#lots of locations in the U.S and some outside of it.

[bionicboxes]

Lolbit was designed by Michael Afton as a teenager to be a member of Foxy’s crew, but, unlike their captain, wasn’t used by the company. She went through multiple design iterations over the years before Fazbear Entertainment- under new ownership- purchased the character. They appeared in various media created by the companies- primarily comics and games- but still never appeared as an animatronic within any location. 

Rather than his initial concept as a member of Foxy’s crew, Lolbit appeared as an antagonist in early media, usually rivaling Foxy, and later in a more neutral role as a travelling merchant, happy to sell their mechanical creations to friend and foe of the Fazbear band alike. The character is immensely popular among fans of the franchise, leading some to believe an animatronic debut is bound to happen eventually. Only time will tell. 

[hibiscuslynx]

i keep imagining the statehouse as this huge house in the middle of nowhere. the entire property is in the middle of a grassland—yellow-green grass that reaches up to your knees kind of grassland. the plains. and there's a fenced off backyard behind the statehouse, but not more than a few hundred feet after it there's a forest—a temperate deciduous forest, like you find in the eastern U.S., with a creek a little ways in. venture deeper and you'll find a river. there's a mountain backdrop as well, and you know they're huge mountains, but they're so far away they appear a little small.

the house itself is... queen anne meets folk victorian-ish. shades of golden brown and white. there's a paved road leading up to it and a parking lot off to the side, about the size of a decently sized high school parking lot. and the road ends at the house. if you keep driving the other way, though, you eventually make it to town. a fairly urban city, with your standard fast food joints and stores and gas stations and whatnot. it's not the heart of a metropolis, not the suburban edges of it, but a decently populated urban city with a freeway or two running through it. somehow, somewhere, after a bit of an elevation drop maybe, absolutely rural plains gives way to the city. blink and you'll miss it, except no matter what you do, you'll always miss it.

the thing is, i keep imagining the statehouse and the land surrounding it as this little pocket in time and space, that exists on vaguely the same line as where central time meets eastern. the states are immortal, and that's practically magic, so why can't the statehouse be magic as well?

[jmdbjk]

In my purest delusions and unpopular opinions...a random list.

My delusions and opinions.

More for my own sanity: Jimin and Jungkook are safe and sound with trusted fellow soldiers surrounding them every day. They fulfill their daily activities and are feeling some level of accomplishment, satisfaction and pride through them. In my purest delusion, they are insulated from the negativity going on in the outside world due to their isolated location. They are only told what they need-to-know. Of course, they are up-to-the-minute informed about the things that are pertinent to their current duties but in my purest delusion, they are not aware of the vilest of vile things that have been going on. There is no need for them to be distracted by it at the moment.

Opinion: Hanteo Chart is corrupt and inaccurate because it is owned by Kakao which also owns SM Entertainment so that renders that chart meaningless. Regarding BTS or the members' winning any of these, the Fact Music Awards and VMAs are worthless because many of their awards are fan-voted and they use that for engagement. None of these awards have any impact on BTS's or the members' success. These days, they only serve the fans' egos. Though of course, for other groups who are not BTS, any award is important.

Opinion: Most people do not thoroughly process and comprehend what they read online. A lot of what the fandom believes is from the power of suggestion. Even I am influenced by this phenomenon. If I am very acutely interested and invested I will devour every detail of a situation, but as soon as my interest wanes, that energy dissipates and I just take what I read in headlines as the status of the situation (the power of suggestion) and it may or may not be 100% accurate.

Opinion: Social media posts that are not complete thoughts or sentences that are grammatically incorrect due to author error or lack of language/writing skills are easily misunderstood and have the ability to spread misinformation and misunderstanding which can be difficult and sometimes impossible to undo. Such is the nature of social media. Its the doom of humankind as we know it.

In my purest of delusions, when Jimin and Jungkook are discharged, they will move into that black metal fortress that Jungkook built. It is a huge structure with 5 floors and a beautifully landscaped outdoor area. Jungkook being a not very social person, there is no reason to have such a large house. His best friend/partner/lifelong significant other, will move in with him. They will live there peacefully behind those tall secure walls. Jungkook will exploit his newly acquired cooking skills to his heart's content in his wildly expensive and fully equipped kitchen. Bam will have the run of the house and a doggie door so he can go in and out whenever he wants.

Opinion: We must stop saying "we were cheated out of this," "we were deprived of seeing this between them," "they edited it, why didn't they show us all of it!" "when will they say this or tell us that?" It is not our right to claim ownership of things that are not ours. It is not ours to decide if we see things between Jimin and Jungkook. Those things belong to them. To claim we are being cheated is pure selfishness. Am I guilty of saying this? Yes. And its not right. I will do better. They show us A LOT. A LOT, A LOT already.

In my wildest and purest virgin delusion: Filming for Are You Sure? season 4 (Jungkook said Sapporo was season 3 so that's my reference point) will commence at some point after their military discharge, perhaps shortly after, over a long weekend in the U.S. in the Rocky Mountains somewhere where they can see snow of the likes they've never seen before, snowboard on slopes they can't imagine exist. Season 5 will be scheduled for Budapest where the group will be headed to film the comeback MV. Season 6 will be them exploring Busan during Christmas. And on and on. We have 12 seasons coming.

AND FURTHERMORE... this isn't delusional at all, its pure fact:

Who owns Weverse? Hybe. Whatever fees other artists pay to be on Weverse to host their activities there or Weverse shop to sell merch and albums... Weverse makes money, BTS members make money.

Among the many groups paying these fees to be on Weverse and Weverse Shop: EXO, Blackpink, PLAVE, NCT (all iterations), aespa, SHINee, NewJeans, Enhypen, Seventeen. Weverse makes money, BTS makes money. The latter three groups are active artists on Hybe's subsidiary labels. If those labels make a profit from their artists work, guess who else makes money? BTS members.

People who are still engaging in fandom pissing wars on X with other kpop fandoms... stop lowering yourselves to their level. Time to get out of the mud. Look up at the stratosphere instead because that's where our men exist. Reflect on that instead of engaging in nonsensical fan war fighting.

Get yo ass outta trunk.

I don't know what else Namjoon can say to you guys for you to get your head out of your asses and get with the program. We are moving in different circles here, you either keep up or stay behind.

LASTLY, a legit question. At what point in a man's life, in a Korean man's life, in a Korean male idol's life... is it NOT ok to snuggle or cuddle with their male friend? Or even their biological brother? When is it crossing the line and no longer considered acceptable behavior? When do Koreans believe it is time to stop that sort of behavior? When men are in the 20s? 30s? 50s? Is there such a point? Or do Korean idols get a pass because of what they do for a living? Because I don't see other Korean men of any age doing what Jimin and Jungkook do. Ever. Just sayin.

[fatehbaz]

In May 2023, the city of Phoenix began its project to clear and eliminate its largest homeless camp, known as The Zone, a refuge for hundreds of people. During the record-breaking heat of the summer of 2023, Phoenix cleared the camp, block by block. By the beginning of September 2023, just as the city was experiencing over 50 consecutive days of temperatures of 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the city cleared the block of the camp where most seniors and the elderly lived.

The trend of unhoused people moving from [the neighboring city of] Tempe into Phoenix has implications for Phoenix, which is under intense scrutiny for how it has handled its own growing homelessness crisis. Phoenix has been battling [...] lawsuits since 2022. [...] [One] was brought be the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, which alleges the city unlawfully cited people and threw away their belongings during encampment sweeps. The U.S. Department of Justice has also been investigating the Phoenix Police Department since 2021 over several issues, including its treatment of people experiencing homelessness. [...] “They say it’s not illegal to be homeless. But it totally is. There’s nowhere you can be homeless,” said [AD], a community organizer who hosts weekly picnics in Tempe for unhoused people. Others agreed. “It’s become kind of a police state for the homeless within the city,” said [KE], founder [...] of [a] homelessness nonprofit [...]. Both the River Bottom in Tempe and The Zone in Phoenix, two of the largest encampments in the region, have been or are currently being cleared out. Smaller encampments are also frequently broken up by police or private security [...].

Text excerpt from: Juliette Rihl. "Tempe's clearing of homeless camps has ripple effects for Phoenix, aid workers". The Arizona Republic. 11 July 2023.

---

The city continued clearing Phoenix's largest homeless encampment known as "The Zone" on Friday morning [1 September 2023], in the aftermath of a severe storm that raged the night before. [...] This was the eighth block cleared [since May 2023] [...]. The block cleared was [...] where many elderly people lived. [...] [A] nonprofit organization providing supportive resources for seniors experiencing homelessness, is located along the same street. 'The Zone' was hit hard by Thursday night's monsoon storm. [...] [H]igh winds scattered some people's possessions. [...] At the start of August, around 700 people lived in and around The Zone [...].

Text excerpt from: Helen Rummel. "Eighth block of 'The Zone' homeless encampment in Phoenix cleared out after storm". The Arizona Republic. 1 September 2023. [Bold emphasis added by me.]

---

As the city cleared another block late last week [September 2023], local activists gathered outside the barriers set up around it. [...] A man who goes by [Q] has been unhoused for roughly four years. [...] “It is kind of heartbreaking to see,” he said, watching city staffers pick through piles of belongings left behind. [...] Neighbors from different mutual aid groups set up folding tables just outside barriers on either side of the block. [NA] was among them. [...] He said they form relationships with the people living here. Most are elders, many people with disabilities that prevent them from working. “They’re dejected, they’re demoralized, they’re upset,” [NA] said. “These are homes that they’ve built for themselves that have taken some time, and resources that they’ve just had to come by because nobody’s providing them.” [...] [JS] said when people are moved, they often don’t stay sheltered. [...] “But a lot of people go into these [shelters] and then they’re hit with restrictions when they get there. They’re told one thing, and then they arrive, there’s a curfew, [...] they can’t have whatever. And then it’s: You either follow our rules right now, or you’re going out into the heat.” [...] [AM] watched the street sweep from behind the yellow tape. “Well, I think that this is a human rights violation,” [AM] said. “What I’m seeing is just a bunch of people being paid to dislocate people.” [AM] is a legal observer, volunteering with the National Lawyers Guild. [...] “They're being moved out of one street,” said [AM]. “But the reality is, they have nowhere to go."

Text by: Kirsten Dorman and Tori Gantz. "Another block in 'The Zone' is cleared, but the path forward for those living there is unclear'. Fronteras Desk. 7 September 2023. [Bold emphasis added by me.]

[so-many-ocs]

Let's Talk: Worldbuilding Small Towns & Cities

this is a request from instagram!

Research!

pick a couple of real-life small towns or non-major cities and look into them!

how, when, and why did they form? some towns or cities form around bodies of water, are created for a specific industry (such as mining or lumber), or grow in close proximity to more major cities. what is the population makeup and density? how do people make a living there?

Essentials!

there are a couple of things that your town or city will need in order to function:

housing, shop(s) for food/clothing, some kind of food source such as a farm or garden, some kind of nearby water source such as a well or river, and a place for medical supplies or treatment.

depending on how modern the setting or how small the settlement, some of these may be located outside of your town/city.

Time Period!

more modern settings may have additional locations: laundromats, auto repair shops, restaurants and cafes, libraries, hardware stores, city halls, post offices, emergency services, waste management services, etc.

a lot of it depends on how big and how current your town or city is. less essential spots may be cut or merged based on these factors. for instance, a very small town might have furniture, groceries, convenience, and a pharmacy all in one building or “store.”

Naming!

for small town/city names, keep it simple! a lot of these places are named after relevant people/cultures, geography, or descriptors; think “Littletown,” “Fairhill,” “Fresh Springs,” or “Jefferson.” some small towns or cities are named after larger towns or cities, like any one of the half dozen places called “Ithaca” in the U.S.

if you’ve built or are using another language, the same naming conventions usually apply.

Questions!

what era is this setting in? agricultural, pre-industrial, industrial, post-industrial, etc? what level of technological advancement does this setting have?

what does trade look like there? what do they import and export? how close are they to major trade routes?

what major cultures, political affiliations, and religions influence this setting? how and when did these influences come about?

what is the geographical location? island, mountain, plains, etc?

what is stopping this location from growing into a major town or city?

Stealing!

when in doubt, steal like an artist!

find an existing (or historical) small city or cities that fit the rough vibe you’re going for and swap out necessary details.

if you use multiple inspiration sources, try and keep it consistent! most things are the way they are for a reason. take climate, geography, and general location into account!

-----------------

that's all! happy writing :)

buy me a ko-fi || what's radio apocalypse?

[ncisfranchise-source]

Paramount’s upcoming action-packed show “NCIS: Tony & Ziva” will have issues of trust at its core, stars Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo said at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, where the “NCIS” franchise is celebrating reaching 1,000 episodes.

The series, set to stream on Paramount+, focuses on their “NCIS” characters, Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David, after they have left the agency, and are bringing up their daughter, Tali, in Paris. When Tony’s security company is attacked, they must go on the run across Europe, try to figure out who is after them and maybe even learn to trust each other again so that they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after.

In “NCIS,” Ziva was thought to have died, and Tony left the team to go raise Tali. Years later, Ziva was discovered alive. How did that affect her relationship with Tony and Tali?

Speaking at a Monte-Carlo press event Saturday, De Pablo explained they had joked that the title for the show should be “NCIS: Trust No One.” “I think the idea of trust, and the idea of how this relationship moves forward is something that was intriguing to us as actors,” she added. “We’re trying to address the idea of trust and we’re trying to address how they move forward parenting together with this child and trying to make things work and having a lot of challenges thrown at them.”

Weatherly added that for Tali what happened with her mom would be tough to accept. “When you think about Tali, who is really the third character in ‘Tony & Ziva,’ the idea for her to think that her mother was dead, and then her mother is alive, but was running around the world and didn’t come home to protect her … Trust doesn’t mean truth, doesn’t mean honesty. Just because I’m telling you the truth doesn’t mean you can trust me. And I think that a lot of the relationships inside … I won’t give away anything […] You have a daughter who’s going to question the story. ‘No dad – you told me she was dead, and she just walked through the door.’ ‘Yeah, but your mom had reasons …’ ‘No, no, no. The facts are the facts.’

“And then what are your relationships like? Where do you stand with the truth? And who do you trust? I mean, these are like the core principles of the show.”

De Pablo and Weatherly will serve as executive producers on the show, which reunites them on screen for the first time in 10 years. John McNamara (“Trumbo,” “The Magicians”) wrote the premiere episode and will serve as showrunner and an executive producer, alongside Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain and Shelley Meals. The series will be distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

The show, which has received a 10-episode order, will be shot in Europe later this year. “Tony and Ziva live in Paris, and we will be shooting in Budapest, because the Olympics are in Paris right now and that would be complicated,” Weatherly said. “But the show will have a lot of international locations that we will reveal later, and international casting that is going to be absolutely stellar. We’re a part of that as executive producers.”

Shooting outside the U.S. was always a priority for the pair, even though they thought the studio would want it to be set in the States, Chicago for example. “At the beginning, I was very adamant about that, like, ‘No, I’m not interested if that’s where they want to go,'” De Pablo said. “I really think the show should be taken out of the United States. It would separate us from the agency, and it would give us a chance to sort of reinvent it in a completely different way, from a different standpoint.”

Weatherly said it took the studio a while to come around to the idea. “It took some time to get them completely there because it is such a departure. It’s streaming. It’s not an evergreen procedural. It’s not structured the same way. Will the audience show up for that? Are we shooting out of our weight class here with a different kind of story? Is it not going to feel like the other show? All of those troubles. And John is not from the ‘NCIS’ universe. So we’re introducing a new voice. And I think those things that might a few years ago have been to our detriment became assets when people started really understanding streaming, and really understanding Paramount+ as a platform.”

He explained that viewers who discover “Tony & Ziva” will then be able to explore the 1,000 episodes in the “NCIS” universe, which encompasses the mothership as well as spinoffs like “NCIS: Sydney,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “NCIS: Hawai’i” and “NCIS: New Orleans.”

He added: “I think that we’re going to be bringing people into a world that might feel small, because it’s just Tony, Tali and Ziva. But it’s Europe. It’s love. It’s the universe. And we have to save those things.”

Talking about their relationship, De Pablo said: “You know what I’ve always said about working with Michael is it’s always refreshingly unpredictable. I think he also likes my … you know, the fact that I love to play. Even though sometimes I come across as very, sort of, put together, my favourite thing is to go into kid land and play. I think we relate on that level. We are both, at our core, kids. We love playing. I respect the boundaries and the structure of that. He has a tougher time with the structure and the boundaries. But at the end of the day, we both like to play.”

[novelmonger]

So I'm a pretty big LotR fan. And I'm a pretty big fan of the movies. No, they're not perfect, but they're a really good adaptation and a truly masterful work of cinematic art. I've grown pretty familiar with the movies over the past 23 years (@_@) - and not just the movies themselves, but I also love learning all about how they were made. I've watched all the way through all the bonus material in the Extended Editions at least five times (and some of the more fun bits way more times than that XD). I've even watched all three movies with the cast commentary.

But you know what I've never done, not even at the height of my obsession when I had way more free time than I do now? I've never watched the movies with the other commentaries. It looks like there are three more commentaries, with different groups of various people on the crew, and for some reason I never got around to listening through them. I can't for the life of me think why - maybe I thought I already knew everything they'd talk about? maybe I somehow thought it would be boring??? - but today that changes!

I'm going to just jot down the main things that stick out to me that I didn't know before. I've gleaned a lot of BTS information and stories about these movies from various sources, so I'm not sure how long this will be, but I'm sure there will be some new things that jump out at me.

From the FotR writer/director commentary with Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh:

There was a draft of the script where they didn't have a prologue, and all the information about Sauron and the Ring and Gollum and everything was going to be in that conversation between Frodo and Gandalf @_@ Can you imagine? I mean, yeah, it would be more like the book, but At What Cost? (At the cost of several memes and short attention spans, that's what.)

Peter Jackson says he doesn't like magic or wizards in movies. Um...sir? Why the heck are you making fantasy movies then???

The location where they shot the Ford of Bruinen was a real ford that was used during the gold rush in New Zealand! Because New Zealand had a gold rush around the same time as the one in the U.S.!

Hugo Weaving actually did the voice of Isildur when he claims the Ring and says, "No." I have...questions.

Peter Jackson says the journey through Moria is the best sequence in the book, and Fran and Philippa say it's the best-written chapter. Interesting! I don't know what I would point to as the best-written chapter of FotR; I don't think I've ever thought of that (though I might say some of the best descriptions in this book are in Rivendell).

They said they might redo the Gollum scene in Moria to make him look more like he does in TTT. Uhhh...it's been 23 years, guys, where's my remaster? XD

The Frodo-Gandalf conversation in Moria (the "all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" conversation) was done with forced perspective??? I never realized that! I thought they just had Elijah sit a little lower than Ian so their eyelines would be right! They totally look like they're looking into each other's eyes, but they're not! :O

"Often in movies, that's a rare thing, to have shots in which nothing is real." - Oh, PJ, if you only knew what the state of things would be in two decades....

The scene of the Fellowship mourning Gandalf outside Moria was filmed before Ian McKellan had even arrived in New Zealand! :O So they were all mourning and reacting to the death of someone they probably weren't even sure what he looked like yet!

Sean Bean was apparently the only one of the primary actors who had any experience with a sword? Or at least he had the most experience. Viggo had to do the Weathertop fight scene on his first day, when he'd never touched a sword before @_@

In Boromir's death scene, the words sung by the chorus in the background is an Elvish translation of Faramir's line "I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." ;A;

At one point, they were going to have Frodo fighting off an Uruk-Hai before he goes into the boat??? They even shot some of the footage?! Thankfully, they realized that was completely the wrong way to go about his end to this movie; it needed to be an emotional climax, not an action scene, and Frodo's victory is over his own doubts and the Ring's influence on him, when he grasps the Ring and marches forward to continue on his Quest, alone if need be. Thank goodness they realized that before it was too late.

SEAN ASTIN WAS NOT UNDERWATER IN THE SHOT OF HIM DROWNING WHAAAAAT MIND BLOWN

The shot of Boromir's boat going over the edge of the waterfall was actually footage of a barrel going over the Niagara Falls, and they just used CG to replace the barrel with the boat O.O

Fran Walsh: So Viggo's just put on Boromir's gauntlets... Me, a nerd: Vambraces, actually.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Anthropocene Magazine:

It’s nice to hike through the woods with a few friends, feeling a little closer to the natural world. Perhaps you even entertain the idea of being in harmony with your surroundings.

It turns out, you might be more like a chainsaw at a chamber music concert.

The noise of a group of chatty hikers, it turns out, can set off panic among nearby animals. Their response is even more intense than if you drove a 4-wheeled offroad vehicle. And the effects can echo through the wilderness a week later, as wildlife avoid the site of even a small number of noisy human intrusions, according to new research.

“Noise from recreation can carry far beyond a trail system, so understanding how noise alone can affect wildlife is important for management,” said Mark Ditmer, an ecologist at the U.S. Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station who helped lead the study.

The woods are likely becoming a noisier place, as more people head outside to play. Last year a record 168 million Americans took part in outdoor recreation, according to the Outdoor Industry Association, a trade group. The pandemic lockdowns that closed many indoor venues is credited for boosting a trend that had already taken hold years earlier.

Outdoor recreation is often portrayed as leaving a light imprint on the natural world than. Sporting goods companies such as Patagonia tout their environmental credentials. The backcountry motto of “Leave No Trace” suggests humans can pass through a place without a mark.

But there is a growing realization that even the most low-impact activities can still affect wildlife. Increased human presence near wildlife is associated with a spike in stress hormones, abandonment of some habitat and drops in reproduction, among other things.

The scientists set up a series of experiments in the forests of western Wyoming, which draws thousands of visitors to nearby places like Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. They set up video cameras, audio speakers and motion detectors along trails created by wild animals, at least 650 meters from any place regularly traveled by people. When a creature passed a point on the trail, a video camera would start recording and a speaker located 20 meters away would begin broadcasting an audio recording of people engaged in an outdoor activity. That included hikers, mountain bikers, runners, and people riding offroad vehicles. In some cases, the audio was of a small group of relatively quite people. In others, it was groups of more than four talking a lot. The recordings lasted for up to 90 seconds.  All told, the speakers were triggered more than 1,000 times, with video capturing the reactions of mule deer, elk, moose, red fox, black bears, pronghorn antelope, cougars, coyotes and wolves.

When the scientists reviewed the images, it became clear that the sounds of outdoor recreation had a major effect. Wildlife was between 3.1 and 4.7 times more likely to flee when hearing those recordings than when they heard recordings of nature or nothing at all. They also showed signs of being more guarded and vigilant for 2.2 to 3 times longer after hearing recreation-related noises, the scientists reported last week in Current Biology.

[iwanthermidnightz]

On June 1, the indie-pop trio took some time off from festival season and opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with a performance at New York City's historic Stonewall Inn for its annual Pride kick-off event presented by Jägermeister.

"What better and more iconic way to ring in the month than by doing this?" member Naomi McPherson tells PEOPLE of performing at Stonewall, where a 1969 police raid caused an uprising that sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

The surreal nature of performing at the location as over 490 bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights are currently being considered by the U.S. government is not at all lost on the "Silk Chiffon" musicians, all of whom identify as queer. In fact, that's exactly why they were booked for the show.

"It's really important for the younger generation to understand what happened here in 1969 at Stonewall. We could have those rights taken away," says the bar's co-owner Stacy Lentz, who's also the CEO of its nonprofit, the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative. "That's why it was important to get an up-and-coming, amazing, top-notch young group with so many followers out there that people love to come and perform at this event. We're really raising awareness about this horrific legislation that's happening."

MUNA recently wrapped a nationwide tour in support of their self-titled 2022 album, and many of the band's shows went down in states where LGBTQ+ individuals are being targeted. But according to the group members, audiences haven't been letting current events keep them from enjoying the music.

"It doesn't seem like people are allowing this legislative bullying to affect the way that they're showing up," says member Katie Gavin, before acknowledging the "real, active harm" many queer people are facing outside of concert venues. "I don't know how many people weren't at shows because they were being displaced from their community. I know that there are families in Texas right now that are actively being torn apart and kids being taken away from their parents who are supporting their transitions."

Despite the hardships, McPherson (who uses they/them pronouns) feels strongly that low moments will inspire LGBTQ+ individuals to fight harder to live their authentic lives. "It's inspiring that when more far-right fascism rears its head and starts coming for our community, we don't get deradicalized," says the musician, 30. "They're not scaring us into non-existence. There's more queer people who are out now in 2023 than ever before."

While queer adults who have seen anti-LGBTQ+ rights fluctuate throughout their lifetimes may be prepared to stay true to themselves, however, it's likely that ongoing legislation will lead many young people to fear their identities won't be embraced. Before Gavin, 30, came out as queer, she found a community of accepting individuals that made her feel comfortable to eventually do so — and encourages others to do the same.

"If you're getting a feeling that someone is a safe person, experiment with trusting your instincts and sharing whatever feels unspeakable," she says, noting that sometimes it's also necessary to do the opposite.

"There can be a lot of shame in cutting off support systems that aren't working for you. There's a lot of embedded pressure, I think, to hold onto your relationship with your blood relatives," continues Gavin. "But if you need to distance yourself and set boundaries, whether it's leaving the state that you're in or not talking to your mom anymore, do what you have to do and then ask for the help that you need to do it. I swear to God, you'll be happier."

Echoing their bandmate's statements, McPherson further emphasizes the importance of finding community for queer individuals: "That's how you'll build the systems of care that will be able to get you through the hard s---."

Following the Stonewall performance, MUNA returned to the road with Swift on the Eras Tour for a show in Gavin's Chicago hometown on June 4. The band will continue opening for the Grammy winner in Ohio, Missouri and Colorado later this summer — and they're excited, as the experience has been a blast.

"Watching the Taylor show is a lesson in being the best musician alive," says member Josette Maskin, 29. "She's honestly been nothing but wonderful to us, and we just feel so lucky and privileged to get the chance to even just watch the show, let alone perform. Her fans have been nothing but gracious to receive us on stage. So, it's just been f---ing awesome."

[writingcold]

A little background on Bootleggers and Wildflowers… A teaser of a set up if you will.

Our story finds its start in the Spring of 1926, at the height of the U.S. Prohibition Era.  Kingsford, Michigan, located in the Southwestern side of the Upper Peninsula, is a burgeoning town of more than 5000 people and home to a large Ford Motor Company plant, timber businesses, as well as other manufacturing enterprises and farming operations.  Although these are not really featured in our story, it does give you a bit of reference as to the boom that the town was experiencing at the time.  (I should also put here that Kingsford itself was a relatively new town during this era, having established in 1923, so it was a perfect place to set this story and fictionalize it to my whim and story needs. In other words, this Kingsford is a fictional location set in a very real location.) There was wealth in the town, as well as less fortunate, and everything in between, just like every other community.  

The Janas family has fallen to hard times.  Matthew Janas, the patriarch of the family, has died due to a prolonged struggle with wounds, both physical and emotional, that he sustained during the Great War of 1918.  He leaves behind a widow and five children who are forced into dire straits due to a large debt that comes due.  Cora is the eldest child of Matthew and Rosemary.  She aids her mother in maintaining the home as well as working to keep their bellies fed.  After three years of toiling on the farm that had once been their own, and living in the shadow of the house that Matthew had built to shelter them, Cora decides that she needs to take matters into her own hands.  In an attempt to free her family from such crushing poverty, she seeks employment in the town of Kingsford, nearly a four mile walk one way.  

Kiszka and Wagner Family Enterprises is relatively new to the town of Kingsford, having purchased the mercantile shop and general store nearly two years prior to the start of our story.  Once the shops were established, they acquired a dancehall.  The men are readily accepted in many social circles of the well-to-do classes and the more polite families that form the upper crust of Kingsford.  Although their reputations hinge on being good citizens of their new home, there are whispers of shady ties and a dusting of tarnish on their shoulders of more hidden businesses.

Cora’s luck seems to be taking a turn when she is offered a trial position in The Kiszka and Wagner Mercantile and General Store.  She knows that it is going to be tough, but she’s not afraid of hard work and learning new skills.  Despite the hardship, she has hope for a future where her family is free from the burden of their debts and a home from where her brothers can thrive.

Our story is told through multiple points of view including Cora and Jacob, and two more original characters - Molly and Susannah:

Molly is our feisty fireball of a friend who is quick to temper and faster to befriend.  She is Danny’s best girl and compliments his quiet, gentle nature.  A dancing girl for both the dancehall and the speakeasy, she is fast and loose, but tenderhearted with the boys at her heart’s center.

Susannah is a fragile soul.  Sammy’s girl is a beautiful person, not just on the outside.  She is delicate and broken and so in love with Sam that she sees futures that could only be true.  She desperately wants a life of family and respectability.  Though an erotic show girl by trade, she wants to believe that it is not forever.

Between the three women and Jacob, the story is woven.  There will be romance (of course - it’s my story, and I’m just a big ole softy for that shit).  There will be a bit of angst.  Yeah, there’s some smut - where there's romance and angst, but not a lot of it.  There is however, violence and there will be car chases, shoot outs, and hurt and loss…  (I can’t believe I pulled those off and can’t wait to share!)  There is a happy ending eventually to this 160K worded beasty.  Each chapter may have multiple parts to it with a total number of 25 postings.  Yikes.  I will post every Wednesday as this is a fully completed fiction, unless I’m sick for some stupid reason.

I hope you’ll join me for this.  I’m so excited to share it.  If you would like to be tagged in, here is my taglist, or just like, rb or comment to this and I'll add you.  If you’re already on my taglist, but do not want me to bug you, let me know, otherwise, I’m keeping my list from Neapolitan.

Official first post for Bootleggers and Wildflowers will be on July 12th!  I’m running away for two weeks on the road!! 

@lvnterninthenight @doodle417 @luverleaver @jakesgrapejuice @fictional-duchess @whitesuitjake @milkgemini @positivegvfthings @songbirds-sweet @streamingcolors-gvf @gretavanbitches @samsurfgreenbass @joshkiszkas-admin @gardensgatedaisy @babyhoneygvfarchive @myownparadise96 @josh-iamyour-mama @starcatchercarol @loveisonaroll @jakesstarlight @myownparadise96 @reesetrippingthelight @kyrose11 @builtby-gvf @ignite-my-fire

[jcmarchi]

Elaine Liu: Charging ahead

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/elaine-liu-charging-ahead/

Elaine Liu: Charging ahead

MIT senior Elaine Siyu Liu doesn’t own an electric car, or any car. But she sees the impact of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewables on the grid as two pieces of an energy puzzle she wants to solve.

The U.S. Department of Energy reports that the number of public and private EV charging ports nearly doubled in the past three years, and many more are in the works. Users expect to plug in at their convenience, charge up, and drive away. But what if the grid can’t handle it?

Electricity demand, long stagnant in the United States, has spiked due to EVs, data centers that drive artificial intelligence, and industry. Grid planners forecast an increase of 2.6 percent to 4.7 percent in electricity demand over the next five years, according to data reported to federal regulators. Everyone from EV charging-station operators to utility-system operators needs help navigating a system in flux.

That’s where Liu’s work comes in.

Liu, who is studying mathematics and electrical engineering and computer science (EECS), is interested in distribution — how to get electricity from a centralized location to consumers. “I see power systems as a good venue for theoretical research as an application tool,” she says. “I’m interested in it because I’m familiar with the optimization and probability techniques used to map this level of problem.”

Liu grew up in Beijing, then after middle school moved with her parents to Canada and enrolled in a prep school in Oakville, Ontario, 30 miles outside Toronto.

Liu stumbled upon an opportunity to take part in a regional math competition and eventually started a math club, but at the time, the school’s culture surrounding math surprised her. Being exposed to what seemed to be some students’ aversion to math, she says, “I don’t think my feelings about math changed. I think my feelings about how people feel about math changed.”

Liu brought her passion for math to MIT. The summer after her sophomore year, she took on the first of the two Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program projects she completed with electric power system expert Marija Ilić, a joint adjunct professor in EECS and a senior research scientist at the MIT Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems.

Predicting the grid

Since 2022, with the help of funding from the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), Liu has been working with Ilić on identifying ways in which the grid is challenged.

One factor is the addition of renewables to the energy pipeline. A gap in wind or sun might cause a lag in power generation. If this lag occurs during peak demand, it could mean trouble for a grid already taxed by extreme weather and other unforeseen events.

If you think of the grid as a network of dozens of interconnected parts, once an element in the network fails — say, a tree downs a transmission line — the electricity that used to go through that line needs to be rerouted. This may overload other lines, creating what’s known as a cascade failure.

“This all happens really quickly and has very large downstream effects,” Liu says. “Millions of people will have instant blackouts.”

Even if the system can handle a single downed line, Liu notes that “the nuance is that there are now a lot of renewables, and renewables are less predictable. You can’t predict a gap in wind or sun. When such things happen, there’s suddenly not enough generation and too much demand. So the same kind of failure would happen, but on a larger and more uncontrollable scale.”

Renewables’ varying output has the added complication of causing voltage fluctuations. “We plug in our devices expecting a voltage of 110, but because of oscillations, you will never get exactly 110,” Liu says. “So even when you can deliver enough electricity, if you can’t deliver it at the specific voltage level that is required, that’s a problem.”

Liu and Ilić are building a model to predict how and when the grid might fail. Lacking access to privatized data, Liu runs her models with European industry data and test cases made available to universities. “I have a fake power grid that I run my experiments on,” she says. “You can take the same tool and run it on the real power grid.”

Liu’s model predicts cascade failures as they evolve. Supply from a wind generator, for example, might drop precipitously over the course of an hour. The model analyzes which substations and which households will be affected. “After we know we need to do something, this prediction tool can enable system operators to strategically intervene ahead of time,” Liu says.

Dictating price and power

Last year, Liu turned her attention to EVs, which provide a different kind of challenge than renewables.

In 2022, S&P Global reported that lawmakers argued that the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) wholesale power rate structure was unfair for EV charging station operators.

In addition to operators paying by the kilowatt-hour, some also pay more for electricity during peak demand hours. Only a few EVs charging up during those hours could result in higher costs for the operator even if their overall energy use is low.

Anticipating how much power EVs will need is more complex than predicting energy needed for, say, heating and cooling. Unlike buildings, EVs move around, making it difficult to predict energy consumption at any given time. “If users don’t like the price at one charging station or how long the line is, they’ll go somewhere else,” Liu says. “Where to allocate EV chargers is a problem that a lot of people are dealing with right now.”

One approach would be for FERC to dictate to EV users when and where to charge and what price they’ll pay. To Liu, this isn’t an attractive option. “No one likes to be told what to do,” she says.

Liu is looking at optimizing a market-based solution that would be acceptable to top-level energy producers — wind and solar farms and nuclear plants — all the way down to the municipal aggregators that secure electricity at competitive rates and oversee distribution to the consumer.

Analyzing the location, movement, and behavior patterns of all the EVs driven daily in Boston and other major energy hubs, she notes, could help demand aggregators determine where to place EV chargers and how much to charge consumers, akin to Walmart deciding how much to mark up wholesale eggs in different markets.

Last year, Liu presented the work at MITEI’s annual research conference. This spring, Liu and Ilić are submitting a paper on the market optimization analysis to a journal of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Liu has come to terms with her early introduction to attitudes toward STEM that struck her as markedly different from those in China. She says, “I think the (prep) school had a very strong ‘math is for nerds’ vibe, especially for girls. There was a ‘why are you giving yourself more work?’ kind of mentality. But over time, I just learned to disregard that.”

After graduation, Liu, the only undergraduate researcher in Ilić’s MIT Electric Energy Systems Group, plans to apply to fellowships and graduate programs in EECS, applied math, and operations research.

Based on her analysis, Liu says that the market could effectively determine the price and availability of charging stations. Offering incentives for EV owners to charge during the day instead of at night when demand is high could help avoid grid overload and prevent extra costs to operators. “People would still retain the ability to go to a different charging station if they chose to,” she says. “I’m arguing that this works.”

[casual-music-enjoyer]

Ethnocide/Genocide of Uyghurs in China

China’s primarily Han government has been committing a slew of human rights abuses against Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic minority in China, since 2014. Often referred as an ethnocide, forced assimilation, or simply genocide, these abuses include but are not limited to: forced labor, forced abortion and sterilization, and forced “re-education” of Uyghurs (aka the suppression of Uyghur culture). While Uyghurs in China have been an oppressed group since they were conquered, in 2014 over a million Ugyhurs were incarcerated without legal process and placed in internment camps located in Xinjiang. While these camps started to publicly wind down in 2019, about 40 countries worldwide called out China for the sheer amount of abuse in these camps, such as rape and torture. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of International Labor Affairs, “It is estimated that 100,000 Uyghurs and other ethnic minority ex-detainees in China may be working in conditions of forced labor following detention in re-education camps”. These forced labor conditions (according to two accounts in this article), include little pay, the forced lack of (or extremely limited) contact with loved ones, and the confiscation of identification traps the Uyghur workers within these forced labor camps. There are several Chinese industries that forced Uyghur labor contributes to, including but not limited to, textiles, hair products, and fish. 

What makes this worse is that a lot of the raw materials made through forced labor (such as textiles) are shipped out internationally to create the products that appear on store shelves. On the End Forced Uyghur Labor website, this exportation of materials is so bad that “1 in 5 cotton garments in the global apparel market are at risk of being tainted with Uyghur forced labour.” This has huge implications for the U.S. fast fashion industry in particular because of the popularity of fast fashion companies such as Temu and Shien, and how fast fashion companies often use materials that come from forced or underpaid labor worldwide. I would not be surprised if Uyghur forced labor comes into scrutiny soon in regards to the fast fashion industry. 

Outside of forced labor, Uyghurs face other horrendous human rights abuses such as forced abortions. AP News reported on how three Ugyhurs who fled from China to Turkey gave testimonies of forced abortions and torture that either happened to them, or someone else. One woman stated that she was kidnapped at 6 ½ months pregnant by the Chinese police and was forced to undergo an abortion. This is an obvious attempt to suppress the population increase of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and China as a whole because of their ethnic minority status. Meanwhile, another exile described being tortured and interrogated regarding information relating to his brother. He mentioned that, “the brother was wanted partly because he published a religious book in Arabic.” This is obvious discrimination against Uyghurs not only because of their ethnic minority status, but also because of how most Uyghurs are Muslim. 

This genocide and discrimination is why it is so important to keep Uyghur traditions alive. The Muqam, a traditional Uyghur melody type to guide the composition and improvisation within Ugyhur music, is just one distinct example of this. The Muqam is a tradition listed within the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage created by UNESCO, with “the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance.” Some other important examples of these intangible cultural heritages are the dakbe from Palestine and congolese rumba from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo. 

One Uyghur band, Qetiq, took the traditional Muqam and blended it with rock music. Qetiq is made up of Perhat Khaliq, his wife Pazilet Tursun, a cousin of Khaliq, and some friends. Perhat Khaliq’s participation in the Voice of China in 2014 gained him a lot of publicity. Qetiq released their first EP, Qetiq: Rock from the Taklamakan Desert, in 2013. After touring in 2015 across China, Khaliq received the Dutch's Prince Claus Awards for "breathing new life into traditional Uyghur forms". 

Being completely honest, while I searched for Uyghur music, the amount of information that I could access as an American on Google was extremely limited. I was able to come across a few Wikipedia articles and some research papers, but not anything to the extent of other cultures. I believe that this is partially intentional, but I do not have enough expertise or knowledge to say that for sure. 

However, what I did find was absolutely beautiful, and while I do not have the cultural context nor understanding of any language besides English, after listening to Qetiq: Rock from Taklamakan Desert several times, I can confidently recommend some songs. If anyone has more information to add to the conversation, I would greatly appreciate it since I was only able to gather so much from my research. 

In Review:

Recommended Band:

Qetiq

Song(s) of Choice:

Dolan muqam - Qetiq

Tarim - Qetiq

Qara jorga - Qetiq

Streaming Platforms:

Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Qobuz, + more

Social Media Platforms:

????

Additional Information (feel free to add more in the comments):

https://livingotherwise.com/2016/08/17/the-rise-collaborative-at-the-seattle-asian-art-museum/

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article34705791.html

[randadrives]

An overview: Moab pt 3

So that was my first stop. It was built in 1908 and is open seasonally. I wont give too many details as it’s a neat stop to take your time and read about the history there. Not only do they sell pies, but you can purchase honey, jams, pumpkin butters, and other souvenirs. I bought an apple pie, that could probably be split between two people, and told myself that would be my post-hike reward. I hiked the Chimney Rock trail, which honestly I can’t remember why I picked this one. Sometimes I choose based on the distance of the trail and where it’s located in the park before I’ll choose for landmarks or popularity. It’s just what works best for me most of the time. But DAMN I’m glad this is the one I ended up on. There are moments when I’m exploring that just hit me a certain way, and the best way I can describe it is a spiritual experience. I’m not religious, but if I were, nature would absolutely be my religion. I came around a bend on this trail about half way through and was greeted with a sight that brought tears to my eyes. The sky was riddled with clouds and the sunshine had just came through to hit the mountains and Mummy Cliff in a brilliant way I could not have captured on camera. It was a dream! I finished the trail with so much joy in my heart. I stopped at a couple lookout points on the way back out of the park and ate the entire apple pie when I got back to my trailer. I absolutely insist you get some pie if you go, 10/10.

This leads me to another type of attraction to visit the area for: the state parks! I stayed at the campground in Hanksville because on my way back to Moab from there was Goblin Valley State Park. Have you ever watched the movie Galaxy Quest? If so, this landscape will look familiar, as the scenes on another planet were filmed here! It was such a cool stop and cost me $20 to get in (worth it). I had my trailer with me, so I was nervous about the parking situation, but it turned out to have a large parking lot with RV size spots, right in the hub of all the park had to offer. I was able to park the truck and trailer and walk the dogs around right where all the hoodoos, or goblins, were located. A hoodoo, aside from being a spiritual tradition practiced by enslaved African-Americans in the U.S., is a tall and thin natural rock spire caused by erosion. These spires go on for miles. My dog and I explored them for about 2 miles or so in total. There were a couple hikes I had wanted to do, such as the Goblin’s Lair, but I didn’t want to leave the dogs in the trailer in the parking lot after one had just waited for an hour already. Exploring the main area was enough for me that day. It really did feel like an alien planet. Another state park I visited and camped in was Dead Horse Point State Park. To me, this park is so underrated, and the landscape was comparable to Canyonlands, though a little bit closer of a drive from Moab. This is a dark sky area, and I made sure to reserve a night during the new moon (do this far in advance!) so that I could star gaze, but unfortunately the weather had other plans and it rained that night. I still had a great time. The trails were very accessible from the visitor center parking lot, as well as the main views everyone wants to see. Many of the plants you’ll see here are slow growing and hundreds of years old. I do love state parks because, unlike many national parks, dogs can be on the trails. I witnessed a wedding occurring right at Dead Horse Point that evening! Mountain biking also appeared to be popular at this park.

Another feature, and is free, to explore is the Manti-La Sal National Forest. During the hot summer months if you drive up into the mountain, you can experience much milder weather that stays about 15-20 degrees cooler than down in the town! That is as long as you can handle the elevation. When it was too hot to be outside, I would load the dogs up in the truck and we would go for a drive on La Sal Loop, which takes about 1.5 to 2 hours with no stops. Along the loop are many hiking trails to hop out, as well as a lookout point at around 9,000 ft in elevation. My favorite trail here was probably one that leads to Brumley Arch and a waterfall. It was HARD because of that elevation, but I went in October when the leaves were changing and it was well worth it. People may think the desert doesn’t get pretty colors in the fall, but that’s just not true! Another good one was the Clark Lake Loop, which I did in November. The wind was killer, and my friend and I heard some type of animal that made us almost pee ourselves. Oh, and we became kind of lost. But those are all things that just add to the fun. . . Right? Aside from hiking, the forest is full of off-roading trails (as is most of the area anyway). There’s also two other lakes, one called Oowah Lake that you can drive to on a very narrow, dirt road. I had taken my dogs there on several occasions, but tread wearily as we had an incident with a fishing hook we did not expect. Another cool detail about the forest is that it’s grazing land for cattle. You will be driving along the loop, or show up to the lake, and all the sudden there will be random cows everywhere! Maybe some people wouldn’t like that, but it always made me chuckle.

Aside from these major attractions, there are plenty of hiking trails, off roading trails, mountain biking trails, cool rock formations, lakes, the river, and historical things like petroglyphs/pictographs and dinosaur fossils, to see all over Moab and the surrounding areas that you don’t need to pay a fee or reserve a time to see. I could seriously write a 10 page essay just on free trails I did outside of the national and state parks. I suggest using apps like Alltrails and Fatmaps, as well as just Google, to find them! Or ask the locals when you stop at the shops or in the campground stores. There are plenty of ways to stay for all vacationer types: hotels, Airbnb’s (though I’m still salty about the housing crisis in Moab), RV campgrounds, and BLM land to camp on. There are local restaurants to support, my favorite place for coffee being Snake & Oil. I cannot stress this enough, but as a visitor please DRINK WATER. Drink more water than you think you need! Heat casualties are very real in this area, especially for those who are not acclimated to the climate or elevation. Your water bottle should be your best friend here. Bring your camera! You will take photos and think “this seriously doesn’t do it justice” but still take more! It’s nice to have something to look back on, especially if you only ever get to visit once in your life. Don’t take your vehicle on off-road trails that it is not capable of handling, and also do not unless you’re willing to break something. It happens, frequently. Maybe rent a Jeep, and break something on that. Remember to pack in and pack out, as the ecosystem here is extra fragile. Most importantly, be kind to the locals! After spending 5.5 months there, I can truly say I had great experiences interacting with the people of this town. It can be extremely frustrating for them with the amount of tourism that occurs when the infrastructure can’t always handle it. I hope that you will have the opportunity to experience the splendor of this region if you have not already!

[namelesschurch]

Alexander Luthor - hello-mrpresident

The President of the United States in his universe, which he calls Earth 0. He keeps his political image in mind when it comes to certain topics, but when it comes to other topics, he will show a very strong stance despite the political controversy. It makes me wonder about whom he is worried about monitoring him on Tunglr or if the political environment on his earth is completely different from what I expect.

There is a very clear diplomatic air and a matter-of-factness that is subtle but present to his writing. He writes to maximize clarity and to prevent misunderstandings. He has a tendency to elaborate when he doesn't need to, which again goes back into the need to clarify. If that trait was not developed due to his profession, there may be some bad personal history there.

His sentences tend to be extremely long as a whole, even when split up based on its independent and dependent clauses. Assuming he types as he speaks, this tendency may be related to his profession as president or his status of billionaire - he does not worry about people not paying attention if he speaks - and thus can afford to keep his sentences long.

His writing style does change when he gets flustered or talking about his kids. His sentences get short as if he cannot afford the time to think and must act, despite the online medium. In regard to his kids, the change in cadence may be related to the fact he feels like he may not quite understand them as much as he wants to? It feels like there's hesitancy there.

His argumentative tone tends towards disappointment rather than anger. More of a lecturer. There is probably a belief that logic should win the day, but he seems capable of cutting his losses. This style of arguing is likely related to his work in research to help his son.

However, his response to becoming angry is probably similar to Lev in a way - they get sharper when they're angrier, as if adrenaline fuels their ability to consider all the angles. An intellectual's rage.

His humor tends towards the deadpan and potentially the absurd, and he will use it to deflect an awkward question he knows he can't politely deflect away.

Miscellaneous:

In hindsight, his sentences got much shorter when I asked him about his hobbies.

His sentences also got shorter when talking about his kids. This could be useful in terms of breaking conversational momentum.

After testing various voice pitches with his sentences, he likely speaks in more neutral or even lower pitches. It maximizes the carrying power of his long sentences.

He uses "I" a lot but not in the manner of a egotist. This is likely related to his diplomatic nature - "I think, I don't think" - trying to make the other person know it's his opinion.

Difficult to determine how much power and influence he wields in his universe, but given one superpowered son, his money, and his power suit - and the ability to go head-to-head of a "Crime Syndicate" which likely represents a bunch of superpowered people, it's probably considerable. Doesn't really matter much to me though, since I'll get squashed by everything and everyone.

Negotiation Considerations:

Location should probably take place outside typical restaurants or locations housed by the rich or famous - no five star restaurants, no country clubs, no golf carts, and definite not anywhere near the U.S. Capital. A more exotic location may prove more useful in getting "home ground" advantage or at least reducing it to neutral.

Despite his comments to the contrary, he probably can wield his image pretty well. Being the President is an incredibly imposing weapon after all. It is difficult to determine if he will offer to close the "distance" so to speak such as "call me Mr. Luthor" as opposed to President Luthor, but assuming his sense of fair play on Tunglr is real, he would probably offer that if I call him President Luthor first.

He's probably more of the patient type regardless of whether the negotiating power is in his court or mine. He's willing to let someone else do the talking at first - and to trap them with their logic. Any argument used around him must be ironclad and well-researched. From that perspective, I'll be at an a disadvantage since I am not that scientifically smart.

He likely can't ride out a silence very well though. I don't think the lecturer in him could take it.

He does seem the type to get into the zone the more he talks, and once he gets going and assuming he speaks like he types, the fact he uses long sentences as his default will make it difficult to get a word in edge-wise without outright interrupting - which is a faux pas in etiquette.

In other words, if I talk, I fall into the game he's best at, countering arguments. If I don't talk, he gains both confidence and momentum instead - which increases his negotiating power.

I should note silence can be used periodically as a weapon on the negotiating table, given his need to clarify. Psychologically, it may shake his confidence and make him believe his argument is weak if I use it.

Appealing to emotion may be better than the logical argument in this case.

[fatehbaz]

[T]he lands that they reside on [...] are currently under siege from these different extractivist development initiatives.

There are about 46 Garifuna communities along the Caribbean coast of Honduras and on the island of Roatán, and because these are coastal communities located on lands that are highly coveted now for their touristic potential, tourism investors have taken an interest. There’s a lot of land speculation and land-grabbing taking place related to tourism, but also related to agro-industry and agricultural development, specifically African palm. [...]

---

Garifuna have this really complicated history. They are a Black Indigenous people of African, Arawak, and Carib ancestry. They arrived in Honduras in 1797, initially in Roatán, after they were exiled from the island of Saint Vincent. And then from there, they established all these communities along the Caribbean coast of Honduras.

They have been in Honduras since before Honduras gained its independence from Spain in 1823. And I think that’s really significant, because what we see happening is that Garifuna are often positioned as outsiders to Honduras or as recent arrivants. [...]

What is so fundamentally problematic about Garifuna identity [...] for the Honduran state? [...]

There are Garifuna communities in Belize and Nicaragua and Guatemala, and of course, a large Garifuna diaspora in the U.S. [...]

The other point that’s important to mention here is that this sort of exteriorization of Blackness is very much related to Honduran history. So after Honduras gains independence from Spain, like many other countries in Latin America, it is attempting to carve out a unique national identity [...]. It is exclusive of Blackness. Of course, that has all sorts of political and material consequences for Black Hondurans, including the Garifuna, the English-speaking Black population or the Creole population, and even the Miskito population, which also has African ancestry. [...]

---

The development projects that are underway on the Caribbean coast, and that are leading to land dispossession, are projects promoted not just by the state but multilateral institutions like the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. They’re promoted as projects that will create development, that will bring progress and prosperity to Honduras, but often at the expense of Indigenous and Black peoples’ rights. Lands with the largest concentrations of forests, water, white sand beaches, fertile soil — those are largely concentrated in Indigenous and Black territories. So that development or that promise for a more prosperous future is contingent on the extraction of those resources from those communities.

---

Words of Christopher Loperena. As interviewed by the Graduate Center at CUNY. “’The Ends of Paradise’ Explores the Struggles of Honduras’ Black and Indigenous Peoples.” Published by the Office of Communications and Marketing, online in the News section of CUNY’s Graduate Center. 16 March 2023. [Some paragraph breaks and contractions added by me, for accessibility/readability.]

[xtruss]

Scenes from Nazi Summer Camp

In the years leading up to WWII, children across the United States spent their summers learning archery and antisemitism.

— January 18, 2024 | Kirstin Butler

Children at a German American Bund camp stand at attention as the American flag and the Bund youth flag are lowered in a sundown ceremony in Andover, N.J., July 21, 1937. Associated Press.

Camp Wille und Macht—Will and Might—came first, in 1934, and was joined in New Jersey by Camp Nordland in Andover and Camp Bergwald in Bloomingdale. In Wisconsin, Camp Hindenberg claimed ground along the banks of the Milwaukee River, and children left their homes for Camp Siegfried in Long Island, the Deutschhorst Country Club in Pennsylvania and Sutter Camp in Los Angeles, California. Photographs and footage from the 1930s document those children pitching tents, cooking baked beans, hiking and singing songs. “It looks like any kind of Boy Scout camp or Girl Scout camp,” author Arnie Bernstein told American Experience. “But these were Nazi camps in America.”

The camps were owned and operated by the German American Bund, a pro-Nazi organization formed by U.S. citizens of German descent in the years leading up to World War II. With scores of chapters and thousands of members across the country, the Bund promulgated an antisemitic, isolationist agenda that sought to establish Nazi ideology in the new homeland. An important part of Bund policy was the creation of a program modeled after the Hitler Youth, the Nazi movement for young Germans. Bund parents enrolled children as young as six into the Jungvolk, which at age 14 split into the Jugendschaft for boys and Mädchenschaft for girls. The Bund camps became the main site for their indoctrination.

Most of the camps were located in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, but others sprouted up in locations like Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and California, with an estimated 15 to 25 camps distributed across the country, most in communities with a large German diaspora. Campers were dressed in uniforms featuring the Hitler Youth’s lightning bolt insignia, adorned with swastika pins and given knives inscribed with the phrase “Blut und Ehre,” or “blood and honor.” Daily activities also took on militaristic tones, including target practice and the Sieg Heil salute.

The Bund also published a German-language magazine for its youth members—first called Jung Sturm and then Junges Volk—whose pages featured campers’ accounts and photo spreads dedicated to selective parts of the camp experience. Not depicted, however, were activities that later became public knowledge—like forced nighttime marches that culminated in fireside renditions of the Nazi anthem—after an erstwhile camper testified in 1939 before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. (HUAC was originally formed in part to address concerns about the Bund, as well as other Fascist and Communist organizations in the U.S.) Its leader was ultimately charged with embezzlement, and the group’s assets were seized; some of its leaders and members deported. As the Bund’s troubles multiplied and membership dwindled, the camps closed.

But many of the camps’ archives survived, as did, presumably, children’s recollections of their time spent there and the messages that accompanied it. “It was an experience, a trip, that will remain in our memories forever,” Adirondacks camp director Gregor wrote in Junges Volk.

Four young boys peek out of their tent at the Deutschhorst Country Club, a recreational Bund site outside of Sellersville, Pennsylvania. July 26, 1937, Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

“The German Youth Association will be opening a camp this summer… I’m looking forward to what we’re going to do. We’ll go swimming, play soccer, do gymnastics, go on rides, tell stories, go for walks, do outdoor activities and play lots and lots of games. And now the best part: get up at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow morning and bathe in ice-cold water.” - Edgar, 11, camper in Jungsturm

Bund youth raise a flag at half mast in tribute to Nazi Germany’s late President Hindenburg in Griggstown, New Jersey, August 1934. Getty Images.

“The bugle wakes you up for morning exercise, washing and raising the flag. After the stars and stripes and the camp flag have been hoisted, the pennants are put in their places, the daily motto is announced and a new camp day begins, filled with work and pleasure until curfew.” - Anita, 14, camper, in Junges Volk

The cover page of the inaugural issue of the Bund youth newsletter, first called Jungsturm. Image courtesy Leo Baeck Institute.

Bund youth group boys parade at Camp Siegfried, the largest Bund camp located in Yaphank, Long Island, in 1936. Alamy.

Female members of the Bund youth march at Camp Siegfried. The lightning bolt, or “sieg” rune, was the emblem of the Hitler Youth, and was meant to symbolize victory. 1936, Alamy.

“Just watch those long columns march past, their gaily colored flags flying in the breeze, their strong, tanned legs keeping time to the roll of the long drums, and you shall realize the value of the camp: training ground for the generation of tomorrow. This new generation used to the rigors of camp-life with its long marches, its lonely sentinel duty, its life in the open by rain and storm and hot, burning sun, will be fit to carry on the resurrection of the German in America.” - Paul M. Ochojski, Junges Volk columnist

The summer 1937 issue of the Bund youth magazine featured a gallery of images from its various camp sites—”unsere Jugendlager”—across the country. Image courtesy Leo Baeck Institute.

“We stayed at this fabulous lake for another week and a half, shot wild game and climbed the highest mountains, before it was time to go home. It was an experience, a trip, that will remain in our memories forever. Our youth group has been going to this wonderful mountain range for four years now to set up a summer camp there.” - Gregor, camper, in Jungsturm

Bund youth movement children give a Nazi salute onstage during a German Day celebration in honor of the first German settlers in America. October 5, 1936. Anthony Potter Collection/Getty images.

“We look with heartfelt reverence and sincere trust to the great leader of our old homeland, with the wish that God bless his new work—we are aware of our responsibility as German-American youth and will do our part to ensure that the new spirit of our times will once again become a force for the renewed health of our people. Rise up!” - Erna, camper, in Jungsturm

“This is our main goal, to create a large community of American-German youth, where all boys and girls who are of German blood pass through our youth movement. We want to ensure that the German race of the American people will be healthier and stronger, and from which the leaders of the nation will emerge.” - Junges Volk editorial, summer 1937

This image was part of Bund records seized by the Department of Treasury in 1942 in its investigation of the group’s finances. National Archives and Records Administration.