#survivor’s playground

[flammabel]

I come bearing more swirly purple and blue Cal’s. 🌌💗💜👀

I am excited to show some more of what I have. 😊

[moonsregression]

~ A better world ~

(Made by me)

[tanjir0se]

Naruto is a really funny because they are trying very very hard to convince the viewer that this character is strong and powerful and ultra cool and the whole goddamn time the character in question is 12 and wearing cargo shorts

[sanstropfremir]

i sent the flower ask, yeah i know dances were always made to go viral, i mean tiktok trend specifically as it being very bad and way too simple. even if you compare it to other newer girl groups whos main target is tiktok trends too, it feels like choreographers picked the simplest possible moves that dont even fit just so that it can be replicated by literally absolutely anyone within 2s

[dealtersorcerer]

I finally got around to finishing chapter 14 of Survivor’s Playground let’s go!!!!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32742913/chapters/121444282

[addicted-to-dc]

Jekyll/Hyde - Taskforce 141 x Reader

Okay, didn't like the first fic I wrote so here's this one instead lmao. Still figuring out team dynamics... but I can't wait to explore moreeee.

Tags for those who encouraged me to write this. Thank you!!! @greeniegreengreen @aeilani @poetslastdeath (Thanks for the writing prompt!! Imma go crazier with it soon)

Content Warnings: Typical CoD violence, ptsd, reader is going to be unhinged (even more so in the next chapters).

“She’s not a good fit.” You were waiting for the line; another iteration of the same denial you’ve encountered everywhere you go. “It’s all solo work, can she even work with a team?”

Your throat burns at the statement. Despite the stabbing pain with each demeaning sentence, you can’t help but continue eavesdropping. Your file has lies written on nearly every page, all the ‘solo missions’ redacted and sealed so tightly even you couldn’t read them.

“John.”

Laswell is too kind to you, too stubborn, somehow seeing right through your heavily defended psyche. Playing matchmaker with the 141 is a mistake. These men don’t need you. You’re disposable, belonging nowhere yet everywhere. They already have a psychotic on the team, the position has been filled since the damned taskforce was created.

“Ignore the files, look at her.” The fucking PowerPoint. It’s like you’re a mutt she’s trying to adopt off. As if a photo of you would convince them to accept. You’re a liability. It won’t be long until you’re sent off on another suicide mission, doomed to survive and repeat the process over again. Laswell sighs. “She’s never been assigned a solo mission.”

“Lone survivor?” Says a new voice. The Scottish accent tells you it’s one of the sergeants, Mr. Mohawk. “Sounds familiar, eh, Ghost?”

There’s no response, a barely discernable grunt takes the place of an answer. Then this ‘Ghost’ speaks: “Jekyll and Hyde?”

��She’s a completely different person on the field. Jekyll specializes in intelligence, sabotage, and infiltration. A screw loose, yes, but Hyde…” You don’t belong here. They know it. You know it. It seems like Laswell is the only one out of the loop, but you will never doubt her stubbornness. Your stomach drops. “Hyde is unstoppable. She flips that switch… you have a wildcard that will turn the tide.”

Maybe you should just leave. Maybe you should take up Graves’ offer. He’d gladly take you, but you’re not sure what’s holding you back from finally pulling the trigger… you should really work on your wording.

“She’s survived alone for so long; she needs a team that can survive WITH her.”

You eye the window, admiring the view of the forested area that claims most of the land. This building is commercial, an office building repurposed for government use… and it seems they forgot to lock the window. It slides open with ease, and the 2-story drop is nothing. You’ve fallen from deadlier heights.

“JEKYLL!” You don’t bother turning around, Laswell’s voice ushering you to make a break for it into the forest.

Turning around, you salute them, sarcastically of course, and bolt into the forest as the group rips their own window open. Serves them right for talking shit when you can clearly hear everything. Your eyes flick around, spotting a sturdy enough tree to climb up. The forest is old, old enough to be your perfect personal playground. It’s been a while since you’ve been in one. It screams “HOME!” in your brain, but you shove that thought down. That home is across the world, your claim etched into the tops of the trees.

It’s not difficult to climb into a spot, it’s nearly as easy as breathing. The ambience of the forest is enough to take away the pain in your chest, the wind grounding you with its bite. Sighing, you slump against the bark and look upwards. The clouds look extra poofy today. A great contrast against the bright blue sky.

You close your eyes. It’s as if you’re there, survival being the only goal in your mind. Nothing weighing you down…

“Jekyll!”

You look down, disappointed that they found you already. War never changes and peace never lasts, including your own. Captain John Price glowers at you from below. You’re starting to feel a bit better, especially since this perspective is too damn hilarious. What a little, angry dude.

Ignoring the man, you slowly move from branch to branch. Running won’t solve anything, they chased you for a reason. Laswell did this on purpose. The revelation makes you freeze. Scowling, you whip around to face the men. “Look, I don’t appreciate Laswell meddling with my shit either, but mention anything about my teams again and I’ll cut your fucking tongues out.”

“Fair.”

Your eyes flick to Ghost, the darkest thing in the forest. It’s almost as if darkness clings to him. You could easily disappear, this forest is vast, yes, but it would be a walk in the park to a nearby town compared to your previous unsavory experiences. You know this, but it seems Ghost knows too. He’s tense, watching you closely for any tells. It’s funny, you’re doing the same thing. Great minds think alike.

“How’d you like the PowerPoint?” you lean against a branch, scratching a scar on your chin. “Was it the maroon or grey themed one?”

Silence, but then an answer from one of the sergeants, Mr. Mohawk. “Grey.”

You frown, allowing yourself to swing to a lower branch. “Funny, she said she changed it. Liar.”

“Laswell a liar?”

“All of you are liars,” you immediately throw back, sizing up all the men. “To others… to yourselves.”

“And you’re not a liar?” The other sergeant asks. Curious man, a seeker of truth. His determination is difficult to ignore, a sense of justice that could rival yours. Good. There’s not many left in this world. He shall henceforth be Sunshine.

You smile, but it doesn’t reach your eyes. “Lies kill in our line of business, even the small ones, Sergeant. Not my weapon of choice. Now, are you rejecting me or not?”

“No.”

Now that’s interesting. You descend a few more branches. “Why?”

“The PowerPoint.”

You scoff, landing softly onto the forest floor. It takes only a few steps to close the distance. Hesitance invades your mind. This group will be different. You’ll just have to place your trust in Laswell and her mysterious ways. “Next mission?”

“Not much to go on, we’re waiting on Laswell for intel.”

Nodding, you glance at the team. “You going to bother introducing yourselves? Don’t bother, big boy, I already know who you are.”

Ghost looks like a challenge, very throwable. Maybe you’ll get a chance in the field. The Sergeants exchange glances. Aren’t they cute.

“Too late, you’re Mr. Mohawk and Sunshine now,” you state, adjusting your vest and walking away. “Give me 24 hours, Price.”

And with that, you leave the men alone to focus on your favorite task… digging for intel.

“Jekyll.”

You halt in your steps, turning around. “Yes, Captain?”

He steps forward. “You’re 141, we work as a team. You haven’t lost us yet.”

The pain returns, the ringing in your ears reaching a crescendo despite the forest’s calming aura. Blood, so much blood, gasps for breath and- Your jaw tightens, any more pressure and you’re sure you’ll shatter them. “Conference room 2.”

-------------------

Thanks for reading! I really want to you (the reader lol) to pitch in and decide where to go! I think a little choose your own adventure would be cool. I'll start it up within the next chapter or two. I'm so exciteddd to write again. I hope my writing muscles aren't too decayed XD

If anyone has suggestions, do not hesitate to comment! I need more unhinged mutuals on here pls

[animatedjen]

The Best Movie Versions of Jedi: Fallen Order

As someone who has made too many videos about these games, figured I'd share my favorite "movie" editions of Fallen Order. It's the best way to meet the Mantis crew and experience Cal's journey if you don't have a gaming PC/console or want to relive the adventure in a condensed format. Also a great resource for making edits!

STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order - Movie Edition by MovieEditionGames

[2K, no HUD, YT CC captions available] My favorite viewing option for FO. It includes relevant gameplay mixed in with cutscenes, along with custom camera shots that showcase the environments during traversal. Clean music transitions and intentional character movement elevate it even further.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (The Movie) by Andy Gilleand

[4K HDR, letterboxed, no HUD, YT CC captions available] A very close second for FO viewing. The high-res, detailed textures really showcase how beautiful this game is. Along with relevant gameplay blended with cutscenes, this version also includes chapter markers to find different sections more easily.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Game Movie by Video Game Player

[4K 60FPS, letterboxed, no HUD, no captions] Another 4K option with chapter markers (this time with on screen titles!) but doesn't use HDR.

STAR WARS: JEDI FALLEN ORDER All Cutscenes (Cal Mod) by Gamer's Little Playground

[4K 60FPS, includes HUD and in-game captions] Cal takes a nap and wakes up with a beard! If you want to revisit the story with a new look, here's a good option.

Hope this helps! As of now I have not found a comparable version for Jedi Survivor. There are cutscene-only options and full 13-17 hour gameplay options, but nothing in between. If you have seen one let me know! Otherwise I may try to make it myself, eventually.

[header photo from u/D3athtroop3r on Reddit]

[firebugfrenzical]

The fog takes those it deems interesting, and what would be more so than those hunted by the eldritch already?

Dead By Daylight welcomes it's newest chapter, Marble Hornets. Within it comes two new survivors and two new killers, equipped to turn the realms into their own playground with the included Rosswood Park map. Here we'll be discussing two of them, Tim Wright and the Masked.

So. I muse Tim/Masky in a Dead By Daylight server I help run with some friends! Since my mate Heath has been posting some renders, I decided to post my renders of two of the Marble Hornet Chapters characters

Tim is a man on the run from his past, though he could never avoid it forever. His teachable perks, Static Throes, Remain In Sight, and Placebo allow you to focus on generators while maintaining eyes on your teammates at all times, while also allowing you to remove negative status effects from yourself.

The Masked is one such thing Tim couldn't run from. A stealth killer that stalks the forest and night, the Masked is equipped with cameras that they can set up to keep tabs on Survivors with. Their teachable perks, Interference, Faulty Wiring, and Hushed allow you to slow down progress and maintain a silent approach.

[gnarkillluvr]

The Dunblane Massacre

The deadliest mass shooting in British history.

Trigger warnings; child murder, school shooting, suicide

Overview:

Date and Time: 13th of March, 1996 from 9:35am to 9:40am

Perpetrator:

Thomas Watt Hamilton

10th of May, 1952 - 13th of March, 1996

Born in Glasglow, Scotland

Weapons used:

9mm Browning HP Pistols x2

Smith and Wesson M19 .357 Magnum Revolver x2

[BOTH LEGALLY OWNED]

Attack Type:

School Shooting

Pedicide (Child murder)

Mass Murder

Murder-Suicide

Mass Shooting

Location:

Dunblane Primary School, Dunblane, County of Stirling, Scotland.

(A primary school holds children from four to six years old.)

Victims:

Victoria Elizabeth Clydesdale (5), Emma Elizabeth Crozier (5), Melissa Helen Curry (5), Charlotte Louise Dunn (5), Kevin Allen Hassle (5), Ross William Irvine (5), David Charles Kerr (5), Mhairi Isabel MacBeath (5), Gwen Mayor (45), Brett McKinnon (6), Abigail Joanne McLennan (5), Hannah Louise Scott (5), Emily Morton (5), Megan Turner (5), Sophie Jane Lockwood North (5), John Petrie (5), Joanna Caroline Ross (5).

Teacher Gwen Mayor and her class, 16 of who are listed as victims above.

Timeline:

8:15am

Thomas Hamilton was seen shaving ice off of his car at his house on Kent Road, Stirling. He left soon after and drove 5 miles to Dunblane. From Kent Road to Dunblane Primary School, the journey would take 16-18 minutes to drive, but Thomas Hamilton arrived at about 9:30am, which means he had 1hr15mins to reconsider, whilst on his way to the primary school.

Thomas Watt Hamilton, the shooter.

9:30am

Thomas Hamilton parked his car near a telephone pole and severed the phone line, cutting connections to several nearby houses. He could've done this so that there was no way civilians could raise alarms and call the police if gunshots were heard.

By this time, a class of 28/29 students along with Gwen Mayor; Teacher, Eileen Harrild; P.E Teacher, and Mary Blake; assistant teacher, were in the middle of a lesson.

Sophie North, a victim in the shooting, was having a PE lesson in the gymnasium.

9:30am-9:35am

The shooter headed towards the northwest side of the building to a door near the toilets and gymnasium. He entered and fired shots into the assembly hall stage and the girl's toilets.

Dunblane Primary School after the Massacre.

9:35am-9:38am

Thomas Hamilton entered the gymnasium and opened fire. Teacher Gwen Mayor was shot and killed immediately. PE Teacher Eileen Harrild was shot in the arms and chest trying to protect herself. She proceeded to stumble into an open-planned store cupboard, bringing four children and Mary Blake, the Teaching Assistant, who was shot in the head and both of her legs.

At the same time, Thomas Hamilton, moved to the east, firing six shots as he walked, Then firing eight shots at the opposite side of the gymnasium (west). Walking to the centre of the gym, he then callously fired 16 shots at the injured children he had earlier capacitated, at point-blank range. Potentially spotting an adult in the playground, he fired 24 shots in various directions (window next to the fire exit, southeast). Four more shots were then fired.

An adult and child potentially heard the loud bangs and screams, moving to check what was happening, causing the shooter to fire towards them. The child was injured by shattering glass.

Thomas Hamilton exited the gym through the fire exit, firing four shots into the library cloakroom, injuring member of staff Grace Tweddle, though not hitting any students.

Amy Hutchinson, a survivor, who was shot by Thomas Hamilton in the leg, was in the gymnasium.

9:38am-9:40am

Catherine Gordon, a teacher in the mobile classroom nearest the fire exit, saw Thomas Hamilton approaching and told the students inside to get on the ground mere seconds before he fired 9 shots inside, hitting school equipment, books and a chair a child was sitting in a few seconds before.

Thomas Hamilton then returned to the gymnasium, dropping one pistol and taking out his revolver placing the barrel at the back of his mouth, pointing it upwards and proceeding to pull the trigger, killing himself.

Dunblane Primary School after the shooting, possibly the assembly hall or the gymnasium.

9:41am

Assistant Headmistress Agnes Awlson alerted Headmaster Ronald Taylor, who called the police. Ronald said he "assumed the noises were from builders he hadn't been informed about".

Headmaster Ronald Taylor, who was the first to witness the aftermath, had to take control and identify the bodies.

9:43am

Ronald Taylor ran to the gym. Seeing what had happened, he told Deputy Headmistress Fiona Eadington to call the ambulance.

Dunblane Cathedral, where the memorial for the victims was taking place.

9:48am

Stirling Royal Infirmary was informed of a major incident having unfolded.

Isabel, Mhairi MacBeath's mother holding her picture. She had recently lost her husband to a stroke and was on her way to the memorial service when she got a call about the shooting. Her daughter was dead by nightfall.

9:57am

The first ambulance arrived.

Mothers comforting students after the massacre.

10:04am

A medical team from Dunblane Health Centre arrived. Both the Dunblane and the ambulance teams were involved in the initial resuscitation. Teams from Doune and Callender arrived shortly after.

Parents rushing to Dunblane Primary school after hearing about the shooting.

10:15am

Stirling Royale Infirmary medical team arrive on the scene.

Queen Elizabeth the 2nd and Anne, Princess Royale, placing flowers at the scene.

10:35am

Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary medical teams arrive.

Gwen Mayor, the 1st victim of the massacre. She was a primary school teacher.

11:10am

By this time, all injured had been taken to hospital.

Children outside Dunblane Primary School a day after the massacre.

Summary

743 rounds of ammo in total.

106 shots were fired.

105 by the pistol.

1 by the revolver.

32 gunshot wounds all between a three to four-minute time period.

16 were inside the gym.

Children with injuries were taken to either the District Royal Infirmary or the Royal Hospital For Sick Children in Glasglow.

One child died en route to the hospital.

The shooter, Thomas Hamilton, was wearing shooting earmuffs, showing inexperience, with his ears not yet used to the sound of gunfire.

Aftermath

Parents of the victims petitioning for new gun legislation, October 1996.

After the Massacre, a professional inquiry was held by William Cullen, Baron Cullen of Whitekirk, called The Cullen Reports. It focused on 3 significant events, Piper Alpha; an oil rig fire that killed 167 of the 229 people on board in 22 minutes, Ladbroke Grove; the deadliest train crash in British history and the massacre itself.

The public campaigned to ban handguns from being privately owned across Britain. The Snowdrop Petition was created to press forward the petition. It proved successful, helping to bring about new legislation, specifically two firearms acts. The acts prohibited the private ownership of most types of handguns in Britain. Licensed gun owners had to hand in their handguns in exchange for compensation.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

low-dose T anon: Thanks everyone! I feel much better now. <3 However, I have special words for excatholic anon: You have absorbed catholic guilt and 2020s-internet ideology about "cp" that is broad to the point of being meaningless and accusative to the point of alienating perfectly normal people, because both function through inflicting shame. For you to recognise both is to ask a fish to recognise it's wet, but it can be done. However... "Do what you want forever" is NOT meaningless. [1/4]

...Most "anti" ideals are based on moral ick - the "yuck factor". Art is a playground to simulate ideas that aren't real. It's a way for survivors to grieve and rewrite their experiences safely, and for unaffected people to understand how other humans could be so disgustingly cruel. You will need to wade into the complex grey areas beyond your yuck factor if you want to ACTUALLY recognise where harm is being done. This will be hard work, but you're NOT the only one doing it. [2/4] Disgust is not a sound basis for moral footing. You can ignore me if you think I'm "a pedophilia apologist", but that would be sad, cause I'm probably not much older than you. Would it be pedophilic to create a story about the horrific, esoteric abuses that happened to me as a teenager, so other teens can know what the warning signs are? No. Of course not. The expression of my past doesn't hurt other people. It will warn them. There is no pedophilia epidemic, only an online Satanic Panic. [3/4] Be very careful of who's wielding pedophilia accusations. It's a tool that appeals to a primal sense of disgust, of yuck, the ultimate shut-down against a critical analysis of what harm is being done. You can do it. You're not alone. But you have to think often, and deeply, and it's terrifying to "defy" or question the group you're running with - I suspect, being excatholic, you would understand that feeling. I wish you luck, my friend. Do what you want forever. [4/4]

wow honestly. posting with no further comment because low dose T anon came back with something to say and it's all correct, and not remotely in the vicinity of fucking around. thank you for this!

[starleska]

Have you ever read the Twelve and Toymaker comic? It gives a few more interesting looks into how the Toymaker thinks that aren’t touched on in the novelisation. Most interestingly (and the main focus of the comic) is that the Toymaker is terrified of the universe outside of the Toyroom — which seems to be defined by its walls, in the novelisation the Toymaker puts particular emphasis on the walls with the candy-striped wallpaper lined with dolls — because it has no walls and because he doesn’t (didn’t? He does in the Giggle) have much control of it.

(‘‘The Toyroom is growing old, Doctor. So ancient that it no longer functions, as either prison or playground. The barriers between the Toyroom and the wider universe are growing thin, and it is this that has allowed you to wrest control of the toys, as my power wanes. Soon, there will be no Toyroom and I shall be loose in a wild, unforgiving universe, a cosmos with no walls. I can hardly conceive of such infinite horror.’’)

(‘‘You’ve given a madman access to the entire universe! With that sort of power, think what he’ll do!’’ ‘‘That’s just it, Clara, he doesn’t want the universe. Didn’t you hear him? He’s terrified of it. He can’t bear the thought of losing his control. He needs his safety net.’’)

And that he doesn’t tend to accept help unless he thinks he’s won it.

(‘‘So you’re just giving him the TARDIS?’’ ‘‘Don’t be ridiculous. I’m building a new Toyroom!’’ ‘‘Inside the TARDIS!’’ ‘‘Precisely! I had to let him think he’d won. He’d never accept my help otherwise.’’)

And THESE PANELS lives in my head

(‘‘I had to help him, Clara. Can you understand?’’ ‘‘Let me see... a lonely God, drifting through space and time in his magical toy box? Yeah, I think I understand, Doctor, all too well.’’)

The EU tends to give the Toymaker more than his actual TV appearances (mmmm his rambles about being alone in the void and the cold in the novelisation). I need to dissect him and study him in detail so bad

hello love!!! oh my goodness thank you for sending this my way, because i haven't read this comic yet but the sections you've sent me have absolutely broken my heart 💔 what an interesting look into the Toymaker's psyche…it makes perfect sense. when you're a trauma survivor of any kind, especially if you grew up in a traumatic environment, the control you're able to have over that environment (no matter how minimal) is often all that keeps you together…you have to find comfort in that there and whatever small safe space you can carve out for yourself to survive. this has given me a lot to think about, because i wrote the Toymaker with what i think was the canonisation given when he spoke to the Sixth Doctor; that the Toymaker created his Toyroom after a very long time of aimlessly using his powers, when he didn't have a concept of gameplay. there seems to be some contention about whether or not the Toymaker is the creator of the majority of older games in the universe/the concept of games (The Giggle seems to allude to that?), or if he was inspired by other beings who created the games first. i like to think it's a bit of both; that he is the originator of many early games and gameplay rules, but it was the barriers between the voidspace (and his Toyroom) which let in the ideas from other beings 👀 the idea that the Toyroom is the Toymaker's island of safety against a universe which fundamentally doesn't make sense to him is so distressing 😭💖 i think a lot of us who've gone through difficult things can relate to that experience…of having your safe place slowly eroded as circumstances change and you grow older. but it makes sense!!! if he had no one, and the only thing he could cling to were the rules of his games (seemingly the only thing which brings him joy), the inherent chaos of the universe would be terrifying to him. no matter how much he tries to make it so, the universe just isn't a game with rules that can allow him to win: it's random, and brutal. is it any wonder that he has such tantrums when he loses, or when he perceives someone to be cheating? it isn't just that he's upset about losing or bad sportsmanship...it's the literal fabric of his entire worldview being torn apart. oh lord the bit about him not accepting help unless he thinks he's won it…how familiar does that sound to those of us who were traumatised early on? needing to 'earn' things like affection, shelter, food, etc. by working twice as hard, because we feel we don't deserve it inherently...the fact that the Doctor shows the Toymaker such compassion even though the Toymaker is such a dangerous, destructive entity is a real credit to their character. i really appreciate The Giggle replicating that and showing how the Doctor empathises with the Toymaker's terror by offering to play with him...i wish we'd had more time to explore the 'vastness that will never cease'. i don't think that good or bad mean nothing to the Toymaker...i think he's petrified of it. suddenly we understand why he's so boastful about his abilities, like an arrogant child...he's asserting himself against the universe as the only safety he's ever known crumbles. god. my heart hurts - that image of him sitting with the dolls of himself and the Doctor is killing me. i am going to go and read this comic and cry now, thank you so much 😭💖 yes please do!!!! your insight into the Toymaker is fantastic and i'd love to see more character studies of him 😭💖

[eretzyisrael]

 Opinion

By MICHAEL KAYE   Published: FEBRUARY 28, 2024 03:04 THE WRITER speaks at a marketing conference in New York City wearing a #EndJewHatred T-shirt.(photo credit: COURTESY MICHAEL KAYE)

It’s been almost five months since October 7, a day that completely changed the lives of more than 15 million Jews around the world. But the aftermath of the attack is still present, months later. In many ways, it feels as though this nightmare just happened, while at other moments, it’s hard to remember what life was like before that day of terror.

I am not fluent in Hebrew. I do not wear a kippah. I have almost 30 tattoos. I am not your stereotypical Jew, but I have become a proud Jewish activist. But October 7 changed me, as it did many others. Who I was before is someone I can never be again. I cannot be complicit or silent. I donate to the Anti-Defamation League; I speak at conferences wearing an #EndJewHatred T-shirt; I never leave home without Jewish-themed jewelry; and I use my social media platforms to discuss the rising antisemitism on college campuses across the United States and around the world.

As someone who was educated at a Jewish school and learned about the Holocaust, I am no stranger to antisemitism or the dangerous impact it can have. My earliest memories include being taught by my parents to be proud but quiet about my Judaism, having swastikas carved on my school playground, being immediately evacuated on September 11, and always leaving my Star of David at home when traveling. 

During my childhood and teenage years, I heard from and met many Holocaust survivors, including Elie Wiesel. I listened to their stories about how the world remained silent.

Today, it feels like the beginning of a second Holocaust. That is why I cannot remain silent.

A scary time to be Jewish

For this Jewish New Yorker, it’s a scary time to be Jewish. The American Jewish Committee’s State of Antisemitism in America report found that 93% of American Jews surveyed think antisemitism is a problem in the United States and 86% believe antisemitism in the country has increased over the past five years. 

In November, I attended the March for Israel in Washington. Around me were Jewish people from Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Richmond, San Diego, and Queens. A man from Brooklyn put tefillin (phylacteries) on me; it was the first time I had worn tefillin in almost 20 years. I even got to meet Julia Haart and Miriam Haart from Netflix’s My Unorthodox Life, who grew up in a religious community not too far from me. While there, I realized this gathering had the most Jews I’ve been around since I was in Israel in 2006. It was the safest I had felt in years. But there were also allies, including Congressman Ritchie Torres and CNN contributor Van Jones. That day reminded me of why I am proud to be Jewish and why I cannot be silent about my Judaism any longer.

Since October 7, I have lost hundreds of followers on social media. I have received anti-Israel and anti-Jewish messages, even threats. But I am not alone. The AJC found that six in 10 people have come across antisemitic content online, and 78% of American Jews feel less safe as Jews in the United States since that horrific day.

To many of us, the current climate feels different. We’re feeling angry, confused, and isolated. In my lifetime, I have watched the nation unite after domestic and foreign terrorist attacks, social justice actions, and wars. Rarely, outside of politics, have I seen us this divided: the Jewish community against everyone else. Overnight, people who had never spoken about any Middle Eastern wars became experts on the conflict. Disinformation spread like wildfire across social media, and much of it felt aimed at damaging or discrediting Jews and Zionists. Almost immediately after October 7, it was not only taboo to express sympathy for the Israelis who were captured or murdered; it was discouraged and forbidden, often met with attacks, both physical and verbal.

BUT THROUGH these painful months, there have also been glimmers of light.

During this period of mourning, I have watched people of all backgrounds come together – to educate, to grieve, to hope, and to pray. A Christian connection on social media thanked me for sharing educational resources. Jewish friends from elementary school and high school reached out. A Muslim friend held my hand as I cried, and another has been checking on me periodically for months. These are the moments I have chosen to cling to.

Our future is not where one side loses and another wins. It’s where we all unite.

The writer is an award-winning communications strategist, data storyteller, purpose-driven marketer, and educator based in New York City. He often speaks about antisemitism, LGBTQ+ rights, and social justice issues.

[northstarscowboyhat]

Not going to lie, That Clover and Kanako image of them interacting was golden. It's a crime their not interacting more, regardless of the context of their interactions.

I so agree, anon! I have so many thoughts for two characters who canonically can never have met, LOL

I'll take this opportunity just to ramble a bit about my Soul Survivor Kanako AU, since they do get to meet and interact here LOL

I like to think in this AU, when Clover first sees Kanako in the saloon, they instantly get a puppy crush on her. She's a cute girl their age and she immediately takes an interest in them, so they go above and beyond trying to impress her. Beyond just a puppy crush, though, Clover really appreciates being around someone their age, and the two of them can be silly kids together. They've never really had a friend their age before, and it's something that really positively impacts their adventure.

Kanako, on her end, initially takes interest in Clover because... well, human. She's on a mission for her parents, so she needs to keep this human kid nearby and eventually get their trust to lure them out to the Steamworks. But, eventually, it starts going beyond that, and she genuinely has fun hanging out with Clover. Since she'd had to emotionally mature way too fast after Chujin died and Ceroba fell down, she's forgotten how to be a kid again, and Clover gives that to her in a way that the adults in her life can't. She starts to have fun and almost forgets about her mission when Clover is around, to the point that she wonders if maybe it's even worth it anymore.

Basically, Clover and Kanako playing Warrior Cats RP in the dunes playground together.

[piizunn]

september 30th, 2023

People who are not First Nations, Métis, or Inuit will never know the sickening feeling of finding out the playground you used to go to is the site of a former residential school, a school still in use by the town of Fort Smith, NWT.

fig. 1. Joseph Burr Tyrrell Elementary School in Fort Smith. Sarah Pruys/Cabin Radio.

First, I’d like to make clear that to my knowledge none of my my immediate family members are residential school survivors, I share community and space with many people who are and I personally attended the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and I will only be speaking on my own experiences. I descend from 7 historic Métis Otipemisiwak families by the names of Berthelet, Caron, St. Germain, Larivière, Dazé, Dubois, and Boudreau, who come from the historic Red River Settlement and Batoche. I come from Amiskwaciywâskahikan, Treaty 6 and I now make my home in Mohkinstsis on Treaty 7 land. I introduce myself in this traditional way of the Métis Otipemisiwak to contextualize my knowledge and experiences, honour my family, and situate myself on this land and in this conversation.

Today is Orange Shirt Day, a day that honours Phyllis Webstad, member of Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band), and survivor of the Residential School system. Her story is what has inspired this national day of honour and action. Beyond wearing orange I would like non-Indigenous settlers to really consider the history around them and the experiences of survivors and those who lost their lives. I would like you to physically step up for us, be there for us when we are being beaten down, sit with Elders and listen to their stories, learn about their joy as well their pain.

I attended Grandin School, an elementary school in Amiskwaciywâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta) before it was renamed to Holy Child. For anyone outside of the area I will describe it; the school is over one hundred years old in a historic neighbourhood. Near the school is an LRT station underground and on one side of the platform was a large mural depicting Bishop Grandin, a nun holding a native child, an Indigenous family at camp, and a residential school. Based on the fact that Bishop Grandin spent time working in Saint-Boniface of the Red River Settlement, Fort Chipewyan in what is now Alberta, and Île-à-la-Crosse in what is now Saskatchewan, it can be assumed that the family is either First Nations or Métis, however it must not be forgotten that the Inuit of the north also suffered these institutions.

A quote from Bishop Vital Grandin haunts me to this day, more now than ever.

“We instil in them a pronounced distaste for the native life so that they will be humiliated when reminded of their origin. When they graduate from our institutions, the children have lost everything Native except their blood.”

- Bishop Vital Grandin, 1875

Fig. 2. “A mural depicting Bishop Grandin at an Indian Residential School is located at the Grandin LRT Station in Edmonton.” Image courtesy of Jake Cardinal and Alberta Native News.

I remember teachers taking us to the Is platform to sse the murals but it was not a critical conversation they were very much pro church and viewed residential schools from a sinister paternalistic perspective.

The mural was eventually covered up but the narrative in grandin elementary was that they were "helping native families. I remember inside the school by the main stairwell there was a portrait of Old Grandin and it was literally so scary to me hated walking past it so much I would sprint up the stairs whenever I walked past him alone.

I attended the seventh and final Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s national event in March of 2014, at the end of one of the days I was there I took the train to see my old elementary school, to see the mural and to really consider what I had been taught in school versus what my community and family has taught me. Again, none of my direct family are residential school survivors but many Métis are and this history is often hidden. Prayers up and tobacco down for every single survivors, living and in spirit form.

Fig. 3. The mural depicting Bishop Vital-Justin Grandin at an Edmonton LRT Station was covered in orange Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Kirby Bourne, Global News

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit have been talking about their family members who did not come home and the abuse they experienced. This is not new information, and you have to sit and listen no matter how uncomfortable you are because nothing is more uncomfortable than colonial violence. When news came out about the children of Kamloops in 2021 it was devastating how many people I knew personally that were completely ignorant of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the history of residential schools. What happened in these institutions are absolute atrocities many people would rather not face even the knowledge of what happened to these children, both alive and passed on. Like the survivors, the perpetrators of these horrors live on and have never been held accountable.

Continue to honour your community, stand up and show up for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. Learn about the history of settler-colonial occupation of this land and how you yourself are directly benefitting from this ongoing genocide. Residential school survivors and the children who never came home are in your community; they are the kind kokum down the hall as well as the middle aged man living on the street, their children young adults, teenagers, kids, babies, they still carry these experiences and memory down to the atoms that make up each of their cells.

works cited

Bourne, Kirby. ‘Mural at old Grandin LRT Station to be removed this fall,’ September 23rd, 2021, Global News.

Cardinal, Jake. ‘Edmonton Paints Over The Grandin Mural’, Alberta Native News, June 10th, 2021.

Grandin, Vital-Justin. On the goal of residential schools, 1875.

Pruys, Sarah. ‘MLA calls for new Fort Smith schools, citing residential school legacy’. Cabin Radio, March 5th, 2023.

Webstad, Phyllis Jack. Phyllis’ Story In Her Own Words, OrangeShirtDay.Org

[simeffable]

SIMS 4 X LOST UPDATE!

As mentioned a few weeks ago, my expansion will now include a save file containing a customised Sulani to become ‘The Island’, with Dharma stations, crash sites and landmarks. Regular updates on progress are posted here. More info below the cut!

‘The Island’ will have a custom name (specific to the save file) and optional map. The custom map for Sulani will be included separately (as CC).

14 LOTS

Fuselage Crash Site–functional beach lot complete with CC Oceanic 815 plane fuselage wreckage.

Tail Section Crash Site + Widmore’s Freighter–functional beach lot complete with CC Oceanic 815 tail section wreckage housing tail section survivors and functional (possibly residential) freighter off-land.

The Swan–functional underground community/generic lot.

The Pearl–functional underground generic lot.

The Orchid–decorative above-ground well and ruins, and functional underground secret lab lot.

The Flame–functional residential lot housing Mikhail, with small holding of cattle and chickens.

The Tempest–functional library lot.

The Staff–functional generic lot with Ethan’s nursery for baby Aaron, wards and surgeries.

The Hydra–functional above-ground smallholding with functional underground generic/community lot complete with holding cells, Ben’s office, surveillance room and more.

The Looking Glass–functional under-water generic lot.

The Lighthouse–decorative generic lot.

The Barracks–rentable residential units (For Rent) housing Ben, Juliet, Alex and Richard, recreation room unit (functional), security and infirmary.

The Temple–functional pool lot.

‘Dharmaville’–recreation centre lot with Welcome Center, children’s playground (functional), cafeteria (possibly functional restaurant depending on capability in-game), ‘school’ (decorative) and Motor Pool (decorative).

11 LANDMARKS (Using @twistedmexi’s T.O.O.L mod off-lot features)

Henry Gale’s Balloon

Rose and Bernard’s Cabin (functional but not residential)

The Black Rock

The Ruins

The Other’s Camp

The [Foot] Statue with underground room.

The Radio Tower (hopefully functional in some capacity)

Frank/Daniel/Charlotte/Miles’s Helicopter

Ajira 316

The Heart of the Island/‘The Cork’

⭑ ★ ⭑ ˗ ˏˋ ❀ ´ˎ ˗ ⭑ ★ ⭑

As my ambitions have expanded with this project, I have relieved my initial time limit/release date of September 2024. It will simply be ready when it’s ready, but definitely before the end of the year. I hope you can all understand that I unfortunately have a real life outside of Sims, and I thank you for all of your support with this project!

[slashthrashandcrash]

What if the Entity swapped the killers and survivors rolls for a day or many a few days (depending on how evil the entity is feeling) Meg and teen Ramona can finally give Danny a taste of his own medicine. 😂😂😂

GOOD SHIT, ANON..........She absolutely would just for funsies, maybe as a way to boost Survivor morale if they're given the upper hand and a helping of vengeance for a bit, then she can break them back down again. Or maybe it's like a classroom punishment against the Killers because too many of them have been acting out. Or maybe she's just bored and likes to fuck around.

Either way, Danny is absolutely loving killer!Meg. He has no problem being hunted by his lovely red rabbit, her straddling his hips when she pins him on the ground, drawing his blood -- baby, this is nothing but foreplay to him. As much as he chases her around maps to corner her somewhere for a makeout session, he's thrilled for her to return the favor. Sure, maybe he still gets a knife to the gut every now and then, but I think the fact that he likes it and encourages her to be ruthless would make Meg less inclined to mori/sacrifice him. Stop getting off to this, you freak! and can you imagine if Meg is even wearing one of his cosmetics for the role, hoo boy........

Ramona, on the other hand, is much more interesting. Because Danny can't help but have this sick anticipation of seeing what she'll do now that she's been thrusted in the role of a killer. He's firm in his belief that all humans are capable of killing, even enjoying it, if they stop denying that instinct for blood. Half of her entire being is Danny, even if she doesn't know it right now, surely the pull is stronger than ever for her to give in to the bloodlust. She's a third generation serial killer, and she's going to kill her own father just as Danny had done to his, a self fulfilling prophesy...

But she can't. She can't kill anyone, even the bastards that have hooked her or stabbed her or torn her to shreds. It's not in her nature to be cruel. That's not to say she's above some payback and kicking the shit out of people - Danny taught her at a young age how to stand up to playground bullies - but she refuses to stoop to their level of depravity. She's not sick like they are, or desperate, and even if she were to kill them it wouldn't have any lasting change. They'd respawn alive and well, just as she does, and now they'd have one more reason to gut her once things go back to normal.

And Danny can't help but feel a bitter disappointment. Ramona was supposed to be just like him, supposed to prove him right about everything, but all she's unintentionally done is drive a further wedge between himself and his baby girl who's simply not a baby anymore. She's too different than he remembers and too set into her personality now for what he could have molded her into. Of course, it doesn't help that for as much as he aggravates her and roughs her up during trials, he's never actually killed her -- she has no real beef with him that would warrant violence in her opinion, why would he think she'd have the slightest desire to slit his throat???

I wonder if the Entity would let the Killers keep their usual attire/masks as well or if she'd switch everyone's outfits around...because if she did, this would also be the first time Ramona sees Ghostface unmasked during a trial...