#and the other is concerned only about its own status and safety

[carriesthewind]

The more I read about “effective altruists,” the more I become convinced that their entire moral philosophy is just as shallow and selfish as it seemed the first time I heard about it.

Large numbers of "effective altruists” are most concerned about the supposed existential risk of AI intelligence because they are, overwhelmingly, white middle-and-upper-class young people. They live in America and Western Europe. They are healthy and non-disabled. Despite any lip-service they may pay to inequality and suffering, the status quo is working quite well for them. The only risk to their own comfortable existence is a major breaking of the status quo, the “existential risk” so many of them become obsessed with. But even then, working to effectively mitigate any real, known, existential threats to the world - e.g., climate change - would require seriously grappling with their own privilege and advocating for the rights and safety of others over their own comfort. And so they make up a fake threat, one that is completely devoid of any race or class or colonial or gender or disability consciousness, where their disregard for doing anything to help their suffering neighbor is not only justified but heroic, because they are stopping the “real” existential threat to "everyone’s" existence.

This is the bankrupt, selfish core of the “effective altruism” philosophy. It is so obvious that it feels almost pointless to put onto the screen. I feel like I can understand, in part, why coverage of the movement looks for something deeper. Why it focuses on teasing out its historical development and highlights the sensible ideas that adherents drape over the surface of the movement (like trying to objectively measure how effectively charitable interventions are meeting their goals), as if those are building blocks that could logically lead to longtermerism and 'earning to give'. It is the drive to believe that it can’t be as stupid and selfish as it seems in the surface.

But it is. Some of its adherents really believe in it. But that is because, despite the protestations of their own Rationality(tm), humans are really good at convincing ourselves to believe things that serve our own selfish interests.

#ai bs #'effective' 'altruism' #grump grump grump

[hccn-overseer]

Issue 1, 4/19/2023 - Hermitcitizen Hub Online!

Issue Masterpost About The Overseer

This week, the Hermitcitizen Hub launched to the joy of Hermitcraft fans across the internet, providing a space for all of us to geek out about Hermitcraft and our own newly-minted Hermitcitizens.

Since its debut on Tumblr on April 12th and subsequent spread to Twitter on April 13th, the Hub has grown to a staggering 500 citizens, a number that has only increased since the writing of this article.

With this influx of new citizens, the Admins are looking for more moderators in order to keep the server safe and fun for everyone involved! More information on applications is available in #announcements, for all those interested.

This week has been productive to say the least, and with each passing day comes new things in the Hermitcitizen Hub! For starters, mod applications are open! Full information can be found in #announcements.

PluralKit was also recently added, which we would also like to remind is not to be used for roleplay! PluralKit is created for systems in the server who would like to use it- again, more info can be found in #announcements or #bot-channel!

Limited Life episodes are in full swing, so any and all talk about it should be kept to #Limited Life: Spoiler Zone so if people haven’t watched it yet they don’t get unnecessary spoilers.

Lastly, please make sure you update your internet browser for safety reasons- Safari and Google Chrome have both released updates that are important to keeping your internet time safe. Here’s to another great week, citizens!

Now onto other news below the cut!

Please keep in mind there are many news featured today and will take a bit of scrolling.

BREAKING NEWS - Former King’s Court Makes Plans for Revenge

By Virtual

Former members of King Ren’s court held a meeting this week that could spell disaster for the fallen King of Hermitcraft. The court has scattered to the corners of the server in the weeks since the fateful revolution, but they have gathered once again with a single mission in mind: Making Ren pay. 

In the wake of King Ren’s rise to and subsequent removal from power, the lower members of the court have seen their diamonds and status go down the drain. As it would seem, being on the losing side of a monarchy does very little for one’s coffers. Some would expect a meeting of the King’s former court to end in schemes to return Ren to the throne, but it seems that the former King’s disastrous reign has soured the hearts of the people against the possibility of King Ren making a return. An anonymous source from within the king’s court notes, “There [has] always been a huge dissatisfaction…between the lower court members.” They then went on to describe at least five separate counts of espionage against King Ren. This dissatisfaction does not seem to have disappeared with the monarchy, and many are willing to go far to get their pay. 

However, though the former King’s diamonds are surely as far gone as a Scarland worker’s sanity, the ex-monarch’s court doesn’t seem to be looking for material payment. Instead, they’re looking for something more like karmic retribution. Another anonymous member of the court summarized their mission with the phrase: "Karma is a bitch, and today we shall be bitches.” It’s not quite a worker’s union, but the newly formed Court of Vengeance is looking to get their fair pay just the same.

For those concerned about the impacts this may have on their chances of death, fear not. Reliable sources say that much of the court has sworn off true violence against former King Ren and any other server members. Citizens should be on the lookout for the occasional trap, but beyond that the Court of Vengeance doesn't seem to be taking their lost diamonds and dignity as an invitation for all-out-war. What they do seem to be looking for is something more dramatic, fantastic, and royally frightening for Ren the Dog. Safe to say, watch out for fireworks, and stay tuned this week for what is looking to be one hell of a show. 

Weekly Weather Report

By Rainy N. Autumn

Thursday - SUNNY, 40% chance of falling anvils serverwide between 6AM and 6PM (GMT)

Friday - STORMS, 95% chance of the Limited Life finale. Frequent lightning strikes anticipated

Saturday - RAIN, 2-5cm of precipitation expected. Flash floods possible. Perimeter residents are advised to stay off the bedrock until 9AM Sunday (GMT)

Sunday - CLOUDY, be aware that low visibility may make it harder to spot Scar’s dragon if it gets loose again

Monday - SUNNY, 75% chance that Tango returns to streaming on Mondays. Expect phantoms around Deep Frost Citadel after sunset

Tuesday - SUNNY, the chance of getting hit by a falling anvil is low but never zero

Wednesday - WINDY, citizens are advised to exercise caution near Nether portals that are outdoors in the Overworld, as strong gusts may travel through

Days Since Last...

By Il

We all know that Hermitcraft is basically a safety haven and no OSHA violations have ever happened so let’s see how this week our table of days since last work accident are doing:

Ancient Ruins (BdoubleO base): 0 - please walk in caution, holes in the floor are not part of the final design we hope.

Total Chaos: 0 - we would like to remind everyone that tunnel to Total Chaos shoots fireworks that will kill you.

Perimeter: 0 - flying anvils, dragons, slimes, wardens, the usual stuff.

Etho’s alien base: 0 - do not sleep under trees inside the building, they are a tree farm.

False’s base: 0 - getting ominous banners is a hard job and we salute all of you.

Scarland: 0 - HotGuy still going strong with his shots, if you still have arrows stuck in you ask someone for help with removing them.

Rift/Grumbot laboratory: 0 - if you get stuck inside Grumbot please scream loudly, and if you are stuck behind the Rift then pray, we will try to get you out.

Gem’s village: 0 - sparring with your boss is technically not an accident, but it still causes workplace death so we count it. Aside, someone got stuck inside the head of the Gem statute.

Hypno’s base: 0 - dear beekeepers, remember that bees actually can sting and are not huggable.

Jevin’s cathedral and castle: 0 - fall damage is strong in this one, remember about your elytras.

Dwarven Keep: 0 - railings are there for a reason, and the reason is to stay behind them.

OMEGA cave: 0 - I know that iskallium looks tasty but it is in fact inedible.

Pinball Machine: 0 - you cannot parkour on the letters on the side, we checked.

Keralis’ base: 0 - lava pool may look tasty but it is not soup, please restrain from eating.

Mumbo’s Vault: 0 - falling into the screeching crevice will not end well same with being squished by vault door.

Pearl’s Alien Landscape: 0 - I know that the trees look tasty, but they are not edible and the hospital in there is not working, so please refrain from that.

Gigacorp: 0 - going inside creeper farm will blow you up and going into pumpkin farm will squish you. Crastle: 0 - the warden is still in the Vault and it is hungry

StressMonster101: 0 - drinking expired enchanTEA will end with tummy hurting or worse.

Decked Out: 0 - splashing into redstone will not end well, falling down unfinished landscape will not end well, falling down the Citadel will not end well and last but not least cuddling the ravagers usually ends up poorly.

TFC’s branch mine: 0 - when you stumble upon a ravine, look up.

VintageBeef’s map island: 0 - beware, phantoms and entity cramming. TCG Arenas: 0 - guys, you will get squished by an anvil if you stand for five seconds.

Welsknight’s Village area: 0 - do not go near Garry, there is a huge hole under there.

xB’s base: 0 - the ravagers in the zoo are not a part of mini zoo, do not pet them.

Xisuma’s ribcage: 0 - when you step out of his portal, stop, think and then move.

Zedaph’s place: 0 - whatever Zed asks you to drink is probably an OSHA violation.

Atlantis: 0 - we encourage you to be careful when walking on the high spaces and generally when walking because you never know when Jevin will strike.

Shopping district: 0 - it is encouraged to be careful while doing anything as there were seeing if loose wardens as well as wild HotGuy, when throwing away loose TCG packs stay behind the chains, when leaving iBuy go through the door and when going close to the Entity - don’t.

Spawn Village: 0 - the ravager near the mattress store is not a great cuddler, Elven Cookies are not mob proof and try not to fail at Octodrop next time.

Game Updates

By Winter @winterwhipbird

Welcome back to the Games Update! Decked Out just saw its first test runs! Zedaph went 3/12 in testing, giving him a 25% win rate. I’m sure the wranglers are proud of their ravagers! Decked Out is still being worked on and we’ll be delivering an update when it opens. 

TCG on the other hand is wrapping up with the tournament. Currently for the Semi-Final bracket we have ZombieCleo vs xBcrafted and Docm77 vs EthoSlab. Viewers are reminded that if you do choose to go see either match, beware of falling anvils, as it is not a Scar safe area. If you’re not one to look up, or you’re a zombie, make sure to bring a hard hat, and always remember to wear sunscreen. If you’re looking to get some snacks during the games just pop by Prickly Punch! You can purchase cactus drinks and prickly pears for one diamond each.

For the Results we’ll be sure to bring you coverage of these exciting matches, so stay tuned! Send your predictions to [email protected].*

The high scores are as follows: With the Most Games Played is iJevin with a total of 15 games. The Most Wins go to iJevin with 9 wins. The Most Losses goes to Joe Hills with a total of 8 losses. The best win percentage currently goes to EthoSlab with an 80% chance of winning.

*not a real email address

Now lets look to some interviews and going-ons with the hermitcitizens day-to-day lives!

Affiliate Happenings

By Roo @nova-skittle and Jamie

What Have the Citizens Been Doing?? The affiliate channels, put in place with the rest of the server, give citizens the opportunity to connect with other citizens living near, working for, or otherwise connected to specific Hermits!

BdoubleO100: Nothing important. Morning Gorgious. Cubfan135: Good news, they’re fans of Cub. Nothing has changed. All is well in the world. Docm77: They’re planning to start a union. Finally, the dragon is dangerous as hell. Also! It has been discovered that the perimeter is indeed radioactive. Better think carefully about going to work for him, it seems all of the staff are starting to be radioactive themselves. Oh, and Doc is afraid of catboys. EthosLab: “Ninjas work in the shadows”, apparently. Aka, no one feels like working for him. FalseSymmetry: They’re just discussing how awesome False is. Dw, we fully agree. GoodTimesWithScar: This just in - cat ears or elf ears are now part of the Scarland Staff uniform! All of the Scarland staff have been shot by Hotguy at least once, seems a bit sus, no?? Visitors eating the gravel and cobble paths has become an increasing problem at Scarland and staff says they will revoke your visitors path if you are found nomming! Staff repeatedly says they are not liable for any harm, sickness, or strange curses that come to you after visiting! After the many incidents with Hotguy, staff has printed out a pamphlet stating how to avoid such attacks, and deal with those that are unavoidable. Grian: One of Grian’s fixers got stuck inside of Grumbot! Lemon is unhurt, but may be slightly traumatized after being unable to get out of the giant robot. The Fixer robots were quick to the scene and easily got them out. Now that the Rift is closed, a member of Grian’s staff is ALSO stuck behind it! We don’t know how they got behind the Rift in the first place, but there’s no foreseeable way to get them out now. Other staff members have been contemplating ways, but nothing stands out so far. We should likely be concerned about Grian’s staff, given that these incidents happened within a week of each other. GeminiTay: The only thing that has gone on is that only two people are Geminis. I MEAN WHAT WE’RE ALL GEMINIS!!! We are all Geminis who just so happened to be hired by GeminiTay! Hypnotizd: No news! Currently hiring: Hypno affiliates. I know you’re out there. Where are you hiding.   iJevin: There’s been no activity. Wheres the Jev affiliates huh.  ImpulseSV: They’re been nice and discussing their shifts :)) And where they work in iBuy, which is fair, considering how large of a building it is. Iskall85: hallo! JoeHills: They’re just enjoying themselves. Keralis: They’ve come to the conclusion that Keralis is just a creature. Just a guy :)  MumboJumbo: They ate a lot of redstone and discussed their favorite redstone components. Mumbo am i right. PearlescentMoon: Announcement: she’s just a silly guy in a silly world. The end. Rendog: They might be rising an army. Don’t worry tho they’re a bunch of friendly theater kids.  StressMonster101: They say hello :D  TangoTek: Ravagers seem to attack workers despite being trained! Also I think a sleepover is being planned? In Decked Out? Which will be very safe I’m sure. TinFoilChef: They’re miners :)  VintageBeef: They’re just chilling! Dw there will be plenty of TCG talk soon.  Welsknight: They’re posting various images of welsknight. I dont know what else was expected.  xBCrafted: They say hi as well! Xisumavoid: he do be rockin.  Zedaph: They’re taking photographs of everyone around. By the end of this week they’ll probably have more Zedvancements than the man himself. ZombieCleo: They’re talking about working in a flower shop :) also i missed the episode of limited life where ZombieCleo dies in a glue trap, when’s that one going to be up? HC Recap: People sure are there!

Decked Out 2

By Winter @winterwhipbird

The greatly acclaimed game is continuing in steady progress! Winter has talked with several of the employees of Decked Out 2 to give us an interview from within the Deep Frost Citadel

<Winter> First of all, thank you for joining me today to tell me about how Decked Out Two is going. I have a few questions about how the game is going. First of all do you even get paid?

<ShadowsCome> In diamonds? no, not at all <redstoneman> Paid in experience! <glypharia> I’m not sure if he knows half of us exist <Azalea_Bush_Heart> I don't think half of us are even employed imma be honest <ShadowsCome> In here you either get paid in experience, emeralds or whatever you can find on chests. (In response to Azalea) Yeah that's fair... we ain't technically employed here. <rainyinautumn> I'm literally just doing this for fun, so…

<Winter> Oh, that certainly breaks some workplace laws(in reference to the no pay thing). Does anyone plan on playing the game once you finish it?

<Azalea_Bush_Heart> absolutely not :D <glypharia> Nope! <ShadowsCome> I've died to enough ravagers while fixing hazard doors, don't need more of those on my stats <redstoneman> Nope! I am afraid of ravagers. I don't go inside the caverns at all. <rainyinautumn> I've seen the ravager death statistics from testing. no plans to play it myself, I'll be busy anyway

<Winter> Does anyone have a favorite place in the citadel?

<Azalea_Bush_Heart> Pearls room on lvl 2, I eat lunch there a lot :D <glypharia> The back entrance! I like the stairs <ShadowsCome> outside of the game? Gotta love the middle tower, you can see most of the server from there <rainyinautumn> My office. It's way down in the basement by the game itself, but it's where I do all the reviews of game footage and sort stats. Very cozy. <redstoneman> i kinda like just being in the spaghetti!... the redstone stuff, that is <Azalea_Bush_Heart> I got lost in the spaghetti once <ShadowsCome> yeah the spaghetti is fun to be in <glypharia> it’s so weird in there

<Winter> is there anyone that you're excited to see in the dungeon?

<ShadowsCome> Etho. 100% <Azalea_Bush_Heart> I used to be excited to see revenger #3, but they've been replaced by a fake :( <glypharia> Scar, just to see him die every time <redstoneman> shh ... whaat... nothing happened to beast 3... <glypharia> rest in peace ravager #3 <rainyinautumn> Can't wait to run stats on Etho. <ShadowsCome> I want to watch the crazy strats some people are going to try to pull <Azalea_Bush_Heart> hermit wise I guess Scar? I like his building style and its the only chance I get to see him where he's not shooting me <redstoneman> i'll second etho, he was great in the first one! keralis as well!

<Winter> has anyone placed bets on who will be slain the fastest?

<ShadowsCome> not yet, but I think some of us will want day 1 stats before betting <Azalea_Bush_Heart> hey guys we should place bets on who dies fastest, I vote scar <rainyinautumn> I mean. I don't think anyone can outdo the wranglers honestly.(There was a lot of agreement on this point) <glypharia> i don’t think we’ve placed bets yet but i vote scar <redstoneman> common opinion is scar! Lol

<Winter> is anyone going to be monitoring the tango cam/will you use DO2 as a haunted mansion?

<redstoneman> i'll definitely watch some games! and it's already pretty haunted lmao so yeah <ShadowsCome> I would love to manage or monitor the camera for a bit! <glypharia> honestly watching the games sounds like a good down time activity <Azalea_Bush_Heart> I would rather not watch the camera but might for funsies if I get bored <rainyinautumn> I monitor cams all the time. Great for data collection. <ShadowsCome> we might have to set up a watch party for some players I think <redstoneman> we can place bets on those

<Winter> Will you allow other citizens to come watch/place bets on those matches, and if so who will they be able to contact?

<redstoneman> i don't see why not! <ShadowsCome> televised runs? We would have to ban hermits from getting in those in case secrets get revealed... but otherwise I don't see why not <rainyinautumn> Personally I frown upon betting on matches, but I'm not going to stop people from doing it. For me, the joy is in watching the game play out instead of hinging on certain outcomes! For others it might be different. <ShadowsCome> you just have to find whoever's on shift at the moment and they might be able to tell you where we're watching <redstoneman> hm true, so long as the viewers aren't looking to cheat by watching the games. maybe at the end of the game we can make a highlight reel or something lol <ShadowsCome> we all trust the honor system, Mr. Tek included

<Winter> That is very good thing to do. I guess in a few more weeks we will have to check back in on you guys and see if your predictions change. Thank you so much for this interview.

<Azalea_Bush_Heart> of course, please let the public know we are in desperate need of diamonds <redstoneman> thanks for interviewing us! <glypharia> thank you! <rainyinautumn> It was fun! I think most of us are like the dungeon master and don't get out very much, so it was good getting to talk to you!

ADVERTISEMENTS

By Jamie

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“Looks like things are getting saucy in the Perimeter! Residents continue to ask for ways to be rid of tomato stains. Please feel free to send in any tips or tricks you may have!”

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“Do you find yourself getting lost thousands of blocks away from your home? Has your elytra been breaking at the most inconvenient of times? Not to worry! Melody is willing to fly you back at all hours of the day! Just give her a text at [email protected]!”

“Have you ever come across a mob that makes you go “hm?” Ones that are not acting right, or ones that you haven’t seen before. Well, next time you do call over Azure! They’re here to research any odd creatures you want them to! Just give them a buzz.”

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“If you’re good at PvP this job may be for you! Scarland workers are in desperate need for more security personnel and you could be hired as soon as today! Come on down to Scarland to complete your interview.”

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“Having trouble with accidental mob farms? No worries! Let the Scar Safety Service light up your base so that you can get back to the grind fear free!”

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“A Plea From Various Hermitcitizens, PLEASE CALM DOWN FOR ONE DAY. JUST ONE. PLEASE. Many thanks, The GGG"

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“Looking for a bouquet of daises. Meet Honeysuckle and Thistle at (coords for somewhere around G’s base) if you’re willing to help!”

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"Have you been infected with sculk recently? Are you interested in figuring out how it works and potentially finding a cure? If so, talk to the Sculk Research Team! We're more than happy to help new people out!"

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Fun and Games

Little games brought to you for a little bit of fun! Word Search and Crossword courtesy of Sirius @aurhisaurelio, Coloring page courtesy of Morph @imorphemi

Word Search and Crossword answer keys can be found in the Pinned of the Hermitcraft Citizen Newspaper The Overseer (OOC) post within #citizen-connections

Finished coloring pages can be shared in #citizen-art!

A transparent version for your coloring needs!

Please refer to #Nova North and #Nic in #citizen-information for references to Nic the cat and Nova the Avian!

And that's all for this first issue folks! Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful week!

#issue #hermitcitizen #hccn weather #hccn days since last... #hccn affilate happenings #hccn advertisements #hccn fun and games

[kaiicedragon]

Just some more QSMP purgatory thoughts and symbolism going into the final 2 days (almost done guys!)

Purgatory being a place to repent for sins and mistakes made for sinners to be given the chance to go to Heaven. Something about the two remaining teams. One team refusing to let go of what happened at the beginning. The other team trying to extend an olive branch (despite the actions of some of their own) but not being trusted. How one team made a home base and the other team has struggled with having a place to stay.

How one team leader wants to win and the other team leader was prepared to sacrifice his team for Green to win if need be. With one leader being known as the Angel of Death and the other leader being the youngest on the server.

How Purgatory is sometimes described as having a cleansing fire for souls, with one team being spawned in the cold and having their name be 'soulfire'.

How the cursed team may have been decided in the Egg Wars. How Blue Team kept to their promise and didn't hurt any statue while Red Team broke the deal and destroyed Green Team's egg statue. How that may have sealed Team Soulfire's fate as the cursed team. They kept to the promise and didn't touch or hurt any egg statue, out of concern that they could possibly be tied to the actual eggs. Yet, the only team to not hurt them may be the only team that may potentially kill all of the eggs if they lose. How Tubbo wants to play fair, wanted to keep things tied to make the cursed team winning thing easier. How he's agreed to things to try and make peace despite his team not being 100% on board. How their lives aren't not more important than the eggs.

Team Bolas may be cursed by the environment, in the sense that they let it get to them. Seep into their minds and drag them away from the safety of the eggs. How Phil is their leader yet he has problems knowing what is real or not, whether or not he is dreaming. How narratively Day 1 may not have been that bad and just exaggerated by Team Bolas (meta wise this can be because many weren't roleplaying, and lore wise it could be the land getting into their head). How they tried to talk on Day 1 but got beaten down, and they began to bite back when multiple olive branches were extended, all because they grew paranoid. How they broke promises yet jump to conclusions about the others. How they just want to survive.

This doesn't mean that this is why a team may be cursed, but more of a potential narrative point as Purgatory is stated to be canon and its effects will have lingering and lasting consequences and results.

Also, please let there be consequences for Purgatory. Even if one egg dies, it has been months, please remind the parents that life is fleeting. Maybe even one of Pomme's 2 lives. If not kill them, have the eggs be scared of their parents on Team Bolas. Have Chayanne and Tallulah see Phil and see the person who destroyed a statue that represented their siblings. Have the eggs see Bolas and hear their cheers as the statue fell. Have Leo look at Roier and see someone who attacked the statue looking like her, not killing it but her fearing that at any point he will turn and drive his sword into her. Have the eggs be hurt and damaged from every blow that was done to their statues, scared of what their parents have become and what they could do to them. edit: just some general consequences from the top of my head, but not the main focus, as I feel a lot more of Team Soulfire's consequences would be tied more to character relationships, broken trust and lying even among themselves. Though that isn't to say that the eggs will react positively to them either.

#qsmp #qsmp purgatory #team soulfire #team bolas #this turned out more poetic than i expected #just the poetic symbolism of the teams #even accidentally #just rambling don't mind me

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Confederate monuments bear what the anthropological theorist Michael Taussig would call a public secret: something that is privately known but collectively denied. It does no good to simply reveal the secret — in this case, to tell people that most of the Confederate monuments were erected not at the end of the Civil War, to honor those who fought, but at the height of Jim Crow, to entrench a system of racial hierarchy. That’s already part of their appeal. Dr. Taussig has argued that public secrets don’t lose their power unless they are transformed in a manner that does justice to the scale of the secret. He compares the process to desecration. How can you expect people to stop believing in their gods without providing some other way of making sense of this world and our future?

Swords Into Plowshares might have been the first to propose melting, but other communities are working out their own creative visions for Lee’s afterlife. One of the biggest changes so far has been at Arlington House, the historic plantation mansion at the center of Arlington National Cemetery, which is the official national Robert E. Lee Memorial. In 2021, Arlington House reopened with displays not only about Lee’s family, who lived there after they inherited it from Lee’s father-in-law, but also about the lives of the families enslaved there. Even Lee’s burial site at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. — where he served as president after the war — has changed. The university decided to focus on Lee the civilian rather than Lee the general, for example by moving a prominent portrait of him in uniform. And it constructed a wall to enclose the large sculpture of Lee that once claimed an insistent place in the university’s chapel.

Covering this story over the past few years, I’ve come to realize two things. First, when a monument disappears without a ceremony to mark why it is coming down, a community has no chance to recognize that it has itself changed. (Ideally the ceremony is public, but because of safety concerns, the melting I attended was not.) Second, if you are outraged that something’s happening to your community’s heroic statue of Lee, you’re not going to be any less outraged if the statue is moved to some hidden storeroom than if it’s thrown into a landfill. So if all changes, large or small, will be resisted, why not go for the ones with the most symbolic resonance?

That’s why the idea to melt Lee down, as violent as it might initially seem, struck me as so apt. Confederate monuments went up with rich, emotional ceremonies that created historical memory and solidified group identity. The way we remove them should be just as emotional, striking and memorable. Instead of quietly tucking statues away, we can use monuments one final time to bind ourselves together into new communities.

...

When the remaining legal barriers were cleared (including a last-minute lawsuit that sought to have the statue reassembled), Lee was finally ready to surrender to the furnace. The foundryman turned on the propane supply and laid Lee’s sword across the hole in the lid. He told the spectators that the metal had to get hot enough to release any moisture before he maneuvered it down through the hole into the crucible.

When he did, its blade stuck up out of the furnace for a moment, then melted down “like a stick of butter,” as Dr. Schmidt put it.

Lee’s face was the last piece to go into the crucible. Given how often the monument and its ideals were celebrated with flames — from Klansmen’s torches to the tiki torches of white nationalists in 2017 — it seemed fitting for flames to close over the monument.

...

Dr. Douglas, Swords Into Plowshares’ other co-founder, apologized that the ceremony could not be public. She thanked those in attendance, telling us we were witnessing it on behalf of Charlottesville’s residents, including those long gone who lived under slavery. Someday, she said, when we think of Civil War heroes, we will imagine not Lee but, instead, those who fought for their freedom against him.

The man in the protective visor dropped the red-hot piece of metal that once represented Lee on the ground. It fell to pieces, which he fed into the crucible. A line of cameras faced him, making new images of history as the old image finally disappeared in flames.

- Erin Thompson, "The Most Controversial Statue in America Surrenders to the Furnace." New York Times. October 24, 2023. Photo by Eze Amos.

#swords into plougshares #confederate monuments #robert e. lee #tear them down #historical monuments #american civil war #historical memory #united states history #united states politics

[skzfairyy]

District 9: Chapter 12

Mafia!AU || skz x OC’s || PG-17 ||

Pairings: Bangchan x oc, Minsung x oc, other pairings to come!

Genre: Angst, Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Humor, AU (& so much more lol)

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, weapons, language

Status: Ongoing

Wc: 3.7k words

AN: It feels so weird typing out “chapter 12″ now, our story is picking up and it’s crazy that you guys are actually enjoying it. The support really motivates us to keep it going so thank you! Enjoy !! - Y2K

(In the compound, the night the girls make it to the coast)

Monitors were beeping quietly throughout the dark room, three of them sitting side by side on a large desk in the center with a rickety office chair in front, a chair that currently sat empty. The usual occupant was standing towards the back of the room, tinkering with his latest gadget.

The soft light from a small desk lamp sitting in the corner of the cramped table brightens the room just enough to make out its contents. Wires and tools were scattered about as he stood with his back to the door. Safety glasses secured on his face, and dark brown wisps fall right at his brows as he leans down close to his latest project. A small laser zaps at the device before him, keeping his mind busy as he waits. 

Jisung’s brain is usually working in overdrive throughout his everyday life. Only when he’s working with his technology is he finally able to calm the chaos in his head. Ever since they arrived at the compound, he’s isolated himself in this room, distracting himself with his work. Bangchan knew how badly he needed his own space to work on his own projects, as well as how important it was to set up a server that was undetectable to keep them in the loop with the outside world while they hid. The moment Chris told him this room was his, he got to work. Jisung found himself pulling all-nighters often, even last night, to keep him from going back to his bedroom.

After the argument before the Gala, he and Minho had barely spoken to each other. If Chris noticed he didn’t comment on it, which Jisung was grateful for. He traded the shared bedroom he always longed for with Minho, for a couch and it’s worn material in this room alone. If he wasn’t thinking about the fight with his partner, his brain wandered to the source of the conversation. Choi Yura always found a way to creep into his thoughts and this time it was his overwhelming worry for her as she escaped the life she knew, and traveled to meet them at the compound. 

When he was listening in to the meeting at the gala, she barely spoke. At first, he chalked it up to the fact that Yura was working, she was sent as an ambassador of sorts for her academy so she was not really able to be her true self around the elder agents within the society, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was just something more going on with her.

FB

The van door slid open quickly, jolting Jisung who was still smiling at the conversation he overheard between his hyung and the eldest Choi sister. 

“Cameras were looping the whole time. No one will know you guys were there.” Jisung finished his sentence as his curious eyes traveled to the door.

Minho climbs in without sparing his partner a glance. He removes his own earpiece and places it into a box next to Jisung’s setup.  

“I’ll meet you guys at the rendezvous point.” Minho states before turning back to the door.

Jisung frowned at him. They were all supposed to leave together. Once Chan returned they would drive to the edge of town where Changbin and Seungmin were waiting. 

“Did you forget something at the academy?” Jisung turns in his chair, his face full of concern.

Minho turns to look at Jisung, for a moment he’s forgotten about their argument as he reads the telling expression on his partner's features. It made his own mind flash to the emotionless look of Yura at the Gala, reminding him of what he had to do before they left. 

“Yeah, something like that. I’ll meet you there Ji, don’t worry.” He exits the van quickly leaving Jisung alone, the monitors beeping quietly behind him. 

EOF

When they were small, Yura, (better known to Jisung as Yura11g0nnadi3 for the first few months of their friendship), was his online gaming partner. Jisung’s uneasiness with the packed cafe, resulted in him often staying back in his room with his own computer, while his friends hung out with students from the other academies. From there, he would join game matches and play against or with Yura, communicating through the small chat on the screen. Light hearted jokes turned into heartwarming messages whenever she could send them. 

Yura11g0nnadi3: “Jisung make sure Minho feeds you!”

Yura11g0nnadi3: “Please eat today, you’re the best partner I have in this game!”

Yura11g0nnadi3: “Congrats on getting an A in academics! Combat is next. ;)”

Sometimes they’d just jump into a chat room to catch up. Many times she’d have him wait while she helped ice Moonbyul’s wounds from assignments before coming back, spilling the beans as soon as she found out. She never questioned Jisung as to why he never came to the cafe. They were both pretty vague with their friends about their relationship, even when they’d have tournaments between their schools. They knew they would cross paths outside of the chat room because of who their friends were, and especially with Yura’s title within the school, but how deep their actual relationship was, and how much it meant to them? That was their little secret.

That unspoken rule was something he enjoyed about their relationship the most. She was open and trusted him and he was the same for her. When he looked at Yura he never saw the snarky, sarcastic, brutal assassin that everyone else saw, but a kind friend and the most caring woman he’d ever met. 

Later in his teen years, Jisung would rack his brain late at night trying to decipher the relationship they had. Yes, his feelings for Minho grew more and more by the day and he told her about them often, but Choi Yura also held a place in his heart that he couldn’t quite figure out. 

When they would see each other at the Academys’ combat tournaments, he’d fight his social anxiety and always go to support her. Telling the boys it’s his one day a year that he gets to see Changbin get his ass handed to him by a couple of girls. (And he did in fact get his ass beat by Yura every year). As they passed each other she’d send him a small wave, and he’d offer her a small hand heart or thumbs up of encouragement. It was something small, but Jisung looked forward to those moments every year. Especially seeing how fast her switch flipped when the fights started.

To Jisung, letting these indescribable feelings about Yura’s change in emotion go, wasn’t even an option. After telling Minho how he felt, Jisung expected to feel regret and maybe even a bit embarrassed for suggesting to add someone else to their relationship, while things were going so well. But instead, he felt relieved, and more reassured than ever. If he had the slightest inkling that the two would never be compatible, he would’ve never brought it up, but Jisung knows Lee Minho just as much as he knows Choi Yura. They are so similar in personality that it’s no wonder Jisung is so drawn to the two of them. If Minho would just push aside the unnecessary animosity he holds for a version of Yura that doesn’t even exist anymore, maybe then he would see the same person that Jisung has grown to care so much about. 

The techie pauses, setting his laser down in front of him to take a breath. This overthinking is the very reason why he dove headfirst into his next project in the first place. He took it upon himself to start creating different covert tactical accessories that the entire team could use once they arrived. The first of the collection being the tennis bracelets that he designed for each of the girls, which currently had the monitors behind him beeping quietly. Letting him know just how far they all were and what their health statuses are during their journey. Jisung was so focused on his project before him, he didn’t realize Minho had entered the room until he heard him clearing his throat, announcing his arrival. Jisung glances behind him, seeing Minho standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. He wears simple gray sweatpants and an old shirt from the academy. He looks fresh out of the shower, hair still a bit wet, air drying as he goes about his business.

     “Have you eaten dinner?” He asks softly, as Jisung diverts his eyes back to the watch in front of him. 

      “Earlier.” His hand gestures to the now empty bag of chips he had found in their supplies last night, before picking up the laser again.

Minho’s lips tighten at the dismissive words. Since their arrival two days ago, he’s barely seen Jisung. He knew to give the boy his space, especially with this ongoing fight between the two of them, but Minho draws the line at Jisung’s neglect to take care of himself.

      “Are you still upset?” Minho moves further into the room, standing behind Jisung as the sound of zapping fills the room. 

      “Do you still have your head stuck up your ass?” Han hums out quietly.

      “I’ll take that as a yes...” Minho doesn’t hide his frustrated tone.

Lee Minho had been Jisung’s rock for as long as he can remember. Originally, he had formed a tight brotherly bond with Chan and Changbin. Han didn’t think he needed anyone else, but one day Chan introduced the quiet Minho to them, and he fit in seamlessly. Minho was an observer, he saw how loud and comfortable Han was around the boys and he also saw how quickly the same boy would close up and shut down around new people and uncomfortable situations. They were similar in that way, both of them more quiet than the other two in their friend group. Although for different reasons, that was one of the first things about Minho that caught Han’s attention. In private, the silence from him was calming, assuring even, in a way it made him feel seen. While in public; it was familiar, safe, something that grounded him.

Minho was the one to encourage Han to stay with technology. Supporting and rooting for him through exams, gaming tournaments, and even random projects he decided to take on. Although Minho was also starting to figure out his role as the school’s ‘Invisible Man’, he never forgot about Jisung. Sneaking him late night snacks or even walking with him to class, Jisung’s stupid crush on his friend only grew from there.

FB

      “So you’re homosexuals… and together?” Changbin asked, his finger waving between the pair accusingly with a fisted hand on his hip. Thoroughly confused as he sat across from the couple. 

      “Oi! You can’t just ask someone if they're gay.” Chris says next to him, slapping him on the back of his head.

The two shared a look before answering Changbin’s question. 

      “I don’t think it’s that simple to define, but at least for now… we are together.” Han speaks before giving Minho a big smile, and he returns it. 

      “Well isn’t that the cutest gay shit I’ve ever seen! We should buy a couple of rainbow flags to hang in here!”

      “Changbin!” Chan punches his arm this time.

      “We’re happy for you guys, seriously.” Chan says with a voice full of sincerity and a face holding a wide smile.

 EOF

      “Where did you even go after the Gala?” Jisung turns around, leaning his body against the table, finally giving Minho his attention for the first time in days.

Minho’s eyes glance to the wall at the question. He has a problem with not being the best at his job. At least, that's what he told himself when he left the Gala that night. Not being able to read anyone makes him feel uneasy.

Yes, he fought often with Yura, but at least he was able to read her just like everyone else. He knew whether she actually meant her threats or if she was just doing it to get under his skin, but that night at the Gala, her entire demeanor was off. It was like she had become someone he didn’t even recognize… someone he couldn’t read. 

And damn it, that actually worried him. 

So, he left to find someone who knew what happened. 

FB

Still dressed in his Gala attire, Minho stood in front of the local bar many agents of the surrounding academies would frequent in their spare time. Those who weren’t at the Gala would most likely be inside, celebrating their (much needed) night off.

Minho walks in quietly, not many people notice him as the music plays loudly, and the dark lighting makes it difficult for people to really see one's features. His eyes scan the room until they land on his target for the night. 

      “Sana.” Minho is behind her at the bar before she realizes it. The brunette woman smirks at the sight of the handsome 2PM agent.

Though her reputation was known for being quite cunning with both her work and the men of the District, she is still a woman with many emotions. One feeling, in particular, Minho intends to take advantage of to get his answer.

      “Lee Minho, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Her tone drops down an octave, prepared to seduce one of the Districts known in-eligible bachelors. 

Though he detests the woman in front of him, he knows she’s the person most willing to give him the answers he needs, so he plays along for now. 

      “Thought I’d say hi, it’s been a while since I last saw you.” Minho takes a seat next to her, waving the bartender down for a beer as he shifts his entire body to face her, giving the assassin his undivided attention.

She takes a sip from her martini as she nods her head. “I know, it felt like I was stuck in Japan on deployment forever. The mission went longer than the Headmasters had planned, but at least we all made it back right?” She smiles widely and Minho returns it.

      “ ‘We’? Who did they assign you with?” He questions her as he takes a drink from his glass.

The woman lets out a low scoff before answering his question. “It was me, Momo, Yuta, Shatoro, and… the Choi’s.”

Bingo.

Having spent so much of their lives in the same circles, everyone in their class knew about the on-going beef between Sana and the Chois. More specifically, Sana and Yura. The two girls could not stand each other. Every time Sana would say something sharp, Yura was always ready to follow up with the sharp end of her blades. 

He skips his teeth at the mention of the sisters. “I know that couldn’t have been easy on you. Especially with Yura there.” 

Her lip pouts out at his words before nodding her head in agreement. “You always understood me, Min. I wish you were there! For some reason, I don't know, Yura was more bitchy than usual towards everyone, and I didn’t even do anything to deserve it!”

Minho nods along as she continues as if he's hanging onto her every word.

       “First of all, she and Rina were fighting the whole time, which was weird in itself. Then when we’d go on side missions, that switch she’s got would flip and it’s like she became another person entirely. I tried to remind her of the ways we were trained to do things, but of course, she wouldn’t listen to me, she never does. The craziest part was, usually when we’re on a mission, no matter what, Rina is always able to get to her when she’s like that. I guess whatever they’re fighting about is serious because she wouldn’t even listen to Rina’s orders.”

Minho frowns, he’s heard about 'Ares' being a force to reckon with, but he thought Yura and Rina were inseparable, even as ‘Athena and Ares’. Sana continued to speak, but he lost interest a while ago, already hearing what he needed, he looks at his watch and realizes the time.

      “I, unfortunately, have to go. Bangchan needs us home tonight for a meeting.” He cuts her off mid sentence, and though she pouts for a second she nods her head in understanding.  

      “Duty calls I guess. Don’t be a stranger, Lee Minho.” She gives him a sultry smile before drinking from her glass. 

He smiles tightly in return as he stands up, abandoning his half finished beer and the bill, before sneaking out the door just as quietly as he came in.

EOF

      “There was some information I needed to collect.” Minho responds casually while his entire conversation with Sana loops through his head.

Jisung’s eyes study the man in front of him. “Well, are you going to share what you learned?”

       “When it becomes relevant to the mission, yes.” Minho’s response earns a scoff from Jisung.

      “What exactly do you want from me?” Minho’s voice is strained.

He absolutely hated fighting with Jisung, Though they’ve had small disagreements here and there, it's never become something this serious. All he really wanted was to fix things between them and just hold him again.

      “I want you to actually listen to me. I’m not even asking you to say ‘yes’ to my idea! I just want you to at least see things from my perspective, to see her from my perspective!” Jisung shouts out, exhausted from trying to get Minho to let go of his pride for once.

But what Jisung hasn’t realized is that recently, Minho is trying to understand, at least in his own way. He knows he can’t hate the Choi girl forever, and with their previous argument, along with their encounter at the Gala still in his head, all he’s been doing is thinking about that girl. 

He took a side quest to figure out what happened on that damn mission, only to become more confused. If she just came back as the usual stubborn, sarcastic, annoying woman he was used to he wouldn’t be struggling like he is now.

All the hatred he had for Yura vanished after the gala, that he knows for sure. Now he’s just trying to wrap his head around how to now approach this new feeling that’s taken its place. This feeling of worry and concern he has for someone he thought he hated.

Minho opens his mouth to finally tell Jisung what's been on his mind, but before he could, the monitors behind them came to life, beeping louder than before and more rapidly. 

Instinctively, both of them move to the front of the room. Jisung takes a seat in the rickety chair as Minho stands behind him. A moment later Chan makes his way into the room with a worried look written all over his face. 

      “What’s going on?! What happened?!”

      “Yura’s BP levels are dropping.” Han says as he moves his mouse around the screen, clicking on her name. 

Her stats are blown up wider on the screen for everyone to see. The different health bars glow a light orange color, unlike the full green bars from before. Jisung points to the quick decline of her blood pressure bar before turning to look at Chan. 

      “But she is on the boat!” Minho points to the other monitor with all three of the markers together, currently moving across a body of water.

      “Notify Seungmin. Now!” Chan says to Minho, who currently cannot draw his eyes from the screen.

      “Let him know she’s coming in with some form of injury, we don’t know what, but it could be bad. Have him prepared for anything.” 

He scans the monitor one last time, his concerned eyes scanning over Rina’s status before exiting the room.

Minho finally tears his eyes away from the girl’s name to exit the room before pausing. 

He glances back instinctively at his boyfriend and sees Jisung’s eyes are glued to the screen with Yura’s information plastered on it. His hands fidget nervously as his mind races with numerous scenarios that could end very badly for his friend. He’s quickly pulled out of his thoughts when he feels a soft kiss to his temple. 

      “She’ll be fine, Ji.” He mumbles quietly. “She’s a fighter, remember?”

Minho squeezes his shoulder lightly before leaving the room to his own work area, hoping his message gets to Seungmin in time.

The boys spent most of the night tracking their friends, monitoring their health, as well as doing their best to prepare for everyone’s arrival. Minho had immediately gotten in contact with Seungmin on a rigged radio Jisung built. He did his best to relay the limited information he had to make sure their team's doctor was prepared for whatever was to come. At some point their connection dropped, and Minho could only hope it was because the others had finally arrived and Seungmin dropped their conversation to help Yura.

Bangchan distracted himself by clearing out one of the storage rooms to make room for the girls to have their own space. He re-arranged two extra mattresses that were leaned against the wall, and positioned a few blankets and pillows onto each one. He also folded some simple clothes  that they had brought over with the rest of their belongings, and left them on the book-shelf. Even though it’s not much, he figured it’d be good for the girls to have a space to call their own since they’d be living with a bunch of guys for the foreseeable future. 

Jisung never left his seat in front of the monitor. He listened as the sound of Yura’s health stats went from rapid beeping to the steady mellow tone from before. Only then did Jisung finally move his eyes, glancing at the digital clock on his desk that read 7:15 am. As he moves to stand he feels himself stumble, his legs taking a moment to recover from being in a seated position for so long. He moves only a few feet over from his desk, and falls onto the couch he had in the corner of the room. As if his body finally realized what the time was, Jisung’s eyes began to droop, finally allowing his overthinking mind to rest.

taglist: @toalltheunknown, @skzloveforever, @ryak14, @thesunsfullmoon, @woozarts 

Y2K masterlist || series masterlist || last || next

#y2kstories #skz #skz x oc #skz x reader #kpop #bangchan x oc #changbin x reader #minsung x oc #poly minsung #seungmin x reader #mafia au #minsung #skz mafia au #jeongin #felix #jisung #han #hyunjin #lee know #changbin #bangchan #seungmin

[foreverlogical]

Nearly half-a-million children in Florida have lost Medicaid coverage over the past year, after the DeSantis administration and Florida Republican lawmakers chose to not extend Medicaid coverage as the COVID pandemic was declared officially over. Florida reportedly is the only state in the nation to not adopt the Biden administration’s strategies to “minimize terminations for procedural reasons.”

Thousands of children on Easter Sunday lost coverage, NBC6 reported.

“Florida has dropped over 1.3 million people, including 460,000 children, from its state Medicaid program since April 1, 2023, after the end of a pandemic-era policy that banned states from removing ineligible participants from the health insurance program for disabled and low-income people,” the Orlando Sentinel reports.

The reasons for Florida dropping 1.3 million from Medicaid are varied, including improvement in economic status, or just “red tape.”

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra has issued strong criticism of Florida’s actions.

“Children in Florida have ‘without a doubt’ lost coverage due to paperwork snafus,” Secretary Becerra told the Sentinel. “Becerra previously sent a letter to DeSantis and eight other governors expressing concern about the large number of children who had lost coverage due to red tape.”

READ MORE: ‘Anti-Woke Not Especially Lucrative’: Truth Social Lost Millions Last Year New Filing Reveals

“It continues to not just disturb but confound, I think, a lot of folks that some states have chosen not to address the loss of health care by so many children,” Becerra also said. “… Denying that child those services is not just unconscionable, it’s a nightmare for the family.”

In January the Tallahassee Democrat reported, “the Sunshine State, with 2.5 million uninsured, also has one of the nation’s highest shares of residents without health coverage.”

“In turning back a program that could bring health coverage to roughly 1 million Floridians, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate also are rejecting about $5.6 billion in federal aid which would come in the first two years of expansion, and about $4.4 billion annually after that.”

Last year HuffPost‘s Jonathan Cohn reported Florida’s uninsured amounts to “about 12% of its population, which is well above the national average of 8.6%. It’s also more than all but four other states,” Cohn added. “Floridians without insurance suffer because when they can’t pay for their medical care, they end up in debt or go without needed treatment or both. The state suffers, too, because it ends up with a sicker, less productive workforce as well as a higher charity care load for its hospitals, clinics and other pieces of the medical safety net. DeSantis could do something about this. He has refused.”

Meanwhile. The Florida Policy Institute reported last month, “Florida is the only state that has not opted to utilize policy flexibilities offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reduce the number of children losing coverage due to system error or red tape.”

Florida has its own children’s health care alternative to Medicaid, Florida’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, or KidCare, which “offers free, subsidized and full-pay insurance for kids whose parents make too much money to qualify for Medicaid,” according to the Sentinel.

But coverage differs from Medicaid, as a report from WFLA shows. The DeSantis administration is suing to try to force the Biden administration to drop a federal policy that requires children to be allowed to stay on the state’s plan even if their parents miss payments.

Dropping 1.3 million people in Florida exacerbates an existing health care problem.

Late last month the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported, “More than 1,300 babies a year, about four a day, die in Florida.” That report, the first in a series of three is titled, “Born to die: Florida’s infant mortality crisis.”

“Health experts say the losses of new life will continue unless the state rethinks how it fails mothers before and during pregnancy,” the paper observed. “The biggest risk to an infant’s health is always the mother’s health. When mothers have preexisting conditions, like diabetes, obesity or heart disease, their babies face a higher risk of death. Everything from Florida’s impenetrable insurance structure to its ineffective investment in maternal and prenatal health contributes to the high rate of babies who die within their first year of life, sometimes within their first minutes.”

“Compared to a decade ago, pregnant women in Florida are older, less healthy and have more complications during birth, according to Florida Department of Health maternal health records. They also are living in a state where access to insurance — or the right insurance — is a barrier to primary and prenatal care.”

The Sun Sentinel also offered these statistics:

“Six of every 1,000 babies born in Florida die before their first birthday, a rate that exceeds the national average of 5.6. Florida babies die mostly from birth defects that affect eating or breathing, infections prevalent in preterm and low birthweight babies, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Most infants in Florida who die under the age of 1 die within their very first month. Black babies in Florida die twice as often as white non-Hispanic and Hispanic babies.”

The paper says insurance is a major factor.

“One-fifth of Florida women ages 19 to 44 have no health insurance, which is worse than 46 other states,” while “Florida is one of only 10 states where the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid for low-income adults has not been implemented. That means thousands of women of child-bearing age can’t get Medicaid health insurance for primary care who would have coverage in expansion states like Virginia or New York.”

#pro life #florida #republicans #gop #ron desantis #us politics

[cv02-lside]

The Harmful Sexualization of Teenage Girls in Media

For many years, there has been a concerning trend in media where teenage girls are often depicted in sexually provocative ways. This objectification not only demeans these young women but also perpetuates dangerous attitudes towards them. It is important to understand why this idealization exists and its horrible effects on society, particularly vulnerable adolescent girls.

The sexualization of teenage girls in media can be traced back to several factors. Firstly, some industries exploit youth culture for commercial gain, using suggestive imagery to attract attention and boost sales.

Secondly, certain media platforms may prioritize sensationalism over responsible reporting, leading to the normalization of such content. Moreover, there is a worrying prevalence of adult males who hold positions of power in the entertainment industry and use their influence to promote this disturbing trend.

The consequences of sexualizing teenage girls extend beyond mere "aesthetics". By presenting these young women as objects for male gratification, society reinforces damaging gender stereotypes and contributes to a culture that trivializes consent and completely disregards personal boundaries! Furthermore, research suggests that exposure to hypersexualized images can lead to body image issues among mostly female viewers, potentially resulting in eating disorders or other mental health concerns. (Puberty dysphoria, girls wondering why they don't look like the alluring/grown up image of what they see in media) Additionally, it fosters an environment where predatory behavior towards minors becomes normalized and even encouraged.

Another alarming aspect of the sexualization of teenage girls in media is its connection to child pornography and human trafficking. Predators often use online platforms to share illicit and illegal content featuring underage individuals, further victimizing them and contributing to a cycle of abuse. Tragically, many victims are lured into these situations due to poverty or manipulation by those seeking to profit from their exploitation. The production and distribution of such materials not only violate basic human rights but also create a demand for more vulnerable young people to be part of this horrific thing.

Imagine a young girl growing up surrounded by images that tell her she's nothing more than an object to be admired and desired and to be used/rated. She sees herself reflected in the media as someone whose worth is measured solely by her physical appearance, stripped of agency or autonomy. As she navigates this confusing landscape, she becomes increasingly vulnerable to predators who seek to exploit her innocence for their own twisted desires.This isn't just about numbers or statistics; it's about real lives shattered by a society that prioritizes male pleasure over human safety. It's about broken dreams and stolen futures, all because we continue to perpetuate harmful stereotypes that reduce women to mere playthings for men's power and control. We must challenge the status quo and demand better representation in our media, one that celebrates strength, intelligence, and individuality instead of reducing them to sexual objects. 

#feminsim #femme #feminine #teenagers #rant post #ranting #rant #personal rant #writers on tumblr #tumblr problems #microblog #poets on tumblr #blog #tumblr stuff #essay #social justice #social media

[reginrokkr]

𝐂𝐋𝐗. The belief in the Abyss has been established in Khaenri'ah for a very long time, born from the obsessions with the gods and to one day overthrow them with little regard for the people outside the kingdom as their "enemies", just for living under The Seven. This reverence to the Abyss was further intensified when Khaenri'ah was going through a tough spot for undetermined reasons, although one of them could easily be the fall of King Irmin as the last one of the Blacksun / Eclipse dynasty.

However, not everything was done out of wrong intentions. It's only natural that in a hostile environment would lead to the need for investigation of that which makes the location dangerous in order to protect themselves and to create medicines as a means to build resistance to the Abyss.

While this blind belief isn't exclusive to the native Khaenri'ahns, as it would spread to those who come from other nations that adapted extremists mindsets too, it brought unrest in the society with the excessive experimentation to the point of using a source of energy dangerous for everyone's health and the suspicious apparitions of monsters despite the fact that the borders were well-guarded by Black Serpents and automatons alike.

When people started to be more vocal about their discontentment with the situation surrounded the Abyss, outsiders were first to be blamed and thus were regarded as people who haven't abandoned yet their faith or too obtuse to not accept these "better ways" Khaenri'ah had. The Abyss continued to be a mystery even to nobles and highly restricted, but the issues it caused were to big to not be noticeable. And among the outsiders that were genuinely concerned were also native Khaenri'ahns that disliked the route the society was going. Just like people of other nations wanted nothing to do with the gods and have peaceful lives without worrying about divine judgement, so was the case of some natives of Khaenri'ah.

The arrogance and superiority-complex of many from the high sphere of aristocracy led them to believe that outsiders were still below them and that all the natives have the same mindset as they have. At first, only Black Serpents in keeping in mind the citizens' safety in combination to their own beliefs that what was happening is wrong were the ones who verbalized aloud the unrest, and they ran the risk of being put down by the hands of Black Serpent Knights. But to the surprise of those who fell a long time ago into these obsessions, it wasn't the case and it's because the Black Serpent Knights who supported them and other Khaenri'ahn natives that weren't afraid anymore of voicing their agitation that those who were at the helm of the Abyss as a new religion had to back down and eventually continue their reverence and experimentation clandestinely.

And for some time, it actually worked and people believed that things could only get better from that point onwards, with those who were deep into their obsession for the Abyss now falsely-presumed to have stopped their endeavors until Lumine descended to Khaenri'ah in answer to the wishing ritual that the devotion for the Abyss started to boil again from its clandestine status until everything exploded with the cataclysm.

#◟༺✦༻◞ events to be remembered in blue veins ┊addendum.┊ #last headcanon about Khaenri'ah #from what I planned to talk about! #I'll make a post briefly with links to each of them #in case any of the peeps who wanted to read them missed any #lastly I want to preface #that I don't think the Abyss twin is to be blamed #for the cataclysm breaking in Khaenri'ah #I think that they were dragged into a mess #that not even themselves knew what they were getting into #and that they obviously arrived at a bad moment #that the kingdom was facing #because not too late after that the cataclysm happened #and the source of hope and strength many believed them to be #it all spiralled down onto them thinking they couldn't do anything for these people #even though they didn't have to shoulder any of this to begin with

[too-destiny-panda]

Wyllvember Day 19: OTS/BroTP

A/N: My favourite hellish duo! I don't take Karlach with me nearly as much as I should. Anywho, as usual credits go to @sagscrib, and I'm additionally tagging @commander-yinello WC: 527

Wyll made friends easily. Even in his youth where many children were intimidated by his father’s status, he still managed to befriend people from various backgrounds. Of course, the quantity and quality of friends diminished as he grew older, but he still had some peers to make fond memories with. Still, his closest friendship would blossom during unimaginable dangers.

When he first met Karlach he was dead set on killing her, his view of her skewed due to Mizora’s words. But her memories overall attitude suggested other wise and turned his world askew. Once they had taken care of the so-called paladins, he witnessed the remnants of her rage, and understood that the state she was in was in no way her own choice. Who would wish to burn so hot they were practically unable to touc anyone or anything? He personally couldn’t imagine not patting someone on the shoulder for a job well-done or grasping it for support as he laughed.

After that, they quickly grew closer, bonding over their home as Karlach had an infinite number of questions about how much Baldur’s Gate had changed since she was traded off. Her sense of humour and overall energy, almost puppy-like at its core, made proverbial warmth radiate from her. She was always excited over the small things, and though she sometimes veered into ‘fuck around and find out’ territory that was mostly just encouragement for Tav to do stupidly absurd things, she wasn’t naïve. She simply learned to derive happiness from whatever scraps she could gather in the Hells, and Wyll supposes he wasn’t so different when he was exiled and trying to find himself.

 They became extremely good friends, their humours so similar in nature it almost seemed like they were constantly laughing while in each other’s presence. When Dammon gave Karlach her second engine upgrade, the second person she hugged after Tav was of course Wyll. And although it was clear it has been a while since she had to control her strength while hugging someone, shown by the minor bruising she left him with, he wouldn’t have her hugs any other way. Because her physical touch embodied her. The way she is both eager, sometimes too rash but always making sure everyone she cared for was comfortable. It warmed his heart to see her slowly gaining back her old self she locked away for her safety for over ten years. It warmed everyone’s heart to watch them interact with each other.

When the final battle was over, the tadpoles expelled from their eye sockets as they perished, the remnants of the mind flayer forces gradually being destroyed, there was only a split moment of happiness and relief before concern came back full force as Karlach groaned in agony at the docks. She was fully ready to die, but her friends were not. So, in only a few moments and understanding glances from his lover, the trio set off into the Hells, determined to find a way to help the fiery tiefling back to normalcy. And she was certain that with the Blade of Avernus and the Hero of Baldur’s Gate, they would succeed.

#baldur's gate wyll #wyll #wyll ravengard #bg3 wyll #wyllvember #blade of frontiers #blade of avernus #bg3 karlach #karlach #karlach cliffgate #blue writes

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

So I know we've all been distracted by more recent interviews but I do think at one point one interview said Mike's arc this season involves him going back to some sort of leadership role? Do you think this is a good thing for his emotional well-being, because Mike has some serious self esteem issues that we never really talk about or deal with, and has been completely willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others fast enough to be concerning. I just hope that his arc this season isn't just "wow I was being a bad friend and boyfriend, and now I won't be one" because while he needs to acknowledge he was being an asshole to people, I think he's doing very poorly emotionally and I think that should be addressed.

Mike is always at his best when he's trying to help others. He really is a natural leader, and this only becomes problematic when he's butting heads with other leaders. The boy was very on point when he dubbed himself the paladin of the Party. Yeah, he's always had a bit of "little shit" in him, but it was only when he tried to be someone he wasn't that he really fell from grace (season 3). Even then, he still got it together when things got bad, showing his courage and leadership ability again.

I don't think Mike's whole arc will be about him realizing what a bad friend and boyfriend he's been. It will be part of it, though. He has to realize that in trying to be what others wanted him to be, he lost himself in the process. His own feelings about who he is may have played a role in that, especially if he already has a conscious awareness of his feelings for Will.

Mike's phony home life and rejected social status has likely taken its toll over the years. What we've seen so far suggests that he may be happy now that he's embracing his nerdiness again. Unfortunately, we also know that the town sees the Hellfire Club as social rejects at best and a Satanic Cult at worst. Mike keeps seeing rejection whenever he's himself. He's struggling to accept himself as a result.

Fortunately, the fact that we're told we get a more emotional Mike this season is a good sign. It suggests that Mike will be actually dealing with his own issues, both with others and himself. I think both Will and El will be instrumental in him accepting himself, as they are the two whose opinions he probably values more than any others. I look forward to seeing how this all plays out, even if it will probably be a painful ride at times.

Stay strong, Sir Mike. A willingness to sacrifice yourself for the safety of others doesn't need to mean you don't try to find another way first.

#stranger things 4 #mike wheeler

[mariacallous]

In April, Elon Musk told right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson that he was starting a project to compete with ChatGPT and build “a maximum truth-seeking AI that tries to understand the nature of the universe.”

Today, Musk unveiled that new artificial intelligence venture. It’s called xAI. The company’s spare landing page repeats that goal of understanding the universe and lists 11 AI researchers—seemingly all men—who have made significant contributions to the field of AI in recent years and worked at companies including Google, DeepMind, and OpenAI.

The crew is an “all-star founding team,” according to Linxi “Jim” Fan, an AI researcher at Nvidia. “I’m really impressed by the talent density—read too many papers by them to count,” he writes in a LinkedIn post.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1679164661869182976

One of the company’s cofounders, Greg Wang, said in a tweet that xAI aims to take AI to the next level by developing a mathematical “‘theory of everything’ for large neural networks,” the machine learning technology that has dominated AI for the past decade. “This AI will enable everyone to understand our mathematical universe in ways unimaginable before,” he wrote.

Like many other new AI projects, Musk’s is motivated by concern and perhaps some FOMO over the rapid rise of ChatGPT. He has talked of xAI as a response to the bot, which he has suggested has political biases, and criticized its creator, startup OpenAI, for being secretive and too cozy with its backer Microsoft. Musk’s ill feeling is perhaps compounded by the fact that he cofounded OpenAI in 2015, but three years later severed ties with what was then a nonprofit, after reportedly failing to take full control. (The company became a for-profit venture in 2019.) And Musk has recently joined those warning that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity and entrench the power of giants like Microsoft and Google.  Musk is no stranger to making bold bets, but what little has been revealed of xAI’s goals sounds a little odd. ChatGPT and its rivals such as Google’s Bard are built on deep learning, and OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman has said wholly new ideas are needed to push beyond existing systems. Researching the fundamentals of the technology could help find them. But much of the recent progress in AI has come from making existing systems bigger and throwing more compute power and data at them. And the sweeping changes AI is expected to deliver in tech and other industries over the next few years will come from deploying that mostly-mature technology. At this stage, xAI seems likely to lack the cloud computing power needed to match OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google. And its relatively small team of AI researchers does not look world-beating compared to the hundreds that each of those established firms can deploy on AI projects. The only person involved who has a history of working on AI risks is xAI’s sole named advisor, Dan Hendrycks, who is director of the nonprofit Center for AI Safety and coordinated a recent public statement from tech leaders about the existential threat AI may pose.

Although his supposedly giant-killing AI project is starting small, Musk does, of course, have some significant resources to draw on. The new company will work closely with Twitter and Tesla, according to the xAI website. Twitter’s data from conversations on the platform is well suited to training large language models like that behind ChatGPT, and Tesla now designs its own specialized AI chips and has significant experience building large computing clusters for AI, which could be used to boost xAI’s cloud computing power. Tesla is also building a humanoid robot, a project that could be helped by, and be helpful to, xAI in future.

But perhaps at this early stage, xAI’s reality-bending rhetoric is primarily about attracting talent. AI expertise has never been in greater demand. The most pressing problem for a new entrant, even one backed by Musk’s reputation and deep pockets, is to show it can attract the researchers needed to eventually become competitive.

The huge goals Musk has set for himself—challenging existing AI giants and protecting humanity from harmful AI—make his tiny new AI company look even smaller. Many AI researchers who are also concerned about the trajectory of AI seem to view the problem as one that requires greater transparency and collaboration, rather than a lone genius with a small band of all-stars.

[aves-arts]

Persons of Interests Document

Heres something I've written based of the Zombie AU

//CW for some links to artwork with some blood in them

The last helicopter left the city at exactly 12:49 AM on the 10th of September. I don't know why she decided to stay. I asked her, I BEGGED her to go. Yet she stayed. Once she puts her foot down, she doesn't back down. She would remain with me even if it meant saying goodbye to her family. 

First class tickets out of the city and into the safety of the military seemed like the best I could do for them. I figured they’d be safer outside than in the bunker right in the center of the city. That decision keeps me up at night. I wish I could tell myself that she doesnt know, but Jennifer is a lot smarter and observant than I ever gave her credit for. My only hope is the potential that they could’ve escaped and somehow made something for themselves out there. That's the only thing keeping their status as missing, and not deceased.

Jennifer’s ability to inspire people in desperate times shouldnt surprise me. People loved her, and they looked up to her for guidance and advice. When we started sending scavengers out, she shined as a leader. Amongst ex-soldiers, mercinaries, and former emergency services members, she won the pick for Chief of Security by a landslide. I know she is more than capable of handling herself, but I worry about her constantly. I guess I know what it was like to be in her shoes in the times before. Her status is alive. Should that change, I don't know if I'll be capable of documenting it.

Lucas’ fall into delusion was some of the hardest hitting of when we were still secluded from the outside. He had convinced himself that I had been too lenient, and that executing certain individuals who posed a threat would be beneficial to our isolated community. The fact that me killing him caused such a stir sent that theory to the grave along with him. Lucas’ status is deceased. It was the first life I had taken since the outbreak. I’ve killed many more people since, but it doesn't progress the community further. It just means less people that disagree with us and more blood on my hands.

Frances has been a great asset to the community as her pinpoint accuracy has saved many lives. The people and I owe her a great debt, but she shrugs it off as nothing. All she asks for in return is more ammunition. Oftentimes she acts as a scout in the city. Going in alone into the concrete jungle and bringing back important intel. In fact, she was the first one to encounter the Marshals. Current status is alive. One day I’ll find a way to repay her. Maybe I’ll look for her hat she lost a long time ago.

Some of our outer city manufacturers managed to find their way back. Whittaker kept his metalworkers alive long enough to make it to us from the radio signal we had sent out to our facilities. Not everyone made it back to us though. Cindy is currently missing at this time, but truth be told I don't think she couldn't have made it out there on her own.

 As for Hawthorne? Its hard to say for certain but… 

For a long time I was greatly concerned about Peyton or her gang managing to survive the outbreak, and launching an attack on us. As time passed the concern lessened, but I was always afraid that she would come to our gates and proceed to make this new life of mine a special kind of hell. That day never came, and Frances had become curious. Their compound was on the other side of the city, but that didn't seem to dissuade her. Frances’ report goes as follows:

“The place was abandoned, seemed like nobody had inhabited the place since the outbreak. Some kind of massacre took place. A bunch of skeletons were strewn about still wearing those stupid colored clothes Pb’s freaks liked to wear. I skulked around until I found her. A skeleton with its head detached lying in some command room. That faded purple jacket was unmistakable. No sign of Cat mask or that twitchy little shovel creep neither. Well, besides all the headless skeletons anyway.”

Pb, Peyton Beck, is deceased. I can sleep a little easier knowing that. Especially since I had nothing to do with it. Though, that still leaves Nelly and that big guy Jules uncertain. What are the odds they’re still out there? I don't like that uncertainty, but maybe without Peyton messing with their heads they can actually be reasoned with. Whatever the case may be…

#I love playing with zombie fiction #Idk what happened to silas #either he integrated into vicks group or hes just gone #oc #ocs #ocart #ocartwork #originalcharacters #originalcharacter #originalcharacterdesign #characterdesign #art #illustration #artists on tumblr #creative writing #writing #fiction #zombieau #horror art #zombie fiction #zombie au #zombie apocolypse au #apocalypse au

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

112 of 2023

A shorter all-in-one survey! Created by Guia from scyphozoan

PT. 1: BOLDING (Disclaimer: Not all the following statements are necessarily true about me) I don’t drink anything with caffeine I plan to vote in an upcoming election (mandatory here) I have more than two best friends I’ve had more than one serious relationship I started taking surveys before I was 15 years old I love seafood I don’t have any allergy I wear glasses I’m good with money I prefer Android over iOS

PT. 2: CATEGORIES A) Physiological needs What kind of cooking method is your favorite? Is there a specific food you prefer to be cooked a specific way more than others?

I typically cook soups in a pot. Sometimes I use frying pan. Fries and small snaks I prepare in oil fryer. I have no preference, though.

How much sleep do you need to feel well-rested? Do you usually get this? If not, what commonly prevents you from getting this?

At least 6 hours, but preferably 8. Good sleep is essential to my wellbeing because of a neurological disorder. I usually sleep with breaks, but I’m working on it. My main cause is anxiety, so I got antidepressants from my psychiatrist and it should help in a while.

B) Safety needs What’s the longest time you’ve been unemployed and how would your habits/routine change if you were to become unemployed now? If you don’t normally work, what part of your current routine would require the most adjustment if you were to take on a 9-to-5 job tomorrow?

I haven’t been unemployed, but I’ve spent over a year on sick note due to physical disability, just recently came back for two half-days. I’ve never had 9 to 5 job, too. I’m a factory worker. I had to adjust, though; or rather my workplace has to accept that I have to take my medication at 8am, during work hours.

How do you feel about your overall health? What would you say can be improved? Is there anything you’re worried about?

Well, I have epilepsy and as far as I know, it’s incurable, medication only prevents the symptoms. This is my concern because most likely I’ll be doomed to medication for the rest of my life. Except that, one of my hands is disabled and has limited functions. I’ve just learnt to use it to some extent and I was able to come back to work, which makes me happy. Another thing I have is a connective tissue disorder known as Marfan syndrome, it affected mostly my eyes. My vision is really bad.

C) Love and belonging What makes you feel instant connection with new people? Is there a difference between the connection you look for in friends vs. romantic interests?

There’s no difference. I don’t really understand romantic love. I’m married, but he’s my best and closest friend. I feel connection through similar interests or through their attitude, I’m naturally drawn to kind and gentle people.

What would you say is the best thing about your relationship with parents, family or relatives?

That we can always count on each other.

D) Esteem How has your self-esteem changed over the years? Is there a specific thing that you would attribute this change to?

My self-esteem fluctuates, but it’s rather on the low side. I find it hard to believe that I’m likeable, even though I’m being credited as such. It doesn’t really change over years.

When did you become aware of your own social status? How important is it for you to maintain or improve your current social status?

When I started earning my own money, I guess. I could be classified as upper working class, because I’m a blue collar worker, but my job requires qualifications. I’m fine as I am, I don’t need more.

E) Self-actualization What part of you do you want to achieve to its full potential? How do you feel about where you are at on this specific thing?

My disability, definitely. I’ll never be 100% fine anymore, but I want to be able to use this hand on satisfactory level. I feel I’ve achieved a lot on that particular matter, but still, a lot needs to be improved.

What would you say is the biggest barrier between you and reaching your full potential?

My disability. It’s called disability for a reason.

PT. 3: RANDOM 1) What has been the highlight of your week so far?

I pushed my limits at work. I had to use physical force on something and it worked. I think I’m doing really well at work, for someone with physical disability.

2) What food would you love to have right now?

I’m not hungry, thanks.

3) Did you do anything for the first time recently? If so, what is it and what did you think of it?

Does the first time since my incident count? If so, then I pushed the floor plate for the first time in two years and I succeeded.

4) Describe your current mood. Is this a mood that your normally have?

Content, but sleepy. It’s one of my default moods, either this or anxious.

5) How do you feel about cleaning? How often do you clean your house and is there anything about it that you particularly like/dislike?

I’m okay with it. Not that I love it, but what needs to be done, needs to be done. I really dislike decluttering, though. I’m okay with dishes, laundry and vacuum cleaning.

6) How do you usually wear your hair? Do you have a go-to style for specific occasions or activity?

My hair is short, so I just put some hair gel on it. I don’t need to do more.

7) Name someone you had a falling out with.

Can’t recall any specific person.

8) Do you have a favorite part of your usual day? If not, what’s the first thing you usually do after getting out of bed?

Yeah, I love mornings. But the first things I do after waking up are going to the toilet (obviously), and then taking my medication. I do it even before getting dressed.

9) What would you say is your best habit?

Consistency and self-discipline. I’ve never missed a dose of my meds.

10) Who is the last person you interacted with on social media?

Someone who liked my post on Instagram, but I don’t know them in person.

PT. 4: THEMED 1) Game Night: Do you have a favorite party/board/card games?

Truth or Dare, I think. Nothing too extreme.

2) Old School: Do you know anyone who can be described as a “man child”?

Yeah, sadly I do. He doesn’t respect boundaries at all. Thankfully he lives in another country.

3) Office Christmas Party: Have you ever been to company gathering/party that actually turned out fun?

Many times. I quite love these.

4) The Heartbreak Kid: What is the shortest time you’ve been single between two different relationships? If you’ve never been in one, do you know anyone who can’t seem to stay single?

I think three months. I never cheated on my first ex, but I realised I started having feelings for my second ex while I was still in relationship. I realised it after breaking up, though.

5) No Country for Old Men: Do you like suspense in TV shows or movies? Is there a most suspenseful scene that stands out to you?

I don’t like any movies. For TV shows, I mostly like funny ones.

6) The Wolf of Wall Street: Is there any part of the ‘rich and famous lifestyle’ that appeals to you (e.g. drugs, luxury yachts, hanging out with celebrities, etc.)?

No. I love my life as it is, I don’t envy anyone, I value my privacy.

7) The Disaster Artist: What is the worst movie you’ve actually sat through until the end?

I don’t watch movies.

8) Her: Can you imagine actually having a relationship or even a friendship with an AI?

Could be hard, but why not being friends with one?

9) He’s Just Not That Into You: Was there ever a time when you felt more invested in someone than they were with you?

I think so. I had that kinda crush on two guys, but nothing has ever come out of it.

10) Interstellar: Do you like sci-fi? What movie genre do you enjoy the least?

I like sci-fi, but I don’t like movies. Threy are way too long and boring for me.

PT. 5: LISTING A) Your 5 favorite places to visit

Middelkerke

Ghent

the Netherlands

France

my parents’ house

B) Your 5 favorite songs

Lange Frans & Baas B - Ik Wacht Al Zo Lang

Vildhjarta - Shiver

HRFTR - Zealot

Tourist LeMC - We Begrijpen Mekaar

Kraantje Pappie - Pompen

C) Your 5 favorite people in the world

my husband

my sister

my dad

M.

my *celebrity crush*

PT. 6: PICTURE 1) How your penmanship looks like:

2) An outfit you’d wear during winter:

3) The kind of view you’d wish to have from your window:

4) An animal (other than a dog or cat) you find cute:

5) A nice rug or carpet you’d like to have in the house:

#survey #categorised survey #bolding survey #q&a survey

[ubaid214]

Trustworthy Betting Systems: Finding Reliable Web sites

In the ever-expanding earth of on the web betting, obtaining a reliable program is paramount for ensuring a secure and satisfying experience. With numerous solutions, it's essential to discern between reliable websites and those who might create risks to your resources and personal information. In this informative article, we'll explore why is a betting website trusted and present methods on how to identify them.

Why Stability Matters

First and foremost, stability in a betting site assures your transactions are secure and your own personal information is kept confidential. It's not only about the excitement of putting a bet; it's also about reassurance understanding that the financial and private data are protected.

More over, trusted betting internet sites abide by fair perform techniques, providing clear phrases and problems and ensuring that most bets are resolved rather and promptly. That fosters confidence involving the software and its customers, developing a good and engaging betting environment.

Essential Qualities of Trusted Betting Web sites

Certification and Regulation: A trusted betting website runs under a valid license released by a reputable gambling authority. These permits make certain that the program conforms with strict regulations regarding safety, fairness, and responsible gambling practices.

Secure Cost Techniques: Search for web sites that offer a number of protected payment choices, such as for instance credit/debit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers. SSL security also needs to be applied to guard financial transactions.

Good Name: Research the standing of the betting site by reading evaluations from different users and industry experts. A dependable system could have a background of pleased customers and appropriate payouts.

Openness: Reliable betting websites are clear about their phrases and problems, including advantage presents, wagering demands, and withdrawal policies. Prevent sites that obscure information or have uncertain terms. Güvenilir bahis siteleri

Customer Support: Use of trusted customer service is a must for solving any problems or concerns that could develop while using the platform. Search for web sites offering numerous support programs, such as for example live conversation, mail, and telephone help, and make certain that support staff are sensitive and knowledgeable.

Strategies for Distinguishing Trusted Betting Websites

Do Your Study: Take the time to analyze various betting web sites and evaluate their characteristics, status, and consumer feedback. Websites focused on reviewing on the web betting programs provides important insights and recommendations.

Check for Licensing: Validate that the betting site holds a legitimate gambling license from a respected jurisdiction. These records is generally shown prominently on the site's website or in the terms and conditions section.

Read Reviews and Recommendations: Look for reviews and recommendations from other users to measure their experiences with the betting site. Look closely at factors such as for instance payout rate, customer service quality, and overall satisfaction.

Decide to try Before You Deposit: Several betting internet sites offer free test reports or reduced minimal deposit alternatives that enable you to check the software before doing substantial funds. Make the most of these possibilities to gauge the site's usability and features.

Confidence Your Instincts: If something appears also good to be true or if you feel uneasy in regards to a betting website, confidence your instincts and proceed with caution. It's better to err privately of caution than to chance your cash on a potentially unreliable platform.

Realization

In the digital era, the ease of on the web betting is undeniable, but it's important to prioritize reliability and safety when choosing a betting site. By following the methods outlined in this information and performing complete research, you'll find a respected system that offers a safe and enjoyable betting experience. Recall, as it pertains to on line betting, stability matters.

[maneaterfc1]

The Ethics of Autonomous Vehicles - Navigating Moral Dilemmas

The advent of self-driving cars has spawned an enormous debate about the ethical issues surrounding them. Most discussion of these issues centers on hypothetical dilemmas such as the trolley problem, but there are also legitimate concerns that AVs might make decisions that aren’t so ethically sound, especially in the face of unavoidable accidents. In a recent panel discussion at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, experts explored these concerns, which ranged from how to prevent AVs from becoming biased toward saving lives based on a person’s physical characteristics to whether it would be appropriate for an AV to sacrifice its passengers in order to save more people.

These ethical issues are rooted in the nature of the autonomy that self-driving vehicles offer. In their current state, the technology allows them to do many things that a human driver can’t, such as speeding and passing on highways. But a vehicle’s ability to operate autonomously can bring with it new forms of harm, which are less easily detectable than the damage caused by an accident involving a human driver.

To address these new forms of harm, AVs are often programmed with rules that prioritize human life over property or animals (a requirement Germany already has in place) and prohibit them from making any distinctions based on a person’s immutable characteristics, such as age or gender. But the trolley problem and other hypothetical moral dilemmas only highlight some of the underlying ethics problems that are likely to surface in the real world as these cars enter service.

A crucial challenge What is metaverse and is it the future? is the difference between the decisional ethics policy of an AV and its broader societal policy on autonomous vehicles. The former must be flexible enough to respond to the moral urgency of a given situation, while the latter must be able to account for all possible consequences. This is why the concept of a moral profile and valence criteria are so important: they allow an AV to track the relative strength of different claims, thus providing a framework for deliberation in dilemma situations.

The ethical problems of the AV may also be exacerbated by a passenger’s expectation that her AV will be partial to her interests and those of her loved ones in traffic environments (Keeling et al. 2019). This expectation stems in part from the AV’s status as a proxy or surrogate of her practical agency in the road environment, and it is perhaps understandable that she would expect her AV to prioritize her safety.

For these reasons, it is technology website important that the AV be flexible and responsive to the claims of other road users in all contexts, including non-dilemma scenarios. It is in these circumstances that the AV must apply its non-dilemma policy, and this will likely involve trade-offs that can only be fully understood by the vehicle’s operators, which must weigh these claims against their own safety and those of the passengers and other drivers. In such cases, they must balance the competing values in an open and transparent process.

[sunnunderthesun]

The Fool's Cap Map of the World is timeless

As someone with no knowledge of Latin, my first impression of the foolscap map was that it depicted the universality of the traditional fool's sagacity. According to Sam Keen, "the authentic life has frequently been pictured under the metaphor of the fool." However, delving into the history of the foolscap map made me realize that I was looking at it in rather a sentimental way as the fool's cap reminded me only of the social status of Shakespeare's wise fools.

Here's the copy of the Cordiform map of the world within the fool's cap held by Newberry Library.

A librarian there informs me, Of the few known copies to exist, Newberry Library's copy was acquired last century by Franco Novacco of Venice, and the library bought his collection ca. 1967.

Robert Burton's Geography of Melancholy states: The “foolscap map,” as it is known among cartographers, measures 360 mm x 480 mm and is printed from a finely executed copper-plate engraving. The map was published separately and anonymously, with no information as to the date or place of publication on it. It is believed to have been published in Antwerp, ca. 1590. The geographical details on the small, oval map that takes the place of the fool’s face identify it as a copy of one of Ortelius’s latest plates; we can date the map with some certainty as being post-1587, since “the prominent south- [west] bulge to the coastline of South America appearing on nearly all maps before this date has been corrected.” While much of our information remains sketchy, we do possess some hard facts about the map. It was based on an earlier foolscap world map by the French mapmaker Jean de Gourmont, which was published in Paris ca. 1575... The earlier foolscap map was made from a woodcut and is somewhat smaller than the later copper engraving; the actual map of the world on the woodcut is a small oval similarly framed within the hood of a jester’s cap, where the face would ordinarily be. As on the anonymous copper engraving, the map on de Gourmont’s woodcut is derived from a world map by Ortelius—but in this case it is Ortelius’s earlier world map of 1570.

Jean de Gourmont's foolscap world map

From The History of Court Fools by Dr. Doran, I learn that around the time Gourmont's map was published, the witty and brave Chicot was a prominent court jester of Henry III of France. The King benefitted from his company, and he would "appeal to Chicot, not as his jester, but as a man of sense, and his friend." Unlike the other French official jesters, Chicot was allowed to go beyond the confines of the palace. But, the consequence of a court fool's bravery and bold humour, if found offensive by the noblemen, could be fatal. Chicot wasn't spared from it either. Even a celebrated "Bouffon de Cour" in the sixteenth century could be subjected to "stripes and imprisonment for being too talkative". There are records of a certain fool who lost his life as a punishment for playfully drawing his wooden sword upon his King who considered the act a treason.

During that period, political satires were published under the names of renowned court jesters like Chicot as the "author could not safely print his own name; and he found not only safety but profit in publishing his book under the name of some more popular fool." It makes me wonder if the maker of the foolscap map, possibly printed in Antwerp in the late sixteenth century, remained anonymous because he was concerned about his safety as the image belittled monarchy.

Studying the foolscap map with all its epigrammatic phrases carefully, I understand that it's the humourous portrayal of a ubiquitous truth — our vanity and endless lust for wealth and power, make the world a mad habitat — at the expense of the fool's costume. Perhaps the creator of the foolscap map was inspired by an official jester who actually lampooned the society in such a self-deprecating fashion. I say self-deprecating for, at that time, a fool wasn't allowed to appear in the royal court of France "without his livery". However, the world map of the sixteenth century can easily be replaced in that image with our modern world map within the fool's cap.

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