#thereafter podcast

[jarredlharris]

Live-threading my thoughts while listening to the Thereafter podcast episode where Benjamin Fay discusses the corruption and weaponization of terms like "DEI"

The following is a transcript of the live-thread I did while listening to Thereafter podcast episode 106.

I've had a very busy (and productive) day. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get to the new episode of @thereafterpodcast. But I'm free and it's roughly lunchtime, so time to listen and live-thread my thoughts. Let do this!

Oh, Benjamin "Benji" Fay is joining them for the whole episode. Cool! Benji isn't on Threads, but you can go check him out on Instagram. @thereafterpodcast

https://www.instagram.com/heytherebenji/

Wait, someone over on Insta has a terrible take on "church hurt?" Must be a day ending in Y. @thereafterpodcast

I hope @thepursuinglife, @cortlandcoffey, and Benji touch on how trivializing the phrase "church hurt" comes across. I mean, for a lot of people, that hurt would be more accurate called "abuse" and/or "trauma." @thereafterpodcast

.@cortlandcoffey is kind of saying that, but isn't specifically calling out the language. @thereafterpodcast

Benji: "Anyone who thinks deconstruction is easy has never actually experienced deconstruction." Preach! @thereafterpodcast

Benji is giving an excellent explanation of the difference between reconciliation and suppression and how the two are sometimes conflated. @thereafterpodcast

Okay, there's something delightful about hearing Benji saying something "gives him the ick." @thereafterpodcast

Listening to this discussion of framing and language suddenly makes me want to see an analysis of how the talk about deconstruction by certain evangelicals would line up with @amanda_montell's discussion of thought terminating phrases and other elements of Cultish (the language of cults). @thereafterpodcast

. @cortlandcoffey: "Nothing is more uncomfortable than deconverting." I'm not sure that's 100% objectively true, but it's sure up there. Preach! @thereafterpodcast

I appreciate that @thepursuinglife is pointing out that some of the trauma comes from the theology itself. @thereafterpodcast

.@thepursuinglife is now tackling the recent Twitter discourse over the whole concept of "The Bible clearly says..." @thereafterpodcast

Benji: "So many thoughts." Hey, I have time! @thereafterpodcast

Benji is pointing out that the idea that there is a single, knowable, and objective interpretation of the Bible is rooted in colonial thought and it's a powerful point. @thereafterpodcast

.@cortlandcoffey is commenting on how people tend to claim that their modern interpretations of the Bible and their theology was shared by early Christians and it's so good. @thereafterpodcast

.@thepursuinglife: "Adam and Eve were reading the ESV..." Wait, not the KJV???? Heretics! No wonder they ate the fruit! @thereafterpodcast

I think Benji is ultimately touching on the fact that a lot of Christian preaching and apologetics (especially on social media) is more about demonstrating one's piety/membership in the "in-group" than anything else. At least that's my take. But I may be biased toward that opinion and am reading it into what others say. @thereafterpodcast

.@thepursuinglife is talking about how people defend their interpretation by saying the Holy Spirit told them what the Bible means while still insisting that doesn't make it an interpretation. Kind of reminds me of the argument that if morality is determined by the dictates of God, that actually makes it subjective. @thereafterpodcast

They're now shifting into the main topic, which is about the Right's tendency to demonize certain words, like "DEI," "woke," and "CRT." @thereafterpodcast

Benji is doing a great job explaining what these terms actually mean and how conservatives demonize this word once they start showing positive impacts (they don't like). @thereafterpodcast

Benji is also doing a great job of underlying how the demonization of these terms is clearly done in an attempt to maintain privilege and power. @thereafterpodcast

Benji: "There's a tendency among bigoted white people to blame Black people for the byproduct of things they created." 🔥 @thereafterpodcast

Benji on people calling to see Obama's and Harris's "papers:" "I'd be everything I own that if Melania decided to run, nobody would check for her papers." Boom! @thereafterpodcast

.@cortlandcoffey: "I don't see how people don't connect the dots...." My personal, ungenerous opinion: They do. They just choose to ignore or deny it. (What can I say? Cortland is nicer than me.) @thereafterpodcast

.@cortlandcoffey is calling out people who condemn Hip Hop for "being all about crime" while loving movies like "The Godfather" and "Scarface." I mean, he's not wrong. @thereafterpodcast

Benji is talking about the history of country music and some of the racist influences there. Interesting and horrifying. @thereafterpodcast

Benji is now talking about how much of Gen Z slang is appropriated AAVE that has been around for years. @thereafterpodcast

. @cortlandcoffey is discussing how white (mostly cis) gay men are pretty adept at oppressing others (particular Black trans women) and I'm here for it. We gotta clean our own house here, fellow gays. @thereafterpodcast

.@thepursuinglife uttered the phrase "this fucking election" and I feel that in the depths of my soul. @thereafterpodcast

.@cortlandcoffey, @thepursuinglife, and Benji are talking abut how old Biden is and how drastically the country has changed over those years. @thereafterpodcast

The political discussion that @cortlandcoffey, @thepursuinglife, and Benji are having is wonderful and needed. I don't have much comment because I'm still trying to work through some things there myself. @thereafterpodcast

Wait, did Benji just diss "School House Rock?" 🤣 (Not exactly.) @thereafterpodcast

This is your reminder that Trump has actually advocated for nullifying the Constitution over on Truth Social. @thereafterpodcast

Benji is talking about the importance of pushing for progress is, since it's not just going to happen. I'm having flashbacks (though in a pleasant way) to @theandrehenry's book. @thereafterpodcast

And just like that, @cortlandcoffey also mentioned @theandrehenry's book too! 🤣 @thereafterpodcast

Benji is pointing out that we need to expand our understanding of violence beyond physical violence. @thereafterpodcast

.@thepursuinglife is asking Benji about what helps him continue to have hope. @thereafterpodcast

Benji's answer to that question is incredible. What is it, you ask? Guess you'll have to listen to find out. 😝 @thereafterpodcast

Benji: "People are seeing each other as human again." YES! May that trend continue and grow. @thereafterpodcast

Another great episode! @thereafterpodcast

[screwitbaby]

cybergirl

hamzahthefantastic x reader (oneshot)

[part 1] (you don’t have to read it to read this one)

summary: you’re a cam girl and you have more power over hamzah’s horny ass than you can even comprehend.

contains: smut with plot ofc

w/c: 2.7k-ish

a/n: yall convinced me. can i even call this a oneshot anymore? anyway enjoy <3

~

The clock was ticking. Hamzah's eyes couldn't stay in one place. He knew he was obsessed with you—he couldn't even jerk off to random porn anymore, only you could keep him hard—but the extent of his infatuation was starting to take a toll on his daily life. Recording gaming videos and podcasts with Martin felt like such a chore when all he could think about was your plush thighs wrapped around his head or your face pressed into his pillows, ass up. 

It was like a parasite had taken over and he was merely a host body for something sinister that was controlling his every move. He wasn't even sure if he hated it. It was one of the only things bringing him unadulterated joy as of recent. His wallet certainly hated him for it, though.

His laptop was already on and set in place. You were about to start your weekly scheduled live broadcast and he was sat in bed, waiting obediently for your arrival. The thought of creepy, old retirees with beer guts and wives also waiting for you made his skin crawl. His brain conjured up torturous scenes of you on call with them, talking to them the same way you spoke to him. Charming them with your promising words and perfect tits. No, he was sure he was special. Right?

He slapped his cheeks lightly, trying to rid the thoughts from poisoning his mind. It didn't matter. He knew what he was getting into the moment he paid for that first private meeting. He just had to suck it up and have you in any way he could.

Your panties were laid out next to him, almost tricking him into believing you were there in the room with him at one point or another. When he came home from the studio a week ago and saw a package with cursive writing and glittery gift wrap sitting at his doorstep, he was tempted to banish Martin from the building as soon as he'd welcomed him. When Martin then asked him what was in the box as he was taking it up to his room, he froze. His lies about it being an eBay order were almost as easy to see as the half-chub rising beneath his sweatpants. Luckily, Mandy called her boyfriend within the hour and he left soon thereafter without bothering to question his best friend's strange behavior.

It was pathetic, the way he locked the door to his room and shut his blinds just to open a parcel. He felt like he was living with his family again, trying to minimize any possible chances that they'd walk in on him with his dick in his hand. But he was completely alone then, and as he carefully tore the wrapping to preserve your penmanship of his name on the shipping label, his heart was beating out of his chest. Swathed in pink tissue paper lay his only worldly evidence that you were real, not just a couple of pixels on his screen.

Your lilac, lacy, worn panties.

For the next few days, Hamzah didn't leave home. He sniffed, he rubbed, he moaned and groaned. And he was loud. Any sense of shame left him as soon as he came the first time. He was sure he'd pass out from the pleasure at some point, but it was like each climax recharged him with the power to go twice as hard. It took a while for him to get himself together. It took no time at all for him to tune in to your show.

So, here he was, anxiously staring at the chat room full of digital degenerates and convincing himself he wasn't cut from the same cloth. He was different. He respected you. He liked you for more than just your perfect tits, peachy ass, lustrous hair, smooth skin, wet pu—

Then, the camera turned on. The chat started going at a hundred miles per hour. The donations began to flow in. And all you had done was smile.

"Hi, everybody," you giggled, eyes scanning the screen as you waved. "Oh, wow! Thank you for all the donations! So eager for me."

Hamzah's heart twinged. He didn't want to be reminded that he wasn't the only one. He made a donation of his own as you began reading them out.

"Thank you for the hundred dollars, SuperSpreader77!" you gasped as the notification sounded. You placed your hand on your chest, drawing Hamzah's eyes to the blood-red, satin brassiere that adorned it. "I'll be sure to make it up to you."

You winked and bit your lip. Hamzah swore he could've melted right there. The damp spot on the front of his boxers stuck out sorely, his cock aching for a release that would certainly make him see stars.

"I missed you all so much." You pouted.

And just like that, his elation was cut short by your acknowledgment of the others.

The live lasted near an hour as you touched yourself and stared into the camera and teased and did all the right things to get Hamzah wrapped even tighter around your finger. Knowing he was there after his donation made you slightly more daring than usual. You spanked yourself with a frilly paddle until your ass was stinging and bruised—a little taste of what was to come. You weren't lying about making it up to him later.

By the end, Hamzah was sure his balls were really going to turn blue. He did touch himself—how could he not?—but he knew nothing would be better than to finish with you, one on one. So he edged closer and closer to the point of no return, denying himself of his orgasm as he rutted into his fist, wishing it was your mouth or your cunt. He watched with impressive self control as you came all over your own fingers, splayed across your mattress like a priceless painting that could only be rightfully witnessed in a museum.

You ended the live by blowing a kiss and Hamzah rushed to open the Zoom app. This time, you joined within a few minutes, still topless but with your thong back on. Hamzah wasn't sure if he was sad to see you covered up or more excited that he'd get to see it get pulled off again.

"Hi, angel," you greeted. Your eyes twinkled, face flushed and lips bitten red from your previous escapade. "I missed you the most."

Hamzah groaned like the words physically wounded him.

"You're driving me insane," he said.

His hand traveled down to his navel, but before he could grab himself, you spoke.

"Ah, ah," you tutted, stopping him in his tracks. "Did you get my little gift?"

"Yes." He nodded keenly, grasping the lace from beside him and running it down his torso until he draped it over his throbbing cock.

"Do I even want to know what you've done with it?" you asked, tilting your head to the side.

"The things I wish I could do to you," Hamzah answered honestly.

He pinched the lace between his fingers and ghosted the cloth across himself, sharply inhaling at the sensation. You bit your lip and Hamzah felt himself twitch. With the way you had soaked through your thong, you wondered if he'd want this pair, too.

"Did you enjoy my show?" you asked despite knowing the answer. "Enjoy yourself?"

"I waited for you," Hamzah said. "I wanted you. Alone."

"Are you hurting? Aching for me?"

"I want you so bad. You have no idea."

"I don't?"

Hamzah shook his head.

"Show me. Show me how you used those panties."

He immediately obliged. He began by gripping his shaft, spreading the precum from his tip downward. He moved your panties to encircle his cock, dragging against his balls deliciously as he pumped himself. His head fell back, already so close that he could feel his heartbeat drumming in his ears. You watched him hungrily.

"Gonna cum already?" You licked your lips, leaving them glossy. "Let me hear you, angel."

A loud moan tumbled from his lips, a sense of abandon washing through him as he pleasured himself in front of you. You observed the way the vein in his neck popped similarly to the ones on his cock and imagined how they'd taste, how they'd feel against your tongue. You began touching yourself, swirling your fingers around your swollen clit.

"I-I can't hold—c-can I?" he stuttered out, chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Do it, Hamzah. Ruin my panties."

You lay flat on your back, neck craned to watch the screen as his movements grew fervent. You tried to match his pace, tried to fuck your fingers into your pussy as he bucked his hips, tried to picture it was him inside of you. He spilled into his hand, shouting your name over and over until his voice grew scratchy and he had released every last drop all over himself and the fabric. He hadn't even opened his eyes before he was hard again. You were the only Viagra he'd ever need.

"Wanna see you," he panted, attempting in vain to catch his breath.

He ran his thumb over his tip and shivered. You leapt from bed to pull your thong off and tossed it towards the camera playfully. When you bent over your desk, his eyes widened. The marks on your ass were red and angry, slightly raised in the shape of the paddle. He didn't know he had it in him, but he genuinely growled.

"Fuck me..." He gripped himself tighter, his eyes nearly rolling back into his head from how sensitive he was.

You reached into one of the drawers and slowly pulled a toy out from the back. Hamzah was pleased to see the dildo was of similar size to him. You knew it would never compare to the real thing, but it'd have to do. You spat onto it, slapping it against your sore ass a couple times and jumping at the sting. Hamzah fell into a trance, unable to do anything but moan as he watched you run the head against your dripping folds before pressing in.

You gasped, keeling over the desk as your wetness enveloped the entirety of the silicone. The feeling of every inch stretching you had you clamping around it as your body adjusted to the intrusion. You drew it out until just the tip was still inside. Then, all at once, you drove it back in with a cry.

"Hamzah!" you whimpered, head lolling to the side. "I-I'm—"

"You're doing so good, baby." He wrapped your panties around the base of his cock, intensifying his satisfaction as the fabric cinched around him. "Fuck yourself. Hard."

His hoarse voice combined with the pleasure passing through you made your legs shake. You could barely even hold yourself up. Your chest pressed against the cold wood and your nipples grazed the surface, rendering you speechless. Hamzah watched as you flicked your wrist as fast as you could and the dildo disappeared into you. You were in the clouds, gripping the edge of the desk with your other hand until your knuckles turned white.

"Shit, s-so fuckin’ pretty," Hamzah groaned.

You couldn't even see straight anymore, but you knew him well enough to know he was closing in on his second orgasm of the night. The carnal sounds of the both of you reverberated through your rooms, a mess of moans and wet slapping. When you screwed your eyes shut tight enough, it was almost as if you were there together.

"Cum f'me, baby," Hamzah grunted out, "only me."

"Only you, angel," you whined, your mouth staying ajar as you felt your stomach clenching and your toes curling.

Broken moans toppled from your lips. Any words said were inaudible, a jumble of sweet nothings as the two of you came in unison. Your wrist was cramping and you could feel your arousal making a mess all over your legs, but you couldn't bare to stop your movements. Pure bliss coursed through your veins and Hamzah strained to watch the way your orgasm turned your body into a shaking heap atop your desk. He came so hard his vision blacked out for a moment and he huffed heavy breaths until his body was no longer tensed from head to toe.

You eventually released the dildo from your grasp and let it fall to the floor, tracing your fingers over your wetness then to your clit. Even a faint touch sent a shock through you. You giggled but it came out as a shaky sigh.

"God, baby," Hamzah murmured, unraveling your panties from his dick and sitting up to pull his laptop closer. "You okay?"

"Hmm," you hummed in your state of euphoria. You attempted to stand straight but to no avail, gripping the sides of the desk as you nearly toppled over with another giggle. "'M fine."

"Fuck," Hamzah laughed quietly, feeling the effects of his own exhaustion. "That good?"

"Mhm," you moaned, nodding.

When you turned, you wobbled on your feet for a couple steps before falling to your knees in front of the bed. You brought your laptop to the edge and smiled, wiping a tear from your eye.

"So good."

Hamzah grinned, leaning against the wall as his breathing slowly returned to a normal pace. He was sticky and slightly sore, but he couldn't even begin to imagine what you were feeling in that moment.

"How do you do this for work?" he said, bemused. "I'm destroyed."

He reached up to run his fingers through his curls, but decided against it once he felt the moisture coated between them.

"I was thinking of you during the live."

You crossed your arms on the bed, resting your cheek on your forearm as you stared at his figure through the screen. He opened his mouth and closed it a couple times, failing to find his words. You giggled again, completely spent.

"Why are you so far?"

He knew there was no real answer to his question, but he couldn't help but wonder out loud. How was it that the girl of his dreams was so out of his reach? Did he do something in a past life to deserve this fate? The longer he thought about it, the worse he felt.

"Maybe it's for the best," you offered, eyes closed. "Maybe you'd get sick of me IRL."

He contemplated the sentiment for a moment. No, there's no way. He could never get sick of your sweet voice; surely it'd be impossible.

"First of all, 'IRL'? Really?" he teased. "And who knows. Maybe I could fly you out."

"Don't be silly," you yawned, sitting back on your haunches to stretch.

"Fine," he said, rolling his eyes. "I already paid for your panties. What makes you think I wouldn't pay for the ticket to get the rest of you here?"

"Ridiculous."

You just couldn't make sense of it. A boy flying you out while knowing close to nothing about you. Sure, you made each other feel good, but there's a big difference between seeing someone for an hour or two weekly and seeing them everyday with no where else to go. Such an absolute scared you. Besides, a girl like you would never dare to have such big dreams of a fairytale ending.

"My offer still stands." Hamzah crossed his arms.

"What is it with you and your offers?"

"Never hurt before."

He grabbed the panties from beside him and held it up to the camera like it was evidence of his claim. The two of you laughed at the white stains that now adorned it.

"You're disgusting."

"You love it."

You shook your head, not even refuting his words. You couldn't ignore the jolt that surged through your heart.

"Really, you should consider it," he said with a shrug.

"No promises," you said. "Goodnight, angel."

You subsequently signed off, leaving Hamzah with a longing in his chest that kept him up that night and invaded his dreams when he managed to drift off in the early hours of the morning.

~

a/n: if u ask for part 3 i may just scream. idk i kinda like having them yearn for each other. thoughts? feelings? concerns? hate? leave it in the replies!

[correct-hermitcraft-quotes]

Scar: Many podcasts were listened to! Many bits of knowledge went into my head and disappeared shortly thereafter, like everyone who listens to podcasts.

[morbidology]

On Easter Sunday in the spring of 2022, Stephen and Wendy Red spent the day with friends in their home town of Concord, New Hampshire.

They had recently been relishing the newfound freedom bestowed upon them by retirement. With unburdened schedules and a zest for adventure, they embraced each moment as it unfolded.

The next afternoon, they left their Alton Woods apartment complex to go for a hike. It was about 2:22PM.

Two days later, Stephen was scheduled to play tennis with his brother, Peter, but he failed to appear. Peter called him up, but the phone just rang and rang, and the same for Wendy’s phone. Peter was concerned.

Stephen's punctuality was a hallmark of his character, making his failure to appear all the more alarming. Their sister, Susan, said: “He wouldn’t have left people hanging without letting them know he wasn’t going to show up.”

Peter contacted Susan, and she drove over to Stephen and Wendy’s home. When she pulled up outside, she saw that their cars were in their usual spots in the parking lot.

But when she knocked on their front door, nobody answered. The apartment complex manager eventually let Susan into the apartment.

Stepping into the familiar surroundings, she scanned the apartment for any signs of her brother and sister-in-law.

Everything appeared normal—the bed neatly made, a window left slightly ajar, but an inexplicable tension hung in the air.

Both Stephen and Wendy's cell phones lay abandoned on the kitchen counter, while Stephen's wallet rested on another nearby surface.

It seemed as though they had stepped out of the apartment momentarily, intending to return shortly thereafter….

This week's episode of Morbidology takes a look at the tragic case of Stephen and Wendy Reid. You can listen to episode 260 across all podcast platforms:

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞: https://bit.ly/3z8xqqi

𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲: https://spoti.fi/4ckWHMk

[demonmoonsupreme]

I’ve been listening to the Destiny and Chicken podcast from @f-f-podcast and it’s really given me some food for thought about Merlin obviously taking on a narrator role for the show. You know, narrating Arthur’s story (because it’s not actually Merlin’s). But also how the audio is done it feels like the great dragon is the narrator because we get Kilgharrah voiceover every episode. What if, it’s not fully fleshed out at all, but what if Merlin is narrator through Kilgharrah. Merlin lives to attain some great age as a man; dies, gets reincarnated as egg Kilgharrah. Lives thousands of years as Kilgharrah, powerful creature of magic, animal in way he never was as a man; slowly loses Merlin the man, he cannot hold on to a life he no longer embodies — that was Merlin’s life, a human from an age not yet come to pass, and he begins to forget. Sure he can plant seeds of a prophecy, but honestly it was so long ago he doesn’t really remember it all, and Kilgharrah must live for himself as a dragon.

But eventually as an old and cantankerous dragon, he finds himself in a familiar situation: everyone he knew, the rest of his kind, gone or dead. Imprisoned, forced to play a role in Merlin’s life. Similarly to the way Merlin is forced to play a role in Arthur’s life. He’s advising on events that happened to him so long ago. In another life. He hasn’t thought about being Merlin in a millennia or more. He just vaguely remembers that the decade he spent in Camelot in another lifetime was the shortest thing he’s ever endured, while somehow clinging to his soul in a way that nothing else could. He doesn’t know how to take the human approach anymore; he’s not a merciful teenage boy anymore. Uther will die; so let him die. Same goes for Mordred and Morgana — as far as Kilgharrah is concerned, this is just removing obstacles and making life easier. Merlin keeps balking at this, and Kilgharrah just can’t understand why: he’s not only forgotten how to be Merlin, he’s forgotten what it’s like to not be a dragon.

The events play out the same. Kilgharrah feels incredibly ancient on the shore of lake Avalon, where Merlin puts his king to rest. Kilgharrah knows that his time is coming to a close, that his age as dragon is nearly over. Shortly thereafter Kilgharrah dies, the magic that has been within him for more than a lifetime seeping back into the earth and replenishing its stores.

Is there destiny, or did he create his own.

Time loop.

[augustyearroundprod]

After months and months of hard work, I’m so excited to announce AYR’s newest podcast—

MOONBURN

Premiering Wednesday, May 1st and releasing weekly thereafter for seven episodes, Moonburn is our first official Audiodrama.

It follows a down-on-his-luck 18-year-old named Lucas (Anthony Keyvan) as he moves into a New York City boarding home and discovers decades-old diary cassette tapes left behind by the room’s very first occupant, Carter (Joshua Colley). The tapes foreshadow tragedy, but they also lay out a beautiful path of advice for surviving in the city and starting over. With the heartfelt stories and invaluable advice contained within these tapes, Lucas embarks on his journey— moving through the trials and tribulations of life in a new city, accepting himself, creating lifelong friendships, falling in love, and even uncovering a few more mysteries about his new boarding home.

Moonburn is available to follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. Our instagram is @AugustYearRoundProd Moonburn is a completely independent podcast made with so much passion, love, collaboration and joy. On behalf of everyone involved in bringing this project to life, your support means the absolute world to us! Thank you!!

[lets-talk-gundam]

An Introduction to Mobile Suit Gundam Sidestory - Another One Year War

Using a fork of the Operation V RPG system developed for the Feddie Scum actual play podcast, I've been running a Gundam TTRPG for the past couple months and we're coming up on the end of the first story arc! Here, I'll be sharing and documenting the events of the game.

All posts relating to this game will be tagged as #another one year war!

More below!

The premise.

It is the year 0079 of the Universal Century. A half-century has passed since Earth began moving its burgeoning population into gigantic orbiting space colonies. A new home for mankind, where people are born and raised. And die. 3 months ago, the cluster of colonies furthest from the Earth, called Side 3, proclaimed itself the Principality of Zeon and launched a war of independence against the Earth Federation. As Zeon’s ground invasion continues, one group of Federation soldiers will find themselves in a position to change history. This is the story of Bee-Line, a team that will come to be known by many names, and for many deeds. Good, and ill.

I'll be posting some character profiles of my players' characters and important NPCs over the next couple days!

Player Character profile 1/6:

Namana Rayadin, the classic Gundam child soldier™ Nationality: Spacenoid, Side 2 Rank: Civillian (For now)

Born and raised in poverty on Island Iffish, Namana used his talents as a tinkerer to support his mother and sister, as his father had left to fight for the Zabi cause.

After an unfortunate run-in with the Federation's Office of Internal Affairs, and leaving his sister with a small fortune he had stolen from a corrupt politician, he was sent to Seattle to live with extended family.

At the outbreak of the war, Namana experienced a prophetic vision of the Colony Drop, but was unable to act on it in time. He volunteered with Federation forces shortly thereafter, gaining a reputation as a skilled mechanic.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Enshitternet

Going to Burning Man? Catch me on Tuesday at 2:40pm on the Center Camp Stage for a talk about enshittification and how to reverse it; on Wednesday at noon, I'm hosting Dr Patrick Ball at Liminal Labs (6:15/F) for a talk on using statistics to prove high-level culpability in the recruitment of child soldiers.

On September 6 at 7pm, I'll be hosting Naomi Klein at the LA Public Library for the launch of Doppelganger.

On September 12 at 7pm, I'll be at Toronto's Another Story Bookshop with my new book The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation.

This week on my podcast, I read "Enshitternet: The old, good internet deserves a new, good internet," my recent Medium column about building a better internet:

https://doctorow.medium.com/enshitternet-c1d4252e5c6b

As John @hodgman is fond of reminding us, "nostalgia is a toxic impulse." It is easy for an old net.hand like me to fall into the trap of shaking his fist at the cloud. Having been on the other side of that dynamic, I can tell you it's no fun.

When I got on BBSes in the early 1980s, there was an omnipresent chorus of grumps insisting that the move from honest acoustic couplers to decadent modems was the end of the Golden Age of telecommunications:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_coupler

When I got on Usenet shortly thereafter, the Unix Greybeard set never passed up an opportunity to tell us newcomers that the Fidonet-Usenet bridge allowed the barbarian hordes to overwhelm their Athenian marketplace of ideas:

https://technicshistory.com/2020/06/25/the-era-of-fragmentation-part-4-the-anarchists/

When I joined The WELL in the late 1980s, I was repeatedly assured that the good times were over, and that we would never see their like again:

https://www.well.com/

Now that I'm 52, I've learned to recognize this dynamic, from the Eternal September:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September

to the moral panic over menuing systems replacing CLIs:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/02/gopher-when-adversarial-interoperability-burrowed-under-gatekeepers-fortresses

to the culture wars over what would happen when the net got a normie-friendly GUI:

https://www.dejavu.org/1993win.htm

And yeah, I've done it too, explaining "Why I won’t buy an iPad (and think you shouldn’t, either)":

https://memex.craphound.com/2010/04/01/why-i-wont-buy-an-ipad-and-think-you-shouldnt-either/

But there's a key difference between my own warnings about the enshittification that new "user friendly" technologies would engender and all those other AARP members' complaints: they were wrong, and I was right.

As Tom Eastman reminded us, the internet really was better, back before it became "five giant websites filled with screenshots of text of the other four":

https://twitter.com/tveastman/status/1069674780826071040

The underlying pathology of that enshittification wasn't the UI, or whether it involved an app store. As the Luddites knew, the important thing about a technology isn't what it does, but who it does it for and who it does it to:

https://locusmag.com/2022/01/cory-doctorow-science-fiction-is-a-luddite-literature/

The problem wasn't which technology we used. There is nothing inherent about touchscreens that makes them into prisons that trap users, rather than walled gardens that protect them.

Likewise, the problem wasn't who made that technology. We didn't swap wise UUCP Monks for venal tech bros. The early tech world was full of public-spirited sysops, but it was also full of would-be monopolists who tried – and failed – to get us to "stop talking to each other and start buying things":

https://catvalente.substack.com/p/stop-talking-to-each-other-and-start

If it wasn't the technology that killed the old, good internet, and if it wasn't the people who killed the old, good internet, where did the enshitternet come from?

It wasn't the wrong tech, it wasn't the wrong people: it was the wrong rules. After all, the Apple ][+ went on sale the year Ronald Reagan hit the campaign trail. Consumer tech was the first industry born after antitrust was dismantled, and it created the modern monopoly playbook: buying and merging with competitors. The resulting unity of purpose and anticompetitive profit margins allowed tech to capture its regulators and secure favorable court and legislative outcomes.

The simultaneous drawdown of antitrust enforcement and growth of tech meant that tech's long-standing cycle of renewal was ended. Tech companies that owed their existence to their ability to reverse-engineer incumbent companies' products and make interoperable replacements and add-ons were able to ban anyone else from doing unto them as they did unto the giants that came before them:

https://doctorow.medium.com/let-the-platforms-burn-6fb3e6c0d980

The pirates became admirals, and set about creating a "felony contempt of business model":

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/03/painful-burning-dribble/#law-of-intended-consequences

They changed the rules to ensure that they could "disrupt" anyone they chose, but could themselves mobilize the full might of the US government to prevent anyone from disrupting them:

https://locusmag.com/2019/01/cory-doctorow-disruption-for-thee-but-not-for-me/

The old, good internet was the internet we we able to make while tech was still realizing the new anticompetitive powers it had at its disposal, and it disappeared because every administration, R and D, from Reagan to Trump, yanked more and more Jenga blocks out of the antitrust tower.

In other words: the old, good internet was always doomed, because it was being frantically built in an ever-contracting zone of freedom to tinker, where technologies could be operated by and for the people who used them.

Today, the Biden administration has ushered in a new era of antitrust renewal, planting the seeds of a disenshittification movement that will tame corporate power rather than nurturing it:

https://www.eff.org/de/deeplinks/2021/08/party-its-1979-og-antitrust-back-baby

In other words, we are living in the first days of a better nation.

In other words, rather than restoring the old, good internet, we should build a new, good internet.

What is a new, good internet? It's an internet where it's legal to:

reverse-engineer the products and services you use, to add interoperability to them so you can leave a social network without leaving your friends:

https://www.eff.org/interoperablefacebook

jailbreak devices to remove antifeatures, like surveillance, ink-locking, or repair-blocking:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/17/have-you-tried-not-spying/#coppa

move your media files and apps from any platform to any device or service, even if the company that sold them to you objects:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/07/audible-exclusive/#audiblegate

A new, good internet gives powers to users, and takes power away from corporations:

https://doctorow.medium.com/twiddler-1b5c9690cce6

On a new, good internet, companies can't practice algorithmic wage discrimination:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

They can't turn search into an auction between companies that match your query and companies that want to sell you fakes and knockoffs:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/#relentless-payola

They can't charge rent to the people whose feeds you asked to read for the privilege of reaching you:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/10/e2e/#the-censors-pen

In fact, a new, good internet is one where we euthanize rentiers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/#kitt-is-a-demon

On the new good internet, your boss can't use bossware to turn "work from home" into "live at work":

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/24/gwb-rumsfeld-monsters/#bossware

And on top of that, you have the right to hack that bossware to undetectably disable it (and hackers have the right to sell or give you that hack):

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/tech-rights-are-workers-rights-doordash-edition

On the new, good internet, we stop pretending that tech is stealing content from news companies, and focus on how tech steals money from the news, with app taxes, rigged ad markets, surveillance ads, and payola:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/04/saving-news-big-tech

The new, good internet is an internet where we seize the means of computation. It's an internet operated by and for the people who use it.

Hodgman is right. Nostalgia is a toxic impulse. The point of making a new, good internet isn't to revive the old, good internet. There were plenty of problems with the old, good internet. The point is to make a new, good internet that is the worthy successor to the old, good internet – and to consign the enshitternet to the scrapheap of history, an unfortunate transitional stage between one good internet and another.

Here's a link to the podcast episode:

https://craphound.com/news/2023/08/21/enshitternet-the-old-good-internet-deserves-a-new-good-internet/

and here's a direct link to the MP3 (hosting courtesy of the Internet Archive; they'll host your stuff for free, forever):

https://archive.org/download/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_448/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_448_-_Enshitternet.mp3

and here's a link to my podcast's RSS feed:

https://feeds.feedburner.com/doctorow_podcast

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

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/22/the-new-good-internet/#the-old-good-internet

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[voidvannie]

꒰ఎ JANESSA BIEBER ━━━━ LOSE CONTROL AU

ᥫ᭡𓆪┊Get To Know Janessa Bieber !

┍                                      ┑

⋆✩⋆ ─── meet nessa

┖                                      ┙

nessa's profile ─── ⋆✩⋆

୨୧ Full Name ─── Janessa Marie Bieber ୨୧ Nicknames ─── Nessa, Little JB, Nessa Marie ୨୧ Date of Birth ─── November 29, 1999 ୨୧ Hometown ───Ontario, Canada ୨୧ Family ─── Justin Bieber, Jeremy Bieber ୨୧ Face Claim ─── Olivia O'Brian

୨୧ Favorite Animal ─── husky puppies ୨୧ Favorite Drink ─── Water, Monster, Apple juice, Pepsi ୨୧ Favorite Food ─── Anything greasy ୨୧ Favorite Celebrity ─── Selena Gomez ୨୧ Favorite Movie ─── Cheaper By The Dozen ୨୧ Favorite Color ─── Royal BLue ୨୧ Favorite Season ─── Winter ୨୧ Favorite Holiday ─── Fourth of July

𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪┊EXTRA FACTS !

୨୧ she grew up in ontario, canada. ୨୧ she's justin's younger half-sister. ୨୧ her mom signed her rights over when she was born & jeremy raised her. ୨୧ nessa & justin hated each other but grew closer the older they got. ୨୧ the half-siblings bonded over music. ୨୧ her favorite color is Royal Blue. ୨୧ 34 has always been her favorite number. ୨୧ she has absolutely no filter! ୨୧ has been singing since she was seven years old and taught herself to play guitar and piano. ୨୧ nessa initially gained the attention of gnash after posting a cover of one of his songs on soundcloud, after beginning to create music at the age of 13. ୨୧ she then sent a voice note of her original song, "i hate u, love u", and he invited her to record the song with him in los angeles. ୨୧ thereafter, nessa signed with island records and released her debut solo single, "trust issues", in august 2016, which premiered through complex magazine. ୨୧ she has a podcast called 'daily dose of nessa'.

𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪┊NESSA & AUSTON TIMELINE!

୨୧ nessa meets auston in 2018 at a leafs vs islanders game. ୨୧ he noticed her during the game a she sat behind the players bench, doing everything to get her attention. ୨୧ he gets her number after the game, tracking her down in the parking lot. ୨୧ they have their first kiss june 22, 2019. ୨୧ they go on their first date february 14, 2019. ୨୧ nessa & auston start dating august 17, 2019. ୨୧ when auston's parents and sisters' met her, they all instantly fell in love with her. ୨୧ she writes breakup songs to throw everyone off. ୨୧ due to auston and mitch's close friendship, nessa and step are super close with one another. ୨୧ auston has her name tattooed on his chest right above his heart. ୨୧ nessa has auston's named tattooed behind her left ear. ୨୧ they spend four years keeping their relationship to themselves with only their closest family and friends knowing. ୨୧ they make their first appearance as a couple at the 2024 NHL All-Star weekend game.

[thewordinblackandred]

We're back, baby.

A new miniseries begins on Monday, August 12th with The Liberation Theology Podcast host David Inczauskis. Our leftist interpretation of Exodus will come soon thereafter.

Spread the word.

[therealandian]

hehe new chapter jon has to deal with the opposite of his usual problems

“1.112.013.018, 20th February, 1743. Begin recording. “I'm…still not sure what to say about this. We ran into Tim a few days ago, and it seems it's the latest I've ever run across him. He was acting…strange. A bit off—at least for him. Distracted. “He was on some sort of rampage, blowing up just about everything in sight. Only managed to get him to spare us because we hailed him and he recognised us. Shortly thereafter, he crashed his ship into a space station. We recovered his body from the wreckage but…it's been days, and he hasn't revived. Neither of us can sense his song, either. I…I think he might actually be…dead…? “I called Jonny, and the Aurora's on the way here. “I just…I don't know what to do with this. I'll update after we talk to the others. “End recording.”

[jarredlharris]

Live-threading my thoughts while listening to the Thereafter podcast featuring Jordan Morris

The following is a transcript of the live-thread I did while listening to Thereafter podcast episode 105.

Hey everyone! There's a new @thereafterpodcast episode out! That means it's time to listen and live-thread my thoughts. Let's do this!

I love the podcast editor's ability to find the perfect sound effects to add. @thereafterpodcast

@cortlandcoffey and @thepursuinglife are talking about @thenewevangelicals and sex educator Erica Smith challenging the concept of "porn addiction" and how it's often misused and abused. Good stuff. @thereafterpodcast

@thepursuinglife is talking about the importance of asking why people should be considered qualified to talk about a given subject and praising Erica Smith for acknowledging that when she was challenged over her statements. @thereafterpodcast

.@thepursuinglife just threw some quick shake at Focus on the Family and I'm here for it. @thereafterpodcast

I may have to find this YouTube video (I think there may be a link int he episode's notes.) @thereafterpodcast

.@cortlandcoffey is pointing out that there are people who benefit from the moral panic over porn and that's an important thing to remember. @thereafterpodcast

.@thepursuinglife is lamenting the lack of nuance and dialogue around complex topics. I can relate. @thereafterpodcast

On to the interview with Jordan Morris! Sadly, Jordan doesn't have a Threads account. But he's over on Instagram, so check him out there. @thereafterpodcast

I'm thinking I need to check out Jordan's upcoming graphic novel, Youth Group. @thereafterpodcast

Wow, Jordan has quite the writer's resume. @thereafterpodcast

Jordan is explaining how two of his characters in "Youth Group" ended up with the same names as the podcast hosts. Apparently, it's entirely coincidental. @thereafterpodcast

Jordan: "The fact that it lines up with y'all's [names] is cool and spooky." Seriously. @thereafterpodcast

Jordan admits that "Youth Group" is a bit more personal to him than most of his other works. He's reflecting on how that hits him. @thereafterpodcast

Burning question: Has Jordan met Gail Simone? Because if he has, I may be jealous. @thereafterpodcast

.@thepursuinglife just mentioned and incident where she "fell on the wrong side of comic-bro Twitter" and I just shuddered on her behalf. @thereafterpodcast

Jordan: "Religious people can have some bad takes!" Preach! @thereafterpodcast

And he's right. That was a totally safe thing to say on this podcast. @thereafterpodcast

Okay, I've pre-ordered "Youth Group." How could I not when Jordan, @thepursuinglife, and @cortlandcoffey make it sound so great. @thereafterpodcast

.@cortlandcoffey: "There are so many people I'm going to tell they need to read this book when it comes out." Like your whole audience, Cortland? 🤣@thereafterpodcast

Jordan is talking about the nicheness of some media and how that can be a positive. Pretty cool. @thereafterpodcast

Jordan: "Maybe [conservative Christians] are looking for things to ban." He jokes, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me. @thereafterpodcast

I mean, maybe Jordan could get a "reverse endorsement" from Sean Feucht. It did wonders for @flamygrant. @thereafterpodcast

Jordan beat @cortlandcoffey to stressing how important pre-orders are for books. 🤣 @thereafterpodcast

I will note that as much as the "Youth Group" characters might be similar to @cortlandcoffey and @thepursuinglife, Judy and Nick will always be their official stand-ins. @thereafterpodcast

Another great episode! @thereafterpodcast

[elorasaurus-gaming]

So although I have a lot of artwork on the go for my vtubing and other personal projects, I haven't worked on stinky dragon stuffs in a few months and...

With no info as to whether Tales from the Stinky Dragon will be safe and continue I really want to do a "thank you" piece/combined community piece to all the individuals who have given life to this podcast (players, crew, literally anyone involved in any capacity regardless of how big or small a role)

Sort of a YCH insert kinda thing but with lots of characters and little inside jokes

I wanna show the impact the podcast has had on my mental health but also allow other to use the piece/base to spread the love as well

I'm sort of gauging interested atm?

What characters/items/jokes etc would you like to see included if I did this?

I'd make 3 bases maybe?

(Was thinking a laying in bed asleep listening to the podcast, a commute listening and another)

*edit to add (i also commented this too here)*

I don't think the staff use Tumblr as much as other socials so I'm trying to keep it on the down low as it could take a little while to finalise the base and gather everyone's versions thereafter ♡ so if this does go ahead please try to keep it secret and safe for the foreseeable future 💙🐉💨

[theayesphere]

S02 E10 - S2 E10 | Love, Death & Robots, and finding hope after the Apocalypse

In this week’s episode, Aye and Joy are boiling alive in the summer heat. They look at some of the latest video game announcements, followed by a brief tangent about the rise of hopepunk apocalypse games and Activision’s surprising pro-Pride stance. Moving on, they discuss the horrors and wonderment of Netflix’s original series ‘Love, Death & Robots’ and try to pin down their favorite episodes. After that, it’s time for another tangent as the pair wrap up the podcast with a discussion about what it means to follow the dopamine as content creators with ADHD.

---

Season 2 Episode 10 of the Ayesphere is now available on RSS to stream or download on your listening app of choice.

If you can't find us, copy and paste the above RSS link into your app, and it should automate thereafter. Thanks for listening!

[geopolicraticus]

TODAY IN PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY

The Destruction of the Indies according to de las Casas

Monday 11 November 2024 is the 540th birthday of Bartolomé de las Casas (11 November 1484 – 18 July 1566), who was born in Seville on this date in 1484.

Bartolomé de las Casas arrived at Hispaniola as a young man, became a Dominican friar, and thereafter was a tireless advocate of the native peoples of the Americas, writing a scathing account of the Spanish in the New World in his A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. The issues he raised have only become more prominent since his time.

Quora:              https://philosophyofhistory.quora.com/ 

Discord:           https://discord.gg/r3dudQvGxD

Links:              https://jnnielsen.carrd.co/

Newsletter:     http://eepurl.com/dMh0_-/

Text post:        https://geopolicraticus.substack.com/p/the-destruction-of-the-indies-according

Video:              https://youtu.be/fL5X36dY53s  

Podcast:          https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/RfdDEorRsOb

[drdougdouglass]

Tucker Carlsons mother, former San Francisco socialite-turned-artist Lisa McNear Lombardi abandoned him as a 6-year-old.

“I bitterly hate her,” Carlson said in a 2019 podcast interview with right-leaning comedian Adam Carolla. She rejected him and his brother after their TV journalist father filed for divorce and successfully sued for full custody. Lombardi thereafter dropped out of her sons’ lives, and Carlson said he never heard from her again.