#latest manufacturing projects

[sayruq]

I want everyone to understand that even if Israel wins this (I mean it won't but just imagine), it won't recover from this. It won't recover from getting caught off guard on Oct 7th. The government and the IDF spent days unable to have a strategic response to the Palestinian fighters while their own soldiers deserted and their allies openly questioned the wisdom of a ground invasion in Gaza. That's why they're bombing Gaza, it is the only way to project strength to the world but it is also alienating billions of people. The world has never been more pro Palestine than this moment in time.

Just like how America being forced to flee Afghanistan led to a series of Ls globally, Israel struggling against Hamas, PFLP, Islamic Jihad, and other groups will have disastrous effects locally and internationally. I mean, the political class is already falling apart with Netanyahu blaming government officials for this disaster. The Israeli government have no unity or cohesion which is not a great sign to put it lightly. War usually binds people, even rival political groups, and especially allies. America has been hinting that it doesn't approve of some of actions taken by Israel. It could be just Biden and his people trying to softly distance him from the genocide in Gaza but you also have former and current military leaders disapproving of Israel's military strategy.

The thing is you don't see Iran openly questioning the Palestinians. You don't see Hezbollah running to the press to let them know they think Hamas' strategy is weak. Every single Palestinian militia group, including the ones in the West Bank, are working together. Iran, Hezbollah and the Palestinians are all coordinating. In the past week, they would attack Israeli settlements and military bases and American bases in Iraq and Syria at the same time. They've even managed to get new support from the Yemeni Ansar Allah group.

Israel's main export is security- meaning weapons manufacturing and training. How many countries will rush to have their police or soldiers train with the IDF after witnessing them fold while in battle (in the latest ground incursion, the IDF lasted only 15 minutes inside Gaza according to Al Jazeera)? How many countries will line up to buy Israeli tanks after seeing them get taken out easily by guerilla fighters? How many countries and individual investors will want to invest in Israel when it can't go 5 years without a war or genocide?

I believe with all my heart we will soon see a liberated Palestine.

[blueiscoool]

35 Bottles From the 18th Century Filled with Cherries Found at George Washington’s Mount Vernon

The story of a six-year-old George Washington chopping down a cherry tree may be a myth, but archeologists excavating Mount Vernon, the home of the United States’ first president, made the very real discovery of 35 glass bottles filled with cherries and berries.

The bottles were found in five storage pits in the mansion’s cellar, with 29 of them intact and containing “perfectly preserved cherries and berries, likely gooseberries or currants,” according to a news release from George Washington’s Mount Vernon on Thursday.

Crews unearthed the 18th-century bottles during the ongoing $40 million revitalization project launched last year at Mount Vernon, Virginia.

The bottles were extracted from the pits and refrigerated, and are expected to undergo scientific analysis, the release states.

The slowly drying bottles, “composed of materials and foodstuffs that are likely 250 years old,” will be sent from Mount Vernon’s archaeology lab to an off-site location for conservation, according to the release.

The latest discovery comes after the recent find of two intact European-manufactured glass bottles, also from the 18th century, filled with liquid, cherries and pits in the same cellar, according to the organization.

“Now we know those bottles were just the beginning of this blockbuster discovery,” Mount Vernon President and CEO Doug Bradburn said in a statement.

Bradburn referred to the discoveries as “an unprecedented find,” adding that “nothing of this scale and significance has ever been excavated in North America.”

“The bottles and contents are a testament to the knowledge and skill of the enslaved people who managed the food preparations from tree to table,” said Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon principal archaeologist.

The bottles may have been forgotten when Washington left Mount Vernon to take command of the Continental Army, according to Bradburn.

“These artifacts likely haven’t seen the light of day since before the American Revolution,” he said. “It’s so appropriate that these bottles have been unearthed shortly before the 250th anniversary of the United States.”

Bradburn added that the organization’s team is hopeful the cherry pits may be viable for future germination.

Mount Vernon partnered with the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service to analyze the bottles’ contents.

In the early stages of analysis, researchers identified 54 cherry pits and 23 stems, suggesting the bottles were likely full of cherries at one point, according to the release.

“The cherries likely are of a tart variety, which has a more acidic composition that may have aided in preservation,” the release states.

The cherries are likely candidates for DNA extraction, which could help researchers compare them against a database to identify their exact species, according to the release.

By Ashley R. Williams.

[astroboots]

Where does Boa hide these around the house to best fuck with Santi?

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Summary: Santiago is on a mission to take out your army of freakishly ugly mutant toys that you keep placing on his desk.

Homecoming Drabbles | Homecoming Masterlist | Astroboot’s Masterlist

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They're back again.

Santiago stares at the horrifying toy creature. Half husky and half--- penguin? Is that what it fucking is?!

He can't keep his eyes from the small miniature toy, its hauntingly blue piercing eyes and dog-like snout, its two flappy wings held against its protruding belly and standing on two webbed feet.

He doesn't know. Doesn't know where you managed to find this godless toy. Doesn't know what the toy manufacturer was thinking when they greenlit this for production. Doesn't know what kind of hallucinogenic drugs the designer must've been on when he made it.

Only thing he knows, is that it's fucking hideous is what it is.

Narrowing his eyes at the abomination, he glares at it in indignant anger where it sits perched on his desk. He threw this out last week. Stealthily took it out on the day it was Frankie's turn to take out the trash, so you couldn't find it and stop it beforehand.

So he doesn't know how it's back. Or worse, he doesn't know how now there's not only a husky penguin but right next to it there's also malformed sad looking half-tiger, half-squirrel.

He thought there was only the one. But with the appearance of this second one... fuck it can't be.

... Fuck.

You have the whole fucking line up hidden somewhere don't you?

And if he throws these two away... he's pretty sure like the fucking mythical Hydra of Lerna, there's going to be four of them lined up on his desk by tomorrow.

That won't do.

But he also doesn't want to sit here, looking at schematics for his latest consulting project, and having to stare up at these hideous crimes against nature and god. No, he needs to get rid of them...

But there's no way out of this that doesn't end in an escalation until his desk becomes a gathering ground of these horrifying mutant toys... Unless he takes it out by the source. Destroy the nest so that it cannot breed more... Sniff out where you've hidden this mutant-freak toy army and get rid of them before you'll ever see him coming.

Santiago glances up at the clock. 4.30pm, you'll be home within the hour, he still got time. Pushing his chair away from his desk, he skulks down the hallway to the guestroom where you tend to store all your junk. All the crazy shit you keep dragging back home from the antique stands and farmers market you drag him to at ungodly early hours on Sunday morning. The haunted porcelain dolls, the joke taxidermy--with mice wearing human clothes and squirrels that are in a boxing match-- and the collection of inappropriately sexy Christmas baubles you got in a moving box on the shelf.

He continues to root around, in the empty shoe boxes stored under the guest bedroom. The first one contains--- more sexy Christmas baubles, one that looks eerily alike Michael Bublé that makes his skin crawl. The second--a bunch of old photo albums. The third-- just a bunch of brightly colored socks, that shouldn't be stored there in the first place. He digs around and-- Bingo.

In the very bottom, inside a sealed plastic bag he finds what he is looking for. It's the rest of the pack. A confused looking zebra-kangaroo, a lion-gerbil?! (or is it hamster, jesus-- it's horrifying). And finally a face that will haunts his nightmares until the end of time... The face of a gorilla staring up at him, eerily detailed and accurate, with the body of an elephant.

Actually forget seeing this in his nightmares, Santiago doesn't think he'll ever sleep again after seeing this. He shakes his head as he pulls up the bag pinched between his thumb and index finger, not even daring to clutch it in his hand, as he tucks it inside his sweater, closing the lid before leaving the room and heading down towards the garage.

He's not taking any risks, he's heading straight into the car to the junkyard himself to make sure these things aren't recovered by some deus ex machina intervention.

"Santiago have you been going through my stuff?" you ask.

Santiago doesn't look up from the pages of his book, as he takes another sip at his piping hot coffee. "What do you mean sweetheart?"

He doesn't need to look at you to know the look that will be in your eye. The way you're narrowing your eyes at him in observation, the way a detective would pin down their suspected perpetrator in an interrogation room.

"My stuff in the guestroom," you clarify.

"No clue." He has to bite the inside of his cheeks to tamper down the grin that's threatening to escape.

What follows is your usual morning routine after breakfast. When he says bye by the front porch, you throw him a quick kiss goodbye, but you linger for longer than you normally do. Your eyes squinting down on him, a silent accusation of, "I know what you did."

Santiago doesn't say shit.

Instead he waves you off like a young maiden in an old timey black and white movie waving off their husband to war with a handkerchief, as he turns back into the house, smiling like a loon. The feeling of victory surging bright in his veins.

Santiago practically skips on each steps up the staircase back to his office, humming, and if he could be any happier he would be floating.

He opens the door, the refreshing spring breeze flowing in through his window. The morning sun spilling across the length of his desk when he sees it.

His smile drops.

No.

Fuck no.

You gotta be kidding.

They're back again.

Standing in a neat tidy line in front of his computer screen, the whole family is gathered. Husky-penguin, Tiger-squirrel, Zebra-kangaroo, Lion-gerbil/hamster and the most nightmare inducing of them all... Gorilla-elephant.

He doesn't understand.

He drove them there.

Personally chucked them into a bag and into the junkyard where it can never be retrieved. But...

They're all back... and they brought friends.

He threw away five, and now there's ten....

He stares at them, the whole of the line up. At each ugly, deformed, mutant, hybrid animal toy creature, eyes lingering in particular at the horrifying shark with four slim and graceful legs and hooves.... And he doesn't even know what to say.

He doesn't even know what the fuck this is.

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[zvaigzdelasas]

Opponents have criticized Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government for committing to the fighter jet project without providing an explanation to the public or seeking approval for the major policy change.[...]

Recent polls suggest that public opinion is divided on the plan.

In 2014, Japan began to export some nonlethal military supplies, and in a latest move last December, it approved a change that would allow sales of 80 lethal weapons and components that it manufactures under licenses from other countries back to the licensors. The change cleared the way for Japan to sell U.S.-designed Patriot missiles to the United States, helping replace munitions that Washington is sending to Ukraine.

In its decision, the Cabinet said that the arms export ban on finished products would hinder efforts to develop the new jet, and limit Japan to a supporting role in the project. Italy and the U.K. are eager to make sales of the jet in order to defray development and manufacturing costs.[...]

The change also comes as Kishida is planning an April state visit to Washington, where he is expected to stress Japan’s readiness to take on a greater role in military and defense industry partnerships.

Exports would also help boost Japan’s defense industry, which historically has catered only to the country’s Self Defense Force, as Kishida seeks to build up the military.

25 Mar 24

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Apple's business model made Chinese oppression inevitable

A month ago, a wave of rare political protests swept China, centered on Beijing, where Premier Xi Jinping was consolidating his already-substantial power by claiming an unprecedented third term:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/22/china/china-party-congress-overseas-students-protest-intl-hnk

Protest organizers in China struggle with the serious legal and extrajudicial penalties for anti-government activities, backed by a sophisticated digital surveillance grid that monitors and blocks online communications that might challenge government authority.

Though this digital surveillance network is now primarily supplied and serviced by Chinese tech companies, it can't be separated from western tech companies. The first version of the Chinese digital surveillance grid was built by Cisco:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/04/ciscos-latest-attempt-dodge-responsibility-facilitating-human-rights-abuses-export

Tech companies like Yahoo went into China knowing that they'd have to censor the internet, and ultimately turned over their users' data to Chinese authorities, who subsequently arrested and tortured some of those users:

https://www.technewsworld.com/story/yahoo-charged-with-complicity-in-chinese-torture-case-57011.html

Google pulled out of China in 2010, after the Chinese government hacked and arrested Gmail users. But eight years later, Google was secretly working on Project Dragonfly, a censoring, surveilling search product designed for the Chinese market:

https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/12/19/138307/how-google-took-on-china-and-lost/

Apple plays a key ongoing role in Chinese state surveillance and oppression. Like most tech giants, Apple depends on access to low-waged Chinese factory workers with weak labor protections to hold down the wage bill for its manufacturing.

Apple also relies on selling phones and computers and services to the titanic Chinese middle class, a category that's loose enough that estimates of its size range from 350m to 700m - but even the lower figure is larger than the entire US population.

Apple's dual reliance on poor Chinese workers and rich Chinese consumers gives the Chinese state enormous leverage over the company. The Chinese government can order Apple to participate in its digital surveillance and dissent-suppression efforts and threaten the company with the loss of revenues and manufacturing if it balks.

But that's true of any western company that seeks to hold down costs and generate revenues through Chinese manufacturing and Chinese sales. What makes Apple uniquely vulnerable to Chinese state pressure is its business-model choices - choices that, ironically, are touted as a way to keep its users safe.

Apple's Ios platform is "curated." Ipads and Iphones ship locked to Apple's App Stores. Users aren't supposed to be able to install software unless it is delivered via the App Store. Apple describes this as a safety measure, a bulwark against the tricks that hackers and identity thieves use to lure users into installing malicious software.

But Apple also makes billions of dollars through this arrangement. The App Store is a chokepoint, and any software author who wants to sell an app to an Iphone owner can only do so if Apple approves of the transaction.

https://chokepointcapitalism.com/

Apple can arbitrarily withhold this permission, if, say, it has a competing product and doesn't want to have to win out over a new market entrant in a fair fight.

Apple can also burden its competitors: if you want to sell media that competes with Apple Books, Apple Music or Apple Video, the company will charge you 15-30% on each sale, while its own offerings escape this charge.

That means that media stores that competes with Apple's own retail storefronts have to either charge more than Apple, or make less money, or not sell media via an app at all - instead, they have to implement a clunky two-step whereby customers buy their media on the web and they flip back to an app to download it.

Even when an app maker doesn't compete with Apple, Apple can turn it to its advantage: the company simply appropriates 15-30% of ever dollar that changes hands when Iphone owners buy software and media from app makers.

This is "feudal security." In a lawless realm of roving bandits, Apple offers us a high-walled fortress bristling with fierce infosec mercenaries who promise to defend us from the threats outside the walls. In return, Apple uses its control over the gateway to the outside world to extract a tax from everyone who brings us the things we need.

Apple has every incentive to make this fortress as impregnable as possible. From the lowest levels of its chip designs to its lobbying blitzes to criminalize jailbreaking devices, the company is fully committed to ensuring that Ios device owners can't make choices Apple disapproves of.

This is the source of China's extraordinary leverage over Apple. Apple can't afford to leave China, because that would mean losing manufacturing and customers. Because of this, the Chinese state can order Apple to take any measure that Apple is technically capable of delivering.

Because of its business-model choices, Apple has the technical capability to introduce defects in the apps on its customers' devices. It can order every software vendor in the App Store to break their privacy tools so that the Chinese government can spy on those customers.

If companies don't comply, Apple can simply block them from delivering software to Chinese users altogether. An absolutely foreseeable consequence of this product design is that the Chinese state will order Apple to neuter all the privacy tools available to Chinese Ios users, which is exactly what happened:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-apple-vpn/apple-says-it-is-removing-vpn-services-from-china-app-store-idUSKBN1AE0BQ

Apple offers cloud storage to its Ios users. Because Apple can't afford to anger the Chinese state, the Chinese state can order Apple to introduce defects into the encryption on its cloud servers so that Apple customers can be spied on by the Chinese government. That's also exactly what happened:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/17/technology/apple-china-censorship-data.html

Apple's business-model decisions reduce the consequences for betraying its customers. If defects in Apple's cloud product come to light, it can simply order all the other cloud services in the App Store to introduce similar defects, on pain of being kicked out of the store.

Last month's Chinese protests were coordinated in part thanks to a novel technological tactic, one that made use of one of Apple's most innovative technologies: Airdrop. Airdrop is an ad hoc, peer-to-peer file transfer protocol that lets two nearby Ios users exchange files with one another without identifying themselves.

Anti-Xi organizers used Airdrop to exchange forbidden protest literature. Because these files travel directly between Ios devices, they weren't visible to the censors and spies who monitor other digital communications tools in China.

This use of Airdrop is a canonical example of the ways that digital technologies can be part of human rights struggles, giving people new tools that give them leverage over powerful state actors.

Right on schedule, the Chinese government has ordered Apple to break Airdrop so that it can't be used to organize protests, requiring users to opt into receiving files from strangers every ten minutes, rather than letting them set their devices to publicly visible until they are ready to turn it off:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/11/apple-limits-iphone-filesharing-feature-used-by-protesters-in-china

Apple called this a "security update." It updates the security of the Chinese state from democratic accountability.

There's a strain of technology criticism that sees incidents like this as proof that digital tools have no place in human rights struggles, because they will always be turned against their users.

But no one forced Apple to launch its "curated computing" service, nor to design it so that its customers can't override it. Apple built a walled fortress in full knowledge that it might be called upon someday to turn that fortress into a prison.

The feigned outrage of tech companies when the weakenesses in their business-models are exploited by third parties is an obvious and shabby trick to deflect blame. Apple put the gun on the mantelpiece in Act I. It can't expect us to forgive it when Xi Jinping fires the gun in Act III.

Of course, this sin isn't unique to Apple. Google has designed a location-harvesting system that is impossible to opt out of, so that it can accumulate and sell access to a database of every movement of every person.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/01/you-are-here/#goog

Having assembled this database, Google doesn't get to act surprised when cops show up with "geofenced reverse warrants" that demand the identity of every participant in a Black Lives Matter protest (or the January 6 riot):

https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/5/22918487/fbi-geofence-seattle-blm-protest-police-guild-attack

Or take the scandal of Adobe customers' files being wrecked by the company's dispute with proprietary color system vendor Pantone. Pantone cancelled Adobe's license to use its technology and wants Adobe customers to spend $21/month to keep Pantone colors.

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/28/fade-to-black/#trust-the-process

But this doesn't just affect files created after the Adobe/Pantone split. Due to Adobe's subscription-based business model, which requires customers to pay monthly for software as a service (SaaS), Pantone can demand that Adobe break all the existing files its customers have created.

If you created a Photoshop file with some Pantone colors 20 years ago, they are broken now, and forever, unless you start paying Pantone $21/month, because Adobe has altered its cloud software so that all Pantone-colored pixels are rendered in black.

I've been corresponding with an Adobe PR flack doing damage control after the Pantone scandal broke, and as far as I can tell, she wants me to "correct" my article to blame Pantone for this mess, because it has Adobe over a barrel.

But Adobe built that barrel. This hostage situation was a completely forseeable consequence of redesigning its products to treat its users like hostages. Pantone are greedy scum, but so are Adobe - and it was Adobe's greed that exposed its customers to Pantone's greed.

The point isn't that having your Photoshop files corrupted is the same as being kidnapped and tortured by Chinese police. But both Adobe and Apple - and every other tech giant - has decided that the rise of networked computing is an opportunity to exercise ongoing control over their customers. All of these companies knew that this ongoing control could be hijacked by hostile governments or corporations at any time, and they did it anyway.

They have no business acting surprised now. Apple isn't responsible for Chinese state oppression, but it is knowingly, explicitly complicit in it.

[Image ID: A Chinese revolutionary poster depicting a marching army of peasant soldiers. It has been altered so that a man at the front of the column is carrying an Ipad. The image is surmounted by Apple's 'Think Different' wordmark.]

[justenjoythegossip]

PR ANTICS PART 2: purpose of lies on top of lies in a PR Strategy, examples and blind items

The purpose of lies on top of lies in a PR strategy

Whether they come directly from the horse’s mouth (the PR team), plants (such as certain team PR/Real blogs) or other channels, lies on top of lies can be very useful tools in a PR strategy. And they serve different purposes. Misdirection can be the one of them. But more importantly they give credibility and legitimacy to the original lie. 

Lies from the PR Team

The presence of some Avengers at their alleged kinda first wedding was definitely one of those lies that serves those purposes. It’s funny when you think about it, publications couldn’t decide on the actual location of the wedding. Was it Cape Cod? Was it his house? Of course it was an impossible information to get right since everybody had to sign an NDA and the couple is so private. (read sarcasm)

The details being super sketchy, they probably needed to add more lies to make it more believable. This is when they added the presence of another Avenger: Scarlett. If you guys remember the article from People’s magazine, they gave very specific details about the dinner she had at the restaurant, the sweater she was wearing. They even knew that she and her husband went directly to the museum from the restaurant. It was a classy and intellectual touch. Of course, no picture and no proof but that article served its purpose: sell the kinda wedding. (Sidenote: Scarlett probably wanted in the PR games as well because she needed the exposure. We got the pic at the restaurant with the 4 of them with Stanley Tucci, the SNL party pap pics and the deadline article about her Project Artemis the next day). 

When publications pile on the lies, their obvious goal is to sell the original lie. And hopefully the general public won’t notice the elephant in the room. 

Lies from Plants

Team Real/PR blogs do the same thing. I already wrote a post about how certain Team PR blogs used Abba’s alleged immigration status to discredit the wedding. Here’s the link if you want to check it out.

But I could choose so many examples, even with Chris and Abba’s latest stunt when those blogs lied about Mads Mikkelsen not being at the after party when we got the actual receipts that he was there thanks to a Deadline article. We even got a pic of him and his outfit matched the one he is wearing in the pic with the private couple. 

Their tactics is to fake debunking a lie. By using a lie to discredit a lie, they end up giving legitimacy to the lie they were discrediting. Unfortunately the mind games are very much an integral component of a PR strategy and the fans are a casualty.

Blind Items and their purpose…

Blind items can work according to the same principle. As they keep piling on the lies, the initial lie gets buried under a mountain of deception. After a while, people forget about the original lie and even stop questioning it. 

Of course some blind items are true. Some just have got to be. Otherwise, people wouldn’t be able to use them in order to sell a totally curated narrative. But some (and probably most) of those blind items are totally fictitious and exist only to help manufacture a narrative.

We got a few of those blind items regarding the super private couple. I won’t list them all but I remember one saying Abba allegedly cheated on Chris. Of course, you can’t cheat on someone you are not in a relationship with. Remember the one that said how proud Chris was to have a child bride and that he was gloating to his friends about her youth. You can’t gloat about your young wife if you are not married… That last blind is hilarious because it bears so little credibility given his demeanor but it served its purpose. 

You can find part 1 of PR Antics here: https://www.tumblr.com/justenjoythegossip/739150917734203392/pr-antics-part-1-team-realteam-prs-tactics-the?source=share

I will discuss the apparent change in the PR tactics, the mystery of the deletion of the Vogue pic and where they can go from here in my next post.

[mysteriouslytransparentwitch]

I woke up with an anxious state. My brain is thinking about several things, my return to work from October 1st to November 1st. Then the start of my training.

I have to find my internship from March to June as a sales representative. I want to do my internship in jewelry or delicatessen or gastronomy or fashion.

In addition, I will experience a reduction in my salary for 8 months. I also have my entrepreneurial project. My biologist validated me. I have to pay for the raw materials and manufacturing = 900€ maximum is the budget. The objective of this project is to bring me additional income. I also have a financial objective. We keep our fingers crossed. The latest press articles in France are so worrying, especially in the economy. We can easily fall into precariousness.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Despite FDA recommendations Florida Surgeon General Ladapo warns against new COVID booster - Published Sept 13, 2024

By C. A. Bridges

The summer COVID-19 surge continues, with nearly half the country reporting "very high" levels of COVID activity as measured by wastewater data, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The new COVID vaccine is now available at CVC and Walgreens and through clinics and healthcare providers. With the release of the vaccine, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo is urging everyone to stay up to date... with information about how dangerous it is.

In a statement Thursday with the title, "Updated Guidance for COVID-19 Boosters for the Fall and Winter 2024–2025 Season," the Florida Department of Health repeated the same arguments against mRNA COVID shots that Ladapo used when he recommended against their use in January, saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not provide an adequate response to his questions regarding the drugs' safety.

"Based on the high rate of global immunity and currently available data, the State Surgeon General advises against the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines," the FDOH statement said.

The FDA's response to Ladapo in December rebutted each of his concerns, warning that vaccine "misinformation and disinformation" would result in fewer people getting vaccinated, which contributes to the "continued death and serious illness toll of COVID-19."

COVID-19 rates in Florida In Florida, cases for August dropped from last year's numbers, with 62,038 reported cases this year compared to 91,941 in August 2023. Both numbers are almost certainly low as many people self-test at home and some may have it and never test at all.

Deaths from COVID were on par with last year, however, with 828 last August compared to 877 in 2023. The average death total for the four months prior this year was 265.

So far 8.2 million Floridians have been infected with COVID-19 at least once, according to FDOH data, and 97,250 have died.

Ladapo says vaccine won't protect against new strains despite FDA assurances Along with a lengthy list of concerns over the effectiveness and health risks of mRNA vaccines and boosters, the FDOH statement warned that "this booster does not protect against the currently dominant strain, accounting for approximately 37% of infections in the United States" and said that the vaccine was approved without specific trials in humans.

The FDA said in a release that the updated vaccines granted an emergency use authorization for distribution this fall were designed to target the KP.2 strain but also "more closely target currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death."

As of the latest CDC's Nowcast data tracker, which displays COVID-19 estimates and projections for two-week periods, the Omicron KP.3.1.1 variant accounted for 52.7% of positive infections between Sept. 1 and Sept. 14, followed by KP.2.3 at 12.2%, with LB.1 at 10.9% and KP.3 at 10.6%.

“These updated vaccines meet the agency’s rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality," said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "Given waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 for this fall and winter season.

Ladapo's history of COVID vaccine criticism September 2021: Within a day of being hired, Ladapo signed new rules allowing parents to decide if children exposed to COVID could go to school anyway, eliminating the previous requirement for exposed students to quarantine off campus for at least four days.

October 2021: Ladapo appeared at DeSantis' side in public appearances, supporting the governor's views on blocking vaccine and mask mandates and accusing the public health community of fearmongering. Critics accused him of spreading misinformation that led to people being hesitant or afraid of vaccines. A firestorm of criticism erupted after Ladapo refused to wear a mask around Democratic state Sen. Tina Polsky even after she told him she had a serious medical condition (later confirmed as breast cancer) and was at a higher risk for serious complications from COVID.

December 2021: The Florida Department of Health rejected a complaint about Ladapo that said he violated state medical laws by publicly casting doubts about COVID vaccines and promoting unproven treatments.

January 2022: At a press conference, DeSantis and Ladapo told Floridians who weren't showing symptoms not to get tested. “If you don’t have symptoms, you are not a case," Ladapo said, in defiance of CDC and virologist recommendations.

June 2022: DeSantis and the FDOH, under Ladapo, refused to pre-order COVID-19 vaccines for children under five when they became available, the only U.S. state to do so, citing the lack of need and the risks. Ladapo appeared before Congress to defend the state's decision and said the state didn't recommend vaccines for children under 18.

October 2022: Ladapo urged men younger than 40 to avoid the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccine and booster shots because of the "abnormally high risk of cardiac-related death among men in this age group," citing an anonymous non-peer-reviewed analysis from the FDOH. The move prompted a backlash from doctors, researchers and the federal government. At the time, Florida was leading the country in COVID deaths for the third month in a row.

January 2023: A task force of University of Florida medical school doctors concluded that the FDOH recommendation against COVID vaccines for young men was of “highly questionable merit" and that Ladapo cherry-picked data to support his stance. Politico went further and, after examining different drafts of the analysis, reported that Ladapo had personally changed the study to remove data that contradicted his views. Ladapo has denied this.

March 2023: In response to a letter from Ladapo demanding answers based on his own research on vaccine safety, the FDA and CDC asked him to stop disproportionally focusing on the small number of adverse effects in the studies of 13 billion COVID shots given around the world while ignoring the number of people the vaccines have saved.

April 2023: The FDOH under Ladapo stopped reporting COVID infections and deaths to the federal government September 2023: Ladapo recommended against anyone under the age of 65 getting the new COVID-19 vaccine booster the FDA approved to combat new, more infectious variants, directly contradicting CDC guidance. He claimed that the mRNA boosters altered human DNA, which the CDC and multiple studies have said is false.

November 2023: After a two-year battle over COVID public records, the FDOH under Ladapo settled a lawsuit about withholding COVID data and released information spanning the entire duration of the pandemic on the state's FLHealthCHARTS.gov site. However, the agency also stopped providing cumulative totals, percentages, new case positivity, data on booster doses and overviews that made it easier to see trends.

January 2024: Ladapo made headlines again by "calling for a halt to the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines" because he said he didn't receive an adequate response from the FDA about the safety of vaccines. Meanwhile, Florida was seeing a spike in new COVID cases and hospitalizations.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hi! I really love and appreciate your analyses work because I find it so rare to come across these days. Most content about TWST I found is either about in-game stuff or fics of various genres and AUs. It's refreshing in a way, and I just want to tell you that I absolutely adore your work.

I just read your analysis of Cater in canon and how romance comes into play, and I couldn't stop thinking about something when you mentioned how he lights up after taking pictures. Since Cater moves around a lot due to his father's work, I think the pictures immortalize whatever connections he had regardless of how long he got to stay in the area before he eventually moves away with his family.

Aside from Magicam and pictures being his coping mechanisms, it's what little Cater has to connections and relationships even if he distances himself due to his fear of rejection and of being forgotten. I only know bits and pieces of Cater in-game because I don't have many cards of him, but the little I do know of him made me think that he would take pictures to keep memories that would be forgotten once distance and time come to pass. He yearns for deep relationships similar to Riddle and Trey's friendship, but he's so afraid of what comes with such a sentiment that he would resort to pictures and a memorable, public image to keep everyone out of arms' reach.

Even if the people he was friends with (prior to moving away) forget him and move on with life, Cater would have his Magicam account and the pictures. He'd find solace in the memoirs he had taken himself, whether it was just a day inside the Heartslabyul dorm or something as grand as Beansfest. He also takes pictures of the latest trends such as the newest cafe or dessert in town, maybe even a once-in-a-lifetime traveling circus if that's a thing in TWST. Those trends are probably his gateways to finding people with similar interests (I'm using similar doubtfully because Cater does craft his personas so well that he might as well be a pseudo-INFJ) aside from meeting a Magicam influencer quota.

I believe Cater cherishes pictures this way aside from maintaining an image and switching personas in order to be liked and remembered—because those are the closest things that could resemble deep and close relationships to him without compromising his fear.

I may be wrong though, so feel free to correct me! I did say I don't have many cards of Cater so I'm not entirely sure if my speculation is justifiable or otherwise. I'm so sorry this ask became so long 😭 Cater is such an interesting character to analyze, and he's not even in my top 5 personal favorites. I hope you have a nice day!!

[Referencing this masterlist!]

Hello, I’m glad that you enjoy my works! ^^ I kind of do some of everything, but analyses are a big passion of mine. I’m happy that they’re being appreciated since they often take me a lot of time and effort to put together.

Ah, that must be in one of my older analyses, so it’s probably suuuuper outdated by now 😅 Mmmm, I do think it’s generally accepted that Cater desires deep and genuine connections like what Riddle and Trey have (but is too scared to open up to others). However, I don’t know if he actually places a ton of value in the pictures he takes. In my initial post, I meant to imply that Cater likes taking pictures because of the inherent clout that he can rake in from it, not that he necessarily attaches precious memories to those pictures.

Cater may use social media as a coping mechanism, but he also uses it to project what is knowingly a manufactured image of himself and his life out into the world. He takes so many pictures and posts so frequently (and not all of them are associated with doing things with friends; a lot of them appear to be selfies); it’s debatable whether it’s all just for show to feed the social media algorithm/his need for online validation or if he actually cherishes each and every photo (and thus the memories associated with them).

Social media is a means for him to find stability because the internet provides him with a way to keep in touch with everyone no matter where he physically is. However, social media also promotes an environment in which you’re encouraged to put your “best face” out there, to get the most attention and social approval (likes, shares, etc.). In heavily relying on social media for his socialization, it has probably fostered some of Cater’s currently observed insecurities (ie the fear of rejection or being seen as vulnerable if people learn about the not-so-perfect parts of him that he keeps off of Magicam—because what is social media if not a carefully curated photo album of all your “best” moments?).

How Cater engages with others online actually isn’t detailed often; whenever he mentions his socials, it’s almost always in the context of posting something or tagging someone. It sounds very “one way” and passive; Cater seems to be posting more than actually interacting with others or having extended dialogues. We see in his Robes vignettes that he likes comments, but the way he speaks about them makes it sound like he has to like back as an obligation to thank a particular user for the engagement. He confirms in his latest JP birthday interview that he’s always thinking of new places and things to post, but he doesn’t say his motivation is to make friends, he says it’s to get likes. Even when he’s by himself and doesn’t have to put on a show for anyone else (ie post-party in his Ceremonial Robes vignettes), Cater is concerned about getting likes. He presents his intentions as very shallow ones (whether you think he’s a reliable narrator or not is another question though 😂).

Cater also mentions using horoscopes as ice-breakers, which gives him a chance to show his social intelligence and skill at making people feel comfortable talking to him. I don’t think he’s really intending to find people with similar interests or actively going out of his way to try and make new friends; when Cater approaches someone, he usually wants something from them and he knows how to use his cheery and laidback demeanor to do it (ie he asks Malleus for a photo of him in Malleus’s PE Uniform vignettes, he gets cozy with Adeuce to get them to do his chores for him in the main story episode 1, he talks about using the freshmen for “good material” for his Magicam in his Robes vignettes, he consistently asks Vil to collab or take pics with him so he can get some of Vil’s clout, etc.). Cater uses his amicability to get others to lower their guards and play along with him. Then you have Trey, whom we know Cater likes and has said before that he wishes he had “someone like Trey” in his youth. It’s clear that Cater wants to be Trey’s friend, but this isn’t reflected in Cater’s behavior. He doesn’t go out of his way to try talking to Trey or inviting him to hang out; he seems to spend more time with his club friends Lilia and Kalim, but even then, they mostly get up to shallow activities like sitting around, eating snacks, and talking. Cater doesn’t push beyond that boundary, and the limitations of his own comfort. Likewise, we don’t really know of instances when he made efforts to befriend people online or via his socials.

Cater has a conversation specifically on the topic of memories, experiences, and departures in Silver’s Halloween vignettes. In it, Silver talks about how once he graduates, he won’t be able to visit his school friends like Kalim anymore and how that will make him feel lonely. Cater says that while he could worry that “I might not see you guys again someday”, he could also just as easily decide to have a good time with his friends while he still can. “That way, I’ll always have the memories”. Notice his use of “I” rather than “you”, referring to Silver. Cater may be speaking vaguely about his own experiences moving around and leaving friends behind. If we accept this interaction at face value, it does seem to imply that Cater puts value in making real connections and spending time with his loved ones, without necessarily having to immortalize the moment in a picture. It is the memories he cherishes—so while it can be said that he may place more value in pictures associated with certain happy moments, it’s also true that he's capable of just enjoying himself and appreciating what he has without commemorating the event with a photo.

dbksbskwwb Anyway, it’s hard to say for sure just how much Cater cares about those individual pictures just because 1) he’s an unreliable narrator, 2) you really wonder if he has more selfish reasons for acting as he does sometimes because he has demonstrated the capacity to manipulate others, and 3) his best memories don't always come with pictures. This doesn’t mean Cater is heartless or a bad person! I definitely think it’s possible he has some kind of attachment toward his pictures, since those are the closest approximation Cater has for the intimacy that he seeks without leaving him vulnerable to others. It’s just that I’m not sure if he places as much value in the pictures he takes as we may think he does. He has other motivations mixed in there, and it's possible to isolate Cater's feelings attached to happy memories from the pictures.

P.S. Just so you know, you don’t necessarily need Cater’s (or any character’s) cards to learn more about him; sometimes Cater lore is dropped in other peoples’ vignettes and event stories. Additionally, you can almost always find a source for his vignettes online by either Googling it or just accessing the unofficial Twisted Wonderland wiki.

[itcars]

First Look: The Lotus Evija Fittipaldi

The world’s most powerful production car – the stunning Lotus Evija hypercar – now delivers even more exclusivity and desirability. Inspired by the past to enhance the future, Lotus has unveiled the Evija Fittipaldi, a tribute to one of the greatest car-and-driver pairings that Formula 1 has ever seen.

That driver is, of course, Emerson Fittipaldi, the young Brazilian racer who joined Lotus and became a legend, cementing his place in F1 history in 1972. Behind the wheel of the now-iconic Lotus Type 72 and winning five of that season’s 11 races, Fittipaldi secured the Drivers’ Championship for himself and the Constructors’ Championship for Team Lotus.

Exactly 50 years on, the Lotus Evija Fittipaldi is a fitting celebration of that partnership. Just eight examples of the all-electric two-seater are being hand-built at Hethel in Norfolk, UK – the global HQ of Lotus sports car design and manufacturing – and all are sold. Customer deliveries will begin early next year. It is the latest project from Lotus Advanced Performance, the bespoke design and experiential division of the business launched earlier this year.

Showcasing the world-famous black and gold colour scheme – also 50 years old in 2022 – the hand-painted exterior and numerous other unique design features have been created to commemorate this amazing collaboration. They include a hand-tinted plan view of the Type 72 etched into the exposed carbon fibre roof, and Fittipaldi’s signature hand-stitched into the dashboard.

And perhaps the most emotive detail of all is the rotary dial on the floating central instrument panel. It has been hand-crafted from recycled original Type 72 aluminium, ensuring a genuine piece of the iconic F1 racer is part of each Evija Fittipaldi.

[motherserieszine]

Hello! In the interest of keeping everyone up-to-date with the production of the zine, here’s the latest newsletter update. As always, if you wish to subscribe to our newsletter, please email motherserieszine@gmail.com so we can put your email down!

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

We apologize for the delay in our communication! Between messaging manufacturers for quotes, managing 50 contributors and making sure we still answer our three social media, email and personal accounts, it's been a busy time for us. The mods and I hope this is a good update for everyone!

PRODUCTION UPDATES:

★ All merch and packaging material has been ordered and is on its way to our shipping and fulfillment mod, Yurei! Pictures of all merch items will be posted to our social media as they come in!

★In addition to the items in each bundle, all physical orders will include holographic stickers with our cover artist @Cosmosully's shaker charm design! This was budgeted out as a thank you for everyone's support and patience with our project.

★Because our order quantities for some items (books, stickers, and sheets) are close to a whole number (300), extras have been ordered in order to receive a bulk quantity discount. This means there MAY be a few leftover sales (10 or less stock of each item). This would be after fulfillment is complete.

★Aya, our head mod, is currently working on pressing the holographic magnets for all Early Bird, Half and Full Bundle orders by hand. It will be either these or the prints that we show first!

★The PDF of the zine is on its final revision and will be completed within a few days. After this, the printing of the zine books will begin. The final page count of the zine is 174 pages, which is significantly higher than what we marketed and estimated for the zine (which was 130+). Several of our contributors provided more artwork and writing for the project than what they came on to do initially, which was added to the book.

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

Many of you have reached out about shipping! As soon as we get all items, they will be shipped out accordingly. Our estimate for shipping completion is December, but some books may not arrive at your doorstep until January.

We know this is, again, not what our initial time frame was for the project. The mods and I are working as fast as we can, but we do all have lives outside of the zine. All of the mods are either in their final year of college, or are graduates with full-time jobs and shops to manage. We felt that rather than rush the book and merch out, we should focus on making sure they are works of art that both our contributors and fans of the series can look back on with fondness and take pride in having. You paid a lot to make this project happen, and therefore only the best work we can create should arrive at your doorstep! This is a passion project that we all want to see be successful, so we apologize for any inconvenience the change in schedule causes.

As always, feel free to reach out to us with any concerns or questions! Ask us anything. We want to be as transparent as possible, every question is a good question! And be sure to check out our contributor list if you haven't already, which can be found on our BigCartel and Carrd pages.

FAQ

Q: So wait, how does this work?

A: The only item we currently have in house are the magnets, as they are hand pressed, printed, and foiled by our head moderator. All other items are designed by our contributors and manufactured, then get shipped to our shipping moderator to be packaged into bundles.

Q: Oh gosh, I need to change my address now!

A: No worries, we will actually send an address confirmation email a week before we actually ship the items! Also, all physical orders come with USPS tracking; this way, there is no concern on where the package will go. This includes international orders!

Q: When will we receive the PDF?

A: PDFs will be emailed out in the same email as the address confirmation, or shortly after :)

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

That concludes this issue of MOTHER POWER! Stay tuned for our next issue, which is scheduled to be released later this month.

As always, fuzzy pickles!

[mariacallous]

After decades of strategic drift and costly acquisition failures, the U.S. Navy is sailing straight into a storm it can’t avoid. Despite the Defense Department’s lip service about China being the “pacing challenge,” decades of deindustrialization and policymakers’ failure to prioritize among services and threats have left the Navy ill-equipped to endure a sustained high-intensity conflict in the Pacific. The United States is unable to keep pace with Chinese shipbuilding and will fall even further behind in the coming years. Where does that leave the U.S. Navy and the most critical U.S. foreign-policy imperative: deterring a war in the Pacific?

As evidenced by the Biden administration’s latest budget request, fiscal constraints are forcing the Navy to cut procurement requests, delay modernization programs, and retire ships early. The Navy’s budget for the 2025 fiscal year calls for decommissioning 19 ships—including three nuclear-powered attack submarines and four guided-missile cruisers—while procuring only six new vessels. The full scope of what military analysts have long warned would be the “Terrible ’20s” is now evident: The expensive upgrading of the U.S. nuclear triad, simultaneous modernization efforts across the services, and the constraint of rising government debt are compelling the Pentagon to make tough choices about what it can and cannot pay for.

Workforce shortages and supply chain issues are also limiting shipbuilding capacity. The defense industrial base is still struggling to recover from post-Cold War budget cuts that dramatically shrank U.S. defense manufacturing. The Navy needs more shipyard capacity, but finding enough qualified workers for the yards remains the biggest barrier to expanding production. The shipbuilding industry is struggling to attract talent, losing out to fast food restaurants that offer better pay and benefits for entry-level employees. At bottom, it is a lack of welders, not widgets, that must be overcome if the U.S. Navy is to grow its fleet.

Instead, the shipbuilding outlook is progressively worsening. An internal review ordered by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro in January found that major programs, including submarines and aircraft carriers, face lengthy delays. Even the Constellation-class frigates, touted as a quick adaptation of a proven European design, are delayed by three years.

As defense analyst David Alman outlined in a prize-winning essay for the U.S. Naval Institute’s Proceedings, the United States simply can’t win a warship race with China. The United States effectively gave up on commercial shipbuilding during the Reagan administration in the name of free trade. In the decades that followed, generous state subsidies helped China dominate commercial shipbuilding, and Beijing’s requirement that the sector be dual-use resulted in an industry that can shift to production and ship repair for the military during a conflict, much as U.S. shipyards did during World War II. The U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence estimates that China now has 232 times the shipbuilding capacity of the United States. China built almost half the world’s new ships in 2022, whereas U.S. shipyards produced just 0.13 percent.

Rebuilding the arsenal of democracy that anchored the U.S. victory at sea 80 years ago won’t happen overnight or cheaply—it is a generational project. The 20-year Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program aimed at upgrading dry docks, facilities, and equipment will end up costing well over the projected $21 billion. But the plan is only intended to maximize existing U.S. industrial capacity and won’t do much to close the enormous shipbuilding gap with China. That would require a reconstitution program on par with the series of maritime laws passed after World War I, which supported the expansion of an industrial base eventually capable of turning out thousands of carriers, destroyers, submarines, frigates, and cargo ships for the Atlantic and Pacific fleets.

Realizing that U.S. shipyards are stretched thin, policymakers have begun looking abroad. Del Toro encouraged South Korean companies to invest in U.S. naval shipping during a visit this year. Japan will likely begin performing repair and maintenance work on U.S. warships soon; India agreed to do so last year. These initiatives will alleviate the increasing maintenance backlog at U.S. facilities, but it would take a large share of the combined Japanese and South Korean shipyard capacity to fundamentally alter the growing disparity between the U.S. and Chinese fleet size in the Western Pacific.

Ships are not all comparable, of course. U.S. warships are heavier and more capable than China’s, although a dearth of logistics vessels and sealift capability are major concerns. Still, the current era of missile warfare has magnified the importance of fleet size.

Without enough ships to match the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, what can the United States do to maintain conventional deterrence in the Pacific and prevent war? At least two big things: buy missiles and cut back on missions.

First, to manage risk in the short term, the Navy and the other services need to rapidly procure more munitions—focusing on weapons and capabilities, not the platforms that carry them.

The Russia-Ukraine war has military planners thinking less about short, quick conflicts and more about long wars and their vast need for materiel. What holds for depleted stocks of land-based artillery also holds for many of the weapons needed for a war at sea. A much-publicized 2023 wargame conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that the United States would run out of its entire inventory of the key Long Range Anti-Ship Missile within the first few days of a war over Taiwan. Ramping up the procurement and production of these munitions, as well as Joint Strike Missiles, Standoff Land Attack Missiles, and Harpoon missiles will enable U.S. airpower to help even the odds in the Pacific.

Anti-ship systems operated by the Army and Marines could also complement the other services’ firepower. However, the deployment of ground-based missiles will require allies’ consent. To date, no Asian allies of the United States have volunteered to permanently host U.S. missile batteries, due to political sensitivities and the fact that these countries already have such weapons of their own.

Innovation and creativity could further augment U.S. naval power. Retired U.S. Marine Col. T.X. Hammes, a fellow at the National Defense University, has urged the Navy to convert commercial container ships into warships capable of launching missiles, which would add a tremendous volume of firepower at a bargain price. These “missile merchants” would also require significantly less manpower than traditional warships do, a major consideration given the Navy’s struggle to fill existing billets.

Policymakers also need to make hard choices and limit naval deployments. Though the Navy is shrinking, its missions aren’t. A high operational tempo, manpower shortfalls, and an aging fleet are fueling a readiness crisis that is burning out sailors and ships.

Addressing the readiness crisis requires taking a hard look at which missions are essential for U.S. security and which aren’t. As former Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work has written, since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Navy has spent 30 years prioritizing global presence over warfighting readiness. The deadly Pacific ship accidents in 2017 involving the USS Fitzgerald and USS John McCain were directly attributable to this unsustainable mania for global presence, according to a Navy review.

The preeminence of presence missions also has more subtle consequences. After 20 years of largely uncontested deployments to the Middle East, the U.S. Navy now has an opponent who shoots back: Yemen’s Houthis. But increased experience in missile and drone defense is outweighed by a deleterious drain on precision munitions. In the conflict with the Houthis, the Navy burned through more Tomahawk land attack missiles in one day than it purchased in all of 2023. Meanwhile, the Houthis can replace all equipment destroyed by U.S. attacks with just two shiploads from Iran, according to Gen. Michael Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command.

The costs of maintaining global presence are magnified by the state of Navy recruiting and retention. The service’s recruiting woes are undeniable. The Navy missed all of its recruiting goals in 2023, some by as much as 35 percent. The service projects a shortfall of 6,700 recruits this year, according to its chief personnel officer.

Like the rest of the all-volunteer force, unprecedented recruiting headwinds mean manpower shortages will remain a persistent challenge for the Navy. Absent any change in operational tempo, sailors will work harder, deploy more frequently, and leave the service in greater numbers—ensuring a downward spiral for both manning and readiness.

The United States can’t match the size of China’s fleet in the near or medium term. Deindustrialization, poor procurement choices, and a myopic fixation on the U.S. presence in the Middle East have seen to that. All that said, the U.S. Navy still retains several significant advantages in a potential conflict with China: submarine dominance, overall tonnage, blue-water experience, and support from capable allies. A major increase in joint munitions purchases and an end to the readiness drain of presence deployments to secondary theaters will enhance the Navy’s edge during the potential peak window for a Chinese move on Taiwan over the next decade. The alternative is grim. If conventional deterrence fails, it risks military defeat for the United States or something even more dangerous: nuclear confrontation between the world’s two superpowers.

[stragefields]

Don‘t wanna lose you pt.1

POV: You‘re an adventurer at the adventures guild in Liyue so you have to leave for an mission while Childe was also on a mission in Fontaine but unknowing to you he was also in Fontaine to buy you a proposal ring. But at the day he finally got home he can‘t find you…

TW!!

angst but comfort at the end, hurt, mention of death, mention of blood, mention of wounds, violence, mentions of Dottore LMAO

Finally Childe would be home with the love of his life after so tiring and demanding weeks again and after such a long time he just want you un his arms while he shows how much he missed you. But the fatehas other plans for him.

As he got home at a rainy afternoon you not came to him as usual to greet him on the door. There wasn‘t any sign of you in the house. Childe became an anxious feeling. What if after such a long time living with you peaceful his background is stretching his claws to the person the loves the most to really hurt him. Scratches and even the worst wounds couldn‘t hurt him that much like somebody hurts his family. But maybe you weren‘t in danger you could just be at friends…but everytime you leave him a message on the kitchen table even if he wasn’t at home.

So he ran off to Katheryne to ask her where you where your latest mission was and what it was. As he heard that you just should observe the Fatui base in Avidya Forest his blood begun to freeze. He knows you. He knows that you wouldn‘t only observe. You are a warrior like him you take every opportunity to fight. Of course you‘re strong, you could already beat him in his Foul Legacy form when he was barely holding back. But this was different now. You were in a foreign terrain and at the main base in Sumeru are people who Childe wouldn‘t even trust on a easy task not to speak from the Ruin Guards and Hunters who are manufactured there.

After hours of concern and unknown he finally got to the base.

As he entered the Domain where many Fatui Soldiers are stationed and Dottore has his place to work and experiment, the soldiers bowed from the harbinger. „Where I can find the doctor“ Childe asked emotionless. „ I-in the labor Sir Tartaglia“ a young soldier said. Right after hearing a weak whimper from the labor Childe accelerated his already fast steps and right after he opened the door he saw you.

𝖸𝗈𝗎. It was really you. His girl. The person who was a important part of his family. The Person he can laugh, cry and make love with. The person he want to be with forever is lying on a examination table unable to move, screaming in pain and eyes wide in horror. And Dottore 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗍 is just standing there and watching you with a small grin what his injection does with your body.

In the next moment Childe doesn‘t even know what he does. He kicks Dottore to the side and as he lays on the ground he straddles him and punches him in the face. Some Fatui soldiers were alerted by the sounds of breaking bones so they stormed in only to be confronted by a panting and blooding Dottore with no sign of other persons…

Childe was running

He was running for his life. No, he was running for your life because he knew that every minute can decide between life and death and he won‘t allow himself to loose you. He won‘t it allow that 𝗀𝗈𝖽𝗌 that they destroy what you two have build up over these years.

__________________________________________

now this was the first part of the series which will probably have 2 parts + an epilogue but please accept that i need to write some other ideas because for this series i have lack of inspiration.

so if you have any ideas for this series or for upcoming series let me know in the asking box!

now i will plan an orientation post with masterlist and a list of upcoming projects.

bye and have a great time

[usafphantom2]

South Korea will update its F-15K fighters

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 12/11/2023 - 17:00 in Military

Aerospace giant Boeing revealed plans for a comprehensive upgrade of the F-15K Slam Eagle fighters of the Air Force of the Republic of Korea (RoKAF).

According to Dong-A Ilbo, this transformation involves equipping the cockpit, radar and other components with state-of-the-art equipment to introduce an advanced variant.

Boeing representatives released ongoing discussions between the U.S. and South Korea during a meeting held on October 29 at the Boeing Mesa facility in Arizona. They highlighted the imminent change to a new model, integrating state-of-the-art technology throughout the front section of the aircraft, including the cockpit and radar systems.

Last year, during the 148ª meeting of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the South Korean military authorities ratified the fundamental strategy for the "F-15K Improvement Project". This strategy involves replacing the aircraft's mechanical radar with an EFSA radar and strengthening its electronic warfare capabilities. It is estimated that the project, scheduled to be executed from 2024 to 2034, requires a total investment of approximately US$ 2.62 billion.

The update initiative will focus on three main improvements: the installation of the AN/APG-82 radar, the strengthening of the cabin display features and the incorporation of the 'Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System' (EPAWS), a new electronic warfare set.

Rdar AESA AN/APG-82 from Raytheon.

Boeing officials anticipate that once the F-15K improvement is completed, the fighters will have an extended operational range and better performance, improving interoperability during joint U.S.-South Korea air operations.

EPAWS, a system also deployed in the latest variant of F-15 fighters operated by the U.S. Air Force, represents a crucial addition to South Korea's F-15K fleet.

TAP ARROW TO VIEW VIDEO 👇

South Korea has proposed the removal and replacement of the entire front section of the F-15K, which comprises the cabin and the front fuselage, due to its design that allows detachment between the cabin and the wings when necessary.

Robert Novotny, Director of Programs and Development of Boeing's F-15, pointed out that although there were considerations for partial component replacements, the research conducted by the Korean Institute of Defense Analysis (KIDA) defended the effectiveness of a complete replacement of the front section.

Novotny specified that the rear section of the F-15K, which undergoes proper maintenance, is not included in this update initiative.

In addition, Novotny emphasized the need for these improvements to keep up with the modernized opponents and stay ahead in the evolving scenario of air combat. He mentioned the ongoing collaboration with the Administration of the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program on related matters.

The F-15K improvement project means a substantial leap in South Korea's defense capabilities, demonstrating a commitment to technological advances and operational capacity in safeguarding the country's airspace.

Source: defence-blog

Tags: Military AviationBoeing F-15K Slam EagleROKAF - Republic of Korea Air Force/South Korea Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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11/12/2023 - 08:17

[thatsgoodweather]

"After more than 100 days of watching this horrific genocide livestreamed onto our phones, some of the largest LGBTQ+ organizations in the United States have still not said a word. Nothing about a ceasefire, no statement of solidarity with the Palestinian people, no generic statement about ending the violence, nothing. Organizations like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC); Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD); The Trevor Project; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) are among those who have said nothing about the current genocide their government is bankrolling. What’s worse, is that many of these organizations are going to Capitol Hill and actively claiming to represent the interests of the LGBTQ+ community among our legislators. The Human Rights Campaign is the largest LGBTQ+ lobbying organization in the United States. Every day they are sitting down with lawmakers and claiming to represent me as a queer person in the U.S. Meanwhile, HRC proudly lists the Northrop Grumman Corporation as one of their “platinum corporate sponsors” on their website. Northrop Grumman is one of the world’s largest weapons manufacturers. It has a long history of sending weapons to Israel, and in this latest genocide, they sent weapons to the Israeli military that were paid for by the United States government.  How can an organization claim to represent the LGBTQ+ community, while it accepts money from weapons manufacturers who are actively supporting a genocide right now?  These are not queer politics; they are not queer values; and they do not reflect the beliefs of the vast majority of queer and trans people in this country. However, if we work together to push these organizations to better represent us and call for a ceasefire, we may be able to steer that lobbying power to actually reflect the people’s will. We already know this is an active internal debate within groups like the Trevor Project. Staff have been pressuring their leadership to speak up for weeks. If we can hit our goal and get 100,000 people to sign this petition, it can be a tool that our advocates on the inside can use to push their bosses and prove that there is a critical mass of people who will stand by them if they take this risk."

Rand Jitan Adalah Justice Project

[enibas22]

copywright Maximilian Ostermeier - Rocka Studio

Panerai introduces New Friend Of The Brand: Tom Wlaschiha

21st October 2023

Panerai presents Tom Wlaschiha as part of its team of Global Friends of the Brand. The renowned performer will join forces with the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer on projects honouring the Brand’s history and collections.

A multifaceted talent, Tom Wlaschiha’s prolific career has spanned across the performing arts. From theater to cinema to tv productions he has portrayed an array of celebrated roles including that of Jaqen H’ghar in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and Dmitri/Enzo in Netflix’s “Stranger Things”. Currently, he stars in the US series “Mrs Davis” and he is the official voice of the latest Marvel podcast series “Marvel ́s Wastelanders”. A testament to his innate flexibility, extensive research and eclectic personality, Wlaschiha’s contribution in different fields make him one of the most recognized professionals in the creative panorama.

In occasion of Watches and Wonders 2023 in Geneva, Tom Wlaschiha made his first public appearance as Panerai Global Friend. He presented the PAM01347 Radiomir Otto Giorni, a tribute to the original Radiomir model and to its lasting legacy in the design of contemporary Panerai interpretations.

“I am thrilled to be part of this journey with Panerai and to share the history of this legendary Maison and innovative timepieces, which uniquely combine exceptional design with the highest level of technical research” said Tom Wlaschiha.

“Tom exemplifies the modern Panerai hero. No dream is achieved without perseverance and determination or without taking risks and overcoming challenges by pushing yourself and your limit. At Panerai, our actions are moved by such values and we could not be more proud than to give a new voice to our rich heritage through Tom” said Jean Marc Pontroué, CEO of Panerai.

link forthe article / ad: https://watchilove.com/panerai-introduces-new-friend-of-the-brand-tom-wlaschiha