#stem cell steve

[chekerbored]

[aunti-christ-ine]

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

When We Begin Again

Warnings:this fic will include dark content such as blood and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You find the man of the dreams, but your life slowly distorts into a nightmare. 

Characters: Steve Rogers

Note: And so we come to the end of Halloweek 2024. Thanks for those who read.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me❤️

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

You hear the murmur from across the office but don’t look up. You're too enraptured by the cells of the spreadsheet, trying to figure out what won’t balance. There’s something missing. Something obvious and you just can’t see it. 

Your eyes narrow, nearly turning inward to your nose, and your name yanks you out of your Excel-induced trance. You sit up sharply, nearly sending yourself and your rolling chair to the ground. You grasp the arm rests and snap the seat straight on the axle. 

“My, my, looks like someone special’s thinking of you,” Louise plunks down the crystal vase of flowers on your desk, nearly demolishing your mouse at the same time. “Roses. Red? Three dozen, looks like.” 

The office clears and you glance around slowly as the fog dissipates. You have an audience. You’re not used to being the center of attention. Not until recently. 

You know who the flowers are from but it’s still a surprise. A pleasant one, yet a bit awkward. You take the card from the long plastic stem and read the message inside. It’s signed S. Rogers. 

“So, you’ve got a new man?” Louise prompts, still hovering by your desk. 

“Ooh, do tell,” Sella rolls over in her chair. 

“Please, we’re just getting to know each other,” you put the card in your pocket. 

“Just getting to know each other,” Sella guffaws as several other women turn to eavesdrop. “Seems like he wants to know a lot about you.” 

“Really. We only had one date.” 

“One date?” Louise exclaims. “Well, you must’ve put out if he’s sending roses.” 

“Lou,” Sella warns. 

Louise gives a naughty look, “pardon. I’ll file the HR report myself.” She cackles and a few others join in. You’re burning hot in embarrassment. 

“It’s new. I don’t want to get my hopes up,” you stand and grab the vase. “These are too big and pretty for my desk. I’ll put them in the break room.” 

“Is he handsome?” Louise goads. 

“Oh, I hope he is,” Sella chirps. “To be young and fun again, ah.” 

You carry the vase away, an odd clink against the glass with your steps. You keep your head down, overly aware of the eyes watching you. You enter the shared kitchen and put the flowers on one of the empty tables. Something dangles against the back of your hand. 

You turn your palm to catch the small locket before it can slide free. You don’t know how you didn’t notice before. A rose is engraved into the gold and the chain is a length of delicate links. You can tell it’s genuine gold. Oh my. 

You quickly wrap it up and slip it into your pocket with the card. You hurry back to your desk and sit. You try to focus on the spreadsheet but your vision is blurry with self-consciousness. A soft buzz draws you from your deconstruction. 

You swipe up your phone. It’s Steve. You can’t leave him hanging. Not after all that. 

You get up, keeping your cell up your sleeve as you march into the hall and to the restroom. You lock yourself in and answer. 

“Hello?” Your voice is wispy. 

“Hey, honey, did you get it?” Steve asks. 

Honey? He’s too good to be true. One date and it’s like it’s been one year. 

“The flowers, yeah.” 

“What about the necklace?” He asks. 

“Oh, yes, that too. Um, all the other ladies at the office love the roses.” 

“But what about you?” 

“Yeah, they’re pretty,” you assure him. 

“Are you wearing the necklace?” He asks. 

“I hadn’t had a chance--” 

“Put it on,” he says abruptly then clears his throat. “I mean, you should wear it. Send me a picture.” 

“Right, yeah. Totally. Sorry. I just started work and... oh Steve what a lovely surprise that was,” you chime. “I’m kinda in shock. It’s so sweet of you.” 

“You’re easy to be sweet to,” he purrs. “Did you have a good night?” 

“I did. Dinner was great.” 

“And... after?” 

Your cheeks are blazing. Your lips press together as you think of the kiss. So soft and tender. 

“I liked it,” you babble. 

He chuckles, “me too. So, we’ll have to set a date for the second.” 

“Of course.” You agree as you cradle your hot cheek. 

“I don’t want to keep you from your work, as much as I do want to,” he says. “Oh, don’t forget the necklace.” 

“Yeah, I’ll put it on now,” you promise. “I should go.” 

“Alright,” he says reluctantly. “See ya, honey.” 

You hang up and put the phone on the edge of the sink. You fish the necklace out of your pocket and untangle the chain. You admire the little rose before you stretch it around your neck and clasp it into place. It hangs perfectly around your throat, right at the hollow of your collar bone. 

You marvel at it, stroking the edges, and feel a tingle on your chest. It’s beautiful. 

“Isn’t it gorgeous?” A lilted voice drifts through your ears. 

You flinch, startled. You look around the empty bathroom. You frown. Who was that? 

You check your phone. It’s locked. Then you go to each stall and peer inside. No one. 

It... must’ve been in your head. Yet it was so clear. Like someone was speaking right next to you. Even as if the voice were inside your mind. Well, that’s it, isn’t it? You’re imagining things. 

You turn back to the mirror and raise your phone as you open up the camera. You should send that picture before you forget. You snap the shot and check it. 

Oh. Doubt needles at you once more. Just like yesterday before your date. That disbelief you can’t shake. Steve is too good for you. You’re the mousy woman who can’t help but trip over her own toes and rambles about old BBC period pieces. He’s tall and blond and handsome. 

Yet he likes you. He has to. He would give you such pretty things if he didn’t. 

🥀

“One month already,” Steve sweeps in with a glass in each hand. 

“Oh gosh, that’s not--” 

“Champagne,” he declares. 

“Really?” You squeal. 

“Nothing’s too special for you, honey,” he nears and hands you a glass. You take it and keep it over the edge of the couch, afraid to spill even a drop on his pristine white cushions. “I just love to spoil you.” 

“You do,” you agree. “It makes me feel a little... lacking. I wish I could give you more.” 

“You’re more than enough,” he assures you as he sits down next to you. “Cheers.” 

“Cheers,” you echo and clink his glass. 

You tip the glass to your lips and a weight shifts in the crystal. You hum in surprise and trickle a drop over the corner of your mouth. You dap it away as you examine the golden champagne. Tiny bubbles flow up from around the band sunk to the bottom. You gasp. 

“Steve,” you nearly choke on the dregs. “What--” 

He slides off the couch and sets his glass on the table. You shake your head. He’s not... 

“Honey,” he takes your other hand as he kneels. You’re overly aware of the moisture left on your fingers. Of course, you’re that ungraceful. “I know it’s early but I don’t want to wait. I just feel... this is everything. I want you forever.” 

“Huh?” The noise makes you cringe. You sound so dumb. 

“Please, will you make me the luckiest man in the world--” 

“You can’t...” you gulp. 

“Marry me. Please.” 

You stare at him. Stunned. Your hand shakes. You reach to put the glass down and fan yourself. It can’t be real. So soon? 

“I’ll beg,” he squeezes your hand. “Honey, please.” 

“Steve,” you eke again. “I... I’m just so... surprised.” 

���I love you,” he says. “I love you so much, you’re all I think about.” 

“I...” you look at the glass and the ring at the bottom. “Yes, Steve. Oh my god. Yes.” 

He smiles triumphantly and grabs the champagne. He drains it and reveals the ring between his teeth. He takes it and dries it on his shirt. You lift your hand, trembling and let him slide it on. 

“Oh, yes, a lovely ring, indeed. His mother��s, you know? Cushion cut and look at the trim...” You recoil and scratch your ears. It’s that voice again. 

It can’t be Steve. His lips haven’t moved and it isn’t a male voice. It’s a woman. Her tone is rich and sultry and she has an accent. It doesn’t sound like anyone you know. 

“Honey?” Steve blinks at you with concern. 

“I... I’m sorry, I just... can I use the bathroom?” 

“Uh, yeah,” he looks disappointed. “Sure.” 

“Sorry, I don’t mean to ruin the moment, I just have a tickle,” you pat his hand gently and let him go. 

You stand and hurry away. 

“He asked me on London Bridge. At midnight. Wonderful. Back home, lovely weather,” the woman speaks again, booming in your brain. 

You swallow a yelp before you hide behind the bathroom door. You shake your head and cup your ears, but that only makes her louder. 

“Then we went to Paris. Oh, it was splendid.” She sighs dreamily. 

You look in the mirror. You appear maddened as your eyes are round and your mouth is twisted in dismay. You lean in as you notice the glint in your iris. There are flecks you’ve never seen there before. A subtle pigmentation. You blink. Is there something in your eyes? 

It’s unmoving. That slender grey speck. You bat your lashes again. They’re longer too. 

You grip the sink as you lean into the mirror. 

“He always liked it when I wore red lipstick.” She preens in your ears and you whine. You push yourself back and look down at your hands. You step back and raise them to examine your fingers. They look more tapered than before. Not so stubby and thick. 

You shake them out and take a breath. There’s something wrong. Something strange. With you. 

Yet, what can you do about it now? You can’t run out on Steve after such a nice night. And a proposal. You’ll wait until the morning and you’ll call the doctor. 

You shrink and lean against the wall. It’s just your luck. You meet the man of your dreams, get engaged, and now your mind is fraying. You’re terrified. 

“Please,” you whisper, “be quiet.” 

You wait. There’s no answer. You must sound as deranged as you feel. You’re talking to yourself. There’s no one else there. 

“Honey,” Steve taps on the door gently, startling you, “everything okay?” 

“Um, yeah,” you croak out. “Yes, I’m good.” You unlock the door and make yourself smile. “I was just admiring the ring.” 

“Nice, huh?” He takes your hand. “It was my mother’s. If you need it fitted, we can go tomorrow.” 

“Tomorrow?” You wonder. “Mm, well, I have to see the doctor.” 

“Oh,” his brows draw together, “maybe after then.” 

🥀

“I can’t offer you answers today,” Dr. Lichten drones. “I can refer you to someone who can. It could be a temporary episode. Or something more... chronic. The best place to start is with someone who can determine which.” 

You nod solemnly. His expression remained unmoved as you explained the voice in your head, almost as if he didn’t believe you. You didn’t bother to mention the changes you could see. You fear doing so might land you in a room with soft walls. 

You take the referral form and leave. Your phone is buzzing. It’s Steve. You love how attentive he can be but at the same time, you feel suffocated. You just need space to figure out what’s going on. 

“Quite simple, dear. You’re not me.” The voice taunts. You stop short in the hallway, nearly bowling over a nurse. You apologise and keep going. 

You continue out of the clinic and idle in your car as you call the psychiatric office. You have an appointment set. You’ll be okay until then. 

“He could never be happy with someone like you. Look at you, honey. You are a mess.” 

“Shut up,” you growl as you shift into drive. 

The voice is saying all the things you’ve said to yourself before but this time, it’s not the same murmuring doubt. It’s bold and brazen and cruel. And that accent. 

Your eyes flick to the ring shining on your finger. You nearly forgot it that morning until Steve reminded you. It’s so beautiful. 

“And you’re not,” the voice mocks. 

You sigh and close your eyes. You’re not doing this. You’re not arguing with whatever this is. 

You drive back to your own place. You’ll sleep and hope it goes away. You haven’t been doing much of that since Steve came around. He fills your evenings and the mornings comes too quick. Can you really keep up with him? 

“You cannot,” she snickers and you smack your ear as you push through your apartment door. You groan and try to rub away the stinging pain. 

You lay down but don’t get much sleep. Even as the voice recedes into silence, you’re unsettled as you wait for it to pipe up at any moment. When you surrender to your consciousness, you run a bath and ease into it. 

You close your eyes once more and linger in the steaming water. As it cools, you open your eyes. You look down at yourself. Surely it must be the water distorting your body. Where did that freckle come from? Is your skin a different shade? 

Strange things. You wish they’d stop. 

Steve calls as you wrap yourself in your robe, as if he knows. You answer. 

“Hey, whatcha up to?” He asks. 

“Nothing. Just... chilling out.” 

“You back at your place? I can swing by with lunch,” he offers. 

“Oh, Steve...” 

“I might already be here...” he chuckles. 

That’s his way. He doesn’t leave room for no but it’s never a bad thing. You sigh. 

“Alright, come on up.” 

🥀

“We can do some evaluations for schizophrenia but you have no genetic markers for it. No family history. Dissociative Personality might be something too,” Dr. Percy explains, “even a degree of body dysmorphia. Unfortunately, your systems are inconsistent with anything in the DSM-5.” 

You nod. 

“So that means?” 

“We have work to do,” she says. “But we can figure this out. Patience.” 

“Patience,” you frown. You don’t know how much longer you can handle this. 

“I’m patient,” the voice sneers and you wince.  

Percy inclines her head curiously, “you hear it now?” 

You give a quiet, “yes.” 

“And?” 

You squeeze your eyes shut as your head rattles, “she’s laughing!” 

You wrap your arms around your head and fold over. Percy rushes over. She puts her hand on your shoulder. The voice goes silent. You whimper. 

“What is it?” She asks. 

“Nothing,” you utter. “It’s gone.” 

She clicks her tongue. “You need sleep. I can prescribe sedatives. I want you to be careful, alright? You only need one at night. Just so you can rest.” 

“Thank you,” you sniffle as you sit up. “I just want to be better.” 

“I know. We will find stability,” she stands and takes her pad from her desk. “Come back on Friday.” 

“Okay,” you rise grimly. 

Outside the office, you sit in your car and cry. You feel yourself splintering apart. The seams are unraveling in your mind, the voice getting louder and louder as yours fades away. 

“Look at us,” she trills. “Dear, please, have a look. You can be so foolish. Come, the mirror.” 

You lift your head and grab onto the rear view. You tilt it down and grimace. Red lipstick. You don’t even own a stick, you didn’t put that on... huh? 

“Just a bit of touch up in the ladies’,” she drawls. “Better, don’t you think?” 

“Why-- what are you? Why are you doing this?” 

“Those are my favourite pearls,” she ignores your desperate plea. You touch the earrings Steve gave you. “They made it through the Blitz, you know?” 

“No, you’re not real. Not. Real!” You shriek and beat your temples, “get out. Get out! GET OUT!” 

Your nails scratch your scalp and you recoil. Oh, heavens. Your nails. Oval, pedicured, pretty. No, those aren’t yours. You turn your arms over. Another freckle that doesn’t belong. 

You lean back again and look in the mirror. Your eyes are a shade of blue you don’t recognise. Your face is longer too, cheekbones more defined. That’s not you. You’re hallucinating. 

“You’re right, it isn’t you,” she chimes and laughs again. 

You bend over the steering wheel and scream. You need it to stop! Stop! Stop! 

🥀

You take another pill. The third one that day. She’s still there. You’re barely. 

You should be happier than ever. You’re engaged. Your wedding is almost there. You’re miserable. You want it to end. 

“Honey,” Steve calls through the door. 

“I said leave me alone,” you snivel and pull the blanket over you. “Please, leave me alone.” 

“Are you okay? You’ve been in there all day.” 

“I just want to be left alone!” You snarl. 

“You want to be left alone, dear, you can go,” the voice sneers. “Go on, then.” 

“No,” you mutter. 

“I’m not leaving so...” she insists. 

“No, no, you won’t win!” You holler. 

“Honey?” Steve turns the handle and you keep the blanket around you. 

“Go.” You tell both of them. 

“Please, don’t do this. I know there’s a lot going on but we can face it together.” 

“No, Steve, we can’t... I... I’m not good enough for you. I’m... I’m... I’m going crazy,” you whine. 

“Crazy? Honey, no. You’re fine. The doctor said--” 

“I lied. She doesn’t know what’s wrong,” you groan. “So leave me alone. I deserve to be alone.” 

“Dear, you can end this. You just have to go.” The voice chirps.

“No!” You snap at the lilting jeer. “No, I will not let you...” 

Your head swirls as the drugs seep into your blood flow. 

“Isn’t that nice, hm? The darkness?” She asks. 

“Mmmm,” you grumble and go limp. 

“Honey,” Steve rubs your arm through the blanket, “you tired?” 

You garble. The pills smother you as the edges of your mind haze. Your body is heavy and warm. You cling to the relief. You just can’t be you for a little. You just want to sleep. 

“That’s it, darling,” she goads, “close your eyes. Relax.” 

You drift down into the depths, swirling slowly through ribbons of silk. They wrap around you and cover your face, drawing tight until they suffocate you. Until they silence you. You whimper as the fabric draws tight around your throat and you flail through the void. 

You spin and open your eyes. A swath of light sears into your eyes. You see Steve, distant, far away. He leans in and cradles your face but you can’t feel his hand. His thumb strokes your cheek. 

“Margaret?” He says breathily, “Peggy,” he brings his other hand up as your vision narrows, “I’ve been waiting.” 

That voice hums as the light turns to a slit, “so have I,” she slithers and the darkness glazes over, dragging you down into the abyss.  

You are bound in a shroud within yourself. You cannot speak, you cannot move. You have no mouth, no body to do so. You have nothing. You are nothing. 

[logansgaar]

the more I'm thinking about this "Bucky Barnes is a mutant who just happened to have a mutation that kinda looked like the super soldier serum's affects" AU the more it makes plausible sense with everything we know about mutants across the marvel cinematic omg

Dormant mutant genetics can be triggered by one of two things: extreme torturous circumstances or exposure to an Infinity Stone (evidence: this is how Wade Wilson and Wanda Maximoff respectively had their x genes triggered.) Pick your poison, Bucky was exposed to both of these things around the same time. He was literally forced to build weapons made from the Tesseract's energy like all the other POWs were, Bucky had extensive exposure to Tesseract radiation (also something Shuri canonically confirms). Bucky was also undergoing extreme conditions being worked to death, he had pneumonia before any of Zola's experiments even began and was on deaths door... how did a man who was practically dead already survive the intensely traumatic experience of having the serum when many men had died on Zola's table before him? Even before Bucky makes it onto Zola's table, a guard beats him nearly to death, breaking his ribs, because he's not strong enough to work anymore due to his pneumonia.

Why did Zola pick Bucky? Out of all the able-bodied men available, after a string of previous stronger men, Zola picked the one who was basically already dead? He risked exposure to a guy with an infectious disease no less who'd just been brutally beaten within an inch of his life with a fucking empty bomb shell thing?, to the point warring inmates teamed up to murder the guard in front of the whole camp, damn the consequences? Gabe Jones didn't think Bucky was going to make it another day and yet he survives without medical treatment, in awful dirty cold damp conditions in the cell, and even less food due to the group punishment for the guard's death for an indeterminate length of time before somehow ending up in Zola's lab.

Unless Bucky was already displaying unusual phenomenon. He was suffering with extreme exhaustion, pneumonia, broken ribs, deep contusions, likely the beginnings of body wasting through the disease and lack of food...his survival is shocking, I think anyone would be shocked to see a man with all that going on getting up and just continuing to live for who knows how long, Zola actively working on replicating the serum might've taken an interest because of this.

What were the Soviet soldiers doing all the way out there where they picked up Bucky? Why did they pick him up? Someone smarter than me also deduced that Bucky likely got himself out and walked some distance before the Soviets found him. Zola hadn't had time to get any messages out as far as we know and his deal with the Colonel didn't start until after Bucky was "gone". Unless the Soviets saw some real freaky shit going on with this random American soldier missing an arm, potentially the same thing Zola saw in the prison camp, and thought hmm we're not sure we want to give him back to the Americans who already have their super soldier (proto cold war with super soldiers instead of nukes...)

From what we know so far, none of the serums currently in use come from Bucky's blood. They come from the multiple different attempts to replicate Steve's serum. The CIA developed a lot of them and Isaiah Bradley's was just the one that happened to work, and Isaiah came before Howard's, and we can infer from that that all current serums stem from Isaiah's blood. Alexei says his serum was developed from stolen blood from a "semi-stable" CIA test subject, which was most likely Isaiah, since not only is Bucky's considered the most stable serum after Steve's, it's hinted that Zola lost whatever he might've done to Bucky when the facility exploded. He was given no time to pack anything up and would've had no way of knowing a possible serum used on Bucky worked at all given Bucky was still strapped down when Steve arrived. It seems unlikely HYDRA never tried to replicate Bucky's serum and it seems they weren't able to, I have two theories about that: they didn't have an Infinity Stone anymore, which Shuri believes was used in the place of Vita Rays, so they couldn't get whatever Bucky's got cooking to work on anyone else for that reason, or Bucky was never a super soldier at all, with no serum in his blood to attempt synthesizing from.

Just for fun: Bucky teleports. He just...pops around. This is complete crack but a common thing with Bucky is him just disappearing and reappearing in new locations that are implausible to reach even for a super soldier. And it's not just weird editing post-production either, characters react to it, it's a deliberate plot detail. Bucky's somehow able to disappear in seconds in front of T'Challa, the Black Panther, and a lobby full of people and none of them know where he's gone. It was a helipad btw. He somehow ended up on the helipad... dunno how he got there. Bucky jumped off a building with nowhere to go and a second later Steve looked, had a clear unobstructed view, and couldn't see where Bucky went. He does it more as WS than Bucky, so maybe as Bucky he's just not consciously aware he can do it so he doesn't, like the whole "I'm right handed so I don't always think to use [the arm]" thing whereas WS uses everything available to him.

Going with the Infinity Stone exposure theory, the stone Bucky was exposed to was the space stone, and the one Wanda was exposed to was first off the mind stone, and she had mind powers (along with the energy we've seen from all the stones) up until after the Infinity Wars where she came into contact with all the Infinity stones then boom, upgrade. Bucky gets shot once by the Power stone, that's it.

[teatotally]

hooooly crap you had chemo on halloween? i take it that means you have cancer if i'm not being too rude? I am so sorry to hear that and i guess it makes sense why you haven't had as much writing on your ao3 as you used to post. wow i am just so sorry. I feel kinda dumb because it didn't really occur to me to check and see why you hadn't updated your last wip and such. I hope that you are doing okay and that your treatment is working, I know how much cancer sucks and you are so talented that it would be extra awful to have something you do so amazingly at be a burden or obligation. Sending all my thoughts for you to get better.

Nah, it's not too rude--I did mention it in public, after all! I haven't talked about it here because I never felt like people on tumblr were interested in personal things, but I do talk about it a fair bit in my dreamwidth space, mostly as a way to keep track of what's happening. It's both dramatic and incredibly boring--the type of cancer I have is technically incurable (it's called multiple myeloma, which is a blood cancer, basically bone marrow), so it's this slog to get to a remission state, where it can then be managed like a chronic condition.

Which is a big change from years past, because there were few treatments for it, but now there are a lot, though the main thing people talk about is doing an autologous stem cell transplant. I am not going that route, so mostly I do a lot of chemo, which is injections (in my stomach, bleh), pills, and some infusions to rebuild the bone loss I've had (it was discovered when I had such excruciating pain in my neck that I couldn't move much, and it turned out I had a hole in my C6 vertebra). But apparently it always comes back.

That was really when my writing started to tank. I managed somehow to do a few things here and there, like Yuletide and Into a Bar, and writing my annual birthday fic, but it's been tough. I don't feel super bad all the time, but when I do feel bad, it's really crippling for creativity, and all of my drugs have a side effect of fatigue. I used to think of fatigue as just being extra tired, but man, it's so much deeper, and just unbelievably draining.

I am really trying to find the impetus to finish the Steve/Bucky virtual reality in Wakanda wip, because I really loved the concept and don't want it to just linger like it has, even though it wasn't being read by many folks. Ideally, I could work on it this month, now that I'm on a new chemo regimen and have to go in to the infusion center less often.

I really appreciate the kind words and support, and with any luck, I can get back to the writing and won't leave folks too frustrated. I guess I'll have a hell of an author's note explaining why I dropped the wip for so long. 🤗

[livesunique]

Ms Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida OMRI (4 July 1927 – 16 January 2023)

Destined to be called "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World", Ms Lollobrigida was the daughter of a furniture manufacturer, and grew up in the pictorial mountain village. She studied sculpture at Rome’s Academy of Fine Arts, and started her career with minor Italian film roles before coming third in 1947’s Miss Italia pageant. 

After refusing a contract with Howard Hughes to make three pictures in the United States in 1950, Ms Lollobrigida gained for starring turns in 1952’s “Fanfan la Tulipe” and 1953’s “Bread, Love and Dreams,” the latter of which netted her a BAFTA nomination for Best Foreign Actress.

Ms Lollobrigida’s first American film was “Beat the Devil,” a 1953 adventure comedy directed by John Huston that cast her opposite Humphrey Bogart. Over the course of the ’50s and ’60s, she starred in numerous French, Italian and European-shot American productions, with highlights including “Trapeze” with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” as Esmerelda, “Solomon and Sheba” with Yul Brynner, “Never So Flew” with Frank Sinatra and Steve McQueen, “Come September” with Rock Hudson, and “Woman of Straw” with Sean Connery, and “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell,” with Shelley Winters.

Her roles made her a major sex symbol of Italian cinema; in 1953, she won Italy’s David di Donatello award for Best Actress for her performance in the opera star Lina Cavalieri’s biopic “Beautiful But Dangerous,” known in Italian as “The World’s Most Beautiful Woman.” 

She later won two more David di Donatello Award for “Imperial Venus” and “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell,” a Golden Medal of the City of Rome in 1986, a 40th Anniversary David in 1996 and a 50th Anniversary David in 2006. In 1961, she won the Golden Globes’ Henrietta Award for “World Fan Favorite,” and received nominations for “Falcon Crest” and “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell.”

After the ’60s, Lollobrigida’s career began to slow down, but she continued to act intermittently, including in the 1995 Agnes Varda film “Les cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma,” and in ’80s TV shows such as CBS’ “Falcon Crest” and ABC’s “The Love Boat.” 

Ms Lollobrigida also developed a successful second career in photojournalism during the ’80s. She obtained an exclusive interview with Cuban leader Fidel Castro and also photographed many famous film stars, as well as publishing a number of books of her photographs.

In 2011 she made her final film appearance, playing herself in a cameo for the Italian parody film “Box Office 3D: The Filmest of Films.”

The screen legend sale of some of her 23 jewels from her Bulgari  collection at Sotheby’s in 2013 to help fund an international hospital for stem-cell research. 

On 16 October 1999, Lollobrigida was nominated as a Goodwill Ambassador of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization

Ms  Lollobrigida won the Berlinale Camera at the Berlin Film Festival in 1986, Karlovy Vary Film Festival special prize in 1995, and the Rome Festival’s career prize in 2008. In 2018, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Ciao, Gina, Riposa in Pace

(Armando Pietrangeli, “Light and Shadow,” Gina Lollobrigida,1960, Trapeze 1956, Woman Of Rome,1954, Salomon & Sheba,1959, Come September, 1961,Un Bellissimo Novembre,1968, The Hunchback of Notre Dame,1956, In London to publicise her book of photographs titled Italia Mia,1974, Fidel Castro shot by Ms Lollobrigida,1974, Gina Lollobrigida pictured on July 11, 2022 in Rome).

[tilde44]

wow republican house majority leader steve scalise is receiving stem-cell treatment for cancer??! after republicans have repeatedly tried to ban stem-cell research, cause they think stem cells are babies?! and after trying to ban mrna research which gave us the life-saving covid vaccine and still holds more future promise? that republican leader? steve scalise? the republican who actually was shot by some crazy guy at a baseball game, but who still refuses to pass any sane gun control measures?!

oh yeah it is that same republican, and it's totally unsurprising.

[mightyflamethrower]

092024

Planned Parenthood and Absolute Evil

In newly released undercover video, Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast Ann Schutt-Aine unwittingly shares how Planned Parenthood circumvents the law forbidding the savage form of homicide known as “partial-birth abortion” (PBA):

“If I’m doing a procedure, and I’m seeing that I’m in fear that it’s about to come to the umbilicus [navel], I might ask for a second set of forceps to hold the body at the cervix and pull off a leg or two, so it’s not PBA.” Delivering a fetus alive past the navel, with intent to take any action after that will kill the fetus, is a violation of the federal partial-birth abortion law (18 U.S.C. 1531).

They could comply by killing the baby first with digoxin, but that would prevent harvesting stem cells from the victim.

As for the torn-off legs, maybe Planned Parenthood can sell not only harvested organs ($750 for a fetal liver, $1,600 for a fetal liver and thymus) but limbs too. Branch Vice President of Abortion Access Tram Nguyen was recorded admitting,

“I’m like, ‘Yeah, I have like a leg for you!’ I’m like, oh sh**, if other people were to hear me, they’d be like, you are f***ing evil.”

Yes, they certainly are. Consequently, the Democratic Party has their back.

When the video was recorded by David Daleiden’s Center for Medical Progress, Kamala Harris was the attorney general of California. From the New York Post:

Daleiden, whose nine-year legal saga instigated by Harris is still ongoing, released shocking undercover videos he took of Planned Parenthood executives discussing fees and prices for fetal tissues in July 2015.

He faces eight felony charges as punishment for exposing Planned Parenthood.

His lawyers, who include Steve Cooley, Los Angeles’s second-longest serving DA, contend Harris — who served as California Attorney General from 2011 to 2017 — singled him out to do the bidding of Planned Parenthood, who have contributed heavily to her campaigns for office.

These fiends tear limbs off living babies. Imagine what they will do to you once they have consolidated power.

The most important thing progressive

[liminalpebble]

Eddie's Education: Chapter 21

Minors DNI

Masterlist link

Chapter 21

The rain came down in loud gray torrents outside of Leia's warm little apartment while the team huddled together in her living room, thinking out loud and trying to plan, sharing every scrap of information and experience from the last few hours.

The news had spread to the entire town by now that Dr. John Ferguson, dean of Hawkins Community College had died that morning from a heart attack. Although no one in that room (or in most of Hawkins for that matter) would particularly mourn the death of such an unpleasant man, the little team was fairly certain it was no ordinary death.

Dustin was pacing in the middle of the room, thankfully taking the lead since Eddie and Leia were both too exhausted to even think clearly.

“Okay,” Dustin said clapping his hands, cracking his knuckles, and talking through his deductions like a dorky Sherlock. “I pulled a few strings at the coroner's office and saw the postmortem notes and photos...”

“Hold the fucking phone! You What? How?” exclaimed Steve.

Dustin resumed, saying loudly, “It doesn't matter Steve! We needed to know for sure that it's Vecna.” Steve threw up his arms in a resigned huff. Dustin continued in a softer voice, setting his hand gently on Leia's shoulder. “It is Vecna, Leia, I'm sorry.”

She nodded her head, saying with a bland expression, “great...”

“But!” Dustin said, holding up his finger. “I have a theory. The good news is, this time it doesn't seem like he can break through someone's mind enough while they're awake to physically hurt them. I think they have to be asleep for him to have his full power...power to kill. I guess killing him once must have weakened him. Also...”

“Wait! He used to be able to physically harm people when they're awake?” Leia asked, puzzled.

“Yeah..but...but now he could probably only make you hallucinate, scare you at best, when you're awake. He wouldn't be able to kill you...and of course music can pull you out as well,” he explained as if that would make her feel much better.

Eddie screamed at Dustin.“For fuck sake, Henderson!” as he came over to put an arm around his girlfriend, who still looked exhausted and vacant. Leia crossed her arms and simply nodded numbly, thinking sure, this might as well happen. She was rapidly getting to a point where nothing surprised her.

Dustin and Robin grimaced and side-eyed each other. “Sorry,” she whined out. “But we didn't want to talk about that too much and scare you more if it wasn't necessary and, look, wasn't necessary. Yay!” Robin gave a weak, sarcastic little cheer. Leia sat down heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Eddie planted himself protectively next to Leia, and snipped, “is that all, Dustin? Huh? Any other great news for us?”

“Actually yes, butthead, there is better news. I think I know how to defeat him this time. I think that he was able to survive because after he technically died, his body remained and was reanimated by whatever power he sucks up from the upside-down. Whatever power the upside-down has, it's like a defibrillator times a thousand, and must regrow tissue better and faster than stem cells. It's the same reason Eddie survived. He was in the upside-down long enough that it restarted his heart and brain, then helped knit his body back together in a way that would have been impossible in our world.”

Eddie twitched and subconsciously stroked a finger over where his scars laid in ridges beneath the cotton of his shirt; as if even the mention of all of this made them throb and itch again.

Steve piped up. “So we need to kill this fucker again, and this time we have to make sure we drag him outside of the upside-down?” “Correct, dear Stevie. If we pull this bastard out of the weird biological stew that's keeping him on life support he won't stand a chance. I bet once we get him out of the upside-down he won't even be able to invade minds anymore. He needs his anchor-point to do so...has to be plugged into the outlet to charge up, and he can't move his body from that place in the upside-down as long as his mind is invading someone's here.”

“Are there still portals? And how will we know where his new nest is in the upside-down? We'll need to map it out,” Robin added.

“Well, we don't know...we're gonna have to....”

“What about weapons....

“Does anybody know how to get a hold of El again?”

“Why don't we...”

Everyone was on their feet again, debating and talking over each other...everyone except Leia who was still sitting in the same hunched position, eyes glazed over. No one noticed in the fury of their raucous discussion.

As she sat, in a twilight between waking and sleeping, she heard him; his voice like the creaking of an old door that shouldn't be opened.

Look at them.

She felt that gnarled hand under her chin again, as it lifted her head. Her apartment was again bathed in a surreal dark blue luminescence, everything looked hazy and sub-aquatic, but she could make out the shadowy figures and echoing sounds of her friends as they bickered and yelled. They were right there but seemed so far away, untouchable. The air moved languidly, fluidly, carrying sound more slowly, and weighing down upon her skin. Leia tried to stand but was cemented to her seat on the couch, she couldn't even rotate her head to see any more of Venca sitting next to her. Out of the corner of her eye she could barely see that he was slouched easily into the sofa next to her, an arm around her back as if they were a couple on a date. As if it were Eddie and herself, watching a movie.

Eddie! she tried to say. But the words only came out in her mind.

Hmmm...what about him, Leia? You think he could save you? Look at them, squabbling like children. You think any of them could save you?

I'm not sure...but...but maybe I could save them?

His hand was now smooth and cold and human; Henry's hand. He turned her head to face him, to meet his piercing blue eyes. Are you about to propose some kind of deal?

He cracked a lopsided grin, amused by the idea. I'm listening.

What if I came willingly? What if I let you kill me or take me, or whatever horrible thing you want with me, if it means you leave the rest of them alone? Especially Eddie.

He sighed and moved closer, looking more deeply into her eyes, reading the truth in her thoughts.

Oh! You really mean it don't you? It's adorable that you think you have any bargaining power here. You're smarter than that. Listen to me...he said, his voice becoming audible, lips moving as he spoke.

“I will win, no matter what. I will decide who lives and who dies, no matter what. And I will take you, no matter what. It'd be best if you make peace with that. I'll even get rid of the people who have hurt you and teach you to relish the death of your enemies, just as I do. I'm offering you such a lovely gift! Accept it.”

Looking into her mind, he could feel the fear and despair seeping in. He tutted as tears began to travel down her cheeks from the dark pools of her eyes, but he enjoyed seeing her break like this, so vulnerable. “Now now. Don't be sad,” he said breaking into a wide smile that didn't reach his frozen eyes. His long cold fingers wiped away her tears. “and don't be afraid. I have no desire to kill you. I'd rather not harm a single hair on your precious head,” Henry said, combing his bony white fingers through her black locks.

“Why?” she asked in a trembling whisper, her voice now free to leave her mouth.

“Because these days, I hunger for predators a good deal more than their prey. They...taste different. More meaty, more sustaining. And, thanks to your friends, I need heartier meals to regain strength these days.” He pointed over to where the shadows of her friends were still talking, “Of course, I have no trouble devouring some of the prey as well if they inconvenience me too much.”

Leia closed her eyes weeping, terrified of his power, feeling totally helpless to save her friends or herself, or her dear sweet Eddie. “No no...don't close your lovely eyes, darling,” Henry said with an artificially sweet smile, as he psychically forced her lids to open. “I want you to see. You'll be by my side, after all, when it all comes to pass.”

One cold hand wiped her tears away, while the other covered her forehead gently, like a nurse checking for a fever. Vecna was showing her his plan, his ideal of a utopia made in his image. As he did, he licked her tears off of his long fingers and hummed in satisfaction at the taste of her hurt, her sorrow, her gentle but stubborn empathy and kindness and grit which coated his tongue like sugar. It was somehow especially delectable. If the sour rage of the predators was his supper, she was an absolute confection of a dessert, and he would savor her eternally. She fascinated him far too much to kill her, this rare little bird. No. She would make a fine and clever pet for him...forever.

“Leia!” Eddie was screaming at her as she sat on the couch, eyes fogged over. Steve, vaulted over to her CD player and shakily hit the play button, cranking the sound up and blurting out a mantra of “Come on come on come on!” as they all clustered around the sofa.

Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again...

Robert Smith crooned out as Leia's obscured pupils swirled from dead gray back to her usual warm black-brown. She heard the music and her mind latched onto the opening chords like a rope pulling her to shore. The hand on her face no long felt bony, cold, and otherworldly. It felt warm and familiar. The fluid air in the blue-scale hallucination began to shudder and swirl down, like a deep pool being drained, leaving the warm colors of reality. She felt her head surface into lighter air and took deep heaving breaths. Her physical body awoke with a start, eyes flashing all the way open, lungs heaving for breath, Eddie's terrified face was in front of hers, his warm hands cradling her face as she came back to the waking world.

“Eddie!” she gasped, throwing her arms around him, shaking like a frightened animal. She began to rush her words out. “He...he was in my head...he gets inside of me. I...I tried to make a deal...myself for you and he wouldn't take it, Eddie. He won't...he won't stop. He's going to take me and I can't protect you...or..anyone. If he can get to me he can get to all of you....oh god.”

Eddie held on tight. “Shhhhh. Shhhh. Hey...hey it's okay. We'll make a plan okay...we'll fight together.”

He pulled away to look into her eyes. “Look at me...together...okay? We're all gonna do it together.” The gathered group nodded frantically to her, just as Eddie did. Then he kissed her quickly, desperately.

Leia looked around, still shaking, but entirely back in the room now, breath becoming more regular. She swallowed, gaining composure, come on, roll with the punches. It's what you're good at. Use what you've learned. She reminded herself, then said in a measured tone, “I think whatever plan you come up with. I shouldn't know it. If he can get into my head whenever he wants like this, I can't know your next steps.”

Dustin clapped a hand over his forehead. “Holy shit. Obviously. Why didn't I think of that?”

She gave a wry smile, “To be fair, Dustin, you've very suddenly had a lot to think of.

Robin said, “Right. Well, whatever we plan, we have to plan without you, but can you at least tell us what he's telling you? It might help us. I'm sure he's giving you clues. He likes the game of it.”

Leia took a deep breath. “Give me a second. It's like trying to remember a dream...well...I guess that's exactly what it is. He...he doesn't want to kill me.” Her face twisted in disgust. “He wants to keep me as a pet. He said he is more interested in killing predators than prey because it gives him more strength, but he's not averse to killing prey if it gets in his way.”

“Jesus!” Steve huffed, looking up with his hands on his hips.

Dustin just nodded seriously and said, “Good, Leia, that's valuable information.”

“Oh...and...and he said he won't take me with him yet. He said he has another 'gift' for me and it's not ready yet. He said to tell you all to...” She grimaced, like she was holding back bile, “to let me sleep well for a few nights. He has other work to do and he wants his pet to be healthy when he comes back for her.”

Dustin shrugged, “Well, you do need to sleep. We can't keep you awake forever like this. And if he visits you again, he doesn't intend to hurt you. It might give us more information. Oddly, he might be doing us a few favors here.”

They all looked at him, staring him down in slight disbelief at his blunt bedside manner; all except Leia.

“What?” Leia said, eyeing them all up. “He has a point, guys.”

Eddie flailed his arms stood and saying, “Nooo. No way. No fucking way we're just gonna trust that he means that shit he said and....and...give you to him??” His voice was rising, cracking.

Leia, looked him in the eye standing up and grabbing him by both arms, “Eddie, listen to me. We have to be rational here. Anything we do now has a risk. If he visits me, he can't visit anyone else at the same time, right?”

She looked to Dustin for confirmation. “Right.” he said with a nod.

“Then he can't get to whoever the next 'gift' is to murder. He can't get to any of you. The longer I keep him distracted, the less dangerous he is. Dustin, what...what if all of us make sure music is playing while we sleep, will that block him out from being able to get any of you?”

“Yeah,” Dustin said, eyes flitting around following her train of thought, “Yeah...brilliant. That would work. The only times he's been able to get to you is when the music stopped, and we can't all stay awake all the time.”

Dustin took the lead, deciding which of their team would be room mates for the next few days. Sleeping in shifts and keeping the music playing for the other. Steve and Robin lived together, so they were an obvious choice, and babysitter Steve was quick to offer Dustin a place at their house.

“Eddie? Leia?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, we got it.”

“I...I fell asleep last time and the music stopped and he got to her, man. I don't trust myself,” Eddie said, shaking.

Dustin nodded and said quietly with a hand on his shoulder. “I'll stay with you two here then? I know it's not an ideal...uh...romantic scenario.”

Leia chuckled. “It's okay, Dustin. Our minds aren't exactly on that right now. I mean, the first priority is killing an otherworldly demon wizard, after all. Besides, I'll make you breakfast in the morning.” she said with a smile.

Robin, came closer, her sky blue eyes gazing down to meet Leia's. “How...sorry to ask...but how are you taking all of this so well?”

Leia shrugged, “Vecna's not the first asshole who's tried to ruin my life, intimidate me, and bully me into submission. I guess I know the type.” She paused and smiled to Eddie, “and thanks to people who believe in me, I'm learning how to fight back.”

@sunflowerdaydreamer @veemoon

[vbartilucci]

I have nothing but wishes for him to get better, as I don't wish illness on anybody.

But I wonder if any Republicans will be commenting on him taking advantage of a medical practice so closely tied (not necessarily factually) to abortion?

It's another of those "It's okay if WE do it" things, right?

[copiumm]

ok I have to ask about “Gruesome?” 😅

Oooooh I am looking forward to finishing this one. It's actually a Bucky & Steve fic and it's *bloody*. Its an AU set after CA: TWS (because of course it is). I wont give too much away just yet because its going to go in one of two different directions. But here's a nice little sip of the whump tea I've brewed so far:

(TW: Blood. Lots of blood)

The scene was gruesome and it was hard to determine exactly what had happened. There was blood everywhere.

“Bucky?” Steve called, stepping into the apartment and quickly shutting the door behind him. He threw the keys and gym bag onto the floor without even caring where they landed. His eyes darted around the apartment wildly, finding smears of blood all over, as if there had been a struggle. He stopped walking and listened for sounds—any sounds—but he heard nothing except his own shallow breathing.

“Bucky!” Steve asked again, this time his voice cracking. There was so much blood. Where had it all come from?

As he began to pull his cell phone from his pocket, not even sure who he was going to call, he heard a small shuffling sound and then a groan coming from his bedroom. Shoving the phone back in his pocket, he darted for and shouldered open the half-closed door, narrowly avoiding the finger smudges of blood on the handle. He found his bed a disheveled mess and more blood streaking the comforter. His heart hammered in his chest when he noticed the en suite bathroom light flooding out into the darkened room. As he rounded the corner, his stomach flipped with dread.

Bucky was hunched over on the floor, laying on his left hip with his legs splayed out to the side, like he had suddenly collapsed and his limbs just had to figure out where to go. His titanium arm was the only thing still holding him up and the palm of his human hand was under his nose, trying to stem the flow of blood. Despite his efforts, blood drip, drip, dripped through his fingers and onto the white tiles in a steady rhythm.

“Bucky? Jesus…” Steve whispered, cautiously stepping over the soldier’s body to grab a hand towel from the rack behind him. He bent over without thinking, reaching the towel around to clamp it over Bucky’s face. Steve’s heart skipped a beat when Bucky flinched, hard, and groaned at the contact.

“It’s ok, it’s just me,” Steve said, crouching down behind Bucky to keep pressure on the towel he was holding to his face. Bucky made a soft noise that sounded a little like a sob. Steve ignored it. He had to get Bucky sitting up so he could at least try and get the bleeding to stop and figure out what was going on.

[biblenewsprophecy]

Cyborg Abominations!

Final Spark, a technology firm based in Switzerland, reportedly "has successfully launched Neuroplatform, the world’s first bioprocessing platform where human brain organoids (lab-grown miniaturized versions of organs) perform computational tasks instead of silicon chips." Basically, they make a type of small "human" brain out of stem cells and use electrical impulses to have it perform various computational tasks. Reportedly, this uses a million times less energy than silicon chips. Could love of money be a factor here? Is this a type of cyborg abomination? What is a cyborg? Does any of this bring to mind the fictional alien species called 'The Borg' in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'? 'Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence' considers this an important breakthrough for scientists to learn from and build upon. Michael Snyder says that these organoids are enslaved and that "these miniature human brains are tortured until they learn to obey" and that these 'organoids' are literally worked to death." What about human-monkey and human-pig genetics? Could these "inventors of evil things" be fulfilling last days' prophecies? Are we in the last days? Should Christians consider these human brain computers an abomination? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie address these issues and more in the light of the Bible.

A written article of related interest is available titled “Inventors of evil things? Cyborgs? ‘They Are Using Lab-Grown Human Brains That They Have Enslaved Called “Organoids” To Run Computers’'

Inventors of evil things? Cyborgs? ‘They Are Using Lab-Grown Human Brains That They Have Enslaved Called “Organoids” To Run Computers’

COGwriter

Microsoft Network reported the following:

16 lab-grown brains run world’s first ‘living computer’ in Switzerland

Swiss technology firm Final Spark has successfully launched Neuroplatform, the world’s first bioprocessing platform where human brain organoids (lab-grown miniaturized versions of organs) perform computational tasks instead of silicon chips.

The first such facility hosts the processing prowess of 16 brain organoids, which the company claims uses a million times less power than their silicon counterparts. …

Replacing silicon chips with bioprocessors could lead to drastic energy savings. Final Spark allows research labs to experience the power of biological processors on the Neuroplatform.  …

Final Spark has made working these varied components possible through an innovative setup called Multi-Electrode Arrays (MEAs), where the three-dimensional masses of brain tissue are placed.

Each MEA has four brain organoids that interface with eight electrodes. These electrodes perform the dual role of stimulating the organoids and recording the data they process. 4w (date not listed, but accessed 06/25/24) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/16-lab-grown-brains-run-world-s-first-living-computer-in-switzerland/ar-BB1ncgwI

So, now they have a computer brain that is part human brain!

The Bible warns:

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, (1 Timothy 6:10a)

Do not be deceived–there are ethical ways to save energy that do not require blending human brains with electronics.

Notice the following involving lovers of money and Jesus:

14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. (Luke 16:14-15)

Yes, the scientists putting together this abomination are highly esteemed.

Having human brain cells merged with electronics to run computers is not a smart thing to do:

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:22)

The Apostle Paul warned about those that do not want to retain God in their knowledge would become inventors evil things:

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, (Romans 1:28-30)

Here is something posted at Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence about this “breakthrough”:

Wetware computing and organoid intelligence is an emerging research field at the intersection of electrophysiology and artificial intelligence. The core concept involves using living neurons to perform computations, similar to how Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are used today. However, unlike ANNs, where updating digital tensors (weights) can instantly modify network responses, entirely new methods must be developed for neural networks using biological neurons. Discovering these methods is challenging and requires a system capable of conducting numerous experiments, ideally accessible to researchers worldwide. For this reason, we developed a hardware and software system that allows for electrophysiological experiments on an unmatched scale. The Neuroplatform enables researchers to run experiments on neural organoids with a lifetime of even more than 100 days. To do so, we streamlined the experimental process to quickly produce new organoids, monitor action potentials 24/7, and provide electrical stimulations. We also designed a microfluidic system that allows for fully automated medium flow and change, thus reducing the disruptions by physical interventions in the incubator and ensuring stable environmental conditions. Over the past three years, the Neuroplatform was utilized with over 1,000 brain organoids, enabling the collection of more than 18 terabytes of data. A dedicated Application Programming Interface (API) has been developed to conduct remote research directly via our Python library or using interactive compute such as Jupyter Notebooks. In addition to electrophysiological operations, our API also controls pumps, digital cameras and UV lights for molecule uncaging. This allows for the execution of complex 24/7 experiments, including closed-loop strategies and processing using the latest deep learning or reinforcement learning libraries. Furthermore, the infrastructure supports entirely remote use. Currently in 2024, the system is freely available for research purposes, and numerous research groups have begun using it for their experiments. This article outlines the system’s architecture and provides specific examples of experiments and results. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence/articles/10.3389/frai.2024.1376042/full

Sadly, the above article considers this good.

Michael Snyder posted the following:

They Are Using Lab-Grown Human Brains That They Have Enslaved Called “Organoids” To Run Computers

June 23, 2024

A company in Switzerland known as “Final Spark” has constructed a bizarre hybrid biocomputer that combines lab-grown miniature human brains with conventional electronic circuits. This approach saves an extraordinary amount of energy compared to normal computers, but there is a big problem. The lab-grown miniature human brains keep wearing out and dying, and so scientists have to keep growing new ones to replace them. Stem cells that are derived from human skin tissue are used to create the 16 spherical brain “organoids” that the system depends upon. I realize that this sounds like something straight out of a really bad science fiction movie, but it is actually happening. …

But what about the lab-grown human brains that are being enslaved to run the Neuroplatform?

Each of the 16 mini-brains is made up of approximately 10,000 living neurons, and they are kept alive by a “microfluidics system that supplies water and nutrients for the cells”…

Rather than merely integrating biological concepts into computing, FinalSpark’s online platform ‘taps’ into spherical clusters of lab-grown human brain cells called organoids. A total of 16 organoids are housed within four arrays that connect to eight electrodes each and a microfluidics system that supplies water and nutrients for the cells.

The approach, known as wetware computing, in this case harnesses researchers’ abilities to culture organoids in the lab, a fairly new technology that allows scientists to study what are essentially mini replicas of individual organs.

During their short lives, the mini-brains are literally trained to perform certain tasks using a reward and punishment system…

If the enslaved mini-brains do what they are supposed to do, they are rewarded with lots of pleasure.

If the enslaved mini-brains do not do what they are supposed to do, they are hit with lots of “irregular electrical activity”.

In other words, these miniature human brains are tortured until they learn to obey.

Reading that should literally make you sick.

What these scientists are doing is so incredibly evil. …

Final Spark insists that the processor that it has created will use a million times less energy compared to a normal silicon chip.

There is just one enormous problem.

The mini-brains keep dying and must be regularly replaced. …

These “organoids” are literally worked to death.

They are hooked up to electrodes and worked until they can work no more…

Creating miniature human brains and using them to power a computer may be a way to save a lot of energy, but it also perfectly illustrates how far our society has fallen.

We are crossing lines that should never be crossed, and eventually we will pay a very great price for the crimes that our scientists are committing. https://endoftheamericandream.com/they-are-using-lab-grown-human-brains-that-they-have-enslaved-called-organoids-to-run-computers/

Yes, that abomination is wrong on so many fronts. Consider something God said that He had the prophet Ezekiel record:

 4 … “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” (Ezekiel 9:4)

This brain-electronic merging is not the only abomination we have seen involving human tissues.

Over a decade ago, I warned about monkey-human experimentation (see Russia looking at total GMO food ban; the frightening chimera research).

Sadly, frightening, ‘frankenstein-monsters,’ are being worked on in labs.

We  made a video related to that, including the use of simian species:

13:51

Half human, half pig: What’s the difference?

BBC reported about what it called an animal that would be half-human and half-pig. Is such a thing possible? Are chimeras for real? What about a “humanzee”? Are scientists really working on these type of creatures? Is this good? Can something truly be half human and half animal? How are humans different from animals? What is the ‘spirit in man’? What is man? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more with biblical-based responses.

Here is a link to our video: Half human, half pig: What’s the difference?

Now we are seeing human brains merged with electronics. Back in 1960 term cyborg was coined by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline related to a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. What is being experimented with now is a type of cyborg.

What is happening now also reminds me of the Borg in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Here is something from Wikipedia about ‘The Borg’ accessed 06/25/24:

The Borg Star Trek race

Borg insignia designed by Rick Sternbach. It first appeared in the episode “Q Who“.[n 1]

Created byMaurice Hurley

In-universe information

Base of operationsDelta Quadrant

LeaderBorg Queen

The Borg are an alien group that appear as recurring antagonists in the Star Trek fictional universe. The Borg are cybernetic organisms (cyborgs) linked in a hive mind called “The Collective.” The Borg co-opt the technology and knowledge of other alien species to the Collective through the process of “assimilation“: forcibly transforming individual beings into “drones” by injecting nanoprobes into their bodies and surgically augmenting them with cybernetic components. The Borg’s ultimate goal is “achieving perfection.” … The Borg are cyborgs, having outward appearances showing both mechanical and biological body parts.

So, we are seeing a type of enslaved cyborg now being developed to run computers. While using electronics to help those with injured or malfunctioning brains may have a proper place, using human brain cells to be part of computers is wrong. They are producing a type of cyborg abomination.

Of course, those of us who believe the Bible should not be surprised that humans are going the wrong way with aspects of genetic research. Notice that the Bible warned about human knowledge increasing and problems in the end time:

6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Genesis 11:6-7)

4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4)

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, … 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-2,5)

How much ‘love’ do scientists have for the inter-spliced, animal-human or human brain-electronic entities they are sometimes creating? Do they not brutally experiment and then destroy most of what they are currently creating that way?

Notice also:

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; …

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, (Romans 1:28,31, KJV)

1 This know also, that in the last days …  2 For men shall be …  3 Without natural affection, (2 Timothy 3:1-3, KJV)

Those who wish to use human brain cells for this type of research LACK NATURAL AFFECTION.

This is going the wrong direction. We need to turn away from such.

The Bible warns:

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. (Proverbs 14:12)

Blending human and monkey DNA as well as human brains this way with electronics is not right.

But we are seeing these abominable things in these last days. They should be denounced.

UPDATE 06/30/24: We just uploaded the following related video:

14:42

Cyborg Abominations!

Final Spark, a technology firm based in Switzerland, reportedly “has successfully launched Neuroplatform, the world’s first bioprocessing platform where human brain organoids (lab-grown miniaturized versions of organs) perform computational tasks instead of silicon chips.” Basically, they make a type of small “human” brain out of stem wells and use electrical impulses to have it perform various computational tasks. Reportedly, this uses a million times less energy than silicon chips. Could love of money be a factor here? Is this a type of cyborg abomination? What is a cyborg? Does any of this bring to mind the fictional alien species called ‘The Borg’ in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’? ‘Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence’ considers this an important breakthrough for scientists to learn from and build upon. Michael Snyder says that these organoids are enslaved and that “these miniature human brains are tortured until they learn to obey” and that these ‘organoids’ are literally worked to death.” What about human-monkey and human-pig genetics? Could these “inventors of evil things” be fulfilling last days’ prophecies? Are we in the last days? Should Christians consider these human brain computers an abomination? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie address these issues and more in the light of the Bible.

Here is a link to our video: Cyborg Abominations!

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Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilences? What will it bring and when? Here is a link to a related sermon: Fourth Horseman, COVID, and the Rise of the Beast of Revelation. Here is a version of that sermon in Spanish: El Cuarto Caballo, El COVID y El Surgimiento de la Bestia del Apocalipsis. Some shorter related videos may include Amphibian Apocalypse: Threat to Humans? and Zombie Deer Disease is Here! Are the 10 Plagues on Egypt Coming? Here is a version of the article in Spanish: El cuarto jinete de Apocalipsis, el caballo pálido de muerte y pestilencia.

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Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?

What is Your Destiny? Deification? Did the Early Church Teach That Christians Would Become God? What is your ultimate destiny? What does the Bible teach? Is deification only a weird or cultic idea? Are you to rule the universe? Here is a link to the video sermon What is Your Destiny?

Did Early Christians Believe that Humans Possessed Immortality? What does John 3:16, and other writings, tell us? Did a doctrine kept adopted from paganism? Here is a YouTube video titled Are humans immortal?

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LATEST BIBLE PROPHECY INTERVIEWS

LATEST NEWS REPORTS

[beardedmrbean]

June 3 (UPI) -- Longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee announced that she has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and will be missing certain dates in Congress for treatment.

Jackson Lee, D-Texas, made the announcement in a post on social media on Sunday.

"I am currently undergoing treatment to battle this disease that impacts tens of thousands of Americans every year," Jackson Lee said in her statement, posted on X. "I am confident that my doctors have developed the best possible plan to target my disease.

"The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me."

Jackson Lee, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, is the Democratic Caucus's chief deputy whip and vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Jackson Lee, an advocate for social justice issues in the House, last month reintroduced the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

She said she remained committed to working with Minority House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., as she undergoes treatment.

"By God's grace, I will be back at full strength soon," Jackson Lee said. "As I pursue my treatments, it is likely that I will be occasionally absent from Congress, but rest assured my office will continue to deliver the vital constituent services that you deserve and expect."

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise was diagnosed with a treatable form of blood cancer, myeloma, and had undergone stem-cell transplant treatment earlier this year.

In April, Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer, but did not specify what kind. He said he was receiving medical treatment and continued testing.

Grijalva, who had served in Congress since 2003, is a member of the National Hispanic Caucus and chair of the National Research Committee.

[little-blog-of-horrors]

Random facts: Winter Barnes

Winter has no biological mother: Winter was grown with stem cells and DNA harvested directly from the Winter Soldier. They then implanted those cells into an artificial womb. The monitored her development, and genetically altered her over the next eight and a half months. Nurturing the traits they wanted, and removing the ones they didn't, until she was born, the first pure super soldier.

Winter has a kill count well over fifty: In a desperate attempt to salvage their ranks after Steve Rogers took down Hydra leader Director Pierce, Winter's training was accelerated. Rapid fire missions with Winter, resulted in the death of over 73 people by 2020.

Winter has never eaten solid food: Hydra supplemented Winter's diet to a completely sustained liquids base. Iv nutrient and vitamins kept her healthy, while growth accelerant and strength enhancements did the rest.

Winter is incapable of having children: [Because I did have a friend ask about this.] Hydra designed every single inch of Winter. Meaning they also were able to remove anything they deemed unnecessary. A menstrual cycle would have been an unnecessary complication and could be an issue in the field. So Winter was born without reproductive organs. Though she doesn't think she would be a good mother anyway.

[the-firebird69]

I AM BUILT DIFFERENT - DOMINATE EVERY GOAL - ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER MOTIV...

I did shrink down quite a bit and it is about survival these guys are still big and demand a lot of stuff it's kind of awful I'm supposed to this role model they discover they're down there and they don't think they have to do anything. Just treat the ones up here badly but they go down there and they get in shape and a large attacks on you very large ones then they're going after a very hard what you're doing here I'd like to tell you why looks like my friend here would like to wait

Arnold Schwarzenegger

We did think about it so good idea you see them around there big the ones around us were small sometimes really small and I can't stand it they're very much into it

Bja

I can't stand it either this guy came up everyone's on this topic good idea the demons and then this now I get it

Know this been threatens society to control demons

Trump

This is a part of him that a lot of people don't see when he's real bulky it's in a couple of the scenes and his it was for like a year he's about 6 ft 3 and that will be the size our sun will be pretty big and we're not afraid to do it now but these people are so you're looking at them like they have three heads and then we continue on and say okay it's not necessary right now it's not really but gee whiz what a pain. There are some differences my son's arms our son's arms are not as long because of his age and they will be a little bit bigger around and they'll look at he's going to look chunkier and it's only like an inch difference in life and the lights to a little shorter but he's going to be tall 6 ft 2 6 ft 3 and he will weigh about 150 lb more this is legs will have some beef and the people will be really surprised maybe like Steve carrier. Now that guy is a small guy and he came up to our son and he said you don't remember me and I said I'm sorry I just can't place you and he says you used to be my friend all the time and hang around and he said you're kidding I don't remember anybody that looked like you or sounded like you is a little nervous since I've been working out for a long time I got real big and you kind of sitting there a little bit shocked and said yeah you're really big yes my name is Steve carrier I said no way so she shook his hand and he said thank you very much for recognizing me I said I don't really but okay he started laughing and said that's what we talked like but it's true he's telling them I don't really recognize you but I'm trying so you're talking about things you're talking about and it went back and they hit a few hot spots and you didn't talk to him again and Steve carrier was aloof because he was so big he's drunk down in a year and he came by and he couldn't talk to our son so you tried to get near him to get big together and he couldn't do it somehow he said this this is the weirdest experience of my life I can't do this and I want to do it I'm going to use steroids and he said it's going to be another way and he heard stem cells and there's a lot of milk they have to be careful with and you have to until these smoothies with vegetables and some fruit and he got it too so he went ahead and tried that and he grew several inches making wider and said I wonder if I'm normally the size is like 5 ft 6 and about 180 lb and usually they're about that big no nobody's normal size and he said wow this stuff works so he shared it with his friends but for real there seems to be absolutely no movement on this stuff they think the foreigners will handle it and that's what all they have to do but they say they see them around and they're taking their territory so now they're thinking of making Arnold Schwarzenegger our son says it's going to be a problem when you cause one for yourselves and Arnold Schwarzenegger and people start saying no way he gets in these movies is all beat up and old but a little later on it looks like he comes back and no he's not really the Terminator you did the movie but it's not you can you smiling saying that's right no he wants to see our son when he's bigger Schwarzenegger's arms were 23 in our sons will be about 24 in and he'll look different when you flexible cite this one big giant ball and with you guys it's like a small little ball with muscle around it but when you tones down it looks kind of similar it just looks a lot bigger and Lou ferrigno have that look it's a good idea he wasn't using spice no he was you're making go deaf. These guys are trying to hear it coming and it's not pretty fairly soon he is going to be kicked out the social security and we think it's days and he will be out running around bothering people we're getting ready for that time we have announcements and we'll watch those in a minute we will announce those in a minute

Thor Freya

Olympus

Zues Hera so good idea have like a test run

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Walt Handelsman, The New Orleans Advocate :: @Walt_Handelsman

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

January 15, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JAN 16, 2024

Last night, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) announced they have agreed to another continuing resolution that will fund the government until March 1 and March 8. Schumer said he will begin the process of passing the continuing resolution when the Senate reconvenes tomorrow. 

The first part of the current continuing resolution that funds the government will run out Friday, and Schumer warned that “[t]o avoid a shutdown, it will take bipartisan cooperation in the Senate and the House to quickly pass the CR and send it to the President's desk before Friday's funding deadline.” 

Schumer is sending a message to the House, since far-right Republican extremists there threw former House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) out of the speakership for adhering to the budget spending agreement he made with President Joe Biden in June 2023. Now Johnson has agreed to what is essentially the same deal.

It is unclear what actions the funding measure will prompt in the House. According to Marianna Sotomayor and Leigh Ann Caldwell in the Washington Post yesterday, extremist Republicans remain angry enough at their inability to dictate terms to the government that they are, once again, threatening to halt the House’s business in protest, to challenge Johnson’s speakership, and/or to shut down the government. At the same time, other Republicans are angry that Johnson appears to be caving to the extremists, who have made the House a bit of a laughingstock as they made it almost impossible last year for the House to get anything done. More obstruction, another speakership fight, or a government shutdown would hurt the Republicans’ image even more.

Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News reported that Johnson told the House conference that with Kentucky representative Hal Rogers hospitalized after a car accident on Wednesday, and Louisiana representative Steve Scalise out of Congress until February for a stem cell transplant to treat his blood cancer, the Republican majority is so slim there isn’t time for anything other than a continuing resolution. 

Perhaps to appease the extremists, on the same call, Sherman reported, Johnson told the conference that the bipartisan immigration measure being negotiated in the Senate was “DOA in House.” House Republicans have insisted they will not pass additional funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan without a measure addressing the border. At the same time, they have also refused Biden’s offer to negotiate, clearly trying to preserve the immigration issue to whip up voters before the 2024 election. Johnson told his conference that Congress “can’t solve [the] border until Trump is elected or a Republican is back in the White House.” In Iowa, Trump promised: “As soon as I take the oath of office, I’ll…begin the largest deportation operation in American history.” 

We got a taste of what those policies will look like over the weekend when on Friday a woman and two children drowned in the Rio Grande and two other migrants were in distress after Texas soldiers prevented Border Patrol officers from entering Shelby Park, the area where the migrants were crossing. A lawyer for the Department of Health and Human Services wrote to Texas attorney general Ken Paxton on Sunday, demanding that Texas stop blocking Border Patrol officers. 

Meanwhile, the image of the migrant woman and children drowning is so damaging that Texas troops claim they didn’t see any distressed migrants and Texas governor Greg Abbott today insisted that the migrants were already dead when his troops stopped the Border Patrol from helping, although that claim does not address the fact that the Texas troops had blocked the Border Patrol’s normal surveillance of the river and had assumed responsibility for it. Abbott tried to argue that the deaths were not his fault but rather Biden’s because, he said, Biden’s policies encouraged migrants to attempt the crossing.   

For their part, Senate Republican negotiators pushed back on the news that Johnson was preemptively tanking the immigration measure, saying that rumors about what’s in it are inaccurate and that Republicans should withhold judgment until they see it. Members of the Senate are eager to pass aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. 

Today, Nahal Toosi explored in Politico how the domestic political infighting in the United States is undermining faith in American democracy around the world. Toosi explained that current and former diplomats pointed to concerns that U.S. foreign policy will change based on the demands of a radical base, and they pointed to Trump’s abrupt exit in 2018 from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, more popularly known as the Iran nuclear agreement, that significantly restricted Iran’s nuclear development. In the wake of that withdrawal, Iran resumed the previously prohibited uranium enrichment. 

“Foreign relations is very much based on trust, and when you know that the person that is in front of you may not be there or might be followed by somebody that feels exactly the opposite way, what is your incentive to do long-term deals?” a former Latin American diplomat asked of Toosi. A former Mexican ambassador told Toosi that if a Republican takes the White House in 2024, countries will not be able to trust the U.S. as a partner but will instead operate transactionally.

“The world does not have time for the U.S. to rebound back,” a former Asian ambassador told Toosi. “We’ve gone from a unipolar world that we’re familiar with from the 1990s into a multipolar world, but the key pole is still the United States. And if that key pole is not playing the role that we want the U.S. to do, you’ll see alternative forces coming up.” Toosi noted that Russian diplomats were “among those delighting in the U.S. chaos (and fanning it).”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON