#qualification for canada

[worldswin]

Server,Food and beverage services (weeding etc...,Food events,Restaurants,Hotels,Hospitality...

[itwoodbeprefect]

thinking about rayk in the infamous season 3 episode 2 crypt scene going "do you find me attractive?" and fraser taking a second before answering "very much so, yes" and ray almost accepting this answer that he clearly likes a lot, before turning back and worriedly verifying "you're not just saying that?" and then fraser hesitates a second and goes "well, i'm not really qualified to judge, ray" which is just. the most fraser thing he could possibly have said. it vaguely implies he could be (or he might think he is) straight while absolutely not saying that in any way, which leaves almost every option open, but it does sound like it's an actual answer, exactly in the way you'd expect from a guy who grew up with his librarian grandmother. it gives off demi/ace vibes. not to mention that it sort of sounds like he might think there's an actual qualification he'd need to get to be allowed to decide whether a man is attractive or not, making it entirely plausible to fill out the background of this situation as benton fraser, gay man, being asked if he thinks a guy is attractive and mentally reasoning that well, he's only ever had any romantic/sexual experience with victoria, so clearly he doesn't have the right stamps in his passport. he can't say, because he doesn't have the requisite two years experience minimum for the position. he's still on his learner's permit. he didn't graduate from Deciding If A Man Is Handsome university, so, sorry ray, but his opinion is that of a layman, not a man who's been laid (by another man). apologies that he couldn't be more helpful.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Camp School Being Held At Barriefield," Kingston Whig-Standard. June 21, 1933. Page 3. ---- Major R. G. Whitelaw Is In Charge Expect 250 Will Attend ---- The District Camp School, which will be continued for the next four weeks, opened on Monday afternoon at Barriefield Camp under the command of Major R. G. Whitelaw of Headquarters. There are forty-five in camp at present and this number will be augmented until over 250 are in camp. The District Camp School is primarily for the purpose of qualifying for officers and N.C.O.'s of the non-permanent active militia.

Candidates are in camp from all over the district at present taking the complete qualifying course. For those who have already qualified in Part One at Provisional Schools there is a course starting in July which will last for two weeks. In all throughout the camp period there will be twenty-five courses given, which will include the course for signallers, qualifying and visional telegraphy and also a course in riding for senior officers. Over 250 applications for the camp school course have been accepted, but It is expected that this number will be exceeded.

Yesterday afternoon examinations were held at the Camp School for French interpreters. Those comprising the school attend as individuals and at the conclusion of the course examinations in the works covered are held.

The Second Signal Troop under the command of Captain Rees, with Lieut. Stroud as second in command, will carry out ten days unit training at Barriefield Camp while the Camp School is being held, in order to take advantage of the messing facilities. and the administrative arrangements so that all can devote themselves to actual training for the full ten days.

[thebrightgroups]

[pintadorartist]

The Senate Must Block Trump’s Cabinet Nominees

Here is an image of the President-Elect, Donald Trump's cabinet picks for his administration:

These picks are not only bad since most of these picks lack experience in these fields, but some actually have written parts of the Project 2025 guidebook, like Russel T. Vought for example.

And although the Republicans took the Senate, they still need Democrat cooperation to confirm these nominations.

Another factor to consider is that not all of the Republicans are on board with these nominations, an example being Matt Gaetz, who ended up withdrawing his bid for Attorney General after facing backlash from fellow Repubs amid allegations of sexual misconduct

So, I ask that you all Call, Email, and Fax your senators to tell them to reject these nominations.

For more info on the appointees, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4985802-trump-cabinet-nominees-second-term/

Here's where you'll find your Senator:

You can also call (202) 224-3121, where a switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request.

If you're nervous about talking with someone call after your senator's office is closed or test RESIST at 50409 to turn your text into an email or fax

Fax tool here:

Scripts;

If your Senator is a Democrat, use this script for calls, email, and fax:

"Hello [Senator name], my name is [Your name], and I urge you to reject Trump's cabinet picks. Instead of competent experts, Trump has picked his most loyal allies as Cabinet members to enforce his authoritarian agenda and disrupt the most essential services for everyday Americans. He's appointed self-serving people like anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health and human services and former Fox News host and white nationalist Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense.

The Senate must reject these Cabinet nominees to protect working Americans from the dysfunction our federal agencies will face under the direction of these appointees. We're worth fighting for, and we deserve better. I urge you and the Senate to reject RFK Jr., Hegseth, and any other extremist Trump nominees who will seek to enact Trump's radical Project 2025 agenda."

If your Senator is a Republican, use this script instead:

"Hello [Senator name], my name is [Your name], and I urge you to reject Trump's cabinet picks. Instead of competent experts with experience, Trump has picked unqualified Cabinet members who will disrupt the most essential services for everyday Americans. He's appointed people who lack qualifications, like anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services and former Fox News host and white nationalist Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.

The Senate must reject these Cabinet nominees to protect working Americans from the dysfunction our federal agencies will face under the direction of these appointees. We're worth fighting for, and we deserve better. I urge you and the Senate to reject RFK Jr., Hegseth, and any other unqualified Trump nominees who lack the expertise and qualifications for these roles"

Here are also some petitions to sign as well:

[covid-safer-hotties]

Back in early 2020, the news of the strange illness causing terrible pneumonias in China saddened me, but I believed I was safe in Canada. Within weeks, there was a reckoning: thousands were dying on my doorstep, too.

Directors of an independent living residence at the start of the pandemic asked me to become the residence’s COVID-19 advisor. They had no qualified medical staff, despite supporting elderly residents. Back in those early days, anyone with a medical qualification was commandeered to help in any way they could.

Confronted with the task of providing guidance to the nonmedical staff taking care of these residents, I decided to learn everything I could about the pandemic. At that time, about 1,000 papers were being published every month detailing research into every aspect of the coronavirus. Of course, I couldn’t read all of them, but I read as many as I could and built a breadth and depth of evidenced-based knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. I wrote up the protocols and during my tenure as COVID-19 Advisor for this residence, we kept COVID out.

As a family physician seeing COVID-19 in my practice, I came to recognize that so many of my colleagues and patients had no idea how to keep themselves safe from the coronavirus, nor were they aware of its long-term risks. I saw the need to take action and effect change, which ultimately led me to becoming an advocate for Long COVID awareness.

I started the medical education company Kojala Medical, aiming to provide evidenced-based information about medical issues in a form patients could understand and reliably trust. I wanted a credible, trustworthy site to which I could refer my patients, colleagues, friends and family. We started with a focus on COVID-19 and have now expanded to Long COVID, with the site longcovidtheanswers.com.

I first learned about Long COVID in 2020 through publicity raised by the Body Politic COVID-19 support group, then became more alarmed as I read scientific articles about the disease.

Aside from the official death toll of over 7 million from COVID-19, Long COVID has emerged from the pandemic as the single biggest disaster to afflict humanity, yet very few people who are not sick with Long COVID are aware of it, want to know about it, believe in it, or even acknowledge that it’s happening. Sadly, many in the medical profession fall within that group of non and disbelievers.

This is bizarre, especially because of the impact of the disease. One recent review estimates more than 400 million global cases of Long COVID. I am furious that not enough is being done to alleviate this suffering. The injustice of yet another neglected and marginalized chronic illness that disproportionately affects women.

So, rather than sitting around waiting for ‘someone’ or ‘body’ to do something, I decided to act.

For me, medicine is fundamentally about aiding people to get as well as possible from any sickness they have — and even more importantly, preventing people from getting sick in the first place. In both of these regards, we are failing people with Long COVID dismally.

Long COVID is not the flu, it is a multisystem debilitating infection associated chronic condition. Developing Long COVID can be disabling and life-changing. Recovery remains low — and some manifestations like heart disease, dysautonomia, and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) may last a lifetime.

This is a terrifying situation to be in when, as a global community, we have chosen to act as though the pandemic is over and repeatedly expose ourselves to SARS-CoV-2, a grade 3 biohazard, with little to no protection.

As I read more and more research papers about Long COVID and looked at the inaction of global governments and my own profession, I feared that we were sleepwalking into a global mass disabling event unnecessarily, since we have many technologies available to prevent this.

Infection-associated chronic conditions do not have an established medical speciality, and are rarely taught in medical school. With the medical profession disengaged, people with Long COVID have been left to find answers for themselves.

My work aims to build on support groups, which have helped establish caring communities for people with Long COVID, but have also paved the way for us as scientists and medics to change the way we conduct research in a more patient-focused way. Nevertheless, they don’t entirely fulfill the need for evidence-based information about the disease in a readable format for nonmedical individuals.

I saw a huge need for a comprehensive website that would be of use to all people with Long COVID, their caregivers, the scientists researching the disease, and the multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals that would be needed to rehabilitate them. Our organization believes that Long COVID The Answers meets those requirements.

There is also a pressing need to train medical professionals so that they will acknowledge Long COVID and feel confident about diagnosing and managing it. Inspired by an interview with Dr. Ric Arsenaeau, an expert in managing complex chronic diseases, my team and I created a podcast series: so that medical providers can receive continuing professional development/educational credits from watching this series.

The podcast series features a range of experts, including people with Long COVID, doctors, scientists, educators, and medical clinicians. Some of these experts also serve on our advisory board, overlooking and participating in the project.

Our site aims to raise awareness about the dangers of continuously exposing ourselves to a perilous virus with no thought of what it will cost us and our children.

This will mobilize the people of the world to demand that their leaders properly provide safe spaces for us all to prevent us from ever getting infected in the first place.

We need to mandate our governments to access all the mitigating technologies that we have in our roster, not only vaccination. The best way of managing Long COVID is to prevent people getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the first place!

We need national and international indoor clean air acts – to protect us from emerging pathogens.

For people with Long COVID, awareness will bring an educated and mobilized medical profession, governmental resources, financial and sociological support, and money for research — to facilitate treatments and, hopefully, a cure.

These are the main reasons why I jump out of bed in the morning with gusto, focus, and determination, and why I’ve poured all my money and my time into educating people about Long COVID.

Dr. Funmi Okunola is a British Family Physician who lives and works in Vancouver, Canada. She is the President and CEO of Kojala Medical, a digital medical education company behind COVID-19 The Answers and Long COVID The Answers.

[punisheddonjuan]

(I Will Soon Be Offering) Private Guitar Lessons

A few months ago one of my followers inquired if I had ever given thought to offering guitar lessons online via webcam. I replied that it was indeed something I had thought about but that I would need to give it more thought as to how I would approach teaching online, whether or not I had the proper equipment and software to provide a professional experience, how many students I could take on, and what exactly I could offer as a teacher. I also noted that I would have to create a suitable space in my apartment for hosting students, this part took care of itself when my roommate moved out, my girlfriend moved in and we converted his old bedroom into an office. As for the rest? Well I gave it some thought and I've hacked together reasonable solutions for most of those other issues, so I would like to announce that beginning later this winter/this spring I will be offering private one-on-one guitar lessons via webcam.

My Qualifications:

While I graduated with a degree in Classics and attended graduate school in that field, I was initially accepted into university as a music major on the basis of my guitar playing. It was only after a few years that I switched majors into Classics. In the end I still managed enough credits to claim a minor in music.

Before attending university I spent a year studying jazz theory/jazz improvisation at college.

Both prior to and concurrent with my college/university music education I studied classical guitar privately with my former guitar teacher for a little over a decade; through him I can claim teaching lineage back to Francisco Tárrega.

I have played in a few little garage bands that never really went anywhere, performed with friends at house parties, jammed around as much as I could, and performed live as a solo guitarist.

I previously taught guitar privately during university; this is not my first rodeo.

All things accounted, I have been playing guitar for near to twenty-five years.

What I Can Offer:

If you're an absolute beginner, I would be happy to guide your playing to a level where you would feel comfortable learning songs on your own, and we would start with learning basic chords, basic technique, and putting it all together into learning a few songs.

If you're past the beginner stage, I can take your playing to a level where you would be able to convincingly improvise a solo over a song, play more advanced songs, and sit in with a jam session.

If learning to read sheet music is a goal of yours' I am able to assist with that.

If you're interested in beginner classical guitar I would feel comfortable teaching repertoire and technique to the level of what is asked for by the Royal Conservatory of Music Grade Five examinations. Grade Five repertoire is generally the minimum requirement for auditioning to a university level music program in Canada. I have several guitar methods at my disposal for teaching technique, and access to a wide array of repertoire sheet music.

I am also able to teach theory as it pertains to playing the guitar and point you towards texts that from beginner levels up to basic harmonic analysis. I can teach you how chords are constructed, how they fit together into a progression, and the basic grammar of music.

What I Can't Teach:

I can't teach you to shred. Shredding has never really been my thing. Can I show you how to sweep pick? Sure. Can I teach you to play some arpeggios? Sure. Can I drill you in accurate and fast alternate picking? Absolutely. Can I show you a few weird and exotic scales? Yes. But I'm not a shred player.

I can't bring you to a level where you could effortlessly solo over the changes to "Giant Steps" or play in a Steely Dan cover band. But, I can teach you some jazz chords, I can teach you how to comp with chords and how to use guide tones, and I can teach you the basics of soloing over chord changes and what scales to use with what chords. That said, I'm not an expert jazz player, but we can still jam on some modal stuff.

Lessons, Pricing, What to Expect, What a Prospective Student Will Require:

The typical going rate for private music lessons is around $35-$40 and ranges up to well over $100 for some in demand teachers. My fee operates on a sliding scale with a floor of $20USD/$25CAD per hour lesson. If you are comfortable with paying the typical going rate, wonderful, if you are unable to afford more than $20/$25, then that's what you will pay, no questions asked. Payment can be sent through PayPal or Interac e-transfer.

Due to the nature of my chronic illness it would be extremely difficult to take on more than five students a week. They needn't necessarily be the same five students every week; if a bi-weekly lesson schedule works better for a number of people, they can alternate. In the rare event that there is more demand than I am able to fulfill mutuals and longtime followers will have priority.

What you need as a student: A guitar (reminder that these lessons, excepting students interested in the classical guitar, are geared towards the electric guitar); a webcam (I will need a way to see you, your hands, and what your hands are doing); a microphone; a way of letting me hear your playing (whether this will be through positioning your microphone in such a way that it picks up your amplifier or utilizing a direct input method); headphones would be a good idea too.

If you commit to more than one lesson the first will be free of charge. Your first lesson with me will look something like this: we'll talk about your goals and intentions i.e. what it is you hope to get out of taking guitar lessons and how far you want to take your playing. As we chat about that we can chart out a course to get you there, and then we'll just generally see where you're at. The rest of the lesson will be taken up with some pointers on properly caring for and tuning your instrument, and then we'll put some thought towards the way our bodies are posed, how we have the guitar positioned in relation to our bodies, exercising good hand ergonomics, and finding a playing position that is both comfortable and which allows for optimal freedom of movement.

I live in Toronto which is located in the Eastern Standard Timezone (UTC -5) keep this in mind if you're interested in taking lessons and are located elsewhere.

I intend to do my best at being a trooper and toughing it out, and I will aim to not cancel lessons without fair warning, but the nature of my illness virtually guarantees that I may need to resort to this occasionally. You will need to be alright with this.

If you're interested, you can contact me here or at brendanpalangio@gmail.com. Hopefully I can get enough people interested that I can go about figuring out everyone's availability and drawing up a schedule.

[feminist-space]

"Long COVID has destroyed my life

I would love nothing more than to “finally ignore COVID,” as the headline to Dr. Ashish Jha’s July 31 op-ed reads (“With a few basic steps, most of us can finally ignore COVID”). As a healthy, vaccinated, and recently boosted 35-year-old, I did what he said: I ignored COVID-19 on a weekend trip with friends in September 2022. But the infection I got as a result has all but destroyed my life.

A week after my infection, I began to experience intense fatigue, overwhelming headaches, and cognitive challenges that continue to this day. These symptoms are debilitating: I can no longer work, socialize, or travel. My finances are dire. And if I am unable to avoid another infection, my condition may deteriorate even further.

Jha wrote of long COVID “treatments” being promising. Perhaps he could clarify what treatments he is referring to, because my doctors say that there are no approved treatments for long COVID.

A recent study funded by the NIH’s RECOVER initiative showed that 10 percent of adults infected with COVID still have symptoms six months later, even with vaccination. By downplaying the prevalence and debilitating outcomes of even moderate long COVID, Jha is signing thousands of people up to the misery and despair with which I live every day.

Ezra J. Spier

Oakland, Calif.

Another view from infectious disease doctors

As infectious disease doctors, we disagree with Dr. Jha’s contention that it is time to ignore COVID-19.

Yes, being vaccinated and taking Paxlovid thankfully decrease the risk of severe disease. But only 43 percent of people age 65 and over and only 17 percent of all Americans had received an updated COVID vaccination by May 2023, and access to Paxlovid treatment is inequitable by race and insurance status.

Long-term complications of COVID can be devastating, including after second infections.

More than half a million Americans have died since the summer of 2021, when sufficient vaccine doses were available: COVID death rates in the United States continue to be double those of Canada. Termination of free tests and “commercialization” of medications as implemented by the federal government will only widen our country’s grisly COVID-related health disparities.

Inevitably, ignoring COVID leads to ignoring the slow-motion epidemic of long COVID. Standing up against such neglect, leaders like Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor Maura Healey can promote meaningful measures to protect our communities: air purification in all schools and public spaces; free COVID-preventive masks (KN95 or N95, not surgical masks); tests, vaccines, and Paxlovid for all who cannot afford to buy them; and concern for and support of long COVID victims.

Dr. Julia Koehler

Boston

Dr. Regina LaRocque

Wellesley

We remain vulnerable to long COVID

Ashish Jha’s position as former White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator is a conflict of interest masquerading as a qualification for his op-ed. Researchers who study long COVID stated in a recent paper in Nature Reviews Immunology that “the oncoming burden of long COVID faced by patients, health-care providers, governments and economies is so large as to be unfathomable.” Rapid tests, which are less accurate with recent strains while PCR tests are less available, and low death rates give a false sense of security.

I agree that despite progress, more buildings need the air filtration and ventilation that would make public life safer. But Jha omits our vulnerability to long COVID after even mild infections, its devastating effects, and higher death rates for hospital-acquired COVID-19, combined with a lack of collective protection in health care settings with unmasked, untested people who prefer to ignore COVID-19.

Aside from advocating vaccines, he describes an everyone-for-themselves approach, not mentioning responsibility to protect others or access to essentials.

Jha dines in a restaurant with his friends while patients even in leading cancer hospitals are forced into Russian roulette, thanks to this approach.

Kathryn Nichols

Cambridge

Vigilance is necessary to prevent long COVID

While I understand the desire to promote optimism amid the ongoing pandemic, I am deeply concerned about the potential consequences of downplaying the importance of COVID precautions and the significant risk of long COVID. As a person living with long COVID for the last 16 months despite being vaccinated and boosted, I have experienced post-exertional malaise, fatigue, headaches, joint and muscle pain, cognitive dysfunction, and more symptoms that have continued to today. I have tried numerous medicines, supplements, and even participated in a clinical trial, only to find limited relief from the persistent effects of this virus.

Such a stance overlooks the reality that millions more people could end up with long COVID if we fail to remain vigilant in our efforts to combat the virus. Long COVID is a devastating consequence of this virus, and we cannot rely solely on vaccinations to end the pandemic. Even with widespread vaccination, the risk of contracting long COVID remains high. A recent study funded by the NIH’s RECOVER initiative showed that 10 percent of adults infected with COVID still have symptoms six months later. Minimizing the significance of long COVID not only neglects the suffering of long-haulers but also risks undermining public health efforts to control the spread of the virus.

By raising awareness about the risk of long COVID, media outlets can play a pivotal role in educating the public and promoting continued vigilance. Responsible reporting on the enduring impact of long COVID can serve as a reminder that the pandemic is far from over and that we must remain committed to taking necessary precautions to protect ourselves and others. Highlighting the struggles of long COVID survivors and the lack of proven treatments can spur further research and medical advancements in addressing this condition. Empathy and support for those living with long COVID are essential in paving the way for better understanding, compassionate care, and better health outcomes for everyone as COVID rates increase again this summer.

Travis Hardy

Norwalk, Conn.

Link https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/05/opinion/cant-ignore-long-covid-jha/

[jennibeultimate]

Artistic Gymnastics Olympics 2024 WAG Qualification

Number of individual (EF&AA) finals per team

Team USA 🇺🇸 9 finals (Simone Biles VT, FX + BB, Jade Carey VT, Sunisa Lee BB + UB, Jordan Chiles FX, Sunisa Lee & Simone Biles AA)

Team Italy 🇮🇹 7 finals (Alice D'Amato UB,BB + FX, Manila Esposito BB + FX, Alice D'Amato & Manila Esposito AA)

Team Brazil 🇧🇷 6 finals(Rebeca Andrade VT, BB + FX, Julia Soares BB, Rebeca Andrade & Flavia Saraiva AA)

Team China 🇨🇳 6 finals (Qiu Qiyuan UB, Zhang Yihan UB, Zhou Yaqin BB, Ou Youshan FX, Qiu Qiyuan & Ou Youshan AA)

Team Romania 🇷🇴 5 finals (Sabrina Maneca-Voinea BB + FX, Ana Barbosu FX , Ana Barbosu & Amalia Ghigoarta AA)

Team Canada 🇨🇦 4 finals (Elsabeth Black VT, Shallon Olsen VT, Elsabeth Black & Ava Stewart AA)

Team Japan 🇯🇵 3 finals (Rina Kishi FX, Rina Kishi & Haruka Nakamura AA)

Team Great Britain 🇬🇧 3 finals (Becky Downie UB, Alice Kinsella & Georgia Mae-Fenton AA)

Team South Korea 🇰🇷 1 final (Seoyeong Yeo VT)

Team Netherlands 🇳🇱 1 final (Naomi Visser AA)

Team Australia 🇦🇺 1 final (Ruby Pass AA)

Team France 🇫🇷 0 finals (this hurts so much 😭)

Countries with finals without team:

Germany 🇩🇪 3 finals (Sarah Voss AA, Helen Kevric UB & AA)

Algeria 🇩🇿 2 finals (Kaylia Neymour UB & AA)

Belgium 🇧🇪 1 final (Nina Derwael UB)

North Korea 🇰🇵 1 final (Chang Ok An VT)

Bulgaria 🇧🇬 1 final (Valentina Georgieva VT)

Portugal 🇵🇹 1 final (Filipa Martins AA)

Hungary 🇭🇺 1 final (Bettina Lilli Czifra AA)

Colombia 🇨🇴 1 final (Luisa Blanco AA)

[thebreakfastgenie]

I KNOW THIS POST IS A JOKE

https://x.com/strike_dr/status/1876821001889075296?s=46&t=FcoVShSsnYmEcygKTqiuBQ

But goddamn i didn’t realize how much commies hated America and generalized everyone in it. And I do get it to extent but cmon be a little realistic as much as either country doesn’t really like us atm I don’t think they’re going to just … do that.

Majority Americans from what I’ve seen don’t want us to annex these guys either!! I mean for fucks sakes Mexico sent up some their firefighters and I think Canada sent help as well for the LA fires!

Also what would the combine take over of Canada and Mexico do for them? Yeah it gets rid of America but once it’s gone wouldn’t their next target be either of these countries??? (I would think particularly Canada since I think one of their heads is trying to be a mini trump) Or was the goal just death to America bc either country is sooo much better in comparison.

The reflexive anti-Americanism is so exhausting, I'm just done with it. I'm not going to hate myself for being American. I'm not going to pretend America isn't a country with a lot of people from many different backgrounds living in it, people whose lives matter. It's not an abstract concept. I've made anti-America jokes and I'll probably continue to do so once in a while because sometimes they're funny and it's a nice counter to right wing hyperpatriotism but this kind humor is something I've outgrown. Other people have pointed this out but "America is the worst and most evil" is just another form of American exceptionalism. I have worked hard as an American raised in a culture obsessed with American exceptionalism to internalize America is just a country like any other country, some good, some bad, full of people. There are some qualifications to this because the US is uniquely powerful and also just unusually large and wealthy, but I think you know what I mean.

[flareonfloof]

my favorite sports team¹ lost a very important game² and now I need lots of pets³ :(

¹ The Colorado Avalanche (formerly Quebec Nordiques) are an NHL⁴ franchise located in Denver, Colorado. They have won the NHL championship⁵ three times, most recently in 2022.

²The NHL playoffs⁶ are conducted via a series of 4 7-game rounds, with the winner of each round advancing to the next. The game in question was game 7 of the first round. By losing, the Colorado Avalanche have been eliminated.⁷

³ Soft, consentual stroking of a creature's fur.

⁴ The National Hockey League (NHL) is a North American professional ice hockey organization, made up of 32 teams across the United States and Canada.

⁵ The NHL championship is also colloquially known as the Stanley Cup, after the trophy awarded to the winning team. Every member of the winning team's organization has their name engraved into a section of the trophy, with bands being added and removed as space is required.

⁶ The term "playoffs" here refers to a tournament held after a regular season of scheduled games of a sport. The season determines qualification and seeding for the playoffs.

⁷ From the playoffs. The players were not killed.

[rtcpollshowdown]

Greetings children, it’s time to play

Welcome to the Ride the Cyclone Production Poll Showdown!

Notes and qualifications for productions (eligible to change):

All productions included must have opened before the polls begin on September 14th, 2024

Youth productions will not be included for the sake of the people in them

(Note: this does not mean none of the actors included will be minors, actors under 18 can and very likely will be included because of the nature of community theatre. The criteria for “youth productions” is if half or more of the actors are under 18, this means community theater productions where only one or two of the characters are played by highschoolers (ex. Street Theater) will still be included as long as everyone else are legal adults)

Canada 2009-2015 will not be included just because it was not a single solid clear production and there is still very scarce information on it compared to most other productions. Sorry.

Nothing from the US tour will be included for the sake of fairness

The same goes for McCarter Theater and Arena Stage, for very different and very obvious reasons

I’ve also made the executive decision to not include Majestic Repertory Theatre just because it’s so obviously going to win if it is and the nature of the bracket doesn’t necessarily mean what would come second if it was included would’ve come first if it wasn’t

BULLYING IS NOT TOLERATED!!!! You may submit propaganda and such in favor of a production but not against it, especially if you are digging at the actors’ performances

If a production you love is not included in the bracket please ask for it through the ask box (not by reblogs please they are very difficult to keep track of), I probably just forgot about it (you can do this up until round 2 begins)

I will do my best to pit similar productions against each other (ex: university vs university, 2 productions with similar budgets) for round one but after that it’s completely random

[blog run by @kaleidoscopiccc, please dm me any questions or concerns there, including asking to remove a certain production from the bracket]

MAY THE BEST PRODUCTION WIN!!

[hughessdemon]

F1 x HOCKEY || did y’all see that ? . Y/N driver x Jack Hughes au

A/N : I might give Y/N her name soon so if y’all have recommendations send them now !!

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BREAKIG NEWS !!! y/n ex Jack Hughes center and alternate captain of the NJ devils hockey team spotted at the paddocks of Mclaren along with his two best friends Anaheim Duck , Trevor Zegras and Montreal Canadian , Cole Caufield . Jack in town to support Y/N today or here to watch the game for fun ?

-————————————

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- when I heard Jack was at the paddocks of Mclaren with Z and C , my mind went blank as I walking the longer way to avoid the media and Mclaren pad . Why is he here was going wild in my head , he never showed interest in Motorsports really none of them did since you were kids - it seemed to bug but you noticed he got his tooth fixed , chuckling at the idea of him being there , you needed to put on your professional behavior and and get ready for qualifying today especially… against Mad Max even though he’s gonna get to p1 anyways .

——

Location : MONTREAL,CANADA

yourusername :

liked by lewishamilton, scuderiaferrari , and 460,037 likes

tagged : carlossainz , lewishamilton , charlesleclerc , maxverstappen

yourusername : qualitative analysis today …. I hope I beat the man on the floor today 😗🧎🏽‍♀️

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Lewishamilton : 😂😂 smooth operator

jarchives: omg isn’t Jack there to support her ? Are they back together omg ???

scuderiaferrari: that’s our girll 🚨🫶🏽

Zegrasxebras: 100% avoiding Lando today since her ex is at the paddocks today 💀💀

francisca.cgomes: come see me lovely ❤️

lilymhe: 😍😍

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“Hey you Ferrari girl !!” You heard Gasly calling you out as he was entering the Ferrari garage , giving you a head pat as you went in to give Kika a big hug welcoming her to the Ferrari pads ~ you might’ve been the youngest being born in 02 but they always treated you well and protected from the horrendous things on media days , enemies on tracks but family off track is a way you can describe it .

they’re always there especially Charles and Carlos and Pierre , you were most close to them you saw them as your brothers in cars. Your brothers were in NHL they had no idea what it was like being in Motorsport especially one that’s more dominated by men …. They never really cared about your passion growing up so you weren’t close to them at all . Quinn was friends with your older brother Bryan and Luke was your best friend in middle school but ever since you moved out to Miami for the tracks and traveling you got to barely speak to him , seeing him through his social media was a way . Not to mention you dated Jack from 8th grade up to 11th grade then again from 2020-2021 as you both reconnected… you broke up due to him not actually caring for you and schedules as you were never off season for summer like him . But to see him become the Center and Captain for his team suprised you despite his poor attitude and lack of understanding people .

— the qualification was postponed for a bit due to the heavy rain, they were preparing to change tires for the wet tires . Changing gears as well , as you were about to walk away to your car, you saw Jack standing up on the paddock looking down at your number 43 - his half number …. you carried that numbers as it was both good luck to you guys - getting situated in the car wasn’t hard like the first few times during winter test when the car was so bad , it was unexplainable painful to ride , Jack running through your mind still , he never was at your games like you were - you had show off today for once .

1.2.3 red lights off and go !!!

you were right behind max , you had no issues with max but with Hamilton trying to overtake you was pushing you to the point , you pass overtook max 💀- it just qualification you didn’t budge because you probably wouldn’t win against max after that 😗-

“Congratulations lil red !!” Riccardo patting up your back , smiling at you making it less terrifying to face Max right now , you might be not be racing him this year, but you were happy for him and his mental state he seemed much better . Talking a bit to Daniel you were being called back to the pads for interviews along with Charles strutting behind you - you saw Lance with Z and the hockey boys , it all made sense ofc they were friends with Lance … Lance mf stroll , rolling your eyes as Max greets you with a ball coming straight at you . Definitely a way to seek revenge max …. bet , so you chased him into the pads ..

few hours later …..

- you were back at the hotel with Lewis , yes Lewis , you heard me right . We both had an on and off relationship for the past two years … it’s complicated especially with our age gap but end of the day we both know we have each other and understandingly feel calm in the presence of each other’s arms . Tommorow is the big day , not wanting to do anything tonight more , you both ended up falling asleep early , with the bogus of being woken up at 6 am the next morning. ———-

authors note : if you want more like this please comment I literally need to know your opinions!!

[mariacallous]

As Moldova hurtles toward critical elections on Sunday, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Malicious actors, bankrolled by foreign sources, are working to sway the country’s public. And their target? President Maia Sandu — fighting not only for reelection but for her country’s future as a European democracy.

 As Moldova’s first female president, Sandu’s candidacy has become ground zero for a flurry of gendered disinformation attacks, all designed to undermine her leadership and derail the nation’s EU membership referendum, which coincides with the election.

This is no ordinary election. It’s an all-out assault on Moldova’s sovereignty, and at the heart of the battle lies one simple truth: Whoever controls the narrative determines Moldova’s future.

In a crowded field of 10 candidates, Sandu’s still expected to win the first round, despite being buffeted by efforts to weaken and discredit her and the women serving in her administration. These attacks are gendered, insidious and relentless, looking to exploit traditional gender norms in a country where 97 percent of the population believes women should be “cherished and protected by men.”

But this isn’t about traditional values — it’s about manipulating them to maintain Russia’s grip on Moldova.

Disinformation targeting female leaders isn’t just a women’s issue. It’s a democracy issue; it’s a human rights issue; and in the digital age, it’s also a matter of national security. These weaponized lies are meant to fracture the foundations of participatory governance and erode trust in democracy.

Our organization, #ShePersisted, has been tracking these toxic trends since 2022, identifying common gendered narratives aimed at women in politics across major digital platforms in countries like Italy, Hungary and Ukraine. Now, it’s Moldova that’s become the latest battleground in Russia’s destabilization playbook.

The parallels to the U.S. are striking here. Much like Vice President Kamala Harris, who has similarly been the target of disinformation campaigns, Sandu’s candidacy has been a lightning rod for misogyny cloaked in political rhetoric. And just as we’ve seen false claims about Harris’s identity and qualifications, Moldova’s social media platforms are awash with deepfake videos and conspiracy theories aimed at the sitting president.

Both women have dealt with an onslaught of digital attacks designed to weaken the public’s trust in their leadership — attacks that are gendered, racist and xenophobic — and it’s no accident these narratives spread so easily. Social media algorithms reward the most divisive content. For the Kremlin, manipulating online discourse by gaming algorithms is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel, all thanks to the oligarchs of tech that foster this environment, where digital distortions flourish in the name of keeping users hooked and advertisers paying.

In Moldova in particular, the malign actors are explicitly pro-Russian, using inauthentic and coordinated behavior to seed and amplify their attacks. And the campaigns are part of a broader strategy to destabilize the country, oust pro-European Sandu and drag Moldova back into Russia’s orbit.

The Kremlin’s use of deepfakes and false narratives — claiming Ukrainian F-16s will soon land on Moldovan soil and fabricating stories about compulsory EU-mandated “sexual education” — mirrors the chaos it tried to sow in the 2016 U.S. election. Its methods, however, have become more sophisticated. According to a joint statement by the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., Russia is now actively using “disinformation, criminal and covert activities, and corruption to undermine sovereignty and democratic processes” in the upcoming Moldovan elections.

Despite the red alert, though, it’s still largely U.S.-based digital media companies that are acting as modern-day conflict profiteers.

Earlier this year, #ShePersisted combined social listening with forensic data analytics to understand the toxicity directed at women leaders in Moldova. The results? A chilling glimpse into the future of global disinformation campaigns.

From deepfakes of Sandu resigning while wearing a hijab to offers of bribes for voters to reject Moldova’s EU integration, the manipulation is as multifaceted as it is dangerous.

In one case, exiled oligarch and opposition leader Ilan Shor — widely seen as “Moscow’s man in Moldova” — used Facebook to run hundreds of ads that were viewed 155 million times. And the fact that he could do this while not, in fact, being in Moldova is a testament to the power online infrastructure afforded him, as Meta has repeatedly failed to track and remove these coordinated campaigns.

But the threats aren’t confined to political manipulation. Human traffickers and scam artists are leveraging these same platforms to victimize Moldovans too. In a country where 80 percent of the population is deeply concerned about human trafficking, social media platforms have become the primary tool for traffickers, targeting vulnerable women and girls.

And what has Meta done? Almost nothing. Regardless of clear abuse, social media giants continue to prioritize profits over safety, allowing both gendered disinformation and criminal exploitation to thrive.

For Moldova, the road ahead is now fraught with peril— it’s a path the U.S. knows all too well. And as Sandu prepares for a tight election, the parallels between the challenges faced by women leaders worldwide are impossible to ignore.

Whether it’s Harris or Sandu, gendered disinformation is among the most powerful tools bad actors use to erode democratic progress around the world today. And if social media platforms don’t step up to enforce their own rules — removing posts inciting violence, disabling accounts that spread gendered falsehoods and curtailing the amplification of disinformation — they’ll continue to be complicit in corrosion of democracy.

Moldova’s election isn’t just a fight for one woman’s political future, it’s a fight for the future of democracy itself. Like any good fight, it requires action — in this case, both online and off. And if we fail to address the weaponization of gendered disinformation now, the next battlefield could be much nearer to home.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The Conservative Party of Canada is having its convention right now. And one of their policy proposals, of course, is to attack trans people.They want to see laws defining what women are, and use it to exclude trans women from basically everything (bathrooms, sports, prisons, grants & scholarships, etc.).

Interestingly, lower down, they say they believe all Canadians have the right to freedom from discrimination in the workplace and equality of opportunity — only to then say that they believe individuals should only be judged on the basis of their skills, qualifications, and merits. That is, of course, a dogwhistle saying they’d wanna go against employment equity measures.

And that last part about “gender selection abortions” ?? That one is probably the usual racist dogwhistle about “people from other countries get abortions if they’re gonna have a girl because they all want boys”.