#(international rescue committee i mean)

[odinsblog]

“I think there is a simpler explanation to the tragedy and the barbarism on October the 7th, which is that you cannot indefinitely contain a group of people under military occupation for decades and expect that there won't be violence. There is violence in the Middle East, and the root cause of that violence is an illegal military occupation that is now in what, it's 57th year in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. And this is not just me saying this.

I mean, people like General Shlomo Brom, one of Israel's most famous military strategists, says, the oppressed will rise against the oppressor because it's absurd to hope that Israel can indefinitely contain with its military might millions of Palestinians who claim the right to a free, normal life. That is the statement of Shlomo Brom.

It's not true that the previous Gaza conflicts were all started by Hamas. Some were, but not all of them. Ceasefires have been broken on both sides and that's been well documented by multiple neutral observers and international observers.

But just on the broader point, Israel was never done with Gaza. This myth that they pulled out all the settlers and the occupation ended, first of all, under international law, Gaza is still occupied.

The Israelis control most of the land borders, all of the naval waters, all of the airspace. You tell me a country in the world that would accept that, any kind of country that you would call independent or sovereign. The Israelis even control the population register in Gaza, which means if you're born in Gaza, the Israelis are the ones who register you in control.

All of the information about your birth, life, and death. So this idea that Gaza was free, it was not free. And the boycott, the siege, I mean, it was not defensive.

Again, multiple human rights groups, including Israeli human rights groups like Gisha have said over the years, that the boycott was not defensive, that it was arbitrary, that it was cruel. Items like pasta, coriander, right? These are items that were banned at certain points going into Gaza.

Even now, David Miliband, the former British Foreign Minister, head of the International Rescue Committee, went on CNN this week to point out that dual-use items are being blocked going into Gaza. Entire aid trucks are being turned away because there's a scissors in them. A pair of scissors is inside a truck.

For medical purposes, the entire truck is turned away. For years now, the people in Gaza have been blockaded, besieged. The UN said it would be unlivable years ago.

We're now in 2024. It's certainly unlivable now. So no, I don't believe the Israeli narrative.

And one last thing, let's say everything Israel said was true. That still does not justify the collective punishment of 2.2 million people, half of whom are children, and who are now in the midst of one of the worst famines in living memory, according to the experts.

[…]

I've been very, very, very critical of Hamas. I've been critical of Hamas for decades. I've been critical of Hamas since October the 7th.

I was critical of Hamas on October the 7th. So no, I'm not sparing in my criticism of Hamas, but the missing context here, of course, is that we don't fund Hamas. I'm not responsible for Hamas.

I am responsible for the famine in Gaza. I am responsible for the killing of 30,000 people in Gaza because my taxes paid for it. The United States government is funding one side of this conflict.

The United States does not fund Hamas, last time I checked. So this idea that we are either fund them or protect them with a UN veto or arm Hamas, I don't think we send arms to Hamas, we do to Israel. Therefore, that is the focus of my journalism.

And by the way, yes, the focus of my journalism right now is on criticism of Israel because the rest of the US media has completely failed on this issue, has dropped the ball. I mean, I can go through The New York Times, The Washington Post, and show the exact opposite, pieces that are providing cover and safety for the Israeli narrative, including in absurd headlines where we go out of our way to use the passive voice and never cite that Israel is responsible for bombing a hospital or Israel is responsible for bombing a refugee camp. So I'm trying to do a little bit of correction on my end with this new media organization.

But look, Hamas is a brutal group. What it did on October the 7th was pure terror. They killed innocents, they abducted innocent babies as hostages into the war crime.

But none of that justifies what Israel is doing right now. And nor are we responsible for what Hamas is doing. But we are, in New York and across the country, sadly, we are responsible for the crimes that Israel is carrying out.

And that's the point I'm trying to make.”

—Mehdi Hasan

#politics #palestine #gaza #israel #mehdi hasan #hasbara #false narratives #false equivalencies #feigned neutrality #journalism fail #the media is complicit #october 7 #october 7th #7 october

[princessanneftw]

Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence appointed Patron of the International Maritime Rescue Federation

Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the husband of Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, has been named the Patron of the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF), the world’s leading organisation for developing and improving maritime search and rescue (SAR) capabilities.

He replaces Sir Efthimios Mitropoulos, the Secretary-General Emeritus of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), who stepped down earlier this year, having been in the role since 2012.

Sir Tim holds a distinguished career as part of the UK’s Royal Navy, serving from the early 1970s upon leaving the University of Durham before retiring in 2010. His strong interest and background in maritime led to him being appointed to the Governing Council of the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 2004, then to the Trustee Board and Chairman of the Operations Committee in 2011. He later became Deputy Chairman of the RNLI Board and, on retirement from the Board in 2020, became a Vice President.

As Patron, Sir Tim will become a leading voice and advocate for the work of the IMRF and maritime SAR organisations around the world, which continues to play a critical role in protecting and saving lives at sea.

“It is an honour to be appointed the new Patron of the IMRF, and I look forward to working closely with the organisation, its members and SAR personnel worldwide to advance the cause of safety at sea,” Sir Tim said.

Speaking about the appointment, Jacob Tas, Chair of the IMRF, said, “I am delighted that Sir Tim Laurence has accepted our invitation to become the new Patron of the IMRF. His tenure at the UK’s Royal Navy and his dedication to public service means he will be a fantastic supporter of the IMRF’s global work and the critical importance of maritime SAR organisations globally.”

Caroline Jupe, Chief Executive Officer of the IMRF, said, “The IMRF and its membership continue to play a major role in the maritime SAR sector as we look to prevent loss of life in the world’s waters. I am thrilled that Sir Tim has agreed to join the IMRF community as our new Patron, and I’m excited to see how we can work together to bolster the maritime SAR sector, tackle critical issues facing the sector and advance key initiatives to improve the lives of those working in a challenging industry.”

In addition to its work providing guidance and best practice for SAR operations, the IMRF has also launched a number of critical initiatives to improve the wellness and efficiency of SAR personnel, including its #WomenInSAR campaign, its #SARyouOK? mental health initiative and its #FutureSAR climate change awareness campaign.

#yaaaay #a tim patronage #ffs charles just make him a working royal already #tim laurence #timothy laurence #tim does stuff #british royal family #brf #princess anne #princess royal

[garland-on-thy-brow]

Now we need a clear and quick response from the world to what is happening. It is even impossible to establish for sure how many people in the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson region may die without rescue, without drinking water, without food, without medical care.

Our military and special services are rescuing people as much as it is possible, despite the shelling. But large-scale efforts are needed.

We need international organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, to immediately join the rescue operation and help people in the occupied part of Kherson region.

Each person who dies there is a verdict on the existing international architecture and international organizations that have forgotten how to save lives. If there is no international organization in the area of this disaster now, it means that it does not exist at all, that it is incapable of functioning. All the relevant appeals from Ukraine and our government are in place.

Many world leaders, heads of state, governments, and interstate associations have expressed their support for Ukraine and clear condemnation of the Russian crime of ecocide. I am grateful for this principled approach!

Together we must bring the occupiers to justice.

Now we must focus the world's attention on eliminating the consequences of another catastrophe caused by Russia, and we must prevent further destructive activity of the occupiers.

- Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 07.06.2023 22:37.

#nova kakhovka dam #ecocide #russian genocide of ukrainians #russia is a terrorist state #russian war against ukraine #ukraine

[rhymeswithfart]

I'm going to open commissions for humanitarian aid for Palestine and other threatened places. In return for a donation to aid organizations, I'll draw whatever you want (within reason) and I encourage you to donate regardless of whether you want a commission. A bigger donation means a more detailed work (dm for info). I put some of the subjects/fandoms I have experience with drawing in the tags.

NOTE: aid is being obstructed from entering Gaza right now by the Israeli military. Some of these organizations below might not be able to act right now bc of that. I'm looking at other orgs that can help right now, but in the future the Palestine orgs below will still be important to keep in mind as Palestine rebuilds its communities.

More info under the cut:

Price list:

Head and shoulders: $5 per person

Hips up: $6 per person

Full body: $7-$10, + $7 per each extra person

+Flat Color: $7

+Cel shading: $10

Payment is half-before, half after it's done. Send screenshot/s as proof of payment, of the donation showing the amount and the confirmation thank you screen. (MAKE SURE TO CROP/SENSOR ANY PERSONAL INFO OUT OF SCREENSHOT. The marker tool in many markup apps is not a good way to sensor as it's not opaque; you can use the pen tool or edit it in a free app like gimp, ibispaintx, or firealpaca if in doubt.)

(prices are a general guidance. Prices can be donated directly to any of the orgs below in exchange for art)

THIS POST has info on which donations are currently reaching Gaza! Refer to this first for donations direct to Gaza and Palestine!

Orgs such as:

Palestine Legal

Middle Eastern Children's Alliance

Doctors without Borders (I think that was the right link?)

Palestine Red Crescent Society

Unrwa

If anyone else has suggestions let me know. Also looking for humanitarian orgs to counter other genocides like in Sudan and DRC.

Direct Relief

Water for South Sudan

Sudan Relief Fund

Post with more Sudan links

Post with DR of Congo links

Friends of the Congo

Here's something from the International Rescue Committee

Save The Children chapter for DRC

#i hope this will help #palestine #sudan #congo #human rights #democratic republic of the congo #coltan #commissions #artists on tumblr #fandoms im familiar with: #sonic the hedgehog #dc comics #batman #green lantern #this house has people in it #mr noseybonk #peter lorre #cartoons #the great mouse detective #cats #shaggy and scooby doo get a clue #wacky races #hannah barbera #time bokan #inspector gadget #steven universe #ttte #shed 17

[punisheddonjuan]

With virtually no healthcare left, no medications, and infectious diseases spreading especially among infants, children, the infirm and the elderly, can anybody believe that the fatalities have just gone over 30,000? With five thousand babies born every month into the rubble, their mothers wounded and without food, healthcare, medicine and clean water for any of their children, severe skepticism about the Hamas Health Ministry’s official count is warranted.

[...]

Then came the December 29, 2023, opinion piece in The Guardian by the Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, Devi Sridhar. She predicted half a million deaths in 2024 if conditions continue unabated. (See her piece here: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/29/health-organisations-disease-gaza-population-outbreaks-conflict).

In recent days, the situation has become more dire. In the March 2, 2024, Washington Post, reporter, Ishaan Tharoor writes: “The bulk of Gaza’s more than 2 million people face the prospect of famine — a state of affairs that constitutes the fastest decline in a population’s nutrition status ever recorded, according to aid workers. Children are starving at the fastest rate the world has ever known. Aid groups have been pointing to Israel restricting the flow of assistance into the territory as a major driver of the crisis. Some prominent Israeli officials openly champion stymying these transfers of aid.”

[...]

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, according to the Post, warned of an “‘unknown number of people’ – believed to be in the tens of thousands – lying under the rubble of buildings brought down by Israeli strikes.”

Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said “All people in Gaza are at imminent risk of famine. Almost all are drinking salty and contaminated water. Health care across the territory is barely functioning.” “Just imagine what this means for the wounded, and people suffering infectious-disease outbreaks. …many are already believed to be starving.” UNICEF, the International Rescue Committee, the Palestinian Red Crescent, and Doctors Without Borders are all relating that the same catastrophic conditions are getting worse fast.

[...]

From accounts of people on the ground, videos and photographs of deadly episode after episode, plus the resultant mortalities from blocking or smashing the crucial necessities of life, a more likely estimate, in my appraisal, is that at least 200,000 Palestinians must have perished by now and the toll is accelerating by the hour.

I'm not sure if I swallow the 200,000 dead estimate, it's very much on the extreme high end of plausible, but between the complete collapse of the health system and an official death toll that has barely moved over the last few weeks it's evident to me that under counting of the dead is endemic. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if the death toll at this moment is in the area of 60,000-70,000. This is approximate to where a linear progression based on the death rate up to the point the health system collapsed would lead. I hope I'm wrong, but that gnawing pit in my stomach is telling me otherwise.

#link #article #palestine

[welcome-to-silent-pines]

Current Gameplay(s)

Welcome to Silent Pines - Silent Pines seems like a typical Sims world. But the sudden disappearance of Chloe Emerson slowly starts to unravel the secrets buried in this once quiet town.

beginning post | current post

Newcrest Makeover - My long-term project slowly turning Newcrest into a Sims version of a Portland/Austin hybrid.

Newcrest Builds Screenshots

Newcrest Townies

My CC (from my time as Simsstoryteller)

Graphic Female T-Shirts (requires this shirt by @darte77) | Hacienda Art Prints | Art of Jazz Prints | Art of Soul Prints (all prints require the Kingston Dining Double Canvas by @peacemaker-ic) | Pink Floyd Concert Posters | Quiet Storm Concert Posters | Classic Rock Posters (all concert posters require this mesh)

My Current CC

Art Prints | Cas CC

Organizations I'm currently supporting for Palestine (by no means a full list, just the ones I regularly donate and/or consult):

International Rescue Committee

Funds for Gaza

Medical Aid for Palestinians

Palestine Children's Relief Fund

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS)

#navigation #ts4 simblr #sims 4 simblr #simblr #sims 4 gameplay #ts4 gameplay #ts4 edit #sims 4 edit #ts4 screenshots #sims 4 screenshots #ts4 story #sims 4 story #ts4 storytelling #sims 4 storytelling

[beardedmrbean]

When it comes to procedural affairs in Germany's federal parliament, the Bundestag, the Left Party will be no more: On December 6, the socialists will no longer have enough lawmakers to constitute a parliamentary faction and will be downgraded to merely a "group."

That's the result of the resignation of the party's best-known member, Sahra Wagenknecht, who took nine of the party's 38 Bundestag members with her when she left the party. They have announced a new alliance, with more details to come next year.

The 28 remaining party lawmakers are too few to classify as a parliamentary faction. That means they lose certain rights, including committee participation and longer speaking times during debates.

Internal disagreement has bubbled for a long time, as had rumors that Wagenknecht would go ahead with her plan to leave. The biggest point of recent contention was migration: Wagenknecht and her allies wanted a more restrictive policy than the rest of the party.

"Better united with 28 than divided with 38," said Dietmar Bartsch, the outgoing leader of the faction.

'Opportunity for a new start'

At a three-day national Left Party conference in the Bavarian city of Augsburg in mid-November, activist Carola Rackete, a fierce migration advocate who has captained rescue ships in the Mediterranean, was elected the party's top candidate for the 2024 European Parliament elections. 

"Our party has just experienced a turning point," said Left Party Co-Chairman Martin Schirdewan in his speech to delegates in Augsburg. "For years, we have fought out strategic and substantive conflicts in public far too often. This has damaged our credibility and damaged the trust of our voters."

Delegates condemned Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine as "contrary to international law" and a "crime". At the same time, they called on the European Union (EU) to urgently step up its diplomatic efforts "instead of fueling escalation and a war of attrition," as Schirdewan put it.

He also addressed the Israel-Hamas conflict, condemning the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7, and their aim to destroy Israel. He also referred to the bombing of civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip and the withholding of humanitarian goods as a massive breach of international humanitarian law, as is the use of civilians as shields by Hamas. "And that is why I am calling for an immediate ceasefire to end the deaths. The Hamas hostages must be released immediately," the Left Party leader said.

Left Party rooted in the East

Die Linke, as Germany's Left Party is called, has a long history of changing form. Until 2007 it was called the Party of Democratic Socialism, which grew out of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) that ruled communist East Germany until its collapse in 1990.

Bartsch sees the crisis as an opportunity, noting that the Left Party remains in three state governments and leads the government of the state of Thuringia, in eastern Germany.

"It is an opportunity for a new start. We must seize this opportunity with determination," said Bartsch.

The goal of returning to full faction status in the Bundestag may be difficult, said Antonios Souris, a political scientist at Berlin's Free University.

"None of these are real centers of power from which you could set your own political course that would then also have the scope or appeal for convincing voters at a federal level," he told DW, referring to the areas where the Left does still hold power.

Wagenknecht aims to rob far-right AfD of support

The Left Party's efforts to advocate for progressive policies put them in a tough spot, said Souris. Trying to advocate for climate change policy, for example, gets overshadowed by the Greens' reputation as the environmentalist party.

"The effects of the war in Ukraine, housing and social policy are issues that are the Left's bread and butter," he said. Yet they have not profited from such issues becoming more urgent.

With Wagenknecht's departure, the Left Party faces another hurdle: recognizable faces. Though she has said the aim of her new alliance is to rob the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) of support, it may end up stealing what few voters the Left still has at the same time. With the AfD surging in polls, it seems the far-right populists have successfully taken the protest vote away from the Left Party.

The eastern states of Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia, where the AfD is particularly strong, all face elections in 2024. Between the AfD's popularity and the potential power of Wagenknecht's new organization, which some estimate at 20%, the Left Party faces a daunting electoral task.

What's next for the Left Party?

On Ukraine, the party appears to be on both sides. It has condemned Russia's war of aggression as "contrary to international law" and a "crime." It has also called on the EU to turn toward diplomacy "instead of fueling escalation and a war of attrition."

Hand-in-hand with that position, the Left Party has accused the EU of using the war as an opportunity to increase military budgets. In Germany, lawmakers approved borrowing €100 billion ($108 billion) to create a special fund for its armed forces.

The vote for the European Parliament in June will be the party's next big test, but party leaders are already eyeing their next chance to improve at the national level. Germany will not vote for a new Bundestag until 2025.

Bartsch, despite his optimism, has acknowledged that parliamentary success will be "a Herculean task."

#nunyas news

[a-method-in-it]

are there any good donation links for israeli civilians - like to fund hospitals or materials for blood drives or anything? or a list of the missing? i want to donate or share info to benefit all civilians and victims and hopefully prevent more from succumbing to their wounds.

I haven't been able to find any organizations or fundraisers for the Israeli victims (if I had, I would definitely included it in my post). I'm sure they exist, but they have probably not filtered over to the English-speaking internet yet.

The closest I've been able to find is the International Rescue Committee, which has said they are focused on the "humanitarian needs of civilians" in the wake of the attacks and does not specify if that means Palestinian, Israeli, or both.

And if you are looking to contribute to the well-being of civilians who are victims of violence, your donation dollars will not go to waste there. They also are doing a lot of work for Ukrainians, Afghans, and others right now.

[fairfieldthinkspace]

The AI-Education Problem: The Solution’s Right in Front of You

By Conrad Turner Distinguished Visiting Professional, Waide Center for Applied Ethics, Fairfield University

The AI-Education Problem: The Solution's Right in Front of You (revised 2 Jun 2023)

Artificial intelligence will have benefits, I’m told. But having seen lots of dictators and oligarchs use tech to do bad stuff and get away with it, I just want to run for the hills.

I also worry for university educators, who will have a tough time with AI’s effects on academic integrity and learning — just as they’re readying future leaders to deal with such big issues. The way ChatGPT upended writing assignments, for example, must still be a shock to their system. It won’t be the last.

Who will help them? Won’t private industry rescue traditional teaching models from AI?

Big Tech will be glad for the income. We can look forward to a forever duel of education algorithms, where nobody understands what the heck is going on, and pesky issues of ethics and trust are punted to the “cloud” for monitoring and enforcement.

But whenever tech infringes on education, that’s when we need to invest in our finest human qualities. Our enlightened self-interest and yearning for community. Our joy in problem-solving and team endeavors. To rally every soul in collective defense of authentic learning.

Because students have the solution — part of it, anyway: young adults are the untapped foot soldiers and brain trust against non-learning in the AI era.

Wait a minute, aren’t students the problem?

No. I have with my own eyes seen students step up to defend their universities’ quality and reputations by challenging cheating, improper collaboration, and plagiarism in all their forms. Through my work with Central Asian and Ukrainian universities, and during my own U.S. grad and undergrad experiences, I saw them make a difference. In some cases their roles were institutionalized.

How did they do it? They started by knowing what was actually going on in and out of classrooms. And hating it.

Then they took on countless responsibilities, surprising others and themselves with their maturity and impact.

They counseled their peers on the principles and practices of integrity. Some advised their administrations and professors on the (in)adequacy of incentives and control measures.

A few even volunteered for honor councils and adjudicated student infractions in accordance with honor codes they or their predecessors had crafted, amended, and ratified.

Critically, they had fun — were motivated with a sense of meaning and purpose — while doing it. And they learned. For some it was life-changing in the best of possible ways.

In fact, students defending integrity is nothing new. Do a quick online search: at some institutions, they’ve been doing it for decades, even well over a century.

Not all students, of course. Most are busy doing other things. And not equally or in unison. Some actively resist the responsibility that comes hand-in-hand with high-functioning classrooms. (Some professors do, too.)

But within every student collective you will find a core willing and able, in concert with enlightened and supportive faculty and administrators, to support your institution’s integrity. Gradually they will, in one way or another, help bring their peers and community into the present.

How might their role look? A few examples come to mind: frequent social media campaigns, workshops, publications and events with reminders of the principles, rules and measures of the institution’s honor system; grad students briefing incoming grad students; undergrads briefing and mentoring freshmen; international student associations briefing incoming students in their native languages....

And meaningful student representation on academic integrity policy committees.

That’s just for starters. Activities and structures will differ from one school and even department to another. But the objective will be the same: to work in concert with faculty and administrations preparing new generations with the habits and skills they’ll need to thrive and lead with integrity in our increasingly disintegral society.

In most cases those students will need mentoring. But this is key: mentors must not only be committed to the institution’s success but feel safe from the whims of a jittery academic bureaucracy. They and their mentees must be trusted to take on tough issues. Administrations must stand up for them. Universities have long resisted modernizing. AI won’t change that. Only enlightened leadership can.

This will also require deep thought about the purpose of modern education. Is it a digital paper-and-grade chase or way to develop learning skills? Writing one’s own thoughts using one’s own logic based on one’s own experience and research is training the brain to think. Did ChatGPT just make that technique obsolescent? Is the classroom now a place where kids learn to get by or beat the system using the latest AI tools that do the “thinking” for them?

Students will help you find the answer.

You say they already have a role in academic integrity at your college? That’s great. Is it enough? Change has sped past our ability to grasp it.

Some educators will say students aren’t mature enough for such responsibility. By what measure? Students can be articulate. Organized. Prudent. And yes, impassioned. Almost by definition they grasp new tech better than the rest of us. With defined roles and support from above they can work with you and their peers to bring lasting improvements that bring honor to the institution.

Aren’t they already overwhelmed with reading lists and chasing internships and careers while holding down work-study jobs? Aren’t we also too busy to deal with this now?

I’ll leave those questions with you to ponder... But consider this: what better education and credentials are there than the challenging work of strengthening integrity? What better way is there to manage the growing burden of enforcing honesty than to share responsibility for upholding integrity?

Your institution already has an honor code, you say, and the rules are required reading online and repeated in your syllabi? Good. But there are a thousand reasons why that alone has never worked. It’s time to move past legal cover and give life to those codes.

You see, the problem never was the students. Not alone.

Which brings me back to fears and risks. Maybe the biggest of them is that we’ll hear the question, “Why are we still recruiting/teaching/assigning/assessing/enforcing this way?” And we’ll need to respond.

Luckily, much of the hard work is done: we already know, broadly, how to build and defend authentic learning. The trick is in the implementation: integrity must be integrated bit-by-bit into every aspect of higher ed.

To succeed, the higher ed community needs to:

●  move integrity to the very center of learning;

●  educate, not indict;

●  look forward, not back;

●  modernize, not moralize, because academic integrity is a challenge of collaborative engineering;

●  avoid cat-and-mouse or tech-on-tech strategies that fail on day one;

●  respect diverse views; and to

●  institutionalize new responsibilities in a way that accounts for the natural impermanence of a student body.

The antidotes to fear and risk are courage and a good — flexible and collaborative — plan. As for the institutional habits holding everyone back, the solution is to act boldly. Now. Because all heck is going to break loose just as these future leaders graduate and begin to navigate the insecurities and challenges to justice, critical thought and democratic governance that AI is bound to bring.

With any luck, those alumni will be designing policies and safeguards to protect us from bad actors wielding AI against all of us. Let’s make sure they’re prepared.

Will this be some kind of panacea? Of course not.

But when it comes to defending authentic learning in the AI era, the successful campaigns will be those deploying the foot soldiers and brain trust already there in the classroom.

____________

Conrad Turner served 32 years as a career member of the Foreign Service, attaining the rank of Minister-Counselor. A graduate of Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges, he led the “Academic Honesty

Project” in Kyrgyzstan in 2002-3 and in 2016 was co-initiator, together with the Ukrainian government, American Councils for International Education and Fairfield University, of Strengthening Academic Integrity in Ukraine Project (SAIUP), both funded by the U.S. Department of State. Conrad taught public diplomacy at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism from 2016-18.

#Conrad Turner #Waide Center for Applied Ethics #Fairfield University #Artificial intelligence #AI #ChatGPT

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

"In 2016, I declared, I am your voice. Today, I add, I am your warrior, I am your justice, and for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution." Anyone who wants to understand how Fascist models of leadership can find expression in our own time need only read this passage from former president Donald Trump's speech at the recent Conservative Political Action Committee meeting held in Maryland.

Trump's CPAC speech brings forth a century of rhetoric and agendas that have been used to destroy democracy, conjuring threats that are meant to build support for authoritarian action and leadership, starting with the idea of the head of state as a vengeful victim.

“What did Italy need? An avenger!... It was necessary to cauterize the virulent wounds...and eliminate evils which threatened to become chronic," Fascist leader Benito Mussolini wrote in his autobiography, striking a similar note to Trump as he explained why he had declared dictatorship in 1925.

Ever since Il Duce came to power a century ago, strongman leaders have proclaimed their unique ability to lead their people to greatness, including by righting the wrongs internal and external enemies supposedly perpetrate against the nation. In the process, the strongman absorbs the blows delivered by those enemies, putting his well-being at risk as he battles to save the nation and protect all that is cherished and dear.

The focus on victimhood sets up any repressive action by the state as self-defense. It justifies the literal weaponization of government, with violence used against enemies "for the good of the nation." The "public safety laws" that jailed leftists and transformed Italy into a police state in the 1920s upheld this fiction.

And Nazi policies did not just make good on Adolf Hitler's vows to punish elites who had "stabbed Germany in the back" by accepting the draconian terms of the Versailles Treaty (which held Germany responsible for all moral and material damages incurred during World War One). They also targeted groups that Hitler identified as threats to Germany’s survival in the future. These included Jews ("black parasites of the nation"); Bolsheviks (the “scum of humanity”); and war profiteers and international capitalists— the forerunners of the "globalists" Trump regularly denounces, including in this CPAC speech.

When such leaders feel their power is threatened, or are staging a comeback after having been voted out of office, they focus on gaining control of public institutions to exact revenge. This is one meaning of Trump’s declaration that "we're going to finish what we started.” If he returns to the White House, he will punish all who did not collaborate with his attempt to overthrow the government.

Trump's well-honed victimhood persona is the star of the CPAC speech, and he invokes a dizzying array of enemies who want to "kill America" and do him in as well. "A sick and sinister opposition, the radical left, communists, the bureaucrats, the fake news media, the big special interests," as well as "Antifa thugs," and "corrupt intelligence agencies."

Fascist leaders pose as pure souls who risk everything to defend the nation. Trump followed suit at CPAC by presenting himself as an innocent and honest man who had never tangled with the law before "corrupt Democratic prosecutors" funded by "the George Soros money machine" sought to stop his "an epic struggle to rescue our country."

"I had a beautiful life before I did this..."I didn't know the word subpoena, I didn't know the word grand jury. I didn't know that they want to lynch you for doing nothing wrong." Luckily for his followers, Trump is tenacious. "We're going to complete the mission, we're going to see this battle through to ultimate victory. we're going to make America great again."

But why stop at America? The true Fascist avenger fixes the world. "I will have the disastrous war between Russia and Ukraine settled. It will be settled quickly. I will get the problem solved. I will get it solved in rapid order—it will take me no longer than one day. I know what to say to each of them. I got along well with all of them. I got along well with Putin."

In fact, as Trump remarks, had he been in office now, as fearsome and powerful as a mountain, "Russia would have never pulled the trigger. This is the most dangerous time in the history of our country and Joe Biden is leading us into oblivion...Biden is a criminal and nothing ever seems to happen to him."

With this incitement to violence against a sitting president, Trump's CPAC speech reaches its peak. Trump offers Americans no policy ideas, but rather a classic Fascist cocktail of negative emotions, satisfying promises of revenge, and a sense of heroism and power.

Like Mussolini and Hitler before him, Trump knows that the strongman must be everything to his people. His devoted followers must be so bonded to him that no other leader is possible in their minds. Only he can save them. "I am your warrior, I am your justice, and for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution."

--Ruth Ben-Ghiat, “Victim and Avenger: The Fascist Roots of Trump's CPAC Speech,” March 7, 2023

#fascism #authoritarianism #politics #us politics #history #Ruth Ben-Ghiat

[hederigerenthag]

Man from Uncle Mini-Fundraiser for Ukraine - Sign ups are live!

Go to the mfufundraiser2022 Dreamwidth comm to post and view offers and pledges. Sign-ups will be rolling through April 17, so keep checking back for more offers. Full details under the cut. Please share with others if you know anyone who might be interested in participating <3 

Thank you for your interest in participating in MFU Fans United - Mini Fundraiser for Ukraine (MFU-FU-MFU, if you're the type that likes initialisms)! The idea behind this initiative is to use our collective fandom creativity to encourage monetary donations to people and organizations supporting refugees from and internally displaced persons within Ukraine. How this is going to work: Step 1. Participant creators sign up here on Dreamwidth to offer various rewards for tiers of donations (e.g. $20+ for a >1000 wd story). Please create a new post for each of your offers. In the pst, please include a brief description of the kinds of content you would like to create and the pledge amount you would like to set it to. If no alternate contact information is provided, I will assume that you will be contactable on Dreamwidth. If you prefer a different means of contact, please either include it in your post or PM or email me so that I can get in touch with you. If you'd like to be a pitch-hitter rather than or in addition to posting your own offers, please email or PM me to let me know. Creator participants, please post all offers by Sunday, April 17. You are welcome to post earlier if you can. Step 2. Donors pledge funds. Please comment on the individual offer post if you would like to take up that offer. You are welcome to give more than the minimum pledge, but this is not an auction, so you will not be able to overrule someone's claim by posting a higher pledge. Pledges will be accepted on a rolling basis, so feel free to pledge as offers go live on the site, and keep checking back for new offers over the next 3 weeks. Step 3: Donors donate! Polling was split, so I am giving you two options of how and where to send funds: Option 1. International Rescue Committee (US based non-profit that provides emergency and long term support to refugees, currently active at Ukraine's borders and elsewhere in the world). Use this link to donate. Option 2. Lydmyla K is a personal friend of Lindafishes8 and is organizing internal relief efforts in Dnipro. Lindafishes8 is collecting funds that she will wire to Lydmyla. You can send funds to Lindafishes8 via Paypal (address can be found in DW version of instructions) Once you have made a donation, please forward a record of your donation to [email protected], please include your DW username or whatever your signed your comments as so I can find your pledges. Once I receive your donation record, I will let the relevant creators know that you have fulfilled your pledge and they should go ahead and fulfill your offer. Step 4: Creators fulfill offers. I would like to encourage creators and pledgees to coordinate directly as much as possible about how and when your offer will be fulfilled. That said: creators, please reach out to pledgees within two weeks of getting the go-head from me. Pledgees, if it has been more than two weeks and you have not been able to get in touch with a content creator, please let me know! I know that different content takes different amounts of time, so I will leave it to you to set a deadline together of when the content will be complete. However, if you have not received promised content by May 15, and have not agreed on an alternate timeline with the content creator, let me know so that I can find you a pitch-hitter. If you have any questions, please reach out to me on Dreamwidth or by email at [email protected]. 

#mfu #man from uncle #man from uncle tv

[swordandboardllc]

Write Your Way Out of the Dark: The Ukrainian Crisis

When I picked up a shirt with that quote on it, I had no idea how quickly it would become too poignantly relevant to the world we live in.

To begin, if you are in Ukraine right now you do not need a visa to seek asylum in Poland. Bring your passport, and go. Poland has been preparing for an influx of refugees as best it can.

If you are not in Ukraine, please consider donating to places like The International Rescue Committee to make sure your money is going to help the most civilians as possible.

There is a lot going on right now, and it is an extremely complicated situation. I hope I can help shed a little light on the back story that led to where we are today in as short a summary as I can.

What is NATO and what was the Warsaw Pact?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was signed in 1949 by 12 member nations (the UK, France, the US, Canada, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) for military defense and economic partnership. By 1955, Germany joined NATO.

At this point, the Cold War was already underway. With Germany joining, that meant there was a potentially militarized zone on the direct border of a Soviet Union controlled territory of East Germany. In 1955, the Warsaw Pact was signed (between the Soviet Union, East Germany, Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Romania). Both the Warsaw Pact and NATO have agreements with their respective member countries to come to the defense of each other if they are attacked.

Who were the members of the Soviet Union?

The USSR comprised 15 member states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belorussia, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizya, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

The End of the Warsaw Pact

The Warsaw Pact was withdrawn in 1991, and by 1992 the Soviet Union had fallen. From the perspective of NATO and much of the West, this was an excellent move forward at the end of the Cold War. For Russia, it was one more imperial fall from grace. A fall made harder when NATO welcomed all of the Warsaw Pact member countries as well as several newly independent former Soviet Union states.

NATO has ballooned from 13 members in 1955, to 30. 30 members within a militarized defense pact sitting along Russian borders. It is hard to tell Russia that not a single member of these 30 countries means to do them any harm. It’s hard to believe your enemies, even if they’re telling the truth.

Ukraine

Now, add in the imperialism of Russian history, an egomaniac like Putin, and another former USSR country on Russia’s border aiming to enter NATO and you get the Crimean War and Annexation of 2014. The tepid response from NATO leads us directly to today.

I don’t know what the right answer to this is. Ukraine has the right to self-determination. Russians shouldn’t have to live under the threat of NATO missiles next door. NATO countries shouldn’t have to live under the threat of Russian invasion.

Whatever happens, a third world war is not the answer. Support the Russian civilians who are protesting this unjust war. Support the Ukrainians trying to stay alive and protect their homes and families. And support the countries and charities taking in refugees. Look to the helpers. Violence isn’t the answer.

L.J.

Referential Reading:

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

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

https://www.britannica.com/event/Warsaw-Pact

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-warsaw-pact-is-formed

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

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/nato

https://www.britannica.com/place/Soviet-Union

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

#ukraine #ukrainian crisis #refugee crisis #how to help #write your way out of the dark #nato #warsaw pact #USSR #russia #explained

[entertainment]

Entertainment Spotlight: Sarah Wayne Callies, Council of Dads

No stranger to playing tough women in difficult situations, Council of Dads star Sarah Wayne Callies is known for her portrayal of Lori Grimes in The Walking Dead, prison physician Dr. Sara Tancredi in Prison Break, and member of the Resistance, Katie Bowman, in SciFi drama series Colony. Film credits include Into the Storm, The Other Side of the Door, and Pay the Ghost opposite Nicolas Cage. Alongside her work on screen, Sarah is also very active in her humanitarian work with the International Rescue Committee. She has traveled with them to Jordan, Syria, and Iraq, shedding light on the personal stories she encountered there. Sarah took the time to talk to us about Council of Dads, being in front of and behind the camera, and more. Check it out:

What drew you to the role of Dr. Robin Perry in Council of Dads?

My family isn't about blood.  My son is adopted, my ex-step mom is a huge part of my life, and my community of chosen friends is ride or die. Robin's the head of that kind of a family.  The Perry's don't look like a typical family - thank god - and they don't act like one.  They love like their lives depend on it.  That's the world as I know it. I want to go to work and bring THAT to life every day.  

Describe each of the following in one word: Who you are, what you value the most, and what you’d be if you were a food item.

I am: contrary intellectually, trusting to a fault. 

I value: Time and Loyalty. 

I asked my family what food I’d be: My eldest said kale, my husband said chickpea, and my son said blue cheese.  

You have played many powerful women in your career so far. What does it mean to you to portray these characters?

I think it means I’m not very good at making myself meek to please others.    

You have directed episodes in which you’ve also starred, both for Colony and Unspeakable. How was the experience of standing both behind and in front of the camera on the same project?

I’ve never worked harder, but the sheer joy of watching someone give a performance they didn't know they could give and knocking it out of the park - it's just the most incredible feeling. You watch something unfold in them, you give it a little love, and then it blooms into this new thing. And you look at it through the lens, and you think, 'yeah, this is magic.'

If you could give any character from the show a piece of advice, who would you speak to and what advice would you give?

I’d tell Lori she'll become a trendsetter for telling Carl to stay in the house - because pretty soon the whole world would be telling each other the same dang thing. Let's ALL stay in the house, Carl!!

What’s your favorite prop you’ve ever taken home from a set?

I did a play called The Guardsman at the Kennedy Center a few years ago. It took place in Budapest in the early 1900s, and it was a gorgeous, sumptuous set. There were these two huge floor cushions that were upholstered on one side with oriental carpeting, and they gave them to me at the end of the run. They're the classiest things in my house.

Who are your biggest influences?

I listen to more Indigo Girls than most anything else. The poetry of their music probably has an outsize influence on my thinking and living. I’m sure I have one of their songs in my head every day. Also, the poetry of Edna St Vincent Millay. I go to her when I need to understand what I’m feeling, and then my friends. I’m constantly talking with Scott Wilson, wondering what he'd think of how I’m working and living. When I feel lazy, I remind myself that Jon Bernthal is going to watch my work when it comes out, and I work harder because I want him to be proud of me. Oh, and Harry Potter. I'm rereading the series for the fourth time right now, and I keep asking myself, “What would Dumbledore do?”

Do you have any secret skills or talents?

I’m a pretty good Bobcat driver. I bought one a few years back to lift the things around my property that I can't. It turns out I like heavy machinery. Who knew?

Thanks for taking the time, Sarah! Catch Council of Dads on Thursdays at 8pm on NBC. 

Photo: Nicolas Gerardin

#entertainment spotlight #council of dads #sarah wayne callies

[sunflowersteves]

Unforgivable || ch. two

Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader

𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚: Your life with Natasha seemed like pure bliss until the team mistakes you for an agent gone rogue. 

Word count: 2K

Author’s note: Cliff hanger, I knowwww. There will be one more part! I hope you all enjoy!

Warnings: angst, fluff!, swearing, angsty plot, basically the whole team is a dick

Masterlist // Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Your feet start to ache as you continue to walk on the dirt road that led from the compound. You honestly had no idea where you were going, your phone was at five percent, and the Avengers had just threatened your life. Tears started to prick your eyes as you thought about Natasha. Anger consumes your thoughts, hot tears, and furrowed eyebrows. How could she not trust your love for her? How did the Avengers even have any information like that?

You blamed her for not trusting you. You blamed her for not trusting her love for you. You blamed her friends for not looking into it more. You blamed her for-

You just sigh and shake your head. A part of you wanted to give her a chance, to go back and see if she believes you. The other part never wanted to see her again, ever. Another part of you growled at the side that wanted to go back; you were almost ashamed of it. The Avengers had threatened you. They threatened your life and never once believed you over some paper.

But you were so confused. Your heart clenched at the thought of never seeing her face again or never having her fiery hair tickle your cheek.

You abruptly stopped as the road split into two. You tried checking the map on your phone but it acted like there were nothing here but fields. You sigh, sitting on a large rock near the road. You felt a vibration from your phone and quickly looked at it.

Hot RedHead: It’s over. I never liked you anyway.

Tears started to fully flow now, your chin wobbling. You started to chew on your lower lip to help stop the raking sobs flowing out of your body but it was no use. You were now leaning against the rock and pulling your knees up, resting your hands in your head. God, this all seemed so pathetic. You really love Nat, you can’t get her out of your head but what does she think of you now?

Natasha’s POV

Natasha was going as fast as she could, turning corners on her motorcycle it almost fell over. She had no idea how far you had gone. She was hoping you were still walking along the road. She knew you would push her away right when you saw her but can she blame you? Her friends made her believe you were a Hydra agent. But all she could think about was cradling you in her arms and telling you she’s sorry, hoping you’ll forgive her.

She knows it’ll take time. However long it’ll take, she doesn’t care. She’ll wait until you’re both 60 and a little wrinkly if she has to. But Nat also understands if you don’t choose her. With the amount of damage, she and her friends caused she doesn’t blame you if you never wanted to see you again. She would definitely respect that choice.

Fire burning anger ignited in herself. She can’t believe how shallow it was to believe her friends who stupidly mistook you for someone else. She felt so much anger towards them, convincing her that you were with her for information. How could they be so stupid? How could she be so stupid to trust them?

She came to a screeching halt as she spotted you leaning on a rock. She propped her motorcycle and carefully walked over. She practically whimpered as she could hear your soft snores. She could see the tear-stained cheeks and her heart constricted. Your nose looked stuffy from all the crying and your eyes had a slight puff to them. 

She presses a hand onto your forehead and could feel the heat radiating off of you. It had been quite a hot day in New York and she didn’t know how long you had sat out here. She sighed and picked you up, laying in her arms you subconsciously snuggled into her. She feared that if she took you on her bike, you would end up falling off. So, walking it is.

Natasha marched along the dirt road, tears flowing down her cheeks. Some dripped down onto her shirt as she couldn’t wipe them. She just whispered “I’m sorry,” over and over again and carried you to the nearest bus station. 

After about an hour of walking, Natasha had finally made it to the bus station. She paid for your ticket and sat you on the bus, head leaning on the window. She looked around and saw that only an old woman sat on the other side. She told the bus driver to keep an eye out for you and she nodded, telling her that no one would touch you. Nat just nodded and started to trek back to the compound.

--

Reader’s POV

It had been a couple of days since Nat broke up with you. You kept telling yourself that you were...handling it but in reality, her leaving had hit you pretty hard. You hadn’t really left your apartment, only going to the store for groceries. You called in for work telling them that you were sick but they knew you were lying. Especially your best friend, Shuri. Right when you called in sick, she immediately asked what was wrong but knew you needed time off. 

You sat on the couch and sadly ate ice cream and started watching The Lovebirds. You would be drowning in your favorite wine but they ran out so you turned to tubs of ice cream. As the movie progresses, you find yourself crying with some tears dropping into your ice cream as Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani realize they’re still in love with each other. 

You turned off the TV as the movie was over and was about to get ready for bed, especially since you’ve run out of sick days but something caught your eye. Your bag had sat on the dining room table, completely untouched. A little note stuck out of one of the pockets. You walk over and carefully take the note out.

Meet me at the blockhouse in central park on the 7th, 9 pm.

You sigh, that was tonight. But you knew exactly who it was. You knew Natasha wanted to speak with you, maybe she changed her mind? That definitely explains how you don’t remember ending up on a bus.

You just shook your head, crumbling it up, and tossing it in the trash. There was no way you would fall for that, right? I mean, it’s just the Avengers wanting to throw you in jail or maybe that’s just where they wanted to kill you. You and Nat had met there, her asking you for your number and you had many dates walking around central park. 

They just wanted to reel you in. They were smart, you’d give them that but there’s no utter way you’d go. So, you got ready for bed and fell right asleep. The next morning you had to go to work, as much as you trudged along, groaning loudly as you got dressed. You stayed quiet on the subway as your friend talked your ear off.

You walked into the International Rescue Committee, slightly waving at some of your co-workers. You sat at your desk, doing some paperwork before visiting some of the kids you’ve helped. You especially couldn’t wait to see Peter, who has been attached to your hip since you arrived. You’re typing away, sipping on some coffee until you jumped a bit from a voice behind you.

 “Oh shit, you look awful.” You roll your eyes and give a look at Shuri who’s snickering at your reaction. You and her both turn a bit more serious as you sigh and turn to her small tears forming in your eyes. She wraps her arms around you into a full hug. “Nat broke up with me. Her friends saw my name in a Hydra file and thought I was out to get her.” 

Shuri gasped, hugging tighter. “Did they believe you?” You shook your head and ignored the stares you were getting from you crying in Shuri’s arms. “I see why you took some days off. Don’t worry about it. I’ll fill out your paperwork. Go see Peter.” She smiled brightly as you thanked her, kissing her cheek. “You’re the best boss ever!”

You walked next door to a large and fancy apartment complex where most of the refugees stay. You knew he was playing sports with some of the other kids so you walked past the complex and to the basketball court. “Y/n!” Peter ran towards you, locked you into a huge as you giggled and ruffled Peter’s hair. “Good to see you, kid.” He goes on to ask a bunch of questions, wondering where you’ve been and why you weren’t there. You explained some of it, to which he nodded and then declared to hate the Avengers now.

You laughed but you knew he was serious. He meant well. You and the rest of the kids start playing some basketball, laughing and playing around. What you didn’t notice though was the Avengers walking up to the basketball court. Before they reached you and notified you of their presence, one of the kids fell onto their knee and scraped it pretty bad. 

Loud cries and sobs filled the air and you ran over, inspecting the wound. “Sh, baby, it’s okay. I’ve got you. Peter! Get the aid kit!” He ran into the complex to grab one from the front desk while you rub circles into the little girl’s back. Peter came running back and you took some soap and water, cleaning the wound. “See that bird over there? I want you to look at it okay? See it? It told me the other day that it likes your paw patrol shoes.” 

The little girl cried out only a couple of times as you cleaned the wound and put a power rangers band-aid on her, which you knew was one of her favorites. She clung to your leg asking if you can get her ice cream because it still hurts. You laugh and nod, holding her hand.

“Y/n.” Your whole body froze, slightly turning to see the Avengers standing before you. You gripped the little girl’s hand while pulling a frown on your face. “Peter, take her to get ice cream.” He just nodded and gulped, taking the girl’s hand and walking to the ice cream shop next door. He gave you a concerned look but you nodded, making sure he knows you’re okay. 

You open your mouth to speak but Clint just shakes his head, the rest of the Avenger’s head hanging low. You were honestly scared shitless, you tried not to give it away. However, it was pretty obvious as your hands were trembling and your breathing was fast. They were here to end it, weren’t they? I mean, sure you’ve stayed away from Nat so what could they possibly want?

“You should know that we’re sorry.” Your eyes practically bulged out of your head. Sorry? Huh? “The person on that file wasn’t you. The picture was the exact opposite. We shouldn’t have reacted that way. We’re very sorry and hold us accountable. If you can, please forgive Nat.” And with that, each Avenger apologized for what they did and asked you to consider taking her back.

You would just raise your eyebrows but then they told you that she feels horrible, not sleeping or eating. She feels like shit for not trusting you, the love of her life, and trust them instead. You couldn’t speak, just shaking your head as tears threatened to fall. They nodded and walked away going back to the compound.

Now you had to make a choice. Forgive Natasha or never see her again? On one hand, you wanted to be back in her arms again. Smelling her shampoo and kissing her temple all while that passion and love fill your stomach. But on the other hand, the Avengers had threatened you and your life. Natasha thought they were right. Natasha believed them, believed that you used her for information.

Although, you know you’ve already made your decision.

~~

Unforgivable Taglist: @messuhp​ @dark-heart-no-soul​ @jenny-song​

Taglist: @hailmary-yramliah​ @kitkatd7​

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff #natasha romanov x reader #scarlett johansson #natasha romanov #marvel #marvel fanfiction #natasha fanfiction #Black Widow #black widow fanfiction #black widow x reader #angst #natasha angst #marvel angst #natasha romanoff series #marvel x reader #captain america #clint barton #Bucky Barnes #wanda maximoff #gay!natasha

[fallenfurther]

Homecoming - A social call

Chapter 3 - Jeff and Colonel Casey

Continuing with Jeff's recovery and relationships with the main characters in TAG. Sorry this one is a little later out than I planned. A flat move and no internet means I had to wait until I had time to sit in a coffee shop.

Chapters 1 and 2.

Enjoy!

***********

Colonel Casey signed herself into the rehabilitation centre for her first personal visit. She'd seen Jeff for official business, the GDF helping to re-establish the astronaut's living status as well as for the obligatory debriefs. The interviews had happened in one of the rehabilitation rooms here. The debrief of his eight years in space had taken a couple of days to complete as they had been required to work around his routine and energy levels. It had been a shock to see the astronaut so tired and struggling, but it was to be expected. She knew Jeff was on a strict routine and diet plan to help him with his nutritional deficiencies and regain lost muscle, though what it entailed she wasn't privy to. She'd wanted to visit earlier, but her position in the GDF meant she had been tied down with paperwork. Now she could finally sit down with her old friend and catch up properly. Heading down the corridor, she found his room and knocked. A short sharp military rap.

"Come in."

The voice was faint, but oh so familiar. She opened the door and peered in, excitement building inside her chest.

"I thought it was about time I paid the great space survivalist a visit."

A grin spread across Jeff's face as he pushed himself out of his chair. She crossed the room in a few strides and hugged the man. He embraced her back, though she didn't fail to notice how weak his arms were compared to the bear hugs she remembered. Her own arms had been reserved so as not to crush his delicate body. The positive was that he seemed stronger than he was when they'd first met which was pleasing, and she hadn't missed how her friend was much steadier on his feet. The need to pinch herself was still present. Seeing that footage and message had been hard, having already accepted the man's fate and moved on. The world would just have to adjust to having Jeff Tracy back.

"It's been too long." The man whispered in her ear, his deep baritones warming her soul in a way only a long lost friend could.

"It's only been two months."

"That was official business. Your lack of uniform tells me this is the social visit I've been waiting for."

Jeff was right and the smile on his face said he knew it. He'd always been this way, so sure of himself. It was what had gotten him so far, and probably why he was still here now. The confident stubborn man. Memories of days gone by, from when Jeff had first started putting International Rescue into motion, flooded her mind. She'd been present at that first meeting when Jeff had asked for clearance for his new venture. Valerie had been a newly appointed Captain, and it was one of her first major meetings. That was the day she'd heard about International Rescue and it had been incredible to see the legendary astronaut stand up and ask for permission to start the organisation. She'd hid her unease and suspicions and had viewed the plans he'd presented in the meeting. The secrecy aspect of the organisation had worried her most, not knowing exactly what was going to be flying around, not knowing who was involved or the training they would be put through. The committee had debated it thoroughly. Five weeks of research, consultations and consideration and International Rescue was given a three month trial, to be extended upon review.

"You won't regret this."

Jeff had promised Colonel Henson when he had been told the news. She'd been present to see the historic moment. The firm handshake that had happened at the end of the meeting as if to solidify and seal the deal. He'd been right. International Rescue had not disappointed and had gone beyond anyone's expectations. They were granted permission to operate. There were still some in the GDF that disagreed with the amount of secrecy surrounding International Rescue and the lack of regulation and control the GDF had over the organisation. Some of that had eased slightly now the location of Tracy Island was now known to the higher-ups, but there were still those that were suspicious. Rumours still passed around, claiming the GDF had a dummy location, that it was all a ruse to make everyone feel comfortable with the situation and they were keeping the Thunderbirds and their secrets elsewhere. There were just some things she couldn't stop. She had been put in charge of monitoring International Rescue. Once introduced, Jeff had maintained contact with her allowing them to develop a strong working relationship, which ultimately led to a close friendship. Though he had always visited her, she'd gotten to know some of the boys before the accident, though now she knew them all extremely well. The boys had allowed more information about International Rescue to be made public, and shared further information still with the GDF, allowing for better communication between the organisations. It felt much better knowing exactly where they were, even if she had no idea what secrets they hid on the island. Scott had blessed her with a tour, allowing her to see what they were happy to share. Seeing it all in-situ had been a sight to behold and something she'd never forget.

"Sorry it's been that way, but you know how it is at the top. There is always a new situation that needs your urgent attention."

Jeff chuckled, a sound that Valerie had forgotten and almost brought a tear to her eye. It pained her how small things about a person could slip from your mind over the years. The man before her really was legendary. He was an astronaut people would talk about for years to come. He was also a great friend, who had always supported her journey through the GDF ranks.

"I used to know. I'm a little rusty and many things have changed. I've got a lot of catching up to do. I thought some of the technology Brains used to think up was way out there, but some of the new gadgets I'm seeing and hearing about are beyond that. I'm feeling old. Old and left behind."

Valerie noticed the change in his face and the slight dimming of the shine in those blue eyes. Jeff was old, but there was more to this than that. Placing a hand on the man's shoulder she guided him back into his chair and knelt beside him.

"I'm feeling old at the moment." Jeff continued with a sigh. "I'm all creaky, tired and struggling to keep up. They say I should get better, that my body has adjusted to the Oort cloud and that it'll take a while to shift back."

"You were never the most patient man."

That brought a smile to his face, but his head fell into his hand.

"I've spent so much time alone that I can't stand being cooped up in here anymore! The boys and Mum visit but I have less freedom than I did out there. I want to go home. Even if it means subjecting myself to both my mother's constant doctoring, and her terrible cooking."

"Maybe the staff are trying to make sure you're strong enough to stomach your mother's food?"

"Ha! I wish! Nothing on Earth could prepare me for Mum's cooking. I am handling food well though and if I'm honest, Mum won't mess up my diet plan. She knows how much it could set me back."

Valerie moved her hand in slow steady motions over Jeff's back. There was nothing she could do to change the situation, but she knew Jeff needed to let it out. She knew he was putting on a brave face for his family, that only the staff and therapists would know of the real internal struggle happening in the man. Jeff had told her enough about his life and the boys to know he'd do anything to protect his family. Maybe, eventually, he let them be the ones to protect him.

"You'll get there, Jeff. You just need time."

The man sighed, his whole body deflating. He'd had plenty of time in the Oort cloud, far away from everything he cared about. Now he was home, he was still being kept away. She knew the boys were visiting Jeff but it wasn't the same as being home with them. Especially with International Rescue taking them away so frequently. Valerie still got a weekly update on International Rescue’s activity, and although she doesn't read the full reports anymore, she still understood the operation enough to know the toll that it takes on the operatives.

"How has it been, the last eight years, for International Rescue? What's it been like from an outside perspective? Has it worked? Have there been problems? Have you any suggestions?"

Valerie sat back and surveyed her friend. Talk about going straight for the tough topics. She knew he'd ask about her later, but right now his boys were at the front of his mind. She also knew she had to be honest. There was so much Valerie wanted to tell the man, yet today wasn't the right day. Today would just lead the man to worry unnecessarily about his boys. When he was stronger and could enforce change himself, she might raise the latest annual International Rescue report with him. The GDF were concerned, but now was not the time to go down the official route.

"It was tough at first, not everyone liked Scott taking over everything at once, especially as he took on Tracy Industries too. But they rose to the challenge and got the job done, they've made improvements and they communicate more with the GDF now. We still don't know everything about your technology but that was always the arrangement from the get go."

Jeff sighed. "I never expected them to be needed as much as they are. Have you noticed how exhausted they are? Do you know when they last went on holiday? I think it's too much for them."

Valerie steeled herself, knowing exactly how she felt and how much the Tracy brothers would disagree. Everyone knew those boys worked too hard, but they were smart and never broke the flight hour rules, often maxing it out but never going over. The GDF couldn't ground them, even if it was for their own good, especially as there was often no-one else to do the job. Lives were at stake and no-one wanted to be the one to make that call.

"I have noticed the dark circles under Scott's eyes and the way he seems to carry the world on his shoulders. I don't often see the rest of them but the past few years have been pretty intense. I would say they were due a break, if only the world would give them one."

The small smile on Jeff's face showed her she had said the right thing. The concern was still there but the steel in his eyes said he had a plan formulating. She wouldn't pry. Not yet. She was sure she would find out in due course.

"So, you're a Colonel now, and Commander of the GDF. Can't say I didn't see that coming, but there must be a story behind it."

Valerie grinned at her friend, finally on a safer topic. This was what she'd come here for.

"Well, there is, but it's not quite as interesting as yours."

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction #jeff tracy #colonel casey #homecoming #gdf #social visit #post debrief catch up

[themandilorian]

Charity navigation

In light of recent events, many of us are trying to help in any way we can, but it might seem a bit daunting trying to figure out where your (likely limited) funds should go. I have a degree in development and I work in the field so I thought I'll provide a little help.

1. Check with the charity navigator before you donate to any organization. I am always reluctant to donate to places that spend less than 80% of their income on program expenses (these expenses mean anything that serves the purpose of the organization). For example, the UNHCR discloses their financial account very thoroughly, however, a staggering 31.8% of all their fund went to fundraising expenses in 2020. This does not include staff salary and admin expenses. All in all, if you donate $10 to the UNHCR, only about $6 will make it to the actual refugees. It also bothers me that their celebrity goodwill ambassadors are paid.

2. Let's look at another agency working in Afghanistan right now. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) spends over 87% of all its assets on program expenses and only 4.7% on fundraising.

3. Big charities v.s. grassroots organizations: in countries at peace, I would always direct my money toward small, on the ground agencies, as they often have more hands-on experiences and understanding. BUT in many conflict areas, small charities have no way of withdrawing money or receiving international donations. So it isn't the end of the world if you can't find grassroots charities to donate to. Big, international ones do have a very extensive presence and can often access contentious areas with relative safety. In these cases, I also recommend donating to Frontline Defenders, a charity that protects activists fighting for human rights and democracy all over the world. The charity spent 97% of its funds on the program itself.

4. Beware of restricted donation. I know it is tempting to find direct relief funds, but those emergency funds have very narrow purposes. For example, any donation made to the Hurricane Harvey emergency back in 2017 can only be used for immediate relief and cannot say, be channelled toward rebuilding roads or investing in long-term employment promotion in the area because they are not considered emergency relief. It is much better to donate to trusted charities without specifying where your money should go. I also recommend making a donation to GiveWell's Maximum Impact Fund, where the money just goes to charities that uses donation most effectively. GiveWell is an award-winning none-profit dedicated to researching charity's transparency and impacts. You should definitely look into their website for more information on how charities spend their money.

5. I know not everyone can afford to give much right now, so I'd like to add small things you can do without much cost. Write/call your representatives if you are in the U.S., it is actually a surprisingly effective way to bring the issues up once enough people make the same call. Sign a petition if you are in the UK, the government is required to provide a response for any petition that receives 10,000 signatures and any that passes 100,000 signatures are considered for debate in Parliament.

6. I know things are very overwhelming right now. But there are small things anyone can do to improve the world. Pick up trash on your run, let wildflowers grow in your lawn (for bees). Play trivia online to donate food to animal shelters. Click on this button once a day so the website's ad revenue goes to Palestine. Every little thing counts.

#long post #charity navigation