#in the United States . good for her …. good for her………

[libraford]

A local organization here has released a list of books that they feel are imperative to have in the time ahead. The list was not easily shareable, so I copy-pasted it here.

There is no need to read all of these, but one thing you can do that takes little effort is call your library and see if they have them in stock.

If you are moneyed, you can buy some copies and put them in little free libraries.

EDUCATING FOR ADVOCACY BOOK LIST

All books are written by authors from that culture

BOOKS FOR ADULTS

(2024) Be a Revolution: How Everyday People are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World - and How You Can, Too by Ijeoma Oluo

Each chapter discusses how someone is advocating for oppressed populations

and has examples of how others can do the same or similar.

(2024) The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates

The author travels to Senegal, South Carolina and Palestine and grapples with deep questions and emotions.

(2023) Better Living Through Birding: Notes From a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper

A memoir of a Black man learning to claim space for himself and others like him.

(2022) Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies about Our Past Edited by Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer

The title explains it so well.

(2022) South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry

History, rituals, and landscapes of the American South and why they must be understand it in order to understand America.

(2022) Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

Tells the story of 3 generations of a Southern Black family in Memphis.

(2021) How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

An exploration of important monuments and landmarks in the USA that show

how slavery has been foundational in the development and history of our country.

(2021) The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee

The title explains it.

(2021) The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson

Historical fiction telling the story of several generations of a Dakota family

(2020) The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America edited by Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman

26 authors share their stories of living in the USA.

(2020) Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

Examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how we continue to be defined in this way..

(2020) This Is What America Looks Like: My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman

by Ilhan Omar

This title explains it.

(2019) The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah Jones (among others)

Reframes our understanding of American history by placing slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative.

(2019) Things are Good Now by Djamila Ibrahim

Stories of how migrants sort out their lives in foreign lands.

(2018) So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

An examination of race in America.

(2018) I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown

A memoir telling her journey of learning to love her blackness while navigating America's racial divide.

(2018) If They Come for Us by Fatimah Asghar

Poetry that captures the experience of being a Pakistani Muslim woman in contemporary America, while exploring identity, violence, and healing.

(2016) Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

Traces the history of Black America.

(2015) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

A memoir, in the form of a letter to his young son, telling his personal experiences with racism and violence in the United States.

(2015) My Seneca Village by Marilyn Nelson

Poetry and information about Seneca Village – a multi-racial, multi-ethnic neighborhood in the center of Manhattan (Central Park ) that thrived in the mid-19th century.

(2014) An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Tells the 400+ years of US history, from the perspective of Indigenous peoples

(2013) Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Explores the place of plants and botany in both Indigenous and Western life.

(2010) The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

Follows the stories of three Black Americans’ migration journeys from Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana.

(2010) The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

By Michelle Alexander

Explains how we haven’t ended, but have redesigned, the caste system in the U.S.

(1972) Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions by John (Fire) Lame Deer and Richard Erdoes

Told by Lame Deer, a Lakota medicine man, this memoir teaches the history of Indigenous people in the USA.

BOOKS FOR GRADES K-12

GRADES 7 - 12

(2021) Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

The novel's main character is a young woman with a French mother and an Ojibwe father, who often feels torn between cultures.

(2021) The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson

Illustrated by Nikkolas Smith

Tells the story and consequences of American slavery in verse.

(2020) Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

Shorter and appropriate for middle and high schoolers.

(2020) All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

Series of personal essays about the author’s life growing up as a gay, black man.

(2020) Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters Illustrated by Mehrdokt Amini

Explained in title.

(2020) Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatewood Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III

Poetry about fighting for racial justice through joy and passion.

(2020) Be Amazing: A History of Pride by Desmond Is Amazing Illustrated by Dylan Glynn

The history of Pride, with bold illustrations, focusing on the importance of embracing one’s own uniqueness and tuning out the haters.

(2020) Dear Justyce (Dear Martin #2) by Nic Stone

Continues the story of Justyce from Dear Martin in a series of flashbacks and letters.

(2020) Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

A novel in verse about a boy who is wrongfully incarcerated.

(2019) Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobab

The author tells the story of life as a nonbinary person in graphic novel form.

(2019) An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People original book by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz adapted by Debbie Rees and Jean Mendoza

Shorter and appropriate for middle and high schoolers

(2017) Sea Prayer by Khalad Hosseini Illustrated by Dan Williams

Written as a poetic letter, from father to son, this is a story of the journey of refugees.

(2017) Dear Martin (Dear Martin #1) by Nic Stone

A story of the realities of a Black teen living in America.

(2015) All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

From the perspective of two teenage boys, one Black and one White, a story is told with the realization that racism and prejudice are still alive and well.

(2015) Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

The author interviewed six transgender for gender-neutral young adults and lets

them tell their story.

(2011) Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

The title explains it well

GRADES 4 - 6

(2023) An American Story by Kwame Alexander illustrated by Dare Coulter

Tells the story, poetically and honestly, about American slavery

(2023) Step by Step!: How the Lincoln School Marchers Blazed a Trail to Justice

by Debbie Rigaud and Carlotta Penn illustrated by Nysha Pierce

Tells the story of a group of Black mothers and children and their two-year march to integrate an Ohio elementary school.

(2022) Say Their Names by Caroline Brewer illustrated by Adrian Brandon

A young Black girl leads a #BlackLivesMatter protest march.

(2021) Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.

Shorter, more kid friendly version of Stamped from the Beginning.

(2021) Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Traces the history of this African-American ‘Wall Street District’ and its destruction by White supremacists.

(2016). I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley

The life and work of RBG told in picture book form.

(2008) Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad written and illustrated by James Rumford

Ancient and recent history of Baghdad from the perspective of a young boy.

(2005) Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson illustrated by Hudson Talbott

Traces the history of the ‘show way’ quilt from slavery through freedom.

(2005) My Name is Bilal by Asma Mobin-Uddin illustrated by Barbara Kiwak

Muslim-American student experiencing religious prejudice.

(2005). Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee Ilustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy

An alphabet book that teaches about the extraordinary lives of 26 women.

(1978). The Other Way to Listen by Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall

Helps children learn about indigenous cultures.

GRADES PRE-K - 3

(2023) These Olive Trees: A Palestinian Family’s Story written and illustrated by Aya Ghanameh

A story of a young girl and her family in Nablus, Palestine, 1967

(2020). Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi illustrated by Ashley Lukashvsky

Teaches young children how to be an antiracist.

(2016). When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson and Julie Flett

A young, indigenous girl learns about her grandmother’s experience in a

residential school.

(2013). A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara (board book)

An ABC book that teaches children about being an activist.

[theboydrama]

Emotionally unstable bisexual refugee who’s obsessed with Archery because of his mom and does crime because of his emotionally distant older brother who abandoned him to take care of his father, his father’s wife, and several step and half siblings who are varying levels of chaotic gremlin energy, in a city too big to notice their existence, and who keeps making friends with the people in charge, which is included but not limited to the captain of the city guard (who becomes a mother figure to him), one of the most powerful mages in the land, and the political leader of a large group of United tribes of people. He takes a job because he needs the money and punches that powerful mage in the face, by the way. (He had permission). THEN he takes possession of an incredibly powerful, and dangerous, evil magic rock, which makes him evil(er) and he ONLY holds into it because the queen wanted it and he’s anti-monarchy and thinks the queen is a bitch. Luckily the naive 18 year old illegitimate daughter of the queen and her past side piece advocates that it’s somehow a good idea for him to keep the magic rock instead of it being safely locked up! Spoiler alert: this goes badly!

He goes crazy and stabs someone at a ball because of the magic rock (he thought they were Royal and decided fuck it, assassin time!) and he runs away. Spends three days in a mysterious definitely magical temple thanks to his friend (chief of the tribes) helping him out. Then he finds out there’s a corrupt priest stealing from the donations, and obviously the only solution is to kill him. He does this! Then gets caught and runs away, and to be found by the dangerous leader of a massive criminal organization (which definitely isn’t working with the guy who caused the war that made him a refugee!) and tells Toby, ‘hey work with us and you can kill more corrupt people”. Toby thinks this is a grand idea, in his evil rock induced state and also just being so bitter and angry about years scraping by and on the streets because of these corrupt people and massive wealth gaps. So he does this. And now he’s an assassin for this evil organization and it can only go well, right?? Right?

reblog this with a terrible description of your Blorbo. go

[luuxxart]

leaks from the anime post bnha 430……. #REAL #NOTFAKE

[horizon-verizon]

@jimmyjones12345 @pessimisticpigeonsworld

Also, to expand & explain what pigeon was saying about "it is a part of the Love vs Duty theme GRRM has woven throughout all of ASoIaF":

Rhaegar and Lyanna's story is written as a love story, specifically a forbidden love story in the vein of their "duties" as noblepeople functions to make even the nobles themselves both unhappy and subject to the abuses and exploitation of their parents. It suppresses their free will particularly in who they get to marry, reproduce with, and be intimate with and not even just romantically/sexually but also platonically. Especially if you are a woman/girl like Lyanna.

From small childhood (5 and up, and I am giving a number under 10 arbitrarily but it still runs true that it is under 10), Westerosi aristocracy and their parents and the Faith (happens in the North, too) impart and compel girls to comport their minds and bodies to towards marriage and away from activities that lend toward leadership or resource-acquirement through warfare. Masculinized activities. Because women are socially assigned the role as breeders for men's heirs. Men's "bearer-teacher-warden of his children" (Howard Zinn, A Peoples History of the United States). All that discipline of feminine "grace" and obedience getting s about that, this the emphasis of pre-marriage virginity and post-marriage chastity--sexual purity, to "ensure" women do not birth children that aren't their husbands and "cuckold" or discredit him in the eyes of his peers. As she is meant to participate and support the man's dignity by staying "pure" and he is supposed to maintain said "dignity" by maintaining seeming and actual control over those deemed his property or under his authority. Obviously this has included his wife, even his betrothed bc that is a deal made between the father or whatever make relative lives for the betrothed girl and the soon-to-be husband/his family. Lyanna is directly disobeying this "duty" by defying her socially signed destiny. And like pigeon said, she defies it by engaging and being good at the masculinized martial activities when she becomes the Knight of the Laughing tree, learned how to fight, and won an actual tourney against grown men.

How does Rhaegar disobey or defy his aristocratic duties? It's more layered. First, you are supposed to obey your father AND your king in Westerosi' mores of the social concept and dynamics of "family" AND the obligations of obedience owed to one's king. (Kingslaying is a serious taboo). This isn't a Valerian or a Targ thing, it's been an Andal thing since way before the Conquest. Rhaegar planned to usurp Aerys' and take the throne because Aerys' was crazy and running things to high corruption. But not only that, Rhaegar was doing it bc he believed that he had to prepare the kingdom for the coming cataclysmic Long Night and either be the prince that was promised or produce them--and you can't do that when your government is and its base +the aristocracy) is so divided and distrustful of each other.

Other than that, he was also married to Elia and it's described by the author himself as a "tragedy" somewhat dramatically but also it was corroborated by Barristan Selmy that their marriage was not exactly what Rhaegar would have chosen. Two things can be true at once: Rhaegar, as a man, was not and would never be subject to the helplessness and life-long forced compliance of shaping his entire personality and desires for a person who'd be his intimate, lifelong "superior as a husband is to the woman-wife AND he can be unfaithful as much as he can the way noblewomen could never be, but he is also still not entitled to choose the person he's meant to have kids with NOR create a relationship with/build trust with. This is not just sympathy, it is fact.

GRRM says his relationship with Elia was "complex", and I take that to mean that he simply was never emotionally attached to her despite trying; when you factor in Elia having been so ill that she nearly died birthing Aegon, there appears to have been a previous already existing distance between them that developed more distant. They can't be around together much and Elia couldn't be at court often, and Rhaegar was out busy trying to build alliances, maintain, them, plot against Aerys', and continuously learn more about the prophecy. Elia had been relatively healthy and physically close to Rhaegar in the very beginning of their marriage, yet he didn't get that close with her or was attracted--and we don't know how Elia felt and how her feelings may or may not have progressed. So it's insufficient to say that:

he could have fallen for Elia if Elia had just stayed healthy (GRRM's fault by disabling Elia for RhaegarxLyanna)

Rhaegar should have stayed with Elia during the worst of her illnesses and bed stays instead of "doing the list and being distracted" and he would or could have fallen for her or bonded with her or just liked her enough

If it didn't take in the start when she was relatively the healthiest she was and they didn't have kids, it wasn't going to work later. Rhaegar was "busy' when he met Lyanna, but the attraction there was instant or at least quick to come. And their bond progressed quickly. Plus, I don't think anyone deserves a man who only pays attention to them & "falls" for them when they are so feeble from performing their "duties" as the heir's consort.

Other than the sociopolitical duties of an heir and an aristocratic son of a king, there was also the secret duty Rhaegar took upon himself when he thought he was either the PTWP or had to produce said person or whatever. His duties as a royal/part of the general aristocracy, the heir, and as Aerys' son/political subject directly conflicted with this separate duty, but because he seems to be the only one aware of it, even trying to understand it or use it, and take seriously the worldwide stakes. This is also all considering the fact that he was likely to know Aerys' abusing his mother Rhaella and not being able to do much "legally" or about it since young. At the same time, it is because of others' inattention/selfish pursuits AND because he had the power that he has or saw that he could develop as he got older (as he was doing) and his position that he seemed to think that only he could advance with the prophecy. Thus his "mundane" aristocratic duties and Targaryen (dragonriders blood) ALSO served to enable him to even attempt to try to "save the world" AND yet, this is a different sort of "duty" that his love for Lyanna troubled because it had the strong potential (and outcome, as we see) to derail his plans/focus. Ironically, their love also came in conflict with THIS "duty"--the duty that reflected what I think is Rhaegar's "love" for humanity/justice or at least cosmic and LIFE balance because it tripped up his already shaky control over his affairs, that delicate political balance--his part of the matrix that was the entire Aerys-era politics every known and unknown noble was active in.

So a duty taken completely by one's choice--BUT for people like Rhaegar who care about things more than what is right in front of them or don't focus on JUST their and others' own everyday sociopolitical conditions (which if one is not careful like Rhaegar they can completely neglect and that is not good either) it is not really a "choice" bc it does need to be handled for humanity/society's safety--was directly in conflict, ironically, with that which the sociopolitical conditions have inspired Rhaegar to be attracted and loved Lyanna--the pressures from the responsibilities that of being the heir of a corrupted court and society versus loving that which would defy all of that BECAUSE it defies all of that, which Lyanna was as a person...even though yes she also, ironically, ran off with another woman's husband and would have been recognized as a mistress or paramour of sorts if she hadn't been already betrothed to Robert and these actors all weren't in the type of setting Aerys' and Tywin both influenced. Rhaegar did not create a court of suspicion and fear or make the nobles around him ever more hungry for power, that was Tywin and Aerys as well as the nature of the feudalist monarchy. Yes, how Rhaegar acted was self contradictory and extremely unfair to Elia, maybe Lyanna as well. But they all, to their unique degrees and conditions, were stuck in a rock and a hard place, under many limits.

Rhaegar and Lyanna could not be together because of said monarchial/feudalist conditions not could they successfully be completely themselves as they would have liked bc the same and in their attempts to overcome them, they fucked up BUT they fucked up bc of them not perfectly navigating those limited conditions and trying to innovate a way "out" or around them. And Elia should not have been arranged to marry some guy who would never love her or regard her as every woman deserves, especially in lieu of the prophecy/usual sociopolitical "bigger pictures" that took precedence over her. Whether you believe they should have or didn't. And of course, Lyanna should not have to be forced to marry some dud who'd think he loved her but would have abused and cheated on her. Rhaegar didn't deserve an abusive, crazy, entitled father and had to have basically the entire future of his world AND society on his shoulders bc said father wouldn't come up to the plate.

The issue with Rhaegar was that he planned poorly and failed to rearrange himself or decide how to safely incorporate Lyanna without ruining things with the Martells or ruining other relations BECAUSE he thought the solution and inevitability was that he could do it all. And bc Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree winning the tourney not shortly before Rhaegar gave her the crown of the Queen of Love and Beauty and Aerys' wanted to hunt down the Knight (not knowing who she was), there wasn't really much time to make a plan for her safety other than keeping her identity a secret. Layer when they come across each other again, there's many different ideas why and how they ran off. Some say they planned to leave together before they met up again, some say it was a spur of the moment decision in lieu and that Rhaegar was out of Dragonstone just to find more information about the prophecy and happened to see Lyanna about as well. Some say Lyanna sneaked out or tricked her family to leave because Rhaegar might have happened to mention where he'd be or intended to be or just to have some space from said family and Robert. We'll see if GRRM ever manages to finish WoW. It's supposed to be a mystery for now.

In other words, GRRM is not trying to find "answers" to make us apply hard and fast moral standards; he's simply exploring the conditions of love vs duty and how people make their decisions thereof while trying to be good leaders. Of course there's a morality, but the point is to FIGURE OUT and question whether the boundaries of one's conditions require one to consider the quality of familiar morals and ones actions to maybe reconfigure them and one's reality. Be adaptive.

People in the ASOIAF fandom are very obsessed with passive women they can project onto. The obsessions with the characters of show!Alicent, Sansa, Elia, and Helaena are perfect examples of this.

In the show, Alicent is changed from a woman who actively seeks power and heads the scheming of the green faction into a passive victim who watches and reacts to the men around her. And yet, despite this being a much more boring characterization, the show version is vastly more preferred by her stans. They condemn her book character as simply an "evil stepmother trope" while completely ignoring how their fav is just as blank and tropey as they accuse her book counterpart to be. Alicent stans want her to be the show's blank victimized canvas.

Helaena is someone who the show changed very little in the adaptation, because both book and show Helaena have little impact on the plot other than to be victims of their surroundings. Both women are forced to marry Aegon at thirteen and have his children, go through B&C, and are the least active members of the green faction. The show only added elements to make her more tragic: her dreaming and autistic behaviors. Helaena's character makes her the perfect canvas for certain fans to project themselves onto as she simply exists to be victimized and play the dutiful wife/daughter despite her circumstances, just like the show version of her mother.

Elia Martell is a woman who we know very little about. She died thirteen years before the events of ASOIAF and, unlike characters like Rhaegar and Lyanna, she has no pov characters who think about her enough for us to learn anything about her. The only things we know are that she was loved by her family, was in an arranged marriage to Rhaegar, had his two (confirmed) children, and was brutally raped and murdered by Lannister men. She is an unknown character and, again unlike Rhaegar and Lyanna, has no known active role in the events surrounding the Rebellion. Because of these things, she is, again, the perfect blank canvas for people to project on.

Sansa is, despite being a prominent pov character in ASOIAF, a very passive character. She rarely takes action in her circumstances and simply reacts to them while trying to survive. There's nothing wrong with this, she's a young girl who has never had to fight for anything in her life, it's not unexpected or condemnable for her reaction to her circumstances to be this way. However, her passivity is something her stans obsess over. She is praised for being the "perfect lady" and they project their desires to see her rule onto her and how they view her story.

These women have been chosen by these fans because of their passivity and tragedy. They love that the women have suffered in the name of the "duty" they believe is higher than them. Because they love passivity, they hate the women of ASOIAF who are active in their own lives and fight to better their circumstances. Characters like Rhaenyra, Arya, Daenerys, and Lyanna are all massive influences on the world and purposely chose to challenge the patriarchy. Since they did not take their suffering silently, theses certain fans view them as wrong and hate them. They only love the women they can project on and who simply refuse to fight for better lives.

[cyarsk52-20]

They would never do this shit for a black man. White murderers get a pass in this country for some reason… the delusional ,brainless , meat licking is off the charts. My goodness, I hate the Internet sometimes.

[destielmemenews]

source 1

source 2

source 3

[outlying-hyppocrate]

the koivunen siblings ! ! !

[frithwontdie]

Thanks for the tag, @unclejingo. Most of what was stated by evil-fact-checker is factually correct. However, the claim that it was 'The claim that Haitians 'starved for 200 years' ignores the real cause of Haiti’s economic struggles: crippling reparations to France, U.S. intervention, trade blockades, and internal political struggles—not just the revolution itself.' Is not an excuse and is usually the go-to excuse for why Haiti is in the poor position it's in. The Haitians themselves turned the island uninhabitable, with their non-stop deforestation for charcoal and overfishing. They have turned a tropical paradise into a living hell.

Haitian president Boyer was willing to consider paying some compensation to former French colonists for loss of land and damages. (not for slaves because they've been emancipated in 1793). The terms of the 1825 arrangement proved impossible for Haiti to meet. France renounced the threat of military force (that was originally used as a threat to get Haitians to fulfill their agreement). But in 1838, Haiti and France agreed on a revised version of the 1825 agreement, which helped reduce time for repayment to be stretched out. Payments continued until 1883. Despite this, Haiti economic condition was actually better during the mid-nineteenth century while still making the payments and then the years following 1890.

Also note that Haiti invaded the Dominicans from 1822 to 1844. A full dictatorship. Nationalized most private property, heavy taxation (which they used to help pay the debt), restricted the use of the Spanish language, and suppressed traditional customs. Basically, they tried to destroy Dominican culture until the Dominicans fought back, kicked them out, and got their independence. Of course, they won't tell us that.

In 1922, the rest of Haiti's debt to France was moved to be paid to American investors. It took until 1947 – about 122 years – for Haiti to finally pay off all the associated interest to the National City Bank of New York (now Citibank).

Three years after Haiti got their independence. The embargo was placed on Haiti in 1807. To be fair, Having Economic sanctions is a reasonable response to mass genocide. The embargo had very little to do with them being poor. They had their own economic policies, and those policies did affect the prosperity of their country. In a very negative way. ApparentlyThey were doing trade as far as 1835.

Hayti has for many years carried on very fair commerce with Europe and America, though probably not a quarter of what she might have if her inhabitants were industrious.

Plus, Haiti today has full excess to mostly tariff free trade with U.S. So Haiti has been trading for at least over 100 years.

Dispite being out of debt for 77 years, being independent for over 200 years, and having tariff free trades with the US for over 150 years. They're still living the way they. The whole debt to France thing is not a good excuse, for them living the way they do.

From 1915 to 1934, the United States Marines were sent into Haiti to restore order and maintain political and economic stability in the Caribbean and helped them build schools, 200 bridges, thousands of miles of roads etc. To give them a fresh new start. But when the U.S. military pulled out in 1934, the Haitians recked it, and just let it go to hell. U.S. military went back again in 1958. To help rebuild again, of course, that time it was not just out of good will, but to also stop the spread and influence of communism. They recked it again. America went back again in 1994 and is the same old same old. The U.S. As been Haiti's donor since 1973. Between the fiscal years of 1995 and 1999, the US contributed roughly $884 million in assistance to Haiti. Although there have been 13 billion aid money to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, many people still live in bad living conditions. They still have plenty of rich soil, resources, and minerals to move forward. They just don't do anything with it.

Demonize anti-colonial movements, implying that the formerly enslaved were irrational and self-destructive.

Which I don't think it's trying to. Some countries and people were better off under colonial rule, and some were not. Some countries got better after colonial rule, and some did not. It's about those claiming that a country's present day struggles is because of something that happened 100s of years ago.

Ignore colonial brutality, pretending Haiti's struggles were purely self-inflicted rather than the result of external pressures.

It's colonial was brutal. But Haiti's struggles was mostly self-inflicted.

Perpetuate racist stereotypes of Black nations as inherently dysfunctional.

Most are, unfortunately. South Africa, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) @stillnotwriting knows alot about that.

Liberia was almost close to being great. But fail down the bad path.

[canichangemyblogname]

Y’all are so far removed from the reality of US politics on the ground, so stuck in your online echo chamber that you think the reason the American public will have an issue with Harris’ record as a prosecutor is because she wasn’t progressive enough??? Please. The main-stream conversation is about how Harris is “too far left” and “too progressive” for the average swing voter and that she’s going to have a hard time convincing the “American Public” that she’s going to be “effective” at “battling crime” in a country with RECORD LOW CRIME RATES.

I don’t think *you* understand the will and desire of the majority of the general public. Nor do I think you are aware of how the Overton window has shifted.

The majority of American voters are most concerned with 1.) inflation— despite the fact it’s gone from 9% to 3%, and 2.) border crossings and “immigrant crime”— despite the fact that immigrants commit crimes at far lower rates than citizens. They’re afraid of boogeymen.

Maybe talk to someone outside your internet circle, yeah?

[sci-fi-disney-prince]

Round Four of the Garrett Hedlund Tournament

Let me know who you chose by reblogging and writing your choice in the tags, or comment with your choice. Or if anything, you can keep it a mystery as you wait a week to see the results.

For context click on "Keep Reading"

He played Ron Weddington in the first four episodes of the audio drama, Supreme: The Battle for Roe.

Before this, he played Harry J. Anslinger in the movie, The United States vs. Billy Holiday.

I recommend using JustWatch.com to find where to watch and/or purchase the movie in your region. Below is the direct link for the page.

[nehswritesstuffs]

For the "500 words or less" director's cut prompt, which I missed because of the holiday: this 409-word bit of TTOU chapter 31 that surprisingly does not include Nicola, as much as I love her, but does include my favorite confused and well-meaning alien blorbo.

“Walsh’s sister is in government and her brother-in-law was private-sector for a long time,” Fajr explained from the front passenger seat. Gordon was driving, leaving her free to talk without the fear of distraction. “I don’t remember precisely what either did, since I’m not well-versed in those parts of Human society, but it’s been able to help them afford this neighborhood without an issue.” “No one needs to be that well-versed in Human society,” Malcolm assured her. “Her sister’s probably a high-ranked civil servant, impossible to get rid of no matter the government, and he’s probably some energy-sector or banking fuck. I met so many back in my former life that they all blended together after a while. You don’t need to worry about them.” “I might, but that would all depend on what happens during the debriefing.” The satnav instructed Gordon to turn and he did so, pulling into the drive of a house more grand than what was likely all four of their salaries put together. Once the car was parked, they got out and went to the front door as a group, where they were greeted by Walsh herself. “Thank you for coming on such short notice,” she said, ushering them in. Looking over her shoulder, she then shouted into the house, “They’re here, Nick! Four of them!” An unintelligible shout answered her and Walsh brought the guests into an elaborate sitting room, where tea was already laid out. “Sorry about the pretenses, Kate. Nick’s place isn’t exactly what most people would call humble.” “You’ve been able to recoup here—that’s what counts,” Kate replied. “Oh, you remember Fajr Bismuth? She’s now our Head of Security and Surveillance.” “I thought Frank still had a few years left on his contract,” Walsh said, pouring tea. “What’d you do to convince him to step down?” “He didn’t,” Fajr said. She tried to keep eye contact with Walsh, but couldn’t. “Frank Hughes was one of the first people the insurgents killed upon capturing Mainframe UK. I… I couldn’t save him.” “You saved others though, from what I’ve heard, and we can’t fault you for doing all you could,” Walsh said. “He’d be proud to know you’re his successor.” “You think so?” Gordon asked, relief in his voice. “There are some people who are upset that it’s not me.” “Do you want the position?” Walsh asked. “Not yet; eventually, but Fajr was next in line.” “Then let it be Ms. Bismuth.”

AAAHHHHH YEAH THIS BIT more about this bit under the cut.

Have a fic excerpt you want me to break down? Go ahead and let me know!

Okay, so, this bit! I wanted to keep the possibility of Nicola and Walsh being not-related while also teasing it for as long as possible, which brings us to Bismuth being the one who is giving the infodump. If Malcolm did any sort of looking-into Walsh's sister's background then he'd know instantly what was going on, but for now it's just this posh as fuck neighborhood with Walsh going "yeah sorry my sister's place is kinda extra".

'Cause here's the thing: Nicola Murray is rich. She and her husband both have high-paying jobs, can send multiple children to private school, and she seems to have just the right amount of reality disconnect in relation to others while still caring about people to insinuate that she's always been on the wealthier end of things. Shit, it's implied that her husband makes enough that she doesn't have to work, but does anyhow for both self-fulfillment and because she loves helping people. It also wouldn't surprise me if she and/or Mr. Nicola came from money to start, since this is also the UK we're talking about. So yeah. Posh as fuck.

And then Walsh is there! Doing some more misdirection bc Beck and Nick being nicknames for ladies in male-dominated jobs isn't anything, nooooo. I found it really important to me that we expressly lay out Walsh and Gordon's acceptance of Bismuth as the successor to the Security Head's role for a lot of reasons. Here's what we know of Fajr Bismuth thus far:

She is a Zygon.

Her grasp on Human culture is... strained at best.

They just are recovering from the Zygon Insurgency, where Bonnie and Company murdered a bunch of UNIT people including the man Fajr is replacing. The amount of symbolism there is intentional.

She is supposed to be the new Head of Security. So, being in charge of preventing something like that happening again. Everything depends on her loyalty to the Tripartite, which is not exactly something in good standing at that moment.

Her name is awesome but it's also very specifically non-English. It's a feminine Arabic name that means "dawn, beginning", and is a time for observant Muslims to pray during the morning twilight (fajr and four other daily prayers are part of the Five Pillars/Ten Practices of the Religion in Sunni/Shia Islam). Her having a name that can be a Briton's, but is not considered British is symbolic of her status as someone who is stuck between worlds and cultures as someone who might actually be named Fajr would. It is just as intentional. Bismuth just was also an element near [Themba] Astatine on the periodic table that I thought sounded cool with Fajr, since I like giving Zygons elemental names.

So now you've got all of that, and we're in this posh as fuck house, having a conversation with someone who very well could lobby to scuttle the concept of Bismuth having such an amount of power, especially with the resistance that has been seen within the other Departmental Heads. Like, if anyone can make or break this position for Bismuth from within Mainframe UK, it's Walsh. It was her command that was obliterated. She's the one with potentially the biggest stake in that game when it comes to whether another Human heads Security or a member of the extraterrestrial species that caused the entire mess to begin with... and... she... just... accepts once she has all the pieces she needs. You have to remember that Walsh is on a mental sabbatical--once things were over she had a fucking breakdown. Her approval means a lot.

...and Gordon's a good boy he's not gonna fuck this up for Bismuth he knows better than that.

[herargentinaoficial]

H.E.R. esta noche en los premios #NFLHonors 2023

[skippitydippity]

Omgomgomg I have enough for a CAR!!!!!!! There's a blue 2015 Mazda3 i SV literally One Thousand Miles Away From Me but I'll be in that area for a few days next week........................................ It's like 1.5k over budget so I shouldn't even be thinking about it but like. FUCK

[gu6chan]

i would kill for a cup of this right now

[mariocki]

New Scotland Yard: Nothing to Live For (2.1, LWT, 1972)

"Any sign of her in there?"

"No. Odds are against it, I suppose."

"What, being there?"

"Being alive."

[reasonsforhope]

"Once thought to be extinct, black-footed ferrets are the only ferret native to North America, and are making a comeback, thanks to the tireless efforts of conservationists.

Captive breeding, habitat restoration, and wildlife reintegration have all played a major role in bringing populations into the hundreds after near total extinction.

But one other key development has been genetic cloning.

In April [2024], the United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced the cloning of two black-footed ferrets from preserved tissue samples, the second and third ferret clones in history, following the birth of the first clone in December 2020. 

Cloning is a tactic to preserve the health of species, as all living black-footed ferrets come from just seven wild-caught descendants.  This means their genetic diversity is extremely limited and opens them up to greater risks of disease and genetic abnormalities. 

Now, a new breakthrough has been made.

Antonia, a black-footed ferret cloned from the DNA of a ferret that lived in the 1980s has successfully birthed two healthy kits of her own: Sibert and Red Cloud.

These babies mark the first successful live births from a cloned endangered species — and is a milestone for the country’s ferret recovery program.

The kits are now three months old, and mother Antonia is helping to raise them — and expand their gene pool.

In fact, Antonia’s offspring have three times the genetic diversity of any other living ferrets that have come from the original seven ancestors.

Researchers believe that expanded genetic diversity could help grow the ferrets’ population and help prime them to recover from ongoing diseases that have been massively detrimental to the species, including sylvatic plague and canine distemper. 

“The successful breeding and subsequent birth of Antonia's kits marks a major milestone in endangered species conservation,” said Paul Marinari, senior curator at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. 

“The many partners in the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program continue their innovative and inspirational efforts to save this species and be a model for other conservation programs across the globe.”

Antonia actually gave birth to three kits, after mating with Urchin, a 3-year-old male ferret. One of the three kits passed away shortly after birth, but one male and one female are in good health and meeting developmental milestones, according to the Smithsonian.

Mom and babies will remain at the facility for further research, with no plans to release them into the wild.

According to the Colorado Sun, another cloned ferret, Noreen, is also a potential mom in the cloning-breeding program. The original cloned ferret, Elizabeth Ann, is doing well at the recovery program in Colorado, but does not have the capabilities to breed. 

Antonia, who was cloned using the DNA of a black-footed ferret named Willa, has now solidified Willa’s place as the eighth founding ancestor of all current living ferrets.

“By doing this, we’ve actually added an eighth founder,” said Tina Jackson, black-footed ferret recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in an interview with the Colorado Sun. 

“And in some ways that may not sound like a lot, but in this genetic world, that is huge.”

Along with the USFWS and Smithsonian, conservation organization Revive & Restore has also enabled the use of biotechnologies in conservation practice. Co-founder and executive director Ryan Phelan is thrilled to welcome these two new kits to the black-footed ferret family.

“For the first time, we can definitively say that cloning contributed meaningful genetic variation back into a breeding population,” he said in a statement.

“As these kits move forward in the breeding program, the impact of this work will multiply, building a more robust and resilient population over time.”"

-via GoodGoodGood, November 4, 2024