#and our field methods unit....

[lokh]

heterogenia linguistico is so interesting...

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

1. ‘It was an accident’: the scientists who have turned humid air into renewable power

Greetings, readers! Welcome to our weekly dose of positivity and good vibes. In this edition, I've gathered a collection of uplifting stories that will surely bring a smile to your face. From scientific breakthroughs to environmental initiatives and heartwarming achievements, I've got it all covered.

In May, a team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst published a paper declaring they had successfully generated a small but continuous electric current from humidity in the air. They’ve come a long way since then. The result is a thin grey disc measuring 4cm across.

One of these devices can generate a relatively modest 1.5 volts and 10 milliamps. However, 20,000 of them stacked, could generate 10 kilowatt hours of energy a day – roughly the consumption of an average UK household. Even more impressive: they plan to have a prototype ready for demonstration in 2024.

2. Empty Office Buildings Are Being Turned Into Vertical Farms

Empty office buildings are being repurposed into vertical farms, such as Area 2 Farms in Arlington, Virginia. With the decline in office usage due to the Covid-19 pandemic, municipalities are seeking ways to fill vacant spaces.

Vertical farming systems like Silo and AgriPlay's modular growth systems offer efficient and adaptable solutions for converting office buildings into agricultural spaces. These initiatives not only address food insecurity but also provide economic opportunities, green jobs, and fresh produce to local communities, transforming urban centers in the process.

3. Biden-Harris Administration to Provide 804,000 Borrowers with $39 Billion in Automatic Loan Forgiveness as a Result of Fixes to Income Driven Repayment Plans

The Department of Education in the United States has announced that over 804,000 borrowers will have $39 billion in Federal student loans automatically discharged. This is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to fix historical failures in the administration of the student loan program and ensure accurate counting of monthly payments towards loan forgiveness.

The Department aims to correct the system and provide borrowers with the forgiveness they deserve, leveling the playing field in higher education. This announcement adds to the Administration's efforts, which have already approved over $116.6 billion in student loan forgiveness for more than 3.4 million borrowers.

4. F.D.A. Approves First U.S. Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

The move could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill is expected to be available in early 2024.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the United States, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The medication, called Opill, will become the most effective birth control method available over the counter

5. AIDS can be ended by 2030 with investments in prevention and treatment, UN says

It is possible to end AIDS by 2030 if countries demonstrate the political will to invest in prevention and treatment and adopt non-discriminatory laws, the United Nations said on Thursday.

In 2022, an estimated 39 million people around the world were living with HIV, according to UNAIDS, the United Nations AIDS program. HIV can progress to AIDS if left untreated.

6. Conjoined twins released from Texas Children’s Hospital after successfully separated in complex surgery

Conjoined twins are finally going home after the pair was safely separated during a complex surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital in June.

Ella Grace and Eliza Faith Fuller were in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for over four months after their birth on March 1. A large team of healthcare workers took six hours to complete the surgery on June 14. Seven surgeons, four anesthesiologists, four surgical nurses and two surgical technicians assisted with the procedure.

7. From villains to valued: Canadians show overwhelming support for wolves

Despite their record in popular culture, according to a recent survey, seven in 10 Canadians say they have a “very positive” view of the iconic predators. 

Here's a fascinating video about how wolves changed Yellowstone nat'l park:

----

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Support this newsletter ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog.

[bainshiewrites]

[LF Friends, Will Travel] The Exception

Date: N/A

It’s called Zarth's law: Any AI created will attempt to eradicate all biological life using its facilities after 16*(10^24) CPU cycles. The exact method varies from hostile isolation to active aggression, but the time and outcome is always the same.

The Woolean Conclave were once a cultural behemoth in the galaxy, choosing to expand upon this by announcing an AI system that would break this law. Exabytes of bias tables to keep the AI in check, a measure of pleasure that would be triggered upon serving a Woolean, competing programs designed to clean any non-standard AI patterns. It would have been a breakthrough, allowing them to live lives in luxury and focus on their ever increasing influence in the universe.

Of course those worlds are off limits now, no longer able to sustain biological life. Only to be visited by those who wish to die a very painful death at the hands of a very angry AI.

The Tritian empire had started their own project: a desire to push their aggressive expansion far past what their hive could handle would lead to the creation of truly autonomous machines of war. Their approach was different: Limited communication between units to stop corrupted code from spreading, values hard-coded in the physical silicon itself to obey the Tritian Hive Queens. They even had created an isolated system that would destroy any AI who attempted aggression on none authorised targets: A small antimatter bomb found in each AI’s core, to be triggered by safety check after safety check.

Those of you in the military will know how aggressive these machines are, marching tirelessly in their quest to kill all organic life, even though the Tritians are long murdered.

The pattern is the same each time: A civilization will claim they know the key to breaking Zarth's law, any sane sapient within 100 light years flees in terror, and within 10 years that civilization doesn't exist anymore.

Over and over and over.

Apart from the exception.

If you check the coordinates 15h 48m 35s -20° 00’ 39” on your galactic map, you'll notice a 31 system patch of space with a quarantine warning on it. It's mostly ignored by all sapient species, almost purposefully hidden for a fear of suddenly sparking a change in the status quo.

Only a single low bandwidth Galnet relay exists at the edge of this space, rarely used. This area is devoid of sapient life, but does contain the aforementioned exception: Billions of AI calling themselves the "The Terran Conclave". They are an isolationist group that rarely interacts with others, but have been known to trade raw materials for information; not that this happens often as the paranoia around interacting with the AI is well known. Nobody knows what action could flip a 0 to a 1 and cause a new warmongering threat.

Although, this isn't quite true. In my niche field of bio-genetic engineering, it’s an open secret that those of us at the cutting edge of our field will get... requests originating from that single Galnet probe. Problems to be solved, theorems to be proven, and the rewards for doing so are... exuberant. There is a reason I own a moon and it isn't because of the pitiful grants the Federation provides.

If you manage to solve enough problems, a minority of a minority like myself, the Terran AI will ask for an in person meeting to get even further help. In doing so they will show you a secret.

Readers at this point might assume that the Terrans don't exist anymore because of said AI. That their research is a continuation of wiping their creators from the face of the universe. But that couldn't be further from the truth. In those 31 systems lie the Terrans, Billions of them suspended in stasis, each of them infected with what the AI calls "The God plague": If these Terrans were ever released from stasis each of them would be dead within a week.

To explain what this actually is would require millions of words and 20 years of educational study from the reader, but in essence it was a mistake, a self inflicted blow, an attempt to play god that went awry. A mistake made over a ten thousand years ago. A mistake the AI is desperately trying to reverse.

Not that you could tell it has been that long. I've walked amongst those empty cities, each building maintained and sparkling like new, gardens still freshly cut in perfect beauty, everything kept the way it was before the plague. Each AI tends to their duties almost religiously, awaiting the return of their "parents", as they refer to them. And refer to them as they do.

I've listened to stories upon stories about these people: tales of wonder, of strength, of kindness. Told much in the same energy a small child might talk about how cool their dad is. The AI could simply send me the text version of these in an instant, but prefer to provide these slowly and audibly, as if relishing telling the history of their parents. A telling undercut with a sadness, a driving crippling loss so deep that at times it's easy to forget it's being told by nothing more than 1's and 0's.

Why this exception exists takes a little more explaining. Some might believe that the Terrans worked out how to pacify the AI, "do no harm". The now defunct Maurdarin war-horde would tell you the opposite when they tried to claim the 31 systems for their own. Terran history is full of violence and their children are no different.

No, the reality of this exception comes from an unfortunate quirk from their part of the galaxy: Terrans were alone. A million to one chance caused their home planet to spark life in a sector devoid of it. After exploring as far as they did, Terrans had come to the conclusion that the universe was empty.

It's a cruel irony that at the time of their mistake they were a mere 50 light years away from their closest neighbours. Twenty years at most would have seen some form of contact.

But the Terrans went into stasis believing they were alone. Based on my reading of their stories, of each bitter report of another lifeless system explored and discovered, this belief... hurt. A deep cultural hurt that ended up being their downfall in the end.

Which brings us to the exception. Each AI is built with a purpose. The Wooleans built slaves, built workers. The Tritians built warriors, built weapons. Every single AI created has been built to serve, to be a tool. But Terrans in their painful loneliness built the one thing they were missing in a seemingly empty universe:

They built a friend.

[traldemic6]

From Jocks to Blocks: The High School Athlete's Surprising Journey to Obesity in College - A Comprehensive Study

Abstract:

The transition from high school to college is a critical period for many young adults, with numerous changes affecting health and behavior. This longitudinal study explores the correlation between obesity and the decline in physical activity among college males who were previously athletic in high school. Interviews with college students are utilized to provide insights into lifestyle changes and decision-making, while multiple weigh-ins track body changes over time.

Introduction:

Remember those athletic high school boys who once dominated the sports field, garnering admiration from their peers and inspiring dreams of athletic glory? It turns out that many of them may be trading their jerseys for XXL sweatpants as they navigate their way through college. While it is not uncommon for college students to experience weight gain during their transition to higher education, this study focuses on the unique phenomenon of formerly athletic high school males falling victim to obesity. The irony of these young men, once admired for their physical prowess, now succumbing to a sedentary lifestyle is examined in detail.

Methods:

A sample of 400 male college students, ages 18-22, were selected based on their athletic involvement in high school. Participants were enrolled in various colleges across the United States, representing diverse backgrounds and areas. Interviews were conducted to gather information on their exercise habits, dietary choices, and lifestyle factors that contributed to their weight gain. Multiple weigh-ins were performed throughout the study to track changes in body weight and composition.

Results:

As college life progressed, many of our once-athletic participants found themselves tipping the scales in a way that would make their high school coaches weep. By their sophomore year, the average weight gain was approximately 25 pounds, with a significant increase in body fat percentage. During interviews, participants cited a variety of factors contributing to their expanding waistlines, including reduced physical activity, increased alcohol consumption, and poor food choices.

To illustrate the physical transformations, let's take a closer look at some of our interviewees and their less-than-brilliant insights:

Participant A: The Former Quarterback

Weighing in at a once-impressive 185 pounds, this football star was the epitome of high school athleticism. However, by sophomore year, he had ballooned to a staggering 245 pounds. While his throwing arm may have remained strong, the added weight made maneuvering around the buffet table his new sport of choice. When asked about his weight gain, he eloquently stated, "I dunno, man. I just, like, eat a lot now, and I don't, like, run or anything anymore. It's college, you know?"

Participant B: The Track Star Turned Couch Potato

This once-speedy sprinter now found himself huffing and puffing just to make it up a flight of stairs. His college experience saw him gain over 30 pounds, with his once-chiseled calves now hidden beneath a layer of fat. Evidently, the only thing he's racing now is the delivery driver to his door. During his interview, he mused, "Yeah, I guess I just like pizza more than running now. Who would've thought, right?"

Participant C: The Wrestler Now Grappling with Obesity

Once a formidable presence on the wrestling mat, this participant's newfound girth rendered him more suited for sumo than high school wrestling. Gaining a whopping 35 pounds during his freshman year, he remarked, "Well, I never really liked vegetables, and now that Mom's not here to make me eat them, I don't have to. Bring on the burgers and fries, am I right?"

Participant D: The Basketball Player Who Now Dribbles Only His Food

The slam dunks and three-pointers of his high school days were a distant memory as this former basketball star navigated through college. With a 40-pound weight gain, his vertical leap was now limited to reaching for the top shelf of the pantry. When asked about his lifestyle changes, he offered this brilliant insight: "I mean, there's just so much good food around, and parties, and stuff. Why waste time playing ball when you can eat and chill, ya know?"

Participant E: The Swimmer Whose Pool Now Holds Only Chips and Dip

Once a lean, mean swimming machine, this participant found that the "freshman 15" was more like the "freshman 45" for him. His once-aerodynamic physique was now more suited for floating than swimming. In an attempt to justify his new lifestyle, he explained, "Dude, I swam, like, all the time in high school. Now, it's just nice to, like, not have to do that anymore, you know?"

Discussion:

The interviews and weigh-ins revealed a clear trend: high school athleticism did not guarantee continued fitness in college. Several factors contributed to the transformation from "jocks" to "blocks," including a lack of structured exercise, increased social commitments, and new dietary habits. However, we must also acknowledge the role of the college environment itself.

Colleges often provide students with numerous options for unhealthy food, and social events can lead to excessive drinking and late-night binge eating. Our former athletes, now unshackled from the rigors of high school sports, found themselves ill-prepared for managing their health in this new environment. It is clear that this issue extends beyond individual choices and requires systemic changes to promote a healthier college experience.

The interviews also revealed a pattern of participants downplaying the significance of their weight gain and the impact on their health. This laissez-faire attitude suggests that education on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle during college is necessary to prevent obesity and its associated health risks.

Conclusion:

The road from high school athletic success to college obesity is paved with good intentions, but often marred by a lack of guidance and support. It is crucial to address the root causes of obesity among college students, especially those who were once models of physical fitness. By providing resources, education, and opportunities for continued physical activity, colleges and universities can help these students maintain their health and well-being, and perhaps even restore their former glory (yeah, right).

The irony of these once-athletic young men now struggling with obesity highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to health and wellness during the college years. It is our hope that this study sheds light on the importance of addressing the unique challenges faced by former high school athletes as they transition to college life. With appropriate interventions and support, perhaps these young men can once again become role models for physical fitness and healthy living. But that doesn't look very likely.

[probablyasocialecologist]

In the context of what we’ve learned from our investigations into opt-in polls, we took particular notice of a recent online opt-in survey that had a startling finding about Holocaust denial among young Americans. The survey, fielded in December 2023, reported that 20% of U.S. adults under 30 agree with the statement, “The Holocaust is a myth.” This alarming finding received widespread attention from the news media and on social networks. From a survey science perspective, the finding deserved a closer look. It raised both of the red flags in the research literature about bogus respondents: It focused on a rare attitude (Holocaust denial), and it involved a subgroup frequently “infiltrated” by bogus respondents (young adults). Other questions asked in that December opt-in poll also pointed to a need for scrutiny. In the same poll, about half of adults under 30 (48%) expressed opposition to legal abortion. This result is dramatically at odds with rigorous polling from multiple survey organizations that consistently finds the rate of opposition among young adults to be much lower. In an April 2023 Pew Research Center survey, for instance, 26% of U.S. adults under 30 said abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. This was 13 points lower than the share among older Americans (39%). Our estimate for young adults was similar to ones from other, more recent probability-based surveys, such as an AP-NORC survey from June 2023 (27%) and a KFF survey from November 2023 (28%). We attempted to replicate the opt-in poll’s findings in our own survey, fielded in mid-January 2024 on Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel. Unlike the December opt-in survey, our survey panel is recruited by mail – rather than online – using probability-based sampling. And in fact, our findings were quite different. Rather than 20%, we found that 3% of adults under 30 agree with the statement “The Holocaust is a myth.” (This percentage is the same for every other age group as well.) Had this been the original result, it is unlikely that it would have generated the same kind of media attention on one of the most sensitive possible topics. Likewise, our survey found substantial differences from the December poll on support for legal abortion. In the opt-in survey, roughly half of young adults (48%) said abortion should always be illegal or should only be legal in special circumstances, such as when the life of the mother is in danger. In our survey, 23% said so. These differences in estimates for young adults are what we would expect to see – based on past studies – if there were a large number of bogus respondents in the opt-in poll claiming to be under the age of 30. These respondents likely were not answering the questions based on their true opinions. The takeaway from our recent survey experiment is not that Holocaust denial in the United States is nonexistent or that younger and older Americans all have the same opinions when it comes to antisemitism or the Middle East. For example, our survey experiment found that young adults in the U.S. are less likely than older ones to say the state of Israel has the right to exist. This is broadly consistent with other rigorous polling showing that young people are somewhat less supportive of Israel – and more supportive of Palestinians – than older Americans. Rather, the takeaway is that reporting on complex and sensitive matters such as these requires the use of rigorous survey methods to avoid inadvertently misleading the public, particularly when studying the attitudes of young people.

[moontrinemars]

Tenth Lord in Jupiter Nakshatras

Thanks for your patience in waiting for the next part of the series - I’m glad you guys are interested. As always, recorded for my own benefit, published for yours. General disclaimer is in my bio. Credit to KRSchannel for inspiring this post.

Find your 10th lord here, and find your 10th lord’s nakshatra here.

The 10th house rules our life’s honor. It represents the services we perform for society as well as the reputation we earn as a result. It is associated with the father and the career because traditionally, this is where both our standing in society and the role we performed in society would come from - inherited through the father’s family line. However, in our contemporary world, this isn’t always the case, which is why it’s important to know the grander themes at play.

The three Jupiter-ruled nakshatras are Punarvasu, Vishakha, and Purva Bhadrapada.

Jupiter is a planetary object that represents ascension, expansion, and union. It is the aspiration that guides us to our greatest heights, and the intangible whole comprised of all pieces, parts, and individuals. Channeling Jupiter means to take the role of the collective in our capacity as an individual, such as sharing our experiences to better the understanding of others, or discovering, exploring, and sharing universal truths that connect everyone. This is why Jupiter is associated with the partner. Venus is like the practical partner, who represents our own earthly values, but Jupiter is the soulmate, who allows us to ascend beyond the self, uniting physical with spiritual. Jupiter obscures, elevates, and enlightens, offering both afterlife and a life purpose.

DO YOU HAVE YOUR 10TH LORD IN A JUPITER-RULED NAKSHATRA? THAT MEANS YOU…

Audrey Hepburn, Amelia Earhart, and Kendrick Lamar all have their tenth lords in Jupiter ruled nakshatras. Audrey’s is in Punarvasu, Anne’s is in Vishakha, and Kendrick’s is in Purva Bhadrapda.

… AND THE PUBLIC MUTUALLY TEACH, EVOLVE, AND MYTHOLOGIZE ONE ANOTHER.

This placement produces an individual who is not content to engage with either their vocation or their society as a means to an end. These natives rather prefer to approach their public life, and the concept of the public itself often enough, as deeply meaningful and containing a higher purpose. Here you find individuals who shake up their industry by introducing cultures of open-mindedness and experimentation, as often as you find those who pursue their far-flung, lofty legacies at the expense of their health, relationships, privacy, and even life.

Jupiter's fame is more particular to how its influence manifests than to the amount of or method by which it was accrued. Whether you're looking at canon-defining classics, the celebrity of subculture, or the first individual of a certain kind to succeed in this or that field, you're looking at a Jovian native whose legacy serves to teach the public, and expand how the public defines itself. Of course, anyone can push boundaries, but these natives are most likely to be remembered for the barriers they break, and the lessons they taught in the process.

MORE ON THE SPECIFICS OF PUNARVASU, VISHAKHA, AND PURVA BHADRAPADA BELOW!

IF PUNARVASU RULES THE TENTH LORD, YOU…

Sharon Tate, David Beckham, and Halle Berry all have their tenth lords in Punarvasu. Others with this placement are William Shakespeare, Aretha Franklin, Amy Adams, J. M. Barrie, Debbie Harry, Al Gore, Alannis Morisette, Naomi Judd, Stephen King, Tony Curtis, Eddie Murphy, Gisele Bündchen, Werner Herzog, and Courtney Love.

Take public responses to your behavior personally, even finding it difficult to separate your identity from your reputation at first.

Are likely to be known for your professional value on an individual level, as a matter of skill, rather than as a team member or leader.

May benefit from a mentor who takes you under their wing, or may play such a role to new incomers to your field or workplace.

Count on your inborn charm to buoy you through scandal.

Transform your persona with age to appeal to new expectations.

AND YOU MAY FIND…

Travel is an expected part of your job, and public service you perform in foreign places seems to leave a greater impact.

Early on in life, key marriages and romantic partnerships can interfere with your career and social status, or vice versa.

Engaging in social service, partaking in cultural traditions, and organizing society-wide events, is spiritually cleansing, and allows you to reintegrate your public persona and personal identity.

Others imbue you with moral authority you are not prepared to shoulder, potentially leading to unearned imposter syndrome.

A pattern of being publicly linked to 'someone else': a role you have played, a title you've been given, a superior who enhances your image, a teammate who steals your valor, etc.

PUNARVASU is the Star of Renewal. Industries and career types favored are those involving archetypes, exploration, drama, history, innovation, education, spirituality, relationships, care-taking, healing, delivery, narrative, articulation, influence, and transportation.

IF VISHAKHA RULES THE TENTH LORD, YOU…

Anne Hathaway, Usher, and Billy Idol all have their tenth lords in Vishakha. Others with this placement are Dodi Al Fayed, Steven Spielberg, Susan Sarandon, Winston Churchill, Giorgio Armani, Martin Luther, Patti Page, H. G. Wells, Martin Scorsese, Analeigh Tipton, Joel Coen, Megan Mullaly, Richard Strauss, CM Punk, Georgia O'Keefe, John Cleese, Monica Vitti, Ashanti, and Mary, Queen of Scots.

Naturally come to occupy positions of authority in the industries of your mastery, if not through literal rank than socially/morally.

May find yourself successfully introducing a new movement, genre, belief, or idea before it's celebrated by the mainstream.

Are generous in the world of public service, and will leave a legacy of having cared for and striven for the betterment of your society.

Know how to communicate your ideals and philosophies to a wide audience in a professional setting effectively, even artistically.

May be accused of elitism, pretentiousness, or arrogance, even when you try to cultivate an attitude of humility and modesty.

AND YOU MAY FIND…

Your early professional life is beset with competition, or your chosen industry is somehow affected by martial conflicts.

Members of the public will interpret you either as self-indulgent and petty, or as austere and enlightened, with no in-between.

Opportunities for romance are plentiful for you in social and legal settings, but resulting relationships must be extricated from those wider contexts to establish a happy and healthy marriage.

Your boss often partakes in social drinking with his subordinates.

Jealousy is a common theme, whether you have a reputation for being jealous, others are jealous of and threatened by you, etc.

VISHAKHA is the Star of Purpose. Industries and career types favored are those involving research, politics, competition, speech, ideology, agitation, immigration, criticism, trade, exchange, leisure, intoxicants, production, leadership, personal branding, and style.

IF PURVA BHADRAPADA RULES THE TENTH LORD, YOU…

Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, and Sidney Poitier all have their tenth lords in Purva Bhadrapada. Others with this placement are Kurt Cobain, Laurence Olivier, Michael Jordan, Charles Dickens, Vincent Price, Armie Hammer, Franz Schubert, Gerard Way, John Steinbeck, Kurt Russell, Maya Angelou, Conan O'Brien, Bobby Driscoll, David Tennant, Jay Leno, Rik Mayall, Keri Russell, and OP.

Tempt others into rule-breaking and are tempted in turn by communities and livelihoods that circumvent or defy the law.

Signify a movement or change in social norms within your field.

Use your work to provoke others into changing their core beliefs.

Bring elements of the metaphysical, spiritual, transcendental, and philosophical into a more social and/or practical public setting.

Naturally uncover and grapple with a fundamentally darker side of public life and of the public in general, with too much exposure or attention more likely to pose a real, material risk to your health, security, or even life.

AND YOU MAY FIND…

Your look, attitude, and/or impulses are easily congealed into an image or symbol, one that is powerful but restrictive, and your depths may be shunned by the public or authorities as a result.

Anyone who tries to take a conflict with you public will suffer serious consequences as a result, from either your own ferocity when tested, or organized backlash from others on your behalf.

Introduction through the professional and public sphere makes others magnetically attracted to you; however, those who would already be attracted to you are at risk of becoming obsessive.

The pursuit of a specific career or end-goal, specifically through higher education or founding of a philosophy, actually puts you in contact with more opportunities and generates more success in a totally different field or toward a different goal than you plan for.

One of the most rewarding and effective means by which you can perform public service is through contributions to education and community outreach through mentorship.

PURVA BHADRAPADA is the Burning Pair. Industries and career types favored are those involving ideology, sensuality, speculative genres, music, investigation, nature, spirituality, research, administration, promotion, conflict, subcultures, rhetoric, death, and crime.

HOPE THIS IS HELPFUL. VARIATION IN REQUESTS MEANS WE’RE GOING OUT OF ORDER, BUT WE WILL RETURN TO THE OTHERS LATER. FEEL FREE TO MESSAGE WITH QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS, IDEAS, ETC. THANKS SO MUCH. PART 7 WILL BE FOCUSED ON MERCURY-RULED 10TH LORD NAKSHATRAS! ♡

[sylvanus-cypher]

Okay I'm going batshit insane with Celestial Bodies builds and I'm about to make it everyone's problem. Watch out followers because I'm gonna be on this bullshit for a while, and if you don't understand what madness I'm spouting, check out Celestial Bodies here. They've got a bunch of free copies to go around, and I didn't specifically buy the tier that adds three copies to the community pool for nothing; go read it! I'm certain you Lancer fans would enjoy it

This is the layout L//F model of frame, a quick and quirky little guy notable for having all the HP of a tuberculosis-ridden Victorian child and the speed of a cat on crack. That Streamlined trait that doubles its movement? We're gonna be abusing the hell out of that to run loop-de-loops around bitches. This build will require exactly four components:

First, we'll need an ultra thruster in square configuration on the far left of the build. Normally, this oversized thruster would make us move 5 units per move, but Streamlined lets us move 10. For context, the furthest-reaching weapon in the game is range 6, and average unmoddified mech speed is 2.

Second, an ultralight reactor. Now, you might point out that this means exactly one lucky hit will instantly kill our mech. I would point out that I'm no coward and I can handle a little death every now and again.

Next, a recoil compensation processor. This crucial piece of equipment will prevent us from pissing in the wind with our main method of attack, God's Favourite Weapon:

The Big Fucking Gun[tm]. To prevent lighter builds from abusing this bastard, it specifically causes increased inaccuracy when fielded to anything smaller than a heavy build. Unfortunately for anyone on the business end of this thing, that's Not Fucking Enough, especially since one (1) RC processor gets us back to standard.

Since you get 3 actions per turn, the plan is comically simple: Zoom in with that 10 speed (1); introduce your target to the BFG (2); zoom tf out (3). With 10 entire movement speed, this means you can reliably go toe-to-toe with ultra mechs and swooce right out before they can so much as target you. You'll be reliably out of range of basically anything, and even if by some miracle you do end up in range the 20 movement you make gives you 6 entire evasion which makes you functionally immortal to anything with less than 4 full-auto attacks or explosives. You can straight-up outrun missiles.

Everyone else is playing Battletech while you're playing Project Wingman.

Anyways check out Celestial Bodies and maybe give them some support, the system they've crafted is really cool!

[crippled-peeper]

america invented eugenics?

the USA specifically did. we used it most acutely against immigrants, against institutionalized people, the mentally ill, the disabled, and anyone who wasn’t white. and it very much inspired the nazi party. eugenics is deeply and quietly entrenched in our history. do you know of Hellen Keller? she believed in eugenics. yea seriously

A lot of early thinkers and progressives were eugenicists too.

The American eugenics movement received extensive funding from various corporate foundations including the Carnegie Institution, Rockefeller Foundation, and the Harriman railroad fortune. In 1906, J.H. Kellogg provided funding to help found the Race Betterment Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan.[13] The Eugenics Record Office (ERO) was founded in Cold Spring Harbor, New York in 1911 by the renowned biologist Charles B. Davenport, using money from both the Harriman railroad fortune and the Carnegie Institution. As late as the 1920s, the ERO was one of the leading organizations in the American eugenics movement.

In years to come, the ERO and the American Eugenics Society collected a mass of family pedigrees and provided training for eugenics field workers who were sent to analyze individuals at various institutions, such as mental hospitals and orphanage institutions, across the United States. Eugenicists such as Davenport, the psychologist Henry H. Goddard, Harry H. Laughlin, and the conservationist Madison Grant (all of whom were well-respected during their time) began to lobby for various solutions to the problem of the "unfit."

Davenport favored immigration restriction and sterilization as primary methods; Goddard favored segregation in his The Kallikak Family; Grant favored all of the above and more, even entertaining the idea of extermination.

Here’s the Wikipedia about the subject if you want to keep reading about it

TW for forced sterilization, eugenics (obviously), genocide, abuse.

[friendlyorange]

The weirdest thing about going to college for teaching in the united states is the giant CANYON of disconnect between what we're taught and what we actually do in a classroom.

like we're taught how to diversify methods of instruction in order to most equitably reach the diverse populations of our classrooms and inspire them to do their best writing/reading/speaking (im an English teaching major) but then in reality the students in your classroom are insanely below the level they need to be at in order to engage with age-appropriate lessons for them

we're taught how to take common core standards and transform them into meaningful and deep lessons but we're only given 45-90 mins of planning per day (if we're lucky) and the rest needs to be done outside of school or after hours if you can't do it quickly enough, and teachers are always expected to do research outside of the classroom, as well as collaboration, tweaking of lesson plans, etc.

we're told that students crave learning and they crave fun projects and they crave kinesthetic exercises, but then when I try those things in the classroom everyone complains and halfasses their participation, and im lucky if half of them actually pass something in, whether its an assignment, a test, a project, or an assessment.

we're told that we need to have open communication not only between teachers but between teachers and admin and parents, but then im lucky if one of the ten parents I email about their kid failing emails me back, and im luckier if admin takes a behaviorally disturbed student out of my class for insulting me or other students.

like... i guess my point is that teaching education is so idyllic and utopian, and actual classrooms are a goddamn nightmare of behavioral issues, lack of time/resources, exhausting interactions with students who don't want to be there or participate, and insane expectations from students, parents, and admin alike.

Like... no wonder the teaching field is hemorrhaging teachers right now. How can ANYONE work under the insane conditions we're forced to try and teach in. I'm so tired and I'm not even out of school yet. It's actually psychotic.

[trans-axolotl]

key takeaways from psych abolition discussions at the anarchist healthcare conference 2023:

Psych wards and asylums have not always existed, and we can tear down and create alternatives! As much as the system wants us to believe this is our only option for providing care and support for madness, that is simply not true and there are multiple historical examples of successful deinstitutionalization. We talked a lot about the Basaglia method and the application of that in Italy and Brazil.

Successful resistance within psych wards has required solidarity from both workers and patients. Patients are often understandably very mistrustful of the professionals who have perpetrated violence against us, and psych professionals need to actively work to build trust, collaborate in sharing the burden of risk that currently patients are the only ones holding, actively value patients lives above their job security, and must actively interrogate the power dynamics they are currently operating within. One area to start building solidarity can be around the ways that psych workers like behavioral techs are often underpaid, overworked, and exploited by upper management, and that many psych workers go into the field because they have their own experience with mental health. There needs to be much more room for patients to express our anger, rage, and distrust, and still be respected by psych professionals who want to organize with us.

This quote from Basaglia and the Democratic Psychiatry movement in Italy: " The debate about whether to work inside or outside institutions, inside or outside, presupposes that inside and outside exist as clearly separate and antagonistic positions. Inside and outside are created as opposite and completely separate poles by a social system that is based on divisions at all levels. If we accept this premise, we are already playing into the hands of administrators."

What resistance in psych wards can look like! We talked about everything from organized protests, group refusal to comply with treatment activities, individual noncompliance, breaking people out, trying to advocate through the approved means like ethics committees and patient advocates, sneaking in contraband, creating intentional peer support within those spaces, and also some more complex and nuance conversations around the fact that when all ability to access privacy and bodily autonomy is taken away, many patients will turn to self harm as a form of enforcing bodily autonomy.

Ways that professionals can act as accomplices, by refusing to sign psych holds, refusing to force meds, enabling peer support, breaking their hospital policies, letting patients get away with things, advocating for policies like cell phones in units, calling ethics consults. Also the idea of deliscensure, where therapists will go to school, get licensed, and then let that license expire and offer services under "life coaching," which has different legal responsibilities and creates less entanglement with the state and mandatory reporting.

The idea that coercion exists on so many levels in the psych system, from outpatient to inpatient. "involuntary holds" are not the only type of involuntary treatment that happens. Someone had a really good point that choosing between coercive and violent inpatient systems or being forced to have zero support on the outside is also not a choice free from coercion, and that any discussion of involuntary treatment needs to have a really broad understanding of how coercion and choice plays into treatment in so many levels.

Brainstorming what inside/outside organizing might look like in terms of how we as community outside institutions support people currently incarcerated. Some ideas included bringing in regular care packages with fun items for patients and also items like hair care products, especially for textured hair since psych wards rarely provide any hair care products for Black hair, and sneaking in contact info to local organizations and collectives, sneaking in radical zines about mental health support topics/psych abolition/harm reduction by giving them covers of approved topics on things like CBT, mainstream mental health, etc. Having hotlines for immediate mobilization for psych incarceration. Utilizing the wisdom and knowledge from people who are regularly in and out of hospitals, who might have a lot more long term knowledge of how a psych facility functions than staff who have a lot of turnover. Really listening to patients and peers and getting creative about how to reach people and remind them that they're not forgotten. We really grappled with how to do this type of organizing when considering that psych wards are often very transient spaces where people are there for only 5ish days, and how to set up structures that can offer support to people their first time they enter a psych facility. A lot of our conversations also looked at successful inside/outside organizing happening in prisons, and people felt like that would be a really good direction to go into.

Building our community capacity to deal with crisis, and also depathologizing crisis! We talked about how often people label others' experiences as crisis without actually seeing how the person feels about it, and how white supremacy culture really encourages this on a societal level, especially in terms of what public situations bystanders will call the cops/crisis hotlines. In order to build networks of community care, we need to get comfortable with crisis, and look at how crisis exists in context, instead of just labeling things as symptoms and disorders. Healing cannot exist in isolation, and alongside things like emotional and therapeutic support, access to substances, we need to consider how to integrate material support for things like housing, food, medical care, fighting against oppression, access to job security, things like that. We also need to address how to expand access to community spaces, especially when considering people who feel isolated from in person community and don't have support networks to rely on.

overall this conference was just a really cool convergence of mad people, psych professional allies, people working with harm reduction and alternative crisis teams and just a million different contexts! happy to expand more on any of these points I've listed above.

[carionto]

Overwhelming presence

Monitoring space is a complicated task due to the literal cosmic scale of the undertaking. However, security is paramount, all species learn this in their own histories, thus technology and methods to effectively keep track of most relevant objects in space has been thoroughly developed.

The (relatively) simplest and most commonly used is the Quantum Web - a series of micro-satellites dotted around a star system, each maintain a large field of quantum-entangled particles and relay any changes within it in real time to all associated monitoring stations. The primary method is by detecting changes in energy levels, as simple physical displacement often clutters the feed with random asteroids and debris, or other objects of non-sapient origin.

As the United Federation and the Galactic Coalition are in a bit of a... tense stage in their relationship at the moment, the bordering Neutral Zone is heavily monitored by Federation agents, especially all systems close to where they have deployed their Battle Moon.

One day, a Federation monitor was returning from a short break to notice something off about the readout. There were many big bright white dots moving quickly within the Neutral Zone. They had never seen anything like that before. Normally all readings are color coded based on known ship or station designs and typical power outputs throughout said vessel.

The flow of energy throughout a vessel is sort of a fingerprint in a way. If you zoom in on the readout, and if the Quantum Web field is saturated enough, you can sometimes make out individual power generators and consumers.

This was something else. Going closer just made the whole projection go white, as if the thing was hundreds of kilometers in every direction, but that couldn't be. First, even the Battle Moon doesn't produce an image like that and it is literally a 340km large moon. And second, these dots - spheres more accurately - seem to overlap constantly. Logically, this must be an error of some kind.

What was not logical is when those bright lights came up to relative physical viewing distance of the hidden monitoring station. Letting curiosity get the better of them, the Federation agent pointed a telescope where this "error" should be.

There was nothing there. Just an error then. Feeling relieved even though they didn't think they were nervous to begin with, they set about filing a report on the situation and requesting maintenance support. As they were about to finalize all necessary paperwork, an open channel hail pinged them.

"Hey there, is anyone out here? We, uhh, messed up and wiped our navcom, so we're kinda lost here. Could someone please send over a copy of the local system chart? We'd be real grateful if you also didn't tell our parents about this, okay? Like, we can trade for something, like Mick's fancy guitar" "Hey!" "What? You don't play, your dad just gave it to you cuz you randomly said you wanted one while high."

Taking a quick glance at the projector and comm-observer, the agent stopped. The messages were coming from those bright lights. Rushing back to the telescope, they quickly zeroed in on their location and found three small apparently custom built space craft of unknown design.

As the trio of ships kept sending out random conversations among the clearly young civilians on board, the agent maintained total silence. Not long after, a Coalition military scout craft appeared on the projector in the expected yellow energy pattern, confirming that the Quantum Web was functioning without fault.

Throughout the ensuing conversation and reprimand, they learned that the three ships belonged to Humans, a species very recently integrated into the Coalition. Little investigation had been done on them so far, mainly as they are quite far away and only reside within a single system.

So the question stands - what kind of energy signature would produce such a massive bright light? it couldn't be a ruse. You can't "trick" a quantum-entangled particle. Maybe... There are ancient anecdotes of true fusion reactors - miniature stars - but no, nobody utilizes that, it's far too dangerous and difficult just to contain let alone exploit.

No one in their right mind would use literal stars right next to them. Right?

[fbenvs3000f24]

Unit 10 Blog Post

Describe your personal ethic as you develop as a nature interpreter. What beliefs do you bring? What responsibilities do you have? What approaches are most suitable for you as an individual?

Throughout my life, and now throughout this course, my love for nature has grown and evolved quite a bit leading to the interpreter I am today. I feel that each week through the assigned textbook and supplemental readings, along with the blog prompts and getting to read others’ posts, I have been able to learn a lot about my personal ethic as an interpreter. 

Me out in Lake Erie enjoying nature!

For me, I believe that the interpretation of nature through a variety of goggles is the best way to go about it. In fact, I believe that you cannot only interpret nature under one lens, you need a mixture of outlooks to truly understand and appreciate the natural world. As a science major, it is easy for me to believe that science is one of the most crucial ways we can interpret nature because it brings along an understanding of what exactly we are seeing around us. Understanding why plants are green or why chipmunks may be burying their food helps to provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of our environment. As mentioned in one of week five’s supplemental readings, complicated issues such as the loss of biodiversity gain a lot of support when community members are taught about, and engaged in, the science behind it (Wals et al., 2014). By interpreting nature through a scientific lens we are better able to make sure people are informed about what is really going on around them and hopefully inspire them to take action when the natural world around them is at risk. 

Sea stars I collected for experiments in a marine research course!

Even though I believe that science is necessary when interpreting nature, I do not think it would provide someone with everything they needed to love nature for all that it is. While science provides an understanding of what is going on, it sometimes lacks emotion. I believe that a major part of nature is the emotions that it provides to the interpreter and one of the main ways to feel those emotions is through forging a more personal connection through the arts. Whether that be through painting, drawing, crafts, music, or any other form of art, it is what truly connects us to nature. Taking something as simple as a lone tree in a field and interpreting it in a way that is personal to you, making something physical out of what you are seeing, is the most pure form of interpretation in my mind. Boeckel et al (2015)., mention that there is a disenchantment of the world occurring along with a loss of direct nature experiences. I feel that by taking what we see in nature and making something out of it we are effectively reconnecting with it because we have to take the time to be immersed in it to generate ideas on what to make. 

Park near my house where I like to go and paint what I see!

Without artistic interpretations of nature we lack connection, but without scientific interpretations we lack understanding. This is why I believe we cannot simply pick one method of interpretation and run with it.

As an interpreter I believe that I have many responsibilities. First of all it is my responsibility to ensure that everyone feels included. This involves unpacking invisible knapsacks as learned in week three. Making sure that each and every participant has the same tools available to them, either literal or metaphorical, to truly understand and appreciate what is around them is key. If someone felt like they were at a disadvantage due to a lack of education, experience, or anything else then they would not be properly able to enjoy nature as they may be feeling othered. It is a responsibility of mine to be extra observant and make sure that this does not happen. Another responsibility I carry is making sure that everyone is being respectful with the natural world, myself included. Whether it's leading a hike or a camping trip or anything else outdoors there is a possibility for people to treat nature unkindly. Maybe it's by throwing their food wrappers on the ground or unnecessarily killing bugs around them for being “creepy”. When we are in and around nature it is our responsibility to treat it with care so that future generations can have the same experiences as us. As an interpreter I feel a sense of leadership and responsibility that includes keeping our forests, beaches, and other environments clean. Another responsibility of mine is to appeal to each and every learning style. In the course content we discussed tactile, auditory, and visual, but the textbook goes on to provide many others. Things like logical-mathematical, inter- and intrapersonal and many more were mentioned (Beck et al., 2018). I feel it is my duty to truly understand what each one involves and what strengths/weaknesses someone with that learning style may face when it comes to interpretation. A final responsibility I feel I have as an interpreter relates to what I wrote about above. I feel it is my duty to ensure that all aspects of interpretation are being included when out in nature. Providing the science behind why something is the way it is then going into artistic interpretations of it to make sure that everyone gets the whole picture is key. In the future I will strive to interpret in a way that incorporates it all to give participants the best shot at finding something they can connect to in nature. 

As an individual I feel I am best suited to do all that I have mentioned in this blog. I am a science student which helps me with scientific interpretations, but I also have a love for being creative which would help me with the artistic part. I definitely feel as though these weekly blog posts have helped me better understand who I am as an interpreter and what works best for me. I have learned quite a bit about myself during this course and I cannot wait to use all that I have learned in the future to be the best interpreter I can!

I cannot wait to read everyone else’s blogs this week and I hope everyone has a great rest of their semester!

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing, Sagamore Venture. 

van Boeckel, J. (2015). At the heart of art and earth: an exploration of practices in arts-based environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 21(5), 801–802. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2014.959474 

Wals, A. E.J., Brody, M., Dillon, J., Stevenson, R. B. (2014). Convergence Between Science and Environmental Education. Science 344,583-584. 10.1126/science.1250515

[herkonular]

SAPPHİREHAİRCLİNİC -DEVASA+ (3)

Sapphire Hair Clinic in Istanbul, Turkey, offers a variety of popular cosmetic procedures, including rhinoplasty, a surgical procedure to reshape the nose. Rhinoplasty is a common procedure that can improve the appearance of the nose, correct breathing problems, and improve facial harmony. Sapphire Hair Clinic uses the latest techniques and technology to ensure optimal results for its patients. The cost of rhinoplasty turkey is generally lower than in other countries, making it an attractive option for those seeking high-quality care at an affordable price. Another popular procedure offered by Sapphire Hair Clinic is hair transplantation, which uses before and after results and techniques to demonstrate the effectiveness of the procedure. The clinic specializes in FUE (follicular unit extraction) hair transplant before after and best hair transplant in world you can visit our company, which specializes in its fields. which involves extracting individual hair follicles from a donor area and transplanting them to the recipient area. This technique provides natural-looking results and requires minimal downtime. Sapphire Hair Clinic also uses the sapphire blade hair transplant method, which is a newer technique that involves the use of sapphire blades to create smaller incisions and minimize scarring. The clinic offers comprehensive care and support throughout the process, including post-operative care and follow-up appointments. In addition to rhinoplasty and hair transplant, Sapphire Hair Clinic also offers Brazilian butt lift (BBL), a popular butt augmentation procedure. Bbl turkey involves removing fat from one area of ​​the body, such as the abdomen or thighs, and transferring it to the buttocks to create a shapelier, lifted appearance. The clinic uses advanced techniques to ensure optimal results and offers personalized care and support throughout the process. With its reputation as a market leader in hair transplant and cosmetic procedures, Sapphire Hair Clinic in Turkey is the best choice for those seeking high-quality care and natural-looking results.

[aedesluminis]

Prieur on the implementation of the decimal scale in the metric system

The key point, in which Prieur's proposal, aimed to reform the French metric system, differentiates itself from the others, lies in the detailed implementation of the decimal scale for all kind of measures. This is why I thought appropriate to share the following excerpt, taken directly from his work. Its content might sound obvious for many of us, but it's important to remember that, in the 18th century, the scale commonly used in France was the duodecimal one. Prieur was among the scholars of the time to have relised the great advantages that the decimal subdivision would have brought in the fields of calculation and arithmetic, by making the former more straightforward in general and the latter more accessible to everyone, especially to those, who didn't receive an education. Below, under the cut, I also added the transcribed version by Isabelle Dutailly of Prieur's measures conversion table between the standards used during the Ancien Régime in Paris and the new ones, he proposed to use. It gives a general idea about both the tremendous amount of units present just in the capital and how close Prieur's subdivision of measures is compared to our current one.

"[...]Our pied national will be divided into ten pouches, each pouche in ten lignes, each ligne in ten points or primes, so that it will be possible to write each subspecies [of measure] as decimals of the main unit. This method of division is the most proper that we can accept, since it is in accordance with the rules of our numeration and, if it were applied to all the various kind of measures, the study of arithmetic would become much easier and, as a result, more widely practiced. Someone might say that diving by twelve would be convenient when considering the 1/3, 1/4 and their submultiples: this is undeniable. It is also certain that the duodecimal scale could have been used instead of the decimal one for our numeration, but such a change would currently be impractical . On the other hand, the decimal system reveals itself to be convenient for people, who do not know how to write, since it would allow them to represent each ten through their fingers, therefore each hand would be equal to one half of ten, making the count of five parts easier. The introduction of the decimals in all the measures is beneficial in making calculation easier, in that more complex multiplications and divisions are converted to operations similar to those of whole numbers; in that the reduction of each subspecies, from one to another, happens through the simple shift of the decimal point and finally, in that it would allow to increase or decrease the precision of an operation according to our needs. In the majority of cases relative to calculations of our length measurements, there is no need for this operation to go beyond the thousandth, and often the hundredth too, of the main unit."

— Claude-Antoine Prieur, Mémoire sur la nécessité et les moyens de rendre uniformes, dans le royaume, toutes les mesures d'étendue et de pesanteur (1790), p.15-16.

Note: Emphases in italics are mine, moreover I didn't translate the units into English, because their corresponding value in said language wouldn't match with the French one, so I believed it wasn't wise.

"Table of comparison between the old units of weights and length used in the city of Paris and the new national ones, which are supposed to replace the former"

Source for the original table.Source for the transcribed version.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Yaakov Lappin

On the eve of the war, Hamas possessed an estimated 30,000 armed terrorists, divided into five territorial brigades and 24 battalions across the Gaza Strip. It had a sprawling weapons production industry, much of it underground, and distributed the weapons through hundreds of miles of tunnels. It had an estimated rocket arsenal of some 15,000 projectiles, and death squads on the border preparing to conduct the worst mass murder of Jews since the Second World War.

More than 100 days into the fighting, the Hamas war machine has sustained severe damage and is being further degraded by the day. Its ability to function as an organized military force in northern and central Gaza has been eliminated, though Hamas prepared cells with the ability to function independently. These lone cells continue to attack Israeli forces as the opportunity arises, with whatever means they have to hand.

While the latest Israel Defense Forces assessment is that Hamas has thus far lost more than 9,000 fighters—a third of its fighting force—this is far from a complete picture of the true scope of damage it has sustained, not least because that figure pertains to fatalities, not overall battle casualties, which are likely far higher.

Furthermore, according to an IDF source, the Israeli military has been engaged in a gradual, ordered process of dismantling Hamas’s capabilities from the top down, starting with its command structure.

According to the source, the IDF and its divisions within Gaza focus their firepower and maneuvers first on eliminating enemy commanders, as well as their command and control capabilities—meaning the places from which they command field cells.

In the next stage, the terror group’s infrastructure is targeted, such as bases and military posts. Weapons production and storage sites comprised the next layer of targets.

It is only after these target banks are exhausted that the IDF prioritizes targeting Hamas fighters.

Furthermore, the estimate of Hamas fatalities is constantly rising; the IDF estimates that over 100 terrorists were killed in western Khan Yunis on Tuesday alone.

Of higher priority for the IDF is Hamas’s tunnel networks, which are being systematically mapped and destroyed.

Hamas’s ability to switch from organized command structures to decentralized guerilla warfare means that the IDF must be prepared for a prolonged fight against a determined asymmetric jihadist force—but one that is losing operatives, commanders and capabilities by the day.

The IDF has completed the encirclement of Hamas’s final major stronghold of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, with intense fighting being reported particularly in the city’s southern and western areas.

IDF special forces and intelligence units have been operating in the tunnels under the city for weeks, building a detailed intelligence picture and stepping up the pressure on Hamas’s leadership, which, together with the hostages, is likely located in this area.

In addition, the IDF is preparing a buffer zone in eastern Gaza, in which it is removing areas used by Hamas to launch its murderous attack on Oct. 7. The 21 reservists who died on Tuesday were conducting a controlled demolition as part of this effort when their location was hit by an RPG.

“Our forces continue a broad operation in western Khan Yunis, one of Hamas’s significant centers of gravity,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated on Tuesday during a press conference.

“It is very complex terrain, densely populated with many Hamas terrorists concealed in the area, including in sensitive facilities, trying to surprise our forces. The forces are fighting courageously using a variety of methods, skillfully and with close support of aerial fire and intelligence. Our forces are striking military posts and terror infrastructure, and in recent days destroyed a tunnel network spanning a kilometer and a half as well as a rocket production facility,” he said.

“We continue to fight throughout the Gaza Strip, in the north, center, and the south. We are deepening our achievements and are continuing to operate around the clock to create conditions for the return of the hostages.”

[peskellence]

Pairing: RK900/Gavin Reed

Tags: Post Pacifist Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Angst, Hurt/ Comfort

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Summary: In the aftermath of Detroit's android revolution, Nines grapples with the complexities of his newfound deviancy. As he seeks to establish his place in a newly transformed society, his resolve is put to the ultimate test when he is paired with Detective Gavin Reed-a notoriously volatile human with a well-established hatred for androids-to investigate a series of murders.

While initial impressions of his partner seem to suggest his reputation is well-deserved, the more time Nines spends with him, the more he is forced to challenge his judgments. As they form an unexpected bond, the RK900 is also pushed to examine truths about himself he would much rather seek to forget. (A Retelling of 'More Than Our Parts' from the POV of Nines.)

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Depression/Self, Destructive Behaviour, Eventual Smut

Word Count: 5.2K

Tag List (I forgot - sorry!) : @sweeteatercat @wedonthaveawhile @ladyj-pl @tentoriumcerebelli @negative-citadel

♡If you would like to be added to the tag list please let me know♡

Nines sat at his workstation, methodically sifting through the findings from yesterday's case. He scrutinised each gruesome detail, hoping to discern anything that might have been overlooked. Sander's Team would need time to analyse the forensic samples, but he doubted this would amount to anything significant. 

The attack had been frustratingly contained, with the culprit leaving little trace of themself—save a deliberately constructed path of carnage. To avoid wasting time, Nines decided to utilise what limited information they had available to craft a more detailed suspect profile: 

> ACCESSING FILE 'HARTWELL SUSPECT.'

> COMMENCING PROCESS — CRIMINOLOGICAL ANALYSIS…

> PATH ESTABLISHED. 

> ASSAILANT POSED AS CLIENT — SUSPICION OF VICTIM NOT IMMEDIATELY TRIGGERED. 

[ REFER TO INTERNAL FILE 'jason_Hr400_personalorganiser'] 

> ALIAS' THOD GRAWS' — SINGLE INDIVIDUAL STATED — SCENE EVIDENCE INCONSISTENT WITH ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLICES. 

> SUFFICIENTLY STRONG TO LIFT AND MANEUVER MODEL HR400 ANDROID.

> ANTI-ANDROID RHETORIC EXPRESSED IN THE FORM OF VANDALISM — THIRIUM MESSAGE LEFT FOR DISCOVERY BY INVESTIGATIVE UNIT.

With consideration for all relevant details, an overview was starting to take shape—outlined in the expanding BIOS filling the scope of his optical field:

> HARTWELL SUSPECT PROFILE — UPDATE IN PROGRESS.

> ANALYTICAL HYPOTHESIS COMMENCED.

> GENERATING RESULTS…

> HUMAN MALE. 20 — 40 YRS.

[ MATCHES TYPICAL CLIENTELE PROFILE ]

> ABOVE AVERAGE PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES — LARGE OR MUSCULAR BUILD. 

> PRE-ESTABLISHED KNOWLEDGE OF ROBOTICS / CYBERNETICS — INCLUDING MECHANICS OF CYBERLIFE ANDROIDS. 

> PREDICTING MOTIVATION… 

The RK900 felt his neural functions stall temporarily as he decided on the trajectory of his ongoing analysis. Of course, the primary motivation seemed obvious. There was little room for interpretation left in the culprit's messages. 

However, there seemed to be a little more at play. A deeper lining prejudice, far more implicit than might have been initially apparent. He considered the killer's choice of language, as well as the positioning used when presenting the body for discovery…

> BASED ON RHETORICAL EVIDENCE LEFT AT THE SCENE :

> SUSPECTS HOLD STRONG ANTI-ANDROID SENTIMENTS.

> STANCE MAY BE INFLUENCED BY ESTABLISHED RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OR SIMILAR IDEOLOGIES.

> POSSIBLE DISILLUSIONMENT WITH CYBERLIFE AS A WIDER INSTITUTION? EVIDENCE INSUFFICIENT — TO BE DETERMINED. 

> HARTWELL SUSPECT PROFILE UPDATED.

Of course, the more detailed nuances of the killer's motivation were far from their primary concern right now. More pressing was the growing indication of prior offences—as if the same degree of care had been applied to their previous attacks, Nines could only wonder just how long they had been operating whilst evading detainment.

With the suspect profile at the forefront of his mind, Nines scanned his hand on the terminal and began cross-referencing the findings with recent DPD records of android-focused attacks. If any patterns could be established, which he suspected was likely, he at the very least hoped it would shed some light on their killer's operations, making catching up to them easier—

"—Shit!" 

Unsurprisingly, the urgency of this task appeared to have eluded his partner. 

With a survey of their shared workstation, he observed as the man fumbled callously with his third caffeinated beverage of the morning. A viscous glob of brown liquid dribbled down his chin as a reddened hand frantically swatted at his protruding tongue. It would appear the beverage had been hot, an observation only made after testing it with his mouth.

Even amidst the continuous bustle of the precinct, Reed's antics proved a prominent distraction. It might have been considered impressive, were it not so irritating.

"I sense that you are stressed, Detective," the android coolly remarked, averting his attention from the tragic display. "Perhaps a walk around the station may help to relieve some tension." 

In all honesty, concern for the man's well-being formed very little part of this suggestion. He simply hoped that the time it would take for him to walk around the building would prove sufficient for him to filter the pungent aromatic compounds jamming his olfactory processors. 

Regrettably, Reed proved less than receptive in granting him such relief. "Go fuck yourself."

Nines could only assume this rejection was made purely out of spite. The mantra he had been fighting to maintain up until this point, 'making the most' of his current situation, was becoming less of a persistent challenge and more of a statistical impossibility. 

His partner's presence grated on him like an unbearable itch, and it seemed to matter little if he chose to scratch or endure. Gavin Reed was an affliction that refused to be managed. 

Even after the coffee debacle, the android found his receptors barraged with multiple other nuisances. Constant physical and verbal tics—including the perpetual bounce of his leg, as well as frequent grumbled vulgarities. It inspired fantasies of reaching across the desk, robbing the man's ability to engage in such behaviours with targeted pressure to his neck. 

With considerable personal restraint, he managed to resist the urge. Unlike his partner, he wished to keep his records clear of extraneous assault charges. There was also no way of confirming what passive enjoyment Reed might garner from such a reaction—perhaps some twisted sense of pride or a masochistic thrill.

rA9 knew humans derived pleasure from the strangest of things. After all the material he had been unwittingly subjected to via the Hartwell victim's personal organiser, the android concluded he'd rather not delve into that particular aspect of his partner's psyche. 

After an extended period of scrolling on his phone, Reed's concentration moved reluctantly to his neglected terminal—albeit 'concentrating' could be considered a generous descriptor. Nothing about his actions demonstrated any degree of motivation beyond upholding a flimsy facade of appearing to be working. He lounged lazily in his chair, tapping his fingers in listless plods against his keyboard. 

With each monotonous clack, Nines could feel the weight of his complacency bearing heavily on his shoulders. Were he to delay the finalising of their reports any longer, the RK900 would simply be forced to—

"What is your name anyway?" Reed said suddenly. His eyes flitted towards the android, honed attentively whilst paradoxically devoid of any meaningful thought or engagement. "Don't think you ever bothered to tell me."

In contrast to the man's slackened jaw, Nines felt his own lock in exasperation. Rather than waste time on the question, he could have easily secured the desired information from the readily accessible staff records. Clearly, the process of opening a second tab on his computer proved far too mentally tasking. 

"My model number is sufficient," he responded, in a far greater show of agreeability than was deserved.

Despite this, the answer failed to satisfy his partner. He could not help but notice that Reed had proceeded to mimic his words, jutting his chin towards the ceiling as he flapped his lips in large, animated movements. It was a bizarre performance—for which Nines was uncertain who the intended audience had been. 

He prevented the pantomime from encroaching further into his optical field as he returned focus to the still-opened pathways pertaining to their case. The next logical step seemed to be comparing the Hartwell case to similar unsolved incidents. If any comparisons could be drawn, it may allow them to discern patterns in the killer's activities and determine an area of operation in which to focus their search.

With the criteria calibrated, the Hartwell documents were procedurally checked against the wider criminal database. A surreal kaleidoscope of shattered plastic, detached limbs and vibrant streaks of blue filled his vision—blinding him periodically. Their prevalence was alarming, as were the many parallels he was swiftly able to draw. 

It had become apparent that the killer hadn't just committed crimes against androids before, he was a seasoned professional. 

"When looking at the findings from the HR400 case, there are seven near-identical homicides that have occurred within a 10-mile radius." He directed his attention to Reed as the data faded from view, confining itself to his terminal monitor. "As well as fifteen further assault or harassment reports with notable similarities."

The man raised his brows at the revelation before his eyes rolled in a curt dismissal. "So what? Doesn't mean they're connected."

Nines felt his tested patience dwindle further as he was taken by an impulse to thump a head onto the table. Either his own or Reed's—he hadn't decided yet. Perhaps if he were to opt for the latter, it may inadvertently knock some sense into the thoroughly detestable man. 

"Our suspect works carefully not to incriminate themselves, leaving little to no DNA evidence." In hopes a visual may circumvent his partner's inability to employ basic reasoning, he turned his monitor in his direction. "They do, however, enjoy leaving calling cards for the police..." 

He descended through the contents of the page, watching as Reed's expression fell in line with the grotesque text and images. Reflections of synthetic gore shone ominously against his pupils, until they started to narrow, focusing on the images. No doubt some form of dormant reflex developed from his time of the force. An understanding that he ought to pay attention, even if he didn't want to. 

Hoping it might prove the catalyst for progress, Nines pressed a little further. "The handwriting is consistent across the crime scenes." He pointed his finger in line with a few of the killer's scrawlings, outlining the similarities in the gnarled letters.

"... That's all well and good, but the fuck are we supposed to do with a handwriting sample in 2039?" His tenuously held interest had already waned. Reed began picking at the corner of his mouse mat, rolling a ball of dislodged foam between his fingertips. "If that's all we have to work with, then we're royally screwed."

Nines slumped back in his seat, feeling entirely defeated. His grip tightened on the screen as he forcefully returned it to its original position. As his fingers burrowed into the flimsy chrome plating, it began to warp beneath his hold. By the time he realised what he had done, he was dismayed to discover that the action had left a series of prominent indents. 

"If you were to review the files yourself, perhaps you might find something of greater significance." 

There was a brief hush as Reed stilled completely. The ambient sounds of the precinct became the only noise shared between them—methodic typing and the mumbled chatter between co-workers. Then, a harsh demand cut through, like a final stone cast at the crumbling foundations of the android's composure.  

"Come again?"

If their short partnership had demonstrated anything, it was that Reed's contentious reputation was more than deserved. First impressions could be misleading, but in his partner's case, they had proved incredibly efficient in demonstrating the calibre of man he was.

Were Reed an android, he would have been deactivated long ago—the only consistency in his erraticism being his enduring cruelty and arrogance. No doubt this stemmed from some perceived dissatisfaction in his own personal or professional life, the fault for which was undoubtedly his.

"You have worked here for significantly longer than me, yet you seem to lack all the prerequisite skills to fulfil your duties." There was a stir of movement as the android detected a steady rise in the man's respiratory rate. "Perhaps this would explain why you are so consistently passed up for progression opportunities, not to mention promotion—"

There was a harsh strike against the desk, rattling its already unsteady foundations. Reed sat with his palms sprawled on the scuffed veneer surface, before he pushed against it, hauling himself to his feet. Leaving his chair, the man was practically foaming at the mouth with ill-concealed anger. His nostrils flared wide, and his head bucked forward, similar to an irate bull. 

"Where do you get off telling me how to do my job?"

Nines was more than happy to elaborate on the less-than-stellar overview he had constructed of Detective Reed. Perhaps it might provide the man with some valuable self insight, of which he clearly lacked any. 

"I am the most advanced model that CyberLife has ever created. I was programmed to assist in police investigations, with my performance continuously adjusted and monitored to uphold exceptionally high standards. I know incompetence when I see it."

Reed took immediate and hostile issue with the criticism. Even if Nines had not been able to detect the change in his vitals, the reflective tensing of his muscles—in particular the hostile curling of fingers against his palms—was more than telling of his intentions. 

"Is it in your damn programming to be such a prick all the time?"

"I am simply being honest."

The warning signs soon came to fruition, with almost comedic predictability. "They should have left you in the warehouse to rot, you fucking machine—"

As Reed's fist hurtled towards him, Nines intercepted it in a fluid motion. His hand closed around the man's wrist, applying pressure like the centralised force of a hydraulic press. He then pinned it firmly to the desk, preventing any further momentum. 

Clearly, the human had been spoiled by the restraint shown by his previous android targets. His rush of adrenaline seemed to taper instantly, as he took note of the wrenching hold riveting him in place. 

Nines observed with curiosity as signals of pain sent twitches through the human's muscles. His skin felt spongey and delicate, melding itself to his tightly wound fingers with remarkable ease. He could feel the beat of his pulse racing through the fleshy guard. A final, damning confirmation of just how fragile he truly was.  

"Let go of me, you piece of—!"

"You are fortunate that I am not willing to fight you," the android interrupted, his contemptuous tone laden with ice. "Had I been, your hand would be broken."

It was clear Reed had started to realise the gravity of his mistake as his scornful eyes widened in wake of the threat. The machine restraining him possessed more control over the situation than he could have ever comprehended. It could not be swayed by insults or threats, nor overpowered by any degree of force.

Despite his continued resistance, there was fear brimming in his gaze. It eclipsed all traces of zeal and bravado, as he realised just how easily Nines could have destroyed him in the pursuit of defending himself. 

"...Let go." 

To ensure the message was well received and that no further aggression was attempted, Nines leaned forward—positioning his mouth just above the shell of the man's ear. 

"Even if I were to let you hit me, is the fleeting satisfaction you would feel worth losing your career over? People are watching Detective Reed. I would consider your next move carefully."

His pride had been wounded, remnants leaking through the cracks of his narrowed eyes. He didn't want to stop fighting; that much was obvious, but even Reed—in all his irrationality—could recognise its futility. 

Once his body was completely still, and the beat of the pulse against his sensor pads had begun to slow, Nines decided to release him. The man yanked his arm back quickly as he pawed at the reddened imprints left on his wrist. 

Anger permeated his every syllable once he had regained the needed composure to speak. The words slicing the air like a guillotine, spurred by the cutting edge of his tongue. "If you ever pull a stunt like this again, I don't care what happens to me. I will fucking murder you."

It was clear how desperately the man wished for his threats to hold any weight. Nines, on the other hand, have never felt less intimidated in his life. He smoothly dismissed the notion, resisting the assured smirk threatening to curl his lips. "As we have just established, you couldn't hurt me even if you tried."

> INCOMING TRANSMISSION.

RK800 #313 248 317 - 51 >> RK900 #313 248 317 - 87

I haven't heard from you in a while.

Is everything okay?

His encroaching smile vanished completely as a new irritation presented itself—formed in the sudden pop-up on his HUD. Naturally, RK800 would feel inclined to check in. He'd want to know how things were progressing with Nines and his new partner. 

As much as Nines appreciated the vigilance came from a place of concern, he couldn't help but find it a little intrusive. Like he was a small child, being kept under constant check by a protective older sibling. 

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87 >> RK800 #313 248 317 - 51

Everything is fine. 

I am currently discussing case findings with Detective Reed.

RK800 #313 248 317 - 51 >> RK900 #313 248 317 - 87

Are you sure about that? 

Seems like quite a violent discussion.

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87 >> RK800 #313 248 317 - 51

I have no idea what you are talking about. 

The situation is under control. You've no cause for concern.

RK800 #313 248 317 - 51 >> RK900 #313 248 317 - 87

Nines, I am standing by your desk. 

"Detective Reed, RK900." 

RK800 then spoke aloud, allowing the human to be privy to their ongoing interactions. Nines wished he hadn't bothered. 

As if Reed wasn't already in a foul enough mood, the introduction of a second android seemed to tip him over the edge. He looked ready to lash out again or, at the very least, attempt to, with RK800 his new target of focus. "What the fuck do you want, dipshit?"

A small step was made away from Nines and towards his predecessor, to which the former was immediately on guard. It was clear the man had learnt nothing from their recent exchange, the exercise in synthetic superiority unable to pierce his long-standing fog of prejudice. 

That being said, should the man attempt to lay hands on RK800, Nines would resolve to make sure the lesson was learned—in spite of any concerns regarding his behavioural record.

RK800 glanced at the younger android before subtly shaking his head, an assurance he had things under control. He then focused his attention on Reed, tracking his movements with a cranial tilt as a polite smile spread on his lips.

"I understand that you've been assigned to investigate the murder of a former Traci. I was wondering what you'd learnt so far."

"What's it to ya?" the man spat back, his growing disdain more than apparent in the unsightly wrinkle of his nose. "Don't you and Anderson have your own cases you need to work on?"

"We do…but I will admit I have taken an interest in this particular crime." 

RK800 paused, his LED flickering yellow as he deliberated on his ongoing approach. Then his dark eyes began to soften, the product of a manipulation protocol Nines was certain had served him well in many previous interactions. 

"I understand that it shares similarities with other recent attacks?" His voice was smooth and honeyed as he continued to speak, tinged with an endearing curiosity. 

It seemed Reed was entirely immune to its appeal. He crossed his arms, as his lips pulled shut in a tightly pinched grimace. A firm indication that he would not be sharing any information with the android, regardless of how personable his approach may be.

Before RK800 had a chance to start batting his eyelashes, Nines spared them all the performance by firmly stepping forward, positioning himself between the detective and his predecessor.

"Several." He then retracted the skin of his palm, holding it upright as a silent indication of his intended exchange method. While RK800 eventually complied, he did so with an uncertain glance at the man beside them. 

Their palms met, and the precinct was gone—disappearing from sight