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When the app tries to make you robo-scab
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When we talk about the abusive nature of gig work, there’s some obvious targets, like algorithmic wage discrimination, where two workers are paid different rates for the same job, in order to trick occasional gig-workers to give up their other sources of income and become entirely dependent on the app:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men
Then there’s the opacity — imagine if your boss refused to tell you how much you’ll get paid for a job until after you’ve completed it, claimed that this was done in order to “protect privacy” — and then threatened anyone who helped you figure out the true wage on offer:
https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/07/hr-4193/#boss-app
Opacity is wage theft’s handmaiden: every gig worker producing content for a social media algorithm is subject to having their reach — and hence their pay — cut based on the unaccountable, inscrutable decisions of a content moderation system:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/10/e2e/#the-censors-pen
Making content for an algorithm is like having a boss that docks every paycheck because you broke rules that you are not allowed to know, because if you knew the rules, you’d figure out how to cheat without your boss catching you. Content moderation is the last place where security through obscurity is considered good practice:
https://doctorow.medium.com/como-is-infosec-307f87004563
When workers seize the means of computation, amazing things happen. In Indonesia, gig workers create and trade tuyul apps that let them unilaterally modify the way that their bosses’ systems see them — everything from GPS spoofing to accessibility mods:
https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/08/tuyul-apps/#gojek
So the tech and labor story isn’t wholly grim: there are lots of ways that tech can enhance labor struggles, letting workers collaborate and coordinate. Without digital systems, we wouldn’t have the Hot Strike Summer:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/02/not-what-it-does/#who-it-does-it-to
As the historic writer/actor strike shows us, the resurgent labor movement and the senescent forces of crapulent capitalism are locked in a death-struggle over not just what digital tools do, but who they do it for and who they do it to:
https://locusmag.com/2022/01/cory-doctorow-science-fiction-is-a-luddite-literature/
When it comes to the epic fight over who technology acts for and against, we need a diversity of tactics, backstopped by tech operated by and for its users — and by laws that protect workers and the public. That dynamic is in sharp focus in UNITE Here Local 11’s strike against Orange County’s Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa.
The UNITE Here strike turns on the usual issues like a living wage (hotel staff are paid so little they have to rent rooming-house beds by the shift, paying for the right to sleep in a room for a few hours at a time, without any permanent accommodation). They’re also seeking health-care and pensions, so they can be healthy at work and retire after long service. Finally, they’re seeking their employer’s support for LA’s Responsible Hotels Ordinance, which would levy a tax on hotel rooms to help pay for hotel workers’ housing costs (a hotel worker who can’t afford a bed is the equivalent of a fast food worker who has to apply for food stamps):
https://www.unitehere11.org/responsible-hotels-ordinance/
But the Marriott — which is owned by the University of California and managed by Aimbridge Hospitality — has refused to bargain, walking out negotiations.
But the employer didn’t walk out over wages, benefits or support for a housing subsidy. They walked out when workers demanded that the scabs that the company was trying to hire to break the strike be given full time, union jobs.
These aren’t just any scabs, either. They’re predominantly Black workers who rely on the $700m Instawork app for gigs. These workers are being dispatched to cross the picket line without any warning that they’re being contracted as strikebreakers. When workers refuse the cross the picket and join the strike, Instawork cancels all their shifts and permanently blocks them from new jobs.
This is a new, technologically supercharged form of illegal strikebreaking. It’s one thing for a single boss to punish a worker who refuses to scab, but Instawork acts as a plausible-deniability filter for all the major employers in the region. Like the landlord apps that allow landlords to illegally fix rents by coordinating hikes, Instawork lets bosses illegally collude to rig wages by coordinating a blocklist of workers who refuse to scab:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/10/company-that-makes-rent-setting-software-for-landlords-sued-for-collusion/?comments=1
The racial dimension is really important here: the Marriott has a longstanding de facto policy of refusing to hire Black workers, and whenever they are confronted with this, they insist that there are no qualified Black workers in the labor pool. But as soon as the predominantly Latino workforce struck, Marriott discovered a vast Black workforce that it could coerce into scabbing, in collusion with Instawork.
Now, all of this isn’t just sleazy, it’s illegal, a violation of Section 7 of the NLRB Act. Historically, that wouldn’t have mattered, because a string of presidents, R and D, have appointed useless do-nothing ghouls to run the NLRB. But the Biden admin, pushed by the party’s left wing, made a string of historic, excellent appointments, including NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, who has set her sights on punishing gig work companies for flouting labor law:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/01/10/see-you-in-the-funny-papers/#bidens-legacy
UNITE HERE 11 has brought a case to the NLRB, charging the Instawork, the UC system, Marriott, and Aimbridge with violating labor law by blackmailing gig workers into crossing the picket line. The union is also asking the NLRB to punish the companies for failing to protect workers from violent retaliation from the wealthy hotel guests who have punched them and screamed epithets at them. The hotel has refused to identify these thug guests so that the workers they assaulted can swear out complaints against them.
Writing about the strike for Jacobin, Alex N Press tells the story of Thomas Bradley, a Black worker who was struck off all Instawork shifts for refusing to cross the picket line and joining it instead:
https://jacobin.com/2023/07/southern-california-hotel-workers-strike-automated-management-unite-here
Bradley’s case is exhibit A in the UNITE HERE 11 case before the NLRB. He has a degree in culinary arts, but racial discrimination in the industry has kept him stuck in gig and temp jobs ever since he graduated, nearly a quarter century ago. Bradley lived out of his car, but that was repossessed while he slept in a hotel room that UNITE HERE 11 fundraised for him, leaving him homeless and bereft of all his worldly possessions.
With UNITE HERE 11’s help, Bradley’s secured a job at the downtown LA Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, a hotel that has bargained with the workers. Bradley is using his newfound secure position to campaign among other Instawork workers to convince them not to cross picket lines. In these group chats, Jacobin saw workers worrying “that joining the strike would jeopardize their standing on the app.”
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Today (July 30) at 1530h, I’m appearing on a panel at Midsummer Scream in Long Beach, CA, to discuss the wonderful, award-winning “Ghost Post” Haunted Mansion project I worked on for Disney Imagineering.
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If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/30/computer-says-scab/#instawork
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[Image ID: An old photo of strikers before a struck factory, with tear-gas plumes rising above them. The image has been modified to add a Marriott sign to the factory, and the menacing red eye of HAL9000 from Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' to the sky over the factory. The workers have been colorized to a yellow-green shade and the factory has been colorized to a sepia tone.]
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Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg
CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en
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lovinpelova · 3 months
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to be continued | j. fleming
summary; jessie meets y/n at a party after ucla win the ncaa basketball championship. then again, then again and again.
🎵 a new kind of love - frou frou
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whenever you told people you went to ucla their first response was always to ask what sport you played, expecting you to be there for division-one football or tennis, but when you told them you were simply just a british exchange-student looking for better educational standards their face always dropped. it's like they thought they were meeting a celebrity and found out it was only a look-alike when they got closer, you found it funny how people couldn't believe you came to the states purely for education.
being british you've obviously played football before and could even join the team if you wanted but you quit before your gcses for a reason; you didn't want any distractions. you'd promised your parents one day that you'd be able to give them a luxury lifestyle with all the money you earned from being a well-paid lawyer, aiming for the higher bracket of pay after learning your cousin was earning £78,000 annually. the number is massive and would be an immense help to your family after all the years of struggle you've gone through together, so you wanted to make sure you had the highest level of education and were definitely not wanting to go to oxford with all the snobby rich kids.
so you chose one of the top law schools in the states, of course!
"hey y/n, come over here!"
you were snapped out of your daydreams by a friend of a friend, one of your classmates taking law as a minor has a major in history, so they introduced you to hailie after you'd met at one of her games since you were dragged there. it's not like you hate football - you love it, and the atmosphere of college soccer is unmatched - but you would have rather been revising for an upcoming final that night instead.
you made your way over to hailie and noticed she was stood with her arm around a rather short brunette, the long-sleeved shirt (with the sleeves rolled up) that had 'ucla soccer' printed across it indicating you weren't going to get away from this football team any time soon - even though you were at a party to celebrate the men's basketball team winning the ncaa championship.
"y/n, this is jessie. one of our midfielders."
"hey, nice to meet you."
the canadian accent she greeted you with was striking, you weren't expecting her to be american but you definitely weren't expecting her to be canadian either.
"you're canadian?"
"i told you your accent was strong jess."
the midfielder nodded with a sheepish grin, hailie suddenly patting her on the shoulder after peering over yours and smiling at someone.
"i'll leave you to it then,"
the defender pulled you into a quick hug as you returned it, feeling her lean down into your ear to whisper something.
"jessie's been eyeing you up all night."
she winked and smiled at your blush, patting you on the back before leaving you and jessie to your own devices. you smiled at the canadian as she grinned in response, your eyes trailing down to see her fingers moving in a way that could only be described as anxiety-ridden.
"do you have social anxiety, jess?"
"er, yeah. is it that obvious?"
the canadian chuckled nervously - either at the fact that you've already given her a nickname or if it was because of her anxiety you wouldn't know.
"do you drink?"
"if it's the right drink, then yeah."
you leaned forwards with a charming smile and softly grabbed her hand, lacing your fingers together to make sure she didn't accidentally let go and lose you. within a couple moments you were back in the kitchen and by a table of alcohol, reaching beside it for two bottles of beer out of the fridge to stay safe. you turned and handed it to the canadian after opening it on the edge of the table, too impatient to look for a bottle opener and resorting to a party trick hailie had taught you the other day.
regretfully letting go of her hand, you leaned against the counter awfully close to her to make up for the loss of contact, both of you taking a swig of your drinks as jessie leaned in closer to you.
"do you play any sports then?"
"i used to play football but quit when i was about sixteen. wanted to focus on my studies instead."
the canadian nodded her head as you fell into a comfortable silence, watching people come and go from the kitchen as they pleased and giving each other knowing looks when couples walked past with drunken giggles or laughing together when someone was so drunk they couldn't even walk.
before you knew it you were both three beers in and completely focused on jessie, the alcohol in your systems making you far more confident than you were when you first met a couple hours ago. jessies hand was comfortable on your waist and yours were on her chest, tugging on the chain she wore as you drunkenly flirted inches away from each other. the canadian leaned down towards you after feeling you pull it more forcefully, your hips pushing against hers.
"you gonna kiss me, fleming?"
"what would you do if i did, y/l/n?"
you smirked up at jessie whilst looking into her eyes deeply, the moment so intense you nearly didn't hear hailie running into you and dragging you away from each other.
"president's here, we gotta go!"
the party was quickly being shut down as you all ran out the house, being caught by campus president was not something you wanted especially if the party was causing noise complaints. you found a couple people you knew and followed them to a safer space, looking behind you to check if jessie and hailie were there - only to find they weren't.
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working whilst studying wasn't always too bad, it was far easier if you had a part-time job. luckily for you, a local coffee shop five minutes outside of the ucla campus was hiring over the christmas season and you applied, working there happily for the past seven months. the pay wasn't bad - bi-weekly - and for an international exchange student it was keeping you able to buy the food you needed as well as luxuries when you were on the odd shopping trip with friends or out drinking.
the customers were the greatest part of the job, only regulars coming in daily for their usual orders as you recite them without a problem, the odd newcomer trying it out and either never coming back again or adding themselves to the list of regulars. today you noticed there was a newbie, the door opening at a time irregular to your memorised schedule of customers as you had your back turned to it, in the process of making a regulars order so you couldn't see who had walked in yet. you quickly served their order with a smile and walked back over to the counter whilst brushing off the coffee grounds all over your apron, looking up to see jessie grinning at you awkwardly.
"well, if it isn't the incredibly awkward canadian? haven't seen you since the party fleming."
"i know, hailie dragged me away from you and before i could try find where you'd ran off to the president found us again and started chasing us and then-"
"jess, calm down. it's fine. a party got shut down and we got split up, it happens everywhere. so, what can i get for you today then?"
you gestured towards the menu hung up behind you as the midfielder grinned at your acceptance of her unnecessary apology, looking over the choices of drink.
"erm, i'll just get a shaken espresso please."
"coming right up."
you made the drink as quickly as you possibly could, not wanting to have jessie waiting around for too long as she might have a class to get to or training to attend. you picked up a sharpie when you saw she wasn't looking in the corner of your eye, writing your number on the side of her cup with a smiley face before pouring her coffee into it and sliding it across the counter to her.
"thank you- how much?"
"on the house, jess."
you smiled brightly at her, holding your hand up when she opened her mouth to protest in a silent order for her to stay quiet and let you be nice for once.
"i'm paying next time though y/n/n."
"can't wait to see you next."
the canadian smiled gently, saying goodbye and walking out of the coffee shop whilst taking a sip, spotting a black mark underneath her nose and turning the cup to see your number written on it. without knowing, you'd just made jessies day.
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"so this is- like, a big game then?"
you asked hailie as she ran over to speak quickly after her warmup, the crowd you were sat in filled to the brim of ucla supporters, the other side of the pitch filled with usc supporters scowling across at you all.
"no, y/n/n. this is a big, big game. it's against a rival and it's the championship semi-final! have you not been listening to a word i've been saying the past week?"
"er, no. not really- sorry! i just zone out when you drone on about football. you know how much i don't care about sports sometimes."
hailie grunted in response as you smiled down apologetically, reaching for her hand and feeling her squeeze it in a silent acceptance of your apology.
"so how come you're here then? if you don't even know- oh my god jessie!"
"keep your fucking voice down hailie!"
you whisper-yelled whilst covering her mouth with your hand, raising your eyebrows in silent warning so she didn't blurt out jessies name again and make her come over to see why she was being yelled about. you and jessie had been texting non-stop since you gave her your number and she'd asked you to come to her game, hence why you were asking hailie about it. the defender had clicked onto the fact that you were clearly crushing on someone since your phone was making you smile with the odd notification and you suddenly had a very large interest in football- but she didn't expect it to be jessie.
"i knew you liked her! you were basically fucking in the kitchen the other night."
you flicked her on the forehead playfully as she scolded you, your chance to respond being ripped away as hailies coach called her into the changing rooms for a last minute teamtalk.
the game ran by fairly quickly, ucla absolutely hammering usc after a slow start. the first half consisted of one goal from your college rival and after half-time the scoreline just got bigger and bigger; jessie scoring one and assisting two as the end result was a massive 5-1. that meant ucla were going to the final in the ncaa championship against unc, the reigning champions, so you were definitely going to watch that game too.
"hey stargirl!"
you complimented smoothly as your arms opened wide for hailie, tears nearly running down her face as she picked you up into a bear hug.
"final two, baby!"
you cheered with the defender as she put you down and hugged you properly, spotting someone in the corner of her eye and grinning wildly.
"i'll leave you and your lovergirl to it."
you smacked her arm lightly as she walked away to celebrate with her teammates, turning around to see jessie beaming at you. not even giving her a chance to greet you, your arms went around her neck in a hug as hers went around your waist to pick you up, quickly putting you down to look at your broad smile with her usual blush across her cheeks.
"what a fucking game! i've never seen anyone play that well before jess."
"the pressure of knowing you were watching helped me a bit i guess."
the canadian scratched the back of her neck nervously, yourself scoffing at her shy nature as if she wasn't a finalist in the ncaa championship.
"nonsense, you're just amazing on the pitch no matter what. my midfield maestro."
jessie blushed even further at the new nickname you'd given her, smiling to match yours as she hugged you again tightly. when you pulled away you kissed her cheek, laughing at the way she froze up immediately.
"come on, you've got teammates to celebrate with."
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ucla had dominated their sports championships across the board. the mens basketball team had won the ncaa championship, as well as the mens soccer team and the womens field hockey team, the womens soccer team and womens basketball team added to that list within a week. the game was incredible, jessie had played another masterclass as usual and had a total of four goal contributions- ucla only scored four goals.
the win obviously called for another celebration, so the mens basketball team had offered to have another party the same place it occurred for their successes, meaning you and jessie were in the same kitchen as before but with a lot more people surrounding you. the amount of wins meant every supporter of each sport and player and friend and classmate (and the odd family member) had attended, so the house was packed.
you stared down at the ring jessie wore with 'ncaa champions' engraved into it, the ucla logo pressed into the middle. without thinking you grabbed jessies hand when she raised her other to take a swig of her beer, gently running your thumb over the engraved words with a proud smile.
"have i told you how proud i am of you yet jess?"
"only a million times y/n/n."
"well i'm making it a million and one. i'm so proud of you."
the canadian smiled down at you and wrapped her arm around your shoulders with your hand still holding hers, kissing the side of your head with confidence you knew she only had because of the alcohol running through her system.
"it's weird how last time we were in here we didn't even know each others last names."
jessie laughed softly with you at your statement, pulling you closer when more people began to flood into the kitchen to find any alcohol they could, everyone just wanting to get as drunk as possible since it was a friday and they had no classes to attend whilst taking care of their inevitable hangovers.
"i'm really happy hailie introduced us. i like you a lot."
the midfielder commented, looking deeply into your eyes when you turned to face her to show you she wasn't talking nonsense, it was just the alcohol letting things slip out.
"i like you a lot too, midfield maestro."
your eyes trailed down to her lips as she licked them carefully, watching the way she slowly began to lean in and torture you with her lips brushing over yours. you quickly leaned forward and closed the gap between you, kissing her passionately exactly the way you'd been wanting to for the past three weeks since you first met, your hands holding her in place so she couldn't move away faster than you wanted her to. eventually you were running out of breath and needed to pull away, smiling at each other after finally having made a move.
"glad the party wasn't shut down early this time?"
"very glad."
jessie responded immediately, pulling you into another kiss before you could even think about moving away from her.
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athleticperfection1 · 3 months
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inthedarktrees · 6 months
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University of California, Los Angeles, 1932 | Dick Whittington Studio
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captain-lovelace · 1 year
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The University of California grad student union and academic student researchers union has called a strike for next week (14th-18th) after an overwhelming majority of the 48000 of us voted yes on a strike authorization vote. We’re striking because the UC system has repeatedly refused to negotiate in good faith on things like increasing pay, international student equity, and childcare. Here are some responses the UC system has had to negotiations:
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Please, if you can, reblog this and consider showing support for striking grad students and researchers on other social media as well! I know tumblr’s not necessarily an ideal forum for this kind of thing, but if we can get the word out even a little bit it’d be really helpful.
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thebusylilbee · 8 months
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A CLUTTERED LIFE: Middle-Class Abundance - University of California
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flintgirl · 1 year
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Academic workers from four different bargaining units at the University of California are taking part in the largest strike in the U.S. since 2019 and the largest strike in U.S. higher education ever! On day 2 of the strike, the UCs have continued to refuse to bargain in good faith--TAs have not bargained since last Wednesday.
If you live near a UC campus, show your support by joining us on the picket line! If not, consider donating to the strike fund or signing a letter of solidarity to UC President Michael Drake.
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mapsontheweb · 10 months
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Satellite maps of the nine undergraduate campuses of the University of California
by u/Ben1152000
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eretzyisrael · 5 months
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Source, where the letter is easier to read, and where you can read the repugnant letter Jay Sures is responding to.
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glossysociology · 1 year
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dec 20, 2022 - hello lovelies! if ur still around or haven’t forgotten about me, u have a special place in my heart <3 the last time i posted on here was in january?! this long posting hiatus was due to a steep increase in workload and some exciting but tumultuous life changes. some academic highlights of my year:
(1) i completed my six month full time field study internship earlier this month, and the whole experience was one of growth, self reflection, and affirmation of my passions. (2) i am 3 months away from completing both of my BA degrees, and 6 months away from commencement— how is college already almost over?! (3) i started reading for fun again! i might start posting more book recs so let me know if that’s something u’d like. (4) and finally, i applied and got into the University of California Washington Program (UCDC). i fly out to D.C. in march and i’ll live + work there until june, right before i graduate.
if u made it to the end of this post u get a kiss on the forehead! i appreciate anyone who’s stuck around with me for this long— when i started this blog i was still hoping to get into uc santa cruz, and now i’m 6 months away from graduating (with honors) from my dream school. here’s to another year of growth, and appreciating all that we’re capable of 🪴
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denimbex1986 · 9 months
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'Years before he became known as the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer worked as a physics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, when he met who became perhaps the greatest love of his life.
Her name was Jean Tatlock, and just as she captured the famed physicist’s heart, their romance has captured the imaginations of historians for nearly a century. And they aren’t the only ones. Tatlock will be portrayed by Florence Pugh, alongside Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer, in the upcoming film Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan.
Affiliated with the Communist Party, Tatlock is often credited with introducing Oppenheimer to radical politics, something that haunted him in his later life and career. Despite their 10-year age gap, and though they were separated by the time he led the famous Manhattan Project, Tatlock had an undeniable impact on Oppenheimer’s life, and her tragic death weighed on him as he began his work on the atomic bomb.
“A free-spirited woman with a hungry, poetic mind, she was always the one person in the room, whatever the circumstances, who remained unforgettable,” according to American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin.
Meeting Oppenheimer
Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1914, Tatlock was the second child of J.S.P. Tatlock and Marjorie Fenton. Her father, who had a docorate from Harvard University, was an acclaimed English professor and literary scholar and was considered a foremost expert on the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, according to Brotherhood of the Bomb by Gregg Herken.
Jean inherited her father’s intellect. Before attending Vassar College in 1931, she took a year off to travel in Europe, staying with a friend in Switzerland who was a devoted follower of psychologist Carl Jung. After meeting a close-knit community of psychoanalysts during the trip, she decided to study psychology herself, according to Bird and Sherwin.
After graduating from Vassar in 1935, she studied at the Stanford Medical School, where her intellect and good looks intimidated the other classmates. They also caught the interest of Oppenheimer, then a physics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where Tatlock completed her prerequisites before enrolling at Stanford.
Oppenheimer and Tatlock began a passionate and intense romance in 1936, when she was 22 and he was 32. The decade age gap didn’t seem to matter. A friend described Tatlock as Oppenheimer’s “truest love” and said he was “devoted to her,” according to Bird and Sherwin. He reportedly proposed to Tatlock twice, though she turned him down.
Tatlock was impressed with Oppenheimer’s knowledge of English literature, and she introduced him to the poetry of John Donne. It’s widely believed the Trinity test—the first detonation of the nuclear weapon in 1945—was named after a Donne poem and inspired by Tatlock, according to The First Atomic Bomb by Janet Farrell Brodie.
Communist Affiliations
Tatlock was a dues-paying member of the Communist Party of the United States of America while dating Oppenheimer, an association that would later bring a great deal of scrutiny to the famed physicist. Tatlock wrote for the Western Worker, a major West Coast communist publication, and she introduced him to several prominent members of the party, according to Robert Oppenheimer: A Life Inside the Center by Ray Monk.
“I find I am a complete Red when anything at all,” Tatlock wrote to a friend, according to American Prometheus. She also pushed Oppenheimer to move from mere theory to action, and when he commented that he would have to settle for staying on the periphery of political struggles, Tatlock remarked, “Oh, for God’s sake, don’t settle for anything.”
However, Oppenheimer denied that Tatlock was solely responsible for his political interests or affiliations, noting that he first read about Soviet communism after his father lent him a book on the subject before he met Tatlock. According to Bird and Sherwin’s American Prometheus, Oppenheimer described Tatlock’s communist involvement as “on-again, off-again affairs and never seemed to provide for her what she was seeking. I do not believe that her interests were really political.”
From 1939 onward, Oppenheimer claimed he only saw Tatlock on rare occasions, and in 1940, he wed Katherine Puening, more commonly known as Kitty Oppenheimer, to whom he was married the rest of his life. However, he and Tatlock remained “the closest of friends and occasional lovers,” according to Bird and Sherwin, and she would phone him for comfort during her occasional bouts of depression.
By 1943, Tatlock was a pediatric psychiatrist at Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco, at the start of what seemed to be a promising career. The 29-year-old was also being treated for clinical depression, which might have worsened when Oppenheimer drastically reduced contact with her after becoming director of the Los Alamos Laboratory that year, according to Bird and Sherwin.
A Tragic Death
Tatlock was placed under surveillance by the FBI due to her relationship with Oppenheimer and past involvement with communist politics. When Tatlock and Oppenheimer had one last meeting in June 1943, she confessed that she still loved him and wanted to be with him. Unbeknownst to her, FBI agents monitored the entire visit, according to Monk’s biography.
“For reasons of love and compassion, he had become a key member of Jean’s psychological support structure—and then he had vanished, mysteriously,” Bird and Sherwin wrote in American Prometheus. “In Jean’s eyes, it may have seemed as if ambition had trumped love.”
Tatlock died by suicide on January 4, 1944, at age 29. Her father discovered her body after entering her San Francisco apartment through a window after she didn’t respond to the doorbell. He found her lying in the bathroom, her head submerged in a partially-filled bathtub, with a suicide note on the dining room table, according to Monk.
“I am disgusted with everything,” the note read, according to Bird and Sherwin. “To those who loved me and helped me, all love and courage. I wanted to live and to give and I got paralyzed somehow. I tried like hell to understand and couldn’t.”
One of the first people to learn of her death was FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, due to the agency’s surveillance, according to Monk. Oppenheimer was despondent upon hearing the news. Due to the unusual circumstances around her death and the FBI surveillance, many have speculated that Tatlock was murdered, but most of her loved ones believe the cause of death was suicide.
Tatlock’s relationship with Oppenheimer would be used as evidence against him in 1954, when the United States Atomic Energy Commission held security hearings that explored his communist associations and other past actions. Oppenheimer lost his security clearance as a result of the hearing, effectively ending his formal relationship with the U.S. government.'
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aegoromantic-shipper · 7 months
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Me: "I don't think I can be considered neurodivergent, unless social anxiety counts."
Also me: *hyperfixates on things that are apparently insignificant to neurotypical people*
So...
Anyone knows enough about Californian community colleges and/or the University of California to help me figure out possible class schedules for Theo (studying Biology/Genetics at UC Irvine) and Liam (starting with two years at Irvine Valley College in the hope of getting good enough grades to join Theo after that - but for a History major, of course)?
I'm neither American or a college/university student so, in spite of everything I've found online, I still have questions.
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lovinpelova · 4 months
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healing energy | j. fleming
summary; reader experiences a career-threatening injury at ucla, jessie helps her through it.
🎵 i know alone - haim
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the most excruciating pain you'd ever felt shot directly through your shin and kneecap, falling to the ground immediately with a howl of discomfort as you held your leg whilst looking up at the sky, tears immediately forming in your eyes from the sudden agony you were experiencing. you heard a whistle blow and felt medics by your side within moments, your arm going across your eyes to cover them in fear of looking down, knowing it would make the situation worse if you saw the state of your leg.
"hey, hey look at me y/n. you're okay, it's just a little bit of pain it'll go away soon, yeah?"
your girlfriends voice boomed throughout your ears as you quickly moved your arm away, reaching for her hand and squeezing after she prompted you to so you could focus on something else and let the pain out. jessie stayed by your side as you looked into her eyes to distract yourself, dreading the moment she'd have to let go and continue playing like nothing happened as you got carried off, promising she'd see you as soon as possible when the game finished.
you were playing against usc in a qualifier for the annual ncaa championship, the biggest rivalry since duke and unc being one you were part of. that also meant your opponents would be playing dirty. you were marking a fellow midfielder all game, the girl doing her best to stamp on your toes and shove you from behind whilst in the air or moving into space, a nasty slide tackle from her resulting in your current situation: dislocated kneecap and broken shin. the girl was obviously rewarded a red card for her dirty efforts and usc were down to ten players, ucla feeling just the same as they watched you get taken off in a stretcher.
after a couple hours of readjusting your kneecap, fitting a splint, putting a cast on your leg, finding the right size moonboot, waiting for crutches, being assigned painkillers, given a lecture on what not to do and receiving a knee brace you were eventually discharged from the emergency physiotherapy room. you hobbled out on your crutches and saw a visibly anxious jessie waiting outside biting her nails, eyes lighting up at the sight of you before they flickered down to the state of your leg, looking back up to your face in time to catch your sad smile and one of your arms opening wide for a hug.
the canadian sighed in relief before moving in to hug you, kissing the side of your head as she pulled away and further examined your state. she pulled the moonboot and painkillers from under your arm without a word, guiding you out towards her car where she opened the door and pushed the passenger seat back as far as it could go. jessie helped you in carefully and even buckled you in, kissing your cheek as you smiled at her in a grateful manner before she moved to place your crutches in the back and got into the drivers seat.
"i take it you wanna go back to our dorm?"
"yeah, that would be nice thank you."
she helped you out of the car and towards your dorm once you'd arrived, a slightly awkward silence falling between you as she practically lifted you up onto your bed and moved away to place your crutches somewhere safe.
"cuddles please jessbaby."
you quietly demanded, the brunette laughing and lying down next to you as you moved to lie facing away from her so she could hold you from behind, your leg needing to be held straight preventing you from lying any other way than on your back or side.
"you feeling okay my love?"
jessie asked quietly, her arms wrapping around your waist tightly as you sunk into her embrace with your hands resting on hers, tears suddenly welling up in your eyes at the mention of emotions. it reminded you of how you felt when you were first told how long you'd been out for and how bad the damage was.
"i'm out for nine months at least. six months to heal, three months rehab."
you spoke tearfully, the canadian not even needing to see your face to know you were crying as she sat up lightly and kissed along your shoulder comfortingly. her thumb stroked your skin to calm you down as she saw your breathing grow slightly ragged from your tears.
"it's gonna be okay babygirl. just take it one day at a time, yeah? i'm gonna be here every second of the way."
she encouraged, brushing your hair out of your face as she pulled you closer in an attempt to comfort you. it was working.
"plus you've got more time to spend with me now."
you laughed lightly at her teasing tone, loving how she could always find a way to cheer you up. (she'd be a bad girlfriend of three years if she couldn't.)
"you and your ego, fleming."
"you love my ego, y/l/n."
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you lugged yourself along the sidewalk with jessie to your right, insisting you walked on the inside since you'd met but being more protective of you since your injury occurred. she walked slowly to match your pace so you didn't feel pressured to move faster than you already were, your girlfriend smiling at the way you'd adjusted to using crutches and being away from football without difficulty.
jessie had woken you up that morning with soft kisses scattered across your face, adoring the grin you wore as you rubbed the sleep out of your eyes and stretched, reaching out to pull her closer. she'd made you breakfast in the common room kitchen across from your dorm and carried it back for breakfast in bed, eventually persuading you to get dressed so you could go out for ice cream like you promised last night after she suggested it. all you'd been doing the past two weeks was staying in bed wrapped in a blanket of misery, jessie not being able to comfort you due to classes and training she couldn't miss.
the canadian felt bad for leaving you so lonely, saying you should do something on the weekend to spend time together and making up ideas as she scratched your back whilst watching a movie, yourself dozing into sleep and deciding getting ice cream was a good idea. you'd be able to sit down comfortably somewhere to rest your leg, spend time with your girlfriend and get ice cream out of it. it was an all-around win!
the canadian held the door open for you as you arrived at the ice cream shop, smiling as you thanked her and pulling out a chair for you once she'd spotted a table free. you noticed a couple people staring at your leg, obviously wondering what you'd done to wear such an extensive knee brace and pot but ignored them, once they saw the 'ucla' logo and team number on the front of your hoodie they'd figure out you're a student athlete and leave you alone.
"strawberry and vanilla in a sugar cone coming up my girl."
she spoke whilst kissing you on the top of your head and taking note of your smile, realising this was the happiest you'd been in the last two weeks. jessie came back in a minute with two cones, identical but one with strawberry on top and another with vanilla on top, yourself rolling your eyes at how she always decided to go for exactly the same as you when it came to food. you also figured she would have paid and wouldn't let you pay her back so you didn't even bother bringing up the pointless feud.
"thanks copycat."
you joked as she handed you the cone with vanilla on top, smiling at her sweetly as she blushed with a grin in response. you quickly took a picture of jessie sat in front of you before she could hide from the camera, laughing at her groan of annoyance before showing her how cute the photo was. both of you began eating your ice creams as your girlfriend filled you in on what had been happening at training since you'd gotten injured, telling you all the drama and funny moments you'd missed out on so far.
"i can't wait to get back on the pitch."
"easy there tiger, you've still got a long way to go."
jessie joked as you finished up your ice creams, apologising quickly when she realised how the reminder could have upset you.
"just live in the moment like we always do. otherwise you'll lose focus and it could push your recovery time back further."
"it'll be easy to do that when i've got you distracting me the next six months."
"nine months you mean? i'm not leaving your side when you get to rehab stage. i'll be your own personal cheerleader."
you laughed at her impression of chanting your name and shaking imaginary pom-poms in the air, placing your hand on the table for her to hold. the canadian immediately obliged to your request, lacing your fingers together and rubbing her thumb over your knuckles.
"even if it means you have to miss a game or training session?"
you asked incredulously, not believing she'd even think about missing a tournament or set of drills to watch you bend your knee and learn how to walk again.
"even if it means i have to miss a game or training session."
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"baby, c'mon we're gonna be late!"
"i'm coming just give me a sec!"
you yelled back whilst adjusting your moonboot and making sure the bandage around your knee would stay in place, quickly hobbling out the bathroom with a grin on your face once you remembered you were (kind of) starting to walk again. jessie looked up from her phone and smiled as wide as you were, walking over to kiss you passionately.
"my girl is starting to walk again."
she mumbled proudly, looking down at your leg with her arms around your waist as yours went around her neck. it had been three months since you'd gotten injured and although your shin was still slightly fractured your knee was practically back to a fully functional level, a couple more stages of rehab needed and checkups every week before you'd be cleared to your next stage: learning to walk, run and play football again with a broken shin.
the new stability in your knee meant you could now bend your leg - you didn't know how much you could miss such a simple thing but you did - your shin almost being there meant you could put a small amount of pressure on it now too. though to ensure you didn't put too much pressure on it you still had to wear your moonboot, just to give it an extra bit of support before you were allowed to take it off in a month.
"i thought we were gonna be late, baby?"
you teased as jessie leaned in to kiss you again, the canadian groaning in annoyance whilst you dragged her out your dorm and towards her car. your friend from ucla two years older had just moved into a new house with a couple of her fellow alumni, they'd decided to adopt a dog after realising they all wanted one and were actually allowed to since they owned the house. none of them were able to be home today though due to majority going professional and having away matches/training and the others having work, feeling there was no one better to dogsit than you and jessie since she'd had so many dogs before and there was no way you were going to refuse spending the day with a puppy.
his name was bruno and he was still only seven months old, classed as a puppy but lucky for you they'd already potty-trained him. they suggested you just take him for a walk or go to the beach to be occupied for three hours before some of the girls texted you saying they were home, yourself and jessie excited to finally meet the dog they were constantly talking about in the groupchat you'd made.
you arrived at your friends house and before she could even greet you, bruno ran out to sniff at your feet, jumping onto jessies thighs as the two of you cooed at how adorable he was. he turned to you and sniffed your moonboot, turning to your other leg that wasn't completely messed up before jumping on that one instead, nuzzling his head into your thigh as he licked your hand in appreciation of the ear scratches you'd given him.
"you guys are gonna be okay with him today, right? if not we can always find someone else or one of the girls can call in sick-"
"nonsense! we'll manage, jessies had plenty of dogs before and i love him already."
you cut your friend off before she could go off on a rant about how she wasn't using you or anything, knowing what she was like. she smiled in return as she started smalltalk with jessie whilst grabbing brunos leash and some binbags, handing them to your girlfriend.
"you're on clean-up duty, you can't make her pick it up if she can barely walk."
"i think she would've been too disgusted to have this job anyways."
jessie returned whilst clipping the leash to brunos collar, both of you saying goodbye to your friend with a hug before setting off towards the beach, deciding bruno would be way too excitable to sit in a car for longer than five minutes. after a gruelling fifteen minute walk for your leg and a testing one for jessie - trying to get a puppy to not tug or stop and sniff everything is very difficult - you'd arrived at the beach. jessie spotted a bench beside some steps and pointed them out, yourself practically speeding towards them for a break as she let bruno off his leash, watching him run at a safe distance away. the girls had trained him well so far so he knew not to stray too much.
you collapsed onto the bench and let out a sigh of relief, jessie laughing at your exhaustion as she sat next to you with her arm around your shoulders. the next couple hours were spent with you and jessie throwing pebbles for bruno to chase or calling him back over to sit with you, one of the girls eventually texting that she'd gotten home early as you took a detour on the way back to spend more time with bruno. you'd both fallen in love with the puppy, who could blame you for wanting to spend more time with him?
he eventually started trailing behind as you walked back to your friends house, jessie picking him up as he adjusted to be more comfy in her arms and so he could look ahead to see where she was walking. you decided it was far too cute to not take a picture, so you pulled your phone out and snapped one with jessie smiling awkwardly and blushing like usual, leaning forward to kiss her cheek as a thanks for letting you take a picture.
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jessie laced her fingers with yours as you took your iced coffee from her, thanking her with a quick peck on her lips after she pouted them in silent request for one. you continued walking - yes, walking - down the farmers market aisle and looking at all the stalls beside you, pointing out ones you'd feel the other would like to look at. the canadian turned to you when you suddenly called her name, sipping her iced coffee as you took a picture of her, an unimpressed expression taking over her face as you grinned in return.
"you're so cute baby."
you commented, lacing your fingers once more as you continued walking along the stalls, eventually landing on one with camera films once jessie had spotted it. you watched her adoringly as she gushed over all the different types of cameras and films, talking to the stall owner about it for nearly fifteen minutes before deciding against buying anything once she learned the price of it all, the stall owner understanding and waving her off when she apologised.
you'd eventually reached the end of the farmers market (somehow without buying anything) and started walking back to the beginning so you could get to your last rehab session in time. jessie watched you proudly as you walked alongside her without a limp or needing support for the first time in close to a year, a smile forming when you turned to her after feeling her eyes on you.
"what? is there something on my face?"
"no, baby. i'm just so proud of you. you've come so far."
you blushed in response to her sudden praise and shoved her shoulder with yours playfully, leaning your head in the crook of her neck as she smiled softly at the small display of affection, loving how you weren't afraid to dote on her in public.
"i wouldn't have been able to do it without my personal cheerleader by my side."
"i'll still be cheering you on next week when you're back in training. and for the rest of your life, no matter what. i love you."
you moved your head up and tugged her arm to stop her from walking, one hand caressing her cheek gently as you kissed her passionately, the brunette smiling into the kiss before you broke away.
"i love you so much. i don't know what i'd do without you."
jessie kissed the side of your head as she pulled you into a tight hug, grabbing your hand again a few moments later and continuing to guide you towards your shared university campus where you had one final session of rehab before you were cleared to start playing football again- and you can bet your entire team was waiting in the gym to watch and cheer you on.
at the beginning of your injury you were unbelievably miserable, starting to become a vegetable in your dorm and almost sobbing your eyes out once you felt the pain running through your leg after waking up every morning, remembering you had to wait close to a year before doing the one thing you loved; play football. your girlfriend saw you were struggling and immediately ran into action, distracting you in the best ways possible and not giving you a chance to think about your situation even when you were sat in silence together, always knowing how to cheer you up.
all you ever needed was a little positivity - some healing energy - and that's exactly what jessie gave you.
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athleticperfection1 · 18 days
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Cal Cheer
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inthedarktrees · 10 months
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Loomis Dean, “College Fashions.” Life, Nov 1948
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thebusylilbee · 8 months
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A CLUTTERED LIFE: Middle-Class Abundance - University of California
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