#paraparathecow

[legallyacceptibleurl]

i keep seeing this stupid fucking take propagated

ID: screenshot of a tumblr post. @paraparathecow asked: (a screenshot of text that reads: “desperately need your support. 🙏 Achieved 25500 kr/ 200000 kr, My account was verified by@\gazavetters, @\90-ghost & Voices from Gaza on X.,1100kr=100$.”) @paraparathecow: “Man, I sure do wonder why the poor poor gazans are gathering money using swedish krona of all currencies... At least they got the conversion rate right...” @homochadensistm: “But she was verified!! Bsbshjdhdd” END ID.

if you genuinely think a fundraiser being based outside of palestine is some sort of “gotcha“, that it “proves” that the fundraisers are “scams”, then you are either really dedicated to keeping yourself ignorant or someone who enjoys lying to fuck over people in need.

ID: two screenshots, the first showing that it’s a post @prismatic-bell reblogged, and that the original poster is @bsof-maarav. the second screenshot is a section of the post. @bsof-maarav: “Also reported to gofundme, I'm sure they will be interested in why this campaign is listed as being located in Texas, USA while the campaign narrative places the individual in Gaza. And I'm sure they will be further interested in knowing that I heard about it from an unsolicited spam-type message from an unknown account on social media.” END ID.

is anyone actually claiming that the fundraisers are based in palestine? who is saying that? genuinely who is saying that because i don’t know why this is such a prevalent fucking issue for people.

ID: @luckyletd0wn: “every donation that goes to a scammer is a donation stolen from gaza. gofundme does not even operate in palestine, someone from there cannot set up their own gofundme. i cannot believe the people falling for the constant scam asks. you're handing desperately needed donations to modern age nigerian princes. please i beg of you, learn some media literacy. thousands upon thousands of dollars have gone to scammers "vetted" by other scammers. some even admit to having their accounts banned for scamming and drop their new accounts!!!!” END ID.

i assumed it was common knowledge that the fundraisers were set up by family/friends/organisations/helpful people in one of the countries where gofundme operates.

but don’t take it from me, here’s one of their fellow liberals explaining it

ID: @cardassiangoodreads: “There was one case where a popular anti-scam post got things wrong - or more accurately, was "correct" but missed the point (pointing out that gofundme doesn't operate in Gaza, which is true, but to suggest none of the fundraisers are legit, which is false) and someone reblogged to correct them (that the legit gofundmes are run by relatives and friends in supported countries, not in Gaza itself - that's basically the only way people are getting out of there, having people on the outside send them money in order to do so).” END ID.

but hey don’t take it from some random tumblr liberal either. here’s time magazine explaining it

MARCH 25, 2024. Emphasis mine, plain text at the end of the post, under the cut.

“As a result, more Palestinians have increasingly turned to online crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe or JustGiving. A GoFundMe spokesperson told TIME that the platform has seen more than 12,000 active fundraisers for Palestinians in Gaza launched since Oct. 7, collectively raising $77 million to date. In addition to evacuation efforts, these campaigns have also been launched to fund access to humanitarian relief such as medical care and food, particularly as funding to formal aid organizations like UNRWA has been cut in various countries.”

[…]

“Because the platform can only be used in 19 countries, however, many of the Gaza-related campaigns are set up in Europe or North America. While some campaigns, such as Tareq's, are led by friends and relatives who live abroad and want to help on the ground, others have been created by activists or as collaborations between charities who rally a well-established network of donors and friends on social media or via public appeals.

In every crowdfunding case, Palestinians will rely on contacts abroad to help set up the campaign and receive donations on their behalf. In return, the platform benefits from the campaigns by charging donors 30 cents per contribution and keeping 2.9% of the total donation. “As fundraising for Gaza increases, we will continue to dedicate more resources to helping people help each other,” the GoFundMe spokesperson told TIME.”

[…]

“Despite the rising popularity of crowdfunding as a means of aid, many campaigns remain underfunded. 24-year-old Noor Hammad was once a nutritionist in Deir al-Balah, but now, she is desperate to escape Gaza after her home was heavily bombarded and she gave birth to her daughter in Rafah in January. “I lost everything in this war,” she said in a WhatsApp message. “I need to leave because I have a baby now, I need money to buy food for her.” To help Hammad, a Sydney-based journalist set up a GoFundMe campaign earlier this month to raise $27,000, which will be sent to Hammad’s brother in Sweden. So far, the fundraiser has raised just $2,580.

Even when campaigns raise enough funds, other challenges in ensuring Gazans can access and receive the money persist, especially as Western governments have introduced sanctions against Hamas. As a result, GoFundMe and other crowdfunding platforms are now required to comply by asking organizers for extensive information about to whom, and where, the money is going. Any individuals or groups who don’t pass a test screening for money laundering or terrorist financing are likely to be put on government-run lists. “

[…]

“The means through which money is transferred to Gazans is also complicated. A few wire services like Western Union are still operating in the besieged territory, but for many, a more viable option is to have the money sent to someone outside Gaza who can withdraw the cash and travel to Egypt. There, the money is paid to brokers who facilitate evacuations.

In February, Tareq and his family raised $20,000 and were finally able to leave for Egypt, where they are currently seeking refuge. But now, the 16-year-old says he needs to find the money to relocate to Canada, where his family can apply for asylum. Above all, the 11th grader—who was months ago participating in international student competitions—hopes to re-enroll in school to complete his education. He plans to make a new GoFundMe campaign in the coming weeks to raise money for the cost of visa applications, flights, and other expenses.

“The GoFundMe really helped with the evacuation and I am full of hope for the future,” he says. “But the circumstances have led Gazans to crowdfund because they lost a lot, and they continue to lose a lot”.”

Is every blog asking for funds legit? Sadly no. Do the people doing the vetting want you to just donate to each and every person who asks nicely? That’s really easy to check actually, surprising i know.

ID: @\el-shab-hussein on 30/1-2024: “As a rule of thumb, don't reblog donation posts or people asking for donations unless they've been vetted and reblogged by Palestinian bloggers. We usually go to lengths to verify this shit because we know scammers have been faking to get people to send them money, using the urgency of our genocide as bait.” END ID.

The answer is “no”. Imagine that.

hello. it feels nice and cozy under a readmore doesn’t it? like i’m inviting you into my pillow fort. be careful so you don’t rip down any of my blankets, i’m turning on the fairy lights so i can show you the article i was talking about. yk while we’re down here, i might as well post the whole article, right? i’m sure time doesn’t mind.

Palestinians Have Turned to Crowdfunding Platforms for Survival

MARCH 25, 2024.

In December, Tareq watched his entire life in Gaza get reduced to rubble. “The school I attended since first grade, the street I walked on daily, my neighborhood—they all collapsed into memory,” the 16-year-old tells TIME. With a sinking feeling, he realized that no immediate ceasefire would be brokered in the Israel-Hamas war, and the only way he could escape the horror was by evacuating Gaza. “I never imagined being forced to leave home, but it felt inevitable, like a cruel twist of fate,” he says.

U.N.-backed global monitors have issued warnings that “mass death is now imminent” in the besieged territory with acute food shortages exceeding famine levels. For most Palestinians like Tareq (who asked his last name be withheld for safety purposes), fleeing Gaza is seen as the only way to escape Israel’s bombardment, which has now entered into its fifth month.

But evacuation is not an easy or affordable feat. The only official way to cross the Rafah border, the sole crossing point between Egypt and the occupied territories, is with Israeli approval. The border is currently under an Egyptian-Israeli blockade, and evacuation is permitted only to foreign passport holders or seriously wounded patients.

Under a parallel, informal system, however, Palestinians can pay travel brokers in Egypt to get on a list of people approved for permits to leave. The fees for evacuation are often exorbitant sums ranging from $6,000 to $12,000 per person, and those looking to flee must also navigate scammers and misinformation with no guarantee of success, according to sources who spoke with TIME, as well as recent media reports.

As a result, more Palestinians have increasingly turned to online crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe or JustGiving. A GoFundMe spokesperson told TIME that the platform has seen more than 12,000 active fundraisers for Palestinians in Gaza launched since Oct. 7, collectively raising $77 million to date. In addition to evacuation efforts, these campaigns have also been launched to fund access to humanitarian relief such as medical care and food, particularly as funding to formal aid organizations like UNRWA has been cut in various countries.

That is how Tareq—who fled his home in November with his parents and three younger siblings after it was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes—found money for his family’s escape. After taking refuge in a U.N. shelter, he launched an online campaign on GoFundMe in December with a fundraising goal of $25,000—enough money to cover his entire family’s entrance fees to Egypt and temporary living expenses. A family friend in New Orleans helped set up the fundraiser; an aunt in Canada became the recipient for the donations to transfer the money to the family directly.

“Thank you very much for your generosity, solidarity, and kindness, your support is much appreciated and encouraged,” Tareq wrote on his fundraising page. “Your donation will make an essential impact on me and my family to live safely and have a better future.”

Crowdfunding for survival

Over the past two decades, online crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe and JustGiving have become vital sources for mutual aid and charity efforts to raise funds for everything ranging from medical emergencies and hunger relief to small business loans. In the Ukraine war, they have been essential in co-funding Ukraine’s defense campaign against Russia. “Ukrainians elevated crowdfunding’s significance to match the existential threat they face,” wrote Olga Boichak, a senior lecturer in digital cultures at the University of Sydney.

Because the platform can only be used in 19 countries, however, many of the Gaza-related campaigns are set up in Europe or North America. While some campaigns, such as Tareq's, are led by friends and relatives who live abroad and want to help on the ground, others have been created by activists or as collaborations between charities who rally a well-established network of donors and friends on social media or via public appeals.

In every crowdfunding case, Palestinians will rely on contacts abroad to help set up the campaign and receive donations on their behalf. In return, the platform benefits from the campaigns by charging donors 30 cents per contribution and keeping 2.9% of the total donation. “As fundraising for Gaza increases, we will continue to dedicate more resources to helping people help each other,” the GoFundMe spokesperson told TIME.

Just before last Christmas, Mansour Shouman, a Palestinian-Canadian journalist based in Doha, started a crowdfunding campaign with a team to raise $1.2 million for urgent humanitarian needs like food, water, clothing, tents, and hygienic products. The 39-year-old has so far raised just over $1 million in donations toward the goal.

Shouman, who has over 300,000 followers on Instagram, says he began fundraising shortly after making videos about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “A lot of people responded by asking how they could help,” he says. “So we started slowly creating a way in which people would donate through different means to support different projects in Gaza.”

Much of the money raised by Shouman’s fundraiser has been sent to local charities in Gaza, like the Palestinian Ethan Society for Community Development, who then purchase mattresses, tents, water, food, and redistribute the funds in the form of cash donations. Shouman says the focus has also shifted from the south to northern Gaza, where the famine has grown worse with each day. “We want to ensure that we can feed the starving population there,” he says.

In early February, a group of U.S.-based activists started a grassroots movement called Operation Olive Branch, or OOB, to help with the overwhelming number of crowdfunding requests from Palestinian families. So far, OOB has assisted close to 800 families to reach their fundraising goals.

“The families behind the fundraisers are experiencing acute starvation, illness, and trauma more extreme than any of us can imagine,” the group told TIME, adding that its role was to “center and amplify families’ direct aid requests by tapping the talents of a large and growing network of social media activists.”

But it adds that while fundraising platforms like GoFundMe have been “key to the autonomy and fundraising success of Gazan families” with the help of the diaspora who can act as beneficiaries to assist their affairs remotely, “having direct access to their donations would make a life-saving difference for these families.”

Challenges persist

Despite the rising popularity of crowdfunding as a means of aid, many campaigns remain underfunded. 24-year-old Noor Hammad was once a nutritionist in Deir al-Balah, but now, she is desperate to escape Gaza after her home was heavily bombarded and she gave birth to her daughter in Rafah in January. “I lost everything in this war,” she said in a WhatsApp message. “I need to leave because I have a baby now, I need money to buy food for her.” To help Hammad, a Sydney-based journalist set up a GoFundMe campaign earlier this month to raise $27,000, which will be sent to Hammad’s brother in Sweden. So far, the fundraiser has raised just $2,580.

Even when campaigns raise enough funds, other challenges in ensuring Gazans can access and receive the money persist, especially as Western governments have introduced sanctions against Hamas. As a result, GoFundMe and other crowdfunding platforms are now required to comply by asking organizers for extensive information about to whom, and where, the money is going. Any individuals or groups who don’t pass a test screening for money laundering or terrorist financing are likely to be put on government-run lists.

These processes have slowed aid efforts, according to a report by The Verge, which found that organizers and donors had been dealing with “heavy-handed moderation” and “inconsistent policies.” In response, GoFundMe issued a notice in March explaining how organizers could get around the extra red tape and avoid any delays, adding that it would comply with laws and regulations to “make the flow of funds from donors to beneficiaries as fast as possible.”

The means through which money is transferred to Gazans is also complicated. A few wire services like Western Union are still operating in the besieged territory, but for many, a more viable option is to have the money sent to someone outside Gaza who can withdraw the cash and travel to Egypt. There, the money is paid to brokers who facilitate evacuations.

In February, Tareq and his family raised $20,000 and were finally able to leave for Egypt, where they are currently seeking refuge. But now, the 16-year-old says he needs to find the money to relocate to Canada, where his family can apply for asylum. Above all, the 11th grader—who was months ago participating in international student competitions—hopes to re-enroll in school to complete his education. He plans to make a new GoFundMe campaign in the coming weeks to raise money for the cost of visa applications, flights, and other expenses.

“The GoFundMe really helped with the evacuation and I am full of hope for the future,” he says. “But the circumstances have led Gazans to crowdfund because they lost a lot, and they continue to lose a lot”.

[kingofrail]

Thank you #paraparathecow for the

Kris is the angel theory

Now I don't believe in this theory but it a interesting theory neither the less

In Undertale there are a prophecy that basically says a angel will descend form above and free the monster by technically stance the monster are free in the end by either killing nearly everyone or freeing the monster by breaking the barrier.

It means to things one that frisk is that angel in the prophecy and if frisk is Kris than that mean Kris is also the angel in deltarune and I have lot for frisk and Kris being the same just in different timelines/worlds

1. Kris and frisk both have the same hair color and skin color.

2. Kris do have naturally red eyes, in a animation of Kris and Susie falling into a dark world in chapter 2, notice that Kris show they red eye while they are falling without ripping out their own soul during this scene and despite what the fanon want you to believe Chara have brown eyes.

3. I know someone is going to bring up the shirt thing and one shirts are not always reliable evidence, two of you the wardrobe inside of Kris room in castle town the dialogue will say" you could wear whatever you want." I would not shock that Kris have a shirt that look like frisk and frisk color scheme do show up in Kris room in castle town.

4. Someone is going to bring the chapter 1 ending, here the thing I think this ending is a red hairing and meant to trick us and there scene where something seems to important but it goes nowhere, goner maker sequence and ralsei revealing his ture appearance.

And finally 5. In terms of personality Kris and frisk probably have same one, if you go into chapter 2 without a previous save file the game will default to if you have achieved the pacifist ending which means that Kris by default is a pacifist and we that they don't the act of violates (snowgrave) and frisk while we don't know a lot about frisk past we do know that they are a pacifist if you beat Undertale by pacifist than replay the pacifist route again sans will say "you refuses to hurt anyone. And when you ran away you did with a smile."

[kingofrail]

I think it due to the cars series (piexey) because the problem, is that cars 3 appearally that doc hudson died, like how he died, I get that voice so have to retire his character but still, how does cars died in the cars or how does cars grew old I mean in cars 3 lightning McQueen is growing old but how we surport know that without the movie telling this, he look the same all 3 movie's, basically cars 3 trys to do a cliche movie polt without explaining anything

[paraparathecow]

Hey @paraparathecow , I been wondering about accounts, you see when I check up my followers number I have 42 followers, all 38 of them have a username and a untiled below it, while 4 of my followers has their username and don't have "untiled" below them, I just wondering what it means.

That just means the haven't given their blog a title

[andejoe]

Request submitted by @paraparathecow

—

It was pitch black when Andor awoke. A not uncommon occurrence on the moon of ad-Din. Solar energy harvested from nearby stars powered the station, but when energy stores dropped, lights were sacrificed to retain optimal environment conditions.

Still, this was Andor’s first ‘dark day’. He carefully stepped over to his closet and grabbed a uniform at random. For once, he was grateful that every uniform was exactly the same. His hands remembered where the buttons were without too much trouble.

Stepping out into the hall, Andor listened for incoming footsteps. Hearing nothing, he began his walk to the caf, running a hand lightly against the wall to keep his bearings.

Into the caf, through the line, Andor grabbed breakfast down the line as usual, the only real difference being he didn’t know what he grabbed until he tried it.

A few others were shuffling around the caf, quietly and oddly without bumping into each other.

Andor turned to face the newcomer to his table, a nugatory action, and gave a generic greeting to elicit a response and hopefully identify the movement.

“Morning.”

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

The voice belonged to Terk, Andor’s work neighbor.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Andor asked.

Terk settled down with his food. “Because I didn’t think humans could see in the dark.”

“We can’t.”

“What?”

“We can’t see in the dark,” Andor repeated.

“But, then, who escorted you here?” Terk asked.

“No one? I just walked. It’s not like they changed the layout of the hallway overnight,” Andor replied easily.

“But how did you know where you were going? You were walking blindly!”

Andor shrugged. “Yeah, down a hallway I’ve been down a dozen times or so. I’m not that new to this place. I know my own routes.”

“So you have memorized the areas you visit frequently?” Terk asked.

“Not consciously, no, but my body remembers.”

“How does your body remember something your brain does not?”

Andor shrugged again. “We call it muscle memory, when you’ve done something so many times your body can do it without conscious thought.” Andor paused. “Wait, how did you get here? Your species can’t see in the dark either.”

“We can feel sound waves. As a wave comes back to us, the strength of it tells us how far away we are from our surroundings,” Terk explained, proud to have taught his friend something.

“You guys echolocate? That’s actually pretty cool,” Andor admitted.

Terk’s voice deflated. “You have a word for it?”

“Yeah, tons of things on Earth use echolocation to find prey. Some humans claim they can do something similar, but I think they’re using a combination of other senses to tell, not just sound.”

“You’re not planning on going to work today, are you?” Terk asked.

“I was gonna go check in, but I doubt I can do anything productive.”

[david-goldrock]

He is as extreme as 7ph and as effective a dead cat.

@paraparathecow is right, he's bibi-winged

May someone explain to me how's bibi "right wing"? He didn't overturn oslo, didn't take a single centimeter from Judea and sameria, didn't respond to terror for 20 years, his economy isn't close to free market ....

Why do people call him right wing?

[ilkwrdthngsdntjudge]

AND I HAVE REALLY SHARP TEETH GUYS

Based off this post:

Anyways yeah I have super sharp canine teeth. Like, my teeth are weird. I can't get them filed bc my teeth are sensitive and things like that would like cause some form of damage..? I'm not sure you'll have to ask my dentist, but basically my teeth are unnaturally sharp.

And I wanted to write something about that. Because, ya know. Like, humans being feared bc of their teeth is just so cool-

Jen was a very nice girl. She had good manners. She was respectful to other races. She also seemed to know basics of many languages. All in all a very nice girl.

But why did she always have a mask?

Threnu always pondered this. As someone who had what humans called 'beaks', Threnu understood some species were startled by the human teeths. Indeed they were strange, as many worlds, to protection from the sun, live underwater away from harmful rays.

Threnu had things like feathers. Lots of big spines in turn grew tiny hair-like follicles. Threnu was well protected from his sun, and therefore was able live above water.

Anyways, off topic he got; many other races did not have teeth like humans, therefore, they were frightened.

Threnu, already accustomed to human biology, knew about teeths. Humans needed teeths like Threnu'f people needed beaks. They needed teeths to consume foods for eat and energy.

But Threnu never before has seen Jen'f teeths. Because of the Jen wears a mask always. Threnu assumes it is because Jen understands that her teeths can be threatening to other races, but Threnu wants for Jen to know that perhaps she may take off the a mask, because for her comfort.

So, Threnu approaches. "Jen," Threnu waves in traditional human greeting.

Jen'f eyes go small in what Threnu understands is a positive smile. "Othid'me, Threnu," replies Jen. Her pronounce is very good for human. "What can I do for you?"

"Your a mask," Threnu says, immediately to the topic. "You are more comfortable without?"

Jen shakes head up and down in a 'nod'. "Yeah, I am. But other people aren't-"

"Yes they are not comfortable." Threnu interrupts. "But cannot let their opinions do what you do. You want to take off mask, you must."

Jen smiles even brighter, if the smaller of her eyes is accurate. "Yeah, I understand. But I've got sharp teeth, even for a human. So it's ultimately better if I keep it on, Threnu. Thank you for worrying."

Threnu doesn't understand. "Teeths sharper? How may be?"

Jen slips her a mask under her chin and smiles at Threnu, full, happy grin. Threnu freezes in fear.

Jen has teeths yes, and Threnu became prepared. But Threnu was not prepared for Jen'f teeths specifically.

Jen'f teeths were much shaper than normal human. Jen'f teeths were like Threnu'f one sharp beak.

Then the sharp teeths disappear and Jen laughs at Thranu'f expression. "I know, right?" Jen says with laugh in her voice. "And that, my friend, is why I cannot take my mask off."

Threnu didn't hear, because he was shocked be the sharp teeths as sharp as his one beak. He hopes he never meets human who does not have decency to wear mask like Jen, and has same sharp teeths.

There's the whole "humans are space Australians" thing and I'm sure this has been done before, but imagine an alien's reaction to humans stimuli reactions.

Like there's so many ways humans react to stimuli, depending on what it is. They could react internally ie their emotions, or they could react externally, ie behaviours.

And imagine the aliens' horror when discovering one of humans' common reactions to pain: amusement.

On a negotiation mission, one of their newest crew members, a security officer, jumps in front of her captain to take a shot from an old-style honest-to-god projectile weapon. The human is downed, but the captain is alive, and they're safe, the terrorists captured. The negotiations continue, but their human needs her specific medication and medical procedures and they only have that on their ship.

While they're waiting for safe transport back to their ship, the aliens are all surrounding this tiny human girl who's on the brink of death. She's gasping, in pain, but then she does something that chills her crew.

She begins to laugh, then she tries to stand up, and everyone is, understandably, freaking the fuck out.

The aliens don't know whether to help her or hold her down, but she insists on getting up, and they end up helping her because what else can they do.

Then she stands, still with a potentially fatal gunshot wound, and she limps around, seemingly perfectly fine. She's smiling, pale. She's laughing, gasping for breath. She's perfectly fine, with a hole in her abdomen. It makes her superior officers gag, because that's where their hearts are.

They make it back to the ship unscathed, and the human is a bit worse, but she's fine. She gets patched up in the medbay and then a little under two days later, she's put on duty, she's just not allowed to do any strenuous work.

The away team can only watch as she shows off her half-healed wound to her fellow humans. They gape when the others show minimal concern, and a worrying amount of ancouragement and shared amusement with her life-threatening wound.

"It's because of a natural drug their bodies produce," one biologist says, careful not to let the humans hear.

"It's not that," the captain says, his respect and his fear for humans rising. "They're just... a different breed, humans."