#competent foundation

[psalmsofpsychosis]

There comes a time in your life, most likely when you hit your 30, when you go "this book/fanfic is written spectacularly and the style and the execution of its idea are spotless, competent, gorgeous, it is everything it intends to be with utmost intricacy. But also i fucking hate the ideas and concepts and principles presented in this narrative and no amount of aesthetical execution will change that, and it's fine. I am going to appreciate this narrative for its beauties and leave it behind, it's not for me."

[madrewrites]

so my day has been irreversibly ruined

[northern-passage]

Regarding the "showing off" ask, it is kinda funny how so far everytime MC acts like a badass in a fight, no one is there to look, Clem was passed out against the big monster fight, and in ch2, everyone was dealing with their own fights to notice MC fighting. Maybe only Lea knows because of working with MC for years.

don't worry, while everyone was mostly occupied, they still saw enough 👀

but yeah Lea is definitely aware of the hunter's abilities, and it's mentioned briefly in game but at the start of the two of them being paired together, they were very competent; their partnership only started deteriorating after an otherwise relatively successful first few years.

[alukaforyou]

omg so everything i own needs to be pink and i was like hm i wonder if i can find any pink stuff from that latvian skincare brand called MADARA (!!) so i was on their site and found these 2:

but i also saw this one and like what is this right?

clicked on it to read the description, its p**** soap. 🐱 ok!! yall i remem when this brand was rlllly smallll and the only pink thing they had was lipgloss :( never really used it cuz im not a lipgloss girlie but i just HAD to have Something from this place its called madara ffs LMFAOOO

the brand is apparently highly rated / good quality so ok im ready to be impressed :) i rllly want to try this one from sisley paris eventually cuz ppl seem to love it BUT its 120 for one bottle so i need to sit on that for a sec

lastly look at this foundation brush(?) from glossier isnt it sooooo cute i dont have liquid foundation but i need it u kno??

[coochiequeens]

This year’s Tour of the Gila was the first in the competition’s history where the prize money for both the male and female categories was equal. But following Killips’ win, two biological males walked away with the prize pots.“

A trans-identified male has taken first place in a women’s cycling tour, prompting outrage from women’s rights advocates and those concerned about fairness in women’s sport.

Over the weekend in New Mexico, elite cyclists from all over the world participated in the Tour of the Gila, an internationally known top-tier cycling competition. Coming in first place in the women’s category was a man named Austin Killips. 

Killips, 27, identifies as a “woman” and has been competing in women’s cycling events since 2022, as reflected by his pro-cycling profile.

Notably, this year’s Tour of the Gila was the first in the competition’s history where the prize money for both the male and female categories was equal. But following Killips’ win, two biological males walked away with the prize pots.

Killips made his advance to first place in the final minutes of the long race. He raced as part of the Amy D Foundation team, whose director said their plan for Killips to win “worked out perfectly.” She said that the team aimed to have someone “help and protect” him after the second sprint point of the race so he could secure a breakaway to first place. 

The cycling event’s official Twitter reported Killips’ “win”using feminine pronouns and stated that he “put an exclamation point on her overall race lead Sunday by winning Stage 5 Gila Monster and taking home the overall victory at Tour of the Gila.” They quickly turned off the ability for other Twitter users to comment on the post, likely in anticipation of the wave of criticism which soon followed.

Killips was previously accused of attempting to push female cyclist Hannah Arensman off the racing course at the UCI Cyclocross National Championships in December 2022. 

One Twitter user shared a video of the incident that shows Killips trying to “put Arensman into the tape.” The user said it was one of at least three such attempts to push her off course, but the only one recorded on video, and had said Killips should have been disqualified for that move alone.

After the video went viral, the Los Angeles Blade called those who were defending Arensman “opponents of transgender inclusion.” Killips spoke to the LGBTQ outlet and said the allegation was “ridiculous,” even though it had been caught on film. 

In a bizarre statement, the outlet tried to defend Killips by confirming that the “conditions were so horribly slippery that even the Elite Men had difficulty navigating” the course. 

USA Cycling has yet to comment on the issue, which they were reportedly going to “review.” 

Killips’ appearance at the Tour of the Gila was with the sponsorship of the Amy D. Foundation, which purports to “encourage and support young women through cycling, inspiring the celebration of healthy challenge and empowering the confident pursuit of lofty dreams.”

But trans-identified male participation in women’s cycling has already been said to have ended one female cyclist’s career in the sport.

Hannah Arensman, who was a 35-time winner in cyclocross racing, retired from the sport shortly after the controversy surrounding Killips attempting to push her off of the track during a women’s competition.

Arensman shared that she felt as though racing directly against male cyclists in women’s events had become so discouraging that she decided to end her cycling career. 

Recalling December’s UCI Cyclocross National Championships race, she shared that her family sobbed watching Killips finish in front of her after seeing several physical interactions with him throughout the race. She came in 4th place that day after being flanked on either side by male participants in the elite women’s category. 

Arensman struggles to reckon with the possibility that she was not selected to compete for the USA at the Cyclocross Worlds in February 2023 because of a male competitor.

“I have felt deeply angered, disappointed, overlooked, and humiliated that the rule makers of women’s sports do not feel it is necessary to protect women’s sports to ensure fair competition for women anymore.”

The issue of men identifying into women’s sporting categories has triggered a heated international debate which has resulted in public scrutiny of policies that prioritize a self-declared gender identity over biological sex. Last month, in a shift from recent years, sporting authority World Athletics president Sebastian Coe banned trans-identifying male athletes who have undergone a male puberty from competing against women.

He was sponsored by an organization that was started to encourage women to pursue cycling

[shiawasekai]

Last night I spent a lot of time thinking about it...

About Nela's guilt issues with both her yearning for the past and the life she is building.

Because, by the time the game is over? There is a part of her that would drop everything in a second just for a chance to return to her life pre-game. She has built great things, cared for many people, even found love... And yet the pain and the grief and the love for her family is so strong a part of her would give everything up just to have her old life back.

Honestly? The only reason she wouldn't actually do it (in the hypothetical of being given the chance) is because she would be unable to go through with it and hurt everyone, but if the situation were reversed... If she were asked, as a still teenager in Carpenden, if she was willing to go through it all? The answer would be, at that point: no. Never. It isn't worth everything she would lose. No matter how much she loves the people in that potential life. There would be a lot less hesitation.

She cares and loves deeply, that's not a lie, but it's still very much second to how she feels about her family. She knows those thoughts are unfair to everyone, and she feels terribly guilty. So, much like all other things related in some shape or form to her past, she hides that ugliness from everyone, even the man she's freaking marrying.

If ever asked about it, once the people around her start to know about her situation, she'll just say half-truths. "I may miss my old life, but I wouldn't leave you" Not a lie, not the truth either.

Over the last few years, she has gotten good at faking. She can keep the lie going. She can protect them from the ugly full truth. Fake it until you make it, until it gets better (grief doesn't work like that).

Do I think Daeran would realize this? Up to a point, yes. Which is why I kinda see him having a lot of mixed feelings about Samel, when he reappears, at first? Because it's good she is meeting again with what little remains of her family, but Samel is also someone with the power to take her away if he so wanted. The poor old man is just glad his sister is alive and only wants to be a part of her life, but there is no way to know that when they first meet.

And this is putting aside that Daeran must be absolutely hurt by the secret keeping. Even more so when the depth of it starts to become apparent.

Healing and building a happy life are the way out of this particular hole, but that's going to take a long time and patience from everyone around her.

[charlemane]

learning how to swiss darn has made me insufferable to myself, but i stay having fun with it

[prussianmemes]

i think listening to your east german / čssr / ssr mid-80s playlist - or other boomer music of choice - while staring out at the fields forests and farms between plzeňský and ústecký kraj is even better than cigarettes and coffee for the soul

[gottagobuycheese]

last year it was getting interrupted every time I tried to eat something on Official Premises, this year it’s suddenly being shunted 5 hours away and put on nights for a week...truly hwang si-mok hours...

[afklancelot]

ignorance, willful or otherwise, is often portrayed as a bad thing in stories, or at least most stories i read. but- get this- what if the phrase ‘ignorance is bliss’ ended up being truthful?

my idea is that there’s these cosmic horror entitys, a pair of em, that disguise themselves as humans and go about torturing humans for their own sadistic amusement. got the typical ‘humans are insects’ thinking and everything. one day they pick a Guy thinking none the wiser.

here’s the thing, though: their traps only work if they are noticed. if the person somehow does not notice any anomalies or dangers in their environment that the eldritch pair created, the anomalies/dangers will disappear as if they never existed. the entities themselves did not know this until the Guy because no victim was dumb enough to not notice.

unfortunately for them, tho, the Guy is about as oblivious as it gets. he’s not exactly book dumb, but he’s the type of guy to not see sarcasm no matter how blatant and in general is just not perceptive at all, socially or otherwise.

so when the entities first try to trap the Guy in an infinitely generating hallway with his apartment unable to be unlocked, he just breaks the damn door down with his body because he’s worried he left the stove on/he needs to feed his cat and he actually succeeds (he does end up having to pay for repair damage, tho).

the entities are Very Baffled. they’ve never been upstaged and it turns out they dont like bein upstaged. so they try again. and again. and again. it never works. the Guy always finds a way to Not Notice and escape any harm. even if they dig a simple hole to trap him like team rocket does he ends up walking right over it like it’s solid ground while on a call with a friend.

what he DOES notice, however, is how often he seems to see the two entities-disguised-as-humans (they tend to stick to one specific human form), to the point where he even considers them somewhat friends. when he ends up seeing and cheerfully greeting them when they’re coming up with the Next Big Trap that’ll surely torture+kill him (spoiler alert: doesn’t work) they smile politely while on the inside they’re absolutely FUMING.

bonus: the frame at which the story is told is from the perspective of ANOTHER cosmic horror entity who generally leaves humanity alone but is extremely interested in the antics of the Guy and his eldritch stalkers. the narration is the equivalent of amused sports commentary.

[xcziel]

.

[in-sightjournal]

Ask A Genius 993: Project 2025

Rick Rosner: It’s a disaster for America because of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. Are you aware of Project 2025? Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Yes, I am aware of Project 2025. Rosner: For those who aren’t, it’s a conservative wish list, more than 900 pages long, detailing what they intend to do if Trump becomes president again. Now, they won’t be able to implement all of it, or perhaps even…

[miraclemaya]

ive been writing a worm/scp fic about taylor making art for some reason. i dont really know why but okay.

[thisiswhereikeepdcthings]

AU where Jason comes back to Gotham and begins his plan to confront Batman and all that. Except after only like a week the Joker gets hit by a bus and then shot by a little old lady with a shotgun and dies.

Jason’s plan is now in shambles because the dramatic climax of his plan is no longer possible. But that’s fine. He’ll think of some other suitable alternative. Granted, it’s not quite the same if he uses some other villain. Making Batman choose doesn’t mean nearly as much when it’s not about the person who killed him.

And really, is he going to try and get Batman to kill Black Mask or something? Scarecrow? Red Hood is competent; he could do it himself so why bother.

So Jason lays low continues to build his criminal empire with astounding speed and efficiency. If only he could think of a good way to announce his return. Nothing he can think of is dramatic enough.

Meanwhile, the Bats are freaking out because who is this guy that’s taken over half of the Gotham underworld in like a month? He’s obviously trained, but they just can’t seem to get any information on who he is or where he came from. It is beyond frustrating.

After a few months Jason is frustrated that he just can’t seem to find any dramatic good way of making Batman prove himself. It has to be something big! Something magnificent!

During his weekly chat with Talia he complains about his problems and she suggests he come back for a visit. He argues that he can’t just leave, but she says if he has competent enough lieutenants it’d be fine. He spends the next three weeks making sure that everything will be fine if he leaves for a week. He will not have all of his hard work falling apart and going to waste due to incompetence. Absolutely not.

So then once his lieutenants are sufficiently prepared (and the rest of Gotham’s criminal element sufficiently cowed), he heads to Nanda Parbat, only to find Ra’s on the phone with Bruce, who is demanding to know if the Red Hood has any affiliation with the league.

Oh. Oh. He can give them affiliation.

A new plan begins to form.

He’s going to be the most affiliated he can be. Jason immediately goes to Talia with his newest plan: Overthrow Ra’s and takeover the league. Talia whips out her forty step outline for overthrowing Ra’s and tells Jason she’s so proud of him.

Jason has a new goal now, so he gets to work. He checks on things in Gotham, but everything seems to be fine and there haven’t been any unplanned explosions so it should be fine if he stays here for a bit.

Taking over Gotham really was good practice, as it turns out. Thanks to Talia’s plans and previous foundational efforts the takeover happens in no time.

Meanwhile the bats are still freaking out. Red Hood hasn’t been seen in three weeks, he may or may not have league of assassins connections, and even in his absence his goons seem to be managing things competently.

Back in Nanda Parbat, Jason and Talia finish their takeover. And now, finally, he’s ready to confront Batman.

He arrives in Gotham as the new head of the league. His arrival is loud, elaborate, and dramatic enough to fulfill his inner theater kid’s dreams.

Batman is speechless. And not his usual grunts instead of words, but actual surprised speechless. Jason is alive?!?!?!?

Jason was not expecting all the tears. And hugs. And mother henning. Goodness gracious, this was not part of the plan.

Bruce is obviously struggling with Jason’s revelation that he took over the league, but the newest little birdie seems almost relieved at that(?) and Dick and Alfred both seem strangely proud. Whatever. Even Bruce seems to be at least mostly ignoring that for now.

Then someone asks him if he knows Red Hood. Jason blinks. Says that yeah, he knows Red Hood. Everyone seems to ease at that. One mystery solved. Jason quickly realizes that most of them have no idea he is Red Hood. Cass seems to be the only exception but also appears amused and willing enough to not mention it.

Dramatic appearance complete, Jason now has a new goal: see how long he can keep the bats (minus Cass and potentially Alfred) in the dark about his crime boss identity.

He will bribe Cass as much as it takes to keep her on board with the causing chaos plan, but she seems eager enough. Favorite sibling status definitely unlocked. (The whole killing thing is fought over at great length and a truce of sorts is eventually made)

David Cain is never heard from again.

Damian shows up at some point.

At least one league member has suddenly found themselves as an HR rep for Gotham criminals? They’re still not quite sure how that happened.

[dontforgetukraine]

Ukraine Donation Guide Master Post

(Ver. 2 updated Aug 13th, 2024) I will be reformatting this and adding more in the future when I have time.

Also a quick note, all of the groups I have found through twitter have been around long enough for them to be vetted by each other and the brigades they work with. In fact, a lot of these groups collaborate with each other too. Those that are in the fight for Ukraine have been diligent in calling out those that are grifters. Word spreads around quickly if an organization doesn't show up with what they promised. They also use their social media (often Twitter) as a means of transparency for their work.

Remember: When considering on whether to donate, always use your best judgement and donate to those you trust if you do not see what is listed is up to your standards.

Multi-Purpose

United 24 has various fundraisers dedicated to defense and drones, medical aid, rebuilding Ukraine, humanitarian demining, and science and education. You can pick which one you want to contribute to under their various projects.

Liberty Ukraine uses funds for humanitarian aid, medical supplies, protective gear and equipment, and rehabilitation therapy. You can choose which campaign of theirs to donate to.

Come Back Alive is a charitable foundation that supports Ukraine's military with competent assistance while also focusing on security and defense. They also have projects that use sports to help veterans rehabilitate. You can choose which campaign to donate to.

Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation works to help both civilians and Ukraine's army. You can choose to donate to an active project or any of their general campaigns. Civilian aid campaigns cover temporary housing, supporting crisis and emergency responses, schools, demining, and healthcare. Military aid campaigns cover drones, optics units, communications equipment, and support of air defense teams.

Food Aid

World Central Kitchen works with local partners wherever they are providing food aid. They make sure meals and meal kits are what the local population eats. Even though there is no separate fundraising campaign for Ukraine (that I can see), they still do great work.

Animal Rescue

Hachiko Foundation works to help displaced pets and strays in frontline areas. They help with veterinary care, outdoor shelters, setting up feeding stations, and rehoming animals.

Medical Aid

Hospitallers (Website) is a volunteer organization of paramedics that was founded in 2014. They evacuate the wounded, provide medical aid on the frontlines, assist in rehabilitation, and transfer of the deceased to burial sites. They are also supported by Ukraine Charity. Visit Hospitallers' website to see how many they have evacuated, different methods you can donate, and more information about them.

Other

Saint Javelin (Twitter; Website) is a great place to get apparel, gear, and other cool loot to show your support for Ukraine. They don't take donations, but instead raise funds through their shop with a portion of their sales going towards humanitarian aid and critical items needed by the defenders (generators, pick-up trucks, medical supplies etc). Part of their shop has items made in Ukraine to support Ukrainian businesses. Overall, their products are high-quality. I include them due to their impactful presence in the Twitter community I follow and how they make Ukraine visible in an alternative way. Consider buying someone a gift from their shop.

The Kyiv Independent (Twitter; Website) is a great English language resource for news about Ukraine. I include them because I think supporting good journalism is incredibly important, especially now when the information space is fraught with Russian propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation. My followers have probably noticed I've pulled a lot of quotes from their stories in an effort to amplify Ukrainian voices and experiences. Look on their website for more information on different way to support them, such as their Patreon.

---

If you're on twitter, there are a number of groups and people that fundraise for Ukraine and for specific units fighting on the frontlines. If there is no official website, a PayPal for donations is listed in their profiles. When considering on whether to donate, always use your best judgement and donate to those you trust if you do not see what is listed is up to your standards.

@/Teoyaomiquu almost always has a fundraiser for Liberty Ukraine with a specified purpose. At the time of writing this, he is currently raising funds for engineering equipment such as excavators. One such excavator is already in Kursk. Follow him to stay up to date with what he's fundraising for.

Dyga's Paw (Twitter: @/dzygaspaw) is a smaller group that has recently raised funds for starlinks, drones, batteries, and Ecoflow generators. You can look at the fundraising campaigns they currently have on their website.

@/DefactoHumanity represents and founded Planet of the People with their website U(a)nited for Freedom. She frequently posts updates about their fundraisers and what their partners need. They are known for providing Frontline medical aid supplies, protective equipment and other military aid, technical equipment (starlinks, drones, scopes, etc), and infrastructure equipment (generators, vehicles, power stations, etc). They even have a merch store of the battalions they partner with if that's your jam. Here is their link tree if you wish to explore more. And in case you're curious, there is an article bout the founder here.

@/wilendhornets (Website) specialize in making high quality drones that have gotten a lot of praise from Ukraine's army. They have attracted a lot of media attention too. Check out their website for the list of articles that have been written about them. Their Twitter is very active with strike footage.

Ants Kitchen Hub (@/ants_kyiv) is a volunteer kitchen that makes dry rations for the Ukrainian army. They are more active on their other social media. To learn more about them, check out their link tree.

@/frontlinekit (Front Line Kitchen) is represented by Richard Woodruff. Originally they made shelf stable food for the Ukrainian army, but now their fundraising has branched out to other campaigns such as raising funds for medical supplies and drones. They are a well known group that many battalions have come to for help.

@/bekamaciorowski (Rebekah Maciorowski) is as combat medic and nurse who helps provide medical care to soldiers and civillians at the frontlines. She raises funds for medical supplies and other equipment, but also helps train soldiers in first aid. More of her social media that features her work can be found in her link tree.

@/UkraineAidOps (Website) is another organization battalions frequently go to for help. They fundraise for all sorts of equipment from medical supplies to drones. If you're interested, they also have a shop with patches from different brigades and flags signed by soldiers. Their shop also includes a separate section called the Victory Gallery where artifacts from the war are turned into art. This includes shells that are painted on, scrap metal from downed enemy planes are turned into keychains, and pieces of a rocket are turned into lamps.

Chris Garrett is the co-founder of Prevail. His organization deals with humanitarian demining as well as training for trauma care, training of bomb disposal, and education to the public. Prevail works with local agencies in Ukraine as well as the army.

Project Konstantin (Twitter; Website; Linktree) is still going strong after the death of their founder, British paramedic Peter Fouché. His digital ghost can be found here. They collaborate with the military, thus giving them an insight into what is dearly needed. They often raise funds for starlinks, personalized first aid kits (IFAKs), generators, portable power stations, and other nonlethal military equipment. I regret forgetting them the first time this post went around. Visit their website to see everything they have done and more. It has more information on what and how they do it than this post can cover.

One Team One Fight (Twitter; Website; Linktree) has some of the original members that worked for Ukraine Aid Ops. They formed their own group after differences with the previous one, and are still helping Ukraine. They are very visible on various social media showing what they have accomplished in their deliveries to various brigades. They're another group that seeks to bring starlinks, drones, medical supplies and protective gear to the battalions that come to them for help. Check out their website for more information on their current fundraisers, their achievements, and received recognition.

NAFO 69th Sniffing Brigade (Twitter; Website) Another small group that focuses their funds on delivering drones, generators, vehicles, and saving the occasional furry companion. They are very diligent in their updates for their fundraising campaigns. Check out their website for more information and the articles written about them.

Postmaster General Boomer (Twitter; Website) focuses on humanitarian aid, animal aid, and logistics. Boomer is the beloved pet of one of the founders and the secret boss/mascot. They have many transparency reports and are diligent in reporting the various "tours" they do in getting supplies where they are needed to go. They are based in Germany but have built up many connections during their existence. They have also worked closely with Ukraine Aid Ops.

--

I am sure I have forgotten some, so please reply or comment with any more I should add to this master post. I will edit and update as I see and evaluate more.

Last updated: Aug. 13th, 2024

Version updates listed below

August 13th, 2024 Added:

Hospitallers

Saint Javelin

The Kyiv Independent

Project Konstantin

1 Team 1 Fight

NAFO 69th Sniffing Brigade

Post Master General Boomer