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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 4 months

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Nick Anderson

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

January 6, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JAN 7, 2024

Today, three years to the day after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol to prevent the counting of the electoral ballots that would make Democrat Joe Biden president, officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested three fugitives wanted in connection with that attack.

Siblings Jonathan and Olivia Pollock, whose family owns Rapture Guns and Knives, described on its Facebook page as a “christian owned Gun and Knife store” in Lakeland, Florida, and Joseph Hutchinson III, who once worked there, are suspected of some of the worst violence of January 6. The FBI had offered a $30,000 reward for “Jonny” Pollock, while the other two had been arrested but removed their ankle bracelets in March 2023 and fled.

Family members of the fugitives and of other Lakeland residents arrested for their involvement in the January 6 attack on the Capitol insist their relatives are innocent, framed by a government eager to undermine their way of life. The Pollock family has gone so far as to erect a monument “in honor of the ones who lost their lives on January 6, 2021.”

But it does not honor the law enforcement officers who were killed or injured. It honors the insurrectionists: Ashli Babbitt, shot by a law enforcement officer as she tried to break into the House Chamber through a smashed window (her family today sued the government for $30 million for wrongful death), and three others, one who died of a stroke; one of a heart attack, and one of an amphetamine overdose.

The monument in Lakeland, Florida, is a stark contrast to the one President Biden visited yesterday in Pennsylvania. Valley Forge National Park is the site of the six-month winter encampment of the Continental Army in the hard winter of 1777–1778. After the British army captured the city of Philadelphia in September 1777, General George Washington settled 12,000 people of his army about 18 miles to the northwest.

There the army almost fell apart. Supply chains were broken as the British captured food or it spoiled in transit to the soldiers, and wartime inflation meant the Continental Congress did not appropriate enough money for food and clothing. Hunger and disease stalked the camp, but even worse was the lack of clothing. More than 1,000 soldiers died, and about eight or ten deserted every day. Washington warned the president of the Continental Congress that the men were close to mutiny.

Even if they didn’t quit, they weren’t very well organized for an army charged with resisting one of the greatest military forces on the globe. The different units had been trained with different field manuals, making it hard to coordinate movements, and a group of army officers were working with congressmen to replace Washington, complaining about how he was prosecuting the war.

By February 1778, though, things were falling into place. A delegation from the Continental Congress had visited Valley Forge and understood that the lack of supplies made the army, and thus the country, truly vulnerable, and they set out to reform the supply department. Then a newly arrived Prussian officer, Baron Friedrich von Steuben, drilled the soldiers into unity and better morale. And then, in May, the soldiers learned that France had signed a treaty with the American states in February, lending money, matériel, and men to the cause of American independence. When the soldiers broke camp in June, they marched out ready to take on the British at the Battle of Monmouth, where their new training paid off as they held their own against the British soldiers.

The January 6 insurrectionists were fond of claiming they were echoing these American revolutionaries who created the new nation in the 1770s. The right-wing Proud Boys’ strategic plan for taking over buildings in the Capitol complex on January 6 was titled: “1776 Returns,” and even more famously, newly elected representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) wrote on January 5, 2021: “Remember these next 48 hours. These are some of the most important days in American history.” On January 6, she wrote: “Today is 1776.”

Trump has repeatedly called those January 6 insurrectionists “patriots.”

Biden yesterday called Trump out for “trying to steal history the same way he tried to steal the election.”

Indeed. The insurrectionists at the Capitol were not patriots. They were trying to overthrow the government in order to take away the right at the center of American democracy: our right to determine our own destiny. Commemorating them as heroes is the 21st century’s version of erecting Confederate statues.

The January 6th insurrectionists were nothing like the community at Valley Forge, made up of people who had offered up their lives to support a government pledged, however imperfectly in that era, to expanding that right. When faced with hunger, disease, and discord, that community—which was made up not just of a remarkably diverse set of soldiers from all 13 colonies, including Black and Indigenous men, but also of their families and the workers, enslaved and free, who came with them—worked together to build a force that could establish a nation based in the idea of freedom.

The people at the Capitol on January 6 who followed in the footsteps of those who were living in the Valley Forge encampment 246 years ago were not the rioters. They were the people who defended our right to live under a government in which we have a say: those like the staffers who delayed their evacuation of the Capitol to save the endangered electoral ballots, and like U.S. Capitol Police officers Eugene Goodman, Harry Dunn, Caroline Edwards, and Aquilino Gonell and Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone, along with the more than 140 officers injured that day.

Fanone, whom rioters beat and tasered, giving him a traumatic brain injury and a heart attack, yesterday told Emily Ngo, Jeff Coltin, and Nick Reisman of Politico: “I think it’s important that every institution in this country, every American, take the responsibility of upholding democracy seriously. And everyone needs to be doing everything that they can to ensure that a.) Donald Trump does not succeed and b.) the MAGA movement is extinguished.”

Unlike the violence of the January 6th insurrectionists, the experience of the people at Valley Forge is etched deep into our national identity as a symbol of the sacrifice and struggle Americans have made to preserve and renew democracy. It is so central to who we are that we have commemorated it in myths and monuments and have projected into the future that its meaning will always remain at the heart of America. According to The Star Trek Encyclopedia, the Federation Excelsior-class starship USS Valley Forge will still be fighting in the 24th century… against the Dominion empire.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Valley Forge #American Revolution #American history #history #Letters From An American #Heather Cox Richardson #January 6th Anniversary #sedition #seditious conspiracy #Civil War #The confederacy

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cup-of-hot-worm-milk · 17 days

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HEARTBREAK HIGH SEASON 2 REVIEW

Likes, dislikes, and some general thoughts.

TL;DR spoiler free review: I give this season a 6.5/10. It’s not bad but compared to the previous season, it certainly felt like a downgrade. Some of the editing choices felt poor, a few characters that had felt layered and realistic had lost their substance, a couple of interesting plot beats and character arcs were either rushed or solved with very little satisfaction and pay off, and I can’t help but feel a lot of the drama had become far too unrealistic by the end of the season. I had some fun watching the teenage hijinks, and there are stand out scenes/storylines that had me invested from start to finish, but overall I can’t say that this season lived up to its predecessor or my expectations.

Longer rant under the cut! SPOILERS AHEAD!

I’ll start with what I liked and enjoyed (in no particular order):

Cash owns my heart now and forever. Season one had already solidified him as my favourite character, and watching him go through his asexual journey, trying to navigate his relationship with Darren while setting boundaries was… Ugh, so fucking good. I’ve had my own share of relationship anxiety, fearing that because I had no interest in sexual activities that I would be hurting my future partner. Dusty’s whole talk with Cash felt so reminiscent of things people would say to me when I tried to talk to them about my own sexuality. I was so ecstatic when Cash told him to fuck off, because no, asexuals are not robbing their partners of anything. Our sexuality and boundaries in relationships are not problematic or abusive; no person should ever feel like their worth in a relationship is based on whether or not they have sex with their partner. Anyone who says otherwise can fuck right off. I was crying during Cash’s talk with his Nan. 10/10 best storyline.

Quinni not masking was so cathartic. Neurotypicals really don’t understand the stress and mental gymnastics we have to go through every fucking day just so we fit in. It’s so fucking hard and watching her be herself fully was just amazing. Slay honestly.

BI MALAKAI BI MALAKAI BI MALAKAI

All of the Australian pop culture references. So good. Chinese succulent meal. The reference to Scomo shitting himself at the McDonalds. Cash not registering to vote and his friends getting mad at him even though our voting is so shit and never taken seriously (I along with several people I know have written shit on our ballots and have never gotten in trouble ever). THE NUTBUSH. Woodsy’s little jab at Pavlova being from Aotearoa (New Zealand) and not Australia. Ugh, so good. Finally, references I understand /hj.

Amerie and Harper being best friends… Their protectiveness for each other… My heart.

The class camp made me so nostalgic. Can’t speak for every Aussie, but my camp did have the boys sneaking in beer. Although, we all got too scared so we all just had a sip before pouring it all out before we could get caught. We didn’t even get buzzed, lol. Also, the class getting high on shrooms together, oml.

Malakai and Amerie… Ugh, those two… So messy and complicated and I love them.

Props to HBH finally making an authentic (albeit toxic) love triangle. Only took a while but we got one.

Woodsy helping Harper with driving lessons… My heart.

Quinni being so hyperfixated that she survived her snakebite. She’s just like me fr. I also loved the editing changing when it was her perspective. This is her world and we’re just living in it.

Idk his name but whoever played Chook was genuinely terrifying. 10/10, I wanted to smash his face in every time he came on screen. Truly phenomenal acting.

Actually, I’ll give a round of applause to the entire cast. All of them did stella jobs.

And now… the dislikes (again, no particular order):

Spider’s arc. I know some people like him, but as someone who went to school with, and got bullied by dickheads like him, I could not get behind his whole redemption storyline. I really didn’t like how they blamed his misogyny and arrogance on his toxic mother - it felt like they were saying that men are only sexist assholes because feminists obsess over profiling them all as rapists and abusers which is so fucked on so many levels. It just felt like they were given excuses for his behaviour and how it isn’t really his fault, it’s because of his mothers abuse and I am so fucking over that theme. Abuse does not justify shitty behaviours from ANYONE. It can apply context, sure, but I am not going to excuse someone for being a fuckwit just because they have a shitty homelife. I was abused! I had hurt people around me to cope! That doesn’t make it okay!

Also… People like Spider are more likely to be misogynistic because of a sexist environment - not because of crazed misandrists believing all men are rapists. I think it would've been much more believable if instead, Spider hadn’t had a father or a close male role model to grow up with and became very insecure about his perception of masculinity and manliness, so he used society and social media as learning tools to form his personality and unfortunately internalised a lot of misogyny.

The conclusion of Spider’s redemption also felt way too rushed. He only stops joining Voss because the man slipped up while ranting and because he got slapped in the face. In season one, it really looked like they were going to explore how Spider’s insecurities around vulnerability and masculinity made him put up a front to shield himself. During his relationship with Missy, some points almost felt like they were going to full dive into exploring it but then they backed out, or they wouldn’t let the scenes room to breathe before rushing into the solution. I would’ve liked it more if Spider had time to really grapple with his worldviews and how hurtful he was being, and working on distancing himself from sexist ideals. It would’ve felt a lot more authentic imo.

And I really was not on board with Missy x Spider. I don’t know, it didn’t feel like an authentic attraction, just more like the writers somehow needed someone to jumpstart Spider’s redemption journey while also providing a convenient romantic love interest. Maybe it could have worked if they two were given more time to develop an understanding companionship and Missy wasn’t into him while he was still a fucking dickhead? Maybe they could’ve had the whole rival's sexual tension thing work if it was given way more focus instead of just “Boy see Girl doing something sexy and fall in love”? I don’t know, romance and sexual interest isn’t really my expertise, so maybe it’s just a me thing.

Rowan’s whole character was a huge miss for me, holy shit. It’s 2024, STOP MAKING MENTAL ILLNESS A FUCKING VILLAINOUS TRAIT. I don’t even know what the fuck his mental illness was supposed to be. I work in youth counseling and psychology, and none of his symptoms feel authentic. Was it psychosis?? Was he supposed to have borderline personality disorder??? Untreated PTSD with severe hallucination and dissociation symptoms??? Type 1 bipolar going through a severe mania episode?? FUCKING WHAT DID HE EVEN HAVE??? For a show that handled autism so beautifully in these seasons, they dropped the ball so horribly with Rowan. Bad character, bad execution, bad storyline, bad everything. Do your fucking research on mental disorders instead of just writing “obsessive and crazy” hbh writers, fucking hell.

Also, why did he need to have this whole dumb past connection with Amerie? Why did Amerie suddenly have a backstory of being a major cunt and bully? Why was none of her shitty behaviour talked about in season one? You’d think when her classmates were ostracizing her for the sex wall and getting everyone involuntarily sent to SLT’s, they would’ve brought up this shit. Spider and Harper had their personal reasons to dislike her but no one else brought up anything. Why not just have it that in the earlier episodes, Bird Psycho was spreading baseless rumours and misinformation? Then have people divided on whether or not they would believe Amerie when she went to disprove them? You can even have others making shit up to add to the situation for more drama.

Sasha and Zoe… Oof, bad execution all around for those two.

Sasha… Oof. Thought her storyline was going to deal with her hypocrisy around activism and being a sjw invested in identity politics. Maybe some exploration on how applying moralism to activism is never a good thing EVER and that you shouldn’t care about oppression just because it makes you look like a better person - you should care about it because oppression is fucking disgusting and needs to be eradicated. Should’ve known they would’ve just made her into a bad joke. Pouring one out for the missed opportunity.

I really thought that Zoe’s character was going to explore sexual insecurities and how everyone has a different approach to sex. Examining the difference between sexual pleasure and sexual intimacy. Maybe even some discussion on how it’s okay to have sex simply just to explore your own preferences and likes, and how no one - especially women - should ever be slut-shamed for liking sex. But nope, she was a really bad celibacy joke and a plot point for Darren. Yikes.

Speaking of Darren, my fashionable child, look how they massacred you. What was their whole deal with Quinni this season? Did they suddenly forget about her autism? Did they suddenly stop caring about her difficulties with masking? Season 1 Darren “You’re my too much” would NEVER have fucking told Quinni that the world couldn’t play be her rules. Season 1 Quinni panicking in the bathroom at a party? Oh, no, Amerie don’t touch her, that’s not how we help Quinni. We help Quinni by providing a quiet and safe space and reminding her that she is in charge of what we do next. Season 1 Quinni becoming non-verbal due to a meltdown because Sasha was being bigoted? Nope, Sasha you don’t get to talk to Quinni, no one forces Quinni to talk, she will do it when she is ready. Wtf happened Darren? It really just felt like the writers were trying to make drama between them both and decided to butcher Darren’s character to do so. Just… oof. Very bad.

Harper’s trauma being forgotten about or developed after two episodes… What. Nothing about her relationship with her dad, nothing about her relationship with using sex as a coping mechanic, nothing about her PTSD, absolutely fucking NOTHING. Why? She just felt like she was there for other characters to develop off of.

Also, Ant and Harper felt really rushed. I would’ve liked it way more if Ant actually went and befriended some girls before he got into a relationship with Harper, or even if the both of them became friends before they developed a romantic relationship but they really weren’t given room to breathe.

Also also, Ant accomplished nothing?? I don’t remember one significant thing he did this season that gave more insight into his character or that wasn’t just to uplift other character’s developments. It sucks because last season alluded to some religious trauma that I thought we were going to get to explore more. He needs so much more substance than just “haha, funny guy” imo.

Missy and Malakai deserved more to their stories than just relationship drama. Where was their Indigenous culture? Where was Malakai’s ‘gone my country’ story element that helped him last season? We rarely ever get Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander actors able to show their culture even in Australian media, so last season when they brought it up I was so happy but now… No mention of it? Nothing? I loved their friendship and their scenes together but God, I wish they happened more outside of their romantic relationships.

Amerie’s pregnancy storyline felt super rushed. Really wish it had more time to breathe, and to stress the importance of contraception and abortion rights. It all began and ended within one episode… Really felt like it deserved just a little bit more time, y’know? Especially in this day and age. It kind of just felt like last minute drama. Maybe more will come out of it because Amerie told Quinni? I hope the fuck not though because I really do not want Quinni’s character slaughtered.

Cash… Showing Chook… Where he lived… Cash is not fucking stupid. What the fuck was that. Making drama for the sake of elevating the story I guess.

Harper’s and Amerie’s dumb fight in the last episode that was really there so Rowan could have a mental breakdown. Yikes.

Wasn’t a big fan of some of the music choices. Few great songs, few iconic songs (Untouched by the Veronicas my beloved), but overall some pretty dodgy choices. I like BLACKPINK, don’t get me wrong, but they’re not that popular in Australia? And The Cranberries are amazing but again, not really an Australian favourite? Idk, just felt like they were picking from the Top 500 Charts.

Okay, the whole fire thing was really fucking stupid. In 2019-2020, NSW had massive out-of-control bushfires that ravaged the country. We have incredibly intense fire-safety because out country is so fucking flammable. Our sprinklers don’t run on electricity - the heat melts the protective plug on the sprinkler, and then water is released from where it’s stored in the pipes. We have fire blankets and extinguishers. The school would’ve been doused. And by the way, there is no such thing as only two teachers chaperoning formal. Not for 25< kids. And the cohort teachers would’ve been invited to go anyways?? And if a crazed man with fire did appear out on the oval, the students would’ve legally had to evacuate to another safe place. Cops and the firefighters would’ve been called immediately. All of the last episode was just such unbelievable bullshit, oml.

“Oh but the school is really sketchy” Idgaf, that whole fire thing was so stupid.

The afl over nrl holy shit. Like, as a queenslander, that shit really fucking hurt to see, I am so sorry sydney goers.

Alright some general thoughts:

Much of the drama in this season just didn’t feel authentic. Most characters were forced to make stupid or unrealistic choices so that drama could happen rather than just allowing the plot to naturally allow for intriguing stories to unfold. I felt like this season was forcing everyone to be involved in something tremendous at every single point, only then to become overwhelmed with how to finish or solve the issues so it was quickly given a bandaid or ignored in favour of moving onto something else.

The first season had the main issues of separating Amerie from her classmates, of people trying to navigate relationships with all the messiness of being a teenager, and of dealing with things that you don’t know how to solve. Characters were given time to be emotional, to make mistakes but not be villainized for them. Scenes and problems were given room to breathe, there was time for all of the story beats to develop and come together.

This season felt more akin to something I’d see in Riverdale or Pretty Little Liars. Over dramatised problems and a mystery that involved pretty shitty characterisation to pull off.

I still like Heartbreak High, and if there is a third season, I’ll definitely give it a watch, but overall, I’m not very enthusiastic about season 2.

One other thing is more related to the backlash I’ve seen from two of the main characters, Malakai and Missy. Some people are infuriated that these two bisexuals have ended the season in a straight-passing relationship and… Okay. I’m not going to sugarcoat any of this; stop being biphobic cunts. You complaining about these two characters ending up with an opposite-sex partner is biphobic. Bisexuals aren’t limited to only ever being in same-sex relationships, fuck off.

Okay, now I’m done.

#heartbreak high

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raindingrandom · 9 months

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Five Years Ago: King K. Rool Comes Aboard!

Five years ago, King K. Rool was announced as a playable fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As Donkey Kong Country fanatic, I was absolutely over the moon when I saw this glorious moment live.

For reference, King K. Rool hadn't made a non-kameo appearance in ANY game since 2008's Mario Super Sluggers. And his last appearance in a Donkey Kong game was in 2007's DK: Jungle Climber.

So it was a huge moment for the Donkey Kong fandom that King K. Rool not only returned, but for the trailer to specifically emphasize that he was THE big bad of the Donkey Kong series.

And his moveset? An absolute love letter to the kharacter and his appearances. The original moves they gave him kompliment him perfectly too! (gotta love the back air!) Needless to say, K. Rool became my main in Ultimate.

I also liked how he was a heavyweight fighter who did things that other heavyweight characters didn't do, the great recovery, multiple projectiles and the kounter being good examples.

The reveal trailer WAS PERFECT. The lead-up with the different Smash kharacters with their arch enemies/rivals, the fakeout with King Dedede, ACE's glorious remix of Gangplank Galleon, and the awesome animated end scene that kulminates in a beautiful shot of DK, Diddy and K. Rool doing a punch parry in front of the sun.

Seriously, I need that above screenshot framed.

According to Sakurai, King K. Rool's inclusion in Ultimate was thanks to all the votes for him in the Smash Ballot. Here's hoping that demand also paves the way for he and the Kremlings to return in the next Donkey Kong game.

To end this post, here's what I wrote in my Smash Ballot vote in 2015:

#Super Smash Bros Ultimate #Smash Bros #Smash Ultimate #Super Smash Bros #King K. Rool #Donkey Kong Country #Donkey Kong #Nintendo #Nintendo Switch #Reveal trailer #RainDingRambles #It's still King K. Rool's finest hour 5 years later.

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plethoraworldatlas · 1 month

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The organisers of Listen to Michigan — an effort to protest Joe Biden’s policy towards Israel’s war in Gaza — have a message for the United States president: The conflict is not a “niche” issue for only some segments of the political left.

Listen to Michigan emerged earlier this year as a grassroots movement focused on the state’s primary. It called on voters to cast “uncommitted votes” instead of backing Biden’s reelection effort, in an attempt to signal displeasure over the president’s stance on the war.

...

“Since we launched our campaign in Michigan, critics have gone out of their way to minimise the momentum of ‘uncommitted’ and Listen to Michigan and what this movement has gained as a niche issue of the left,” Layla Elabed, a key Michigan organiser, said during a news conference on Monday.

“Today, we launched our national movement to let you all know uncommitted voters aren’t going anywhere, and we aren’t backing down until we achieve a permanent ceasefire.”

...

The Listen to Michigan campaign aimed to muster 10,000 “uncommitted” votes in protest of Biden’s support for Israel. Instead, on February 27, Michigan saw 101,000 ballots cast for “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary — smashing the organisers’ goals. “Uncommitted” accounted for 13 percent of the total vote.

...

The Minnesota primary on March 5 offered an answer. There, a whopping 19 percent of Democratic primary voters — approximately 46,000 people — chose “uncommitted” in the state’s primary.

Activists in the state said the “uncommitted” turnout was all the more impressive because of how little time they had to organise: It was an eight-day, mad-dash effort.

Other states — notably Hawaii, Washington, North Carolina and Massachusetts — have also shown promising turnouts. Write-in and ballot-spoiling efforts have even sprouted in states that do not have an “uncommitted” option

News|Joe Biden

How the uncommitted vote against Biden’s Gaza policy is going ‘national’

By Joseph Stepansky

Published On 18 Mar 202418 Mar 2024

Washington, DC – The organisers of Listen to Michigan — an effort to protest Joe Biden’s policy towards Israel’s war in Gaza — have a message for the United States president: The conflict is not a “niche” issue for only some segments of the political left.

But that movement has kicked off a domino effect in other key states, with similar “protest votes” emerging. On Monday, Listen to Michigan unveiled plans to take its campaign to the national stage.

KEEP READING

list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3

Biden to announce plan for US military to set up temporary Gaza aid port

list 2 of 3

‘State of the Union is genocide’: Gaza protesters challenge Biden speech

list 3 of 3

‘He’s lost my vote’: Many Irish-Americans turn against Biden over Gaza war

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“Today, we launched our national movement to let you all know uncommitted voters aren’t going anywhere, and we aren’t backing down until we achieve a permanent ceasefire.”

Organisers said the announcement serves to dispel perceptions that Listen to Michigan was a one-off phenomenon, only applicable to the state where it was founded.

They hope to mobilise voters in other state primaries, to send a strong message before the general election that the war is unacceptable.

A movement born in Michigan

Michigan, itself a key battleground state, is home to large Arab and Muslim populations that have become increasingly politically engaged in recent years.

But the war in Gaza has been a particularly galvanising issue. The death toll in the Palestinian enclave has spiralled to more than 31,700, as Israel continues its months-long bombardment and siege.https://amp.cntxcdm.com/amp-embed/index.html?playerId=ps_83dfa019-da03-4e8a-8b17-f3f388c331f8&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Famp%2Fnews%2F2024%2F3%2F18%2Fhow-the-uncommitted-vote-against-bidens-gaza-policy-is-going-national&isSafariOrIos=false&cid=f9509d53-804e-427d-a0bc-1204c0a3bcb1

United Nations experts have warned that parts of Gaza are on the brink of famine. Still, the Biden administration and other top Washington officials have pledged steadfast support to Israel, despite the human rights concerns its military actions have prompted.

But as primary elections continued in other states, some organisers were sceptical that Michigan’s success could be replicated elsewhere. Would the protest spread beyond Arab and Muslim communities?

The Minnesota primary on March 5 offered an answer. There, a whopping 19 percent of Democratic primary voters — approximately 46,000 people — chose “uncommitted” in the state’s primary.

Activists in the state said the “uncommitted” turnout was all the more impressive because of how little time they had to organise: It was an eight-day, mad-dash effort.

Michigan organiser Lexi Zeidan estimated that more than half a million “uncommitted” votes have been cast nationwide so far, though it is not possible to determine how many were in protest of Biden’s Gaza policy.

“Michigan led with courage that has inspired the uncommitted movement coast to coast with over 500,000 uncommitted voters,” Zeidan said at Monday’s news conference.

She warned that opposition to the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, will not be enough to rally Democrats to Biden’s side

...

“Once [Biden] has called for a permanent ceasefire, then we can talk about November,” said Abbas Alawieh, a Michigan organiser and former Congressional staffer.

“Until then, the level of pain that our community is experiencing is so excruciating that it is inappropriate to come and ask us for our votes in November while the blood is still being shed,” he said. “Stop funding the killing, then we can talk about November.”

In the meantime, the Uncommitted National Movement is focusing on the April 2 primary in Wisconsin, another Midwestern state that will be key to Biden’s reelection campaign

Biden beat Trump in Wisconsin by just 20,682 votes in 2020, one of the slightest margins of any state. Organisers believe a strong “uncommitted” showing could be another resounding example of Biden’s vulnerability in Midwestern swing states.

“As a Palestinian American, a longtime organiser in Milwaukee, and as the former digital organising director of Biden’s 2020 Wisconsin campaign, I led the way for Biden’s victory when he won here by only 20,000 votes,” Heba Mohammad, a spokesperson for Listen to Wisconsin, told reporters.

...

The national “uncommitted” campaign is also seeking to leverage its influence at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

So far, uncommitted votes will be represented at the convention by a total of 20 delegates: 11 delegates from Minnesota, seven from Hawaii and two from Michigan

...

“Uncommitted” votes in Michigan and Minnesota surpassed the margin of victory in those states in recent presidential races. Polls currently show a close race between Biden and Trump, with just a handful of states likely to make the difference.

The situation is indicative of a larger problem for the Democratic Party, Zogby added, saying it had pivoted away from “bread-and-butter, household and community-based issues”.

“We are losing — as we see in the polls — a percentage of Black, Latino, Asian and young voters because of Gaza,” he said, “and because they have other issues that we’re not addressing”.

“If you lose two-thirds of the Arab vote, that’s one thing. That’ll only kill you in Michigan,” Zogby added. “But you lose 5, 10 percent of these minority voters or young voters nationally, then you’re dead in the water.”

#us politics #biden administration #2024 presidential election #vote uncommitted

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theshipminer · 1 year

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My case for Isaac Moriah in Super Smash Bros.

I posted for @super-smash-bracket‘s ballot, but I’ll post it here again so that I may have a backup. It’s also slightly more detailed than the one in the forms, that’s for sure. (Disclaimer: Any numbers that I mention in this post are completely arbitrary. Also, much as I would love to, I do not own nor play Smash Bros. My guardians would NEVER allow a Switch unless I bought it with my own money, of which I have none whatsoever.)

Isaac is from the game “The Binding of Isaac”. It has a really grotesque atmosphere that is equally as beautiful as it is disgusting. It captivated me when I first played through it, and still captivates me to this day. There are a ton of items you can collect that affect Isaac in funny, disturbing, and brutal ways, but they all make him stronger one way or another. You may not always get the run you want, but when you do, it snowballs HARD. You may start a run shooting your own pitiful tears at enemies, and end it with screen-clearing lasers, explosions, etc. And poop. Lots of poop. The game really likes the stuff for some reason. Frankly, I just want to see most of this in Smash. It will never happen, never in a million zillion years, I know, but it would be pretty sick.

Isaac is from a roguelike, and like a lot of roguelikes, his game has quite a case of what I like to call: “bullshit RNG”. You may get stronger the more items you collect, but everything that happens to you, good or bad, is solely determined by whether the game is in a good enough mood or not. Now in the interest of source accuracy, you may think that Isaac’s moveset will be all about randomness, right?

Bullshit RNG is still bullshit. Isaac does NOT need randomness to be a viable character in Smash. You may protest: “Oh, but it’s not accurate!” I DON’T CARE. SMASH IS NOT THE BINDING OF ISAAC. Something that worked in one game may not work for another. They did that for Hero, and look where THAT got him.

Instead, I propose a different approach; something I never see when looking at other people’s movesets for this guy. I propose:

‘Angel’ and ‘devil’. ‘Holy’ and ‘unholy’. ‘Virtuous’ and ‘sinful’. You know the ones. Angel attacks are very powerful moves, but require quite a bit of precision to master. Meanwhile, devil attacks are also extremely powerful, but require some kind of cost (like high end lag, for example). By inputting left or right after Isaac spawns (or respawns), Isaac will gain either the angel or devil movesets. His Final Smash will even change! His normals will remain exactly the same, but his special attacks will be entirely different, even if they share some properties with each other. Here they are now:

Neutral Special (Devil): Brimstone

Isaac charges up and fires a blood laser in front of him. The range of the laser is infinite. When uncharged, the laser is very thin and weak, with zero hitstun whatsoever. However, when fully charged, the laser becomes massive, being as wide as Isaac is tall, dealing massive damage to boot. The laser deals damage 5 times, with uncharged dealing 1% per hit, and fully charged dealing 4.5-5% per hit. It takes 2 seconds to fully charge the laser. Isaac cannot move when the laser is charging or firing.

Neutral Special (Angel): Revelation

Isaac charges up and fires a beam of pure light in front of him. Like Brimstone, the laser has infinite range. Unlike Brimstone, Isaac cannot fire this laser until it is fully charged, which takes about a second to do so. When fired, the laser deals damage 5 times. The laser deals more damage the further the target is away from Isaac, capping out at 6% per hit. Isaac CAN move while the laser is charging and firing, but at a very reduced pace.

Both neutral specials are based on the items of the same name you obtain in the game.

Side Special (Devil): Hemoptysis

Isaac sneezes blood right in front of him. Opponents hit by the blood will take 1-1.5% extra damage from all of Isaac’s attacks for 4 seconds. The sneeze does only 1% damage on hit. Missing will cause the move to gain a lot of ending lag, leaving you vulnerable. However, hitting the opponent will reduce that ending lag by a lot. Hitting the opponent’s shield counts as well, thus reducing ending lag. However, the debuff will not be applied, and no damage will be dealt.

Side Special (Angel): Divine Intervention

Isaac summons a holy shield that moves forward in front of him. This shield acts as a counter. Opponents that strike the shield physically will have a portion of that damage rebounded back at them, knocking them back a fixed distance. Projectiles that hit the shield are reflected as well. However, the shield itself counts as a projectile, meaning it can be reflected, pocketed, absorbed, you name it. It can be used against you. You cannot fire another shield until the previous one has disappeared.

Both neutral specials are based on the items of the same name you obtain in the original game.

Up Special (Devil): Demonic Flight

Isaac grows batlike wings and lifts off with a mighty flap. With these wings, Isaac flaps them to jump in the air indefinitely. Except not really, because Isaac gains less and less height with each flap, until he just stops ascending completely. When the wings are active, Isaac can charge Brimstone while suspended in midair, along with being able to aim the laser (Normally, the laser only fires straight forward, and Isaac plummets to the ground when charging the laser). He loses the wings upon touching the stage or firing off Brimstone.

Up Special (Angel): Angelic Ascension

Isaac grows angelic wings and disappears in a burst of light. Almost immediately, he reappears some distance above where he activated the move. With these wings, Isaac can flap them to gain height, but he loses altitude quicker than with Demonic Flight. When not flapping the wings, Isaac descends downwards slower than usual. He can charge and aim Revelation while in midair, but unlike when charging it without wings, Isaac can move at full speed while charging. The wings disappear upon touching the stage, firing off Revelation, or getting hit.

Demonic Flight is based on the Lord of the Pit item, while Angelic Ascension is based on Isaac’s boss encounter, as well as the various items that give Isaac angel wings.

Down Tilt: Bomb

Isaac’s down tilt has him placing a bomb in front of him. The bomb explodes after a second of delay, during which it can be kicked around. The bomb explodes immediately upon contact with an opponent. Isaac cannot place down more than one bomb at a time. I’m mentioning this now because Isaac’s down specials are different from this move, despite both also being bombs.

Down Special (Devil): Brimstone Bomb

Isaac places down a demonic-looking bomb that flashes for a second, before exploding into a cross of 4 Brimstone lasers. The bomb can also be placed in midair. The initial explosion deals around slightly less damage than the regular bomb, and the 4 Brimstone beams are weaker than the one fired off by Isaac, dealing only 2% damage 3 times instead of 5. The bomb also does NOT explode on contact with opponents. Isaac can only place down two of them at a time.

Down Special (Angel): Holy Grenade

Isaac lobs a holy grenade in the direction he’s facing. The grenade breaks upon contact with the stage or an opponent, after which a beam of light strikes down where the grenade last hit, which will smite the foe directly if they were hit by the grenade. Isaac cannot throw another grenade until the beam of light has subsided. The beam of light hits for 4% damage 2 times, and can hit foes even from above.

Brimstone Bomb is based on the item of the same name. Holy Grenade is based on the Holy Hand Grenade from Monty Python. In other words, I made it up.

Final Smash (Devil): Mega Blast

Isaac grows demonic horns and wings, and takes off into the sky. After charging for two seconds, Isaac fires off a HUGE FRICKIN’ LASER that instantly obliterates anyone above 100% damage. During the charging phase, Isaac can aim a crosshair to wherever he wants. This laser is EVEN STRONGER than the regular brimstone laser, dealing 5% damage for every tick the opponent gets hit for 5 seconds, going through walls and hitting through shields. Once firing, Isaac can move the laser, but very slowly. This gives opponents a chance to get away.

Final Smash (Angel): Crack The Sky

Isaac grows angel wings and disappears from the stage. During this time, a crosshair appears, which can be moved about. Beams of light rain down from the heavens around the crosshair’s location, dealing damage to anyone caught in the paths for 6% damage 3 times. The frequency of light beams increases around the crosshair as time goes on, culminating in the light beams sweeping across the entire stage after 8 seconds have passed. Isaac then reappears where he last activated the move.

Both are based on the items of the same name. Mega Blast is based off of Mega Satan’s bad breath, while Crack The Sky is based off of one of Isaac’s boss attacks, both from the original game.

Other miscellaneous normal attacks/aesthetics that I didn’t really think through in detail:

- Isaac stabs forward with his mother’s knife for his forward smash.

- Isaac shoots tears frontwards for his forward tilt and forward hair. The tears are affected by gravity, and count as projectiles. They can be aimed slightly.

- Isaac trips and falls for his dash attack.

- Isaac sits in a fetal position when crouching.

- Mom’s foot stomps down on Isaac for his down throw, burying the foe who was grabbed and damaging Isaac and anyone caught in the foot’s path.

- All of Isaac’s alts reference the other playable characters, i.e. him wearing different wigs and hats.

- Isaac consumes a pill for one of his taunts, and either reacts negatively or postitively. This is purely cosmetic and has no effect on gameplay.

Special thanks to @super-smash-bracket for giving me the motivation to make this my first REAL post, even if it’s indirect.

#the binding of isaac #the binding of isaac rebirth #the binding of isaac repentance #super smash bros #moveset concept #fighter concept

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awritingcaitlin · 2 months

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OC Smash or Pass

@kaylinalexanderbooks tagged me for this and for those of you who have been around a while, it will be no surprise when I put Rinnie on the ballots ✨

Rules: self-explanatory, but include physical descriptions and propaganda for both and an "other" option (for those whose sexualities don't align or wanting to study under a microscope or something)

Description:

117 year old elf weighing in at 5'3 and 95lbs soaking wet. Though, she does have decent muscles, you just can't tell. She's got blue eyes, red curly thick frizzy hair, pale and freckled skin that will tan in prolonged exposure to sun, slightly crooked nose, high cheekbones, delicately pointed chin, pointed ears, half her body's covered in tattoos and she's got a dozen or so piercings.

She's also basically DTF most anyone and horny on main.

That said, she really does care about people, she just sucks at showing it.

I feel like I should also mention that she has a knack for getting herself into trouble, so, be prepared for that I guess!

Tagging (no pressure): reverse-uno @kaylinalexanderbooks, @tananaphone, @golden-heretic, @sentfromwolves, and @juls-writes

#tag games #smash or pass #rinnie

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qqueenofhades · 1 year

Note

I had a dream, well nightmare, a few months ago that overnight it was ruled that women couldn’t have bank accounts without a man co-signing and it was implied any existing accounts were going to be closed and money go poof after an unspecified “grace period” to comply. Watching this supposed red mirage is making me fear it was a prophecy….(even though I’m in CA, and have voted blue, I’m scared)

It used to in fact be the case that women could not open bank accounts without a man signing for them, until at least the 1950s. Hahaha. Haha. Hah.

Anyway, I will say that things are overall looking better for the Democrats than they did at this point in 2020. Biden was way behind in WI, MI, PA election-day voting and we had to wait days for mail-in ballots to reverse that. Whereas now, Democrats have already won the governor's race in WI (no call yet on the Senate), won the MI governor's and SoS race, and smashed it in Pennsylvania, picked up a Senate seat, and held the governorship. So honestly, there hasn't even been much of a red mirage at all? Things are still tight and tense but the Democrats are holding the line, which according to the doom and gloom pundits, was completely unthinkable.

Anyway, it's midnight now, this is the latest I have stayed up in ages, and I think that despite my terror, I am going to have to try to sleep now. Hang in there, my lovelies.

💙💙💙

#anonymous #ask #politics for ts

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beardedmrbean · 3 months

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The Democratic mayor of San Francisco is pushing a pair of controversial public safety proposals on the March 5 ballot, including one that would require single adults on welfare be screened and treated for illegal drug addiction or else lose cash assistance.

Mayor London Breed also supports a ballot measure that would grant police more crime-fighting powers, such as the use of drones and surveillance cameras. In November, she'll face cranky voters in a competitive reelection bid.

San Francisco is in a struggle to redefine itself after the pandemic left it in economic tatters and highlighted its longstanding problems with homelessness, drugs and property crime. Opponents say both ballot measures are wildly out of step with San Francisco's support for privacy and civil liberties and will only hurt the marginalized communities the city prides itself on helping.

But Breed, the first Black woman to lead San Francisco, said at a January campaign stop that residents from poorer, Black and immigrant neighborhoods are pleading for more police, and recovery advocates are demanding change as more than 800 people died of accidental overdose last year — a record fueled by the abundance of cheap and potent fentanyl.

“They said San Francisco makes it too easy for people to access and to use drugs on the streets of the city and we need to do something a lot more aggressive,” Breed said at Footprint, an athletic apparel and shoe store that has been repeatedly burglarized.

While Breed's name isn't on the presidential primary ballots going out now — San Francisco uses a method where residents rank mayoral candidates by preference a single time in November — the two measures she's pushing are. They serve as an opening salvo for her reelection campaign as she faces off against fellow moderates who say her approach to the city's problems has been weak.

Violent crimes are low in San Francisco, but the city has long struggled with quality-of-life crimes.

Breed said rates of retail theft and auto smash-ins have declined recently, thanks in large part to strategic operations by city police. Similarly, police have stepped up enforcement of drug laws, including by issuing citations to people using drugs in public as a way to disrupt the behavior and an opportunity to persuade the person cited to seek help.

But she said San Francisco needs to do more.

If approved by voters, Proposition F would offer another way to compel treatment, by allowing the city to screen single adults on local welfare for substance abuse. People found to be abusing illegal drugs would be required to enroll in treatment if they want to receive cash assistance from the city, which maxes out at just over $700 a month.

Opponents say coercion doesn't work and homelessness may increase if the measure passes. Drug addicts are not criminals, they say, and there are not enough treatment beds and counseling services as it is.

A crackdown on drugs is reminiscent of the failed war on drugs that disproportionately harmed Black families, said Chris Ballard, co-executive director of Coleman Advocates, which pushes for improvements for Black and Latino youth in San Francisco.

“There are more ethical ways to address the issue aside from punitive measures, and that’s the proper way to take care of a community, to show true support,” he said.

Yet Trent Rhorer, executive director of the San Francisco Human Services Agency, which provides cash assistance and employment services to low-income residents without dependent children, said the current situation is in conflict with the agency's mission: to improve lives.

“To give someone who’s addicted to fentanyl $700 a month, I don’t think it helps improve their lives,” he said. “In fact, I think it does the opposite.”

Compelling treatment has become more acceptable in Democratic California, despite angst over the potential loss of civil liberties, as visible signs of homelessness and mental illness, fentanyl addiction, and unsafe street behavior surge.

Last year, several counties rolled out an alternative mental health court created by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, former mayor of San Francisco, to fast-track people with untreated schizophrenia and related disorders into care, and in March voters will take up a statewide mental health proposition that some say will increase involuntary treatment.

Rhorer said the welfare program for single adults — which serves about 9,000 people per year — already asks applicants about substance abuse, with about 20% self-reporting an issue. A data check with the Department of Public Health revealed that almost one-third of recipients have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder, he said.

The ballot measure would replace that question with a more rigorous screening test that would be verified by an addiction specialist. If substance abuse is found, Rhorer said, the specialist and applicant would agree on treatment options that include residential care, a 12-step program, individual counseling and replacement medication.

There is no requirement that the person be sober, only that they make good-faith efforts to attend their program, with the hope that “at one point a light bulb will go off,” Rhorer said.

The measure calls for the city to pay the rent of those accepted into the program for 30 days or longer to avoid eviction. About 30% of the people who fatally overdosed in 2023 were homeless, and more were living in subsidized city housing.

Besides authorizing drones, cameras and other modern technologies, Proposition E would reduce paperwork so police have more time to patrol. It would also allow police to pursue more suspects by vehicle, and not just in cases of a violent felony or immediate threat to public safety — a policy store owner Michael Hsu learned of the hard way.

Hsu has had his Footprint store broken into multiple times since he took over in 2020, most recently on Jan. 1. Police arrived as the suspects were leaving but could not pursue them because no lives were at risk. Hsu, who lost about $20,000 in merchandise and damage, called that discouraging.

“You’re sending the wrong message to these criminals,” he said.

#nunyas news

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super-smash-bracket · 11 months

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FINAL ROUND

(NOTE: Read the Palutena's Guidance for Reimu Hakurei HERE and for Bandana Waddle Dee HERE, and their movesets HERE and HERE)

#Smash Ballot #Reimu Hakurei #Bandana Waddle Dee #Touhou Project #Kirby

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incorrectsmashbrosquotes · 2 years

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The Super Smash Questionnaire

Sakurai: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 1st anniversary of Sora's playable debut in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!

(Much hooting and hollering ensues. King K. Rool even shoots his Blunderbuss.)

Sakurai: Thank you, thank you, and please don't shoot that anymore.

Sakurai: I know this game has seen better days in the past year, between competition from other conglomerates, and my own YouTube channel being a thing. But this is going to ask the one question people have on their minds.

Sonic: Are we getting paid for this?

Sakurai: Except for that question, which does not need answering now.

Sakurai: The question is: Which third-party characters could get a callback for the next Smash entry? Now, may the first non-Nintendo character step up to the plate?

Snake: Kept ya waiting, huh? If you guys simply must know, I was part of Brawl's E3 trailer to drum up extra hype, as it may. I also represent Konami in the gaming pantheon, if that helps.

Mario: But not only is Konami not the most cooperative studio to work with, but you missed out on Smash For. Next!

Sonic: Sonic here. I'm the mascot of Sega, the progenitor of 16-bit chaos, and I appeared the most in this franchise.

Link: You know, this guy has potential. Next applicant.

Mega Man: Hi! I'm Mega Man. People still think of me as the face of Capcom, and my franchise was a big part of the NES legacy. We don't talk about my animated past, though.

Captain Falcon: I dunno. If we're restricted to just one rep per company, it'll be hard to justify bringing you back.

Link: Said the second most likely Smash 64 vet to be cut...

Falcon: Hey! At least I'm in the game at all!

Mario: We'll keep in touch. Next.

Pac-Man: How ya doin? The name's Pac-Man, but you can call me Pac. I'm the face of Bandai Namco, who helps develop Smash games nowadays, and I'm one of the most mainstream gaming character ever conceived! How's that for good reasons?

Mario: Allow me to be biased for a moment, as we go way back here. You didn't have to bring up the developer credits to justify your return.

Pac-Man: R-Really?

Link: Really, really. Next.

Ryu: Sup. Name's Ryu. It has been my life's mission to fight alongside and against anyone I meet. And for the business side of things, I'm the face of Capcom that they don't want to remove.

Mega Man: What did you say?

Ryu: Nothing personal, but if it was up to them, you and Zero would have swapped representation tiers for Ultimate.

Link: To prevent any harm in this stage, I will say that it's a really tough decision. Cap's right. If we do pick a single rep for each company, it would be a hard choice.

Ryu: Fine. I won't judge you for this. I'll be waiting backstage.

Mario: Next!

Cloud: Hey.

Link: No offense, kid, but Square Enix is already quite stingy, and there's also that persistent rumor that Sony's gonna buy them. However, in your favor, there is the fact that you are the biggest name from that company in terms of fighters.

Cloud: Thanks. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get a say in this.

Link: Just be thankful you're still in the game.

Cloud: Oh, I am.

Falcon: Next up, please.

Bayonetta: Hello, boys. While I might not be the biggest third-party character, my company, PlatinumGames, has a very good relationship with both Sega and Nintendo. Especially the latter. I even think they want to be on the same level as Retro and Next Level before it.

Falcon: At the risk of dating myself even further, woah Mama!

Mario: I sure hope Peach doesn't see that.

Link: What they're trying to say is that you might have more of a chance than the Smash community would hope to think. Some of them still think that you rigged the ballot.

Bayonetta: Oh, really? That's a shame.

Mario: Next.

Simon and Richter both show up.

Mario: Okay, why are both of you here at once?

Simon: Because we're apparently Echoes of each other, according to Sakurai.

Richter: But at least we're more Nintendo-friendly than Snake.

Mario: That is true, but we only need one Belmont for the franchise. Which one shall it be.

Simon: Let's just cut to the chase. If we're getting one Belmont, it's gonna be me. Richter can be an Assist or something.

Falcon: Good concept, but I wouldn't put Richter on that level if I were you.

Richter: See? He gets it.

Link: Next.

Ken: Hi, guys!

Mario: If I can be blunt for a second, I'm not sure if Echo Fighters are gonna make it in the next game, and we already have Ryu and Mega Man duking it out for the Capcom invitation. So, you should probably prepare for the worst in your case.

Ken: Alright. I'm already a big part of Street Fighter 6, so I don't need Smash to stay alive.

Captain Falcon: I take offense to that, you know.

Ken: I'm sure you do. See ya!

Joker: Hey, is this spot taken?

Mario: For a Sega rep? Twice over, but state your case anyway.

Joker: Thanks! For one, Atlus is an actual Sega division, meaning I'm higher up on the totem pole than Bayonetta. For two, I'm the Cloud of Persona, if that makes sense. For three, since Sega also owns TMS, you can give me a Lupin III-esque skin for the next game if people want their "anime in Smash" comparison.

Link: Yeah, but we were thinking of using your gimmick to keep Marth in the game. If you've seen the Engage trailer, you could see where we're going with this.

Joker: (beat) Okay. Save a spot for me next month.

Captain Falcon: We'll try.

Luminary: Hi. As the main Hero skin, I'm gonna speak for all of them. The four of us are some of the most well-known Dragon Quest protagonists, and the worst part about how we went into the game probably isn't a big factor anymore.

Mario: Hmm... You make a fine point for you and your colleagues, but Cloud outranks all of you in popularity. However, I suppose I could see you make the cut, with or without the other Heroes, like we can see Ryu or Snake representing their companies second.

Luminary: Thank you, thank you! You won't regret this!

Captain Falcon: Shall the next combatant come forth?

Banjo: Guh-huh! Hiya, folks!

Mario: Banjo! My old buddy! How's it hanging, pal?

Kazooie: Not as well as it should be, but it's nice to be wanted.

Link: Kazooie! Be nice.

Banjo: For once, I agree with her. It is nice to be wanted. Plus, the folks at Microsoft are pretty chummy with the Nintendo bigwigs nowadays, which means we have hope to return. Right?

Kazooie: Please say yes. It's all we have left now!

Mario: I'm thinking, I'm thinking. And from the fandom's perspective, we'd probably have some beheadings if you guys got cut.

Banjo: (sigh) Yep. You likely would...

Mario: Just don't count your Jinjos before they fly.

Kazooie: Fine by us. C'mon, Banjo.

Captain Falcon: Next.

Terry: Let's get to business. While SNK is a more minor player in the video game field, they were more than happy to let me in the game. They don't say they got a free newcomer with the purchase of a soundtrack for no reason, after all.

Link: He's got a point. Plus, Sakurai was inspired by King of Fighters to make Smash more inclusive in its gameplay.

Sakurai: That is correct.

Terry: So, I can make it back?

Mario: Perhaps.

Steve: Hello, fellow Smash fighters. I'm Steve.

Alex: And I'm Alex!

Steve: Not only is Minecraft now the highest-selling game ever made, not only is it a Microsoft IP that provides a steady income for the executives, not only is it recent despite the style of the game...

Alex: But if we return, there's actually more than eight starter skins for the game now. No more Zombie or Enderman or other skins for us!

Mario: All those reasons sound great! I'll just tell Banjo and Kazooie when the show's over.

Steve: Okay.

Sephiroth: (evil chuckle)

Mario, Link, and Captain Falcon: NO!

Sephiroth: Oh? You won't even give me a chance?

Captain Falcon: No offense, pretty boy, but FFVII has too much exposure.

Link: I get enough trouble from Ganondorf, thank you very much.

Mario: And your trailer was the closest I ever got to death since Ridley's debut at E3 2018!

Sephiroth: Okay, fine. I can take a hint. Send the folks at Wooden Plank my regards.

Cloud: OH, YOU AGAIN!

Sephiroth: Save it for Final Destination, Cloud.

Cloud: You bet I will, fly boy!

Mario: Next, please!

Kazuya: Hmph. It's not like I wanted to be here, anyway.

Captain Falcon: Well, it's not like you have a shot at returning, either. Pac-Man's a better Namco rep, Ryu and Terry are better fighting game reps, and Cloud's a better PS1 rep. In short, good luck getting that lucky phone call.

Kazuya: I can say the same thing about you and mean it.

Falcon: That does it! I'm going through All-Star Mode after this.

Link: Looks like our next guy is the last third-party character.

Mario: A-ok! Let's see who it is.

Sora: (inhales)

Mario: Owned by both Disney and Square Enix, with Disney having more of a say.

Link: The obligatory "too many swordfighters" claim that I'm surprised hasn't been brought up by this point.

Captain Falcon: And your lore makes the Encyclopedia Britannica look like a picture book.

Mario: Sorry, but you're not making it in next time. It's just business, and business stinks right about now.

Sakurai: That's all the time we have left. Tune in next week for the non-Nintendo characters who want to get in the game.

Captain Falcon: Dogpile in 3. 2. 1.

Mario: CHARGE!!

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c-h-pictures · 2 years

Text

BSD as Gravity Falls Part 5

Dazai: He’s committing voter fraud right now.

Mori: *stuffing votes for himself into the ballot box*

Interviewer: What would you do to our kids?

Chuuya: Simple, put them on an island and make them fight to the death.

Chuuya: Also teach kids swears.

Interviewer: What would you do about the crime in Yokohama?

Dazai: Wait, do you mean crime in general? Or jsut the specific crimes committed by me?

News anquor: Dazai has been disqaulified due to the discovery of an extensive criminal record.

Atsushi: Dazai, what did you do?

Dazai: What’s didn’t I do?

News anquor: Crimes include shoplifting, teaching bears to drive, a new crime he invented called burgle-bezzlement, first degree llama-cide,

Gogol: *log running on Sigma*

Sigma: Ow ow ow ow ow ow

Gogol: Whee! Hahaha!

Sigma: Ow ow ow ow

Dazai: No, I’m gonna teach this bear

Dazai: To drive.

Dazai: And the yellow light means speed up.

Dazai: Doing my taxes.

Atsushi, looking at ‘I have committed tax fraud’: Uh, Dazai, why did you write this?

Dazai: Because I regularly commit massive tax fraud.

Akutagawa: I think I broke something.

Dazai: WALK IT OFF!

Dazai: The plan is to stay in here and eat brown meat until we run out.

Dazai Then I vote we eat the gnomes.

Chuuya: Hey! I’m short, not deaf!

Dazai: Hey, you’re a cutie.

Chuuya: I have butchered millions.

Ace, with his hair on fire: AH! MY HAIR!

Fyodor, with his hair on fire: Ah! My hair also!

Kenji: When one door closes, choose a nearby wall and bash it in with brute force!

Atsushi: Using his incredible lock picking skills.

Kenji: *smashes lock with a rock*

#bsd incorrect quotes #bungo stray dogs #bsd dazai #bsd mori #bsd chuuya #bsd atsushi #bsd gogol #bsd sigma #bsd akutagawa #bsd ace #bsd fyodor #bsd kenji

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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Wisconsin voters on Tuesday will cast their primary ballots in what's turned into an expensive and high-stakes battle for control of the state Supreme Court in a key political battleground where power is divided between a Democratic Governor and a Republican-controlled legislature.

Voters will narrow the field of candidates down to two, who will then advance to April's general election for a seat on a court where conservatives currently hold a 4-3 majority. Although the election is technically nonpartisan -- there are no party labels on the ballot -- interest groups align, party operations mobilize and money flows into races for its seats as if they were partisan contests.

The departure of a conservative justice, Patience Roggensack, has given liberals an opportunity to seize the majority on a court that could decide on issues such as abortion, redistricting, and voting rights ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Conservatives have controlled the state's high court for 14 years -- a span in which the court has sided with Republicans' union-busting efforts and affirmed voting restrictions, including ID requirements and a ban on ballot drop boxes.

"This seat is crucial to the balance of the court, and the court is crucial to the balance of the state," said Barry Burden, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of its Elections Research Center.

The candidates hoping to advance to the April general election are liberals Janet Protasiewicz, a Milwaukee County circuit court judge, and Everett Mitchell, a circuit judge in Dane County; and conservatives Daniel Kelly, a former state Supreme Court justice, and Jennifer Dorow, a judge perhaps best known for presiding over the trial of a man convicted of killing six and injuring scores more in a 2021 attack on a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Outside money has flooded the race, surpassing candidate spending. As of Thursday afternoon, orders for TV and radio ads focused on the race had hit $7 million, according to advertising tracked by Kantar Media/CMAG for the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University's law school. Experts say the spending on the race could smash the previous record -- $15.2 million spent on a 2004 Illinois Supreme Court race, according to the liberal-leaning Brennan Center -- for the most expensive campaign for a single state Supreme Court seat.

The court could become the final arbiter on a host of critical issues in Wisconsin in the coming years -- including the fate of the state's 1849 law prohibiting abortion in nearly all cases. The US Supreme Court's decision last summer ending federal legal protections for the procedure has super-charged the rhetoric -- and spending -- around abortion in the Wisconsin race.

The state Supreme Court could also play a crucial role in the 2024 election. Wisconsin was a key location of former President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn his 2020 loss, and the refusal of a conservative justice on the state Supreme Court to go along with an effort that year to toss out ballots in two heavily Democratic counties looms large in the rivalry between the two right-leaning candidates in this year's race.

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raindingrandom · 3 months

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A decade since the last Donkey Kong game...

Ten years ago, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for Wii U was released in Japan.

Retro Studios improved everything about the already fantastic Donkey Kong Country Returns for Wii, which resulted in one of the greatest 2D platformers of all time.

However, this date brings a bittersweet feeling...

It has now been an entire decade since the release of a brand new mainline Donkey Kong game. As a huge fan of the franchise, particularly the DKC games, this hurts.

That's not to say nothing Donkey Kong related has happened since then, however. Examples include the Tropical Freeze Switch port, a DK DLC story in Mario + Rabbids, the Donkey Kong themed Super Nintendo World expansion, and DK's large role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

And of course, King K. Rool finally became a playable character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate due to his popularity in the Smash Ballot. What's more, the reveal trailer introduced the character to a new generation, and re-established his status as the Kong's arch enemy.

So the Donkey Kong franchise clearly isn't dead. But it's still frustrating that there's been such a long gap between new game installments. I can only hope that something new is cooking for Nintendo's next console, whether it be 2D or 3D.

I just want the Kongs back...

#RainDingRambles #Donkey Kong #Donkey Kong Country #Tropical Freeze #Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze #King K. Rool #Retro Studios #DK #DKC #When will he finally be back to kick some tail?

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madamspeaker · 4 months

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The sixth of January is the date prescribed in United States law for Congress to count the electoral votes in the presidential election. It is an occasion of high drama with specific requirements: the security of the mahogany boxes containing the states’ Electoral College certificates; the timing of the joint session of Congress, called to order at 1 p.m.; the precise rules that spell out that the debate on objections to the count shall proceed “clearly and concisely.”

On January 6, 2021, my daughter Alexandra brought her two sons to the Capitol to witness this historic occasion of a peaceful transfer of power. My grandsons did witness history that day, just not the history anyone expected.

The former president had long planned for the nullification of the election, sowing doubt about the results even before ballots were cast and challenging the results in the courts. So before the joint session, we prepared for the possibility of objections to the Electoral College votes by Republican members of Congress. It was clear that the results from Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin would be the targets. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland strategized with members of Congress from those states about how we would respond to and defeat the objections on the House floor, based on the facts and the laws.

The joint session on January 6 was called to order at 1 o’clock by the vice president. The first Republican objection to a state electoral vote came with Arizona. During that debate, at about 2:15 p.m., my security detail rushed to the speaker’s chair and told me that I had to leave immediately. We left so fast that I didn’t even have time to bring my cellphone with me.

Having failed to overturn the election results in the courts or in Congress, the president had resorted to insurrection in the Capitol. A violent mob—enflamed by the “Stop the Steal” rally held by the former president—had marched to the Capitol, broken through the outer police barrier, and reached multiple entrances to the building. Smashing in windows and breaking down doors, they stormed inside, seeking to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.

More than 2,000 rioters made it inside the building. Some in the mob were yelling “Hang Mike Pence”—angry that the vice president refused to follow the former president’s diabolical order to overturn the election results. At the same time, the massive crowd swarmed outside my office chanting “Nancy, Nancy, Nancy,” even screaming about wanting to put a bullet in my head.

I was awed by the courage of the Capitol Police and the D.C. Metropolitan Police, defending our temple of democracy and protecting the people inside. Sadly, 140 police officers were injured by rioters. Many sustained long-lasting physical and emotional scars. Some officers later lost their lives.

I feared for those law-enforcement heroes, as I feared for my members, the congressional staff, the workers who maintain the Capitol, the press, and the others who were present that day. Their stories are harrowing—and demonstrate extraordinary courage.

Because of COVID, not all members could participate on the House floor. Jason Crow of Colorado was in the gallery with a group of members and journalists when the building was breached. A former Army Ranger, he snapped into action, telling them to leave their belongings behind, get down on the floor, and crawl toward a secure doorway where they could escape. As the mob outside pounded on the doors—some say it sounded like a battering ram—he even prepared them to use their pens as weapons, if needed. Jason, of course, was the last to leave the gallery.

I would learn, in heartbreaking detail, about what my own team endured on that day. These young staffers—some of the most civic-minded, patriotic folks you’ll ever meet—nearly came face-to-face with the rioters. For two and a half hours, they crouched in a small conference room with the door locked and barricaded, the lights off and in complete silence. As the savages tried to force their way in, my staff was forced to reckon with the possibility that they might never see their loved ones again.

Congressional leadership was taken to Fort McNair. As I left the Capitol, I kept asking if the National Guard had been called, a power reserved for the executive branch. While the governor of every state in the union has the power to call up their own National Guard, the District of Columbia’s National Guard is under the control of the Defense Department—and, ultimately, of the commander in chief.

When I got to Fort McNair, it was clear that no one had deployed the National Guard to the Capitol. As Senator Chuck Schumer and I watched the television coverage of the unfolding insurrection, we began to place urgent calls to the administration.

I contacted Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, who could not have been more casual. In response to our pleas to dispatch reinforcements, he said: “Well, I have to report to my boss. That takes time. I don’t know what we can do.” His answer was horrifying.

While the Pentagon dragged its feet, Chuck, Representative Steny Hoyer, and I called the governors of Virginia and Maryland to ask them for help. Virginia law enforcement and National Guard troops began arriving in D.C. around 3:15 p.m., and Maryland was cooperative too.

Chuck, Senator Mitch McConnell, and I then contacted McCarthy’s boss, Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, to plead for more reinforcements. Mitch insisted that the National Guard “get there in one hell of a hurry, you understand?” I demanded an answer: “Just pretend for a moment it was the Pentagon or the White House or some other entity that was under siege.” Still, Miller delayed.

Hours later, the Capitol was finally cleared. While it was suggested that we continue the certification from Fort McNair for security reasons, it was always our goal to return to the Capitol that night to finish the count. The whole world had seen the vile “Stop the Steal” venom the president was pushing, and the violence that it had caused. It was essential that we continue our duties in the Capitol of the United States, for the American people and the world alike to see.

At 9 p.m., I returned to the speaker’s chair, took up the gavel, and called the House to order. I read a brief statement: “To those who engaged in the gleeful desecration of this, our temple of democracy … justice will be done.” And I vowed that Congress would “be part of a history that shows the world what America is made of.”

The House resumed debate on the Arizona objection, before the most astonishing thing happened. Even after barricading themselves in their offices, hiding under desks and chairs, and witnessing so much pain and trauma, an overwhelming majority of House Republicans voted against the election results in Arizona—including Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise, who had listened at Fort McNair as Mitch, Chuck, and I pleaded for the National Guard.

Thankfully, 303 members of the House voted against the objection, and it failed. If you can believe it, the Republicans then decided to bring up a challenge to the votes from Pennsylvania. The Senate rejected the Pennsylvania objection without debate, but the House suffered through two more hours of debate before the objection was finally voted down.

Late that night, Vice President Pence officially recorded the votes from all the states and declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election. As we shared the podium in the House during the joint session, I thanked and commended Pence for having the courage to do what was right, for honoring his oath of office to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” I also recognized the courage and commitment of the members and staff, who returned to the chambers that night and stayed until about 4 a.m., when we finally adjourned the January 6 session.

I remember the first time I saw the United States Capitol. I was 6 years old, and my family was traveling to Washington to see Daddy sworn in for his fifth term in Congress. As we approached our destination, my brothers were beaming as they said, “Nancy, look, look, there’s the Capitol!” And there it was: a magnificent white dome, towering and imposing, shining in the sun.

But more important than the beauty of the building is the majesty of what it represents. Long seen as a symbol of freedom and democracy around the globe, the Capitol dome was built by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. When some suggested that he halt construction to save steel and manpower for the war, Lincoln said no. He knew that finishing the dome would demonstrate America’s strength and resolve.

January 6 was another perilous moment for our democracy. It was an attack not just on the Capitol, but on our Constitution. And some who carried out the assault under Lincoln’s dome were carrying the Confederate flag. But on that dark night, Congress again projected America’s strength and resolve. Now, three years later, we are called on to do the same.

The threat to our democracy is real, present, and urgent. The parable of January 6 reminds us that our precious democratic institutions are only as strong as the courage and commitment of those entrusted with their care. We all share a responsibility to preserve American democracy, which Lincoln called “the last best hope of earth.”

#nancy pelosi #madam speaker

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