#phoenix union

[trumpsfinalcountdown]

ARIZONA YOU HAVE UPCOMING ELECTIONS IN SOME AREAS

WHAT: Phoenix Union High School District Special Mail-in Election AND City of Tucson Special Elections Prop 414

WHEN: March 11th 2025

WHERE: Maricopa County and the City of Tucson

Please ensure you have read up and check that you are able to vote!

[phoenixyfriend]

We knew it was coming but goddamn, we had hope.

LA, YOU NEED BETTER TREE LAW. I know it's probably a matter of the law being built more to protect private property than that which belongs to the public, but it's still disappointing to see such a NOTHING slap on the wrist.

(Source, I went for the most recent news posting)

[janeelyakiri]

you want aus this is how u get aus-

He's snatched his own Polly to snuggle and dress up. And in return he gets scratches, kicks, and bites.

info under cut

This Polly's AU, they didn't live with their Sans and Paps. Once they left the Underground they made their own home- a simple apartment in a rough part of town. It's a very neutral AU, not overly positive but nothing extremely negative. Everyone's chill, with minor issues here and there. Polly was a slight loner at first, preferring to coast along on the gold they exchanged rather than actually work.

They still had their Canon Event, but no one ever found out. No one reached out to them, and they don't bother speaking to anyone. Isolating themself further.

Nix honestly was just window shopping when he spotted this one, and thought they were perfect to steal away. Because clearly they needed happiness and joy in their life, and he's amazing at that!

They're spoiled and pampered now, given (almost) anything they could want. And despite their anger and lashing out they do soak up every drop of warmth and attention Nix gives them.

swapdream (c) song_a

Nix and Polly (c) me

[dandorime]

On a mission deep inside a secret Zoraxis facility...

Reginald: Anything suspicious yet, agent?

Phoenix: Not a damn thing. All these machines are in excellent condition, and there's OSHA-compliant signage and safeguards everywhere... Are you sure this is even a Zoraxis factory?

Suddenly the lights turn on, and a voice booms over the PA system...

???: Good evening, comrade Phoenix.

Phoenix: (◎_◎;) OH SHI-

Reginald: Strange, I don't recognize that voice... This could be a new Zoraxis operative. Be careful, agent! (｡ŏ_ŏ)

Phoenix: Alright, you caught me. Now show yourself! (૭｡•̀ n•́｡ )૭

???: But of course. Since we're not on company time...

With the flourish of a large picket sign, a woman in overalls and a teamsters t-shirt steps out of the shadows onto the catwalk overhead.

???: A pleasure to have you on site, Agent Phoenix.

Phoenix: Who are you?! ಠ_ಠ

???: I am... The Rep.

Phoenix: ...what?!

The Rep: ...The Rep. Union representative. Zoraxis Workers United #73.

Phoenix: ...huh... (°-°?)

The Rep: You need to wear a hard hat at all times on the factory floor, even when the machinery is powered down. It's a contractual obligation. 🫱⛑️

Phoenix: Oh. Uh... Thanks. ⛑️

The Rep: And don't forget to clock your overtime on the puncher in the locker room when you leave.

Phoenix: (•᷄‎ࡇ•᷅ )Um... Listen. You realize I'm an EOD agent, right? That I don't actually work here...?

The Rep leans in close, placing a hand on Phoenix's shoulder as she does so.

The Rep: And you realize that your shenanigans produce a living wage for close to 10,000 unionized welders, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, stonemasons, miners, and mechanics under Zoraxis Industries, right? (σ-`д･´)

Phoenix: ...oh.（・□・；）

The Rep: *pat pat* Keep it up. ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )

[dougkisser]

We have dougfeen official art at home ..

[candicoated]

I’m just saying that the defense attorneys of the Ace Attorney universe should unionize. Because at this point, the idea of being a defense attorney in Japanifornia especially sounds like it sucks horribly. And it’s not like it’s that rewarding for them either, and I know their rights as workers suck too.

[xaxmie-writes]

Phoenix Flowers rising chapter 3 is finally out, everybody! Sorry for the long wait!

[unlockthestars]

Soft action prompts // Accepting

@missallanea asked: [ OBSERVE ] sender purposefully runs out into the rain without an umbrella to enjoy the storm while receiver watches. (for literally any and all of the GL kids)

They didn't get much downtime, these days, what with everything that was happening. The gen:LOCK team was usually either training or studying with Dr. Weller, which was also a form of training. There was a lot they needed to know about the technology they were compatible with, and not a whole lot of time in which to learn.

But even they had time off. They had to, for the good of the program. Since their brains were the key to achieving gen:LOCK, Dr. Weller made sure they had at least some time off to rest and recuperate, to use as they saw fit, within reason, of course.

So when that time off corresponded with a sudden rainstorm, Cammie was the first out of the dorms, with Yasamin following after her.

"Cammie!" she called after the Scot, but Cammie was outside by the time she caught up to her, letting out a delighted shout as the rain poured down around her.

Yaz watched from the doorway, a smile on her face as she shook her head. Honestly, she wasn't sure why she'd expected anything different from the youngest member of their team; running out into the rain without any sort of protection was exactly the sort of thing Cammie would do.

After a moment of hesitation, Yaz followed her out into the storm, lifted her hands above her head, and let out an exclamation of her own. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been in a rainstorm like this…., and she loved every moment of it.

[mishacollins]

This was today at @UNLV… Thanks to everyone who turned out with me! Are you in NV or AZ? Wanna come say hi? Take some selfies? Shoot the Breeze? I’ll be at UNLV in Vegas talking politics and stumping for Harris/Walz again tomorrow, Sept 19 at 10 AM and then in Phoenix, AZ tomorrow afternoon:

➡️ 10:00 AM: UNLV Free Speech Space

4505 S Maryland Pkwy Las Vegas, NV 89154

➡️ 1:00 PM: Arizona State University, (by the Memorial Union)

1290 S Normal Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281

➡️ 2:30 PM: Paradise Valley Community College

18401 N 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85032

Hope to see you there!

[trumpsfinalcountdown]

There Are 1,448 Days Left Of The Trump Regime

Good morning friends. I hope that everyone is doing well and still choosing to stay and fight despite how hard and horrible it has been. Let's do some journaling today.

Write about how fear has shaped your thoughts and/or actions today.

When we can recognize the influence that fear has on us helps us separate it from reality.

So, if my fear today has caused me to stay in bed and doom scroll, I now can identify that doom scrolling hasn't actually helped me today, and I can remember that for next time. OR maybe doom scrolling has helped me not feel alone, and I am gaining a sense of community at a time I feel isolated. Now I know that if I ever am feeling that way, there are always other people out there that feel similarly.

See, writing it out brings it to focus and now you can recognize pattern that are helpful or challenge the unhelpful ones.

And then we can go from there.

YOUR DAILY RESOURCE: Immigrants Rising is a website full of resources for undocumented students. From scholarships, to entrepreneurship resources, to immigration law, mental health and more. There is a plethora of helpful links, resources, reading, funding, etc to help those that are undocumented and need assistance now. thank you mujeresxpsych on TikTok for sharing this information.

YOUR DAILY QUOTE: "What progressives who ignore history don't understand is that, just like racism is taught, so is distrust. Especially in households like mine, where parents and grandparents who had lived through Jim Crow, COINTELPRO, Reaganomics, and the war on drugs, talked to their children early and often on how to stay out of trouble. When the cops harassed you, but didn't bother to actually protect and serve, when violence broke out between neighbors. Lectures from outsiders on what was wrong with our culture and community weren't what was needed. What we needed was the economic and racial privilege we lacked to be put to work to protect us. Being skeptical of those who promise they care, but do nothing to help those that are marginalized is a life skill that can serve you well when your identity makes you a target." Hood Feminism: Notes From the Women that a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

ARIZONA UPCOMING ELECTION: Phoenix Union High School District Special Mail-in Election AND City of Tucson Special Elections Prop 414. Both are on March 11th!

PHOENIX UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL MAIL-IN ELECTION: If you are not yet aware a federal judge has ordered Maricopa County to redo the election for two Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board seats after the county printed incorrect directions on some ballots.

If you live in Maricopa County please be sure to make your vote matter. The Governing Board is responsible in identifying DISTRICT NEEDS, as well as being responsive of those needs, and to meet those needs in the long and short term. They establish policies, approve or disapprove of budgets, curriculum, and personnel.

These are all DEEPLY important in the current times we are in. Please go and ensure your vote is counted in this redo.

PROPOSITION 414: The full name is Proposition 414 – Safe & Vibrant City.

Prop 414 asks for a half-cent tax increase for the next 10 years and claims it is to fund a vibrant and safer Tucson.

17.50% of the funding would go to affordable housing and shelter

16.75% would go to neighborhood and community resilience

22.75% would go to enhanced emergency response.

12.25% would go to technology investments

But what alarms me is the 30.75% that would be going to Capital Investments for First Responders. Specifically because the funding is going to PPE such as ballistic vests, shields, and "non-lethal enforcement platforms". Approximately $1,700,000 would go towards this per year.

Another 6 Million would go to patrol cars, and replacing their fleet, and another 4 Million a year to the Fire Departments fleet (Firetrucks, Ladder trucks, etc)

$1.5 Million will be used for Public Safety Training Modernization

And more all of which can be found here as well as where the other funds are going to specifically.

This sounds overall like a decent proposition, however the amount of funding needed for things like non-lethal enforcement platforms (Tasers, barriers, pepper spray, bean bags which are the projectiles that are shot out to incapacitate people) does concern me.

It makes me wary that 30% of the funding from this tax will go to police products directly used in the face of protestors during BLM movements among others. This, to me, signifies a preparation under the guise of 'making Tucson beautiful'. However, I do not live there to know if the benefits that would come from this would outweigh the risk of where those funds would go within police departments.

Vote what you think is best, as money would be going to good causes as well - I do not live in Arizona, so I will not speak on what it is like to live there. I can only view from the outside what this MIGHT mean for others.

H. R. 375: Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act of 2025. This is a bill that is designed to combat the fungal disease Rapid Ohia Death. This disease has been killing Ohia trees in Hawaii since 2014 when it was discovered. These trees are vital to Hawaii's ecosystems, culture, and watersheds.

This bill is asking for continued federal support to prevent the disease from spreading, Identify Ohia trees that are resistant to it, as well as propagate them.

It asks that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) continue researching how ROD spreads. It asks that the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to continue providing resources to prevent further spreading, and financial and staff resources to the Institute of Pacific Island Forestry (IPIF) and also that the Department of the Interior communicate and collaborate with the Department of Agriculture alongside the Sate of Hawaii to continue to detect, prevent, and restore.

This bill does have quote a bit of senate support, and it looks likely to pass the Senate as well. However, it is still in good practice to voice your support.

Here is a script email you can use to send to your senator.

Subject: Please Support the Continued Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Response Act (H.R. 375)

Dear [Senator's Name], I am writing to urge you to support the Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act of 2025 (H.R. 375) as it moves through the Senate. This bipartisan bill is critical to protecting Hawaii’s native forests from the devastating effects of Rapid Ohia Death (ROD), a fungal disease that has already claimed hundreds of thousands of ʻōhiʻa trees. The Ohia tree is more than just a plant—it is the backbone of Hawaii’s ecosystem, playing a crucial role in maintaining watersheds, preventing erosion, and supporting native biodiversity. Beyond its ecological significance, the Ohia is deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture and traditions. Losing these trees at the current alarming rate threatens not just the environment, but also the cultural and economic well-being of the region. H.R. 375 takes a science-backed, collaborative approach to addressing ROD by providing much-needed funding for research, forest restoration, and coordinated management efforts. It will empower agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey to work alongside the State of Hawaii to mitigate the spread of this disease and protect the future of these vital forests. The bill passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support (359-62), demonstrating that protecting our nation's natural resources is not a partisan issue—it is a responsibility. I strongly urge you to support this legislation and help ensure the long-term health of Hawaii’s forests and ecosystems. Thank you for your time and consideration. I appreciate your leadership and your commitment to environmental conservation. Sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Address] (optional but recommended for constituent verification) [Your Email] (optional but recommended for response)

SONG OF THE DAY:

[phoenixyfriend]

Ko-Fi prompt from Anonymous Supporter:

For the Econ Topic, an analysis on a society that has magic and fantasy races would be nice. Or maybe how a guild of Thieves or Assassins would work in either real life, fantasy or sci-fi setting.

The former is far too varied and complicated a topic to fit into 500 words, but I can definitely make the latter work... by explaining what the fuck a guild is.

These days, the words guild and union are used more or less interchangeably, and they do admittedly have some overlap in modern capitalist society. In the historic Europe that many of these settings are inspired by, the word guild had a more specific meaning.

Let's unpack some of what the economic structure is in these settings.

Large, overarching companies engaging in multinational work are rare in those historic settings. You have some trading/merchant organizations (e.g. the Dutch East India Company) that fit that bill, work that couldn't be performed without a large, existing structure to back it (e.g. mining), and domestic agricultural lordship (you know, feudalism).

For the rest of the economy, though, you have small businesses. Technology isn't at such a point that something bigger can be done. Factories aren't a thing until the industrial revolution, but we do have division of labor, so there are people who specialize in baking, or weaving, or shoemaking, or pottery.

Many of these professions require years of training, from apprenticeship to journeyperson to mastery. Trade secrets are a big deal, you marry off your daughter to your apprentice to secure the line and prevent competition, and you try not to give up those secrets because if you do, what's to keep your lord and other rich folk from taking advantage of you, and paying you less than your worth?

That's where the guild comes in.

No matter how good you are at keeping secrets, the competition does exist. You cannot be the only baker, dressmaker, shoemaker, bricklayer, carpenter in town, unless your town is very small indeed.

Price competition isn't a great idea when profit margins are already low, and you are a small business that doesn't have the diversification or coffers to take the hit for a few weeks. If your lord tries to force you to sell low, you can't just refuse him! He's the one that pays whoever uses the swords!

If only you and all the other trained professionals in your industry could hold together and tell him, "Yeah, that's as low as the price can go. You are paying for the bare minimum of materials and labor with that. So sorry, can't go lower without taking an actual loss, and everyone else will tell you the same thing."

Joining a guild was often the only way to perform that craft or service in a given city. This prevented untrained, untested individuals from trying to peddle something that wasn't up to standard, but also acted as a form of gatekeeping that could prevent the market from becoming oversaturated with competition. The formation of a guild was often related to, or even reliant on, approval from local government or a monarch.

Guilds did absolutely have negative impacts, by the way, often through market manipulation and rent-seeking behaviors. They stifled innovation, gatekept skills, and were capable of price-gouging and price-fixing beyond the basic "this is how we keep from getting screwed over by the rich guys." While the guilds themselves were arguably intended to ensure minimum standards and protect against wealthy clientele, they were just as prone to stagnation and greed as any organization.

The guild differs from the unions in that the guild is for trained professionals that, by and large, own their business to some degree. The unions, meanwhile, are for laborers who work for someone else, and formalized labor unions only began in the mid-18th century, while trade guilds, or something like them, date back over four thousand years.

Remember how I said that factories as we know them, and that whole Big International Company format, didn't really start being a thing until the Industrial Revolution? You know how the Industrial Revolution started in the mid-18th century?

We now see the connection.

So, what does a guild of thieves or assassins mean, at its core?

Well, they have to be doing this professionally. Someone who's just killing for the fun of it isn't a professional assassin, being paid by other people for it, just like how the baker's guild isn't going to care overly much for the farmer's wife making her own bread for dinner. Thievery is a bit less obvious in terms of 'what counts as professional.' Does the person who picks pockets to pay their rent qualify as professional? Or just the ones who steal on behalf of someone else? What about burglars?

So part of what you'd need to untangle is what qualifies as professional for the thieves themselves.

Then, given that these are generally illegal acts in the first place, what purpose does the guild serve? Is the guild supported by the crown as a form of control over theft and assassination in the first place, like privateering? Does the guild institute rules on who can be stolen from, whether or not it's within guild rules to kill individuals of certain ages or genders or classes? What punishments does the guild implement on those who violate those rules?

If the crown allows the assassin's guild so long as members of the royal family are not targeted, is there a rule that any client who requests the assassination of a monarch must be reported, or killed on the spot? What government fees does the guild have to pay in order to exist? If they exist as an underground, unofficial group that is not affiliated with the government, how do they deal with the government? How do they hide? Do they dictate pricing? Do they pay off cops to stay under the radar? How do they advertise their services without getting found out?

For the thieves guild, it's even more wiggly. Who qualifies as a professional? Is it the pickpockets, the cat burglars, the people who climb into dragon's caves to locate ancient treasure and get out unseen? Is there a minimum yearly income threshold? How is that calculated? What about membership fees? Is membership singular, or can it be done as a couple, a team, a family? Are there groups that are off limits? Maybe there are two thieves guilds, one for those who can be Hired By Adventurers, acknowledged by the crown, and a second for those who work in the seedy underground away from official oversight.

There really is no one way for this to play out, and will probably vary from town to town or planet to planet in-story, but hopefully I've given you the framework to build up the various guilds you need for your story!

(Prompt me on ko-fi!)

[future-crab]

People in the US: find a protest for Rafah

I found out about my local protest too late to attend (I don't have a car and I live in an area with zero public transportation) so I thought I'd share this list of protests so that other people might be able to go to their's!

[ID:

February 12, 2024

AUSTIN, TEXAS | 5PM 1100 Congress

CHICAGO, IL | 4:30 PM Federal Plaza 230 Dearborn Ave

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON | 6 PM University of Washington Station

MANHATTAN, NY | 4 PM Union Square

SAINT LOUIS, MO | 2:30 PM @ Kirkwood Park 111 So. Geyser Rd.

February 13, 2024

SAN DIEGO, CA | 4:30 PM Federal Plaza

SAN FRANCISCO, CA | 5:30 PM Federal Building

ATLANTA, GA | 7 PM Israeli consulate

PHILADELPHIA, PA | 5:30 PM 1400 JFK Blvd

PITTSBURGH, PA | 5 PM 4100 Forbes Ave

HOUSTON, TX | 4 PM Houston City Hall

February 14, 2024

PHOENIX, AZ | 4 PM NE Corner of 7th St & McDowell Rd

WASHINGTON, DC | 2 PM Dupont Circle

February 15, 2024

AUSTIN, TX | 10 AM Austin City Hall, 301 2nd St

February 16, 2024

EAU CLAIRE, WI | 5 PM Corner of Hwy 93 and Golf Rd (Outside Hardee’s)

February 18, 2024

NEW ORLEANS, LA | 11:30 AM ARMSTRONG PARK

February 19, 2024

CHICAGO, IL | 11 AM Chicago History Museum, Children’s Fountain

February 25, 2024

SAINT PAUL, MN | 1 PM 1176 N Mississippi River Blvd, St. Paul, MN.

End ID.]

[reasonsforhope]

Hazel Chandler was at home taking care of her son when she began flipping through a document that detailed how burning fossil fuels would soon jeopardize the planet.

She can’t quite remember who gave her the report — this was in 1969 — but the moment stands out to her vividly: After reading a list of extreme climate events that would materialize in the coming decades, she looked down at the baby she was nursing, filled with dread.

 “‘Oh my God, I’ve got to do something,’” she remembered thinking...

It was one of several such moments throughout Chandler’s life that propelled her into activist spaces — against the Vietnam War, for civil rights and women’s rights, and in support of environmental causes.

She participated in letter-writing campaigns and helped gather others to write to legislators about vital pieces of environmental legislation including the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, passed in 1970 and 1972, respectively. At the child care center she worked at, she helped plan celebrations around the first Earth Day in 1970. 

Now at 78, after working in child care and health care for most of her life, she’s more engaged than ever. In 2015, she began volunteering with Elder Climate Action, which focuses on activating older people to fight for the environment. She then took a job as a consultant for the Union for Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science advocacy organization. 

More recently, her activism has revolved around her role as the Arizona field coordinator of Moms Clean Air Force, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group. Chandler helps rally volunteers to take action on climate and environmental justice issues, recruiting residents to testify and meet with lawmakers. 

Pictured: Hazel Chandler tables at Environment Day at Wesley Bolin Plaza in front of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, in January 2024.

Her motivation now is the same as it was decades ago. 

“When I look my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren, my children, in the eye, I have to be able to say, ‘I did everything I could to protect you,’” Chandler said. “I have to be able to tell them that I’ve done everything possible within my ability to help move us forward.” 

Chandler is part of a largely unrecognized contingent of the climate movement in the United States: the climate grannies. 

The most prominent example perhaps, is the actor Jane Fonda. The octogenarian grandmother has been arrested during climate protests a number of times and has her own PAC that funds the campaigns of “climate champions” in local and state elections. 

Climate grannies come equipped with decades of activism experience and aim to pressure the government and corporations to curb fossil fuel emissions. As a result they, alongside women of every age group, are turning out in bigger numbers, both at protests and the polls. All of the climate grandmothers The 19th interviewed for this piece noted one unifying theme: concern for their grandchildren’s futures. 

According to research conducted by Dana R. Fisher, director for the Center of Environment, Community and Equity at American University, while the mainstream environmental movement has typically been dominated by men, women make up 61 percent of climate activists today.  The average age of climate activists was 52 with 24 percent being 69 and older...

A similar trend holds true at the ballot box, according to data collected by the Environmental Voter Project, a nonpartisan organization focused on turning out climate voters in elections. 

A report released by the Environmental Voter Project in December that looked at the patterns of registered voters in 18 different states found that after the Gen Z vote, people 65 and older represent the next largest climate voter group, with older women far exceeding older men in their propensity to list climate as their No. 1 reason for voting. The organization defines climate voters as those who are most likely to list climate change, the environment, or clean air and water as their top political priority.

“Grandmothers are now at the vanguard of today’s climate movement,” said Nathaniel Stinnett, founder of the Environmental Voter Project.

“Older people are three times as likely to list climate as a top priority than middle-aged people. On top of that, women in all age groups are more likely to care about climate than men,” he said. “So you put those two things together … and you can safely say that grandma is much more likely to be a climate voter than your middle-aged man.” 

In Arizona, where Chandler lives, older climate voters make up 231,000 registered voters in the state. The presidential election in the crucial swing state was decided by just 11,000 votes, Stinnett noted.

“Older climate voters can really throw their weight around in Arizona if they organize and if they make sure that everybody goes to the polls,” he said. 

Pictured: Hazel Chandler’s recent activism revolves around her role as the Arizona field coordinator of Moms Clean Air Force, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group.

In some cases, their identities as grandmothers have become an organizing force. 

In California, 1000 Grandmothers for Future Generations formed in 2016, after older women from the Bay Area traveled to be in solidarity with Indigenous grandmothers protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. 

“When they came back, they decided to form an organization that would continue to mobilize women on behalf of the climate justice movement,” said Nancy Hollander, a member of the group. 

1000 Grandmothers — in this case, the term encompasses all older women, not just the literal grandmothers — is rooted at the intersection of social justice and the climate crisis, supporting people of color and Indigenous-led causes in the Bay Area. The organization is divided into various working groups, each with a different focus: elections, bank divestments from fossil fuels, legislative work, nonviolent direct actions, among others...

“There are women in the nonviolent direct action part of the organization who really do feel that elder women — it’s their time to stand up and be counted and to get arrested,” Hollander said. “They consider it a historical responsibility and put themselves out there to protect the more vulnerable.” 

But 1000 Grandmothers credits another grandmother activist, Pennie Opal Plant, for helping train their members in nonviolent direct action and for inspiring them to take the lead of Indigenous women in the fight. 

Plant, 66 — an enrolled member of the Yaqui of Southern California tribe, and of undocumented Choctaw and Cherokee ancestry — has started various organizations over the years, including Idle No More SF Bay, which she co-founded with a group of Indigenous grandmothers in 2013, first in solidarity with a group formed by First Nations women in Canada to defend treaty rights and to protect the environment from exploitation. 

Pictured: Pennie Opal Plant has started various organizations over the years, including Idle No More SF Bay, which she founded in 2013 alongside Indigenous grandmothers.

In 2016, Plant gathered with others in front of Wells Fargo Corporate offices in San Francisco, blocking the road in protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline, when she realized the advantages she had as an older woman in the fight. 

As a police liaison — or a person who aims to defuse tension with law enforcement — she went to speak to an officer who was trying to interrupt the action. When she saw him maneuvering his car over a sidewalk, she stood in front of it, her gray hair flowing. “I opened my arms really wide and was like, are you going to run over a grandmother?”

A new idea was born: The Society of Fearless Grandmothers. Once an in-person training — it now mostly exists online as a Facebook page — it helped teach other grandmothers how to protect the youth at protests. 

For Plant, the role of grandmothers in the fight to protect the planet is about a simple Indigenous principle: ensuring the future for the next seven generations. 

“What we’re seeing is a shift starting with Indigenous women, that is lifting up the good things that mothers have to share, the good things that women that love children can share, that will help bring back balance in the world,” Plant said...

[Kathleen] Sullivan is one of approximately 70,000 people over the age of 60 who’ve joined Third Act, a group specifically formed to engage people 60 and older to mobilize for climate action across the country. 

“This is an act of moral responsibility. It’s an act of care. And It’s an act of reciprocity to the way in which we are cared for by the planet,” Sullivan said. “It’s an act of interconnection to your peers, because there can be great joy and great sense of solidarity with other people around this.”

-via The 19th, January 31, 2024

[calamari-inari]

Pre-orders are open until December 30 for my Ace Attorney Rubber Keychains Mega Collection! ⚖️

I'm offering select packs for the deepest discount!

*** Please note that Miles, Franziska, and Gumshoe are present in the Phoenix Wright Trilogy and Investigations Collection

*** BONUS CHARACTER: JUDGE - You may receive the Judge for free if your order total for this listing is $50+ USD excluding shipping and taxes!

If your order contains only characters that are currently in stock, shipment will occur the coming Saturday of the week the order is made

Edit:

Heartbreaking news, but I will no longer sell to the EU starting now (excluding UK)

There's a new act rolling out December 13 where I must have a "Responsible Person" appointed, requiring technical documentation. Yeah, I'm not dealing with that

[rrcraft-and-lore]

In addition to my Monkey Man post from earlier, the always kind & sweet Aparna Verma (author of The Phoenix King, check it out) asked that I do a thread on Hijras, & more of the history around them, South Asia, mythology (because that's my thing), & the positive inclusion of them in Monkey Man which I brought up in my gushing review.

Hijra: They are the transgender, eunuch, or intersex people in India who are officially recognized as the third sex throughout most countries in the Indian subcontinent. The trans community and history in India goes back a long way as being documented and officially recognized - far back as 12th century under the Delhi Sultanate in government records, and further back in our stories in Hinduism. The word itself is a Hindi word that's been roughly translated into English as "eunuch" commonly but it's not exactly accurate.

Hijras have been considered the third sex back in our ancient stories, and by 2014 got official recognition to identify as the third gender (neither male or female) legally. Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and India have accepted: eunuch, trans, intersex people & granted them the proper identification options on passports and other government official documents.

But let's get into some of the history surrounding the Hijra community (which for the longest time has been nomadic, and a part of India's long, rich, and sometimes, sadly, troubled history of nomadic tribes/people who have suffered a lot over the ages. Hijras and intersex people are mentioned as far back as in the Kama Sutra, as well as in the early writings of Manu Smriti in the 1st century CE (Common Era), specifically said that a third sex can exist if possessing equal male and female seed.

This concept of balancing male/female energies, seed, and halves is seen in two places in South Asian mythos/culture and connected to the Hijra history.

First, we have Aravan/Iravan (romanized) - who is also the patron deity of the transgender community. He is most commonly seen as a minor/village deity and is depicted in the Indian epic Mahabharata. Aravan is portrayed as having a heroic in the story and his self-sacrifice to the goddess Kali earns him a boon.

He requests to be married before his death. But because he is doomed to die so shortly after marriage, no one wants to marry him.

No one except Krishna, who adopts his female form Mohini (one of the legendary temptresses in mythology I've written about before) and marries him. It is through this union of male, and male presenting as female in the female form of Mohini that the seed of the Hijras is said to begun, and why the transgender community often worships Aravan and, another name for the community is Aravani - of/from Aravan.

But that's not the only place where a gender non conforming divine representation can be seen. Ardhanarishvara is the half female form of lord Shiva, the destroyer god.

Shiva combines with his consort Parvarti and creates a form that represents the balancing/union between male/female energies and physically as a perfectly split down the middle half-male half-female being. This duality in nature has long been part of South Asian culture, spiritual and philosophical beliefs, and it must be noted the sexuality/gender has often been displayed as fluid in South Asian epics and the stories. It's nothing new.

Many celestial or cosmic level beings have expressed this, and defied modern western limiting beliefs on the ideas of these themes/possibilities/forms of existence.

Ardhanarishvara signifies "totality that lies beyond duality", "bi-unity of male and female in God" and "the bisexuality and therefore the non-duality" of the Supreme Being.

Back to the Hijra community.

They have a complex and long history. Throughout time, and as commented on in the movie, Monkey Man, the Hijra community has faced ostracization, but also been incorporated into mainstream society there. During the time of the Dehli Sultanate and then later the Mughal Empire, Hijras actually served in the military and as military commanders in some records, they were also servants for wealthy households, manual laborers, political guardians, and it was seen as wise to put women under the protection of Hijras -- they often specifically served as the bodyguards and overseers of harems. A princess might be appointed a Hijra warrior to guard her.

But by the time of British colonialism, anti-Hijra laws began to come in place folded into laws against the many nomadic tribes of India (also shown in part in Monkey Man with Kid (portrayed by Dev Patel) and his family, who are possibly

one of those nomadic tribes that participated in early theater - sadly by caste often treated horribly and relegated to only the performing arts to make money (this is a guess based on the village play they were performing as no other details were given about his family).

Hijras were criminalized in 1861 by the Indian Penal Code enforced by the British and were labeled specifically as "The Hijra Problem" -- leading to an anti-Hijra campaign across the subcontinent with following laws being enacted: punishing the practices of the Hijra community, and outlawing castration (something many Hijra did to themselves). Though, it should be noted many of the laws were rarely enforced by local Indian officials/officers. But, the British made a point to further the laws against them by later adding the Criminal Tribes Act in 1871, which targeted the Hijra community along with the other nomadic Indian tribes - it subjected them to registration, tracking/monitoring, stripping them of children, and their ability to sequester themselves in their nomadic lifestyle away from the British Colonial Rule.

Today, things have changed and Hijras are being seen once again in a more positive light (though not always and this is something Monkey Man balances by what's happened to the community in a few scenes, and the heroic return/scene with Dev and his warriors). All-hijra communities exist and sort of mirror the western concept of "found families" where they are safe haven/welcoming place trans folks and those identifying as intersex.

These communities also have their own secret language known as Hijra Farsi, which is loosely based on Hindi, but consists of a unique vocabulary of at least 1,000 words.

As noted above, in 2014, the trans community received more legal rights.

Specifically: In April 2014, Justice K. S. Radhakrishnan declared transgender to be the third gender in Indian law in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India.

Hijras, Eunuchs, apart from binary gender, be treated as "third gender" for the purpose of safeguarding their rights under Part III of our Constitution and the laws made by the Parliament and the State Legislature. Transgender persons' right to decide their self-identified gender is also upheld and the Centre and State Governments are directed to grant legal recognition of their gender identity such as male, female or as third gender.

I've included some screenshots of (some, not all, and certainly not the only/definitive reads) books people can check out about SOME of the history. Not all again. This goes back ages and even our celestial beings/creatures have/do display gender non conforming ways.

There are also films that touch on Hijra history and life. But in regards to Monkey Man, which is what started this thread particularly and being asked to comment - it is a film that positively portrayed India's third sex and normalized it in its depiction. Kid the protagonist encounters a found family of Hijras at one point in the story (no spoilers for plot) and his interactions/acceptance, living with them is just normal. There's no explaining, justifying, anything to/for the audience. It simply is. And, it's a beautiful arc of the story of Kid finding himself in their care/company.

[vintagelasvegas]

Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy at Union 76, Las Vegas Strip. Undated c. 1958. Slide scan by Charles Phoenix.

Alan Post’s Union 76 opened circa ‘57. The phrase “Free Aspirin, Tender Sympathy” appeared in their print advertising that summer, but the earliest dated visual we have of the sign is a traveler's 8mm film from Fall 1958. The sign was referenced in the newspaper later that year:

“A service station attendant got some of his own ‘free aspiring and tender sympathy’ last night on the Strip after he was slugged twice with a crescent wrench by two teenagers who attempted to rob him.”

– Man Slugged by Two Teenagers. Review-Journal, 12/9/58.

The S&H Green Stamps section of the sign was in place through the mid 60s when the station was owned by Wayne Nickerson. That section of the sign lost its neon in the 70s, and was used for painted lettering of later owners names: Jay G. Manning, 70's, and Kenneth L. Lehman, 80s.

When the station closed in 2001 the sign had no neon tubing left. The sign was donated to the Neon Museum. In 2024 the Neon Museum oversaw a complete restoration of the sign. It was installed in the Medical District, in the median on W. Charleston Blvd east of Rancho Dr.

Photos: Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy

Film from Danita Courtney. Dated Oct. 1958 by performer names in the film. Trees on either side of the sign are about the same size as the Charles Phoenix image.

The sign reads, Free Aspirin, Ask Us Anything on its south-facing side. Low res image circa Jul. '63, from Almost Lono.

The restored sign, W. Charleston near Rancho Dr., 12/2/2024.

Updated 12/2/2024.