bat handle, and she sighed. She smiled, “Fuck yeah.”

Dipper nodded along, and the three of you approached the statue. His wide eye was pointed to the sky. His hand was still outstretched in the air, and looking at it you could almost feel the tingle in your palm from when you shook it.

And then he stopped having a hand. In one crisp swing, Mabel had taken it clean off. She stumbled back from the recoil, the bat crashing through the air with force before finally settling at her feet. Mabel laughed, maybe cackled. The bat didn’t even have a dent. She spat on his eye, “Take that you bitch!”

Mabels eyes sparkled with determination. “Who’s next?” She asked, pointing the bat between you and Dipper. 

He glanced at you, then back at his sister. “I’ll take a swing,” he said. Mabel tossed him the bat, and he caught it by his chest. 

For a moment you weren’t sure what he’d do. He stood over Bill, looking down into his stone eye for a good second. Then he sighed. First, he kicked him. 

“Get his ass,” Mabel encouraged. You added by cheering. 

Dipper smiled at the two of you, rolling his eyes as he raised the bay over his head. He held it there for a moment. “Fuck you, Bill,” he said coolly, and then swung it down on his eye. 

The bat bounced back, and Dipper dodged it coming for his face. This time, the tip had a dent where he’d hit. But the statue had more damage, a brittle chunk broken off, Bill was missing his pupil.

The statue must have been weathered down from years standing alone in this field. It had to be brittle, dry, cracking. The metal bat stood a good shot each hit. 

You grinned as Dipper smiled down at the damage. “Let me at him,” you said, holding your hands out and making grabby motions. Dipper flipped the bat in his hand, offering it to you handle first. You took it with a flourish. 

You stared down at him. This might’ve been like a funeral. There he was, dead. You must have been grinning like a maniac. You poked him with the bat. “Bill,” you said, rubbing your foot on his eye to get dirt in it. “Eat shit, and die.” 

For all he put you through, for all he put the twins through, for all he put your family, and the whole town through, you raised the bat, eyes pressed shut and sent it down with your whole body in a vicious arc.

You heard it before you saw it. The cracking sound. For a moment your head was light, and the ground was spinning. Too much head movement. You used the bat to steady yourself for a second, until Dipper and Mabel came at your sides to help you. You blinked, but for a good few seconds it was black and fuzzy even with eyes open. 

“Y/n?” Dipper said, prick creeping into his voice.

Your vision was coming back, though. You waved your hand, “I’m fine, I’m good, just went a little too hard,” you said, tapping the side of your head. 

“Well, at least you got him,” Mabel said, letting go of your arm and pointing down. 

Bill was beheaded. You’d hit where Dipper cracked him, and with enough force to cleave the top half of him off. Like you were his guillotine. It felt good. He was split down the eye, with dust and rubble resting on the grass between. You smiled, “shit, it was a good hit.”

Dipper sighed, pulling down the skin of his face for a moment. “That’s true,” he said. “But we’re here to wreck him, not you.”

”I’m fine, I’m good, it’s whatever,” you said, waving your hand. He raised his brow at you, and you winked and shot him a finger gun. He groaned. 

You tossed the bat to Mabel, “your turn.” 

She caught it with a spin, and hit a magical girl pose after.  “Alright, I got an idea,” she said, letting the bat swing at her side as she walked up to the head. She grinned, bending down to pick him up by the top hat. “Let’s play some fucking baseball,” she said, waving it around. You might have been unnerved by the disembodied eye pointed at you, but it was rubble enough not to bother you. “Who’s my pitcher,” she asked. 

Dipper snickered, rolling his eyes as he raised his hands to catch. “Hit my with it,” he sighed. 

She tossed his head and Dipper stepped back when he caught it. He turned to you, “stand somewhere it’s not gonna hit you in the head and kill you instantly.”

”Will do,” you laughed, moving a solid distance behind Mabel. Grinning, you pulled your phone out of your bag, turned it to night mode on the lowest brightness, and started recording. Concussion be damned, this was going on the vlog. You shot Dipper a thumbs up when you were ready. 

He nodded, and underhand tossed it to Mabel. Surprisingly, she hit it in one shot. The bat landed off centre, but with enough force to knock another chunk off as the bigger half went flying to the side. Little pebbles and dust fell to the ground and hung in the air where she’d swung. 

Mabel laughed. “Hold on, I want another shot,” she said, grabbing the big piece. The hat, along with a solid eye piece was still intact. She tossed it back to Dipper, who gave her another pitch.

This time, she hit it dead on, and the hat went down in four pieces, with pebbles and bits falling at her feet. Mabel cheered, “Yeah!” And kicked her foot out and pumped her fist. “Fuck that stupid hat!”

She turned to you for a moment. When she saw you were filming, she grinned, and struck a pose. 

When Bill Cipher was dust and pebbles in the grass, Dipper was out of breath from landing the last hits, beating him into the ground until all the biggest pieces were half buried. He dropped the bat, and for good measure, kicked up some of Bills dust. 

You and Mabel sat in the grass, palms dug in and parting the blades. Her legs were crossed, and yours were kicked out in front of you. For maybe the second time, the clouds were parted and the sky was blue at this clearing in the forest. 

Mabel turned to you, “So… this is where it happened?” She asked. “You- how you got possessed,” she spoke carefully, scanning your face for reaction.

You nodded, kicking your feet against the dirt, “Yeah.” You glanced at Dipper still standing by the statue and sighed. “And this is where you guys were, like, a bunch of years ago, too.”

She nodded, resting her head on her palms as she leaned on her legs. “I guess so,” she said. “After everything went back to normal, we never found him.”

A laugh under your breath escaped your lips. “Yeah, I can tell,” you said. You gestured your head to Dipper and the bat, and the stone crumbs at his feet, “You’d have done this years ago.”

Mabel smiled, “At least we’re doing it now.”

                                          …

The late summer heat was filling the shack. The windows were open with old and slightly tattered screens that let in a few flies. Mabel did her best to guide a couple fireflies back out, and Dipper complained about bug bites. Stan told him to suck it up and use bug spray.

After a fair amount of complaining, “We shouldn’t need to in the house, buy a new screen, old man,” Dipper relented. Stan snickered as he tossed the spray can between the two of you. 

Dipper begrudgingly closed his eyes and mouth, and started with spraying his head. 

When he was done, he turned to you. “Want some?” He asked, pointing the nozzle at your face. 

You could feel the beginnings of itching bites at your ankles, and smiled tiredly. You closed your eyes, “yeah, hit me with-“ He sprayed, and the second taste hit your tongue you recoiled. 

It sure did taste like chemicals. Betrayal. You glared at him. Dipper was snickering as you opened your eyes, mouth hanging open as you wiped your tongue on your arm. “Oh, you fuck,” you gaped, snatching the can from him and spraying your arms and legs. 

You gave him a pointed look when you were done. He still had a dumb smile, morphed into pressed shut lips as he saw the nozzle pointed at his face. He opened his mouth a smidge, but closed it in a second as he realized. 

He raised a finger, looking into your eyes. He shook his head, glancing from the bug spray to your face. You fought a smile as he used horrible made up sign language. He held up a little heart with his fingers as he shook his head. 

You pursed your lips. The smile was winning. You lowered the spray can, holding it at your side. 

He silently laughed, and let out a small sigh as he shook his head and put his hands on over her like a prayer, “You are kind-“

You sprayed his mouth a little. Just a spritz. He almost closed it in time, but you could tell by his scrunched face that he got a taste of it. And enough ended on his lips that he had to wipe them off. He frowned at you, defeated. But he didn’t have a comeback. “Ugh,” he managed. 

“Yeah,” you smirked. 

You smelled a little like bug spray for the rest of the night. And you’d guess that the pillows and the sheets would probably hold the smell at least until Stan got new screens. The bug spray taste only left your mouth when you brushed your teeth.

Dipper had a book you didn’t recognize cracked open as he read with his back against headboard of his bed. “Dip,” you said, swinging your leg up and kicking his mattress. “Started a new book without me?”

He smiled, slowly at the corners of his mouth until he broke with a small laugh. “Barely,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m on, like, page four.”

You guessed the unsaid part was probably; ‘because I could barely think enough to read the past few weeks.’ You did a favour to the both of you and kept it unsaid. 

“Well, then there’s time for me to catch up,” you said, extending your arm, “Hand it over.”

He obliged, and you hopped down next to him. Your vision went blurry for a few seconds, and black at the edges as your head moved fast. Blinking rapidly as it came back, you tried not to let it show much. Half blind, you stared at the words on the page until they made sense again.

And when you caught up, you could start reading it with him. That felt pretty familiar. 

Next

I’m finally free from the shackles of my own angst arc. Thank fuck. But like now I don’t know who I am without the angst arc 😭😭 like I had to go back and reread early chapters to remember what it was like 😭 also we are so close to being down the main story. I’m so nearly free.

Taglist: @dead-esque @cipheress-to-k-pop @phobo-ss

[tkachuktkaching]

The Second Line celebrating Matthew's Goal together

Florida Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett celebrate with Matthew Tkachuk after his goal during the third period of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 on Sunday, April 21, 2024, at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.

Photos

Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images

 Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

[bitchinbarzal]

NHL TEAMS WITH DESIGNATED DRIVER PROGRAMS 💙

taken from starryote on twitter

Anaheim Ducks (Honda Center)

Sign Up @ Guest Services in Section 214

Incentive: Entry to a raffle for a $200 gift card to the Ducks Team Store

Discount Codes for Lyft Rides on Holidays (Fourth of July, Labor Day Weekend, Halloween, Thanksgiving Eve, and New Years)

Carolina Hurricanes (PNC Arena)

Sign Up @ The Good Sport Designated Driver Station is located at Section 127, Across from the Guest Services

Incentive: Unknown

Flames (Scotiabank Saddledome) -

Sign Up @ The Budweiser Good Sport Booth

Incentive: A free coupon for a soft drink and will be entered into a draw to win a Good Sport gift package.

LA Kings (STAPLES Center)

Sign Up @ Their Website: cryptoarena.com/arena-info/res…

Incentive: Receive a coupon for one complimentary non-alcoholic beverage (redeemable at select concession stands) & entered into drawings for future games tickets w/ a grand prize of a suite seat

Edmonton Oilers (Rogers Place)

Sign Up @ Guest Services in Section 121, Section 129 or Section 230.

Incentive: Unknown

Canucks (Rogers Arena)

Sign Up @ Guest Services in Sections 104, 114, or 310

Registration is open until the end of first period every game.

Restrictions: Must be 19+ w/ valid drivers license & will be given designated wristbands.

Incentive: Coupon for free drink

Blackhawks (United Center)

Sign Up @ Gates 2 or 6 Guest Relations Booth

Restrictions: Must be 21+

Incentive: A coupon for one free regular size fountain soda

Colorado Avalanche (Pepsi Center)

Sign Up @ The Kiosk in Section 132 near the First Aid Station.

Restrictions: Must be 21+

Incentive: Unknown

Dallas Stars (American Airlines Center)

Sign Up @ Guest Relations

Incentive: Promotional Giveaway Items

Detroit Red Wings (Little Caesars Arena)

Sign Up @ The District Detroit App

Restrictions: Must be 21+

Incentive: Unique Bar Code for free Soda

Panthers (Amerant Bank Arena)

Sign Up @ Guest Relations

Incentive: Free Bottled Water or Soft Drink + Entered to Win Promotional Giveaway Items Monthly & Annually

Ottawa Senators (Canadian Tire Center)

Sign Up @ Guest Services Booth Behind Section 201 in Main Concourse

Incentive: Unknown

Lightning (Amalie Arena)

Sign Up @ Amalie Arena App

Incentive: Free Non-Alcoholic Beverage

Toronto MapleLeafs (Scotiabank Arena)

Sign Up @ Fan Services at Gate 1 or Section 301

Restriction: Must be 19+

Incentive: Free Coors Edge & Entered into a drawing to win a prize at end of the season.

NJ Devils (Prudential Center)

Sign Up @ Outside of Club Lounge East near Section 17.

Incentive: Free Drink Coupon & Entered into a raffle for a prize pack

Pittsburgh Penguins (PPG Paints Arena)

Sign Up @ The Designated Drivers Booth

Incentive: Free Drink Coupon

Washington Capitals (Capital One Arena)

Sign Up @ Responsibility Has Its Rewards booth at Section 108

Incentive: Entered for promotional give–a–ways and prizes.

Seattle Kraken (Climate Arena)

Sign Up @ Guest Services

Incentives: A free public transit ticket for safe transportation home at all publicly ticketed home games

Has a program, but no info:

- San Jose Sharks (SAP Center)

- Golden Knights (T-Mobile Arena)

- Minnesota Wild (Xcel Energy Center)

- Nashville Predators (Bridgestone Arena)

- St Louis Blues (Enterprise Center)

- Winnipeg Jets (Bell MTS Center)

- Boston Bruins (TD Garden)

- Buffalo Sabres (Keybank Center)

- Columbus Blue Jackets (Nationwide Arena)

- New York Rangers (Madison Square)

- Philadelphia Flyers (Wells Fargo Center)

Doesn’t have a dedicated program:

- Montreal Canadiens (Bell Centre)

- New York Islanders (UBS Arena)

[busaddablog]

Guide to Popular Travel Destinations Accessible by Bus with BusAdda in India

Travelling by bus is a convenient and economical way to explore the diverse and culturally rich destinations across India. With BusAdda, an online platform for booking bus tickets, you can easily plan your next adventure to some of the country's most sought-after destinations. Here's a detailed guide to a few of these popular travel spots, highlighting the attractions, activities, and transportation options available, while emphasising the ease of booking bus tickets online.

1. Goa: Sun, Sand, and Serenity

Attractions: Explore the golden beaches of Goa, including Calangute, Baga, and Anjuna. Visit historic landmarks like Aguada Fort and Basilica of Bom Jesus. Experience the vibrant nightlife at clubs and beach shacks.

Activities: Indulge in water sports such as parasailing, jet skiing, and banana boating. Take a cruise along the Mandovi River or venture into the lush greenery of Dudhsagar Waterfalls.

Transportation: BusAdda offers a range of bus services to Goa from major cities like Mumbai, Pune, and Bangalore. With flexible timings and comfortable seating options, booking your bus tickets online is hassle-free, allowing you to focus on enjoying your holiday.

2. Manali: Gateway to the Himalayas

Attractions: Marvel at the breathtaking landscapes of Manali, including snow-capped mountains, lush valleys, and pristine rivers. Explore Rohtang Pass, Solang Valley, and Hadimba Temple.

Activities: Engage in adventure activities such as trekking, paragliding, and river rafting. Relax in natural hot springs or go on scenic drives to nearby attractions like Kullu and Kasol.

Transportation: BusAdda provides convenient bus services to Manali from cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, and Shimla. Booking your bus tickets online ensures a smooth journey amidst the stunning vistas of the Himalayas.

3. Jaipur: The Pink City

Attractions: Discover the rich history and culture of Jaipur by visiting iconic landmarks such as Amber Fort, City Palace, and Hawa Mahal. Explore the colourful markets of Johari Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar.

Activities: Experience the royal heritage with elephant rides at Amer Fort, attend cultural performances at Chokhi Dhani, and indulge in traditional Rajasthani cuisine.

Transportation: BusAdda offers reliable bus services to Jaipur from cities like Delhi, Agra, and Ahmedabad. Booking your bus tickets online allows you to explore the vibrant streets of Jaipur with ease and convenience.

4. Munnar: Paradise in the Western Ghats

Attractions: Immerse yourself in the lush tea plantations, misty mountains, and cascading waterfalls of Munnar. Visit attractions like Mattupetty Dam, Eravikulam National Park, and Tea Museum.

Activities: Go trekking to Echo Point or Top Station for panoramic views. Enjoy boating in Kundala Lake or explore the local flora and fauna at Blossom International Park.

Transportation: BusAdda facilitates seamless bus travel to Munnar from cities like Kochi, Coimbatore, and Bangalore. By booking your bus tickets online, you can embark on a scenic journey through the Western Ghats without any hassle.

Whether you're seeking sun-soaked beaches, snow-clad mountains, royal heritage, or verdant landscapes, BusAdda offers convenient bus services to help you reach your desired destination in India. With easy online booking options, you can secure your bus tickets in advance, ensuring a stress-free and enjoyable travel experience.

[modern-harrypotter]

Young Adult Chronicles - 3

Part 3 of the Young Adult Chronicles! Meet the married kids - a whole bunch of “high school” sweethearts! Timeline is a little wobbly but it’s okay 👍

✨👇 Further Details Below 👇✨

Seamus and Dean got engaged a few months after the War finished with the Battle at Hogwarts, and got married on the one year. Harry had officiated, with plenty of press considering Harry shoved off the Ministry Gala to be there. Dean is an artist and taking commissions for muggle or magical services. Seamus is a house husband. They have three Irish Wolfhounds named Dionysus, Aphrodite and Hera.

Millicent and Daphne married in the same year, but they followed a more pure blood courtship, so their engagement and wedding was more of a private affair at the Ministry. They had a baby via surrogacy, with a male from the Bulstrode line and Daphne’s egg. Similar to In-Vitro Fertilization but with more wizard shit. Their daughter is Gabriella Jane Bulstrode-Greengrass, and she is only a few months old. Millicent and Daphne don’t work as they are busy with their baby. Millie is in the works of getting her Transfiguration mastery and Daphne works away at managing the estates they have. Both are heirs and are considered Lady Bulstrode-Greengrass. They often can be found attending various garden parties or outings with other ladies amongst the notable Purebloods who are more progressive.

Draco and Harry had a similar situation, with a small marriage at the Burrow, surrounded by their friends and family. Hermione officiated with Blaise and Ron as their best men (respectively). There was no press, no notice and no announcements. Harry was going to have a quiet wedding if it killed him. They never have announced it since then. Draco wants to announce it, if only so the letters flooding their mailbox would cease. The warding on it to deter the shameless witches and wizards begging for the more uncouth aspects of a relationship can only do so much. Draco would gladly take the Howlers over the sexual fantasies people kept sending his husband… A man can only take so much…

On a side note - Harry and Draco have considered adopting a child as well, but are in the mindset of waiting until Draco is home more instead of being elbows deep into his barrister work. Especially since Harry is teaching DADA at Hogwarts, they don’t have enough time to raise a child. They do have a cat named Lily (Orange Maine Coone) after Harry’s mother. They also help raise Teddy with Remus and Tonks as well!

Hermione and Pansy were recently married, and they had a very big wedding, celebrating the success of Hermione taking over the Ministry. Her political reforms have shaken the wizarding world of Britain but it’s been peaceful. They have no children and no plans on having children, but Hermione’s cat Crookshanks is still kicking!

Ginny and Luna aren’t married or engaged. They are solely just dating. They don’t have plans to marry, but they are young and there is no war forcing them to grow up any faster than they already have and are taking it slow and enjoying life.

Neville, Blaise and Ron are not married on paper, but they have taken each other’s last names which is the same for them. Neville and Blaise had a fight over who’s last name Ron would get, but eventually Ron pointed out that if Neville took Blaise’s and Blaise took his, then it was only fair that Ron would take Neville’s too make it even. He didn’t care for the Pureblooded aspect of what being a “Longbottom” or a “Zabini” would bring him, but rather he cared that each of them took another last name to tie them all together more seamlessly. No children but Ron took over for Madame Hooch as the flying instructor and he loves it! Neville is apprenticing under Professor Sprout for his Herbogy major and Blaise is happy being a kept man and maintaining their ever growing forest of plants and animals. They have two dogs, and a cat! (Named Felix (Yorkshire Terrier) Leigh (Teacup Poodle) and Harold (American Shorthaired Tabby (brindle coloring), in honor of the dearly departed Trevor. Neville insisted on the more human names because it’s a little funny.) Harold stats at Hogwarts with Neville and Ron in their shared office and room, while Felix and Leigh are at home with Blaise.

Lavender and Parvati are married! They live in France actually, but keep in touch with their Hogwarts alumni. Parvati is the Divination teacher now, after Trelawney retired after the War. Lavender keeps up their house and is neighbors with Fleur and Bill and their children! Lavender and Parvati have two children of their own - Twins named Nicholas and Calista. (Nick(ie) and Callie for short. They have a few aunts and uncles, like Uncle Ron, Blaise and Neville, Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur, Auntie Daphne and Millie, Aunt Hermione and Pansy, Uncle Harry and Draco, Uncle Theo and Mausi Padma. They were adopted into a magical family after their muggle parents gave them up after an incident of accidental magic almost set their house on fire. The French Ministry of Magic located and regimes the two magical children. The twins are 4 years old as of the “modern day”. Lavender and Parvati raise them to be bilingual in English and Hindi, but they are also learning French in primary school. They do know they are adopted but they love their mothers dearly!

Padma is living her best life learning Wandlore and getting her certifications in wand making. Ever since Ollivander told her that she had a knack for intuitions and the wand that chose her would be best suited for divinations- she spent most of her spare time studying Wands and how to make cores throughout her time at Hogwarts. She hated arithmancy as the tiring subject often caused her to derail from homework into the applications of her profession. She is set to open her own shop by the end of the year and allow Ollivander to retire from wands. He is insistent on helping her run her own shop though, primarily clerk and stockings.

Theodore has taken over the History of Magic classes. He has revitalized the curriculum to be more modern than 800 year old battles. When the First and Second Blood Wars arise, Headmistress McGonagall has school wide assembly with former students speaking about their experiences. Harry doesn’t speak much at these, instead has a class dedicated to answering questions from his students when Theodore covers the topic.

- Lots of headcanons but that’s the beauty of an AU.

[eaglemsjk]

Essential Documents and Application Process for Family Residency in Dubai

The principal visa holder, who is often the head of the household, is usually the one who supports family members' residency in Dubai. The general procedures and paperwork needed to sponsor family residency in Dubai are as follows:

Required Documents:

Sponsor’s Documents:

The original EID of the Sponsor

A copy of a current resident visa is required from the sponsor, who is often the family's head of household. The visa must be issued by the Dubai authorities.

Passport copy of the sponsor with a page for a current visa for residence

Proof of the sponsor's income and employment might be provided via a salary certificate or employment contract.

Family Member’s Documents:

Passport Copies of all the family members who will be sponsored's passports.

Recent passport-size pictures of every member of the family.

Birth Certificates: Copies of birth certificates for children who are dependents should be authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Marriage Certificate: If you are sponsoring a spouse, you must provide a copy of your marriage license that has been attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Family members typically need to get a medical checkup and present a certificate of good health. A chest X-ray and a blood test may be part of this.

Ejari/Tenancy Agreement:

Proof of Accommodation in Dubai. This could be a tenancy contract or a recent utility bill in the sponsor’s name.

Application Process:

Submit your entry permit and change of status applications via Amer Centres Dubai and Eagle Management Services. You'll need to patiently await the approval of these applications. Once approval is granted, your family members may be required to complete a medical examination at Salem Centers. Additionally, Emirates ID typing and biometric data collection will be necessary. The final step involves submitting and gaining approval for your residency application.

Please keep in mind that visa requirements and procedures are subject to change and can vary depending on your individual circumstances and visa category.

[switchintosex96]

Woke up this morning and walked round the dollhouse and found some fellow dolls who wanted to play we started engaging in amerous activities together we start around 9ish my time an just ended roughly and hr ago

We played together and everyone involved had fun, was serviced, and humilted except me the bun who managed to be on top this time but I thank my fellow dolls for trusting me w themselves and glad everyone had a good time and can't wait to play w them again

@localpuppything

@mousey-vivi

@lucyvaleheart

I also had a wonderful time with them and can't wait to play again

And thank you to Mistress @saphig-iawn

For keeping cute dolls to play w 🥰

[catdotjpeg]

At least 26 out of the 35 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are not functioning due to the lack of fuel and attacks by the Israeli army. In the northern Gaza Strip, the Indonesian Hospital has been bombed repeatedly by the Israeli army, which also ordered the evacuation of doctors and the wounded. This forced the Ministry of Health in Gaza to distribute the injured to hospitals in the central and southern Gaza Strip, including the European Gaza Hospital.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital is also under great pressure, after exceeding its capacity to receive people wounded in the Israeli attacks on towns and refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip, including Deir el-Balah, Nuseirat and Bureij. [The director of the European Gaza Hospital, Dr Youssef] Al-Aqqad urges international health and human rights organisations to intervene to stop “this hideous war” on Gaza. “I have never seen in my life hospitals that are besieged and bombed out of service and forced to discharge patients to leave their hospital beds before completing their recovery process,” he says. “What we are experiencing is the worst of all. Save what remains of the people of Gaza.”

-- From "‘Save what remains of Gaza’, hospital director says, amid bombing" by Ruwaida Amer for Al Jazeera, 29 Nov 2023

[uwmadarchives]

50 Years Ago: APA Removes "Homosexuality" From DSM Diagnoses

Written by Bailey Watson, LGBTQ+ Archive Student Processing Assistant

12/18/2023

December 15, 1973 - By a vote of 5,854 to 3,810, the American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in the DSM-II Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Content advisory: This post discusses the history of homosexuality in Western psychiatry and may contain offensive language or topics.

Last Thursday marked 50 years since the APA (American Psychiatric Association) removed “homosexuality” from its list of mental disorders. This change was made to the DSM-II Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the current edition as of 2023 is the DSM-5-TR). The long history of homosexuality being included with physical and mental disorders dates back to the 19th century with Western European theorists working towards an understanding of same-sex attraction, leading to the coinage of the term “homosexuality” or “homosexual.” While these early theories positioned same-sex attraction or desires as unnatural, other theorists of the same decades aimed to prove that homosexuality was not abnormal but instead a natural variance of human sexuality.

Photo Dr. Franklin Kameny from David Carter papers, Collection no. uac 183,  Box 5, Folder 49. 

The conversation around homosexuality as a disorder took a turn during the post-WWII period in the United States, during a phenomenon referred to as the “lavender scare.” This period, parallel to the “red scare” was a reaction to the Cold War policies and politics, resulting in the massive purge of homosexuals or suspected homosexuals from the federal government, and even further down to local governments (see here for information on UW-Madison’s history with the gay purges). Similarly, communists and suspected communists were also barred or purged from public service and government-contracted sectors. 

In response to these purges, the early gay rights movement, then known as the homophile movement focused on organizing and protesting the conditions that made up the lavender scare. These conditions included the DSM’s classification of homosexuality as a diagnosable disorder. To the early homophile movement, as to some early theorists, homosexuality was perfectly natural, and therefore they could not pose a threat to national security. 

One aspect of activism from this period was addressing the DSM's use of homosexuality as a diagnosable disorder. The homophile movement argued that sexuality had no bearing on mental health, and by stigmatizing the gay community, the DSM and APA were adding to the problem. Furthermore, by diagnosing people as "homosexual" the APA created a way to dismiss those voices and placed a barrier on the conversation on who was fit to participate in society freely and who was not.

Finally, in 1973 after years of protest and activism, the influence of activism, including the voice of Dr. Franklin Kameny (pictured above) and internal changes led to a new definition of mental disorder within the APA and thus removed homosexuality from diagnoses. A win for the homophile movement and a change that brought lasting and positive impacts to many people's lives, even 50 years later.

References and for further consideration:

Drescher, Jack. 2015. "Out of DSM: Depathologizing Homosexuality" Behavioral Sciences 5, no. 4: 565-575. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs5040565 (open access)

For more on Kameny and the early homophile movement, explore the David Carter papers, uac 182, located in the Madison LGBTQ+ Archive (housed at the University Archives, Steenbock Library)

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Ian Rowe

Published: Sep 14, 2023

Imagine you are twelve years old and your public-school teacher asks you and your seventh-grade classmates to stand side by side in a line. The instructor lists a series of personal attributes and says that you must take an action based on your alignment with a particular attribute, to demonstrate either your privilege or your disenfranchisement:

“If you are white, take two steps forward. If you’re a person of color with dark skin, take two steps back. If you’re black, take two steps back.”

This exercise, part of what is called a Colorism Privilege Walk, actually occurred at public schools in Evanston, Ill., and at many other schools across the country. According to the lesson plan, the goal was for white students to “learn more about white privilege, internalized dominance, microaggressions and how to act as an ally for students of color.” In other words, the point was to reveal the real sources of a person’s privilege: the unearned benefit of being white over the intrinsic victimhood of being nonwhite.

Because of these student Privilege Walks, and since the district had also conducted professional-development sessions that divided teachers by race, an Evanston teacher and the Southeastern Legal Foundation filed a lawsuit accusing Evanston School District 65 of violating the 14th Amendment’s equal-protection clause and Title VI’s prohibition on discrimination at federally funded educational institutions.

In all likelihood, these racially divisive practices in Evanston will be found legally impermissible — especially given the Supreme Court’s decision deeming race-based affirmative action unconstitutional in college admissions. Yet across a country now transfixed by the pursuit of equity, there is an obsession with determining what factors drive economic inequality and whether a person is inherently privileged or inherently oppressed based on a single characteristic, most notably race.

Against this backdrop, enter economist Melissa Kearney, who has done America a great service by publishing The Two-Parent Privilege. Kearney unequivocally states: “Marriage is the most reliable institution for delivering a high level of resources and long-term stability to children. There is simply not currently a robust, widespread alternative to marriage in US society.” In terms of benefits to children, not all family configurations are the same. Throughout the book, Kearney posits the necessary caveat that no person should remain in an unhealthy or violent marriage, but she makes plain the case that a married, two-parent household is generally superior to alternative arrangements such as cohabitation and single parenthood.

Rather than resort to making a moral or religious argument for marriage, Kearney, an MIT-trained economist, is determined to “bring the social science evidence on family structure from the obscurity of academic journals into the public conversation.”

Kearney simply sticks to the facts and makes an overwhelming data-based case that marriage and stable two-parent families matter monumentally to the life prospects of children — far more than the usually invoked suspects of race and gender. According to Kearney, in 2019, “77% of white children and 88% of Asian children lived with married parents. The share among Hispanic children was 62%. Only 38% of black children live with married parents — a historically low share that reflects a downward trend over four decades.” With such huge differences in family structure by race, how can one not fairly conclude that family-structure disparity is the greatest driving force behind racial disparities in education, crime, and virtually every area of concern for kids growing into young adulthood?

Indeed, Kearney surgically lays out the new dividing line in America’s quest for upward mobility:

There has been a massive widening of the family gap, such that a two-parent family has become yet another advantage in life enjoyed disproportionately by the college-educated class. The decline in the two-parent family among parents without a four-year college degree is a demographic trend that should concern anyone who cares about the well-being of children and about widespread economic opportunity, inequality, and social mobility in America.

One can only hope that during this election season presidential contenders emphasize how crucial healthy marriages and two-parent households are as the foundation for achieving virtually every social or economic policy objective. They would be wise to follow several of the policy recommendations in Kearney’s book, including, most notably, improving the economic position of non-college-educated men so that they are more reliable marriage partners and fathers. But Kearney recognizes that policy alone will not solve the problem. She strongly argues for a cultural shift that fosters a norm of two-parent homes, in part by simply being open and “honest about the benefits that a two-parent family home confers” on children.

In reviewing Kearney’s prescription, my only wish is that she had spent more time in two areas: (1) advocating that marriage and family structure become a standard data category through which child outcomes are analyzed, especially in education; and (2) identifying strategies to engage the rising generation to think differently about their decisions when it comes to the timing of their own family formation.

In regard to the former, the National Assessment for Educational Progress (a.k.a. the Nation’s Report Card) reports reams of educational data disaggregated by race, gender, geography, and other usual-suspect categories. But family structure is not one of them, despite the paramount role that marriage plays in influencing achievement gaps.

Including family structure could create opportunities to implement different types of interventions that could improve life outcomes for the next generation. For example, at Vertex Partnership Academies, the virtues-based high school I launched in the Bronx in 2022, in a class called Pathways to Power we teach the data associated with the “success sequence.” This is research that shows that the vast majority of young adults who graduate from high school, get full-time jobs, and marry before having children reach the middle class by their early 30s. Young people deserve to know this information, especially when they live in environments where most neighboring families have not followed that sequence.

* * *

In May 2001, writing for National Journal, Jonathan Rauch noted that, “according to Census Bureau data, a two-parent black household is more likely to be poor than is a two-parent white household, but both are far less likely to be poor than is a mother-only household of either race. In other words, if you are a baby about to be born, your best odds are to choose married black parents over unmarried white ones.”

Rauch was highlighting then what Kearney so effectively illustrates now, that in economic terms a parent’s marital status has displaced race and class as a primary driver of child poverty and upward mobility.

And perhaps this message is finally getting through. For evidence, look no further than a four-minute video titled “If someone doesn’t understand privilege, show them this.” Across Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and several media platforms, it has been viewed more than a staggering 125 million times. It captures another Privilege Walk, but in this case the personal attributes being presented are markedly different from those posed in Evanston.

The first two directives are: “Take two steps forward if both of your parents are still married. Take two steps forward if you grew up with a father figure in the home.”

In Kearney’s final chapter, she warns that “if millions of American children miss out on the benefits that come from a two-parent home and if the family gap continues to widen” then “children will suffer, inequality will continue to widen, and social mobility will erode.” It does not have to be this way. If we are brutally honest in accepting Kearney’s analysis of what truly privileges children, we know what the next steps forward should be.

[ Via: https://archive.md/F4YE8 ]

--

[ Source: Wikipedia ]

[ Source: Mother Jones ]

==

Stop blaming things on "systemic" -isms. There are often known or contributing factors at play, and refusing to acknowledge or address them is dishonest, not virtuous. It identifies nothing, solves nothing, and only serves to make people feel powerless, who are not actually powerless. Although, perhaps that's the point.

Where two-parent households are not possible, it should always default to joint/shared custody, rather than sole custody, with sole only as a last resort when unavoidable.

Joint custody should be the rule, not the exception

Children Likely to Be Better Adjusted in Joint vs Sole Custody Arrangements in Most Cases, According to Review of Research

The Consequences of Fatherlessness