#the florida education system everyone

[not-so-superheroine]

Elder Graham Needs to Come Get His Mormon Cricket Legion 🦗

saw a comment youtube that read “a swarm of mormon crickets is enough to make you wish for a nuclear winter.” and another that read “i’m a latter day saint and we don’t claim them (the mormon crickets)”  then i thought, “no, you need to claim them. come get your legion of crickets, Joshua Graham.” 

[jewishbarbies]

I knew leftists wouldn’t be normal about the LA fires. I’m not surprised that so many of them are “but Palestine” posting and even cheering on the awful destruction. I expected all of that. But I’m getting really annoyed that they seem to have no idea how the US government and state government funding works. It’s been less than a week and I’m already flooded with content asking how the US can spend X amount of money on aid to Israel and Ukraine but only X amount of money on CA firefighters. The US is a federalist system. Meaning almost all state and local education and infrastructure comes out of the state budget and state taxes. Foreign aid is entirely within the federal budget. Those are separate. Military aid or spending has nothing to do with how prepared CA was for this disaster, that lays with the CA government not the federal one. I’m just really frustrated that these people are using this tragedy as an excuse to blame Israel and to a lesser extent Ukraine. It’s also dangerous because it doesn’t tell other people where they should be directing their anger about how the fire was handled. Or what changes need to be made for next time.

what really shows a person’s lack of intelligence when the foreign aid argument is made is that, while we do send actual money, we’ve been primarily sending aid in the form of military surplus. weapons and ammo we can’t use bc we’re onto more advanced models. they have ukranian pilots special training to fly the jets we sent them bc they’re considered advanced for them, but we gave them away bc they’re a couple models behind what we’re currently using. all we see in headlines is “X billion in aid” bc that’s how our government keeps track of what we give, so n a dollar amount. it’s what the surplus is worth. we’re not furiously printing extra money just to send to Ukraine every time we pass an aid package. so, no, we couldn’t “use that money for something else” because the majority of it isn’t physical money, it’s a monetary value for our books.

there’s been so much misinformation spread around about the CA fires. a big one was that they “cut $17 million from the fire budget” this year, and that wasn’t true, it was a bonus from a purchase (for some kind of supplies I believe) last year that they didn’t need to make this year so it wasn’t on the budget. also blaming the CA fires on the LA city fire chief bc she’s a queer woman when only (1) of the fires was in her district, all the others were in districts overseen by white male fire chiefs. Biden is 100% reimbursing CA for firefighting and recovery costs, just like he did for Hawaii after Lahaina and in North Carolina, Tennessee, and (I think) Florida after their flooding. CA is being taken care of.

this whole thing is just another example of impatient dumbasses, from the left and the right, refusing to use common sense in the face of a disaster. people immediately focused on the what caused the fire the second the news broke, instead of waiting until we could actually find out, and started pointing fingers and getting angry. once again, people jumped to say the government wasn’t helping or helping less/more than other disasters, and that was immediately debunked by public information. people are getting help but huge fires and nasty flooding take time and no one knows how to fucking wait apparently.

people were actively losing their homes, their entire livelihood, their pets, their families, their own lives - and fuckers online are arguing about how state v federal funding works and whether or not they can blame a queer woman for the whole thing. they’ve arrested arson suspects, so if everyone else could shut the fuck up and let people do their jobs, we’d all be better for it.

[herleaf]

hi sorry for ghosting, been having to mentally handle everything going on around me (in america) and my spouse was away on a work trip so i was very much spiraling for three days alone, while simultaneously having to adult and act like a normal person at work. i am mentally doing better now, especially since he’s home. it ended up helping bring me and my parents closer because i called them to help talk me down during an anxiety attack and explain everything that i didn’t get or remember from government class (thanks Florida education system)

now i realized jonathan and i never finished his dark materials and for three years he’s been waiting for news on when s3 was coming out from me and i just forgot to let him know two years ago. so i am away tonight watching that with him. i hope everyone is staying safe.

also, please know my blog is and will always be a safe space.

[beardedmrbean]

Is a smaller government even good in this day and age as well can you explain why gutting education department good? I'm getting the impression schools would learn the shit pageru is teaching that downplay slavery and throwing about it like why it wasn't all that bad.

It's better to have people closer to the ground making the decisions for what their local needs are, high school in Compton CA is going to have a whole different set of challenges from a high school in Ketchikan Alaska, if they both have the same curriculum that's mandated by the federal government or even the state government it's not going to end well.

Hell even if we do Compton CA, Needles CA, and Yreka CA there's going to be a totally different set of needs because of the different life experiences of the students.

Don't think anyone is going to downplay slavery or anything like that, might include that it wasn't just European countries that took part in the practice, which I think is needed, but I would hope nobody would teach it as anything other than a evil practice.

I appreciate Florida including a segment on the damage socialism has caused to the world, everyone knows what the far right can and has done, nice to show what the far left has done as well finally.

So it's not so much a smaller government, it's redistributing the workload to the people that are better equipped to meet the needs of the students in their particular area.

That's just the DOE part of it, I'm ok with a standard test being out there for advancement but the system in place now has kinda failed since day one since you get teachers teaching the test not the students, not really learning things they're just memorizing them.

A computer can memorize, a human makes the connections to other things in their life that those events and concepts can apply to.

Critical thinking and intuition and all that good stuff that is part of what you should be developing in your schooling, it shouldn't be all repeating information, like I said a computer can do that.

The rest of the oversized government, some of is is ok some not, and there's also lots and lots of things that maybe should be kept in concept but moved into the private sector like we've done with most of the different launches for NASA, since they at least in the case of NASA have proven they can do it faster, cheaper, and even better in many cases.

Most launch vehicles were contracted to begin with, but this whole thing has taken all to a much bigger level.

I could be a little more through, but I have to take off soon so I'm gonna have to end it on this for now.

Happy to clarify anything in my thinking or whatever if you want to send other asks.

[dizzymudskipper]

Lil rants because I have a love/hate relationship with Florida

I love Florida, it’s a beautiful place with so much wonderful marine life, but I hate everyone who lives here.

So many people overlook Floridas natural history and wildlife in favor of seeing Florida as just one big Tourist attraction like Disney world, Epcot, Universal etc, which causes a lot of people to be out of work during the slow seasons, and not enough people during the busier seasons.

You would think that for a State to be surrounded by both the Golf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean it would be logical to be plastic free or reduced, but it’s just not. Almost everything is plastic and it’s everywhere

If your not living near any big city or county, there’s literally nothing to do here, especially when your broke or under the age of 16.

Literally a good 70% of residents in Florida are old white racists, who will look at you funny for literally anything. That and people are more rude to your face than behind your back.

Florida man

Don’t get me started on the politics and laws, everything is corrupt.

The schooling sucks. The Education System will do everything it can to fail you. Everything you learn in Florida is 2 to 3 years behind the Education System in places like Massachusetts. I know because it happened to me.

If you can ignore the bad, there are tons of wonderful museums, interactive exhibits and so many trails and places to explore. However please don’t go to the beach it will 100% always be crowded unless it’s either winter time or 7 in the morning. You will not have fun

That’s about it. *Leaves*

[gatekeeper-watchman]

What needs to be done in the USA to progress?

Interesting question! Many factors can contribute to the progress of a country like the United States, and different people may have different views on the best approach. Here are a few key areas that are often discussed:

### 1. Education

Investing in a robust education system can ensure that future generations are well-equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. This includes improving access to quality education, supporting teachers, and incorporating modern technologies and methodologies into the curriculum.

### 2. Healthcare

A strong healthcare system is essential for the well-being of the population. Ensuring everyone has access to affordable and quality healthcare can lead to a healthier, more productive society.

### 3. Infrastructure

Modernizing infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, public transportation, and internet access, can improve the quality of life and make the economy more efficient.

### 4. Economic Policies

Implementing policies that support economic growth, job creation, and innovation can help boost the economy. This might include supporting small businesses, investing in research and development, and creating a favorable environment for entrepreneurship.

### 5. Social Equality

Promoting social equality and addressing issues such as poverty, discrimination, and inequality can lead to a more inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

### 6. Environmental Sustainability

Protecting the environment and addressing climate change can ensure that future generations inherit a healthy planet. This includes investing in renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting sustainable practices. Good Morning World and Asia From: Steven P. Miller, Jacksonville Florida USA @ParkermillerQ, gatekeeperwatchman.org, TM, ‎Founder and Administrator of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups. #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #SPARKERMILLER Friday, January 31, 2025, Jacksonville, Florida USA 5:31:37 AM EST

[leafypants]

Hi everyone! I'm a student at Florida Atlantic University and an education major. I am currently in need of someone with a disability or who has a child with a disability so that I may interview them based on their experiences in the education system. If you are interested, please message me as soon as possible please!

Edit: thank you to all interested, but I have found someone for the interview! However, I would be happy to discuss the topic with anyone interested!

[clockworkouroboros]

this is kinda just a rant about something i almost never talk or blog about but an increasingly large pet peeve i’m getting is when people go “i hate the american school system” when they learn some new fact that probably should have been covered in their k-12 education at some point.

but the thing is. the thing is. it feels like everyone is under the assumption that the us education system is universal. what you learn in a random elementary school in buffalo new york in grade 3 is the same thing you’ll learn in a random elementary school in the middle of buttfuck nowhere idaho in grade 3. literally there is no standardized curriculum or curricula. in some places school districts adopt an official curriculum but in a lot of places the curriculum changes from school to school. in some places there is no curriculum and it’s entirely up to the teacher to figure out what they’re doing—which means an individual teacher could teach wildly different things from one year to the next. this is why florida is able to get away with all of their book banning and “”woke crt african american history”” banning and shit.

hating the american school system makes sense—not standardizing a curriculum and relying entirely on standardized test scores to try and ensure kids are on track for graduation is bullshit. people like to say they hate the american school system for not teaching them random shit and i get it, but you’re also never going to cover everything in any school, no matter how good. that being said, the reason our schools aren’t doing better is because american individualism is a fucking poison that has infected schools to the degree that statistically, the majority of teachers are against adopting a common curriculum because they want to be the one making decisions in their classroom. i love teachers and half of the people in my extended family are teachers, this isn’t a censure of them. this is me being fucking sick of people complaining about the education system they went through without bothering to learn why that system is so shitty or seeing how they can get involved to make things better.

[dumbestthingiveeverheard]

Dumbest Thing I've Ever Heard: 7/21/2023

Note: Starting Monday, 7/24/2023, the amount of entries on this list will be upped from three to, at most, five. Due to this, I have also decided to open submissions to the blog.

Third place: Dagen McDowell of Fox News

Today on Outnumbered, she said the following about a story revolving around--prepare yourselves, this might be the scandal that brings Biden down--the President wearing sneakers:

Well I made a joke last night on Hannity, those shoes, my father will be 87 in a week, and to a man of that generation wearing those shoes, particularly as commander in chief in public, when you're going on, this is formal business -- that's the equivalent of wearing your bedroom slippers outside. That's like wearing a speedo and flip-flops to a funeral. So these elitist snobs in the White House are blithely lying to the American people over and over again because they think we're stupid, and we're not. We've cared for elderly parents and relatives and we can look at this man and see what's going on. We know dementia, we know age, we know Alzheimer's when we see it. And we look at Joe Biden and think, we would not let him drive our car in an empty church parking lot. We know what's happening with him. It's sad, but distressing. 

First off, you have to admire the audacity of somebody to call others snobs while she is saying it's possible a person has a serious mental condition because of their choice in foot wear. Also, Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated to the Presidency in his street clothes. Although, what do I expect from a network that spent weeks during the Obama Administration talking about the color of his suit?

Second place: Laura Ingraham

While engaging in the continuing quest by the media to make RFK Jr.'s Presidential Campaign a thing, we got the normal talking points. Among them that the DNC must be really scared of him because Joe Biden hasn't agreed to debate him yet--never mind that in 2020 Donald Trump not only never debated either Bill Weld, Mark Sanford, or Joe Walsh, but state Republican primaries even cancelled primaries specifically to prevent either of those candidates from getting a foothold within the party.

However, while talking about how popular RFK Jr. is, Laura showed this poll:

Now fourteen percent is not nothing, especially when you're a primary challenger to an incumbent President. However, after two straight years of Biden bashing by the mainstream media along with the perpetual push to make RFK Jr. into something other than a waste of everyone's time, the odds of RFK Jr. doing any better are rather unlikely. For reference, fourteen percent is about the percent of votes gotten by Newt Gingrich in 2012, John Anderson in 1980, George Wallace in 1976, and Al Gore in 1988. Hardly the battle similar to that Ford and Reagan had for the Republican Nomination back in 1976, fuck it's not even the fight Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy had back in 1980 or the fight George Bush and Pat Buchanan had back in 1992.

Winner: Ron DeSantis

I think the headline "Florida Schools Will Teach How Slavery Brought ‘Personal Benefit’ to Black People" from The Daily Beast sums this story up perfectly. The article also notes that High Schools are going to be taught that a deadly massacre against black citizens in 1920 included “acts of violence perpetrated against and by African Americans.”

I wish to remind you all that Ron DeSantis wants to become President, presumably so he can implement this education system across the country.

Ron DeSantis, you've said the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

[firebirdsdaughter]

As the daughter of a history major…

… Where the hell are so many americans on tumblr going to school???

I just saw a post about how ‘it’s taught in america that the pilgrims were Good and fleeing religious intolerance but they were actually Bad’ which first off, you cannot make those distinctions bc freaking everyone was up to kill anyone who didn’t agree in those days, but also… People claiming to be american claiming that they were definitely taught exactly that??

Maybe… If you never took a history class past elementary school, I guess. Or maybe you were in Florida (oh, gods, get my mother started on people killing each other in Florida).

Bc, resident American here, albeit one in Massachusetts, and… No. We’re not taught that. You get a romanticised version in early grades maybe, but the higher you go, you get taught that the most Puritans had different religious beliefs than the standard in England, so they took the opportunity to ship off to the colonies. There’s no victimisation, it’s just straight facts. And that usually, that was the category of people shipped off to the colonies—criminals, religious differences, poor people… Like no one in their right mind wanted to go off into the ‘wilderness.’ They did it bc they hated being where they were, and England was all too happy to get rid of them. Hell, they were also completely unprepared and many of them died on the way over. Like that shot went super bad for so many reasons.

I’m not going to claim I remember every detail I was taught, and I had a bit of a deeper knowledge bc my mother is, again, a history major w/ an interest in American history bc it is whacky), and I do remember the ‘founding’ being a little simplified, but I also distinctly remember going into higher grades and having teachers outright explain ‘what you were told as kids was a very simplified version, let’s talk about it in more detail.’ We weren’t taught that there were ‘good’ or ‘bad’ guys, we were taught that these people had a difference in belief and that for that reason, they ended up shipped off to the colonies. We talked about the conflicts, the damage, the ugly bits.

I think people claiming to have been taught a sanitised version either didn’t take many history classes, didn’t pay attention, or don’t remember much of what they were taught (which no judgement here, I barely remember). Or maybe they’re just trying to sound Cool on the internet? I can’t know. But I remain baffled by certain myths about the us that alleged Americans come out of the woodwork to claim are true when… Your experiences are not universal???

Like I’m happy to criticise the education system, bc excuse me while I cry about not being able to hold a conversation in Spanish, but like. Unless you were in a very particular environment (I went to public school, btw)… No, you weren’t taught that shit. There’s parts missing, sure, but they did not, at least not beyond elementary, try to claim the ‘Pilgrims’ were blameless. I remember being taught that life was harsh and short, and people bitter and stubborn. I don’t doubt that the words ‘fleeing religious intolerance’ might’ve been used, bc technically, yes, they were. But I am also intolerant of trolls, and mosquitos. That’s a statement, it has no bearing on what kind of people either group was.

[eclipsecrowned]

karin lindholm ; burying the hatchet.

4200 words, second person POV ; tw for disassociation, mental health, gaslighting, allusions to child abuse ; long post, consider viewing on blog rather than dash.

Your name is Karin Lindholm, and it’s as good a fresh start as any.

Your life starts in Miami, at the house in Coral Gables. Maybe there was something before that, but you prefer to live as if there wasn't. Your life, such as it is, begins with moving boxes, and fresh paint, and the safety of whatever came before being almost 4 hours away. You know that very well. You counted the hours piled into the moving truck with your mother, feeling like such a big girl for riding with her rather than in the car with your father and four siblings. It’s only a little scary, waking up in the night not knowing where you are, but you’re comforted knowing you’re not the only one that piled into your parent’s bed that first night.

It’s only a first night, though, and while it remains sweet, it’s a rare feeling. Coral Gables became familiar in a matter of weeks, more a home than anywhere else. Your days are spent playing the dutiful oldest daughter, the angel of your house, always well-behaved and quiet even when your sisters whine for attention. Kris can be forgiven for it, since she’s so little. Kaja is a bit harder to defend. You do so anyway, trying hard to stop problems before they begin. Old for your age, the neighbors say, though you shy back from affectionate hands. Your youth is a held breath, watching, waiting for someone else to prove the world isn’t so insurmountable.

Some might laugh at the sentiment. Your mother the successful surgeon, your father the lawyer, every door is opened to you and your siblings. Wealth can get you anywhere in this country. Your parents ensure you know an education is the gateway to such privilege, and that with such privilege comes a set of responsibilities towards your fellow man. That’s why your schoolmates come to mock you for your father’s law practice, you come to realize with age. Your father puts justice above payment, running a defense firm that doesn’t concern itself with the corporate bigwigs and snowbirds that get into trouble so far south.

Even so, you’re proud of him. Your parents have always been the kind of people to do right in every aspect of their life. It’s a model you work to emulate – The Perfect Daughter. Good grades, well-groomed, taking part in all the right extracurricular activities and still having time to pick up and escort your little siblings homeward after school, you are a wonder to the adults in your life. Sure, it’s not winning you a lot of popularity contests, but you have just enough friends that not even high school can dim your shine.

Sixteen is a time of rebellion, people laugh. Even your parents nudge you towards a little deviance, a little more than being the pretty Lindholm girl who is always home before dark and faints at the first blush of wildness. You laugh it off, saying you have no interest in blacking out at some homecoming party or wandering too far from your own prom.

You never, ever speak the truth. You never want to meet what lurks in the dark, to stray to far from your mother that loves you and keeps the world past and present at bay.

Your name is Karin Lindholm, and you must leave the nest eventually.

Everyone does it. Even you, that first autumn day after senior year. You trade away five hours of your life and the safety net of family for a full ride in Gainesville. The first night is always hardest, but you pull through on your own this time. The world becomes less of a question as you settle into campus life. In many ways, you come into your own.

You meant to follow your father into law. Really, you did, meaning to help the people of Florida in their times of need, fighting against a corrupt system. It’s just that words came hemorrhaging out of you, once you were lonely enough, and even new companionship couldn’t dam their flow. There was a poet in you, or at least the bones of a better than average author. Your major shifts towards English, with the ultimate goal of creative writing. Every new essay or exercise helps you feel like yourself again – for the first time in a very, very long time. New friends certainly encourage you, as you move from a player to the forever Storyteller of the bi-weekly The Interviewers Chronicles meet-ups.

That’s not all they encourage, either. Whether the words, the independence, or the support of friends, you begin to change. Confidence knits your self-doubt shut. You live for yourself a little bit more in this place. The night no longer seems so terrible. With the right drug cocktail, you feel the sun settle warm in your bones again. Van Gogh attested to yellow being a color of happiness. You cannot disagree.

That paradise comes to a close, as it must. A brief four year stint, but it’s enough for a lifetime, you hope. With the portfolio you’ve built in those years, you hope that your post-graduation situation will be as bright as your mood. Moving back home to Coral Gables, you’re content to pass one last summer in your parents home, waiting for the opportunities you are sure will come.

Your name is Karin Lindholm, and for once, you are too optimistic.

Besides a published OpEd and the odd invitation to post on a wider blog, your opportunities dry up fast. So does your optimism, it turns out, despite the reassurances of most of your family. You need a change, but you’re not sure where to start.

You tell yourself that in the future, you’ll attest your success to the importance of location, location, location.

Miami isn’t that far from your first home. Distinctly, you remember running wild through the streets with your brothers from time to time, public nuisances from the richer side of the tracks. Here, however, that history seems to be forgotten by the people. In so many ways, the streets and city welcome you into its arts community. You find brief success in counterculture and queer circles, writing of your experiences loving women and your hunger for a better world. Hilarious as the appeals might be coming from your throne, the words are just skillful enough that a readership embraces you.

The next Molloy, your peers tease you. It’s a name you knew even in Coral Gables, largely through the complaining of elderly neighbors. Molloy was the man who founded the biggest boost to Florida’s economy in over a century, the Night Island that glimmered off of Miami’s coast. Every night, the lights went up, and the mecca of capitalism was opened to the exceptionally wealthy. To your people, however, the old man was better known as a champion of change in his own right. He was one of those old guard, a gay man that could speak and write like an old Roman orator. He got to the heart of struggles and threw his words – and money – into the struggle. Molloy was, others touted, the Miami Robin Hood, stealing the rich blind in his shops and developments and turning that revenue towards leveling out the playing field in the real world.

He is also, Kris and her friends contend, the man who wrote at least one of the books on which your beloved The Interviewers Chronicles was built. You have no reason to contest this. He’s a character in The Vampire Chronicles themselves, after all. The Storyteller is mean to be a pastiche of Molloy’s appearance in the first book, and the idea tickles you deeply every time your shared living space turns into an impromptu mass towards the man’s virtues and latest publication in the papers.

It’s a scene you might never see again, if you don’t stat putting your rent on the table. Miami is rough, and expensive, and your works only draw in so much revenue at a time. Most of it is hand to mouth. There’s always the possibility of taking money from your parents, but the idea comes across distasteful now. You’re an adult. You can make your own way.

You find the offer in the most unlikely place. Scanning through the local paper on your phone, you find an advertisement for an open position. Help Wanted. Secretarial and Sundry position sought upon the Night Island. Contact Mr. Molloy for details. It follows that a man of his age would not know how to use a job posting board, but you’re still frozen to the spot by the old fashioned classified. Hesitantly, you log the number.

Your name is Karin Lindholm, and you have an interview.

Molloy is young. Problematically young, in fact, given the Island’s establishment and the length of his rule. He carries himself just right, however, for an older man. This idiosyncrasy can be easily chalked up to a good plastic surgeon, since no genes would stay so intact so late into one’s life. Besides, he puts you at ease almost from the word go, erasing that first confusion beautifully. This is a man it is dangerously easy to like, as he walks through your work history, your degree, your goals. You feel like you’re talking to an old, intimate friend, even as he cuts the occasional wry joke. He’s especially intrigued by your degree, and where you intend to go with it.

From hindsight, you’re sure that none of this won you your position. No, it’s when a young man walks in, only slightly older than your youngest sister. He’s lugging around a large canvas, babbling animatedly to ‘Daniel’ as he intrudes on this scene, pausing only once his dark eyes catch you. He sets the canvas down against the floor, leaning casually against it. Is this the new Gertrude, he asks. In an instant, you know the name of your predecessor. Maybe, Molloy answers with a boyish grin, if she wants to be. Your desires seem secondary to the auburn-haired boy, who unceremoniously dumps the canvas upon you. I need this scanned and put on the computer, he says, before gliding gracefully out of the room. He doesn’t even close the door behind him.

There’s apologies on Molloy’s tongue, embarrassment over whoever that was. Still, you look down at your newfound responsibility, and know immediately you want to stay. Did he paint this himself, you ask. Molloy gives a hesitant affirmation that the beautiful piece in your hand is an ‘Armand original.’ When you ask what file type he needs the scan to be, you realize you have lost the older man, but won the job in his office.

The Night Island is always busy. At the eponymous time of day, it’s practically a country in its own right. Calls must be made, messages relayed, order kept in at least this one office, and this is where you step in. Mr. Molloy – Daniel, he insists, though you never bite – is much too busy to hold down the place as he once did. His business partner – the Armand that you were so interestingly introduced to – is a host unto himself. Sometimes, the two make it easier on you. What a rare occurrence that is.

Regardless, you ferry red wine between the two offices, keep everything organized, greet guests. You are to send all calls from a Marius to the redhead’s office, and alert security to any golden-haired Frenchman that might make it into the building. Most vitally, you are the one who modernizes the business of Molloy and di Venezia. This floor had been perfectly preserved ever since your predecessor took the position in the 80s, and it falls to you to right that wrong. The first moment your boss asks you to fax something to Berlin, you stare at him, dumbstruck, and set about getting the personal information of his contact and sending a much more appropriate email. The work demands long hours, and is so much effort for one woman, but you have a good employer, despite his long absences and the strangeness of his partners demands. The pay, too, is fantastic. Really, you should be proud of where you’ve ended up. It’s not that you’re ungrateful...

Your name is Karin Lindholm, and something is wrong.

...It’s that your every night is given to this place. Days are for sleeping. You’re like a vampire, your mother sighs, and you try not to flinch. Even in such a crowded place, there’s a solitude to your station on the Island. More often than not, you’re alone in that glass-lined coffin, holding your breath for something to happen. Sometimes your employers are so strange. You ask yourself, why is it always wine, so red, warm in the glass? Why does the younger of the two seem so still, so pale? You swear sometimes you blink, and one of them has cleared the hall. Your mind is playing tricks on you again. You start to hurry towards the ferry faster and faster with each passing month.

You, alone, are alive among relics, ancient canvas and obsolete office tech. The nights are so long on the Island. It’s getting harder to ignore the odd stains on the wrists and lapels of the pair’s coats, when you take them on the coldest nights. The first thing you consciously register is how little your boss stirs the air, when he walks you to the docks on a winter evening. Your own breath turns to vapor in the chill, and yet you can’t say the same for him. Something is wrong here. His eyes are visible for too long as the boat pulls away, twin pinpricks of hazy light in the dark. You feel insane just admitting that.

But you’ve always been a little crazy. Sane people born of normal childhoods don’t take the pills you do. You’re ashamed to admit you’ve screamed once or twice, alone on that top floor, when the phone’s rung. You deny what you were doing, why it so upset you as you inched away from your desk, down the dark corridor. The other end was silent. You matched its volume. Then, a woman’s voice, perfect, whispering ‘Angel?’ Somehow, you don’t think that’s what either of those men are.

Therapists do their best, really they do. Your doctor never entertains your delusions, the fact you’re dancing around that your new job is dangerous and something is wrong with the people you share your evenings with. She only acknowledges the errant thoughts, and says she sees nothing wrong. This isn’t the support it once was, when she said she couldn’t see bruises on your shoulders, no gashes on your back. This isn’t your past. This is an ongoing nightmare, and you feel adrift, alone, in its current.

It hasn’t been like this since before you moved, a little girl shrieking at shadows and any hand that moved too close to you.

Your name is Karin Lindholm, and you have made a mistake.

You no longer recognize your diary entries as your own. Something hot and sticky wells up in your chest. Pen to paper spins out a horror story every time. Your mother is only a half hour away, and your father, but this is so different from the last time they saved you. What do you intend to do, walk into your childhood home and declare Miami’s golden boy some kind of monster? You’re not even sure what kind, if you could speak this apparent fact into existence.

Take a break, your therapist urges. Something about the brain, and living nocturnal. It changes something in your brain. Molloy and the other one never seem changed by it. Do you ever go out with friends these days? How’s your first draft going? No, you aren’t, and it’s not your own book you’re worried about. You’re wondering if Molloy wasn’t just making up whatever he published before you were ever born.

He looks so young. His voice is sweet though, and sincere, whenever he thanks you for your work. It’s been what, a year, he asks in that sweet Californian patter. It’s started to warm up out there, yes, but there’s a coldness to this place that never dissipates. Perhaps it’s that you live in Armand’s shadow, the young man always appearing just when you need him, or anticipating the stray thoughts you have towards need or desire. He smiles like a saint after every such moment, as if it were coincidence. Those dark eyes are blazing in spite of it. He’s making sport, you realize that in some deep, primal part of yourself meant to anticipate the predator.

There is no more yellow in the world. Even the dawn that creeps along the floor of your room is a hazy, sickly peach. The world has gone so dark, and you are nothing more than another timid creature trying to avoid the eyes and talons of your betters. You think you’ve done so well, keeping away from the teeth and hands of your masters. That’s just it, though. You’re so focused on those terrible beasts you can see, you forget about the ones you can’t.

Another late night, another ferry ride, and that sneaking suspicion you are not alone. Nerves frayed, you’re so terrified to turn around and see a ghost that you power through the crowd, hailing a taxi so nothing can catch you, hurrying into your home. The door clicks shut behind you, and you slam the bolt into place. It’s alright now. You fight to convince yourself that you are safe now. Molloy, or whatever dead man has haunted you on your way home, is gone. You lock your bedroom door anyway, as you step back into the safety of a familiar shadow. Still, there’s a weight settling on the roof above.

Your third floor window creaks. Then, inch by inch, a marble hand slides into place beneath the lift. Glassy nails softly scream against the panes, the lock breaking with a metallic whisper. The moonlight comes spilling in, haloing a beast you do not know.

Your name is Karin Lindholm, and you blink.

You blink, and the world comes back into focus. It’s just the sort of nice, featureless room that signals a liminal space. This is a hospital, that much holds true no matter the country. Sweden looks a lot like Florida from the right ward. The nurses are kind to you, the doctors full of good advice and compassion, even if the police are less than enthused with your place here. You’ve woken up, or so it seems, with dirt under your nails and a few months of mania running wild in your head. Only the drugs bring everything back into focus, without anything like coherence.

The last months are not completely erased. Your mind has only given you a thin layer of wallpaper between the now and the then. One tug and you’ll start reclaiming that time. Helpfully, others fill in a few of the blanks at first. You came to Europe by plane, into a Parisian airport. After that, you have dropped completely off the radar, moving across borders and certifiably alive only by the dubious state of your bank account. Just before the fever broke, you were found wrist-deep in a graveyard, pulling up dirt and unable to speak the local language.

That strikes you the most, once all is said and done. You’ve always spoken your father’s tongue.

It’s your father that comes to fetch you, after all. From behind thin walls, you hear those kindly doctors explain your case. A mental breakdown, they think, a total break from reality. You haven’t yet peeled back the paste and paper from your mind to say what really happened. Trying to remember on your own accord feels like a migraine. You wonder what your therapist will have to say about all of this, and will your insurance still cover a session?

In spite of it all, Sweden is safe. Whatever you were digging for, your hands only came up dirty. Now your father holds them, so clean and small in his grasp, and says everyone will be so happy to see you again. With a smile, you feign joy at the thought of returning home, getting onto the plane in a new dress and steady hands.

The home you return to will be thirty minutes away from whatever you were outrunning, after all. Whatever they are, you’re sure their knowing smiles and probing minds cannot reach you that far. You start ripping the wallpaper down piece by piece after your homecoming, a travel journal of paranoia and shifted reality. You remember the shadow at your window, and the knife, and something about the dawn. You walked away. You’re always walking away from this truth.

It has to be done on your mother’s card. You’re not sure that your employers are tracking your spending, but you like to be sure. Still, you’re going back to where it all began, and you have to be prepared, loading the bag into your passenger seat.

You’ve brought a hatchet into the elevator. Only the next few minutes will determine whether you mean to bury it to new beginnings, or into Molloy’s skull.

Your name is Karin Lindholm, and someone understands.

He isn’t surprised to see you. Oh, your sudden appearance is a shock, but he knew you were coming somehow, someday. For all the Hell you’ve endured, for how it’s thinned your body and darkened your eyes, Daniel Molloy is the one thing in your life that has stayed the same. The same, you imagine, as he’s been since 1985.

You can’t believe he’s apologizing. Somehow, he compels you to sit, not by supernatural means, but a soft voice and knit brow. It’s always like this, he tells you. The truth always does something to the mortals that stumble upon it. But people like you, people like him, people who are already on the edge of the cliff, it takes more than you ever intended to give. He’s sorry.

Every wound the last two years have inflicted are reflected back at you, as the night drags on. He never meant to inflict them, he says. Your position is a necessity, given what he and his partner are. He got careless, and you paid for it. No matter what found you that night, he takes the blame onto his own shoulders. There’s no making it right, no happy ending that suddenly fixes all that twisted and snapped inside of you. All he can hope to do is give you some peace with it.

You don’t have to return. He’s willing to give you whatever you need to stay in comfort, to leave this place to pursue your dreams, to call in whatever favor you need to rise above this. It tempts you, admittedly. You have the beast by the throat, and he’s pleading for your peace. What a pity, then, that his kind have already stripped whatever peace you had out of you, bloody and screaming.

If you leave, you murmur, there’s still others out there. People that aren’t like him, that make his partner seem civilized. Molloy does not disagree. He can’t promise a world without night, or the things that stalk through it. He can only promise your days will be safe, rounded out by the wealth only a man of his station can provide. Every way he means to make this right turns to ash in your mouth.

If you stay, you say, and he seems to startle. You press on. If you stay, will he let you learn? You can’t go blind into the night again, and you feel safer among one of his kind that has made his guilt clear than in the wilds with those things you can only see in silhouette. Is that allowed? Can a mortal stumble into this world and find protection on her own? Is their history a thing that can be shared among outsiders? That, at least, gives Molloy pause.

No, he says. This doesn’t mean what you think it will. There’s an experience in what he says, snippets of an old novel dancing across your head. This truth ruined him, a lifetime ago. Yet you don’t flinch, and you don’t beg for another way. He has to understand it isn’t envy that makes you speak. I can serve you better if I know what I’m facing, you admit without shame. It’s what you’re saying beneath it all that shifts your boss’ expression. It’s not what he can do for you. It’s what you can become. Not fangs and pallid skin like him, but knowledge, strength, cunning enough that you will never be the victim again.

If you can survive the wolves, then there should be no threats left from humanity.

Your name is Karin Lindholm, and you have found your place.

You awaken mid-morning, in your suite on the Night Island. You feed your dog. You check your messages, for anything that might have been forwarded to you in the night. Out the door you go, stopping for some breakfast and coffee from one of the few eateries that stays open past dawn.

Then it’s into the office, adjusting the latest of Mr. di Venezia’s artistic collection on the wall on your way in. There are calls to make, emails to answer, and schedules to get in order. After that, it’s a matter of dealing with the right businesses, delegating the right work. By night, devils might rule, but by day, you are the final word in this place.

You don’t speak of the hatchet that rests beneath your desk. Mercifully, neither do your employers.

[miscpav]

1978 EPCOT Center Presentation

Epcot Legacy description:

If you were to ask even the most avid of Epcot fans exactly how many films were produced before the park's premiere, almost everyone would respond quite confidently with a single film. 1966's "The EPCOT Film" although the first*, was only one of several (!) Epcot Films made over the developmental history of the Florida Project. The following is an enhanced & color-corrected print of the 1978 presentation depicting the park midway through its evolution from the City to the Center in what I refer to is as the "Gold Dome" phase. Among the many interesting aspects of this film, is a preamble to the primary presentation of the park featuring a plethora of prototype systems already in use at Walt Disney World, as well as the EPCOT "support programs" such as the shortly-lived Epcot Educational Media division of the studio. Finally, Card's impassioned plea to find solutions to the problems of a very real world establishes a very strong connection between Walt's EPCOT and Walker's Center. From 1978, written by Marty Sklar here is EPCOT Center…

[ear-worthy]

Podcaster Profiles: Diana Krach -- Indie Podcaster, Businesswoman, Lifestyle Advocate

Independent podcasters are a tough bunch. They have to be. They exist in an industry where corporations of massive size, political power, and legal advantages have pushed their way in with the intent of pushing everyone else out. It’s the “last man standing” scenario. 

Diana Krach is not a person to be messed with. She’s a successful independent podcaster, businesswoman, and lifestyle advocate. Diana and her husband, J.R,. own and run three highly successful indie podcasts. And they do all that with an admirable goal of making the world a better place. 

Diana says: “If big brands had a firmer grasp on the unique potential of podcast sponsorship, it wouldn’t be so difficult for independent shows to be profitable. Aside from that, I wish podcast guests were more involved in promoting a show after an appearance/interview. More than sharing or reposting, I would love to see more guests take an active part in reviewing and boosting the show.”

To be clear, Diana dreams big, as do all successful entrepreneurs. When we asked her what her dream outcome for her podcasts would be, she answered: “To have more listeners! All joking aside, I would love to get to a point where we are regarded as a go-to hub for plant-y education and entertainment. I hope the momentum continues to grow and that I continue to learn and share with an audience who appreciates the work.”

In the (GPPM) podcast, creator/host Diana-Ashley Krach talks about the inherent flaws in Western modern medicine with her life and podcasting partner, JR Krach. While there are copious flaws with our health care system, the Krach’s rightfully focus on the indiscriminate prescribing of medications to solve every physical problem. Soon, the couple rightfully asserts, people’s health suffers because of dangerous interactions between medications and medication side effects.

The show’s elevator pitch is simple yet effective: “Whether you’re just starting to explore the potential of plants or are a seasoned alternative healing expert, our show invites you to unwind, learn, and discover the remarkable healing power of earth and plant medicine.”

While today’s pharmaceutical industry appears lab-based and high-tech, thousands of prescription medications are plant-based. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 11 percent of prescription drugs are derived from flowering plants. The use of traditional Chinese medicine dates back thousands of years.

For example, childhood Leukemia is treated with drugs derived from Madagascar periwinkle. Atropine, derived from belladonna, is an anticholinergic that can treat conditions from dizziness to psychosis.

Since November 2022, Krach has produced and hosted the podcast, advocating for plant medicine.

Diana and JR also have a companion podcast called Your Highness, which examines the state of the cannabis industry from every angle.

Diana’s latest venture with husband J.R. is Must See R.I.P.

Tapping into that vein of barely contained fury, Must See R.I.P. is a podcast that revisits standout TV shows canceled after just one season. Each season, the co-hosts dive into a different series, exploring the cultural and real-world events that led to its untimely end. 

These three podcasts exist under the umbrella of Your Highness Media, a collective of podcasts and content featuring people who fight the status quo and love (or are strongly curious about) plant medicine.

When we asked Diana about herself, she told us: “I was born in Portland, Maine, but have spent most of my life in Maryland. I lived in South Florida for about seven years, but moved back to Maryland, where I live with my husband and son. I’ve been a freelance journalist, writer, and editor for over a decade, with an extensive background in digital marketing. For over ten years, I’ve worked as a freelance journalist, writer, and editor. I also have an extensive background in digital marketing. I began podcasting in 2017 with Your Highness Podcast.

Diana-Ashley Krach’s work can be found on High Times, Civilized, Miss Grass, DAME, SheKnows, and more. She is also the creator and host of Your Highness Podcast. Krach has also contributed to Medium, Business Insider, MSN (US), Yahoo News, Yahoo, Miami Herald, The Charlotte Observer, Paste, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and The Sacramento Bee.

We asked Diana how she got into podcasting, and she responded: “About eight years ago, I was writing blogs and other marketing content for a non-profit organization aimed at helping women business owners in cannabis connect and network. With all the restrictions about what content you can create about the plant online, it quickly became a challenge to figure out what would work for visibility. I was really getting into podcasts, and so I had a bit of a lightbulb moment and suggested we create a podcast for women in the cannabis industry.”

When we asked her how she balances podcasting with your role as a thought leader, speaker, spouse, and mother, Diana said: “Finding balance is a never-ending journey — as anyone with a tiny human and neurodivergent brain can attest — so I’m constantly tweaking my approach. I place a lot of emphasis on spending time with nature, so we go on a lot of trail walks as a family. It’s also essential to me to center joy and relaxation as much as possible, so even when it’s something serious, I try to find a way to have fun.”

JR Krach, a Baltimore, Maryland native, is a multifaceted professional with a rich background in creative and business sectors. He is a father, writer, audio editor, podcast co-host, and co-founder of Your Highness Media. In addition to his creative pursuits, JR has significant experience in the wellness industry, having served as a general manager for kava bars and cannabis dispensaries.

Of course, working with a spouse can be fraught with danger. Diana’s take on it is this: “It’s a dream come true! He is my favorite adult person, and if it weren’t for him, none of this would be possible. I am not a tech-savvy individual, so there is no way for me to edit the audio or figure out recording issues. Plus, he’s a very collaborative person — we bounce ideas off each other constantly.” 

Diana adds: “Additionally, it’s really fantastic to have someone who knows you so well as an editor, because they can tune into times when you’re not as interested or involved in an interview. He gives me a lot of helpful feedback, and even though I’m not always receptive at first, it helps shape me into a better podcaster in the long run.”

As a host, Diana-Ashley Krach excels because of her encyclopedic knowledge of the topic, her no-nonsense interview skills, and the uniqueness of her laugh — unabashed and thunderous. Her ebullient and cascading laugh still pervades the show, and her conscientious yet carefree style creates a smooth, seamless flow to every episode.

Diana also knows how to draw information from guests as efficiently and seamlessly as possible. Episodes, which are about 30 minutes long, always leave you wanting more, as they should.

You only have to hear her laugh on the show to realize that Diana Krach is having a helluva of a great time hosting it. I believe she wants her listeners to be entertained and informed. To have a great time and learn something is a unique combination in any medium.

I urge you to check their three podcasts — Getting Personal With Plant Medicine, Your Highness and Must See R.I.P.

When we asked Diana what keeps her engaged when she’s not podcasting, she said, “Other people’s podcasts keep me engaged. I love to listen to my faves (and try out new ones) while I bake, garden, walk my dog, and make jewelry.”

Finally, with her expertise in plants, we had to know: broccoli or Brussels sprouts?

Diana doesn’t hesitate. “Broccoli!!”

Creatively energetic, independent podcasters like Diana and JR Krach turbocharge podcasting. We need more people like them, and we need the podcasting industry to provide more support for these entrepreneurs. What can’t we have a weekly Shark Tank show with indie podcasters? Mark Cuban buys an indie podcast. In fact, he buys a bunch of indie podcasts. And he starts with Getting Personal With Plant Medicine, Your Highness, and Must See R.I.P.

[technecat-scratchings]

I had a variety of anxiety dreams last night. Most of them have faded from memory but there are two things from them that I remember very clearly. The first dream is more interesting and also longer, so I'm going to drop that down here and write the other one in a separate post later (maybe).

In the first dream, I am chaperoning a bunch of students (not my real students, just random kids) on a trip to Disney World. But it's not normal DW, it's a weird Future Disney World where the hotel that is outside the park is now the size of the entire park and also a mall. Guests don't walk around by themselves they take hover carts in small groups that even take the stairs for you (why are there stairs at all?) which is a harrowing experience if you're sitting at the bottom edge. Things are Futuristic, but in, like, an airport kind of way.

When you enter the Establishment (not the Park) you are given a lanyard with a photo ID badge on it that indicates your level of importance to the staff. There were about 6 or 7 different levels, but all I can remember is that our group was on the lowest level, which was yellow, because we had been given an educational group discount and therefore paid the least amount of money to stay. For the most part, having the yellow lanyards just meant that staff members ignored you unless you directly asked for help, which is why it wasn't such a big deal that most of the guests with those lanyards were children. Children have to be accompanied by adults anyway, and the staff were not fun Disney characters they were like bellhops and yoga instructors and things of that nature.

It is May and we are in Florida. The Establishment has excellent climate control, so the heat and humidity are no issue-- which is good because it was record-breaking temps and almost no one wanted to go to the Park as a result of that, so staying inside was the only option. Several alarms go off and we get the alert that a tornado* is approaching the Establishment rapidly and we need to evacuate to the underground shelters. Great, cool, I'm fantastic under pressure for at least the first half of any disaster, so getting hundreds of kids wrangled and heading them into a single direction is a piece of cake. Then an announcement comes over the PA system.

Attention Honored Guests! Due to a severe weather pattern we will now be evacuating down into the shelter. Please have your IDs ready as will be evacuating by color.

Evacuating...by color? By color? Why not just evacuate everyone at the same time? Who cares about what color group you're in?

Then it hits me. They aren't using the colors to get people into easy groups in order to evacuate them, they're prioritizing the guests who paid more for their tickets. So me and the kids, with our yellow lanyards, are standing near a giant window staring out at a natural disaster about to hit our building in about 15 minutes, and we're being told that we have to wait to evacuate until the more important guests have gone.

More important than hundreds of children.

...

I'm sure there's nothing symbolic of the growing anxieties I've been feeling about both my career as an educator and the state of the US as a whole.

*I know Florida would have hurricanes and not tornadoes, but tornadoes are a recurring theme in my anxiety dreams because I grew up in Texas. On the other hand, this was the Future so who knows? Maybe Florida dried up becomes part plains land.

[smokeybrandcompositions]

Cash Out

Mississippi is trying to do away with their income tax and people seem to think this is a good idea. I do not. As someone who lives in California and f*cking carries this country with our “third largest economy in the entire goddamn world”, I would prefer Ol’ Miss to, you know, carry their own weight. You see, forty-two percent of Mississippi’s budget comes from Federal subsidies. That means Big Guv’ment dollars account for nearly half of that Mongolia State budget and guess where those funds come from? Me. California pays more in taxes than almost every other State in the union, which partially accounts for why everything is so expensive here. It actually accounts for why all Blue States have such high taxes. We are literally supporting the VAST majority of the Reds, something north of eighty percent, with our collective tax dollars. We all contribute more so they can give less. That’s literally social welfare. That makes Mississippi a f*cking welfare State and we all know how Conservatives feel about welfare, right? State Income tax accounts for about a third of their budget so just getting rid of it seems, you know, reckless as f*ck. Like, mother*cker how are you just going to decide to NOT take money from your constituents to facilitate their daily needs? What’s the alternative? How are you supposed to function, especially when you’re already getting the majority of your budget from another state?

Income tax pays for your social services. It's filling the pockets of State workers and Colleges. It funds public schools, hospitals, and shelters. It maintains roads and power lines and makes sure there are lunches for your kids to eat while attending those State funded public schools. The little tax money Mississippi was collecting wasn’t even enough to do that much. They ranked thirty-two out of fifty states, in terms of education. Which was an improvement from thirty-nine a handful of years ago! Their infrastructure is collapsing in on itself from neglect and their internet is spotty at best. Hospitals are few and far in between and good luck getting out of their DMV in any amount of a reasonable time because, you know, grossly understaffed. All of that could be rectified if you actually charge MORE in income tax dollars. If Mississippi actually paid their fair share, they wouldn’t be the literally poorest State in the union. I mean, they might be, depending on what they produce, someone has to be last, but at the same time, they may be able to properly support their own people better. Maybe don’t be a bastion for religious zeal and backwards thinking and you can get people to move there to help out in terms of contributions. A huge reason why Blue States carry so much is that’s where the majority of the US lives. We are a Coastal country, whether certain individuals want to accept that or not. The Midwest is a desert and the South is almost as sporadically dispersed, with the exception of Texas and Florida. The more people you have, stronger the workforce, the better the State can be. But no one wants to live in f*cking Mississippi because it’s a straight dumpster water of a State. Because of stupid sh*t like this.

The wild thing is, I don’t even care that much that my taxes are supporting some asshole in Mississippi. I think that should be a thing for all of the States. It just makes sense. Humans didn’t become the dominate species on the planet by bootstrapping our way to the top. No, we built societies, worked together and shared everything we shad. We pooled out resources and built communities. F*cking “apes together strong” type sh*t. Democratic Socialism is nothing but good for everyone. Literally puts more money back into your pocket, than you pay now in taxes. If we had robust social safety net like the Frugal Four in Europe, whose system is actually based on the framework FDR laid out in his New Deal but with improvements, there would be no need for an income tax at all. It’d be one Federal deduction, but with that, you’d get the schools up to standard across the nation. Colleges would be accessible to the populace, improving our collective intelligence by magnitudes. All that infrastructure would be taken care of across the nation, by highly trained individuals in brand new positions for that work. Healthcare would be free or cost pennies on the dollar so there’s be no privatized healthcare deductions from your check, which is probably a f*cking fifth of that b*tch with varying degrees of care quality. And that’s IF they even cover your particular illness or injury. Don’t let an HMO find out you have an existing condition because all they hear is “out of pocket”. Nut that’s kind of the point, though, right? Mississippi is exactly what the Right wants every State to be: Poor, stupid, and desperate, with a penchant for Christian zeal.

That combination is always toxic at best, and destructive at worst. Mississippi has this sh*t bad. These people refuse anything resembling intellectual because they are, factually, a State full of stupid people. A stupid person’s reaction in the face of intelligence is to feel threatened and get offended. That’s how the term “Coastal Elite” came about. It’s not that we think we’re better than you, it’s because we are. Factually. Our education systems are better. Our hospitals are functional. We earn more than you. In fact, we earn so much, we subsidize you. You live on our dime and there is no arguing that. It’s a fact. These people don’t like to accept that and hide behind “traditional and Christian values” as a means to deflect their ineptitude. It’s easier to blame the other than hold themselves accountable, because that’s what this is. The reason why we don’t have nice things, why we will never get the Socialized programs we should be paying for, is straight up because the Red States are often too dumb to understand their benefits or they’re full of enough old people who think socialism is the same thing as communism, to throw the Electoral College. Education is the keep to diffusing these kinds of situations. It’s how you make everything better. Free access to higher education would create a populace of properly critical thinkers who can see through the bullsh*t, which is exactly why Conservatives are so ardently against any of that.

They want you sick, dumb, and broke because those types of people are easily manipulated. Motherf*ckers put on a flannel, hold a bear as a prop, recite a Psalm or tow, and there’s a Right-wing vote. Seriously, the Right has not had a plan to govern for decades. It’s all vibes and the concepts of plans, but no concrete path forward. They just play up the culture wars, fear monger about the Browns, and lie about the economy like it’s the worst, only to make that sh*t happen, themselves. Every f*cking Republican since Reagan has left a deficit in the US budget once they leave. Trump f*cked it up so bad the first time, he retroactively increased the deficit of every president, ever. But THIS is the guy? Orange flavored Fascist who literally doesn’t understand Global trade and thinks Tariffs will fix everything, when a plan like this was tried in the f*cking Thirties, I think, and failed miserably? See, an understanding of history, if one were properly educated, would have alleviated this nonsense the second he said that stupid sh*t on the campaign trail. If Mississippi had the proper funding to school their children in reality, instead of whatever the f*ck kind of propaganda they’ve been spewing in the thirty-second rank education system, those people would understand that Trump is full of sh*t. You can’t be manipulated if you can critically think. But that’s never going to be a thing because Mississippi is content being a welfare state. Even though they hate Socialism. Because they’re too dumb to understand otherwise. Because they don’t have income tax to actually pay for that education.

[smokeybrand]

Cash Out

Mississippi is trying to do away with their income tax and people seem to think this is a good idea. I do not. As someone who lives in California and f*cking carries this country with our “third largest economy in the entire goddamn world”, I would prefer Ol’ Miss to, you know, carry their own weight. You see, forty-two percent of Mississippi’s budget comes from Federal subsidies. That means Big Guv’ment dollars account for nearly half of that Mongolia State budget and guess where those funds come from? Me. California pays more in taxes than almost every other State in the union, which partially accounts for why everything is so expensive here. It actually accounts for why all Blue States have such high taxes. We are literally supporting the VAST majority of the Reds, something north of eighty percent, with our collective tax dollars. We all contribute more so they can give less. That’s literally social welfare. That makes Mississippi a f*cking welfare State and we all know how Conservatives feel about welfare, right? State Income tax accounts for about a third of their budget so just getting rid of it seems, you know, reckless as f*ck. Like, mother*cker how are you just going to decide to NOT take money from your constituents to facilitate their daily needs? What’s the alternative? How are you supposed to function, especially when you’re already getting the majority of your budget from another state?

Income tax pays for your social services. It's filling the pockets of State workers and Colleges. It funds public schools, hospitals, and shelters. It maintains roads and power lines and makes sure there are lunches for your kids to eat while attending those State funded public schools. The little tax money Mississippi was collecting wasn’t even enough to do that much. They ranked thirty-two out of fifty states, in terms of education. Which was an improvement from thirty-nine a handful of years ago! Their infrastructure is collapsing in on itself from neglect and their internet is spotty at best. Hospitals are few and far in between and good luck getting out of their DMV in any amount of a reasonable time because, you know, grossly understaffed. All of that could be rectified if you actually charge MORE in income tax dollars. If Mississippi actually paid their fair share, they wouldn’t be the literally poorest State in the union. I mean, they might be, depending on what they produce, someone has to be last, but at the same time, they may be able to properly support their own people better. Maybe don’t be a bastion for religious zeal and backwards thinking and you can get people to move there to help out in terms of contributions. A huge reason why Blue States carry so much is that’s where the majority of the US lives. We are a Coastal country, whether certain individuals want to accept that or not. The Midwest is a desert and the South is almost as sporadically dispersed, with the exception of Texas and Florida. The more people you have, stronger the workforce, the better the State can be. But no one wants to live in f*cking Mississippi because it’s a straight dumpster water of a State. Because of stupid sh*t like this.

The wild thing is, I don’t even care that much that my taxes are supporting some asshole in Mississippi. I think that should be a thing for all of the States. It just makes sense. Humans didn’t become the dominate species on the planet by bootstrapping our way to the top. No, we built societies, worked together and shared everything we shad. We pooled out resources and built communities. F*cking “apes together strong” type sh*t. Democratic Socialism is nothing but good for everyone. Literally puts more money back into your pocket, than you pay now in taxes. If we had robust social safety net like the Frugal Four in Europe, whose system is actually based on the framework FDR laid out in his New Deal but with improvements, there would be no need for an income tax at all. It’d be one Federal deduction, but with that, you’d get the schools up to standard across the nation. Colleges would be accessible to the populace, improving our collective intelligence by magnitudes. All that infrastructure would be taken care of across the nation, by highly trained individuals in brand new positions for that work. Healthcare would be free or cost pennies on the dollar so there’s be no privatized healthcare deductions from your check, which is probably a f*cking fifth of that b*tch with varying degrees of care quality. And that’s IF they even cover your particular illness or injury. Don’t let an HMO find out you have an existing condition because all they hear is “out of pocket”. Nut that’s kind of the point, though, right? Mississippi is exactly what the Right wants every State to be: Poor, stupid, and desperate, with a penchant for Christian zeal.

That combination is always toxic at best, and destructive at worst. Mississippi has this sh*t bad. These people refuse anything resembling intellectual because they are, factually, a State full of stupid people. A stupid person’s reaction in the face of intelligence is to feel threatened and get offended. That’s how the term “Coastal Elite” came about. It’s not that we think we’re better than you, it’s because we are. Factually. Our education systems are better. Our hospitals are functional. We earn more than you. In fact, we earn so much, we subsidize you. You live on our dime and there is no arguing that. It’s a fact. These people don’t like to accept that and hide behind “traditional and Christian values” as a means to deflect their ineptitude. It’s easier to blame the other than hold themselves accountable, because that’s what this is. The reason why we don’t have nice things, why we will never get the Socialized programs we should be paying for, is straight up because the Red States are often too dumb to understand their benefits or they’re full of enough old people who think socialism is the same thing as communism, to throw the Electoral College. Education is the keep to diffusing these kinds of situations. It���s how you make everything better. Free access to higher education would create a populace of properly critical thinkers who can see through the bullsh*t, which is exactly why Conservatives are so ardently against any of that.

They want you sick, dumb, and broke because those types of people are easily manipulated. Motherf*ckers put on a flannel, hold a bear as a prop, recite a Psalm or tow, and there’s a Right-wing vote. Seriously, the Right has not had a plan to govern for decades. It’s all vibes and the concepts of plans, but no concrete path forward. They just play up the culture wars, fear monger about the Browns, and lie about the economy like it’s the worst, only to make that sh*t happen, themselves. Every f*cking Republican since Reagan has left a deficit in the US budget once they leave. Trump f*cked it up so bad the first time, he retroactively increased the deficit of every president, ever. But THIS is the guy? Orange flavored Fascist who literally doesn’t understand Global trade and thinks Tariffs will fix everything, when a plan like this was tried in the f*cking Thirties, I think, and failed miserably? See, an understanding of history, if one were properly educated, would have alleviated this nonsense the second he said that stupid sh*t on the campaign trail. If Mississippi had the proper funding to school their children in reality, instead of whatever the f*ck kind of propaganda they’ve been spewing in the thirty-second rank education system, those people would understand that Trump is full of sh*t. You can’t be manipulated if you can critically think. But that’s never going to be a thing because Mississippi is content being a welfare state. Even though they hate Socialism. Because they’re too dumb to understand otherwise. Because they don’t have income tax to actually pay for that education.