#and no we do not riot at representatives house

[gwenfr]

People seriously need to read the notes of french peoples on this post and other french-news post. It's really insane how this posts are misleading and idealising France when it's hard for a lot of people to live here...

I don't even understand the point of the first tweets ? We only have 20min to 2h max to eat and the majority of peopele are at 20min not 2h.

35work week but it's not the maximal we can have. A lot of people have more than that and others less so I don't really understand in what way that's important ?

Maybe it's good we have universal healthcare but we have so little of doctors and it's so hard to have any appointments with one... In a lot of cities you have to wait at least a year to have any medical appointments. Even a lot of hospital have to close at night, and yes even the emergency department, because of the lack of medical professionals...

The cost of electricity, gasoline and just things, essential products are up for some months now, and a lot of people can't afford to pay those things, and for example a lot of little stores had to close because of those bills being too high...

I know it' worse in other countries but please don't describe France as the best when clearly it's not...

The French really don’t fuck around.

[solar-sunnyside-up]

hey! sorry to bother you, but is there anything a teen without transportation in a rural area can do on their own? im pretty isolated, and theres barely anything around me.

Hey ya sprout 🌱

**A disclaimer Punk comes with some risk socially. Particularly if your in a rural area this risk goes up bc people Know You and also typically these spaces have a different vibe to alt ppl in general. Some activities are more or less risky and I'll try and do my best to give you a range of stuff from the whole spectrum! Of course this is a generalization of rural areas. Some palaces will be more cool then others depending in so many factors I couldn't go into here**

Rural solarpunk

Your gunna been to pick a topic, sorry babe. In order to not burn yourself out and in order to feel like you have an impact your gunna have to pick a cause to chip away at but I'll give you ideas! And remember just bc your focusing on one thing doesn't mean your ignoring or not helping others. Everything is interconnected and any help, helps all!

So let's give you some ideas to focus on:

Libraries- as a teen in particular you'll have access to a library at school, but depending on how big your town is you might have a public one as well. Become their biggest supporter! They are a great safe space, even conservative ones are still a good place to go for archiving/loitering purposes. They give you spaces to print stuff, to build clubs and community.

Archiving- if you cannot leave your house due to access you can always do stuff online and hear me out, i know when we do stuff online it feels like half points. Like we arent doing anything. I feel that with this blog, it feels so passive no matter how hard you work youll feel lesser. But Archiving is vital to humans! Think of the anthropologists wholl thank you down the road! Plus it does actually give you a way to have a physical representative of work your doing. Dvds, pirating media and archiving them to drives, collecting vinyls/tapes/cds!

DIY- To fight against fast fashion (although that barely exists in the towns I've been in tbh) and to stick out** you could make your own patches, battlejackets, gloves, etc.. They are statement pieces you can wear whenever your in town/at school/social spaces that ppl know what you stand for and who you are. Depending on who/where you are this might be risky so take what you can bare ok? You don't have to wear these items too you can just make them for later on!

Little libraries/little pantries- in a rural space you have more Gruella tactics you can take if you do them in random abandoned spaces. You could build a waterproof little pantry and stock it and leave info somewhere about it for ppl to drop off/pick up items. Stock it with mittens! With canned goods! With books! You might be able to do a space like this at school/library depending in how cool your town is too!

Zines- You could look into making a zine and even if it's digital you could have the QR code for download in places (stickers on lamp posts, flyers in school bathrooms, hidden in a churches pamphlet stacks >.>) making a zine is a cool task that is time consuming and informative and fun!

Vandalism- like I said you can often print off stuff at Libraries, or usually you can find a place to print stuff off near or at post offices depending on how modern your rural space is. if you have your own printer this will reduce your risk by quite a bit though! Create/find stickers or posters you want to toss across town or even school. I'd recommend starting off with some stickers and see how their handled, dipping your toes is important with these kinda things. If your really feeling it, and you know some abandoned places Moss Graffiti is also a good option! I've know ppl who have converted old abandoned stored to skate parks (I honestly have no idea how they built the ramps out of concrete but damn!! Good job guys!)

Also I'll leave you with 2 book recommendations as well-

Moxie - a RIOT GRRRL story about a girl who gets so fed up with her conservative town she makes a feminist zine and distributes it via girl bathrooms (even having a basically me too stickers and encouraging ppl to put it on boys lockers who have assaulted them). I know there's a movie, didn't seem to capture the same vibe tho so book!

Braiding Sweetgrass - this focuses a lot on reconnecting and adding story to nature around us and having science along side spirituality

[thememoryofthatday]

A few miles from my house, there is a church where I take my daughter to get pumpkins every fall. As an atheist, I normally don't support churches, but this one doesn't bother me. My husband and I call it the gay church because they proudly fly a bunch of LGBTQIA+ flags out front, and their slogan is "A Place Where All Are Welcome." Their pumpkin patch proceeds don't go to missionary work; they go to supporting homeless teens and other actual charitable causes.

When we first moved here, the gay church would host various fundraisers for those charitable causes. One of these events was a family-friendly drag bingo night. Remember not too long ago how there was a big push by conservative groups to ban drag shows all over the USA? The gay church got caught up in that, suddenly becoming a target for far-right protests.

By some weird chance, I didn't drive past the gay church the day it happened. I drive past it most days, so I was surprised the next day when I saw the news. Neo-Nazi groups, including the Proud Boys, Patriot Front, and the Aryan Freedom Network came out to protest this tiny little church where we buy our pumpkins. Many of them were armed with assault rifles; some waved Nazi flags and gave Nazi salutes. Counter-protesters stood in front of the church with signs and pride flags, too. Police in riot gear had to keep them apart.

The local news reported that the two sides were at odds over "providing a safe place for all" vs. "advocating for children in the community," which is an absurd way of putting it, but sure. What struck me most about the reports, though, was not that they ignored the presence of the Nazi groups or carefully edited their footage to avoid showing any swastikas that were present. It was the non-Nazi protesters who came out to picket the church, themselves representing churches or other religious groups. Those protesters complained about being grouped in with the Nazis, whom they found despicable, and it made me laugh because... I mean, you chose your side of the street, didn't you? You might not be able to control who else was on that side, but you sure as hell had control over whether or not to join them.

That's how I feel about the people who voted for Trump in this election (and the last one, and the one before that). Trump himself has told us that there are very fine people on both sides, and to be honest, I kind of understand that. Everyone wants to think of themselves as a good person; even those who don't think they're particularly good still think they're at least right in their beliefs about the world. Everyone is the protagonist of their own life story, and few ever think of themselves as being on the wrong side of anything.

Maybe most of those Trump voters are very polite. Maybe they love animals and do charitable work and donate to causes that those of us on the political left would happily donate to. Maybe they make the best brownies you've ever had and always tip well. Maybe they're friendly with their neighbors even though their neighbors are immigrants. Maybe they are immigrants themselves.

But whatever else they might be, they picked their side, and it wasn't the side of inclusion or kindness. They crossed the street and stood next to the Nazis.

So to all the very fine people out there who voted for Trump, whether you did it because you sincerely believe that public schools are performing sex-change operations on children or whether you just wanted another fucking tax cut, recognize that you banded together with the worst elements of our society in order to achieve your goal. We on the left get taken to task for lumping you in with Nazis, but you lumped yourself in with them by choice. The Nazis are celebrating right now because of the decision you made. They couldn't have won without you.

Go sit in that for a while.

[paladinia]

June 28th, 1969

Happy anniversary to the Stonewall Riots. Remember the people who fought for our riots. Remember what they sacrificed.

Cops are bastards. They are not our friends and we cannot trust them. The government is filled with conservative bastards who want us to die.

Happy one year anniversary of my parents deciding that I wasn't worth their love and acceptance. Happy 6 months since last contact with either of them.

Don't lose hope. Vote in November. Keep Biden in office, plan for the future, stay safe. The supreme court has 6 christian fascists on it. The senate has 50 of them. The House of representatives has about 210 of them. They do not want us safe. They do not want us free. They do not want us happy.

Vote blue down the ballot in November. Be registered, be ready. Have plans.

[justrainandcoffee]

“Come on, baby, light my fire” (Alfie Solomons x fem!oc) Part 1

Story masterlist - Alfie x Rose masterlist

Summary: The first time he saw her was on TV in middle of a riot caused after the assumption of the new Prime Minister. Then, as if the fate was determined to force them to meet Alfie and Rose crossed paths more than once.

Warning: None. But if you support police, this fic isn't for you. ||Alternate universe. Fireman!AU || I'm perfectly aware that it's not THAT easy to set a kitchen on fire, but welcome to fiction. ||

Words: 2.3k

Try now we can only lose and our love become a funeral pyre, come on baby, light my fire come on baby, light my fire.

The Doors.

People think that the policy of "not romantic relationship between employees" that some workplaces have, can be considered medieval, old fashioned and oppressive. Because what can be better than work with the person you chose to love? Stolen glances, smiles across the room. Secret kisses behind the door. Perfect, until the couple breaks up. Then the harmonic paradise becomes in hell.

Quite accurate, thought Alfie looking at Thomas Shelby passing by in front of him. Tommy was still wearing the gear, except the helmet, after the last call they received. He avoided his gaze and kept walking. They still talked, they had to because it was necessary to communicate to operate effectively, but they didn't talk about what happened between them.

Alfie let out a grunt when he removed his heavy boots and also his jacket. There, with only his pants, socks and a white t-shirt, he leaned against the bench and let his back rest.

His dog approached him and rested his big head on his knees. Alfie caressed him behind the ears.

"How are you, buddy?"

Cyril was a puppy that someone, for some reason, abandoned in front of the headquarters two years and since then, two years later, he was the official pet of this fire department located in Camden Town. Although Cyril was never trained to be a rescue dog, he was an honorary member of the team.

The animal looked at him with his deep brown eyes and Alfie chuckled "come on, I'm going to give you a treat." His back wasn't happy to move again, but he was hungry too, so he needed to eat as well.

Some of his men were also there, resting and chatting. He cared about them, despite his reputation of being a grumpy man. Captain Solomons inspired fear in some of them, especially the younger ones and he was aware of it. He needed to keep the discipline and if being grumpy was the best way to do it, then fine. But not so deep down, he was a good man and his men trusted him.

Cyril was finally eating from his bowl and Alfie already microwaved his own food, something that he didn't like, but there in the headquarters the options were limited.

The TV was on, although almost none of them were paying attention to the news. Riots. Nothing new. Since the new Prime Minister assumed, those against the Tories went out to protest as it was usual.

Alfie kept looking at the TV screen. A group of rioters was painting the walls around 10 Dowing Street, while others were throwing rocks and everything they had in their hands to the police. Something similar was happening near the Parliament where a bigger group was setting on fire a mannequin representing the PM. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

A brown haired girl with a megaphone was congratulating the multitude that went there and asked to those watching or hearing from their houses, to join them and protest against 'the bleached fucker and the pigs.'

"Another one who thinks that can end with a government by causing disturbance" Alfie moved his head towards the voice in front of him.

"Well, Tommy, she's doing more for something she believes than you complaining here, chewing a mint gum."

"Just wait until we have to go there to extinguish the fire started by them."

"Your friends, the fucking cops, will take care of them, as usual, Tom. So don't worry. It's called repression."

"It's called keeping the order. And they're not my friends."

"They're more friends to you than they're to me. Policemen, they cannot be trusted."

.

Alfie was right. Police arrested several of them for disturbance in public spaces. They were going to release soon and the only consequence of their actions for now, was a legal folder containing their arrest records.

Some of them got their freedom after few questions or right after the police got their fingerprints. Others, were still there. The girl who had the megaphone among them.

"If there's not female officers, then, don't you fucking dare to put your dirty, bloody hands on me, motherfucker. You're going to regret it when I put your fucking name in every social media: Gregory Williams, first officer, touched an unarmed woman. Do you want a legion of feminists in front your police department? Because I can do that."

The man pushed her against chair "just waited there, Coldwell! It's always a pleasure to host you here. Your cell is waiting for you."

"S.M.P"

"I don't know what that means, but I'm assuming that you are sending regards to my mother."

"Your mother is not the one to blame, she's not guilty of what you are. S.M.P, means suck my pussy. I'm already under arrest, the least I can do now is let out the hatred in my heart."

It was good that one of her younger brothers was a lawyer. Instead of spending a whole day there, they let her out before midnight, even when Williams was willing to leave her there for two weeks.

"I'll be back, fucker."

"Rose, shut up," his brother Samuel, the lawyer, grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the police department. "One day, it will cost you more than a bail."

"I did nothing, Samuel. Prisons are overpopulated with criminals, killers, rapists and the worst of all, according to them: innocent people. So, I don't fit in any category therefore, I'm fine. But thanks again, Sam."

"Don't mention it. Are you going to your apartment?"

"Yes. I need to walk. I call you when I'm there."

"Ok. Take care, Rosie."

Rose put her hands in her pockets and began to walk. The streetlights, the shop signs and the cars illuminated her way. Was it worth? Yes, definitely. No one in humanity got anything by saying please and thank you. Humans were born to fight. In wars or in daily life, but everything was a battle with few moments of peace.

Rose always felt inside her, probably in another life, she did something similar too. Maybe worse. Fighting for people's rights was something that she was born with. But she didn't know why.

She stopped by a coffee shop to buy a latte. It was late, but who were going to stop her? Besides, she was hungry and last time she ate something was that morning when had her breakfast.

.

Alfie ended his shift gladly to return home without any major accidents that day. A sandwich was what he wanted. Around the corner was a coffee shop opened 24 hours and had the most delicious cheese sandwich that he knew. His stomach growled in anticipation of the feast.

The place was almost empty except for two men holding hands at a table and the girl in front of him waiting for her coffee. He looked at the couple and couldn't help but think about him and Tommy. It was long time ago to be considered ancient history and yet, it was yesterday at the same time.

He turned his gaze towards the list of coffees there and thought that maybe he could order one like the girl in front of him did.

The girl.

Alfie paid attention to the woman there and he recognised her from the news he saw earlier that day. So, she was fine, after all. The news also showed later how police apprehended the rioters and take them to the station.

Alfie cleared his throat making her to look at him for the first time.

"Good night," he said.

"Good night."

"I know you."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Really? Because I don't know you." Rose, looked at him. Really looked at him. A tall, bearded and, in her eyes, a good-looking man. Yet, she knew very well that creepy men where everywhere and some were handsome. So her mind was in alert. Just in case.

"I saw you today in the news. Megaphone in hand."

"Oh, I didn't know I was in the news."

"Problematic people tend to be famous."

"Excuse me, are you calling me problematic?"

The barista had the cup of coffee in his hands to give it to her, but he was also interested in the current conversation. Nights used to be way boring.

"Someone inciting violence in the streets isn't an angel."

"What are you? A cop?"

"Fucking ridiculous! I prefer to be dead before being a cop. I'm just saying, sweetheart."

She frowned "well, congratulations then, anonymous man. You get it very well who I am."

Rose finally grabbed the coffee that the barista prepared, thanked at the boy and went out.

"If i were your age, man, I'd ask her, her telephone number," the barista said preparing the sandwich that Alfie ordered.

"What do you mean my age? I'm just 30!"

"I'm just saying, sir."

Insolent kid. Alfie chose not to order the coffee and also left the place after paying for it.

The young woman wasn't near to be seen anymore.

.

Her head hurt the next morning. She slept very bad and the sound of workers on the other side of the street didn't help at all. Next to her in bed, her English bulldog called CPU, was snoring.

"Lucky lady," Rose thought looking at her.

She let her dog sleep, although CPU probably will be demanding food soon.

It was an ordinary breakfast what started everything. The same she prepared to her day after day. Although in fact, it wasn't the breakfast per se what caused the incident but a series of unfortunate events.

The kitchen cloth was in the counter and the burner was on. Maybe, a part of the cloth was touching the fire.

Kitchen is a dangerous place if you're not careful. And she Rose hadn't been careful. Not with the migraine accentuating her bad mood and tired as she was. Maybe, if CPU had been awake asking her to be fed then Rose could have noticed the first flames, but she wasn't. After drinking her tea and taking an aspirin she went back to bed. She didn't check the burner at all.

The cooking oil was also in the counter and the fire began to melt the plastic bottle, causing the oil started to spread over the floor and the flames followed the path.

CPU started to bark, but Rose was too tired to understand what was happening.

Until the smoke started to fill the whole apartment. Grey and thick like the things you saw in movie.

"Fucking God!" Rose jumped out of the bed, only to see her place covered by it. Coughing, she dragged her dog out of there. Her phone, remained inside.

It was a neighbour who called the fire department. The smell of smoke was reaching his own apartment. They arrived pretty quickly.

.

"New day, new problem," Alfie said driving the truck trough the street with the sirens on.

He saw the smoke as soon as he turned the corner. People outside were looking at the place where the fire started.

"Get the ladder!" One of the fireman yelled.

"Anyone inside the house?" Alfie asked to one of the neighbours.

"No. That girl and her dog live there, but she went out just in time. Both of them" and old lady replied.

While his men were climbing, he turned around to see the owner of the apartment.

You're kidding me.

"So, the problematic girl is causing problems as expected."

Rose, still hugging CPU, raised her eyes to see the man in front of her. The distinctive gear: turnout pants and jacket, helmet and boots gave him the appearance of someone bigger. Yet, despite the helmet, she recognised him. Of course she did.

"Are you a fireman?"

"Unless you guess I'm a freak wearing this thing that is heavy as fuck, then I'm a fireman, sweetheart. The Captain, in fact."

"Good."

"You need to tell me what happened. Do you need medical assistance?"

"No, I don't. I'm fine. She's fine too," Rose said refering to her dog. "But I guess my fucking apartment is not. I don't know what happened, but probably I left the burner on. I don't remember. I woke up feeling really bad so I made tea, took an aspirin and went back to bed. When my dog started to bark much later I saw the smoke. That's all."

"Ok, fine. Don't worry, accidents happen all the time. My men will take care of it and will determine what happened. Sadly until you can hire people to fix this mess you can't live here."

"Yes, I know. I'll be back to my mother's place."

"It's a good choice."

She nodded. It was the only place she knew, on the other hand. The firemen were still working behind his Captain while he was filling out a form that after few minutes he handled to her.

"Routine paperwork just to demonstrate that we worked here," he said as she started to fill her personal data there. She gave the papers back to him, who smiled.

"Well, Rose Elizabeth Coldwell, also known as problematic girl. I'm Captain Solomons, but you can call me Alfie."

And he winked at her.

[haggishlyhagging]

It would take Diane Joyce nearly ten years of battles to become the first female skilled crafts worker ever in Santa Clara County history. It would take another seven years of court litigation, pursued all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, before she could actually start work. And then, the real fight would begin.

For blue-collar women, there was no honeymoon period on the job; the backlash began the first day they reported to work—and only intensified as the Reagan economy put more than a million blue-collar men out of work, reduced wages, and spread mounting fear. While the white-collar world seemed capable of absorbing countless lawyers and bankers in the 80s, the trades and crafts had no room for expansion. "Women are far more economically threatening in blue-collar work, because there are a finite number of jobs from which to choose," Mary Ellen Boyd, executive director of Non-Traditional Employment for Women, observes. "An MBA can do anything. But a plumber is only a plumber." While women never represented more than a few percentage points of the blue-collar work force, in this powder-keg situation it only took a few female faces to trigger a violent explosion.

Diane Joyce arrived in California in 1970, a thirty-three-year-old widow with four children, born and raised in Chicago. Her father was a tool-and-die maker, her mother a returned-goods clerk at a Walgreen's warehouse. At eighteen, she married Donald Joyce, a tool-and-die maker's apprentice at her father's plant. Fifteen years later, after working knee-deep in PCBs for years, he died suddenly of a rare form of liver cancer.

After her husband's death, Joyce taught herself to drive, packed her children in a 1966 Chrysler station wagon and headed west to San Jose, California, where a lone relative lived. Joyce was an experienced bookkeeper and she soon found work as a clerk in the county Office of Education, at $506 a month. A year later, she heard that the county's transportation department had a senior account clerk job vacant that paid $50 more a month. She applied in March 1972.

"You know, we wanted a man," the interviewer told her as soon as she walked through the door. But the account clerk jobs had all taken a pay cut recently, and sixteen women and no men had applied for the job. So he sent her on to the second interview. "This guy was a little politer," Joyce recalls. "First, he said, 'Nice day, isn't it?' before he tells me, 'You know, we wanted a man.' I wanted to say, 'Yeah, and where's my man? I am the man in my house.' But I'm sitting there with four kids to feed and all I can see is dollar signs, so I kept my mouth shut."

She got the job. Three months later, Joyce saw a posting for a "road maintenance man." An eighth-grade education and one year's work experience was all that was required, and the pay was $723 a month. Her current job required a high-school education, bookkeeping skills, and four years' experience— and paid $150 less a month. "I saw that flier and I said, ‘Oh wow, I can do that.’ Everyone in the office laughed. They thought it was a riot. . . . I let it drop."

But later that same year, every county worker got a 2 to 5 percent raise except for the 70 female account clerks. "Oh now, what do you girls need a raise for?" the director of personnel told Joyce and some other women who went before the board of supervisors to object. "All you'd do is spend the money on trips to Europe." Joyce was shocked. "Every account clerk I knew was supporting a family through death or divorce. I'd never seen Mexico, let alone Europe." Joyce decided to apply for the next better-paying "male" job that opened. In the meantime, she became active in the union; a skillful writer and one of the best-educated representatives there, Joyce wound up composing the safety language in the master contract and negotiating what became the most powerful county agreement protecting seniority rights.

In 1974, a road dispatcher retired, and both Joyce and a man named Paul Johnson, a former oil-fields roustabout, applied for the post. The supervisors told Joyce she needed to work on the road crew first and handed back her application. Johnson didn't have any road crew experience either, but his application was accepted. In the end, the job went to another man.

Joyce set out to get road crew experience. As she was filling out her application for the next road crew job that opened, in 1975, her supervisor walked in, asked what she was doing, and turned red. "You're taking a man's job away!" he shouted. Joyce sat silently for a minute, thinking. Then she said, "No, I'm not. Because a man can sit right here where I'm sitting."

In the evenings, she took courses in road maintenance and truck and light equipment operation. She came in third out of 87 applicants on the job test; there were ten openings on the road crew, and she got one of them.

For the next four years, Joyce carried tar pots on her shoulder, pulled trash from the median strip, and maneuvered trucks up the mountains to clear mud slides. "Working outdoors was great," she says. "You know, women pay fifty dollars a month to join a health club, and here I was getting paid to get in shape." The road men didn't exactly welcome her arrival. When they trained her to drive the bobtail trucks, she says, they kept changing instructions; one gave her driving tips that nearly blew up the engine. Her supervisor wouldn't issue her a pair of coveralls; she had to file a formal grievance to get them. In the yard, the men kept the ladies' room locked, and on the road they wouldn't stop to let her use the bathroom. "You wanted a man's job, you learn to pee like a man," her supervisor told her.

Obscene graffiti about Joyce appeared on the sides of trucks. Men threw darts at union notices she posted on the bulletin board. One day, the stockroom storekeeper, Tony Laramie, who says later he liked to call her "the piglet," called a general meeting in the depot's Ready Room. "I hate the day you came here," Laramie started screaming at Joyce as the other men looked on, many nodding. "We don't want you here. You don't belong here. Why don't you go the hell away?"

Joyce's experience was typical of the forthright and often violent backlash within the blue-collar work force, an assault undisguised by decorous homages to women's "difference." At a construction site in New York, for example, where only a few female hard-hats had found work, the men took a woman's work boots and hacked them into bits. Another woman was injured by a male co-worker; he hit her on the head with a two-by-four. In Santa Clara County, where Joyce worked, the county's equal opportunity office files were stuffed with reports of ostracism, hazing, sexual harassment, threats, verbal and physical abuse. "It's pervasive in some of the shops," says John Longabaugh, the county's equal employment officer at the time. "They mess up their tools, leave pornography on their desks. Safety equipment is made difficult to get, or unavailable." A maintenance worker greeted the first woman in his department with these words: "I know someone who would break your arm or leg for a price." Another new woman was ordered to clean a transit bus by her supervisor—only to find when she climbed aboard that the men had left a little gift for her: feces smeared across the seats.

In 1980, another dispatcher job opened up. Joyce and Johnson both applied. They both got similarly high scores on the written exam. Joyce now had four years' experience on the road crew; Paul Johnson only had a year and a half. The three interviewers, one of whom later referred to Joyce in court as "rabble-rousing" and "not a lady," gave the job to Johnson. Joyce decided to complain to the county athrmative action office.

The decision fell to James Graebner, the new director of the transportation department, an engineer who believed that it was about time the county hired its first woman for its 238 skilled-crafts jobs. Graebner confronted the roads director, Ron Shields. "What's wrong with the woman?" Graebner asked. “I hate her," Shields said, according to other people in the room. "I just said I thought Johnson was more qualified," is how Shields remembers it. "She didn't have the proficiency with heavy equipment." Neither, of course, did Johnson. Not that it was relevant anyway: dispatch is an office job that doesn't require lifting anything heavier than a microphone.

Graebner told Shields he was being overruled; Joyce had the job. Later that day, Joyce recalls, her supervisor called her into the conference room. "Well, you got the job," he told her. "But you're not qualified." Johnson, meanwhile, sat by the phone, dialing up the chain of command. "I felt like tearing something up," he recalls later. He demanded a meeting with the affirmative action office. "The affirmative action man walks in," Johnson says, "and he's this big black guy. He can't tell me anything. He brings in this minority who can barely speak English . . . I told them, 'You haven't heard the last of me.'" Within days, he had hired a lawyer and set his reverse discrimination suit in motion, contending that the county had given the job to a "less qualified" woman.

In 1987, the Supreme Court ruled against Johnson. The decision was hailed by women's and civil rights groups. But victory in Washington was not the same as triumph in the transportation yard. For Joyce and the road men, the backlash was just warming up. "Something like this is going to hurt me one day," Gerald Pourroy, a foreman in Joyce's office, says of the court's ruling, his voice low and bitter. He stares at the concrete wall above his desk. "I look down the tracks and I see the train coming toward me."

The day after the Supreme Court decision, a woman in the county office sent Joyce a congratulatory bouquet, two dozen carnations. Joyce arranged the flowers in a vase on her desk. The next day they were gone. She found them finally, crushed in a garbage bin. A road foreman told her, "I drop-kicked them across the yard."

-Susan Faludi, Backlash: the Undeclared War Against American Women

[catdotjpeg]

Early this morning, around 1:20 AM EDT, an autonomous group of students liberated a building on the Columbia campus, renaming it "Hind's Hall" in honor of the six year old girl in Gaza who was trapped in a car with her family and martyred while awaiting help from paramedics. Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) released a press statement shortly after:

After 206 days of genocide and over 34,000 Palestinian martyrs, Columbia community members took back Hamilton Hall just after midnight. An autonomous group reclaimed Hind's Hall, previously known as "Hamilton Hall," in honor of Hind Rajab, a Gazan martyr murdered at the hands of the genocidal Israeli state at the age of six years old. This escalation represents the next generation of the 1968, 1985, and 1992 student movements which Columbia once repressed yet celebrates today. Protestors have voiced their intention to remain at Hind's Hall until Columbia concedes to CUAD's three demands: divestment, financial transparency, and amnesty.

Resistance is justified in the movement for liberation. Liberators acting in solidarity with Palestine continue to hold themselves to a higher standard than Columbia. This university repeatedly endangers its students by instituting a police state with military-style checkpoints, repressing and isolating students on campus, calling armed riot cops for the largest mass arrests on campus since1968, and weaponizing food insecurity and houselessness as leverage in negotiations. Columbia has forced protestors to escalate by contributing to a genocide while refusing to follow baseline standards of conduct that make negotiation possible.

As this group continues to hold down Hind's Hall, we reiterate that CUAD's encampment is a peaceful form of protest as demonstrated over the last 12 days. Students and community members are risking suspension and arrest to end the true state of emergency on campus, Columbia's complicity in the genocide in Gaza. Taking back our own campus is the only and last response to an institution that obeys neither its own "rules" nor ethical mandates, which is why we began the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. We call on the press and members of the public to hold Columbia accountable for any disproportionate response to students' actions today. To Columbia's administrators and trustees: do not incite another Kent or Jackson State by bringing soldiers and police officers with weapons onto our campus. Students' blood will be on your hands.

We are grateful for the brave students and community members who put themselves in harm's way to protest Columbia's complicity. Taking over a building is a small risk compared to the daily resistance of Palestinians in Gaza. As we inch toward Israel's planned invasion of Rafah, which now houses over 1.5 million displaced Palestinians, it is more urgent than ever to fight Columbia's contributions to the ongoing murder, maiming, and forced starvation of millions of Palestinians. We cannot sit by as our tuition and labor support mass murder.

For the last two weeks students have put their safety, homes, education, and careers in jeopardy,knowing no universities remain in Gaza due to US-funded bombs. As members of the imperial core.the least we can do is pressure this university to divest. Open the gates, end the occupation, and welcome the free movement of all people, from Palestinians to our neighbors in Harlem; from the river to the sea. We cannot act for our Palestinian comrades, but we see them; we are with them. We are honored to join the mass movement of students, workers, and comrades across the world in the fight for Palestinian liberation.

Sent from the People's University for a Liberated Palestine.

[eretzyisrael]

HARIF urges sending letters on Jewish refugees to parliamentarians

Jewish refugees from Arab countries are an issue at the heart of any understanding of  conflict in the Middle East.  Yet they are so often ‘erased’ from the narrative or their story distorted.  Alarmed at the lies, misinformation and omissions about Jews and Israel – contributing to skyrocketing antisemitism – HARIF, the UK Association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, has launched a letter-writing campaign to raise awareness of Jewish refugees in the new Labour government and among the new crop of politicians taking their places at Westminster.  Harif has composed a sample letter (below)  for its supporters to send to their MPs (Full list at the We work for you website). If you do not live in the UK, you can adapt the letter  to be sent to US Congressmen, Senators or other political representatives.

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear

I am writing as a constituent of yours to draw your attention to a neglected aspect of the Israel/Palestine conflict – namely the human rights issue of Jewish refugees from Arab countries. I  ask for your support in ensuring that this issue be given equal prominence with the far more familiar issue of Arab/Palestinian refugees from 1948.

In fact,  a larger number of Jewish refugees  –  850,000 – were driven out from Arab countries at the same time,  for no reason other than they shared the ethnicity and religion of  Israelis.  The majority of the Jewish refugees found a new home in Israel without the aid of UNRWA, and today constitute, with their descendants, 53 percent of the Jews of Israel.  However, some tens of thousands were resettled in the UK.

The 7 October Hamas massacre has stirred painful memories among these Middle Eastern and North African Jews. Many suffered similar violent episodes  before the creation of Israel.

In addition, there is no question that in 1947-48  Arab countries deliberately targeted their Jewish populations with discriminatory laws. 

On Sunday 16th May 1948 the New York Times carried a headline: ‘JEWS IN GRAVE DANGER IN ALL MOSLEM LANDS’, with the sub-heading ‘Nine Hundred Thousand in Africa and Asia Face Wrath of their Foes’. 

In Egypt, as early as 1926 a nationality law stated that a person born in Egypt was entitled to Egyptian nationality only if their father “belonged racially to the majority of the population of a country whose language is Arabic or whose religion is Islam”.

In Iraq, a 1950 law to entitled “Supplement to Ordinance Cancelling Iraqi Nationality,” was used to deprive Jews of their Iraqi nationality.

In all Arab countries, riots, expropriations and expulsions ensured that Jewish communities were forcibly deprived of their rights and property. It Is estimated that Jews lost privately-owned land equivalent to Jordan and Lebanon combined. 

   Indigenous Middle Eastern and North African Jewish communities, which predated colonisation by the Arab conquest and Islam by 1,000 years or more, have ceased to exist.

At the time the injustice done to Jewish refugees was recognised by international actors: the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) recognised on a number of occasions that the plight of the Jewish refugees fell within its remit. This is also why UNSC Resolution 242 refers to “a just settlement of the refugee problem” without specifying the “Arab” or “Palestinian” refugee problem.

Some countries have recognised this Jewish refugee issue as the injustice it is. In 2008 the US House of Representatives  passed Resolution 185 which stated that “any explicit reference to the rights of Palestinian refugees must be matched by a similar reference to the rights of Jewish refugees”. In March 2014, the Government of Canada officially recognised “the experience of Jewish refugees who were displaced from states in the Middle East and North Africa after 1948”.

My request to you is that you use your influence to persuade the British government  to recognise the injustice that was suffered by more than 800,000 Jewish refugees from Arab countries, and to ensure that it recognises this tragedy in its policy towards the Middle East.

Yours sincerely

The post HARIF urges sending letters on Jewish refugees to parliamentarians first appeared on Point of No Return.

[foxes-that-run]

Peace and Harry's Peace Ring

One Direction had a tour break starting in Harry's hometown of Manchester on the 20 April 2013. He arrived in LA alone on the 23rd without the ring (left). It was first seen when he left LA on the 28 April 2013 (right). It was only a 9 day break between the UK and Paris, the rest of the band stayed in the UK.

20 April - One Direction perform in Manchester, no ring. This performance is in This is Us (37 minutes in) when they sing Teenage Dirtbag in Manchester 20 April. Taylor in Tampa (Red Tour, I almost do Surprise Song) and starts a 5 day break.

21 April - Harry stayed with his mum who beat him a scrabble, he posted the board to Instagram and saw friends

22 April - When the Holmes Chapel/Bakery scenes are shot for This is Us. (no ring)

23 April - Harry arrives alone in LA without the ring

24 April - Neither Harry or Taylor seen.

25 April - First day Ring is seen. Harry has dinner with Rod Stewart, Rod then plays the Troubadour and Harry stayed at Rod Stewarts house. You can see the ring in photo holding a doggy bag. Taylor in Cleveland (The best day surprise song)

26 April - Harry attends an Instagram party in LA, leaves at 9 and posts photos with Instagram and Facebook execs. Celebs post photos with him, his hand is hidden in photos. It's the anniversary of Facebook's acquisition. Taylor in Indianapolis. (Mine)

27 April - Taylor in Lexington. (Our Song)

28 April - Harry posts photo of sunglasses on beach. Taylor photographed in a gym in Los Angles. Harry leaves LAX wearing the ring and there is an absolutely insane mob because he is there alone with no security.

29 April - Arrives in Paris alone, still wearing ring, described as a riot. The ring is in This is Us in Paris

So we don't know, I actually think he bought the ring himself as a reminder, but it could have been a gift.

Louis stayed in the UK, he rode the Orient Express in London with Eleanor and her mum on 26 April, 3 days before the Paris show. To be clear, Louis, was in the UK and Harry in the US when he got it.

Have Harry or Taylor marked 22 - 24 April

I don't think it is an anniversary, but they have marked it, at first it was Harry, but he stopped when Taylor started dating Calvin and Joe. Taylor stopped and he stopped wearing the ring after she released Peace.

2012 - 23rd Taylor's instagram story about him kissing a girl in NZ and they broke up. Harry then got the Never Gonna Dance Again tattoo (song about regretting infidelity). So in 2013 he got the ring on the anniversary of this - Maybe it represents being faithful, an agreement of some sort or about insane media about them.

2013 - Harry went to LA and started wearing the ring

2014 - Harry's fern Tattoos were first seen (healed) on 26 April covering "might as well..." on his lower hip.

2016 - 23rd Harry tweeted "it's not the Ribbons in your Hair" Cars - Just what I Needed lyrics, about not minding anything because a person is who they needed.

2018 - 23rd Taylor played Angels with Robbie Williams at Wembley.

2019 - 23rd Taylor played Time 100 show w/Style, Delicate & NYD

2020 -23rd Taylor shared a photo of Olivia. Folklore 24 July.

2023 - 23rd Taylor Eras surprise song - Begin Again from Red

Wish You Would and Clean

Taylor wrote Wish you Would while on tour in May 2013 "it's about this guy that drives down the street and passes his ex-girlfriend's house and he thinks she hates him but she doesn't."

On 18 May Taylor posted Roses to IG and with a Gatsby quote that things do not grow.

Clean was written 10 months after Harry started wearing the Peace Ring, on 9 February 2014. "Ten months older, I won't give in / Now that I'm clean, I'm never gonna risk it"

Harry wore the Peace Ring pretty consistently

Harry wore on his left ring or middle finger pretty consistently up to 2020 and played with it when singing romantic songs or in interviews.

Taylor wrote Peace in 2020

It is thought of as a promise ring, to me I think Harry and Taylor agreed to be together in the future, when they were less famous. Taylor foreshadowed Lover in the Red Liner notes and planned the album when she was 30. Closer to the time saying she thought it would one of her last. It wasn't though, and Folklore was largely about her feelings about Harry and included Peace.

Peace is about Taylor's fame making it difficult to love her. It references to Joe Alwyn's brother in the second verse, which Harry doesn't have so it's not thought to be about Harry. However, the first verse with coming of age also doesn't work for Joe who was 25 when they met, but does if you made a promise to an 19 year old 8 years earlier. I think the first verse may explain why Harry stopped wearing the ring a few months after it came out:

"Our coming-of-age has come and gone / Suddenly, this summer, it's clear / I never had the courage of my convictions" [...] "'Cause it lives in me / No, I could never give you peace" [...] All these people think love's for show / But I would die for you in secret / The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me / Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?"

It was replaced by the Pearl ring in March 2021

Harry started wearing the pearl ring in March 2021, below you can see he has worn them together sometimes. The Peace ring has appeared a few times after the pandemic:

Bowery Ballroom Session for Fine Line February 29 2020 and in the Vogue Cover in December. Last pre-pandemic show at the Bowery, it's on his Right Index finger.

7 September 2021 and again 2022. This could mark 2012, after the VMAs between 6 September sushi date and a weekend in Paris on the 28th September. Or, possibly 2019 - They were both at Ed Sheeran's wedding on 7 September, Joe left for Toronto and Taylor went to Paris where she filmed City of Lover on the 9th. Harry wasn't seen from the wedding on the 7th until the 12th. Joe was in Canada Taylor makes heart eyes at someone high in the audience.

He wore it the day before their 20 May anniversary on the Today show appearance on May 19 and Harry's House release.

7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, September 2022, LOT shows (MPM press)

2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 10 October 2022, LOT shows

Last seen Love on Tour wrap up being tipped out of a bag

Harry had worn a ring in the past, on 13 February 2012 Harry wore a ring to dinner with the whole band in Paris. It looks darker than the Peace ring, but can't really be seen. He didn't wear it in interviews the next day or wear rings reliably till 2013.

[symphonyofsilence]

The level of sheer incompetence the Valar show every time a dire situation occurs is infuriating!

Like...do I even need to say anything about how they handled the Míriel/Finwë/Indis situation?! By putting pressure on the DEAD PERSON who had lost both her will to live and her physical strength, to just get up and go back to producing more children for her whiny, entitled husband already?! And interrupting her recovery process every next second? And then! Instead of inventing divorce or "death doing the couple apart" or anything made Míriel stay dead forever (& never get to see her son again as far as they knew) so Finwë could remarry. And their hot offer for Míriel was "last chance. come back or your husband will marry this lady he already has in mind."

And then! They let Melkor free unsupervised and let the shit he spread among the Noldor reach the point that Fëanor drew a sword on Fingolfin, and then! When Melkor had filled Fëanor's head with how the Valar wanted his silmarils, not only did they without considering any other option at the first sign of crisis very untactfully asked for all three of his silmarils (to break them), but Tulkas straight up told him that he can't deny them cause the silmarils are actually Yavanna's and not Fëanor's.

And then! They not only did absolutely nothing to de-escalate the situation when the Noldor rebelled, and after that when they got into a fight with the Teleri, but they made the situation worse by making threats and banishing the house of Fëanor & cursing them all & whoever who followed them. So of course when there was no way back for the Fëanorians they'd try even harder to gather everyone behind them so they wouldn't have to fight Satan alone & of course, they'd oppose the Valar even worse now, and of course, they'd say "welp... we're doomed anyway. No matter what we do from this point on. Might as well do our worst."

The Valar are like 10-year-old children in charge of 5-year-old children. The moment the 5-year-olds throw a tantrum, the 10-year-olds throw an even worse tantrum.

Fëanor had already told the Noldor that the Valar were jealous tyrants, and they just confirmed it with every step they took after the rebellion.

And then they just left the Noldor and the poor race of men & dwarves who had done nothing wrong alone with Melkor in Middle-earth. The poor sailors who tried to get to Valinor to beg for help all drowned! Except for Earendil who had a Silmaril with him...but no, the Valar didn't want the Silmarils HOW DARE FEANOR PRESUME!

And they wouldn't even let the children of the Noldor who were not even born at the time of the rebellion set foot in Valinor. Even Earendil had to pay a price for stepping into Valinor. So Valar believed in collective accountability. So going by that logic, Melkor was a Vala. MELKOR WAS MANWE'S BROTHER! And everything that happened in Middle-earth, and even before that, Everything that happened to Fëanor & the house of Finwë that kickstarted the rebellion was Melkor's fault. Then why were the Valar not taking responsibility for the family member THEY antagonized & THEY couldn't control & THEY left unsupervised?

(and then they offered pardon to Sauron and Melkor, but Feanor got sentenced to staying in the halls of Mandos forever.)

Maedhros didn't burn the ships but still, he was the one who took responsibility for his family's actions and apologized and paid the ransom, and abdicated for it. Fingolfin had lost a son & a daughter-in-law & lots of followers for Fëanor's stunt with the ships but he still forgave the Fëanorians. Here we have a bunch of hot-headed, traumatized, grieving +3000-year-olds acting more mature & responsible & competent & gracious than gods who have been around forever.

And then! The fucking Numenor thing! They caged those poor people on an island, put boundaries on how far they could travel so they wouldn't get tempted when they saw the immortal lands and when the Numenorians rioted they had the guts to send representatives to convince them that actually, being mortal is very good. It's a gift. All the while still not letting them in the immortal lands. And when their mismanagement resulted in the Numenorians finally rioting, Manwe asked Eru for help & Eru... you know... did a genocide & changed the whole world's structure. (He was so quick to answer Manwe's prayer and demolish anyone who criticized him that makes one wonder where was he when Melkor was eating everyone?)

They just HAND situations to Melkor & Sauron. Honestly, Sauron & Melkor would have been idiots not to use these perfect situations handed to them on a silver platter.

I don't think the Valar's hearts are in a wrong place but they're so fucking incompetent! They look like some dysfunctional rich brats with no experience who have to manage their negligent father's company after he's fucked off.

[useless-catalanfacts]

The growth of Barcelona between the years 1823 and 2010.

The red is the built area, black is water (the Mediterranean sea and the Besòs river), and in different shades of gray they represent elevation (white is the flatter surface, and the darker parts are more elevated, in the Collserola and Montjuïc mountains) as well as the old city walls. GIF from Històries de Barcelona.

Barcelona had had basically the same perimeter since the 14th century until the 1850s (what you can see at the beginning of the video). How is it possible that it remained the same for so many centuries -including the beginning of the Industrial Revolution with its urban population boom!- and then suddenly exploded the way it did? As with many things in this city's history, it has to do with the Spanish army.

This is was Barcelona's surface for all those centuries (for those familiar with the city, what nowadays is Ciutat Vella). As you can see, it's inside the city walls (built in the Middle Ages, reinforced with bastions in the Early Modern period).

But in 1703-1714, we have the War of the Spanish Succession, where Castile (Spain) occupies Catalonia and the Bourbon dynasty become kings, and by right of conquest they abolish Catalonia's independence (as well as the Kingdom of València, Mallorca and Aragon, who suffer the same fate, but I will focus on Catalonia in this post because it's what explains Barcelona's weird growth). Catalonia becomes ruled by a military governor chosen by the king from Castile and a huge repression starts against Catalan people, prohibiting the use of the Catalan language in official settings, banning Catalan people from holding office (only Castilians could), forcing families to host invading soldiers in their homes, forcing every town to dedicate a percentage of their fields to feeding the Spanish army and their horses, and a very long etc.

Oh, and they forced the inhabitants of 17% of Barcelona's built surface to destroy their own homes so that Spain could built a huge military citadel to bomb the city from, right where Barcelona's most economically active and most populated neighbourhood (la Ribera) stood.

Barcelona is Catalonia's capital city, and Barcelonians have always been known for their rebellious spirit. The new Bourbon king made sure to turn Barcelona into a completely militarized city, with a strong presence of the army in every corner of the city. There are 2 military buildings right outside the city that answer our question:

On the North, the huge Citadel. On the South, the Montjuïc castle. Then, the Spanish king made the law that nothing could be built outside of the city walls. The reason? They wanted to be able to bomb any place in the city. They could reach the whole city from these two military points, and they didn't want any building outside that they couldn't easily destroy.

The Citadel was demolished in 1868 after a revolution (that's a story for another day), but the Montjuïc castle still exists, standing on top of the hill that overlooks the city:

Anyway, this decision to not allow Barcelona to grow had horrible consequences for its population. In the late 1700s, Barcelona's population was quickly growing because many people from the countryside were moving in to work in its proto-industry. The city could only grow inwards: all the space was filled (say bye to the fields and vegetable gardens that used to be common in the city), the buildings built more storeys taller in cheap material to accommodate more people quickly, houses were divided to rent every floor or room separately, and housing became much more expensive and became treated like a product to make money off. Many families didn't have sunlight nor good air ventilation, with important repercussions in people's health.

The population continued growing, particularly with the Industrial Revolution, when even more people moved into the cities to work in factories. The situation was absolutely unsustainable, so it's no surprise that riots started throughout the 1800s to tear down the walls. However, every time, the Spanish government answered with a strong repression of the people who were destroying the walls and forced them to build them back.

Barcelonians finally made it in summer 1854, when the cholera epidemic worsened at the same time that the 2-year long progressive government started in Spain, which saw tearing down the walls as the only way to settle the constant social uprisings in Barcelona.

In 1859, the Eixample expansion was started to build outside the old city walls, according to the Cerdà plan (the egalitarian urbanism plan, a story for another day). Finally, the city could grow as much as it needed to make room for its inhabitants in dignified houses. And during the late 1800s and throughout the 1900s, Barcelona has been the destination of many waves of immigration, so it has continued growing. Now, it has reached all its growth: there is no space left, with the Mediterranean sea on the East, the Collserola mountains on the West, and already highly-populated cities at the North and South. Barcelona has reached its full possible expansion.

[the-grey-hunt]

Nona the Ninth chapter icons

it's time. i have my paperback, and i have the will, and this post will contain very many spoilers if you have not yet read Nona the Ninth. As usual my chapter notes contain what I think is relevant and/or the cause of the choice in icon

(note: the John chapters do not have icons. therefore they will be skipped, but their presence is noted).

gideon - harrow

(john)

DAY ONE

1- The locked tomb icon. General introductions are made. I assume the locked tomb stands for us meeting Nona.

2 - still locked tomb icon. General Nona backstory. It is implied that Nona doesn't have much longer.

3 - A tree with a single apple on a branch. Potentially an apple-of-Eden icon, especially as this is the chapter where school (knowledge) is introduced. The Angel and Noodle are also introduced.

4 - Seventh house skull. This plagues me as much as the fourth house skull in Harrow the Ninth's chapters. Why the seventh house? "For beauty as it blossoms and dies". This chapter features the Angel being worried, and Hot Sauce watching.

5 - Ninth house skull. Palamedes and Nona practice necromancy and talk about the blue light.

6 - Sixth house skull. Camilla tells a story, which includes how the Sixth House escaped.

(john)

DAY TWO

7 - Second house skull. Pyrrha bribes someone for Site C.

8 - Third house skull. Nona pretends to make a radio call to Crown.

(john)

9 - Sixth house skull. Flashback to the last time Camilla took Nona swimming.

10 - Slashed Second house skull. Pyrrha gets caught in a riot. But why slashed? In Harrow the slashed skulls represented false memories/Harrow's bubbles, but what's false or not happening or in the River about the Second here?

(john)

DAY THREE

11 - Fifth house skull. They discuss what's sexy. Blood of Eden storms the apartment. (again, the skulls of house members not present in this book plagues me. Traditions and debts to the dead. does pyrrha's opinion of "landmine people" being sexy count as a debt to dead Wake, enough to invoke the Fifth's skull? Is it something to do with Augustine?)

12 - Apple tree again. The meeting with We Suffer.

13 - Third house skull. Crown/Corona takes them to see Judith Deuteros.

14 - Locked tomb icon. Crown claims to know "what" Nona is.

15 - Seventh house skull. They hear about the broadcast. Nona tells Hot Sauce that she's dying.

(john)

16 - Icon of a tower with a pointed roof and shallow projecting windows, and a base with three arches. Presumably, meant to indicate the Tower in the river. The shadows are drawn as if to indicate there is space inside the arches where they're being cast across a floor.

The broadcast happens. Ianthe refers to herself and Kiriona as the Tower Princes.

(john)

DAY FOUR

17 - Icon of a plant with a few shallow side leaves and one large front-facing round leaf at the top with a pointed tip. The Angel has the kids at school make emergency shelter plans. Nona draws an animal.

18 - Eighth house skull. Palamedes asks the Angel if she has a House implant. The Angel considers this a fuckup and tries to have him and Nona killed. Hot Sauce shoots Nona for being a zombie (okay, I can kind of see the "salvation no matter the cost" in this).

(john)

19 - Opened tomb icon (broken chains, unshaded/white interior). Nona has a tantrum.

(john)

DAY FIVE

20 - First house skull. Corona reunites with Ianthe.

21 - Slashed Third house skull. Corona has a secret wire and is maybe betraying Ianthe to Blood of Eden with it.

(john)

22 - Slashed Ninth house skull. Nona is disguised as Harrow.

23 - Sixth house skull. Palamedes fights Ianthe for Naberius's body and wins.

24 - Gideon's skull icon (crossed-out IX, sunglasses, open jaw). Kiriona is found and starts participating.

25 - Slashed Gideon skull. Kiriona "brags" about what John has done to her and makes some demands.

26 - Fourth house skull. (Fidelity? Kids?) Nona talks to Honesty and Hot Sauce about the Convoy. Hot Sauce permits her to remain in the gang.

27 - Second house skull. Pyrrha reminisces about Wake to Pash. Number Seven sends in the heralds.

(john)

28 - Slashed Sixth house skull. Paul.

29 - First house skull. They prepare to return to the Houses. We Suffer issues them Protocol One.

(john)

30 - The Tower. Nona drives through the River.

31 - Ninth house skull. Back on the Ninth House. The devils are here too.

32 - Opened Tomb. Nona returns to her body.

Epilogue - First house skull. Alecto seeks out John.

you know what i've noticed? the john chapters only occur when Nona is asleep, unconscious, or similarly incapacitated.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Igor Bobic and Arthur Delaney at HuffPost:

Donald Trump is telling supporters he already has November’s election in the bag and that the only way he can lose is if the Democrats “cheat,” raising alarms about the prospect of another Jan. 6-like event fueled by election subversion. “Our primary focus is not to get out the vote. It’s to make sure they don’t cheat. Because we have all the votes we need,” Trump claimed Wednesday at a rally in the battleground state of Arizona, whose electoral results he sought to toss out in 2020 based on false claims of widespread fraud. If the thought of another insurrection sounds alarmist, consider what happened four years ago. Months before the 2020 election, Trump warned that it would be “rigged.” In December, days after the Electoral College cast its ballots for Democrat Joe Biden, Trump announced a “wild” protest on Jan. 6, and his allies launched the “Stop the Steal” movement, promoting false claims and conspiracy theories asserting the election was stolen by means of rigged voting machines and fraudulent ballot-stuffing.

Washington officials and law enforcement will be on high alert this time around, so another deadly riot breaking out at the U.S. Capitol doesn’t seem likely. But that doesn’t mean the threat of more violence is zero. Trump and his GOP allies have been preemptively blaming an election loss on undocumented immigrants — and suggesting the only thing that can stop them from throwing the election to Democrats is new legislation restricting noncitizen voting, even though it’s already illegal and rarely happens, and even though there is no chance of such legislation becoming law. “There is currently an unprecedented and a clear and present danger to the integrity of our election system, and that is the threat of noncitizens and illegal aliens voting in our elections,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in May at a press conference in front of the House steps that had been stormed by Trump’s mob.

[...] For one, nearly 1,500 Trump supporters have been charged with crimes for attacking the Capitol, and hundreds of them are already in prison, so they won’t be available for a trip to Washington. And the mere fact that so many Trump supporters faced consequences for Jan. 6 has already been a deterrence to others. When Trump demanded protests outside his Manhattan criminal trial last year, few heeded the call, and several prominent right-wingers warned against participating in a mass demonstration. Another obstacle to a second Jan. 6 riot is that Congress made changes to the Electoral Count Act, the law governing the presidential election certification process. It would take more lawmakers to initiate a formal challenge, and the procedures for states submitting their slates of electors have been tightened up to prevent rogue Republicans from smuggling fake electors into the Capitol.

[...] Regardless, Trump will have less power to affect the process for the simple reason that he’s not currently president. After he lost in 2020, he and his underlings tried to bully state legislatures into falsifying results, and he tried to use lackeys in the Justice Department to announce bogus fraud findings. He won’t have any official power to do such things this time around. Still, Trump could appeal to his elected allies in Congress and in the states to contest the election results on his behalf, and also look to the conservative majority he helped appoint to the Supreme Court to intervene if he loses to Vice President Kamala Harris. It would ultimately be some version of a scheme his allies tried before: create enough chaos and uncertainty to deny his opponent 270 electoral votes and send the matter to the House of Representatives.

Donald Trump is laying the groundwork for January 6th 2.0 by pushing nonsense claims that the Democrats will “cheat” to win the election.

[coochiequeens]

Trans people are oppressed yet riot when a woman tries to protect minors from irreversible treatments and surgeries. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Trans activists violently attempted to siege Mexico City’s Congress on Tuesday after an initiative was introduced to ban minors from accessing “gender affirming” surgery. 

The initiative was first introduced by América Rangel, a representative from the conservative National Action Party (PAN), on February 9, and sought to both prohibit the interventions as well as punish medical providers who do not comply with the law.

Rangel is alleged to have been the target of the activist aggression, posting that she believed the activists were specifically attempting to get to her.

In disturbing footage circulated on Twitter from both inside and outside of the House of Congress, a hoard of screaming trans activists were seen smashing their way into the historic building by beating and breaking the glass window panels open. The building was further insulated by decorative cage-style doors which had been locked shut, but the activists managed to dislodge several of the bars and create a pathway for them to enter. 

Victoria Sámano, a trans-identified male who had been directing the protest, was the first to jump through the entry, pushing his way through the security guards trying to defend the building and getting into a physical altercation with some of them. Other activists quickly followed Sámano’s lead, and began forcing their way through the passage they had created in the bars.

Once inside the building, more damage was done as the activists painted graffiti on the walls and destroyed windows. Activists got as close to their target as the doors of the Congressional hall, but were blocked by security personnel.

The protest was ultimately quelled by riot police, who responded to the scene and used fire extinguishing gas to disperse the activists. 

Sámano took to Twitter and uploaded a video of himself complaining that the guards had fought back, and suggesting that the activists had simply been peacefully demonstrating for their rights when they were brutally attacked without reason.

“We were only demanding our rights and they started beating us, they hit me in the legs. Here are the marks of how they beat me for this city. [Representatives] are more important than trans people,” he says in the video.

According to some Mexican news outlets, the parliamentary coordinator for Morena, the left-wing governing party, has assured protestors that their deputies do not plan to file a criminal complaint for the damages caused to the building. 

But, dissatisfied with the response from the Congress, América Rangel has filed her own report with the Prosecutor General’s Office of Mexico yesterday.

In a video uploaded to Twitter, Rangel said she had filed a criminal complaint against the demonstrators who sieged the Congress.

“I have just filed criminal complaints against the people who assaulted the Congress of Mexico City and tried to attack me,” Rangel said in her video. “Specifically, [I] have precisely identified three people, of whom we have already given all the evidence to the Prosecutor’s Office. We also request that the investigation be carried out to find the others. We hope that the authority does its job and does not cover up if there are people from Morena behind all this. There can be nothing and no one above the law.”

Trans activists in Mexico are known for being particularly aggressive and staging aggressive or hostile demonstrations against those they disagree with.

In July of 2022, a transgender politician violently disrupted a government conference aimed at tackling human trafficking after becoming offended at the implications abolitionist policies would have on trans “sex workers.”

Maria Clemente, a trans-identified male politician elected to Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies last year, called the suggestion that the sex trade be abolished for the protection of women and children “hate speech.” To a critic, Clemente said: “I am a woman, and I am a whore!  It’s my job and and how my family eats! I love it!”

Clemente was later exposed for having allegedly lied about being in the sex trade after his ex-husband issued a scathing rebuttal of his public persona in a public letter he posted in an effort to demand Clemente finalize their divorce. 

Months later, trans activists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico staged a “coup” of one of the women’s washrooms on the campus in apparent retaliation for a lesbian pride mural having been painted nearby.

The activists claimed the mural made them feel “unsafe” and demanded another gender neutral washroom be established near the Samuel Ramos Library. Less than 24 hours later, the activists took over the largest women’s restroom in the building, littering the walls with threatening vandalism directed at women who are critical of gender ideology. 

[gwenmontrose]

Of Crossbows and Lawyers

@jilymicrofics February Prompt List | No. 8: Uncertainty

Words: 1.6k

First time writing in English, so I really hope it's decent! Inspired by one of my favourite scenes of one of my favourite tv series, Fleabag 💕

Lily Evans never had problems with the law during the first twenty-eight years of her life.

On the contrary, everyone who knew her would describe her as the model citizen. No speed tickets, no minor thefts, not even a single fine for a book returned late to the local library.

Nothing.

Even her appearance was one of a sensible, intelligent young woman, polite and well-mannered, with that kind of innate beauty that made people in the streets turn around to look at her.

She was, in her words, completely and utterly ordinary.

So, it was with a little bit of a shock that she found herself – at the ripe age of twenty-eight and two days – walking down the corridor of a posh London law firm, in her best suit, desperately trying to keep up with the marching pace of her sister, and just a few moments away from meeting her brand-new solicitor for the first time.

It was even more shocking that Petunia, of all people, was the one helping her out of the legal mess she found herself in, but life had taken a very unexpected turn just a few days before, so Lily had wisely decided to accept any given hand and not to question her neurotic older sister.

Besides, it wasn’t as if Petunia had decided to help her out of pure goodness of heart, or in the name of sisterly affection. When she had found out that Lily had been arrested during a peaceful march for women’s rights, which had unfortunately turned into an out-of-control riot, she had been positively horrified.

«Just think of what this could mean for Vernon’s imminent promotion!» she had hissed on the phone when Lily had called her, as if her precious’ husband’s boss could care less about his sister-in-law’s misdeeds. «We have to clean up your reputation quickly, before anyone else comes to know about this. You need the best defence attorney we can get»

She hadn’t even wanted to listen to Lily’s explanation.

«I don’t care if you were wrongly mistaken for the person who actually broke that window with a homemade crossbow» she had said, almost growling. «I just want to fucking erase your criminal record and be done with this nonsense»

Petunia had probably cursed only three other times in her entire life. Lily had been so stunned that she forgot how to speak for a good twenty minutes.

Therefore, Lily found herself in a truly surreal situation, but maybe this time her sister’s love for order and propriety was going to be her salvation, instead of a constant pain in the ass.

As they were approaching the attorney’s office, Petunia started to rattle off a long and interminable list of dos and don’ts and basic rules of what she defined as “civil interaction”, adding here and there sparse information about the man who was going to represent her.

«He’s on top of his game» she said, stiffly, marching with unexpected sureness down the corridor. «Maybe a bit too young, but he managed to pull Dave Thomas out of a very, very tight corner last year»

«Wasn’t Dave Thomas the one who broke into his ex-wife’s house to steal her –»

«Yes, Lily, and we don’t talk about this in public, please. He was Vernon’s groomsman at our wedding» Petunia levelled her with an icy stare and then went on. «Now, I hear this lawyer has the best success rate of his firm and he agreed to take your case because he’s apparently a feminist» Her mouth twisted in a strange grimace as she said the word. «Or something like that»

«It appears he still has a little bit of integrity left after defending Dave Thomas» muttered Lily. «Good for him»

«I’ve already filled him with the basics» Petunia ploughed on, ignoring her comment. «Just be serious, will you?»

«I’ll do my best»

«And do whatever he says»

«What if he asks me to –»

«And don’t flirt with him»

Lily was so taken aback that she almost burst out laughing. She rearranged her face in the most disbelieving expression she could manage, as if she were extremely offended by Petunia’s admonition, and scoffed: «I’m not going to f –»

Then the door of the office in front of them opened abruptly and the most gorgeous man Lily had ever seen appeared behind it.

«– fucking hell, okay» she concluded in a whisper.

He was tall, dark, handsome in a very effortless way, with warm hazel eyes behind stylish glasses and a stupid, infectious grin dancing on perfect full lips. He was wearing what was with all probability a tailored black suit, for it seemed almost stitched on his lean and athletic body, and he carried himself with that type of self-confidence that could only belong to a person who didn’t know the feeling of uncertainty.

Lily had always thought lawyers were kind of sexy, but she had never seen such a fine specimen and for a moment she almost felt grateful for the absurd situation that had led her to meet him.

Then she remembered she was going to be taken to trial for vandalism and private property damage and her enthusiasm dimmed a little bit.  

«Right on time!» he said, almost jovially, as if he hadn’t just flipped Lily’s world upside down. «Miss and Mrs Dursley, I assume?»

«Miss Evans» Petunia hastily corrected him. «She’s my sister. I’ve taken my husband’s last name»

The exquisite man in front of them smiled kindly – Lily noted that a dimple appeared on his left cheek when he did that – and then hold out his hand to her.

She shook it weakly.

«I’m James Potter» he said.

Even his name was attractive, for fuck’s sake.

«And I suppose you are the dangerous criminal who smashed open a shop window during a very illegal and reprehensible revolt against the status quo» he continued. «How disappointing of you»

Lily blinked.

«I’m joking!» he exclaimed, after a beat. Then he smiled, almost in a mischievous way. «My mother was at the march, too, you know?»

«What?!» Lily and Petunia gasped, the former with incredulous surprise, the latter with clear distaste.

«Oh, yes» he confirmed to both, proudly, before turning again his attention back to Lily. «But I dare say she was a little bit more fortunate than you, since she managed to hail a taxi and come home before everything went south»

«Lucky her» mumbled Lily.

«I must say, though, I’m very curious about the whole homemade crossbow affair» he went on. His eyes, which were sparkling with mirth, searched her in a way that made her feel strangely seen. «I know you don’t just judge a book from its cover, but you don’t seem the type to assemble Medieval weapons in her basement as a hobby»

«Usually I prefer something more traditional as reading a book on a park bench, but sometimes I like to change, you know, to liven up my life» Lily immediately said, forgetting everything about her predicament and her sister’s rules and not flirting with one’s lawyer.

«I think it’s a wonderful way to do so» James agreed. «Even if it occasionally lands you in the local prison»

«It was just a police station»

«My bad, miss Evans» he said, before smiling again. «Apologies»

«So» Petunia interjected, stiffly, before Lily could open her mouth, interrupting their conversation with the timing of a huge pimple on the day of an important date. «I see you hit it off wonderfully»

If James heard the razor-sharp quality of her voice, he didn’t seem to be put off by it.

«I think we’ll get along fine» he commented.

She really needed to stop thinking about him in very different and spicier scenarios.

«Yeah» she said weakly, trying to ignore the “don’t fuck your lawyer” look that Petunia was furiously sending her. As if she could afford to risk her dignity and pristine criminal record just for the thrill to sleep with her attorney. Even if he was something akin to a model. «You can go, Petunia. I’ll manage on my own from here»

Petunia scrunched her nose in a very irritated way, but didn’t dare to argue with her in front of a relative stranger. So, after giving her a stern and reproachful look, she hitched her bag to her shoulder and said a polite and detached goodbye to James.

«I’ll see you later» she said to her and, with a last warning stare, she went off in the opposite direction, disappearing down the long corridor and finally leaving them alone.

For a moment, they both remained silent.

Then James chuckled, almost to himself, and took a step back into his office.

«Shall we get started?» he said, beckoning her to follow him inside. «I’d hate for you to go to prison, miss Evans»

«I really hope you’re good at what you do, because I have no plans to do so in the immediate future» she replied, honestly, and then, feeling strangely bold now that her sister wasn’t there, she added: «You can call me Lily, by the way»

«I don’t think it’s proper for me to be on a first-name basis with my clients» James argued, but his voice was teasing. He sat behind a large mahogany desk that probably was worth a small fortune and invited her to take a seat in front of him. «But maybe I can make an exception for you. Lily»

Lily laughed and shook her head.

When she woke up that morning, she didn’t think that at the end of the day she would find herself in much more trouble than she already was, but it seemed like it was totally going in that direction.

And she certainly wasn’t going to complain about it.

[3hks]

Hi, I'm the anon writing about exes to lovers. I have something about my story I'd like to ask advice on.

So, Person A (who, I forgot to mention is a judge) is getting a lot of flak from civilians after he keeps siding with the senate even when they're in the wrong or make questionable decisions (which is all the time) simply because they raised him.

One of the senate's biggest victims (besides Person B) is a young noblewoman who was married into a horrible family who treated her with indifference (at best) or disdain and hostility (at worst). The family she married into is a ducal house with a poor reputation but the senate refuse to look into them because of bias. Even after it was revealed that her husband (the duke of the house) and his siblings have been abusing servants and committing heinous crimes (such as hiring assassins to kill the noblewoman and her younger sister, drug trafficking, etc.), the senate (and, to a slight extent, Person A), refuse to arrest them until people started rioting and wanting to leave the country.

After their arrest, Person A goes to apologize to the noblewoman and promises to do better in the future but while the noblewoman accepts his apology, her sister angrily refuses.

I was told that the noblewoman and her sister were in the wrong (the former for being too weak and the latter for refusing Person A's apology) but what do you think?

AHHHH! Hello, hello! I'm so happy you've returned! Your idea seems quite interesting (in a good way), and I don't think there's any "correct" way to choose the outcome. However, let's explore some of the other different, possible, results and you can see which ones you like!

But before we get started, I want to talk about Person A--I really like his career as judge. This means he's expected to represent equality and justice, but in turn, he defends and is biased towards the questionable senate, because they raised him which is (in my opinion) perfect!

I'm also getting the feeling that while the citizens are growing suspicious of the senate, Person A is still hung up on the past in which the senate helped him. Consequently, he feels the need to turn a blind eye to the issues of the organization and perhaps ends up having conflicting moralities. To me, that's a really beautiful idea that adds a lot of dimension to your character!

***

Okay, so now that's out of the way, I'll begin the actual topic at hand. Personally, I don't see a problem with the forgiveness from the noblewoman and the refusal from her sister. The idea that the noblewoman is too weak for forgiving Person A while disliking the sister for not letting go is a rather contradictory point.

At the same time, it's important to keep the personalities of both characters at mind. If the noblewoman is perhaps meeker, understanding, and compassionate, her answer makes sense. If the sister happens to be more headstrong, upset, or likely to bear a grudge, then her response makes also sense.

If noblewoman forgives...

If you choose to have the noblewoman forgive Person A, I think the most resonating part of her forgiveness is the closure it'll give the readers. It can reflect her understanding and kind character, but it also emphasizes that Person A made the right choice in apologizing and owning up to his mistakes.

If noblewoman doesn't forgive...

Now on the other hand, if the noblewoman chooses to hold a grudge and refuses to accept Person A's apology, the readers may see that she can advocate for herself. To some, it may be satisfying, but to others, there's just a lack of finality to the situation.

It's not unreasonable for her to refuse the apology--maybe it seems more realistic to some, but not all aspects of a story have to be super realistic!

However, if you're looking for something in the middle, the next point will cover it!

If noblewoman acknowledges...

This is where the noblewoman doesn't exactly accept or reject the apology. I'm aware that no matter which choice she makes, she'll technically acknowledge Person A's apology, but what I'm talking about is that when the noblewoman acknowledges the apology, she understands why Person A kept defending the senate and believes that he will change, yet just can't let go of how he indirectly hurt her so soon.

Unlike the previous ideas, this result is more bittersweet and up to the interpretation of the readers. But it's also quite meaningful and a good blend of the other two resultions!

If sister forgives...

Similarly to the noblewoman, if her sister forgives, it will most likely highlight the kindness of her character, but it ultimately depends on the situation. She could have reluctantly forgiven Person A because her sister did. She could have forgiven Person A when her sister did not because she feels bad for the man.

Another thing is that I'm not aware of how important the sister is to the story. If she's not that important and she forgives Person A, well, it's really not that significant in the end.

If sister doesn't forgive...

If the sister doesn't forgive, it's mostly likely out of care for the noblewoman. While it might shine light upon some of her negative traits, it may also show that the sister cares about the suffering the noblewoman went through and refuses to accept an apology as justification.

If sister acknowledges...

This one, for the most part, is also not the most impactful choice unless she seriously hated Person A. Acknowledging his apology shows that she's listening and appreciates how he's taking responsibility for his mistakes--which is a big step if she previously hated him--but can't bring herself to accept the apology.

Overall, there's a lot of combinations, aren't there? If you have second thoughts about the noblewoman's reaction, I suggest the "acknowledgement" one because of its balance. For the sister, on the other hand, your original idea of her refusing to grant forgiveness is probably what I'd choose.

Still, at the end of the day, it's your story and you have the right to choose whatever ending you want! Not everyone may like your choice, but there's also going to be people who do, so I encourage you to go with whatever you think is best!

I hope this helped! Thank you for asking!

Happy writing~

3hks <3