#save me policy director

[verytendou]

Kicks rock

[angie-words]

Rivals Interview & Photoshoot

CW for mentions of sex, nudity

Highlights from the article (abridged! Full article by Caitlin Moran here):

Jilly Cooper’s raunchy Rivals: ‘You will see a lot of willies’

It’s taken 36 years, but finally Jilly Cooper’s legendary bonkbuster Rivals is on TV. Caitlin Moran — who was such a fan, she changed her name to one of the book’s characters — meets the author and stars on set and asks: how was it for you?

Guess where I am.

Oh my gosh — I am in RUTSHIRE.

If you own one of the multimillion copies sold of Jilly Cooper’s infamous Rutshire Chronicles books, you will a) be as excited as me, and b) know exactly where I am.

Yes, I am standing in front of a beautiful, honey-coloured mansion.

Yes, it is a beautiful summer’s day.

Yes, the herbaceous borders are magnificent.

Yes, there are adorable dogs milling around.

Yes, there are champagne bottles strewn hither and yon.

And yes, everyone is dressed in alternately fabulous, or ridiculous, Eighties outfits, with gigantic hair.

The ladies have electric-blue eyeshadow and golden, heaving bosoms.

The men, meanwhile, have tanned legs, huge Rolexes — and, in many instances, their gigantic hair manifests lower down: in moustaches like that of Tom Selleck.

And yes, of course, there is drama. David Tennant — wearing a lavish, gold, silken man-blouse and sucking on a cigar — is furious. He is savaging a roomful of party people, all looking stricken — and all, incongruously, wearing swimwear.

“How the f*** has this happened?” Tennant screams, as all the tits and legs fidget, gaudy piña coladas abandoned. “Get the f*** out there and sort this out! And why are you all wearing bikinis?”

Tennant storms from the room, apoplectic with rage — and then sees me.

“Oh, hello, darling,” he says, all sweetness and light.

“CUT!” the director calls.

Today, David Tennant isn’t, of course, David Tennant. He’s Tony Baddingham, the infamous, nominative-determinist baddie of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals.

“So, is this fun?” I ask him.

The last time I saw him on set, he was being the Doctor in Doctor Who, in a floor-length coat, trying to save the world from being exploded. Again. In the rain. In Wales. At 1am.

“Oh yes,” Tennant says. “I mean, look at my blouse. It’s like my aunt’s! Actually, I think it might be hers — it closes right to left. Don’t men’s buttons close left to right? Am I wearing,” he asks the room at large, “a woman’s blouse?”

“We need to go again, David,” the director says.

“Back in a tick,” Tennant says, running back on set, sucking on his cigar. Getting ready to be really evil, and Eighties, again.

-----

When it comes to the atmosphere on set, I later talk to David Tennant about this subject.

“Yes — there was a lot of due diligence about only having … joyful people on set. Crew and cast,” Tennant says, carefully.

(Dominic) Treadwell-Collins - executive producer - is more forthright.

“We had a very strict ‘no arseholes’ policy,” he says.

-----

Your mother was a Jilly Cooper fan? And, therefore, presumably … a Rupert Campbell-Black fan?

“My mum, you know … blushed when I told her [I’d got the role],” (Alex) Hassell admits. “A lot of women blushed when I told them.”

I’m interviewing Hassell, 44, and Tennant, 53, together. As a former Doctor, Tennant has, of course, a lot of experience in playing a role women find attractive.

“Once you’ve made [Rupert Campbell-Black] flesh, I think a lot of people are going to find it difficult to interact with you, Alex,” he says, helpfully.

It seems Hassell is aware of this.

“Yes,” he says. “One friend, when I told her, said, ‘Oh, that’s a bean-flicker role!’ I said, ‘Ah, I see.’ ”

“Huh. I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone come up to me and say, ‘I’ve masturbated thinking about you,’ ” Tennant says, thoughtfully.

“David!” Hassell exclaims, hurt. “When we met, that’s the first thing I said.”

-----

“Tony’s from a lower class, while Rupert was born with an entire silver cutlery canteen in his mouth,” Tennant says. “So whatever Tony does, he never has that class advantage. Tony needs to taste the blood of his betters in his mouth to make him feel better. Rupert’s blood.”

“And while Rupert is, in many ways, a shit,” Hassell says, thoughtfully, “he’s not a bad man, like Tony. Tony is jealous of Rupert. He wants his house, his women, his life.”

Accordingly, this suit-based class war plays out as Campbell-Black tries to take over Baddingham’s TV station — and the backstabbing, shenanigans, shagging and skulduggery commence.

-----

The tennis court at Cooper’s house is the setting for one of her most iconic scenes — where Campbell-Black first meets his love interest, Taggie, while he’s playing naked tennis. He is adjudged to have lost a match point because something is over the line. Oh, why am I being so coy? This is Jilly Cooper. It’s his penis. His massive penis is judged to be over the line. A note to diehard fans: this scene is shot exactly as written. You will see a lot of willies.

“We’ve been equal opportunities in our nudity,” Treadwell-Collins says. “There’s a willy for every pair of tits.”

“That was my great disappointment over the TV show,” Cooper sighs. “The tennis court is a terrible mess — no one’s played on it for 20 years — and I thought [Disney] might be darlings and build me a new one.”

She looks around, hopefully.

“Do you think anyone here has some booze?” she asks. “It is the afternoon.”

Cooper has been an invaluable muse to everyone on set while filming. In one scene, she handed over an urgent note that read, “Rupert would never say ‘spouse’ — that’s very lower-middle [class]. He would say ‘wife’.”

She argued for particularly Cooperesque jokes and puns to stay in, and was firm that the whole “First of May” tradition remain.

“Oh, yes,” she says, looking delighted, and then quotes herself. “ ‘First of May, first of May — outdoor f***ing starts today. But if as usual it do rain, we f*** off indoors again.’ ”

This ribald rhyme kicks off a massive shagging montage, involving the entire cast. And all outdoors, of course.

-----

I can’t tell you what fun it is interviewing all the Rivals people. Because of the show, everyone talks about their memories of the Eighties (David Tennant: “No, my Eighties weren’t like a Jilly Cooper book — I was at school in Paisley with my glasses held together with sticky tape, and a very unappealing haircut”), and smoking (Hassell: “Everyone smoked everywhere, didn’t they? Even on planes. They’d draw across that little … health curtain, and everyone smoked behind it”), and how hard it was to leave Cooper’s world when shooting finished (Hassell: “No one was looking at me like I’m the most sexy man on the planet any more. It was tough.”)

-----

In the event, (Aidan) Turner, 41, is an absolute hoot — particularly on the subject of the massive moustache he sports on the show. It is a magnificent specimen of upper-lip pelt. It looks like a vole fell asleep under his nose.

It looks like the one Ned Flanders has on The Simpsons, I tell him.

Turner gives a huge, barking laugh.

“Ned Flanders? I mean, I was thinking more … Irish stag? Super-masculine?”

He starts giggling again.

Turner’s relaxed stance towards his sex god-dom comes with an interestingly meta twist. In Rivals, one of Baddingham’s TV shows is called Four Men Went to Mow — where sexy farmers, sexily stripped to the waist, carry out sexy agricultural duties.

Turner, of course, infamously stripped to the waist a few times in Poldark, for that scything scene or lying in bed or emerging from the sea. In a pleasingly postmodern moment, one scene sees Turner rail against Four Men Went to Mow — raging, almost camply, “TV can’t just be men taking their tops off!”

Rivals is on Disney+ from October 18

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Cigna’s nopeinator

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me THURSDAY (May 2) in WINNIPEG, then Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), Tartu, Estonia, and beyond!

Cigna – like all private health insurers – has two contradictory imperatives:

To keep its customers healthy; and

To make as much money for its shareholders as is possible.

Now, there's a hypothetical way to resolve these contradictions, a story much beloved by advocates of America's wasteful, cruel, inefficient private health industry: "If health is a "market," then a health insurer that fails to keep its customers healthy will lose those customers and thus make less for its shareholders." In this thought-experiment, Cigna will "find an equilibrium" between spending money to keep its customers healthy, thus retaining their business, and also "seeking efficiencies" to create a standard of care that's cost-effective.

But health care isn't a market. Most of us get our health-care through our employers, who offer small handful of options that nevertheless manage to be so complex in their particulars that they're impossible to directly compare, and somehow all end up not covering the things we need them for. Oh, and you can only change insurers once or twice per year, and doing so incurs savage switching costs, like losing access to your family doctor and specialists providers.

Cigna – like other health insurers – is "too big to care." It doesn't have to worry about losing your business, so it grows progressively less interested in even pretending to keep you healthy.

The most important way for an insurer to protect its profits at the expense of your health is to deny care that your doctor believes you need. Cigna has transformed itself into a care-denying assembly line.

Dr Debby Day is a Cigna whistleblower. Dr Day was a Cigna medical director, charged with reviewing denied cases, a job she held for 20 years. In 2022, she was forced out by Cigna. Writing for Propublica and The Capitol Forum, Patrick Rucker and David Armstrong tell her story, revealing the true "equilibrium" that Cigna has found:

https://www.propublica.org/article/cigna-medical-director-doctor-patient-preapproval-denials-insurance

Dr Day took her job seriously. Early in her career, she discovered a pattern of claims from doctors for an expensive therapy called intravenous immunoglobulin in cases where this made no medical sense. Dr Day reviewed the scientific literature on IVIG and developed a Cigna-wide policy for its use that saved the company millions of dollars.

This is how it's supposed to work: insurers (whether private or public) should permit all the medically necessary interventions and deny interventions that aren't supported by evidence, and they should determine the difference through internal reviewers who are treated as independent experts.

But as the competitive landscape for US healthcare dwindled – and as Cigna bought out more parts of its supply chain and merged with more of its major rivals – the company became uniquely focused on denying claims, irrespective of their medical merit.

In Dr Day's story, the turning point came when Cinga outsourced pre-approvals to registered nurses in the Philippines. Legally, a nurse can approve a claim, but only an MD can deny a claim. So Dr Day and her colleagues would have to sign off when a nurse deemed a procedure, therapy or drug to be medically unnecessary.

This is a complex determination to make, even under ideal circumstances, but Cigna's Filipino outsource partners were far from ideal. Dr Day found that nurses were "sloppy" – they'd confuse a mother with her newborn baby and deny care on that grounds, or confuse an injured hip with an injured neck and deny permission for an ultrasound. Dr Day reviewed a claim for a test that was denied because STI tests weren't "medically necessary" – but the patient's doctor had applied for a test to diagnose a toenail fungus, not an STI.

Even if the nurses' evaluations had been careful, Dr Day wanted to conduct her own, thorough investigation before overriding another doctor's judgment about the care that doctor's patient warranted. When a nurse recommended denying care "for a cancer patient or a sick baby," Dr Day would research medical guidelines, read studies and review the patient's record before signing off on the recommendation.

This was how the claims denial process is said to work, but it's not how it was supposed to work. Dr Day was markedly slower than her peers, who would "click and close" claims by pasting the nurses' own rationale for denying the claim into the relevant form, acting as a rubber-stamp rather than a skilled reviewer.

Dr Day knew she was slower than her peers. Cigna made sure of that, producing a "productivity dashboard" that scored doctors based on "handle time," which Cigna describes as the average time its doctors spend on different kinds of claims. But Dr Day and other Cigna sources say that this was a maximum, not an average – a way of disciplining doctors.

These were not long times. If a doctor asked Cigna not to discharge their patient from hospital care and a nurse denied that claim, the doctor reviewing that claim was supposed to spend not more than 4.5 minutes on their review. Other timelines were even more aggressive: many denials of prescription drugs were meant to be resolved in fewer than two minutes.

Cigna told Propublica and The Capitol Forum that its productivity scores weren't based on a simple calculation about whether its MD reviewers were hitting these brutal processing time targets, describing the scores as a proprietary mix of factors that reflected a nuanced view of care. But when Propublica and The Capitol Forum created a crude algorithm to generate scores by comparing a doctor's performance relative to the company's targets, they found the results fit very neatly into the actual scores that Cigna assigned to its docs:

The newsrooms’ formula accurately reproduced the scores of 87% of the Cigna doctors listed; the scores of all but one of the rest fell within 1 to 2 percentage points of the number generated by this formula. When asked about this formula, Cigna said it may be inaccurate but didn’t elaborate.

As Dr Day slipped lower on the productivity chart, her bosses pressured her bring her score up (Day recorded her phone calls and saved her emails, and the reporters verified them). Among other things, Dr Day's boss made it clear that her annual bonus and stock options were contingent on her making quota.

Cigna denies all of this. They smeared Dr Day as a "disgruntled former employee" (as though that has any bearing on the truthfulness of her account), and declined to explain the discrepancies between Dr Day's accusations and Cigna's bland denials.

This isn't new for Cigna. Last year, Propublica and Capitol Forum revealed the existence of an algorithmic claims denial system that allowed its doctors to bulk-deny claims in as little as 1.2 seconds:

https://www.propublica.org/article/cigna-pxdx-medical-health-insurance-rejection-claims

Cigna insisted that this was a mischaracterization, saying the system existed to speed up the approval of claims, despite the first-hand accounts of Cigna's own doctors and the doctors whose care recommendations were blocked by the system. One Cigna doctor used this system to "review" and deny 60,000 claims in one month.

Beyond serving as an indictment of the US for-profit health industry, and of Cigna's business practices, this is also a cautionary tale about the idea that critical AI applications can be resolved with "humans in the loop."

AI pitchmen claim that even unreliable AI can be fixed by adding a "human in the loop" that reviews the AI's judgments:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/23/maximal-plausibility/#reverse-centaurs

In this world, the AI is an assistant to the human. For example, a radiologist might have an AI double-check their assessments of chest X-rays, and revisit those X-rays where the AI's assessment didn't match their own. This robot-assisted-human configuration is called a "centaur."

In reality, "human in the loop" is almost always a reverse-centaur. If the hospital buys an AI, fires half its radiologists and orders the remainder to review the AI's superhuman assessments of chest X-rays, that's not an AI assisted radiologist, that's a radiologist-assisted AI. Accuracy goes down, but so do costs. That's the bet that AI investors are making.

Many AI applications turn out not to even be "AI" – they're just low-waged workers in an overseas call-center pretending to be an algorithm (some Indian techies joke that AI stands for "absent Indians"). That was the case with Amazon's Grab and Go stores where, supposedly, AI-enabled cameras counted up all the things you put in your shopping basket and automatically billed you for them. In reality, the cameras were connected to Indian call-centers where low-waged workers made those assessments:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/29/pay-no-attention/#to-the-little-man-behind-the-curtain

This Potemkin AI represents an intermediate step between outsourcing and AI. Over the past three decades, the growth of cheap telecommunications and logistics systems let corporations outsource customer service to low-waged offshore workers. The corporations used the excuse that these subcontractors were far from the firm and its customers to deny them any agency, giving them rigid scripts and procedures to follow.

This was a very usefully dysfunctional system. As a customer with a complaint, you would call the customer service line, wait for a long time on hold, spend an interminable time working through a proscribed claims-handling process with a rep who was prohibited from diverging from that process. That process nearly always ended with you being told that nothing could be done.

At that point, a large number of customers would have given up on getting a refund, exchange or credit. The money paid out to the few customers who were stubborn or angry enough to karen their way to a supervisor and get something out of the company amounted to pennies, relative to the sums the company reaped by ripping off the rest.

The Amazon Grab and Go workers were humans in robot suits, but these customer service reps were robots in human suits. The software told them what to say, and they said it, and all they were allowed to say was what appeared on their screens. They were reverse centaurs, serving as the human faces of the intransigent robots programmed by monopolists that were too big to care.

AI is the final stage of this progression: robots without the human suits. The AI turns its "human in the loop" into a "moral crumple zone," which Madeleine Clare Elish describes as "a component that bears the brunt of the moral and legal responsibilities when the overall system malfunctions":

https://estsjournal.org/index.php/ests/article/view/260

The Filipino nurses in the Cigna system are an avoidable expense. As Cigna's own dabbling in algorithmic claim-denial shows, they can be jettisoned in favor of a system that uses productivity dashboards and other bossware to push doctors to robosign hundreds or thousands of denials per day, on the pretense that these denials were "reviewed" by a licensed physician.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/29/what-part-of-no/#dont-you-understand

[definitelyunhingedagentphoenix]

Agent Phoenix: can you sign my time off request?

Roxana: oh sure! Reginald giving you a hard time again? *Signs it*

Agent Phoenix: yeah, and can you initial here? *Holds out another piece of paper.

Roxana: *initials it* I don't remember needing to sign more than once.

Agent Phoenix: it's a new policy. You know how director Morales is. Now one more signature here.

Roxana: ... I don't trust you.

Agent Phoenix: I'm offended! After all we've been through?! How could you?! You really can't trust me after I saved your life and sto-

Roxana: fine, fine! *signs*

Agent Phoenix: *evil giggling* congrats! You're my mom now! Those were adoption papers! *Runs out, laughing maniacally*

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - August 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon!

1. Zoo hails birth of 'one of world's rarest animals'

“[Jasper] the Persian onager was born to mum Azita after a year-long pregnancy. […] Conservationists at the zoo said there are less than 600 surviving wild onagers[, … which] only survive in two small, protected areas in Iran, a Chester Zoo spokesman said. […] Mike Jordan, animal and plant director at Chester Zoo, […] said Jasper is "doing very well" and added that "mum Azita is doing a fantastic job of nurturing and bonding with her new charge". "He’s full of energy and enjoys playfully kicking up sand as he races around his habitat", Mr Jordan added.”

2. Charity creates 50 community orchards in city

“Community orchards are returning to Birmingham, with the aim of teaching people how to grow their own food and be part of the solution to climate change. […] Once established, the long-term aim is to distribute the produce to those most in need, but local people are also invited to pick the odd bit of fruit. […] By planting trees and plants and encouraging biodiversity back to these areas the charity is also doing its bit to help climate change. They even use locally sourced wood chip which helps to put carbon back into the soil. […T]he hope is that these edible landscapes can also be enjoyed by local people for years to come.”

3. Farmer-led badger vaccination could revolutionize mission to tackle bovine TB

“[… T]he results of a four-year pilot badger vaccination program co-managed between farmers, scientists, and conservationists […] show the percentage of badgers testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in the study area dropped from 16% to 0%[….] While most bTB incidents in cattle are caused by transmission between herds, transmission from wild badgers plays a role in the persistence of the disease. […] Blood sampling showed that the proportion of badgers with bTB fell even though overall badger numbers remained high[….]”

4. Every Colorado Anti-Trans Ballot Initiative Fails To Collect Enough Signatures

“Anti-transgender politics are becoming increasingly unpopular in polls. […] A recent LA Times/NORC poll found that 77% of voters believe elected officials use transgender debates to divert attention from more pressing issues. The poll also showed significant opposition to forced outing policies. […] A Gallup poll published in June revealed that while Americans have mixed views on the morality of transitioning, the majority oppose bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth. […] “The fact that they could not get enough signatures, barely half, to be placed on the ballot shows they lack support from everyday voters.”

5. In a fight to save a rare bird, Indigenous communities in Guyana are winning

“The partnership [between Indigenous communities and Smithsonian researchers] sparked a decades-long community-led conservation movement that has protected the red siskin and helped locals reconnect with nature. [… T]he South Rupununi Conservation Society […] established one of the country’s first conservation zones to protect the species, covering 75,000 hectares (185,000 acres) of Indigenous land. […] To plant the seeds of conservation, they’ve implemented an after-school program in more than 16 communities, [introducing children] to ecological research and surveying, and also [teaching] about Indigenous culture and tradition, including fire management skills.”

6. North Adams hospital gets federal designation which pays for health care in rural areas

“[The hospital] received a federal designation on Wednesday that is key to its long-term financial stability. […] The designation pays for staffing regardless of the number of patients[… and] “works to resolve stark inequities in rural and underserved communities as it relates to our nation’s health system."”

7. Andrea Vidaurre: Leading the clean transportation revolution

“Thanks to Vidaurre’s relentless advocacy and strong community support, these regulations introduced the first national standards for train emissions and set a groundbreaking goal for all freight trucks to be zero-emission by 2036. This initiative promises cleaner air for Californians and paves the way for a zero-emission vehicle future across the country. Studies predict these measures will prevent thousands of respiratory illnesses and save countless lives in the coming decades.”

8. Boston announces a new climate resilience office

“Through its Climate Ready Boston initiative, the city has worked to […] design creative adaptation plans with community input[, …] includ[ing] everything from redesigning waterfront parks and planting more trees, to modernizing the city’s underground sewer system[….] The Office of Climate Resilience will be in charge of coordinating work across city departments and with community groups[….]”

9. Combining Green Thumbs and Sustainable Fashion in a Swap Event

“This unique plant and clothing swap event in NSW is championing both environmental and fashion sustainability through native plants and preloved clothing. […] To participate in the plant swap, attendees brought their environmental weeds in a bag to the Council stall and exchanged them for free native plants. […] The event sparked valuable community conversations about the benefits of plant and clothes swaps, the impact of textile waste[, …] support a circular economy and combine a love for nature with practical, eco-friendly practices.”

10. Growing Green Spaces to Protect the Endangered Regent Parrot

“On Schools Tree Day, celebrated on 26 July, students from a local NSW school planted trees and shrubs to create crucial forage habitat for the endangered Regent Parrot, enhancing local biodiversity. […] Approximately 50 [… plants of] native species were chosen for their ecological benefits, helping to attract native birds, bees and butterflies while providing essential habitat and food. […] They [also] raise awareness about the regent parrot, encourage conservation efforts and emphasise the importance of protecting local wildlife. Additionally, conserving [the regent parrot] supports the health of their ecosystem by helping with in [sic] seed dispersal and maintaining plant diversity.”

July 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[brofisting]

Things I Did In 2023 That I’m Proud Of〜

went to japan by myself for a month, the first time i ever traveled alone & the first time i ever traveled internationally. also it was the first time i’ve taken that long off since i began working

while i was there i spoke primarily japanese

i stopped thinking of myself as a girl. things that used to bother me because they felt like commentary on me by way of gender association often don’t bother me, anymore, and now i get to enjoy those things instead

also finally asked family to switch to they/them pronouns for me

i got promoted at my job, to associate art director, which is my second promotion in as many years due to being literally invaluable to my team and fighting tooth & nail to be recognized for that

the promotion was despite pushing back against my publisher directly for moral reasons a few months prior, to the point of threatening to quit my job. i recently found out that doing so may have had an actual direct impact on the company’s policies as a whole for the better

did a bunch of financial research, began investing, and organized my finances/adjusted my savings plans to aim for buying an apartment in the next 2-5 years

began journaling, which tentatively continues

tried and had a lot of fun with some new/new-old creative processes, including beading/jewelry making, clothing alteration, gif making, and decorating photocards

[palestinegenocide]

Now everyone hates Israel

This was a huge week in American Jewish political history.

First, the director of a movie about Auschwitz, the English director Jonathan Glazer, accepted an Oscar for the film by stating that his Jewishness should not be used to justify the slaughter of Gazans.

Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the victims of October 7 in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza — all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?

In saying “We,” Glazer also spoke for his producer Len Blavatnik, a billionaire who stood silently behind him and who just months ago had joined the Harvard donor revolt for alleged antisemitic — actually pro-Palestinian speech — on campus. A revolt that toppled the Harvard president.

Glazer’s speech was followed four days later by the “momentous speech” by New York Senator Chuck Schumer, speaking as a Jew and calling on Netanyahu to hold new elections because his rightwing policies are hurting Israel. “As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me, the Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel,” said Schumer, the most powerful Jewish politician in American history.

Here too the Gaza slaughter figured largely. Schumer fears that the massive civilian death toll in Gaza, which causes him “anguish,” will cause Israel to become a “pariah” nation.

In coalition with far-right extremists like Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, and as a result, [Netanyahu] has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows. Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah.

The first thing to observe about Schumer’s speech, and Glazer’s too, is that Palestinian lives are finally counting in American politics. The unbelievable onslaught on a captive people that caused Susan Abulhawa to somehow get in there and come back and tell us there’s a holocaust in Gaza that language cannot describe has at last registered for American politicians.

So just as Joe Biden said eight days ago that Netanyahu “cannot have another 30,000 Palestinians dead”– as if the first 30,000 were mere table stakes — those killings, now at least 31,700, are also cracking the conscience of the American Jewish community.

Schumer is at the center of the organized Jewish community. He has long put himself forward as the guardian of Israel– “a bellwether for the Jewish community, who has refrained from sharp criticism of the Israeli government” (as J Street put it)– and his speech has huge significance.

American Zionists are in complete crisis now. They know that Israel is already a pariah state in the eyes of the world. They know that you cannot destroy a territory in the genocidal manner that Israel has — and force the hand of the U.S. president in support of the genocide out of concern for his political donations, and topple Ivy League presidents who allow their students to criticize Israel — you can’t do these things without grave consequences.

Biden may lose Michigan because his hand was forced. American Jews who care about democracy in the U.S. are finally shaking loose. And Jews who see that corrupt Zionist influence is feeding antisemitic ideas about Jews are acting to openly criticize Israel.

Schumer acted out of pure desperation. He sees Biden being hurt politically if the Jewish community cannot pivot and condemn a genocide. He sees Israel becoming a “pariah” state.

There is today no difference between right-wing and left-wing Zionists inside the Democratic Party. They have all now gathered around the Schumer/Biden delusion that if you just get rid of Netanyahu, Israel will be able to curb the slaughter, pursue the two-state solution, and save the Jewish state.

So, we are seeing Zionism in an ongoing public crisis. Because Netanyahu won’t go. Or if he does go, he will be replaced by others who are equally or almost as warmongering and who will be able to do nothing to end the occupation. So Israel will just continue to be a pariah state. And the tsunami of boycotts, long predicted by Israel lovers, will really be upon us. Even Schumer said that the U.S. must restrict aid to Israel if it cannot stop slaughtering civilians.

This is a crisis of Jewish identity. Schumer again and again cited Jewish tradition and conscience as motivators for his speech. “What horrifies so many Jews especially is our sense that Israel is falling short of upholding these distinctly Jewish values that we hold so dear. We must be better than our enemies, lest we become them.”

However cynical you are about Jewish values and conscience — and I’m as cynical as they come — his speech represents a great wake-up call for Jews who care about human rights to take on the genocide-enablers in the U.S. Jewish community. Despite the love he expressed for Israel and the mythologies about its creation and supposed democracy, Schumer’s speech is historic and important on this ground.

Because as more than one critic of Schumer’s said this week, he is giving permission to others. The most powerful Jewish politician in U.S. history is saying, As a Jew I tell America, Israel is doing wrong. Yes, everyone hates Israel now!

So Schumer has opened the doors on the Jewish discussion that I and others in the American Jewish anti-Zionist community have long sought: How can we support a discriminatory, brutal state in our name as Jews over there when we absolutely oppose religious nationalism and persecution of minorities here?

This discussion will see the empowerment of a new generation of anti-Zionists, and their ultimate victory. Because the Jewish state will be unable to transform itself to suit American liberal values. And regardless of the political arrangements in coming years in Israel/Palestine — partition into two states, or one state — Israel’s transformation to pariah status is so well advanced now by its own actions that no Zionist will ultimately be able to save its racist apartheid constitution. And idealistic Jews here will help transform that land.

I’d add that in directing Israelis what to do– go have another election!– Schumer exposed a great secret of Zionism: It is an international Jewish ideology that will always cause confusion about national interest. Schumer could well argue that he was justified in directing Israelis because Israel interferes in our politics all the time, and as Netanyahu did in 2015. “Imagine if, I don’t know, some foreign leader who was ostensibly an ally of the United States, came here and gave an address before Congress that threw the American president under the bus on their key policy item of the times,” as a New York Jewish liberal Zionist put it in praising Schumer’s speech.” Can you imagine it?”

I can imagine just that because Schumer himself said after he voted against the Iran deal, he did so out of Israel’s interest not the American one.

So Zionism has always been a huge asterisk on American Jewish liberal values. This week that asterisk began to fall apart.

[feminist-space]

How Cigna Saves Millions by Having Its Doctors Reject Claims Without Reading Them

by Patrick Rucker, Maya Miller and David Armstrong for ProPublica

March 25, 5 a.m. EDT

Internal documents and former company executives reveal how Cigna doctors reject patients’ claims without opening their files. “We literally click and submit,” one former company doctor said.

When a stubborn pain in Nick van Terheyden’s bones would not subside, his doctor had a hunch what was wrong.

Without enough vitamin D in the blood, the body will pull that vital nutrient from the bones. Left untreated, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis.

A blood test in the fall of 2021 confirmed the doctor’s diagnosis, and van Terheyden expected his company’s insurance plan, managed by Cigna, to cover the cost of the bloodwork. Instead, Cigna sent van Terheyden a letter explaining that it would not pay for the $350 test because it was not “medically necessary.”

The letter was signed by one of Cigna’s medical directors, a doctor employed by the company to review insurance claims.

Something about the denial letter did not sit well with van Terheyden, a 58-year-old Maryland resident. “This was a clinical decision being second-guessed by someone with no knowledge of me,” said van Terheyden, a physician himself and a specialist who had worked in emergency care in the United Kingdom.

The vague wording made van Terheyden suspect that Dr. Cheryl Dopke, the medical director who signed it, had not taken much care with his case.

Van Terheyden was right to be suspicious. His claim was just one of roughly 60,000 that Dopke denied in a single month last year, according to internal Cigna records reviewed by ProPublica and The Capitol Forum.

The rejection of van Terheyden’s claim was typical for Cigna, one of the country’s largest insurers. The company has built a system that allows its doctors to instantly reject a claim on medical grounds without opening the patient file, leaving people with unexpected bills, according to corporate documents and interviews with former Cigna officials. Over a period of two months last year, Cigna doctors denied over 300,000 requests for payments using this method, spending an average of 1.2 seconds on each case, the documents show. The company has reported it covers or administers health care plans for 18 million people.

Before health insurers reject claims for medical reasons, company doctors must review them, according to insurance laws and regulations in many states. Medical directors are expected to examine patient records, review coverage policies and use their expertise to decide whether to approve or deny claims, regulators said. This process helps avoid unfair denials.

But the Cigna review system that blocked van Terheyden’s claim bypasses those steps. Medical directors do not see any patient records or put their medical judgment to use, said former company employees familiar with the system. Instead, a computer does the work. A Cigna algorithm flags mismatches between diagnoses and what the company considers acceptable tests and procedures for those ailments. Company doctors then sign off on the denials in batches, according to interviews with former employees who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“We literally click and submit,” one former Cigna doctor said. “It takes all of 10 seconds to do 50 at a time.”

Not all claims are processed through this review system. For those that are, it is unclear how many are approved and how many are funneled to doctors for automatic denial.

Insurance experts questioned Cigna’s review system.

Patients expect insurers to treat them fairly and meaningfully review each claim, said Dave Jones, California’s former insurance commissioner. Under California regulations, insurers must consider patient claims using a “thorough, fair and objective investigation.”

“It’s hard to imagine that spending only seconds to review medical records complies with the California law,” said Jones. “At a minimum, I believe it warrants an investigation.”

Within Cigna, some executives questioned whether rendering such speedy denials satisfied the law, according to one former executive who spoke on condition of anonymity because he still works with insurers.

“We thought it might fall into a legal gray zone,” said the former Cigna official, who helped conceive the program. “We sent the idea to legal, and they sent it back saying it was OK.”

Cigna adopted its review system more than a decade ago, but insurance executives say similar systems have existed in various forms throughout the industry.

In a written response, Cigna said the reporting by ProPublica and The Capitol Forum was “biased and incomplete.”

Cigna said its review system was created to “accelerate payment of claims for certain routine screenings,” Cigna wrote. “This allows us to automatically approve claims when they are submitted with correct diagnosis codes.”

When asked if its review process, known as PXDX, lets Cigna doctors reject claims without examining them, the company said that description was “incorrect.” It repeatedly declined to answer further questions or provide additional details. (ProPublica employees’ health insurance is provided by Cigna.)

Former Cigna doctors confirmed that the review system was used to quickly reject claims. An internal corporate spreadsheet, viewed by the news organizations, lists names of Cigna’s medical directors and the number of cases each handled in a column headlined “PxDx.” The former doctors said the figures represent total denials. Cigna did not respond to detailed questions about the numbers.

Cigna's explanation that its review system was designed to approve claims didn’t make sense to one former company executive. “They were paying all these claims before. Then they weren’t,” said Ron Howrigon, who now runs a company that helps private doctors in disputes with insurance companies. “You’re talking about a system built to deny claims.”

Cigna emphasized that its system does not prevent a patient from receiving care — it only decides when the insurer won’t pay. “Reviews occur after the service has been provided to the patient and does not result in any denials of care,” the statement said.

"Our company is committed to improving health outcomes, driving value for our clients and customers, and supporting our team of highly-skilled Medical Directors,” the company said.

PXDX

Cigna’s review system was developed more than a decade ago by a former pediatrician.

After leaving his practice, Dr. Alan Muney spent the next several decades advising insurers and private equity firms on how to wring savings out of health plans.

In 2010, Muney was managing health insurance for companies owned by Blackstone, the private equity firm, when Cigna tapped him to help spot savings in its operation, he said.

Insurers have wide authority to reject claims for care, but processing those denials can cost a few hundred dollars each, former executives said. Typically, claims are entered into the insurance system, screened by a nurse and reviewed by a medical director.

For lower-dollar claims, it was cheaper for Cigna to simply pay the bill, Muney said.

“They don’t want to spend money to review a whole bunch of stuff that costs more to review than it does to just pay for it,” Muney said.

Muney and his team had solved the problem once before. At UnitedHealthcare, where Muney was an executive, he said his group built a similar system to let its doctors quickly deny claims in bulk.

In response to questions, UnitedHealthcare said it uses technology that allows it to make “fast, efficient and streamlined coverage decisions based on members benefit plans and clinical criteria in compliance with state and federal laws.” The company did not directly address whether it uses a system similar to Cigna.

At Cigna, Muney and his team created a list of tests and procedures approved for use with certain illnesses. The system would automatically turn down payment for a treatment that didn’t match one of the conditions on the list. Denials were then sent to medical directors, who would reject these claims with no review of the patient file.

Cigna eventually designated the list “PXDX” — corporate shorthand for procedure-to-diagnosis. The list saved money in two ways. It allowed Cigna to begin turning down claims that it had once paid. And it made it cheaper to turn down claims, because the company’s doctors never had to open a file or conduct any in-depth review. They simply denied the claims in bulk with an electronic signature.

“The PXDX stuff is not reviewed by a doc or nurse or anything like that,” Muney said.

The review system was designed to prevent claims for care that Cigna considered unneeded or even harmful to the patient, Muney said. The policy simply allowed Cigna to cheaply identify claims that it had a right to deny.

Muney said that it would be an “administrative hassle” to require company doctors to manually review each claim rejection. And it would mean hiring many more medical directors.

“That adds administrative expense to medicine,” he said. “It’s not efficient.”

But two former Cigna doctors, who did not want to be identified by name for fear of breaking confidentiality agreements with Cigna, said the system was unfair to patients. They said the claims automatically routed for denial lacked such basic information as race and gender.

“It was very frustrating,” one doctor said.

Some state regulators questioned Cigna’s PXDX system.

In Maryland, where van Terheyden lives, state insurance officials said the PXDX system as described by a reporter raises “some red flags.”

The state’s law regulating group health plans purchased by employers requires that insurance company doctors be objective and flexible when they sit down to evaluate each case.

If Cigna medical directors are “truly rubber-stamping the output of the matching software without any additional review, it would be difficult for the medical director to comply with these requirements,” the Maryland Insurance Administration wrote in response to questions.

Medicare and Medicaid have a system that automatically prevents improper payment of claims that are wrongly coded. It does not reject payment on medical grounds.

Within the world of private insurance, Muney is certain that the PXDX formula has boosted the corporate bottom line. “It has undoubtedly saved billions of dollars,” he said.

Insurers benefit from the savings, but everyone stands to gain when health care costs are lowered and unneeded care is denied, he said.

Speedy Reviews

Cigna carefully tracks how many patient claims its medical directors handle each month. Twelve times a year, medical directors receive a scorecard in the form of a spreadsheet that shows just how fast they have cleared PXDX cases.

Dopke, the doctor who turned down van Terheyden, rejected 121,000 claims in the first two months of 2022, according to the scorecard.

Dr. Richard Capek, another Cigna medical director, handled more than 80,000 instant denials in the same time span, the spreadsheet showed.

Dr. Paul Rossi has been a medical director at Cigna for over 30 years. Early last year, the physician denied more than 63,000 PXDX claims in two months.

Rossi, Dopke and Capek did not respond to attempts to contact them.

Howrigon, the former Cigna executive, said that although he was not involved in developing PXDX, he can understand the economics behind it.

“Put yourself in the shoes of the insurer,” Howrigon said. “Why not just deny them all and see which ones come back on appeal? From a cost perspective, it makes sense.”

Cigna knows that many patients will pay such bills rather than deal with the hassle of appealing a rejection, according to Howrigon and other former employees of the company. The PXDX list is focused on tests and treatments that typically cost a few hundred dollars each, said former Cigna employees.

“Insurers are very good at knowing when they can deny a claim and patients will grumble but still write a check,” Howrigon said.

Muney and other former Cigna executives emphasized that the PXDX system does leave room for the patient and their doctor to appeal a medical director’s decision to deny a claim.

But Cigna does not expect many appeals. In one corporate document, Cigna estimated that only 5% of people would appeal a denial resulting from a PXDX review.

“A Negative Customer Experience”

In 2014, Cigna considered adding a new procedure to the PXDX list to be flagged for automatic denials.

Autonomic nervous system testing can help tell if an ailing patient is suffering from nerve damage caused by diabetes or a variety of autoimmune diseases. It’s not a very involved procedure — taking about an hour — and it costs a few hundred dollars per test.

The test is versatile and noninvasive, requiring no needles. The patient goes through a handful of checks of heart rate, sweat response, equilibrium and other basic body functions.

At the time, Cigna was paying for every claim for the nerve test without bothering to look at the patient file, according to a corporate presentation. Cigna officials were weighing the cost and benefits of adding the procedure to the list. “What is happening now?” the presentation asked. “Pay for all conditions without review.”

By adding the nerve test to the PXDX list, Cigna officials estimated, the insurer would turn down more than 17,800 claims a year that it had once covered. It would pay for the test for certain conditions, but deny payment for others.

These denials would “create a negative customer experience” and a “potential for increased out of pocket costs," the company presentation acknowledged.

But they would save roughly $2.4 million a year in medical costs, the presentation said.

Cigna added the test to the list.

“It’s Not Good Medicine”

By the time van Terheyden received his first denial notice from Cigna early last year, he had some answers about his diagnosis. The blood test that Cigna had deemed “not medically necessary” had confirmed a vitamin D deficiency. His doctor had been right, and recommended supplements to boost van Terheyden’s vitamin level.

Still, van Terheyden kept pushing his appeal with Cigna in a process that grew more baffling. First, a different Cigna doctor reviewed the case and stood by the original denial. The blood test was unnecessary, Cigna insisted, because van Terheyden had never before been found to lack sufficient vitamin D.

“Records did not show you had a previously documented Vitamin D deficiency,” stated a denial letter issued by Cigna in April. How was van Terheyden supposed to document a vitamin D deficiency without a test? The letter was signed by a Cigna medical director named Barry Brenner.

Brenner did not respond to requests for comment.

Then, as allowed by his plan, van Terheyden took Cigna’s rejection to an external review by an independent reviewer.

In late June — seven months after the blood test — an outside doctor not working for Cigna reviewed van Terheyden’s medical record and determined the test was justified.

The blood test in question “confirms the diagnosis of Vit-D deficiency,” read the report from MCMC, a company that provides independent medical reviews. Cigna eventually paid van Terheyden’s bill. “This patient is at risk of bone fracture without proper supplementations,” MCMC’s reviewer wrote. “Testing was medically necessary and appropriate.”

Van Terheyden had known nothing about the vagaries of the PXDX denial system before he received the $350 bill. But he did sense that very few patients pushed as hard as he had done in his appeals.

As a physician, van Terheyden said, he’s dumbfounded by the company’s policies.

“It’s not good medicine. It’s not caring for patients. You end up asking yourself: Why would they do this if their ultimate goal is to care for the patient?” he said.

“Intellectually, I can understand it. As a physician, I can’t. To me, it feels wrong.”

[amphtaminedreams]

Mid-year Fashion Update for 2024 in (Mostly) A-Z Format: RTW, Pre-fall, & a Little Haute Couture Plus my Top 25 (Part 3)

-clockwise l-r: Petar Petrov RTW F/W24, Pressiat “, Private Policy “, Puppets and Puppets “-

-top to bottom: Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini RTW F/W24, Prada “, Preen by “, Thornton Bregazzi “-

-clockwise l-r: Plan C RTW F/W24, R13 “, Rahul Mishra haute couture S/S24, RTW F/W24, Rave Review “-

-top to bottom: Prabal Gurung RTW F/W24, Atelier Prabal Gurung RTW F/W24-

-top to bottom: Proenza Schouler RTW F/W24, Rabanne “, Retrofête “-

-clockwise l-r: Ralph Lauren RTW F/W24, Renaissance Renaissance “, Self-Portrait pre-fall 2024, RTW F/W24, STAND STUDIO “, Simon Miller “, Regina Pyo “-

-clockwise l-r: Reem Acra RTW F/W24, Reverie by Caroline Hú “, Rick Owens “, Rochas “-

-clockwise l-r: Richard Quinn RTW F/W24, Roberto Cavalli “, Rokh “-

-clockwise l-r: Róisín Pierce RTW F/W24, Roksanda “, Roland Mouret “, Rui Built “-

-top to bottom: Sacai pre-fall 2024, RTW F/W24, Sandy Liang “-

-clockwise l-r: Saks Potts RTW F/W24, Sea “, Shuting Qiu “, Schiaparelli haute couture S/S24, RTW F/W24, Sinéad O'Dwyer “-

-top to bottom: Shiatzy Chen RTW F/W24, Simone Rocha “, Sportmax “-

-clockwise l-r: Steve O Smith RTW F/W24, Stine Goya “, Sunnei “, The Row resort 2025, Theory RTW F/W24, TIME “, The Garment “, Supriya Lele “-

-top to bottom: Thom Browne RTW F/W24, Tom Ford “, Tommy Hilfiger “-

-clockwise l-r: TOGA RTW F/W24, Tokyo James “, Tolu Coker “, Uma Wang “-

-clockwise l-r: Susan Fang RTW F/W24, Talia Byre “, Tamara Ralph haute couture S/S24, Samuel Guì Yang RTW F/W24, ShuShu/Tong “, Tanya Taylor “-

-top to bottom: Tory Burch RTW F/W24, Ulla Johnson “, Versace “-

-Valentino RTW F/W24-

-clockwise l-r: Valentino haute coutre S/S24, Undercover RTW F/W24, Vaquera “-

-top to bottom: Vetements RTW F/W24, Victoria Beckham “, Florentina Leitner “ (saved image under Victoria not Florentina…oops) -

-top to bottom: Vivetta RTW F/W24, Vivienne Tam “, Y/Project “-

-clockwise l-r: Vivienne Westwood RTW F/W24, Viviano “, Weinsanto “, Yirantian “, Wiederhoeft “, Viktor & Rolf “-

-clockwise l-r: XULY.Bët RTW F/W24, Windowsen “, Yohei Ohno “, Zimmerman “, Zuhair Murad “, Yohji Yamamoto “-

-clockwise l-r: Saint Laurent RTW F/W24, Yuhan Wang “, Ujoh “, William Fan “-

The Best of the Year (So Far)

So…this is the second time I’ve included a brief quick summary of my top 25 collections in one of these posts. I used to write my thoughts on everrryyy single collection and the whole process took me a fucking millennia every time, to the point that once I finally got round to posting, 2 seasons worth of collections had come out in the meantime. Sticking entirely to photo posts feels kind of pointless to me because these end up feeling completely impersonal. Like yeah, I only pick my favourite looks from a collection for the final post but there seems to be sooOooO many bloody brands out there these days that including brief notes to emphasise my faves throughout would be like dropping needles in a haystack and expecting them to catch somebody’s eye.

To round off the posts with my top 25 feels like a good middle ground to plant my roots in, so I guess this is going to be tradition from now on? On which note, in no particular order, let’s get into my 25 standout collections of 2024 thus far:-)

I promise I will ACTUALLY make it snappy. Mostly, anyway.

-clockwise l-r: Gucci RTW F/W24, MarkGong “, Armani Privè Haute Couture S/S24, Rokh RTW F/W24-

1. Gucci RTW F/W24, creative dir. Sabato De Sarno: Every and I mean every Gucci collection that has, and will be, debuted over the next couple of years counts rn. We get it, you hero worship Alessandro Michele, I hear anybody who has had the patience to sit through any of my previous fashion posts crying. But regardless of whether I was an Alessandro devotee or not, the first couple of years following the departure of a well-established and imo! Visionary! creative director is crucial for their successor, as it establishes the direction they’ll be taking the brand going forwards.

The first Gucci collection we saw under de Sarno had me worried, I can’t lie. It was such a stark departure from what I’d come to expect from Gucci that I thought, well, that’s it folks. Gucci’s done. It was safe, minimalistic, yeah expensive looking, but ultimately just really bloody boring. All that being said, with the benefit of hindsight, I suppose I see that debut show as de Sarno’s way of signalling Gucci’s renewed commercial viability. Bland looks are nothing if not versatile, and versatility of course increases the widespread appeal of a brand. Some of Alessandro’s looks were out there, which I can imagine made it exciting for the detached onlooker (myself), but probably not great for the brand’s shareholders. After all, the goal is to make money. Yep, it’s the worst isn’t it? How profit so often is prioritised at the cost of art! 

I think what this collection showed me is that just because de Sarno seems on a mission to promote the brand’s accessibility, essentially one of toning things down in favour of broadening the target market, that doesn’t mean all I’ve loved about Gucci over the last decade is lost.

Far from de Sarno’s S/S24 collection, there were a number of similarities between this one and the Gucci I came to know and love under Alessandro. Though it still lacks Alessandro’s eclecticism, it is reassuring that even in these early days, more of the character the former creative director infused is beginning to shine through. 

I can’t fully say Gucci is BACK! But what I will say is that PARTS of what I love about Alessandro’s Gucci is back. All I wanted from the last collection was a bit of EDGE for Christ’s sake, OPULENCE, dark romanticism, gothic touches. Ultimately, S/S24 lacked a sense of power, like the quiet ferocity and intimidating, yet mystical presence that defined the best looks we saw on Alessandro’s runway; in my mind, this signalled the character he brought to the brand was being forced back into the box. On the contrary, de Sarno’s F/W24 collection played homage to the legend in many ways. The inclusion of deathly platform heels, black lace and faux leather, for example, indicates de Sarno is more inspired by Alessandro’s abandonment of the “quiet luxury” ideal, a bigger admirer of his carefully curated undercurrent of danger and disruption, than I previously thought. To say de Sarno fully leaned into the witchy glamour Alessandro brought to the table is a stretch but this collection did have hints of that aura, with the opulent jewell toned fabrics, snake print and sequins littered throughout a promising acknowledgement of that other-worldly, underground cabaret vibe Alessandro channelled when he was at his best.

If everything I’ve said about this collection so far sounds critical, it’s only because I’m holding de Sarno’s early work, upon which I’m sure the burden of ensuring commercial viability weighs heavy, to Alessandro. We’re talking someone who had been creative director for long enough to likely be entrusted with far greater creative license. So comparison aside, in a vacuum, I can say I do adore this collection. Gucci RTW F/W24 has been a major relief because it seems the new team spearheading the brand don’t intend to abandon Alessandro’s vision completely.

2. MarkGong RTW F/W24, creative dir. Mark Gong: obviously, I had a lot to say about Gucci, I’m highly invested, but I can sum up why I was so fond of most of the other collections on this list much more succinctly, don’t worry, lmao. When it comes to MarkGong for example, it kind of felt like a manifestation of how y2k would interpret the 90s (as was the case in actuality with the 2000’s ‘70s resurgence), with the best elements taken from both and combined in one collection. Though the ‘90s grunge influences, reminiscent in many ways of Marc Jacobs’ famous Perry Ellis collection, were more obvious, I like how a bit of the old y2k sleaze was brought into the picture too. It kinda felt like a tour through the wardrobe of a Cali from the Valley party girl who’s going through her rebellious phase, iygm. Either way, I get me, and that’s why MarkGong is on this list because yeah, it’s a cute collection.

3. Armani Privè Haute Couture S/S24, creative dir. Giorgio Armani: I never thought I’d see the day an Armani collection in any form would make it onto this list, because my general feeling is that more often than not, I find it a little saccharine, aggressively prim and proper, you know. The stying usually has those models looking like a cross between a 2000’s era Barbie doll and the kind of outfit your rich grandma would try to force you into. I mean, with context of Giorgio being an 89 year old man, it makes sense. So I’ve got to say it, I was truly taken aback by how much this collection actually worked for me. It’s not like it was jarringly different to what I’d expect, the head to toe looks are still, for the most part, youthful and girlish, it’s more that they fully committed to the dress-up fantasy, consequently, this feels a lot less uptight than the image I’ve come to associate with the brand. Instead of pedestrianising the princess look, Armani leaned in, to a dreamy, candy coated effect.

4. Rokh RTW F/W24, creative dir. Rok Hwang: Rokh is a firm fixture in my seasonal favourites list by now, and whilst this collection stayed true to Hwang’s formulaic balance between elegance and edge, I really appreciate the subtle bohemian touches, and the nomadic feel this collection has. It broaches into new territory for the designer, and one I find quite mesmerising at that. Whilst Hwang’s collections typically feel sleek, distinctly modern, this one is more free-spirited and earthy. Though I get a bit of a Pride and Prejudice vibe, the modern day tailoring and signature deconstructed feel of the looks, along with current street style rooted silhouettes, ensure this collection, whilst a departure from the expected, remains true to the brand’s identity.

-clockwise l-r: Dilara Fındıkoğlu RTW F/W24, Courrèges “, Khaite “, Vivetta “-

5. Dilara Fındıkoğlu RTW F/W24, creative dir.“: Dilara stayed true to form with her F/W24 collection. As ever, her designs give the wearer an imposing, battle-worn aura, without ever compromising the ethereal, other-worldly beauty of the garments. The end result is that this particular collection felt like a darkly mesmerising visual tale of a kind of fallen angel on earth, who excels so highly at navigating the depravity of a Victorian era criminal underworld she ends up in that even once she descends to hell to reign as the Bella Hadid adjacent it-girl of the underworld, her fleeting, vampiric presence on earth spawns many an urban legend in her wake. If that isn’t an excellent proposition for a new Netflix original series (since I know they seem to love throwing money around left, right and centre at new shows these days), I don’t know what is. I would like to state for the record here that if Netflix want to take me up on that offer I’ll forgive them for prematurely cancelling Mindhunter whilst continually renewing Riverdale and subjecting us to Cole Sprouse as a result:-) 

6. Courrèges RTW F/W24, creative dir. Nicolas Di Felice: I’m not usually a minimalism girl but Courrèges does it in a way which feels uniquely futuristic. Like if the Tesla man had half the brain cells he thinks he does and managed to actually do something significant in space, head-to-toe Courrèges would be an incredible outfit choice for the rope cutting of an intergalactic nightclub. Unfortunately, even if Teslatubby wasn’t so full of shit, and actually possessed the level of genius he wants to convince us of, he is clearly too busy fine tuning the Twitter algorithm into subconsciously red pilling everyone to be building bars in space. As a sad result, Courrèges can wait, I say, as if I can afford their stuff anyway…as if the 75% increase in the price of a large bag of Cadbury’s chocolate buttons in less than 2 years doesn’t have me in a tailspin.

7. Khaite RTW F/W24, creative dir. Catherine Holstein: I don’t have all that much to say about Khaite except that I think it’s very cool, lol. A very lame descriptor, ik. I know I trash minimalism all the time and it could be argued that Khaite’s collections are pretty stripped back but I think in this instance, I like that, because it feels like it hasn’t come straight from a drawing board of neutrals, rather an exercise in restraint of the darker, grungier aesthetic. Rather than going down the deconstructed, oft-unfinished look you’d typically associate with that style, Khaite seems a re-imagining of trends under the alternative umbrella in line with the tailoring, simplicity and functionality associated with prestige fashion houses. Whilst working for a hedge fund management company in London sounds like a fucking nightmare, in this parallel universe where I do end up in one of those nonsense jobs, Khaite would be right up my alley. Not only in terms of what I’d look to for inspiration if I had to don the uniform of a rush hour briefcase wanker, lol, but also because I’d definitely reach for their designs, being the staple pieces they are, on a low-key day too. In true British fashion, I did of course mentally envision the corresponding briefcase wanker Inbetweeners scene as I typed those words. Forgive me, the appreciation for that show is just one of a very limited number of things which unites Britain as a country.

8. Vivetta RTW F/W24, creative dir. Vivetta Ponti: Vivetta’s F/W24 is giving “I’m not a regular crazy cat lady, I’m that bitch kind of a crazy cat lady”. So, you know, in other words, it’s kinda twee, but also kinda provocative, and the balance feels correct. Not to celebrate adultery in any way but this for me, is all girl-next-door, Jess from new girl vibes on the surface, with a undercurrent of this bitch could steal your menzes running strong underneath. The whole collection feels like something Marina would have worn during her Electra Heart era.

-top to bottom: David Koma pre-fall 2024, RTW F/W24-

9. David Koma pre-fall 2024, creative dir.”: so, although I’ve included David’s RTW collection, my adoration goes to his divine pre-fall collection this year. I just included 4 looks from his RTW collection as my new tradition dictates is the protocol when I’m listing my top 25, which is to include 4 of my favourites looks from every collection listed. If I do a whole 8, I’m just repeating what I’ve already done when I originally included said brand in the post, ygm? Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that I was unexpectedly disappointed in Koma’s RTW collection, a rare occurrence mind you, so I just chose 4 of the best looks from it for continuity to go along with pre-fall. On that note, let’s talk about this pre-fall collection: it was perfection! There’s a lot of references to the hyper-girlish coquette and ballet-core aesthetics we’ve seen become widespread fashion crazes, but whereas the trend (ordinarily, I suppose it depends on how you style the pierces) is ordinarily quite demure, casual, and semi-virginal at times, Koma adds high glamour and sex appeal. There are plenty of bows, whites and pastels, but the loose linen, cheesecloth, and babydoll silhouettes are gone and replaced with svelte body-con dresses, plunging necklines and daring cut outs, as well as plenty of black and bold reds throughout. I can’t work out if it all leans more into a dominatrix vibe or it’s giving me Dita Von Teese, but what I do know is this collection has SPICE. It’s seems fit for the same fallen angel type I just wrote about Dilara’s collection reminding me of, with the difference being that in this scenario, god (…or his angels…or whoever it is that takes care of the banishing from heaven stuff if you’re so inclined to that way of thinking) drops her into a crowd of Y2K party girls rather than 19th century Britain. I am hyper aware of how niche my analogy is here, so I apologise that I need to be this pretentious and self-referential, but…I’m just fully aware I’m not capable of holding anybody’s attention for long enough for them to otherwise know what I’m going on about, lol! A vivid, easily stimulated imagination is a blessing and a curse, play your tiny violins for me:-)

-clockwise l-r: Chloé RTW F/W24, Tom Ford “, Burberry “, Oude Waag “-

10. Chloé RTW F/W24, creative dir. Chemena Kamali: This collection was SOOOO GORGEOUS, I HAVE NO WORDS. This is the wardrobe of modernised 70s goddess come to life-soft, decadent, ethereal, just ARGH! Perfection in every way. I am so excited for everything Chemena Kamali is going to do with Chloé if this is anything to go by.

11. Tom Ford RTW F/W24, creative dir. Peter Hawkings: I’ve never really expected anything from Tom Ford. Like when I think of Tom Ford, I usually think of perfume? Expensive perfume but perfume, nonetheless. But you know what, this kind of ate? IDK what was in the water with these designers when RTW F/W24 collections were being put to paper, but once again, this collection was very reminiscent of the Studio 54 era. It seems a minimalist yet luxuriant kind of modern spin on the colours, shapes and fabrics of late 70s bohemian rock, only in a way where the end results are tailored towards the competitors at every decadent invitation-only party’s unspoken best dressed contest. If the brief is expensive, eye-catching, bold, something which moulds the wearer into being the “you either want to be her or be with her” cliche then any number of the pieces from this Tom Ford collection would hit all the criteria.

12. Burberry RTW F/W24, creative dir. Daniel Lee: Burberry is so hit or miss for me, but this was a dramatic yet practical, luxurious, at-times punk influenced hit. Am I saying that because there’s a bit of tartan? Perhaps. But what I am sure of is that I would commit crimes for some of these coats honestly. Speaking of, I might be way off but the fur pieces are a bit mob-wife if my understanding of that vibe is anywhere near accurate. I feel increasingly out of touch with the internet so I don’t actually know, but if I’m right, this is the kind of thing I’d be alright with mafia money paying for. Reassuringly, when envisioning what I’d wear with a knock-off outerwear piece inspired by this Burberry collection, I did not once start to feel like I was veering into the RHONJ cast cosplay zone so I feel like despite the excess, these hopefully faux (though probably not) furs pass the sophistication test. Regardless, it’s okay, I’m not getting anywhere near purchasing the real thing anyway, lol.

13. Oude Waag RTW F/W24, creative dir. Jingwei Yin: Courrèges with a sprinkle of ‘90s grunge and a hint of Morticia Adams. That is to say that I loved the Courrèges F/W24 collection but I love this even more.

-clockwise l-r: Cecilie Bahnsen RTW F/W24, Marni “ Ottolinger “, Moncler Grenoble “-

14. Cecilie Bahnsen RTW F/W24, creative dir.”: a somewhat utilitarian repurposing of her signature dainty, whimsical approach to womenswear, Cecilie’s F/W collection found itself in alignment with the widespread appreciation of softness, delicacy, and innocence that’s been a prominent theme of this year’s F/W24 collections. But this is no case of Cecilie jumping on the bandwagon. Cecilie has excelled at this kind of thing for years, and I’ve pretty much always a fan of her vision. She’s never aggressively chaste or child like in her designs, and does it in a way that’s subtle enough to set her apart from the many, many designers who tried their hand at going all cottagecore this year. Mostly, Cecilie relies on gentle silhouettes and playful yet elegant fabrics to evoke a sense of both fragility and mischief fuelled allure, which in turn creates a sprite-like feel to her looks. All that being said, her work is multidimensional, equally grounded in and hardened by reality, suitable for a jaded 21st century woman. In this sense, as much as I see Cecilie’s collection is not dissimilar from a lot of the others that debuted this season, it is also quietly confident that the pivot towards this wistful, semi-angelic vibe is best when it’s done in a low-key way, and balanced out by a sullen sartorial armour of grungy utilitarianism: I like to follow the guidance of my Google image archive of Courtney Love 90’s style when I envision an outfit, so when it comes to Cecilie’s instinct to finish off a tulle dress with a clunky shoe as RTW F/W proved she knows how and when to do with tact, my appreciation for her work each time feels driven by a force of habit.

15. Marni RTW F/W24, creative dir. Francesco Risso: The FUR COATS!!! Yeah that’s ART.

16. Ottolinger RTW F/W24, creative dir(s). Christa Bösch and Cosima Gadient:  Impromptu after-hours metal concert at the corporate office? Wild end of financial quarter orgy? Apocalypse hits the Conde Nast HQ? The stealth wealth Pinterest girlies find themselves contestants in a Battle Royale type situation? We’ll never know exactly what the starting point was for this Ottolinger collection but it feels like the visual devolution of the high-powered professional, a deconstruction of that idea of what’s tasteful, sophisticated, intelligent, into something that’s liberated, futuristic, a lot more punk, and generally much more suited to joining a biker gang than sitting in a boardroom negotiating the value of a 2 page Dior (bleurgh) spread. It’s a very hot and very cool collection, I know that much anyway!

17. Moncler Grenoble RTW F/W24, creative dir. Reno Ruffini: Cosy but cunty? Yeah, I’m on board. And I say this despite the probability of me ever going on the kind of holiday which necessitates I own anything like this being slim to none. Not only because such trips are the kind of things that I can only see the appeal of to rich people, who get to go on so many “vacations” a year they don’t see a skiing trip as sacrifice of what could’ve been a week spent spent sun soaking by the pool in an all-inclusive Spanish resort (because I’m not hitting the necessary vitamin D threshold any time soon without this kind of get away, let’s be real) but also because I find skateboarding difficult enough without adding snow into the mix and the risk of death for some as inherently incapable of keeping my balance for more than about 20 seconds at a time as I am is very high.

-clockwise l-r: Alaïa RTW F/W24, Alberta Ferretti “, Alexis Mabille Haute Couture S/S24, Yuhan Wang RTW F/W24, Etro “, Roberto Cavalli “, Zimmerman “, Altuzarra “-

18. Alaïa RTW F/W24, creative dir. Pieter Mulier: Now having my expectations set high by Cher Horowitz spending her potential last moments at the hands of a dangerous criminal pleading her Alaïa dress be spared like a mother would her firstborn child, when the brand returned to being a fashion week fixture, I was disappointed. It was nice but nothing breathtaking. This collection, though? Stunnnnning. I too would take affront at a mugger’s rough-handedness with my clothing more so than the mugging in itself if these pieces were collateral damage. Would kinda feel like at work when people fill up our baskets with wine and run out. Like you want to steal, I’m laissez-faire on the matter, but how dare you take our baskets in the process? Bring a tote bag, losers!

19. Alberta Feretti RTW F/W24, creative dir.“: not sure exactly why but Alberta Feretti is often interchangeable with Ermanno Scervino for me. Maybe it’s because they both have names I would sound like a FOOL pronouncing, but they also have a similar aesthetic. Neither are out here shaking the status quo but I always love their collections. This year Alberta edged it for me. Not unlike Scervino, the choice of an earthy, subdued colour palette for the season felt like an intentional choice to contextualise the F/W24 collection’s existence as a companion to the S/S24 line, with rich, moody hues positioning the garments as the sensual night time follow up to the daywear collection.  It is clear where Ferretti going with the S/S garments; they captured the essence of what I imagine an idyllic summer spent lovestruck in Lake Como would be perfectly, and there were some divine pieces. The F/W collection, however, had a lot more drama to it, going beyond the free-flowing, ornate style Ferretti is known for and adding a little androgyny, and at times gothic mystery. If the S/S24 collection was giving me a bit of a goddess off-duty in the human realm vibe, the F/W24 outfits bounced between signalling an effortless yet imposing sophistication in the face of a unexpectedly harsh winter in the city, and a plethora of dresses which would be just the right choice for a moonlight red carpet against the backdrop of the Italian lakes. In both instances, the clothes lend themselves to a wearer who catches every eye on the room but remains aloof, unattainable, like they have much more important places to be. I almost wrote that the dresses would be a good fit for the Cannes film festival before I remembered that Cannes is in the South of France, which doesn’t speak to the distinctly Mediterranean feel I get from a lot of this collection. I can see a lot of the casual looks in Paris, for sure, and I am perhaps making my judgement based on the prominence of the olive tones throughout the collection, lol, but I just don’t feel like the deep Jewell tones and the silks are fit for a city which I’ve always known to be pretty much climatically similar to London. The dresses which closed this collection need SHIMMER and SUNLIGHT, overcast would kill the magic. It’s not just the olives!

20. Alexis Mabille Haute Couture S/S24, creative dir.”: there’s always going to be at least one pretty dress collection in my top 25, and this Alexis Mabille Haute Couture offering is this year’s offering of choice. It’s very modern Disney Princess I think!

21. Yuhan Wang RTW F/W24, creative dir.”: since the day I first stumbled on a Yuhan Wang collection, each one that’s followed has been consistently flawless. It’s almost like seeing the fully-realised version of my personal style, in this reality where I could afford it ofc, come to life. It’s that magical balance of cutesy, feminine and flirtatious with a dark, slightly gothic force which toughens the former up and adds just the right amount of messiness to hint at a streak of rebellion and dare I say it (because it’s a phrase a LOT of people are probably sick to death of, understandably so since Taylor Swift used it to characterise Reputation for FUCK’S sake) but…female rage? I’M SORRY. It’s a little bit punk, but just…punk for the girly girls, you know!

22. Etro RTW F/W24 creative dir. Marco De Vincenzo: As is likely the case for many of the brands I’ve listed in my top 25, it’s highly unexciting of me to include Etro, one of my fail safes in this again. For that same reason, I feel like a fraudulent fan for not even realising Marco De Vincenzo took over the creative director position in 2022. That makes a LOT of sense to me now, because the vibe HAS changed a little bit over the past few years. I think I mentioned before how I’d noticed Etro becoming increasingly explicit with their branding in the last couple of collections, and though it’s easy to say I’m drawing the comparison because both use a crocodile in their logo, I really did think it was looking a bit…Lacoste? A lot safer, more laid-back, bright, breezy, if you get me. But this collection felt like a promising return to form!

23. Roberto Cavalli RTW F/W24, creative dir. Fausto Puglisi: Was this collection a bit tacky at times? Totally. But at its best it felt like a meeting of the early 2000’s socialite look (I’m talking about the stumbling out of the club dresses, obviously), Coachella fashion at the height of its significance in the mid 2010s, and a Studio 54 vibe. When you’ve got such great ingredients, you can never fuck up THAT badly and when you succeed, you get this deliciousness. 

24. Zimmerman RTW F/W24, creative dir. Nicky Zimmerman: Super predictable of me to include Zimmerman in my top 25 but this collection was as elegant, romantic, and catered to the free-spirits amongst us as I’ve come to expect Nicky Zimmerman’s work to be to be.

25. Altuzarra RTW F/W24, creative dir. Joseph Altuzarra: Altuzarra’s F/W24 collection was stamped in my memory for all the right reasons. It was a playfully, modern take on classic silhouettes and tailoring, with a vibrancy about it emerging from a quality beyond the relatively subdued colour palette. Whether it stems from the checkerboard prints, the whimsical head wear, or dramatic ruffles, there’s wit and a lightness of spirit about the collection, which is neutralised by by oversized, androgynous silhouettes and harsh graphic prints. I think for me, Altuzarra’s RTW F/W collection was a great example of how to pull off ditsy, childlike details in a way that transcends the innocence and naivety underlying a kid’s choice of clothing, instead evoking confidence and maturity without losing touch with the charm and nostalgia associated with childhood.

So that’s it’s for now girlies:-)

But on a serious note…I know I previously stated I wanted to start every post by driving home what the Israeli government are continuing to do in Gaza, which in plain terms is nothing short of ethnic cleansing, but for the format of this post, it didn’t fit to do that until now, so I want to reiterate it here: THIS IS STILL. FUCKING. HAPPENING. WHAT. THE. FUCK.

A couple of days ago, the IDF again struck the supposed “safe zone” of Rafah, which they had claimed was a haven for refugees. Their actions continue to be as morally abhorrent as ever. Let us PLEASE not buy Israel’s clear-as-day BULLSHIT explanation of this being a “tragic” accident. You do NOT FUCKING “ACCIDENTALLY” bomb a refugee camp, AN ENTIRE REGION. THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN. I cannot BELIEVE this is still occurring, and that President Joe Biden, in amongst a chorus of Israel’s other defenders, is only now beginning to make vague mentions of a ceasefire. A CEASEFIRE IS NOT FUCKING GOOD ENOUGH. A “TWO STATE SOLUTION” IS NOT FUCKING GOOD ENOUGH. Let’s be clear Hamas have been proposing ceasefires since this entire IDF campaign started. All they have asked for is that Israel stop the attacks, and that they will give up Israeli hostages in return. Netanyahu has TURNED THIS DOWN, because he has no intention of stopping in forcing Palestinians out of the region all together, be it through their slaughter or permanent displacement. The Israeli hostages mean NOTHING to him.

Palestinians deserve to return to their homes, they deserve Israel and every other complicit nation’s investment in rebuilding their communities, reparations, self-determination, and reclamation of the ancestral homelands they have been  continually forced out of for the last 50 years. Maybe we have turned a corner and a ceasefire might finally come but it has NOTHING to do with the Israeli government’s cooperation, and it’s not a just resolution to the damage, destruction and slaughter Israelis and their allies have encouraged and facilitated in any way.

The death toll today, by conservative estimations, nears the 40,000 mark. A report conducted by Euro-Med Monitor, published on reliefweb.int proposes this number exceeds that. According to this source: “The Israeli army has killed 42,510 Palestinians over the course of its 200-day attack, 38,621 of whom were civilians, including 10,091 women and 15,780 children. The bodies of several thousand are still stuck under the rubble, while thousands remain missing and are presumed dead. These statistics include the killing of 137 journalists, 356 medical personnel, and 42 civil defence personnel.” Numbers only do so much, and fail to convey the horror of what every one of those individuals and their families have suffered through. Palestinians are being murdered at a rate of roughly 250 citizens per day, according to a report published by Oxfam in January of this year. If, and when, a ceasefire comes, this isn’t enough, and should be just the start of a push to hold Israel responsible for the destruction of Palestinian people and their culture. That’s what we ought to be reiterating now that these “ceasefire” talks are beginning, as well as the fact that these talks have absolutely NOTHING to do with Israeli leaders developing a conscience. All I can speculate is that as the US presidential election looms, Biden is realising how detrimental his revolting apathy to Palestinian suffering could be to voters. He cannot get away with this half-arsed U-turn nor can any of the ministers who have backed and facilitated Israel’s genocide over the last 8 months. WE HAVE A GENERAL ELECTION APPROACHING IN THE UK! And though it seems likely the Conservatives will be out, Labour do NOT deserve a sweep. The best outcome we can hope for is they end up as the minority governing party, so that even if they win, they know many of us are equally disgusted with their actions.

THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO TONE DOWN OUR DISSENT. Politicians careers are on the line right now, and the incentive for them to listen to what we will not stand for going forward I’m sure weighs more heavy on their consciences (if they have them) than EVER.

AROUND 40,000 PALESTINIANS ARE DEAD. THEIR HOMELAND HAS BEEN DESTROYED. WE NEED TO KEEP THE FUCKING MOMENTUM GOING. KEEP BOYCOTTING, PROTESTING, POSTING, THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT YOUR VOTE. WE DO NOT HAVE A 2 PARTY SYSTEM HOWEVER MUCH STARMER, SUNAK, AND THE TABLOIDS WANT US TO THINK. LOCAL POLITICS REALLY FUCKING MATTER RIGHT NOW!

The fashion is fun and all, but I couldn’t finish this post without reiterating where we’re at right now when it comes to the most pressing concerns we ought to be focussing on. 

With all that being said, thanks for reading if you did! On the mid-year fashion update front, it’s over and out from me! Hope this was somewhat enjoyable, and if nothing else, you enjoyed the pretty pictures-and fingers crossed, I’m echoing the common sentiment with what I included about Palestine.

ONCE MORE FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK: FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE.

Lauren x

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Vernon mother looks for more safeguards around transitioning after son commits suicide

By: Jennifer Smith

Published: Apr 28, 2023

Kaleb began transitioning in Grade 6 with the help of a Kelowna clinic

A Vernon mom robbed of her joy in life after her son committed suicide is speaking out against transgender policies in hopes of saving others.

Kaleb, formerly Joy, Fisher would have been 18 next month.

He was a straight-A student, an over-achiever, never did drugs or drank alcohol, had a job since he was 14 and was accepted into the RCMP Police Academy for the upcoming session.

But on April 23, Kaleb killed himself.

“I found him. I woke up in the morning and he wasn’t in his room. He had suffocated himself,” said Gail, a single mother who worked two jobs to provide for her son and herself.

He left a long letter for his mom and his girlfriend.

“He was afraid for the future. He said in his note he didn’t want to end up like me, working myself to death.”

Kaleb was transitioning from female to male, a decision Gail supported as she knew since the day he was born that he was destined to be a boy.

Gail thinks Kaleb’s decision was primarily sparked after a Grade 4 incident at school where he (she at the time) was molested.

He never wanted to be a girl after that and in Grades 6 and 7 started the transition.

“I supported him through it.”

Kaleb did his research and found a clinic in Kelowna that would help him be the man he wanted to be.

The problem was, Gail was never consulted by the clinic.

“At 13 he was able to do all of it without my permission.”

At 13 he couldn’t buy alcohol or cigarettes or cannabis, he couldn’t get a tattoo without his mom’s permission, but he was given drugs and injections and was even scheduled for a top reduction this year.

“He saw the doctor like once a year. It’s quite careless. They never even showed him how to take those injections.”

Kaleb was smart though, and he did everything right, even marking his calendar with injection dates.

In March, Gail said the calendar shows he stopped the injections.

That’s when she suspects things started to grow dark for her bright, bubbly child.

He never outwardly appeared sad or distraught in any way, but she learned how he was really feeling the morning she read his note.

“He was so angry, so sad, so hateful.”

He was on medications for years, and she knows there were stretches when he wouldn’t take them.

She doesn’t understand why a doctor or clinic would push these parentless procedures, with no real follow-up or support.

“There needs to be changes to safeguard these kids.”

She would like to see such youth, and parents, provided counselling before injections, so they are appraised of the dangers.

“Do we know the long-term effects of giving these medications?”

Kaleb isn’t the only one.

“I have friends in Kelowna that lost their daughter a year ago and she was on the same injections.”

And now she knows the harsh statistics of transitioning youth.

“Preliminary findings is one in five of these kids are taking their lives.”

Gail and Kaleb lived in Coldstream until COVID-19 hit.

“I lost my home, I lost everything,” said the entertainment director at the Longhorn Pub in Vernon who many know for her superstar karaoke.

She started a painting business, and Kaleb was her best employee.

“We were a formidable team.”

Kaleb attended Kalamalka Secondary briefly before going online with VLearn. He also attended Kidston Elementary, where he was given the Friendship Award.

Gail knows many students who knew Kaleb are struggling with the news and she has planned a Celebration of Life at Coldstream Creek Park for May 17 at 4:30 p.m. so they can come after school. She is trying to get approvals to plant a maple tree, as Kaleb wanted, in the park.

Respectful, kind and helpful are a few of the words loved ones use to describe him.

He was also incredibly creative – he had been writing novels since he was nine and was making costumes for the upcoming Comic Con.

“He was a beautiful soul with such a bright future,” said family friend Ricky Rochon, who thought of Kaleb like a son and created a GoFundMe for Gail.

“As a parent, I can’t fathom this kind of pain. It breaks my heart.”

More than $12,000 has been raised to date, a portion of which Gail plans to use for a bursary in Kaleb’s memory, and the rest to help her through this difficult time.

[ Via: https://archive.is/PaVCg ]

Note: Vernon Morning Star deleted this article.

==

"Vernon mother mourns lesbian daughter who was manipulated into a reinvention fantasy rather than deal with sexual assault trauma."

^ Fixed that.

[thetruearchmagos]

The Aircraft Carriers Of The UC Civil Defence Service

Hey folks! Felt bad about not releasing any Worldbuilding content recently, wanted to do something nice to get me back into the rhythm of things. Enjoy!

Tagging @lividdreamz @athenswrites @theprissythumbelina @thatndginger @the-stray-storyteller @hessdalen-globe @caxycreations @writeblrsupport

The Warp's Rescuers

For as long as the great Warp between the 12 Worlds has been plied - and that is a longer time than modern history knows - those who have sailed its depthless and endless expenses have faced death, destruction, and simple and utter disappearence as a simple risk of the mariners trade. Even the safety of the Contours is not a complete one, and it can never truly be known just how many ships have gone down with their crews in the ages past.

In the modern day, though, the business of inter-World communication and movement is a much safer one for all involved. Developments in the ships and crews themselves have certainly helped, but the creation of a truly - for the most part - international and wide reaching institution of at-sea search and rescue has saved the lives of thousands of mariners at sea. The United Commonwealth, acting primarily though its Navy and Civil Defence Service, has committed itself to this transnational endeavour with all its usual vigour, and in all its might and wealth hs provided for one capability no other state could dream of; the Rescue Carroer.

What Do You Do With A Fleet Of Spare Ships

The first trans-Warp 'Rescue Carriers' were a relatively recent development, borne out of the helpful confluenbce of two seperate events. Going into the 140s A.S., the Navy had found itself with the unprecedented luxury of having more carrier hulls than it either wanted or needed. Caught in the middle of a mass rearmament initiative on a scale not seen since the Chainbreaker War, and which would similarly find its conclusion in the 1st Great War, the Service had been inclined to retire in large numbers its previous class of 'Fleet' carrier, the Union's, in order to make room on the yards, docks, and crew and squadron rosters for the newer Valorous-class to take over. Many of the newer Union's would remain in naval service as true carriers or converted for work as amphibious vessels, but a sizeable portion of the fleet was "too old to service aircraft that weren't obsolete, too new to scrap without pissing off Parliament, too useful to consider selling to our allies, and present in too large numbers to convert". That would have left the Directorate of the Navy with quite the challenge, if an alternative and interested buyer had not made itself known.

UC-CDS Goes Inter-Global

As part of a more general bonanza towards the expansion of UC foreign policy and influence abroad, a number of schemes had been trickling in that saw the domestically minded Civil Defence Service see its purview expand well beyond Commonwealth soil. The Police Service had been in the business of overseas deployments for a century by then - and in existence for about that much longer than the CDS - but it would pose a massive challenge to the already behemoth institution to grow its reach so far. At home, CDS covered everything from the ambulance service to firefighting, and had indeed already provided assistance in a limited capacity to disaster relief operations beyond Commonwealth border. This new initiative, however, would see a far greater expansion of the CDS's resources and mandate than that, from providing full scale vaccination, medical, and firefighting services to foreign nations which lacked those services, to participating in the training of foreign recruits on UC-pattern exported equipment for their own use. It was quite a tall order, but bar one it would have been manageable.

Treaties

That 'one' was Article XXI of the Conference on Maritime Conduct. A triumph of UC statecraft, among a bevy of other treaties, Article XXI forced an absolute commitment by all signatory states to do all in their power to save a stricken vessel and its crew of any nationality or background in time of need. To meet this commitment, the rest of the government decided to dump the job onto the backs of the CDS, which had a long-running obligation to do the same for vessels nearer to UC waters as a coast guard. This would be different, however, as the treaty and the UC's chosen interpretation of its requirements meant that the CDS would need to provide coverage as much as possible to the waters of foreign states where it had never before operated as well as almost the entirety of the open oceans, and most daunting of all, the the vast and unknowable expanses of the Warp, so large that only the UC Navy itself could come close to being able to claim the ability to project assets and activity across it.

Clearly, CDS would need their help.

Old Ships Learn new Tricks

At sea SAR operations were an intensive, expensive process, and to cover the vast stretches of both the oceans pf the 12 Worlds and the surface of the Warp it was believed that only aircraft would suffice. Able to patrol vast stretches of open waves from high up and move quickly to respond to ships in need, CDS had already retained a sizeable ground-based aviation fleet larger than some state's air forces before its new mission had been shoved onto its lap. While a slight expansion of that terrestrial force could suffice to aid in near-shore overseas missions to provide maritime SAR, in the open ocean and the Warp sea based aviation would be required. Aeroships flying off the decks of CDS cutters were useful, but mostly lacked the range, endurance, or speed needed, though their ability to stay stationary while airborne at low altitudes meant they could be useful. For the issue of long-range patrolling, however, they would have to approach the masters of finding small things in a big sea with aircraft.

Smelling a potential publicity bonanza for the Service, in addition to all the actual strategic benefits behind a partnership when it came to the foreign policy of the UC, the Directorate of the Navy and Directorate-Generale of Defence quickly agreed to the proposal put forwards by the CDS. Two middle-aged Unions were first selected, the former UCS Dynamic and Dauntless who'd already had a fair decade under each of their belts. These would serve as initial training and experimentation ships, meant to allow the CDS to get some experience in the field of non-combat related carrier operations. A suite of demilitarised, and quite obsolete, aircraft was also provided to see which of them would make good patrol birds or which might fill some other useful role, such as aerial tankers or controllers. These initial tests would conclude in 145 A.S., and quite satisfactorily for all involved. It was eventually decided that a total of twenty Unions would be provided, with modification costs to be shouldered by a special Parliamentary allowance, with the ships themselves to be based in adapted civilian ports and serviced in civilian yards to take pressure off the needs of the Fleet. The first ship of this new breed, UCS Umbrage, would conclude these works in early 147, and the last, UCS Marvel, at the turn of the decade.

In addition to the ships themselves, entire new wings of the Civil Defence Academy would be created for the purposes of training the new skills these operations called for, and the Navy itself would have to impart skills and doctrines created over generations and adapted to the CDS's needs to the organisation on a wide scale. From the deadly dance of open-ocean underway refueling to the near-mystical intricacies of Warp navigation, it is a testament to their cooperation and professionalism of both organisations that in the first three years of CDS carrier operations, only fifteen major accidents occured a backdrop of near continuous and frenetic activity, none of them fatal for CDS personnel or those they were rescuing.

Good Service

The fruits of this investment, as great as it was, would quickly make themselves known. Four ships operating on the Warp's 'Layer 5' in 148 A.S., the industry preferred and officially mandated Layer for merchant commerce, would conduct an average of sixteen major missions every month each. Ranging from collisions to the wrath of an errent Warp Storm, such incidents in the past had proven easily fatal, but thanks to the timely arrival of rescue professionals guided by the flying eyes of the CDS's new carrier pilots these sailors more often than not made it out alive. Over a hundred sailors would be rescued directly by aircraft and aeroships flying from the three carriers' decks by years end, and the over two thousand saved across the Warp by the CDS and third-party ships providing assistance owed much of their survival to the crucial air provided by CDS patrol aircraft even if the carriers were not directly taking part.

Diplomatically, the knowledge that thousands of families across the 12 Worlds owed their loved-ones lives to the efforts of the United Commonwealth was quite the boon, and more broadly symbolised the UC's commitment to 'good-faith acting on the international stage' in a manner no other polity could match. The public credibility of the UC more broadly in the period was mostly on the uptick across the decade, with the exception of a few crises, and such visible policies as this were key in maintaining that credibility on the world stage.

In conclusion, it was with good reason that Foreign Commissioner Konrad Krantz, the United Commonwealth's senior diplomat across almost forty years, the architect of almost the entirety of the UC's modern insitution of statecraft, and the victor of three Great Wars, would refer to this particular piece of almost spontaneous policy as "one of the best things the Commonwealth had ever done for itself, and the rest of the 12 Worlds too I'd imagine."

[kuleana--does-anyone-care]

capstone update #3

Hello, tumblr! I am finally back with my third update. At first I was waiting for something noteworthy to happen, but then a lot of things started happening all at once. I could have written this update two weeks ago, but I've been caught up. I have great news! I was able to get in touch with two local leaders who will allow me to interview them. One is Ernie Lau, Chief Engineer at the Board of Water Supply. You may have seen him on the news a couple of years ago; in 2022 he led the Walk for Wai protest march to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. He has also addressed the public many times with updates about Red Hill. Speaking to Ernie has been a big part of my idea for this project, so I'm really excited for this opportunity. The other interview is with Wayne Tanaka, the Chapter Director of the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi. (If you are unaware, the Sierra Club is an organization focused on protecting and preserving the natural environment.) Prior to his position at the Sierra Club, he served in the Public Policy Program at OHA, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. I'm looking forward to hearing his thoughts on Red Hill and our environment. Also hoping he might have an opinion to share about the US Military's involvement here. Another thing I did was receive my first batch of ʻUluʻulu titles (archival videos) and watch them! The first set was about 3 or 3.5 hours worth of footage. Some of it was produced, but most were production materials -- unedited recordings. I took detailed notes of what I saw, with timestamps, in order to keep everything straight. Part of the process is submitting timestamps of clips I'm interested in using in my doc. Then I send those to the archivist (shoutout to Trisha!!! <3) who does some paperwork and sends in a request to the materials' owners. (She undoubtedly does a lot more that I am unaware of.) It's been tough to find a good workflow for this process, because:

1) in order to view full-length files, I must first request links where the titles can be streamed to me

2) since I don't have a downloaded copy of it, I am unable to drop it into Premiere and begin working with it/ placing markers on it

3) ^this is my usual workflow for working with footage and building it into something, so it's been a learning process

4) the ʻUluʻulu player does not support changing the speed of playback

5) it takes time to get approved to use clips, and longer if you want to request "screeners," full-length files that are downloadable

6) you never know if your request will be approved until it happens, so you could be putting a lot of time and energy into something that won't pan out. (It's a gamble, which can be disheartening)

...#6, I learned that the hard way recently. Since I waited so long between posts, let me save that for next time. Oh yeah, I will have to tell you about the FTAC meeting, too. For now, I'll keep working through the second batch of archival videos I requested. My doc's structure is still not settled yet, but it's slowly solidifying with each new ʻUluʻulu video I see.

[camp-counselor-life]

Setting Boundaries at Camp this Summer

You might be wondering, hey, camp-counselor-life, I can't set boundaries at camp, the children need me. But yes, you can set boundaries at camp! They might be some unique boundaries, but here are some tips and ideas for keeping your sanity and setting boundaries at camp (in no particular order):

Don't work on your break. It is your break, to rest, to shower, to nap, to practice self care. Not to do paperwork, spend extra time with kids, or help out another unit. Take your break. The rest can wait, even (especially) when it feels like it can't.

If you have the ability, set your working hours vs on call hours (more admin). What does this look like? Maybe it means that you go to bed by 11 pm every night, even if you're on call, and if you do get called on in the middle of the night, you sleep in and leave a note to have someone save you breakfast.

If you're unit staff, make sure that all of the camp staff are sharing duties when waking up in the middle of the night. Not all staff need to be up for every incident. Stay within your staff policies, of course, but maximize your sleep. And if you're up a long time, catch up with a nap on your break.

Don't like hugs? Tell people that! Children absolutely understand boundaries if you can explain them. At the beginning of the week you might say, hey, campers, we want to respect each other and that means asking before you touch someone, including hugs. Some people don't like hugs or being touched and that's ok, and it's important for us to respect that.

Do you have a strong gag reflex? Can't deal with vomit or urine? Negotiate with your fellow staff about who deals with what. Maybe you're on point for homesickness but co-staff is on point for bed wetting.

If you have a religious practice that you need time for/can't sing grace/have other spiritual needs, discuss that with your supervisor so that you can get what you need.

If you have a disability, including neurodivergence/mental illness, talk to whoever HR is about accommodations. Unfortunately a lot of smaller camps don't have HR, it's just the director, but try to have an honest conversation to get the support you need. Set boundaries about what you can and can't realistically do. Don't be a superhero. If you have limitations and need accommodations, take them.

It is possible to set boundaries at camp. This goes for every position, from camp aid to camp director. Take care this summer and take care of all of your wellness.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Unorganized RUBY GILLMAN Thought Stew

I originally had a whole post typed out for this... And then it disappeared into the ether, because this fella accidentally hit Control+X... Tumblr, you really gotta work on that, I'm still a little miffed that I lost everything that I wrote here... and I'm rewriting the entire thing verbatim, I know- I should've saved it to a word doc first, which I did with this replacement post... Anyways... Thoughts on the RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN trailer!

Like the "Things I Loved About" posts I did on PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH and STRANGE WORLD, this will be a collection of unorganized thoughts... So, bear with me!

Finally… DreamWorks and Universal reveal that this movie actually exists. I mean, if you looked in the right places, you knew it was a thing. MEET THE GILLMANS was a title you saw, scooper sites had some stuff on it… But strangely, this project was never officially announced to the public until this trailer dropped… A little over 3 months before release. At least with THE BAD GUYS, whose trailer dropped 4 months before it came out, we knew of its existence as an in-development title as far back as the spring of 2018. This is an interesting approach: They’re literally going to marathon-run this film’s marketing campaign. How will it do? Well, I’ll get to that in another post…

First off? Visually? Eye-candy. Colorful as heck. I particularly dig the bioluminescent underwater kingdom, it’s like a mix of sea creature designs and futuristic lightshow aesthetics. Also, that shot of all the jellyfish? Desktop background right there.

You know, to keep waffling on about the underwater world… I’m getting the Aquaria Towers level from SPYRO 2: RIPTO’S RAGE vibes… Heck, I did a whole post on how I’d love to see a SPYRO THE DRAGON movie done in the style of PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, but that’s another story… But all this neon-like bio-luminescence and the overall design of the architecture is also really making me think of a mid-1990s policy “snipe” for National Amusements theaters. I saw this thing A LOT when I was a child growing up in the late 1990s going to the movies quite frequently (I had seen DreamWorks’ debut films ANTZ and likely THE PRINCE OF EGYPT when they had come out, among others), so it’s burned into my brain. So yeah, this underwater world reminds me of that as well. I dig!

The Krakens themselves have like a squishy, bendy, clay-like look. Almost getting much older claymation vibes, like Gumby.

The rest? The above world has a fun look, as do the human characters. Given that this was directed by Kirk DeMicco, who directed DreamWorks’ own THE CROODS, and then VIVO for Sony Animation, it’s fittingly colorful and vibrant. Some of the human design reminds me of the humans in that movie, too. Lots of unlikely shapes and such. Now if this is still set in Florida as rumored, then it fits, because VIVO was set in Florida as well.

The story itself seems like a cross-genre mesh of different ideas: The mythology of Krakens and mermaids, a teen coming-of-age comedy (DeMicco cited John Hughes influences), a family drama, and a… Kaiju battle action movie? Talk about going all out with your basic premise!

Speaking of which, this isn’t at all like LUCA, which was also about sea monsters blending in with humans in a coastal community. That movie was much more informed by director Enrico Casarosa’s Italian childhood, was set in the early 1960s, and was a much more slice-of-life kind of story. Sorta following the day to day of these three kids in mid-century Italy, with no really larger plot, and stakes that are at their level - which I quite liked about that movie. I also do not understand why a lot of people online are suggesting that it’s derivative of TURNING RED… Did TURNING RED invent the teen/coming-of-age movie or something? Is it because in that movie, Meilin has to hide herself when she morphs into a red panda? That kind of thing has been done before, too. The executions for both are very different, even from this film’s trailer.

The film’s logo is also great. As a graphic designer, I'm gonna nerd out about this for a second: “RUBY GILLMAN” is written in a friendly cursive, almost like the kind you’d see inked onto a high school notebook page. The “TEENAGE KRAKEN” is blockier and bolder, with the “K” letterform forming a tentacle. That is very, very cool and very eye-catching! It’s actually reminiscent of the first logo made for THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, where the “MITCHELLS” was in a similar kind of written cursive, and “MACHINES” was solid letterforms, suggesting the rigid and mechanic feel of the robots and devices that become corrupted in that movie. The final logo changes “MITCHELLS” to big capital letters, but it still looks like a notebook-like design (like say, that “S” thing everyone drew in the early 2000s), likely in Katie Mitchell’s notebook (as her art and scribbles are all over the movie, visually), but yeah- The RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN logo has that vibe, and I really dig it. Nice visual contrast of the protagonist’s wants to have a normal teen lifestyle, and her background and heritage.

I also find it funny that, on land, the antagonistic mermaid Chelsea disguises herself as a redheaded teenager. Some are quick to assume that’s a jab at Disney, or their upcoming remake of THE LITTLE MERMAID, but… It’s likely not much deeper than “Haha, let’s make her a redhead, like Ariel.” Because of how iconic and well-known the 1989 Disney animated film adaptation is, the first thing most folks think of when they hear “mermaid” is a redhead! I’d imagine the character design was locked a while ago, before it was even certain when this would come out. Even then, it’s little more than nothing.

I also noticed that Ruby’s calendar in her bedroom… May. Is that why Chelsea has come to her school? Because it’s Mermay?

I also find it funny that, on land, the antagonistic mermaid Chelsea disguises herself as a redheaded teenager. Some are quick to assume that’s a jab at Disney, or their upcoming remake of THE LITTLE MERMAID, but… It’s likely not much deeper than “Haha, let’s make her a redhead, like Ariel.” Because of how iconic and well-known the 1989 Disney animated film adaptation is, the first thing most folks think of when they hear “mermaid” is a redhead! I’d imagine the character design was locked a while ago, before it was even certain when this would come out. Even then, it’s little more than nothing.

I also noticed that Ruby’s calendar in her bedroom… May. Is that why Chelsea has come to her school to scope out a Kraken? Because it’s Mermay?

So yeah… I am looking forward to this. It’s nice to see a new original DreamWorks movie. In terms of their NOT-sequel movies, this is their first truly original movie, not based on any pre-existing IP or book or story what-have-you, since ABOMINABLE came out in fall 2019… In fact, of the last eight DreamWorks Animation movies… Only ABOMINABLE and THE BAD GUYS were not sequels to any of their previous movies. The studio's new plan, as I have heard once from the trenches, is to have a not-sequel movie and a sequel every calendar year. Last year fit the bill with THE BAD GUYS and PUSS IN BOOTS Dos, this year it’s this movie and TROLLS BAND TOGETHER, next year… KUNG FU PANDA 4 and… Well, who knows. My non-existent money is on RONAN BOYLE… But that’s also another story…

I’m just happy to see that we are indeed getting two DreamWorks movies this year, and one of them is an original… And the original in question looks like a fun time, a mashup of like 3-4 different genres, and boasting a colorful, vibrant, and neat visual style...

In another post, I'll discuss what I think it's box office prospects are. If that interests you, stay tooned, then-

[ohyangchon]

So @theaggresivepacifist​ sent me all the questions for Changjae and thus I will be answering them

Original post here.

What is the character’s go-to drink order?

Changjoon drinks a dark Americano brewed from the tears of his enemies. Yeonjae likes hers with a small cup of milk and 2 teaspoons of sugar. They usually make each other’s orders if the other happens to be at home, and Managing Director Park reluctantly admits too that he has the chairwoman’s order memorised.

What is their grooming routine?

With his severe depression, Changjoon often has difficulty taking care of himself, but he functions off a “fake it till you make it” policy. He usually does the standard shave-wash up procedure in a sloppy and fast manner (from years of working in a very fast-paced and unforgiving environment), toweling his face off and then gelling his hair up into a standard middle parting per the smart casual request of the prosecution. Yeonjae ties his tie for him and brings him his blazer, and then Changjoon sets off for the day.

Yeonjae dresses to the nines, and takes meticulous care of her appearance on the other hand. Her outward presentation is not only her armor but also a weapon, which means that she’s often picking out specific “messages” from her apparel choices as well as her makeup options of the day, depending on what she might be up to (dinner party, work meeting, or spending time with Changjoon, they all were fights to her). Most of the time, she settles for doing her own makeup, curling her long hair slightly to shroud her age-related flaws and then allows the helpers to bring her her jacket and shoes for the day.

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go?

Unlike Yeonjae, who was born into a life of luxury, Changjoon is aggressively frugal and thinks very little about spending for himself. For most of his daily expenses, Yeonjae holds the pursestrings, and for good reason - Changjoon saves far too much for his well-being, and she wants her husband to treat himself as much as possible.

Even then, Changjoon’s most expensive purchase for himself would be his prescription glasses: it was something he needed, and Yeonjae ensured to accompany him to the optometrist to buy him a suitable set of low-light sensitive spectacles fitting the degree of his myopia and a frame that “made him look even more handsome than he does”. He doesn’t seem to want to replace it, even when hairline cracks formed across its surface after his fall from grace: it doesn’t bother him. He needed the clarity.

Yeonjae, on the other hand, spends mostly on Changjoon. As a caged bird with everything she could possibly need, she thinks little on material pleasure and would rather give the money to her husband instead, stubborn as he is. She’d argue, almost jokingly that her most expensive purchase was her beloved husband, for he was something money could never quantify or begin to understand the value of, and she, one who was made of money and understood it to a dangerously intimate degree, could not put a price tag on love.

Do they have any scars or tattoos? 

Multiple surgeries were performed to repair and adjust Changjoon’s shattered body, and it manifests in a branching series that trails down his spinal column, fanning out from his withered frame as if mocking his hubris in attempting to escape his sins - ironically, it almost seems like roots of a tree, running deep into his skin (he is the forest, the soil that fed its corruption, and the claws of these roots sinking into his frame reminds him of the evil he’d committed, wrapping vines around him so he cannot escape). After his ascension, he gained several pale, grey “rings” - two on his neck, two each on either wrist and two each on his ankles that intensify when he uses his powers and fade upon his skin otherwise.

Yeonjae’s body is otherwise pristine, pockmarked with small scars from rough grips of various bodyguards and occasionally herself. The abuse she endures with her father is never physical, for he would never lay hands on his trophies, but leaves her unravelling and caged anyway, like an elephant tethered to a post much smaller than it in learned haplessness. Her ascension is different from her husband’s however, small clumps of dark scales on her neck and arms that seem to grow more and more upon her and whispering words of idealism and hope as she invokes them. Hers are irregular, messy, the draconic scales ebbing and flowing painfully from her, but it is unique, one she wears with pride.

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances?

Changjoon rarely cries. It solves nothing, and he no longer weeps, not because there is no reason to but there is no salvation for someone so twisted like he is. He doesn’t grieve what he’d lost, instead taking all that he has left with stoic resolve. There is little room for tears, regret or rage - only a quiet understanding, however difficult it might be, to do what he perceives needs to be done.

Yeonjae only cries behind closed doors, her own crushing anxieties only alleviated by her husband anchoring her. When that too was taken, she found herself falling apart like a house of cards, suddenly adrift from the one thing that had kept her going. The amount of people that came to mourn him only served to expand that void of his absence, and she knew, deep down, that they all had a hand in his death, each and every one of them.

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child?

Changjoon is an only child, and his mother passed away when he was just beginning to make it in the world. It’s a shame that he would never be able to share his power with her, to let her know that he’d finally gotten to a point where he would make her proud, but a small part of him is relieved that she would never see her beloved son morph into a monster, and perhaps it was for the best that matters were kept that way.

Yeonjae is the younger of 2 siblings, but her stepbrother Sungjae is as good as nonexistent. She resents him - incompetent, impetuous, a mirror of their father except inheriting all his worst aspects, and she couldn’t put into words how happy she was that Sungjae had put himself in self-imposed exile in the Swiss Alps after his unfortunate incident that netted her Changjoon (wow! A win-win situation, trading a shitty and terrible man for a sexy one that she would eventually make her whole universe!) so that she would never need to deal with him ever again.

Describe the shoes they’re wearing.

Changjoon wears a set of comfortable medically prescribed sneakers these days, with easy-to-attach straps to accommodate his otherwise shaky and unstable frame. It has a strong grip that allows him to stumble without losing his balance, and keeps his lower body centered in a comfortable way. Sure, it’s not his usual set of platform shoes, but he accepts them. Often, he pretends to stumble even with these unique, Hangjo Medical-crafted products, just so that Yeonjae can chide him before grabbing onto his arm just a tiny bit harder than she usually does.

Yeonjae, while not dressed in heels tall enough to kiss her 20cm-taller husband on the top of his fluffy grey head, usually wears a set of loafers in situations she’s dressed down. They don’t pinch her toes the way her heels do, and she reserves them exclusively for long walks with her husband - the heart of the matter had been that Changjoon had picked them out for her during one of their trips, having expressed his discomfort about how Yeonjae always picked the least comfortable and torturous shoes to wear, and it remains one of her most prized possessions despite her wealth.

Describe the place where they sleep.

In each other’s arms, inside a lavish bed they share together. It’s a shared bedroom of many, many years, with hardly any decorations changed - a large wardrobe for them both, two pairs of slippers at the foot of their bed, and a dresser each for both their personal effects. After Changjoon’s fall from grace, there were some minor tweaks made to the place, with steady grips installed near the bathroom and a beautiful furred carpet allowing him to shuffle across without much pressure or fear of falling.

There is a large window wherever they move, usually covered by a curtain for privacy but a reminder of themselves now: they are free, away from their abusers and the grief that had brought them to this point, and they are allowed to do whatever they wish with themselves. That inevitably involves plenty of snuggling, possessive kisses and sleeping in.

What is their favorite holiday?

Changjoon is not one to celebrate, but his wife and child’s birthdays are holidays in his mind. Yeonjae would declare her husband’s birthday as a holiday for Hangjo (or even a national holiday) in a heartbeat.

What objects do they always carry around with them?

Each other’s wedding bands ;)

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - May 8-14

Like these weekly compilations? Support me on Ko-fi! Also, if you tip me on Ko-fi, at the end of the month I'll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn't use each week - almost double the content!

1. Critically endangered fish with red hands and 'sad toad face' returned to the wild in Tasmania

“Conservationists in Australia are celebrating the return of 18 critically endangered red handfish to the sea after they were taken into care at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) in January to protect them from marine heatwaves.”

2. A rare Australian marsupial is being genetically modified to save it from extinction. Here's how

“Scientists are trying to genetically 'edit' the endangered northern quoll to make it resistant to the neurotoxin of the invasive cane toad. […] Now experts in gene-editing […] say they can introduce genetic resistance to the toxin by taking DNA from a species of South American lizard and ‘edit’ that into the cells of a northern quoll. They have already managed to do this with the cells of the closely related dunnart, another endemic marsupial.”

3. More and faster: Electricity from clean sources reaches 30% of global total

“For the first time, 30% of electricity produced worldwide was from clean energy sources as the number of solar and wind farms continued to grow fast. [...] Some of [the past year’s] new demand was for heat pumps, which are an efficient way to both heat and cool buildings, and for electric vehicles. [... Last year was also] the 19th year in a row that solar was the fastest-growing source of electricity generation.”

4. Standards Established To Improve Health Care For Kids With Disabilities

“Developed by a panel of health care experts, adults with disabilities and caregivers, the plan published recently in the journal Pediatrics […] calls for providers to be trained about caring for those with neurodevelopmental disabilities, improved communication with patients and their families and proactive planning in advance of health care encounters to ensure that patients are at ease and provided accommodations.”

5. Working together to better understand Alaska’s beluga whales

“Beluga conservation efforts depend on an accurate count of whales. Indigenous hunters also need to know how many belugas there are so that they [can] decide how many can be safely harvested. That’s why WWF is bringing together Western science and Indigenous knowledge […. U]sing hydrophones to detect belugas in the Yukon River works—and it is an approach that is both cost-effective and non-invasive.”

6. Robotic system feeds people with severe mobility limitations

“Researchers have developed a robotic feeding system that uses computer vision, machine learning and multimodal sensing to safely feed people with severe mobility limitations, including those with spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. […] The robotic system successfully fed 13 individuals with diverse medical conditions in a user study spanning three locations[….] Users of the robot found it to be safe and comfortable, researchers said.”

7. Senate Passage of America’s Conservation Enhancement Act a Win for Wildlife

“The Senate’s reauthorization of the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act will benefit America’s wildlife and way of life. Led by Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Shelley Capito (R-W.Va.), the bill invests in wetlands and habitat restoration projects across the country as well as strategies to reduce conflicts between wildlife and livestock. […] The passage of this bill shows us once again that Americans are united on the need to protect wildlife and our outdoor heritage,” said Andrew Wilkins, director of land conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation.”

8. Liberals and conservatives differ on climate change beliefs--but are relatively united in taking action

“The study, led by researchers at New York University, finds that when given the opportunity, liberals and conservatives take action to address climate change at roughly the same levels -- and that this is due to conservatives choosing to take action despite their climate-change beliefs rather than liberals failing to act on theirs.”

9. Democratic state attorneys general are teaming up to protect abortion access

“A group of Democratic attorneys general are working to strengthen state-level protections for abortion, contraception and gender-affirming care. These protections could include expanding the use of so-called “shield laws,” which assert that states where abortion or gender-affirming care are legal won’t cooperate with out-of-state efforts to prosecute anyone who helped provide treatment.”

10. Antwerp gives residents free trees

“The Belgian city of Antwerp has 2,000 trees to give away, and it wants to give them to residents to plant in their gardens [...] with the aim of involving citizens in the greenifying process of the city. [...] What’s more, the city website offers practical advice on how to proceed with planting and caring for the tree so that it will meet the standards set by the municipality. [...] The City makes sure to give dead trees a second life by using their wood in the making of natural kids’ playgrounds.”

May 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)