#introduce stricter regulation | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

enigmaticdiary · 2 months

Text

i am rewatching episode 1 for rewind the tape :) I've seen the pilot probably around 20 times at this point but I've only watched it by myself.... once! so for the first time since my first time watching it alone, im gonna do it again with a head full of knowledge of the iwtv book and the full season. and im turning off captions so it's less reading and more watching and close observing for me >:D

Below is a liveblog!

WARNING: I FUCKING LOVE TO TALK AND POINT OUT USELESS THINGS ON EVERY SINGLE THING I SEE. THIS POST IS GOING TO BE A MILE LONG. Also im still not great at putting my thoughts together.

hmm. I would read molloys book on kaposi sarcoma and hiv/aids. i love how well the fake book covers and this advert are put together because so many times I've been asked by friends who i showed the show to if it was an actual commercial LOL.

THE PIC ON THE BACK OF THE BOOK GOING FROM LUKE TO JUST AN ACTUAL PICTURE OF YOUNG ERIC BOGOSIAN? LMFAO. The casting is genuinely so perfect in this show. hehe i like how well the passage of time is depicted through the book covers too, not just in. the photos for daniel obviously but for the aesthetic styles of the covers. the cover they made for "the internets gavel" is sooo mid 2000s. I love the attention to detail for these things on screen for less than a second because it gives a fool like me something to look at and praise simply because the detail wasn't overlooked.

"hate and ashbury" man this is such a good title too. simply because im looking at it and sifting out details it's such a good way to get even more insight into molloy's character. while I don't need to get into a history lecture of haight-ashbury, it tells a lot because it was a historically hippie neighborhood in the 1960s and the birthplace of the counterculture movement, it says a lot for molloy especially seeing the previous three fictional books he wrote about, being hiv/aids crisis, the politics of climate change in the United states, the governments attempts at putting stricter regulation on the internet... I could get into how this connects with molloy's character more in relation to his desire for vampirism but i am barely over a minute in and I've been typing for 15 minutes now!!!

"Preparing For An Interview" NO WAY. GUYS!

No no no i will not pause every 10 seconds and try to connect the thematic dots of everything being presented to me. I need to save that for the video essay im writing!

louis' beautiful handwriting❤️

i dont know why daniels scrunched up face is so fucking funny to me.

Jesus okay watching this without captions is actually really difficult for me i see why i need them all at all times. If im not rewinding because i keep fucking pausing im rewinding because I didn't understand a fucking word i just heard. Despite seeing the episode 20 times.

Hmm.. What personally redemptive accomplishments could louis be referring to..?

UUGGGHHHHHHJJJJJJJJHHHHHHHHHHHHHFHHHH sorry Louis on screen and i started tearing up. Hello armand goodbye armand.

Yah.

Do you think louis goes on twitter sometimes.

Yah?

COVID MEDIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! COVID MEDIA!!!!!!!!!!!

Louis has changed... The only big change he's mentioned between Interview 1 and now that I can recall off the top of my head is that he stopped killing in 2000. I wonder why? I wonder many things

Truth and reconciliation....

Armand being concerned with daniels editor seeing/hearing what was said. I am vaguely aware of the theory that armand has possibly been up to mindfuckery with both louis and Daniel and i can only wonder if this has been mentioned to buoy that theory. To control the narrative.? Hmm... but why?

I know Daniel was annoyed by louis calling him "boy" but i think it's kind of cute. Even with nearly 50 years passing by, the old human is still young to the vampire who has lived going on twice his lifetimes. I am not 10 minutes in and I have been typing for 40 minutes!

FUUUUUUCK sorry. louis

I have no commentary on louis introducing. LESTAT. sorry, not him. On louis introducing new orleans and his the place he inhabited in it. I think its pretty self explanatory and explicit, yeah?

BRICKS❤️❤️❤️❤️

Oh my god the fucking "Oh—goddamn." upon seeing fenwicks diarrhea dick is Ao fucking funny. Louis acting like he would actually have a problem seein a dick or too. Probably would have a problem seeing fenwicks tho (unshitted on). I don't disagree there. Maybe the poop camo is for the best....

Yiu can't be saying that racist jake the dog

Id stick my finger in fenwicks wound and see how deep itd go.

Hi paul

The lord told me to cum. Sorry im 5 years old

Paul punching louis is genuinely so fucking. LESTAT AND HIS FUCKING GOOFY ASS HAT OH MY GOD!!. Sorry. Paul punching Louis was so fucking funny to me because I know that if they were not on that street and were at home or something they would be SLUGGING each other until grace has to pull them apart. Then hug it out :) Idk is this how siblings work im pretty much an only child

I keep having to google words help. HELP. NOT ME HAVING LOOKED UP "PULPIT" ALREADY AND APPARENTLY COMPLETELY FORGETTING WHAT IT MEANS.

Immediately another word I have to google. Im not gonna say I'm stupid for not knowing these words, i did not grow up with the church as closely as others...

i do think a lot about the pointe du lac household before their father died. like. A lot. Theres so much in that brief interaction mentioning him. The sugar cane, the hospital, the Diversion.

Ill never forget the first time i rewatched this ep After learning about the mayfair witches and seeing this scene and being like: GASP! OH MY GOD! ANNE RICE REFERENCE! IT'S ALL CONNECTED!

Paul is so fucking funny like the shade he's constantly throwing, please take a break LMFAO

hng. (louis)

Googling words again. Hmmm the internalized homophobia yes yes i see. Sorry need to google another fucking word. Oh. oh louis...... Ok I can see how my mom picked up on louis being gay so fast. I am a smart boy but my vocabulary is pathetically limited so "big" words going over my head made what should've been pretty obvious be absolutely indecipherable to me. Sorry for being stupid (im not)

I am 17 minutes in and I have been watching and typing for an hour!

Louis: everyone in here is white so its easy to pick out who's gonna call me a nigger to my face and whos gonna do it behind my back

Sir..... Mister....

Hes here

Microaggression 1

TWO.

THREE.

FOUR?

LESTAT CONTINUOUSLY HITTING ME OVER THE HEAD WITH BRICKS

His hair looks like shit

IM. GOING TO KILL HIM. Dont worry louis get behind me.

YOU GONNA FALL VICTIM TO THIS MAN WHOSE HAIR GOT CAUGHT UNDER THE IRON?

Oh my god Leswirl de lioncourt PLEASE PLEASE I CANT TAKE THIS. Actually started growling out loud and said "Shut rhr fuck up, oh mt God.!!!"

IVE EMPTIED A BANK VAULT SAMPLING. S. AJSHKSKSJZMSMS PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP OH MY GKD. PLEASW. ISNSSMJAKSNSMSJAJZMSUAUBZNZ

Lestat put your ears away, please.

Me, watching this for the first time at the age of 20: Is this gay...? No... it can't be. They would put gay in a show...? For real? (in denial and scared of being queerbaited despite the most explicit homosexual overtext)

MISS CARROLL THEYRE HAVING A DICK MEASURING COMPETITION.!!!!!!!

Unfortunately lestat did kind of serve there but throwing his dick down on the table embarrassing louis like that in front of miss carroll and lily was evil and racist somehow And he should be sentenced to 40 good slams in thr head with a brick

If paul didn't punch louis none of this would be happening

Lestat: God i love to troll

Who the devil you say.? Well...

Oh lord louis' face card sorry didn't mean to moan like that. I saw a maj so beautiful I threw up evrrywhere

Hmm. The racism

FUUUUUUCK LOUIS IS SO CUTE I NEED TO KILL MYSELF!

Lestat needs to put his ears AWAY he looks so bad with his hair that short.

What IS this insane time freezing trick lestat is doing? God when im actually giving myself a chance to really absorb myself in the show that scene is actually pretty fucking scary LOL

I NEED TO DIE I HATE HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SHIOT ME IN THE FUCKING HEADA

Lord have mercy the sheer SEX in his eyes as he looks at louis' neck. I nedd to die

Paul..... I need to kill myself for emotional reasons not related to loustat

Egypt reference! Wow! Gabrielle allusion ! "The means to make my way to paris" Ok well what if i

I FEEL SO FUCKING BAD AT HOW HARD I LAUGH AT PAULS SCENES. steven norfleet does such an amazing job in this role.

SAVAGE GARDEN!!!!!!! GUYS!!!!! B

Hooray! The scene that changed me literally Forever. Whatever, man.

Ykung violinist

lily and lestat circling louis like two lions descending on a zebra.

I had a dream about this scene once. I will not br elaborating.

Dude.

GUYS. SEX IS SO FUCKING AWESOME!!!

Guys.

God thid is so fucking crazy

Unfortunately this part does make me giggle especially having to see these two men floating naked and seeing sams fat ass Im about to start crying again

I wish vampires were real

Insert joe biden yelling faggot I don't have it on hand and i don't want to pause for 20 minutes to find it

MY FAVORITE SCENE EVERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PAUL AND LOUIS TAPDSNCING SO CUTE AARRRGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!! The fact that thus scenr eas really all them, being jacob and steven, its so awesome.

WHEN THE BLACK JOY! And then thr Black suffering. Ok guys 21st time is a charm Im praying really hard I THINK I CAN STOP PAUL FROM JUMPING THIS TIME!

This is one of those scenes that really seperates black viewers from nonblack viewers because the way some of my nonblack friends have reacted to florence blaming louis has made me so insanely embarrassed.... I don't know how to explain it. But the shame from a black parent... especially the mother. I don't know. It breaks you in a different way than anything else. Theres a lot of nuance I want to say but I don't have the time or brainpower or expertise to word it properly so please just take my emotional response to this scene at face value.

sorry but lestat just openly asking during the funeral service where they got pauls coffin from is CRAZY.

Breaking finns arm was also crazy as fuck. Like would hs have done that if louis didn't get angry as fuck at him just then. Unfortunately knowing lestats character now seeing louis get mad like that probably made him hard as fuck and thr only way he can deal with it in the moment is to break that mans arm. Sorry I love how ar the beginning of this post i was like super into the nitty gritty and the details bjt then it just turned into me making fun of lestat and how hard he definitely was in like every single scene he was in

God. the pain.

Killing lily was in fact extremely racist and misogynistic of lestat. He should be stabbed many times for this

God.

Ok scene two that permanently changed me

Sorry to that poor stunt double that got knocked out then.

What rage you must feel as you choke on your sorrow. Unfortunately one of the hardest lines ever

No commentary. Hard to say things about this scene cause its just so good, man.

Oh my poor ashy grey blood deprived louis

Watching this scene with headphones on is crazy

GOD. GUYS. I LOVE SHOW. DID YOU GUYS KNOW I FUCKING LOVE SHOW???!!?? Pack it up guys This is one of the best pilots in tv history

To wrap up this post, it took me about 2 hours and 20 minutes to finish the first episode. I spent twice as long watching it BECAUSE I LOVE TO FUCKING YAP!

#iwtv show #vampterview #oh no i just realized that when i was re-editing this post to make more additions i overwrote one of my previous edits so its not there #anymore...#it was the scene of lestat at the dinner :(#Basically i said: This scene is so scary #and that sam is a really good actor. And both him and jacob have installed a passion for acting in me #And of course I was laughing at how funny paul was

14 notes · View notes

ukrfeminism · 4 months

Text

The number of women dying from alcohol-related diseases has soared in recent years, new figures show, with experts blaming the rise on brands deliberately targeting marketing at women.

The latest data reveals the number of women who lost their lives this way in the UK increased by 37 per cent in five years – surging from 2,399 to 3,293 between 2016 and 2021 and marking the highest levels since records began.

While more men than women still die from alcohol-related diseases, the Office for National Statistics figures show deaths are rising substantially quicker for women than for men, with the latter seeing a 28 per cent in the same period – from 4,928 to 6,348.

Professor Debbie Shawcross, a professor of hepatology and chronic liver failure at King’s College London’s Institute of Liver Studies, said liver disease was a particular problem in female patients.

“Women tend to present with more severe liver disease, particularly alcohol-related hepatitis, and do so after a shorter period of excessive drinking and at a lower daily alcohol intake than men,” she said. “This can be accounted for by differences in body size and composition – less muscle mass.”

Richard Piper, chief executive of the charity Alcohol Change, claimed the main factor causing the surge is the “incessant marketing of drinks towards women” as he called for stricter regulation of alcohol advertising.

Abigail Wilson, from WithYou, a drug, alcohol and mental health charity, described the rise in women dying from alcohol-related liver disease as “very concerning” as she argued alcohol was as damaging as heroin and crack cocaine. “Women generally are less likely to die of alcohol-related causes than men. There is always a gap there but the gap is closing, and that is really concerning.”

The Independent can also report that:

The number of deaths among women attributed to alcohol-related liver disease in England increased from 1,533 to 2,190 deaths between 2015 and 2021 – a 42 per cent rise

The total number of male deaths linked to alcohol-related liver disease climbed by 34 per cent to 3,870 deaths in the same timeframe

Recent research from 33 countries found that British women are the biggest female binge drinkers

Exclusive polling from WithYou shows almost two-thirds of those who seek support online are women, with more than half seeking support for their alcohol use

Roxanne Knighton, who lives in Staffordshire, told The Independent of the pain of losing her mother Melanie to alcohol-related liver disease in March 2022. She was diagnosed with the illness in her late forties.

“All the earliest memories were mum drinking,” the 34-year-old recalled. “She was alcohol dependent – it made her function.”

Ms Knighton said her mother never went to the doctor and was in denial about her drinking. So Ms Knighton made the call instead.

“It was me who called the doctors as she couldn’t get up off the sofa – she was full of fluid,” she added. “It had gone into her belly, she had to be drained, they got 12 litres from her.

“I was looking after her each day. It was four years until she died. It still hurts. I didn’t just lose her, I lost her to the alcohol first. You lose them twice.”

Raising concerns about the “feminisation” of alcohol marketing, Dr Piper highlighted annual reports of major alcohol brands which reveal they are deliberately targeting women.

“This is leading to deaths,” he said. “The second reason would be pricing – alcohol is more affordable now than it has been at any point in the last 20 years so people are drinking more.”

He called for ministers to introduce tighter rules on alcohol marketing and roll out minimum unit pricing for alcohol to make drinks with higher alcohol content more expensive.

Other campaigners warned it is harder for women to get support for alcohol misuse due to services often being tailored towards men. Women routinely do the lion’s share of childcare, meaning they cannot physically find the time, they say.

Helena Conibear, chief executive of the Alcohol Education Trust, attributed the rise in women dying from alcohol-related liver disease to a significant increase in binge drinking in the late Nineties and early 2000s.

Meanwhile, Prof Shawcross argued women who struggle with alcoholism endure greater “cultural stigma” than their male counterparts, which may deter women from pursuing help.

Alcohol-related liver disease often has no symptoms for many years, she added, while women also have lower levels of the enzyme which breaks down alcohol.

Vanessa Hebditch, of the British Liver Trust, said: “With alcohol becoming increasingly accessible and affordable, as well as more ingrained in our culture, more women are drinking to levels that put their health at risk.”

Siobhan Herbert, a project manager, told The Independent she started drinking a bottle of wine a night – and sometimes two bottles on weekend evenings – around 20 years ago.

“When I went out, I drank less,” the 52-year-old added. “I was a bit of a closet drinker. At home, there would be nobody around to witness me getting trollied. My mother was an alcoholic, she was exactly the same. You would have thought growing up, seeing all that through my teenage years, it would stop you, but it is very addictive.”

Ms Herbert said she eventually stopped drinking in June 2022 due to growing fed up with the impact alcohol was having on her physical and mental health.

She added: “I wasn’t putting Baileys on my cornflakes but every day I felt awful. I felt tired and anxious.

“I am a whole new woman now. I feel alive. I have more energy. I am sharper. I do not have anxiety. My depression is gone and all of the problems I was blaming on the menopause have massively improved.”

Sandra Parker, a self-professed “classic binge drinker”, said she would struggle to know how much alcohol she had consumed due to blacking out and would sometimes be in bed for two days afterwards.

The 54-year-old, who stopped drinking in 2018, now coaches women to help them stop or cut down on their alcohol consumption, describing her clients as successful professional middle-class women who are secretly drinking harmful amounts of wine at home.

“They may have a single drink when they are out with people from work, or they may not even drink, but they come home and they have a bottle of wine,” she added. “They have learnt that when they have a drink, they feel less stressed, and it becomes a dependency where they really crave that feeling each night.”

A Department of Health spokesperson said. “Alcohol misuse can ruin lives and destroy families, which is why we are acting to support those most at risk.

“We’ve published a 10-year plan for tackling drug and alcohol-related harms and are investing an extra £532m between 2022 and 2025 to create places for 50,000 people in drug and alcohol treatment services. We are also funding specialist alcohol care teams at one in four hospitals in England, based on those with the greatest need.

“Our 10-year women’s health strategy sets out our plan for improving care and support for women.”

#articles #health

13 notes · View notes

the-rad1o-demon · 7 months

Text

Article title: "Let's Talk About The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)"

Article text:

"Back in July, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). COPPA is good legislation focused on the collection of data by web operators from users under the age of 13.

KOSA, on the other hand, is not great. The bill aims to prevent harassment, exploitation, and mental health trauma to minors on the Internet. Doing so will require broad content filtering to limit minors’ access to specific types of online content.

'This bill sets out requirements for covered platforms (i.e., social networks, video streaming services, or other applications that connect to the internet and are likely to be used by minors) to protect minors from online harm, including requirements relating to (1) safeguards to restrict access to the personal data of minors, (2) tools to help parents supervise a minor’s use of a platform, and (3) reporting of harm to minors from using the platform.'

The summary of the bill sounds innocuous enough. There’s a lot hiding below the surface. It was originally introduced in 2022, and its authors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), had to take it back to the drawing board after a coalition of organizations publicly opposed it.

Those critics worry that it will greatly limit access to sex education information and resources for LGBTQ+ youth. It will put significant pressure on online services to over-moderate users and content. It also forces State Attorney Generals to make decisions on what information is 'appropriate.' We’re already witnessing what happens when the 'appropriateness' of content and culture is left to individual states. Book bans, sports bans on transgender students, bans on gender-affirming care, and groups like Moms For Liberty taking over school boards.

Marsha Blackburn has already admitted that her goal for this bill is 'protecting minor children from the transgender in this culture.' That statement alone puts this entire bill in the same category as all of those other state regulations Republicans are trying to push through. It makes any democratic support of the bill unacceptable. Someone needs to call Elizabeth Warren and tell her to rescind her recent co-sponsorship of KOSA.

Even President Biden has voiced misguided support for this bill. Saying, 'We’ve got to hold these platforms accountable for the national experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit.' In the same way we don’t need or want politicians making policies or laws about our bodies, we shouldn’t need or want politicians or web providers making decisions about what is or isn’t appropriate for our children. That’s our job as their parents. Establishing a nanny state isn’t in anyone’s best interests.

KOSA also requires that web platforms enable stricter parental controls. Parental controls are good in theory, and when actual parents enable them. But this bill puts the onus on web providers to make decisions for everyone’s kids. Including older minors who, at the age of 15 or 16, should have some right to privacy and access to information. If you’re a kid who doesn’t feel safe at home for whatever reason, being able to find online mental health resources may mean the difference between life and death.

The other bad part of this bill is that it will require websites and online platforms to collect MORE data from users. If you think The Internet knows too much about you now, just wait. Age verification may require all users to provide much more personally identifiable information (PII). Your IT Guy can tell you this will put your information at significant risk of data breaches and threaten users’ overall privacy.

To some degree, I understand and even support a desire to get Big Tech under control and held accountable for bad actions and platform mismanagement. But The Kids Online Safety Act doesn’t stop there. It’s going to make at-risk communities even more at-risk. It’s going to adversely affect user privacy. And most importantly, at least one of the writers of the bill is prepared to use it to hammer away at trans rights and social acceptance.

Reach out to your Congressional Reps and ask them to vote no on KOSA Resisbot has you covered. Or you can look up contact information for your Congressperson(s) here. If you do make a call, IndivisibleSF has a good script you can use when you leave a message."

-- End Article

#lgbtqia #lgbt #lgbtqplus #lgbtq community #lgbtqia2s+#lgbtq+#no privacy on the internet #no privacy #stop kosa #kosa bill #kosa act #kosa #kids online safety act #internet censorship #politics #us politics #politicians fucking up again #this will not end well

21 notes · View notes

16woodsequ · 3 months

Text

Sunday Steve - Day Thirteen

Things that would be new or unfamiliar to Steve in the 21st century, either due to the time period he grew up in, or his social-economic status and other such factors.

Day Thirteen: Tenement Building

Alright, so Steve grew up in a tenement building. What does that mean? Tenement buildings are buildings shared by multiple dwellings with a shared entrance. Basically apartment buildings. But what were the conditions like for Steve? I think it's common knowledge that tenement buildings were not considered the best housing. But that doesn't mean Steve lived in a Dickensian slum.

The History

In the late 1800s, tenement living conditions were really becoming a problem, and people started to call for reform. Tenements built in this period are known as "Pre-Law".

In 1879, due to these pushes for reform there was a law passed known as the "Old Law". This mandated certain things like airshafts for tenement buildings, leading to "dumbbell" shaped buildings. This allowed more light and air into tenement buildings but also became places for garbage to pile up.

First photo: tenement floorplans as per various regulations (Link)

Second photo: Airshaft of a 'dumbbell' tenement building, circa 1900. (Link)

In 1901 a law knows as the "New Law" was passed. This law was much stricter and more enforced. Major things it implemented were running water, water-closets and a window in every room. Airshafts were done away with, instead tenements were designed around courtyards where garbage could properly be disposed of.

Pre-Law and Old Law tenements still existed but some things had to updated to comply with the new rules. This link goes into really good detail the kinds of changes landlords were required to make under the New Law.

Steve and Sarah's life in tenement buildings would be different depending on if they were living in an 'Old Law' (I'm just going to always use Old law now and not Pre-law for simplicity) or 'New Law' tenement.

The New Law effectively banned new dumbbell style tenements from being built, due to its new space and airshaft requirements. Old Law tenements were typically built on 25 foot wide lots while New Law tenements "resulted in much larger tenements designed around one or more interior light courts. they typically occupied lots 35 feet wide or greater, and were often six or seven stories tall, sometimes above a raised basement" (Link).

So New Law tenement lots were bigger due to the courtyard, often with more floors than Old Law tenements. An Old Law tenement was typically no more than five floors.

If Steve lived in an Old Law tenement it would be a different size and design than New Law builds, but would have been required to update some things like plumbing and toilets to comply with the New Law.

In 1929 New York passed it's Multiple Dwelling Law, which is still what it uses today. I don't cover it much because Steve likely still lived in pre-1929 tenements and from my skimming of the law it looks as though pre-1929 tenements were mostly exempt from a lot of the specific new regulations. (Article 7 if you're interested.)

In the 30s, Old Law tenement buildings began to be condemned as the city focused on 'slum-clearing' and tenants were forced to find other lodgings. This was also the case for tenements where landlords did not want to renovate to make the necessary New Law changes. If Steve and Sarah lived in an Old Law tenement around this time they could have been evicted (Link). (I think in the comics Sarah dies in 1937-ish, so this would have also added a lot of stress to that difficult time.)

By 1936, New York introduced its first public housing program. But it was in Manhattan, so it's probably safe to say Steve didn't experience that. He likely continued to live in the cheapest tenements or cold water flats he could find. Which would no doubt mean Old Law flats, likely with a roommate of some kind to share the cost. Although one-bedroom dwellings did also exist.

Tenement Amenities

Water plumbing: Old law tenements often has a water tap in the yard or hall instead of running water in the flat, and privies in the yard instead of indoor toilets. But by 1904 “landlords were required to install toilets in buildings” (Link). For renovated Old Law tenements, this would usually just be a toilet in a little room, not a shower and bath.

While the New Law required indoor plumbing Steve probably didn’t have regular hot water. Steam and hot water flats definitely did exits, but they were more expensive. In a cold water flat he would need to boil any wash water, including bathing water. We will get into the many different ways to bathe, including standing in small tubs over the sink, or going to bathhouses. (Link)

Some apartments had water heaters that were connected to a coin operated gas line, which we will get into. So it is possible for Steve to have had limited hot water, but equally possible for him to have lived at times in a cold water flat.

As Josephine remembers it, their apartment at 97 Orchard Street was dimly lit, barely furnished, and terribly cold. The cold must have been memorable. Rosaria [her mother] demanded they take cold-water sponge baths each morning, and their weekly tepid baths (small amounts of hot water came from a heater attached to the stove) took place in the kitchen sink. Rosaria also insisted on enemas, which she administered in the chill hall toilet. (Link)

Central heating: Steve wouldn't have had central heating. His heat probably would have come via the stove or a kerosene heater. In the winters families would close up rooms further from the stove and sleep near the heat source. Tenements could get so cold tenants could see their breath in the air.

Air conditioning: Steve wouldn't have had air conditioning, but apparently modern air conditioning was invented in 1902 (Link). This means there were probably some buildings like cinemas or libraries with air conditioning he could go to. Tenements got very hot in the summer. But he could've used electric fans to combat the heat if he had electricity and could afford to buy one.

Stove: There were three types of stoves: wood/coal/oil, gas, and electric. Electric ovens were the most expensive of the bunch, so I doubt Steve used those.

If he used an oil, coal, or wood burning stove he would need to buy fuel for it. Things like oil or coal could be bought at a store or delivered. Same with ice for ice boxes/refrigerators.

My mother put a card in the front window if she wanted oil or ice that day. As I remember, the oil and ice were delivered by the same truck. Usually we bought a twenty-five-cent piece of ice that the iceman would chop off with an ice pick. (Link)

Steve also could've had a gas stove. Apparently it was common for these to be coin operated. I had no idea what this would even look like before I looked it up, so here's a gif I made from the 1921 Charlie Chaplin movie The Kid showing it being used.

(I think the kid might be stealing the quarter back again at the end of the gif, but I'm no sure. People definitely did try to come up with ways to outsmart the meters though!)

These machines could also be connected to gas lights that would turn off when the money ran out. It could also be connected to a water heater as we discussed. (Link) It would depend on the building Steve lived in and his landlord whether he has things like gas stoves, a small water heater and gas versus electric lights.

Laundry: We covered laundry more in depth on a previous post. But just to recap, Steve very likely didn't have a laundry machine in his home. Although it was possible (it would take a lot of saving.) Laundry could be done by hand (most likely boiling water on the stove) or sent out to be done by someone else.

Dirty clothes would be sent to the wet wash, which would be picked up by a truck and returned wet. The clothes would be hung on a line from the kitchen window to the electrical pole to dry. (Link)

In the 30s and 40s self-serve laundromats began to become more common as well.

Lighting: The New Law did not require electrification, so it would depend on the landlord and where Steve was living if/when he would have electric or gas lights. (Basically headcanon what you what for you fics). In the case of the Tenement Museum, the Old Law building was electrified in 1924, so it's very possible Steve could remember getting electricity.

The New Law did require lighting in stairways as well as a ventilating skylight.

Toilets and Baths: Under the New Law, sewer connected toilets instead of backyard privies were required. New Law tenements were required to have one toilet for each apartment.

In the case of the Tenement Museum Old Law tenement though, they got one toilet for every two families. These were very small, cramped rooms with just a toilet inside, cut into space that used to be rentable space. These toilets also had to have windows.

So Steve would have had indoor plumbing, but depending on where he lived he could have had to share the toilet with another resident family.

Pages from the Tenement House Committee of the Charity Organization Society of New York book “For You,” published in 1910, intent on educating tenement dwellers. (Link)

As you can see from the above pictures the toilet spaces were very small and an after-thought for Old Law tenements. However, it looks like some tenements did also have bathtubs. It would probably depend on where Steve lived for whether he had a tub.

This tumblr post and this tumblr post show concept art for Steve’s pre-war apartment. It shows a tub in the kitchen that is also used as a table. This is a common design of older tenements. The apartment in the art is an Old Law tenement and the second link also gets into the history and layout of tenements. Steve probably moved multiple times so he could have lived in many different looking tenements, including one like that.

The New Law required bathing facilities but like most of the regulations, it was brought in slowly to the older buildings. The Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side didn't have tubs in the apartments. Instead residents would stand in small basins in front of the sink while they bathed. A small amount of hot water was available through a (coin operated) gas water heater connect to the stove.

Another options was public baths! This article and this article go into the history of public baths and has some pictures of the interior of some, so I won't go into too much detail. But at least some of these public baths were free. Public baths had showers and pools that used continually filtered water, which were a great way to cool off in the summer! This seems to be the main draw as use fell to only 4% in the winter.

Bath houses began to be obsolete by the 40s since most people had indoor plumbing by then.

Sign advertising free public baths. Circa 1935. (Link with more public bath photos.)

Getting back to toilets. I don't know how toilet paper worked in shared bathrooms. I have not seen anything about landlords providing toilet paper, to most likely tenants bought it themselves. If they shared a toilet then maybe they brought it with them to the toilet to keep anyone else from using it?

Basic maintenance and cleaning was often done by someone in the building in exchange for much cheaper rent. (Link showing janitor rent for $6 in 1930). So communal spaces like the stairs, halls and (probably) shared toilets would be maintained. (Did you know there used to be a female word for janitor? The word janitress is used in many ads.)

Rent

So what was rent like for Steve? This link gets into the complications of trying to determine historical rent so I can't say 100% what rent would have been.

From what I can find, rent cost was based off of how many rooms you had. It was also influenced by what floor you lived on. For example for one tenement in 1900 "a three-room apartment on the first floor of a tenement rented for $12-$13/month (about $4/room), while the same apartment on the 4th floor rented for $9.50-$10/month (about $3/room). (Link)

In later years "tenement households paid on average about $6.60 per room per month in 1928 and again in 1932."

Rent was usually about 1/3 of the household income but this is complicated for Steve considering how Sarah was a single mother. People in tenements often moved around a lot, finding better or cheaper places to live when able or needed.

Some rent number examples:

Discussion of $7.50-8 per room per month being too high in 1922 New York (Link)

$16 a month for 4 rooms in 1926 New York (Link)

$4-5 a week for 3-4 rooms, $8.75 a week for 5 rooms, in New Law electric tenement in 1926 New York (Link)

$5-7 a room a month in New York in 1934 (Link).

$7.20 a week for 5 rooms in 1937 New York (Link complains how it's cheaper to buy a whole house than rent continually...sounds familiar.)

Discussion of how New Law tenants are able to pay $12 dollars per room but Old Law tenants "unable to pay over $5 per room". Once again concern over $8 dollar a room rent, in 1937 New York (Link)

$17 a month for 4 rooms in 1940s Boston (Link)

$15-22 for 3-4 rooms for cold water flats in 1942 New York (Link)

$15 a month for 4 rooms in 1945 Boston (Link)

Basically I think it's safe to say Sarah and Steve would have done their best to have $15-25 rent a month. From what I can tell, this price range is considered low rent and Steve's rent would vary depending on where he lived. The more rooms the higher the rent.

One thing to think about with rent is the expensive side effect of cheaper living.

[O]verall the cold water flats were not cheap to live in because of the health hazards they created. First there was the problem of maintaining adequate heat during the winter. Second, the fumes from a coal burning stove contributed to respiratory problems. Third, the fumes from kerosene heaters compound the potential for the occupants to develop lung problems. And fourth, the popularity of asbestos heaters during the 1940s increased the risk for all kinds of health problems as we now know. (Link)

Steve and Sarah may not have had a choice where they lived because of their income, but it's likely Steve's living conditions impacted his health a great deal.

But What Did Tenements Look Like Inside?

I've found it somewhat difficult to pick images of tenement interiors because often the pictures being taken were done by Progressive advocates or city inspectors specifically to show poor, illegal living conditions. But this doesn't mean that's what Steve always/ever lived like.

But I've gathered a collection of photos I think show a good range of environments. These apartments had people who cared about them and tried to make the best of their situation. It was common for residents to paint or wallpaper their apartments after moving in to help make it feel like their own. The Tenement Museum floors had layers and layers of patterned linoleum floors from past residents. While the rooms were often cramped, dim, or cold, they were also often colourful, decorated, and kept tidy.

This section got very long so I'm going to make a second post next week with tenement pictures to show you! I will also link it at the end of this post.

The Streetside

Tenements often had storefronts on the first and/or basement levels of the building. The family running the business would often live in the back rooms behind the store.

These stores ranged from grocers, to barbers, to meat markets, to dress shops and everything in between. I will cover these stores and grocery stores more in depth in a later post, but I wanted to mention how likely it would be for shops to be on the street-level floor of a tenement.

Image of tenements with storefronts at street level, 1936. (Link)

In Conclusion

Steve lived a very different life than the other Avengers growing up in a tenement building. His experience would vary depending on the building and the landlord, but he likely had to aim for the cheapest housing available. Still, these places were full of life and cared for by many residents.

Tenement pictures coming Feb 11th ^_^

Bonus facts: Moving Day

Sunday Steve Masterpost

10 notes · View notes

dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

Text

Tennessee House Republicans on Monday initiated the process of expelling three Democratic lawmakers who joined protesters in demanding stricter gun laws following the Nashville mass shooting that left three young children and three adults dead.

Days after last week's shooting, thousands of demonstrators flooded the Tennessee state Capitol to decry GOP lawmakers' inaction in the face of deadly gun violence. Inside the House chamber, Democratic Reps. Justin Jones, Gloria Johnson, and Justin Pearson took to the podium with a bullhorn and led demonstrators in chants supporting gun control legislation.

As The Tennessean reported, Tennessee House Republicans cast the trio's actions as an "insurrection" and, at the end of Monday's session, "introduced three expulsion resolutions" claiming that the three Democrats "did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions."

A vote on the resolutions is expected on Thursday. "Democrats will have little power to block expulsions," The Tennessean noted.

The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators said in a statement that "this political retribution is unconstitutional and, in this moment, morally bankrupt."

"The people who elected us are calling for meaningful action to end gun violence and the people have a right to be heard through their duly elected representatives," the statement added.

While the House moved to schedule the vote, demonstrators inside the chamber chanted "Fascists!"—to which Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton responded by ordering the galleries cleared and calling on state troopers to remove protesters.

"Media forced out at as well," tweeted Jones, who—along with Johnson—has already been stripped of his committee assignments. Jones said a Republican lawmaker shoved him and grabbed his phone as he was recording a video of demonstrations inside the chamber on Monday.

"This is a sad day for Tennessee," he wrote.

The GOP-controlled Legislature's expulsion efforts came after thousands of Nashville students walked out of their classrooms earlier Monday to demand action on gun violence, which is now the leading cause of death for children in the United States—a country with more guns than people.

Far from backing gun control legislation, Tennessee Republicans have sought to make firearms even more readily accessible in recent years. The New York Times reported last week that Tennessee lawmakers "have passed a series of measures that have weakened regulations, eliminating some permit requirements and allowing most residents to carry loaded guns in public, open or concealed, without a permit, training, or special background checks."

Facing expulsion, the Democratic trio in Tennessee has continued to voice solidarity with those rallying for change in the streets and at the state Capitol.

Pearson, one of Tennessee's youngest lawmakers, told a local media outlet that "the thousands of children and adults who marched outside of the People's House are not insurrectionists."

"My walk, my colleagues' walk to the House floor was in a peaceful and civil manner, and it was not an insurrection,” Pearson said, pushing back on the state GOP's characterization of the protests.

Jones, who like Pearson took office earlier this year, vowed Monday that "we'll not be intimidated."

"THE PEOPLE are demanding we act to stop kids from being murdered in school," Jones wrote on Twitter.

30 notes · View notes

aiautos · 1 year

Text

The Chevrolet Corvair was a compact car produced by General Motors from 1960 to 1969. The 1965 Chevy Corvair was a part of the second generation of the Corvair, which was produced from 1965 to 1969.

The Corvair was introduced in 1960 as a direct competitor to the Volkswagen Beetle. It was notable for its rear-mounted, air-cooled engine, which was a departure from the traditional front-mounted, water-cooled engines found in most American cars. The first generation of the Corvair was produced from 1960 to 1964, and it included a range of body styles, including sedans, coupes, convertibles, and station wagons.

In 1965, the Corvair was redesigned for its second generation. The new model featured a more angular design with a squared-off roofline and a longer hood. The engine was also updated, with a larger, 2.7-liter version replacing the previous 2.4-liter engine. The new engine produced 140 horsepower and was available with either a four-speed manual or a two-speed automatic transmission.

The 1965 Chevy Corvair was available in several body styles, including a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan, a convertible, and a station wagon. The coupe and convertible models were particularly popular, thanks in part to their sporty styling and relatively low price.

Despite its popularity, the Corvair was not without controversy. In 1965, consumer advocate Ralph Nader published a book called "Unsafe at Any Speed," in which he criticized the safety of the Corvair and other American cars. Nader argued that the Corvair's rear-mounted engine made it prone to instability and rollovers, and he called for stricter safety regulations for the automotive industry.

The controversy surrounding the Corvair did not stop production, and the car remained in production until 1969. Today, the Corvair has a dedicated following of enthusiasts who appreciate its unique design and engineering. While it may not have been a commercial success, the 1965 Chevy Corvair remains an important part of automotive history.

#Chevrolet #human generated images #ai written context #reality #nonfiction #this is getting suspicious

23 notes · View notes

prince-of-elsinore · 1 year

Text

Dear M*A*S*H: S1 Ep 02 “To Market, to Market”

Previous episode here.

This is a tight episode that establishes some important recurring aspects of the series, namely the black market and idiocy, absurdity, and inefficiency of military bureaucracy and regulation. It is supremely ironic that Hawkeye and Trapper must scam to save lives; they must lie to the army in order to do the job the army expects and pays them to do--or at least, to do it well. Here is a further development on the theme established in the pilot, that the priority of these surgeons is saving lives, not merely ticking off boxes and following orders--doing things “the army way.” The episode provides a snapshot of how impossibly broken and corrupt the system they find themselves in is: black market and army both, each making the doctors’ jobs impossible, squeezing them from both sides.

The show never misses a chance to lampoon the brass: General Hammond won’t provide the hospital with more hydrocortisone, which will presumably save lives, because they’ve already received the allotted supply. Never mind if it was stolen; the box has been ticked off. And the General has more important things to do than talk to a lowly Lt. Colonel pleading for life-saving medicine; he has a meeting with MacArthur. Self-obsession, self-aggrandizement, and absurdly misplaced priorities are the hallmarks of the military and every antagonist on the show.

Crucially, the answer the characters provide to the problem of rampant theft is not stricter regulation and harsher discipline. If you can’t get rid of it, work with it. The solution to theft and the black market is: theft and the black market.

Charlie, the black market boss Hawkeye and Trapper go to see, is a stark contrast to General Hammond in many ways. First of all, check out his sweater and silk scarf. He looks relaxed and approachable. And the guy clearly cares about appearances, a fact Hawkeye picks up on and uses to his advantage. “For Charlie Lee, nothing but the best,” Charlie says with a winning smile and Midwestern accent. He’s personable, enjoys the finer things in life, and comes across as reasonable. No, he won’t help Hawk and Trap out of the goodness of his heart; he’s not running a charity. But he has real, concrete reasons for turning them down, unlike Hammond, who refused on empty, abstract principle. And when Hawkeye makes an offer that appeals to his vanity, he can’t refuse.

It’s also worth pointing out that Charlie and Hammond--who is simply the Brass of the Week--aren’t so different at their cores. There are plenty of instances over the course of the series wherein military men are shown to be equally susceptible to self-serving plans, even if they go against regulation. While not the focus of this episode, the hypocrisy of the brass and their “do as I say not as I do” attitude is often put in the spotlight. In this respect, the biggest difference between Charlie and Hammond is simply that Charlie never pretends to be anything he isn’t. The criminal world is like a fun house mirror to the military; it reflects back its human flaws, but wears them proudly on its sleeve.

You all know how it turns out; Henry’s oak desk, introduced as nothing but a gag about Henry’s own self-obsession, becomes the linchpin of the caper, the leverage that will allow Hawkweye and Trapper to get the hydrocortisone. Of course, stealing from one man overly concerned with appearances to give to another is presented as a morally correct action. Stealing from the rich, to give to the rich, and get what they need for the poor. Hawk and Trap are the Robin Hoods of the 4077. And while Henry is far more sympathetic and likable than either Hammond or Charlie, his fate is narratively sealed in his opening scene when he appears far more concerned with his shiny new toy than with the doctors’ dilemma. For the sake of ethics, he’s got to be taken down a peg.

(Seriously, Henry, why are you looking at your desk like that? While rubbing it and talking about solidity and strength?)

Other thoughts:

This episode was especially egregious with the use of “humorous” music cues and stingers: for instance, the “boing” sound when they open the back of the truck to find it empty. I assumed moments like that might be made slightly less awkward by a laugh track, but I checked and that’s a moment without the canned laughs!

I don’t think we ever hear again that weird “funky” version of Suicide is Painless that plays at the end as the helicopter flies off with the desk. Thank goodness.

Biggest laugh: Frank and Margaret’s exchange in Henry’s office in the dark while Hawkeye and Trapper hide behind the desk. Frank’s idea of seduction is truly something else. “Us, you, me... meeting like this... the way the flashlight catches your hair.” Cringe humor before cringe humor was a thing.

Parting thoughts: Overall, a solid follow up to the pilot. In fact, “To Market, to Market” is a classic caper that I was surprised came so early in the series, considering how that final gag of the helicopter flying off with Henry’s desk has stuck in my mind.

#mash #mash meta #m*a*s*h #mash 1x02 #dear mash #my meta #mash to market to market

7 notes · View notes

aikoiya · 9 months

Text

LoZ: Wild - Why There's No Vai Set in TotK

I'm suddenly reminded of Twilight Princess where Link couldn't transform back & forth between wolf & Hylian in front of people because it, logically, would've freaked them out.

As such, I kinda wish that there was a thing like that in BotW where the game would literally stop Link from changing clothes within Gerudo eyesight because, if he did, logically they would realize that he was a voe, have him blacklisted, & bar him from entry even if he wore the Gerudo Vai Set again later. And this should've been specified. Like, a speech bar comes up telling you that you'll be seen & could end up being blacklisted from town.

It could also result in stricter entry regulations & investigations. Otherwise, why even have this law if they aren't going to enforce it?

Though, I do think that as a result of last game, those stricter entry regulations would still be introduced, which, in itself, could be precisely why the crossdressing Vai Set seller is no longer there in TotK & you can't get the Gerudo Vai Set in this game to begin with.

Like, for instance, upon meeting Riju in BotW, she should've turned to Buliara upon her vocalizing that Link was a voe & asked her to make a note to enforce stricter entry regulations to keep this from happening again. The consequences of which eventually making itself known in TotK where one of the gateguards mentions how the entry regulations have become more strict & how they've managed to stop several voe from sneaking in. Even mentioning how they even blacklisted a nefarious voe from the entire region to keep him from selling vai outfits to other voe in Kara Kara Bazaar. Maybe she even comments on how at least Link doesn't hide the fact that he's a voe. (Then the camera pans to Link's face, who has a somewhat awkward expression.)

It should've also stopped you from changing out of them around that one dude you get the sand & snow boots from in BotW until after you've completed his quest chain. At which point, if you change in front of him, he reacts & is visibly crushed by the realization that Link was a dude. It would've been mean, but also funny.

LoZ Wild Masterlist

#loz #botw #totk #legend of zelda #breath of the wild #tears of the kingdom #gerudo vai set

3 notes · View notes

beardedmrbean · 1 year

Text

1. Many still unaware of new e-scooter rules in Belgium

With the rapid increase in the number of road accidents involving e-scooters in recent years and the nuisance they can cause for other road users, especially pedestrians, the Federal Government introduced stricter regulations for their use last year. Read more.

2. The cheapest and most expensive locations to buy property in Belgium

Property prices in Belgium continued to soar since last year and by region, Brussels comes out on top whilst Wallonia is overall the cheapest for all property types. Read more.

3. Extra police presence at Zaventem school campuses following fatal fight

For the next few days, there will be a reinforced police presence on the three campuses of Zavo secondary school in Zaventem following a deadly fight involving the school's pupils on Friday. Read more.

4. Iris Festival gathered 100,000 visitors in Brussels this weekend

Nearly 100,000 people celebrated the 34th anniversary of the Brussels-Capital Region during the Iris Festival this weekend, visit.brussels said in a statement. Read more.

5. Tens of thousands of euros thrown from vehicle during car chase

A driver of a vehicle being pursued by Antwerp police on Saturday threw tens of thousands of Euros out of the window of his vehicle, the Gazet van Antwerpen reports. Read more.

6. How Leopold I came close to the British throne

With the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, the English royals are again in the spotlight. And whilst the throne of England was much contested by rivals down the centuries, it is little known that Belgium's Leopold I nearly became an English prince. Read more.

7. Hidden Belgium: The oldest restaurant in Brussels

It’s the oldest restaurant in Brussels. Yet In ’t Spinnekopke is still something of a secret. Read more.

#nunyas news

3 notes · View notes

ukrfeminism · 2 years

Text

At-home massages have become more popular, but the BBC has heard from dozens of women who have been sexually assaulted by massage therapists in their own homes. Experts are now calling for the government to introduce stricter regulation in a sector that has little oversight.

Warning: Some of the content in this story may be distressing.

Callum Urquhart advertised his at-home massage services on social media, which is where Yas - not her real name - booked him. She says her massage started off professionally, with Urquhart asking for her consent before massaging certain areas of her body. But he quickly went on to sexually assault her.

"I think in that situation, you can't quite believe that it's happening and there's one side of your brain telling you to not overreact," she told the BBC. "But he started being quite rough - it was very apparent by that point what was happening. I didn't know whether he was going to rape me, [or] kill me. I just didn't know."

After reporting what happened to the police, Yas learnt that Urquhart held no qualifications in massage therapy and had never undertaken any form of training. Even after he had been arrested and was being investigated by the police for sexual assault, the BBC found he was able to continue massaging - and sexually assaulting clients.

Last year, Urquhart was jailed for sexually assaulting four female clients in Bristol. Yas says she was "heartbroken" there was nothing to stop Urquhart from practising and assaulting other women. She believes change is needed: "If there were regulations I imagine he would have been under investigation or struck off.

"There would have been some repercussions to his actions," she added. "One of the reasons for me reporting it was to ensure that it didn't happen to anybody else."

Lack of regulation

Under current UK regulations, massage therapists do not need a licence, or any formal training, to start practicing massage. So anyone can set themselves up as a therapist, as the title is not protected. There is one accredited register, where a member of the public can look up a masseur or masseuse. But because it is voluntary, experts say only a minority are signed up.

Some local councils require premises offering massage therapy to have a business licence, which can be revoked if the firm is deemed unsafe. But in order for a healthcare professional to be regulated, like physiotherapists, the government must deem it as a high risk of causing harm to the public.

Yet the BBC has found more than a dozen criminal cases involving offenders using the massage industry to rape and sexually assault clients in the last six years. It includes incidents where massage therapists advertised and carried out services even after being arrested for sexual offences.

Yas says the lasting impact of her assault has been devastating. "I didn't want to go to sleep for a long time, because I was worried about dreaming about it. I suffered with panic attacks and it really made me doubt my own judgment because I had trusted this person to come into my home - so I felt like I couldn't trust anyone," she added.

The rise of wellness apps has made booking massages at home easier than ever. Urban is an app that allows customers to find self-employed massage therapists who can be booked and at their door in as little as an hour.

Taylor - not her real name - had always chosen to be massaged by women when booking at-home massages on the app. But when she decided to treat herself to a deep tissue massage in October 2019, there were no women therapists available. Instead she found a male therapist whose profile had hundreds of positive reviews - many of them five stars.

"In my head I thought that was a fairly safe bet, with someone that's clearly been trusted by lots of people and been trusted by the app," she told the BBC.

But soon into the massage, she felt something wasn't right. "When you have a really professional masseuse, you never feel like any part of your body is particularly exposed," she said. "This guy literally pulled the towel off the entire lower part of my body."

Taylor says the massage therapist then began to touch her in intimate areas without her consent, before going to commit a serious sexual assault. She says she "froze", afraid of what else he might do to her if she reacted. When she was eventually able to tell him to stop, she says he ignored her.

Collapsed in tears

"The second he was out of the flat, I literally just collapsed in tears in my hallway, on my own, closed the door and locked it from the inside." Taylor reported the incident to both Urban and the police - who later dropped their investigation due to a lack of evidence.

Urban told Taylor they would remove the man from the platform immediately, but she says, two weeks later, she found his profile was still accessible.

Despite telling Taylor the technical glitch would be resolved "promptly", BBC News found his profile was still visible on the platform, three years on from the incident. Since BBC News contacted Urban about this, it has been removed entirely.

Urban says although his profile may have been visible, customers were not able to book him on the app since Taylor's complaint.

It comes after another former Urban masseur, Cosmin Tudoache, was last year jailed for five years for raping a woman who had booked his services on the app.

Urban told us therapists are required to undergo rigorous vetting - including a DBS check which was introduced in 2019 - and insist only a tiny fraction of their bookings have resulted in a complaint. The firm said all complaints are taken seriously and investigated.

However, Yvonne Blake, vice chair of the General Council for Massage Therapies - a council representing professional associations - told the BBC that under current rules "absolutely anybody" can start practising massage without checks.

Ms Blake, who has been called as an expert witness in sexual assault cases involving massage therapists, added: "Anybody can write a qualification. There's no regulation to stop anybody doing any of those things."

The BBC contacted several government departments, including those covering health and business, about regulation of the industry, but we were met with confusion over whose responsibility this area lies in.

A government spokesperson told the BBC: "Sexual offences are horrendous crimes, and we encourage victims to explore the free support and advice on offer. In addition to police action to tackle perpetrators of crime, massage premises are licensed by local authorities which can remove their license if they are unsafe."

But Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, told the BBC the government needs to take more action. "You get people in an incredibly vulnerable position with virtually no clothes on - if you are some sort of predator it's a great profession to get into. I think it's really important that there is more understanding across government."

Urban says it would welcome more regulation of the massage industry.

But for Taylor, the lasting impact has been devastating. "It's something I'll never get over," she says. "It's changed me forever and given me this huge baggage and weight on my shoulders, I don't see myself ever getting rid of."

15 notes · View notes