#which could be in there for who knows what reason. the fewer units of information you have (words in this instance)

[coquelicoq]

fascinated to see that this dico calls no especial attention to the fact that you're not supposed to make elision with the words onze or onzième (i.e., you say le onzième rather than l'onzième). i was curious to see if they would take the same route as my english-french dico, which puts an asterisk before the pronunciation like it does with words that begin with an aspirated h, but the only thing this one does is include the example sentence Il est le onzième.

#it includes example sentences all the time and it's not always immediately apparent to me what any given example sentence #is doing. in this case because i was already looking for it (and because i read the sentence aloud) i saw the 'le' (instead of l') #but i'm not positive i would have noticed otherwise #in fact this is maybe less clear than just including the example phrase 'le onzième' would be (instead of the whole sentence) #because it's an abridged dictionary so much of the context comes from how much information is included #like for example the pronunciation notes. to save space this dico only tells you the pronunciation of words that are exceptions #and even then only tells you the pronunciation for the part of the word that is pronounced differently than one would expect #rather than for the whole word #this is very helpful to me because a) when i see a pronunciation next to a word i always notice it because it's rare #and b) it tells me exactly in what way the word is pronounced weirdly #(which also often allows me to infer how that spelling would be pronounced if it weren't an exception) #lecture du dico #lexicography #french #my posts #so anyway including the whole sentence 'il est le onzième' is a bit misleading because you think oh it's just an example sentence #which could be in there for who knows what reason. the fewer units of information you have (words in this instance) #the less you have to guess at what they're meant to convey to you. because you can focus right in on the relevant part #(which in this case is the le instead of l') with fewer red herrings #when i first saw this example sentence i thought it was just showing how the adjective onzième can be used as a noun #which is a not-infrequent purpose of example sentences in this dico #but because i was scrutinizing the entry for clues as to the lack of elision i noticed it #it's fascinating because i didn't realize this about onze until a couple years ago #and when i asked my french teacher (who is french) about it she had no clue what i was talking about #even though she personally never made elision with these words either #she didn't realize it was an exception or anything that would have to be told to L2 learners. it was completely natural to her #trying to remember now if she had the same reaction with huit cuz i knew i brought that up too #cuz to me they're functionally the same...you don't make elision or liaison with either of them #but everybody talks about aspirated hs and i don't even know if there's a word for what's going on with onze #or any other words in that same category of start-with-vowel-but-no-elision-or-liaison (there must be? but i can't think of any)

[jmdbjk]

BTS Military enlistment thoughts...

These are my thoughts and opinions. Information is out there if you seek it yourself. Nothing has been confirmed by any of the members or the company.

News media says Korean male citizens Kim Namjoon, Kim Taehyung, Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook will be enlisting soon: Dec. 11 for the first two and Dec. 12 for the latter pair.

And that Jimin and Jungkook seem to have chosen the companion enlistment option. Yes, "option" because they could have chosen to go in separately.

Koreans who are familiar with how this all works, have tried to explain the process. From what I understand, the companion option allows them to serve their entire enlistment together.

They weren't forced and this wasn't their only option for enlistment. They chose this themselves for a reason, for personal reasons, that none of us can know because we aren't them.

Many speculate but NO ONE KNOWS their reasons!

According to various sources, they will be at the same training center as Jin. There are many groups doing ongoing training there. But I don't believe they will be in the same company that Jin serves as assistant trainer. Credible sources say that Jin's unit at the training center is not accepting recruits on Dec. 12 which is the supposed date that Jimin and Jungkook will enter the military but we don't know for sure. But being at the same training center would allow them to see each other when they have time.

This reunion:

We won't know for sure until it actually happens.

Many are throwing around wild speculation regarding the fact Jimin and Jungkook are the only two with tattoos and therefore had fewer options. But they aren't. All the members have tattoos now. The Korean military needs all the manpower they can get, they aren't excluding men with tattoos, they are just limiting the situations they can serve.

The options are limited (and only slightly) for them because very visible tattoos, especially on the arms and hands, would allow them to be identified too easily. This is a consideration and criteria that is regulated in militaries and law enforcement around the world and is not isolated to Korea. Criminals are identified by their tattoos. Military personnel can also be identified by visible tattoos. In a situation where it is imperative that enlisted remain anonymous, hand tattoos would be a dead giveaway for identification. I'm sure there are other reasons for no tattoos allowed in certain assignments.

The application process began months ago and is the same process all Korean male citizens would go through to be approved for the companion program.

No one is really discussing Tae and Namjoon, everyone is going batshit crazy over Jimin and Jungkook. Let them do their service in the manner they wish. None of you have any say-so in it so shut up.

No one is capable of or even wants to step back and consider the big picture which is more telling.

Regarding Tae and Namjoon, I would venture to say that after basic training, its possible Namjoon will serve in some capacity with the Defense Ministry's Agency for KIA Recovery & Identification which he was named ambassador for earlier this year. That office is located in Seoul I believe. The fact he is well-known publicly and he can speak English would enhance his success in an assignment of this sort. This agency recovers those who lost their lives in action during the Korean War in which American soldiers also perished.

Recovering those KIA happens near or in the DMZ.

IF the hearsay about where Jimin and Jungkook might be assigned after training has any truth, they are supposedly headed to this area as they also perform minesweeping when searching for KIA remains. Again, none of this is confirmed, I am just employing critical thinking...

Tae supposedly has chosen the Special Task Force of the Army's Capital Defense Command. That seems like it implies he'll remain within Seoul during his enlistment.

It's all speculation, but I think these men carefully considered their options and the ramifications. None of this was done on a whim, from Namjoon's ambassadorship and the possibilities of it, to Jimin and Jungkook's companion enlistment and why they chose that option, NONE OF IT WAS DONE WITHOUT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. They had to apply MONTHS ago for the options they were allowed to choose. They are not the only men in Korea enlisting this year, there are tens of thousands of others.

No one is considering, IF Namjoon is in Seoul during his enlistment, he would have something in common with Tae. And Yoongi. And Jin will be discharged in June, Hobi will be discharged in October... the implications, the connections... their target is 2025. Nothing is a coincidence. They can't be working while enlisted, however reuniting briefly with friends over dinner and drinks is allowed... what they talk about during their get togethers is none of our business.

ALL THAT BEING SAID... Hybe did a tremendous job this past summer with the 10th anniversary Festa celebration, involving various municipality governments, procuring large corporate sponsors and communicating to news media in the almost month long series of events. They elevated the general public's awareness of BTS's impact and therefore instilled value and pride for their continued success.

No military commander would want anything to happen to the members while under their watch.

NOTHING IS A COINCIDENCE.

P.S.: The idiots sending in emails to the Defense Ministry are hurting EVERYONE. The level of lunacy knows no bounds with certain people. They suffer from a pathological psychosis. Don't engage, don't acknowledge.

#We Wait™️ #bts military enlistment #jimin #jungkook #hobi #namjoon #yoongi #taehyung #jin

[dwellordream]

“The Great Depression reached into every corner of the country, but it did not affect all people equally. For many middle-class women of all races, the depression required certain changes in spending patterns: buying cheaper cuts of meat, feeding the homeless men who stopped at the back door, and doing without new clothes. Some of these women continued to do community volunteer work, raising money for the unemployed. They saw the food lines, but they did not have to join them.

Among women workers, race played an important role. The fierce competition for jobs fueled racial resentments. Mexican-American and African-American women were the first to lose their jobs and the last to get relief from welfare agencies. Often, they were already living on the margin of survival. Before 1933, when the Prohibition amendment making the manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages illegal was repealed, many of these women turned to bootlegging, making their own beer or liquor and selling it.

…Even relatively prosperous farm women--owners, not tenants--in general produced as much as 70 percent of what their families consumed in clothing, toys, and food. They not only gardened but raised poultry. During the depression, women increased the size of their gardens and the number of their hens. They made more butter from their dairy cows and sold it. They cut up the sacks that held large amounts of flour and sewed them into underwear. In the previous decade, they had proudly begun to participate in a culture of store-bought goods. Now they began to can food again. Government agents dragged huge canning kettles across the mountains of northern New Mexico and eastern Tennessee so that women in remote farming villages could preserve their food.

Even with all this work, rural children suffered from malnutrition, and rural women faced childbirth without a doctor or midwife because they could afford neither the medical fees nor the gasoline for transportation. The women resented their declining standards of living, particularly those from better-off farm families who owned their own farms and had, during the 1920s, aspired to participate in the new domestic technology of indoor bath-rooms, modern stoves and heating, and super cleanliness.

…In 1936, a federal appeals court overruled an earlier law that had classified birth control information as obscene and thus illegal to dispense. That decision still left state laws intact, however. The number of birth control clinics nationwide rose from 55 in 1930 to 300 by 1938, but in some states and in many rural areas women still had no access to birth control. In 1937, North Carolina became the first state to provide contraceptives with tax dollar, and six others soon followed. Ironically, North Carolina’s reasoning was not that birth control was a human right but that birth control would reduce the black population.

Despite statistics showing that black women had fewer babies than white women with similar incomes and living situations, many white southern officials in states with large black populations feared a black population explosion. In 1939, the Birth Control Federation of American responded to eager southern state governments by developing “The Negro Project,” a program to disseminate birth control information, which they carefully staffed with local black community leaders. Whatever the logic, one quarter of all women in the United States in their 20s during the depression never bore children. This was the highest rate of childlessness for any decade. Many people simply decided not to get married, and marriage rates fell.

…In the mass media women seemed to be receiving mixed messages. On the one hand, in 1930, the Ladies’ Home Journal featured a former career woman confessing, “I know now without any hesitation… that [my husband’s job] must come first.” In 1931, the popular magazine Outlook and Independent quoted the dean of Barnard College, a women’s college in New York City, telling her students that “perhaps the greatest service that you can render to the community… is to have the courage to refuse to work for gain.” And on its front page in 1935, the New York Times reported that women “suffering from masculine psychological states” and an “aversion to marriage” were being “cured” by the removal of their adrenal gland. In this atmosphere, not only were women workers under fire, but women who centered their lives on women rather than on men came under attack. Lesbianism was no longer chic. Lesbian bars almost disappeared. Homosexuality was now seen by many people as just one more threat to the family.

On the other hand, movie houses showed zany screwball comedies with more complicated lessons. Often deliciously ditsy, incompetent women were rescued by sensible, capable men. Yet, the men in these movies were frequently portrayed as bumbling or slower-witted than the women. Sometimes the men were people who needed joy and whimsy restored to their lives, not an unexpected theme for a nation in the throes of an economic depression. In other movies, however, women were by no means incompetent. The women portrayed by Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, and Joan Crawford in the 1930s were often intelligent but needed men alternately to tame and to soften them.”

- Sarah Jane Deutsch, “Making Do with Disaster.” in From Ballots to Breadlines: American Women, 1920-1940

#sarah jane deutsch #1930s #race #gender #from ballots to breadlines #class #20th century #history #american

[passportclown]

Overhaul's Punishment

Let's talk about Overhaul.

This post may be edited frequently with new information or new opinions.

Content Warning: Discussion of torture and child abuse.

The United Nations set the max amount of time in solitary confinement to 15 days, which is more than enough to have permanent trauma. Let's assume that in the BNHA universe, these laws still hold up. When we see him appear again he's in a secluded cell, we can assume he was in solitary confinement or that's just where he resides.

Kai Chisaki was in Tartarus for months.

Tartarus is, from what we can tell, a glorified torture home. Patients like Overhaul aren't given prosthetics (the bare minimum for an amputee) nor healthcare for their quirks or mental state. From what we know, there wasn't even any investigation into how he lost his hands. He was already detained and no longer a threat when his hands were removed, there should've been an investigation.

He deserved punishment, to go to prison and pay for his crimes and realize why what he did was wrong. However, Kai didn't receive a psychiatrist or a psychologist, nobody who could officially diagnose him and help him repent.

Tartarus is a prison in which the prisoners never leave, they spend the rest of their lives there as punishment. We can assume from what we've seen that Tartarus doesn't cater to the prisoner's quirks [which should be a basic human right, even for 'bad' people. (Toga, Twice, Shigaraki, Dabi, and many more have been mistreated for one reason or another due to their quirks.)]

We've seen no accommodation to Overhaul's Mysophobia, in fact, he actually looks quite dirty when we first see him in Tartarus.

Let's list Overhaul's crimes, Mass murder [including child murder] Usurpation Gaslighting Mutilation Abuse [physical and psychological, including child abuse] Torture Drug dealing Attempted cultural genocide Destruction of property Assault and battery Jailbreak Organized crime [-Villain Wiki]

Crimes of this amount, would [in places in our world] result in the death penalty.

Speaking of penalties, in the universe of BNHA, we don't see any lawful punishments that include removing quirk factors, it actually seems quite taboo. Child abusers deserve immense punishment [nobody is arguing on that] but the actions taken towards Overhaul were illegal and objectively immoral.

He was assigned a life sentence [Which was deserved however you could also argue that he deserves the death penalty. I personally believe he should live with his sins and be punished for them but I can understand if your opinion differs.], repenting for his crimes and no longer being able to cause any harm. Shigaraki took his own revenge by removing Overhaul's hands. I feel as if only one of these punishments would've sufficed. In serving his life sentence he'd repent for his crimes and no longer be able to cause any harm. As soon as his hands were removed, he experienced immense distress that caused him trauma.

The current Overhaul is not a functional member of society, he's a broken husk, a shell of his former self. When Shigaraki made him an amputee, we could see that Overhaul was immediately broken. He'd no longer be able to use his quirk, to do basic daily tasks which accommodate his phobia [Cleaning, etc] or to heal his father.

Overhaul put his father into a coma that [supposedly] only his quirk can cure, it's either that or the doctors aren't putting much effort into waking up his Pops. [We've already seen the corruption in this universe, weaker people are afforded fewer rights and opportunities. Pops not receiving proper medical care could be because he has a weak quirk or his affiliation with a criminal.] With people like Overhaul, Eri, and the nurse I think it's safe to say there'd be at least one doctor able to attempt something. [We could just not be shown this but there is an actual effort being made, not just seeing him in a bed with doctors.]

More effort is put into restraining people with powerful and 'dangerous' quirks, Muscular, AFO, and Stain. But Overhaul is effectively quirkless. It wouldn't be far-fetched to assume they just threw him in a cell, made sure he was fed, and were done with it. [We can see from Overhaul's prominent muscles that he's at least been afforded exercise and a somewhat healthy diet.]

Even when serving out life sentences in our world, although the prison system is corrupt prisoners have some semblance of rights and access to mental health experts. These rights aren't given in the BNHA universe.

Opinions on Overhaul's treatment and punishment vary, if you think he deserves all of this then that's fair. He abused and permanently traumatized a girl who is almost definitely younger than 10 years old.

However, you can also see he is almost certainly not neurotypical [which isn't a bad thing]. Overhaul growing up in the yakuza [who we know weren't doing well financially, even if they were that doesn't guarantee he'd get any help.] wouldn't give him much if any access to somebody who could diagnose and assist him. Of course, nothing justifies his crimes, they are only possible explanations.

If you believe that his punishments were overkill, then it's not hard to understand why. He was effectively tortured and thrown into a cell. Without the context of who he is and what he did, you'd pity him and advocate for his rights.

I can understand and somewhat agree with the people who say he deserves it, but maybe I'm biased since he's my favourite character.

I'd like to see others' opinions and any corrections to any mistakes I may have made. I'm not at all an expert on any of these topics, I was just interested and did my own research.

#BNHA #MHA #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #Overhaul #Kai Chisaki #Chisaki Kai #Analysis #Passport Speaks

[bleachbleachbleach]

Hello, I've been hooked up with Bleach since 2008 but still there are things that don't sit well with me. I hope your thought would bring me into the light lol. Like.. Didn't Masaki stay in Soul Society? I mean, is Ichigo able to meet her somewhere in SS since he now could easily travel between two worlds. Same question with, can Orihime meet Sora? Chad meet Abuelo? Uryuu meet his mommy, etc etc. Do you thonk Gotei 13 have the updated data of each residence of Soul Society? When I think it over, I hope it's not that easy for them to meet their late relatives since it wouldn't be special to be seperated by death 😅 Waiting for your amazing explanation! Thanks

As far as how the nature of souls and memory and the slippage between worlds works, I feel like canonically, different characters have offered several different explanations, which is a multiplicity I appreciate. But as to why people aren't meeting up, we get one fairly straightforward explanation:

[Bleach 076]

(Lol that woman doing her hair while standing in line. An icon)

That is, why don't people meet up with their dead loved ones in Soul Society? Because it's statistically hideously unlikely and logistically a nightmare. People are punted off all over the place and there's some implication that memories fade over time, though at what rate and for what reason may not have rhyme nor reason.

But I think that explanation also invites two additional interesting questions:

If each soul is numbered, why can't these numbers be used to locate souls?

Why wouldn't you expect reunions in an afterlife?

Ways of Knowing

You'd think that naming and numbering districts and giving souls numbers would suggest that there's some kind of great ledger of souls that the Gotei keeps and they know where everyone is. We know that the Gotei has enough Rukongai census data to know when fucktons of souls suddenly go missing, after all. But we also know that they don't know what number goes to which soul and which souls are where; if they did Byakuya probably could've reunited his dying wife with her baby sister, even if it were still logistically a nightmare to do so. What are logistics in the face of limitless money?

And I mean, most people living in the United States have a social security number. But even though there's a billion more ways that number comes into play when you're trying to live in the US than your soul ticket number is likely to bear on your Rukongai life--taxes, mandatory K-12, digital footprints, bills, etc.--it's still hard to keep track of people. And I say this living in a very modern, surveillance-state era. At 331 million-ish, does the US have more or fewer people living in it than Rukongai, making it easier or more difficult to keep track of them all? Who knows.

To use an example that's dealing with a smaller number of people--and therefore, one might think, a more manageable dataset--during World War II, the US forcibly removed and incarcerated Japanese Americans at 10 incarceration camps and a number of DOJ prison camps. Every Japanese American family was given a number and sent off to X or Y camp. Despite the fact that this is recent history, was a literal federal operation, and concerned a population of 125,000 (much smaller than 331 million, and much smaller than the number of souls in Rukongai), and multiple call numbers for related documents housed at the National Archives, there is no complete, official record of who was incarcerated where, when, or for how long. Only this year is any of that narrative-through-information beginning to take shape, and notably not through the labor of the federal government.

So do I think Soul Society has complete, updated, or remotely useable records of all the souls in Rukongai? Hell no. No, I do not! Just thinking about how straightforward such a task seems on paper in our world and how utterly apart it is in practice, it doesn't surprise me at all that there aren't records for these things, nor assumptions that locating lost family members would be possible. And that's just the practical aspect of it.

Ways of Being

One thing that separates the historical example I used from whatever it is Soul Society is doing is, if a federal government is going to forcibly remove and incarcerate people, they better not lose (or never create) the damn receipts. To do otherwise is a failing atop a failing.

By contrast, at the thematic and/or spiritual level, I think it's understood--it is an existential belief--that Soul Society/Rukongai is not a place of reunion. It is a place of passage and of wandering, and to arrive in Soul Society is usually not helped along by shinigami. Konsou, the tickets, the numbered districts--those are all accoutrements that now exist, they are things that created Soul Society, but they are not this afterlife. This afterlife was not a place of reunion before it was any of those things, and is remains one even after their creation.

I think it's possible to trigger a kernel panic if your soul was briefly housed by a bird and some very-much-alive guy wandered into the afterlife through a secret trapdoor, and then you get to reunite. But I think it's not necessarily something you come into the situation seeking.

Souls get stuck in the Living World because they snare on this or that element of what was once their life, so I think it makes sense that in Soul Society, those same holds are not part of what it means to be or feel as a soul in Rukongai (particularly as memories fade, but not necessarily because memories fade).

And to return to the practical, I think the churn of souls is unpredictable enough to help the mindset that Rukongai is not a place of reunion. Your soul could be in Rukongai for three days before you die and return to new form in the Living World. You could be there for centuries. If you were to enter Soul Society with the expectation of finding one specific soul, you could spend a frenzied, obsessive lifetime searching for a soul that has already lived seven different cycles, back and forth between the realms, further and further away from you, without you.

And then who's the hungry ghost?

--

For further reading, @unohanadaydreams has some awesome recent posts on the Rukongai Ticket Fiasco here and here!

#god i can't stop thinking about ponytail soul now #LOVE HER #thank you for the ask! #asks #no brain just bleach #rukongai #shinigamiology #bleach headcanons #bleach meta

[saint-miroir]

Abt 2000s 2010s shoujo mangakas..

Are they still active in Japan? Or the lack of info about their new works on mainstream intl..is them retiring?

Or those 90s 00s shoujo artist just changed artstyle?

Or maybe my info is warped bcoz there are just a handful shoujo anime now. Compares to pre2012s

Hi, thank you for your question!

I’d say it does depend on the mangaka. Wataru Yoshizumi has a series that started in 2019 and appears to be ongoing. I know that Mia Ikumi tragically passed away from a Subarachnoid hemorrhage this year, but did the artwork for the Tokyo Mew Mew Re-turn manga in 2020 not long before her passing. However, even she hadn’t put out any works for many years until then. Pink Hanamori also has an ongoing Mermaid Melody sequel in Nakayoshi, but this seems to be the most recent thing she’s done since 2008. Mihona Fujii resumed the GALS! manga in 2019 after it seemingly ended in 2002. Arina Tanemura is also still active. Nakahara An of Kirarin Revolution fame finished her latest series in 2020. Nami Akimoto released quite a few works as recently as 2021, though they seem to mostly be single-volume releases. These are just a few examples, but in my experience, some of the most prolific mangaka from around that time are still active, but they usually come out with a new series every few years and tend to maybe have one ongoing manga currently running in a magazine (Tanemura and Yoshizumi). Others may not release anything for years, but may end up releasing a reboot/revival for one of their most famous and nostalgic works (such as in the case of Ikumi and Hanamori). One manga artist that comes to mind who seems to keep releasing very consistently over the years since around the mid 2000s is Ema Toyama. Her works have seemed oddly inescapable within the past 10 or so years. I do occasionally find mangaka for some series that are outright no longer active, though I’m struggling to think of any off the top of my head at the moment.

There could be various reasons for why mangaka take long breaks in between series or just outright quit after some time. As everyone knows, being a mangaka is extremely demanding and stressful work. Miho Obana, for instance, released her last work in 2010 and has a past history of tendonitis which she has gone on hiatus for before. It’s not unusual for the work to lead to health problems due to the extremely strict deadlines and heavy amounts of stress. There could also be other personal issues in their life that need tending to.

Another thing that could be affecting your perception could also be the number of series released where you live. Arina Tanemura still seems to be popular enough in the west (or at least well known enough), but I swear a lot of the popular shoujo mangaka from the 90s and early 2000s seldom get works released here anymore (at least where I live, in the United States. I’m not sure if its different where you live). I was actually relatively surprised (but pleasantly so) to see that Marmalade boy was getting an English re-release by Seven Seas. There’s seemingly such a limited number of shoujo series that get released outside of Japan and I feel that what is readily available where we live might not accurately reflect the reality of who is and is not still active. When you haven’t seen a work released from one of your favorite mangaka from that time period in a long time, it can make you wonder what they’re currently doing, and if they’re even still making manga at all. You also make an interesting point about how there are even fewer shoujo anime adaptations than there once were, but I feel that we’re starting to see a small change in that, and I hope that it continues. I could get into another rant about why we’re seeing such a lack in shoujo adaptations today, but I’ll refrain from doing so.

I’ll admit I’m certainly no authority on the matter and I worry my answer won’t be very helpful. There are certainly people who could give a much more informed, in-depth answer, but I hope I could at least provide some insight, if any at all.

#asks #shoujo manga #I’ll admit that this probably isn’t the most well written or well informed answer #I hope that it does at least help a little bit though

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/women-in-burkinis-on-the-beach/

Women In Burkinis On the Beach

Browsing the internet, I discovered a story concerning identical twins. They were separated when one of them was lost in a market and never returned to her South Korean family.  Instead, an American couple adopted her and brought her to the United States.  Years later, when she was reunited with her sister, doctors discovered the girls had similar personalities, but the one who’d remained in Seoul tested 16 points higher on her I. Q. test. Experts supposed their environments made the difference. The Korean girl lived in a harmonious, loving home. The American girl suffered 3 concussions while in the care of rancorous parents whose marriage ended in divorce.  Because the story is anecdotal, there’s no science to support any conclusion, but the difference in intelligence between the two young women posed a question. We know climate influences behavior.  Could it be the same with exposure to violence? A google search turned up little information, but it did reveal another set of facts. Studies in the United States and throughout the western world indicate the human species is getting dumber. Not everyone agrees.  Some argue the tests are dated which leads to errors. Nonetheless, the numbers reflect a steady decline since 1970 and have continued to fall with each generation. In the 1950s, the average I. Q. score was 91.64.  Today it is 89.20.  Projections for 2050 put the average at 86.32. Violence has dogged humanity since the species crawled out of the mud, so a link between it and a decline in intelligence might seem negligible.  On the other hand, impending doom on a grand scale has never loomed as large as it does today.  Vladimir Putin, for example, raises the specter of nuclear war as casually as if he were threatening civilization with a catapult.  The prospect of a radiated earth raises our mutual anxieties. Even a goatherd in the Andes knows of the danger thanks to his smartphone.    As a survival mechanism, fear is good. When we turn it against each other, it presents a palpable threat. Variations in I. Q. can exacerbate fear because they lead people to see the world differently. In turn, that difference makes them vulnerable to dissimilar forms of prejudice.  While not ironclad, people at the higher end of the spectrum tend to need fewer boundaries to feel safe. As a result, they register contempt for people who are conservative or conventional.  Conversely, those with a lower I. Q. are uncomfortable with non-conventional folks. Simply put, people dislike those who are different from themselves.  A view they all hold in common, however, is a prejudice against the historically powerless. They also share a prejudice against leaders who are too smart.   …groups with smarter leaders perform better in objective measures [but] some studies have hinted that followers might subjectively view leaders with stratospheric intellect as less effective. A principal reason may be the public’s inability to relate to them, or the solutions the leaders pose are too complex to follow. Culture frames who we are to a large degree but intelligence plays its part. We can modify culture but how do we modify a characteristic baked into our brains? Is there a way to escape the intellectual barrier and find common ground?  Or is it easier to continue to war with one another in a primitive game of might makes right? A working democracy could be the solution. In that setting, we are required to exercise tolerance toward one another.  We must be willing to listen, negotiate and exhibit a willingness to lose. As we fear what is foreign to us, the last effort takes courage. We need a reason to trust. Fortunately, nature provides us with a reason. There are 8.7 million plant and animal species on this planet. The system thrives on variation. At the human level, we do well to embrace the example. Surely, there is room in this world for a Muslim woman in France to wear a burkini on the beach.

#advantages of a working democracy #burkinis #declining I. Q. #I. Q. & prejudice #identical twin differences #Vladimir Putin

[isiphonevpngood]

does century link block vpn traffic

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CenturyLink VPN blocking is a common issue faced by many users who rely on VPN services for their online privacy and security. CenturyLink is known to block VPN connections for various reasons, which can be frustrating for users attempting to access the internet anonymously.

One of the main reasons why CenturyLink may block VPN connections is to prevent potential security breaches and protect their network from malicious activities. By detecting and blocking VPN traffic, CenturyLink aims to maintain the integrity of its network and safeguard its users from cyber threats.

Another reason for CenturyLink VPN blocking could be to enforce regional restrictions and comply with geo-blocking policies. Some online services and content providers place restrictions on VPN usage to control access to their platforms based on users' geographical locations. CenturyLink may block VPN connections to ensure compliance with these restrictions and prevent users from bypassing geo-blocks.

To avoid CenturyLink VPN blocking, users can try using different VPN protocols or server locations to establish a successful connection. Additionally, ensuring that the VPN service is configured correctly and running the latest software updates can help improve connectivity and avoid detection by CenturyLink's network monitoring systems.

In conclusion, CenturyLink VPN blocking is a challenge for VPN users seeking online privacy and unrestricted access to content. By understanding the reasons behind VPN blocking and implementing potential solutions, users can overcome these obstacles and enjoy a secure and seamless internet experience.

VPN traffic restrictions by CenturyLink

Title: Navigating VPN Traffic Restrictions by CenturyLink: What You Need to Know

In today's digital landscape, the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) has become increasingly common, offering users enhanced privacy, security, and access to restricted content. However, for subscribers of CenturyLink, one of the leading internet service providers in the United States, navigating VPN traffic restrictions is essential to ensure seamless connectivity.

CenturyLink imposes certain limitations on VPN traffic to manage network congestion and maintain service quality for all users. While these restrictions may vary based on the specific plan and geographical location, there are some common practices that subscribers should be aware of.

Firstly, CenturyLink may throttle VPN traffic during peak hours or in congested network areas. This means that the speed and performance of VPN connections could be temporarily reduced to alleviate strain on the network. While this can be frustrating for users, it's important to understand that it's done to ensure a smooth internet experience for everyone.

Additionally, CenturyLink may employ deep packet inspection (DPI) to identify and prioritize different types of internet traffic. This could result in VPN traffic being categorized differently and potentially subjected to different levels of throttling or prioritization compared to regular internet traffic.

To mitigate the impact of VPN traffic restrictions by CenturyLink, users can consider upgrading to higher-tier plans that may offer better performance and fewer restrictions. Alternatively, utilizing VPN protocols that are less likely to be detected or throttled by CenturyLink's DPI systems could help maintain better connectivity.

Overall, while CenturyLink's VPN traffic restrictions aim to manage network resources effectively, users can still enjoy the benefits of VPNs by understanding these limitations and adopting strategies to optimize their connection. By staying informed and proactive, CenturyLink subscribers can ensure a reliable and secure online experience, even when using VPNs.

CenturyLink network and VPN services

Title: Enhancing Connectivity and Security: CenturyLink's Network and VPN Services

In today's interconnected digital landscape, businesses rely heavily on robust network infrastructure and secure communication channels to ensure seamless operations and safeguard sensitive data. CenturyLink, a leading provider of telecommunications services, offers a comprehensive suite of network solutions and VPN services tailored to meet the evolving needs of enterprises.

CenturyLink's extensive network infrastructure spans the globe, encompassing a vast array of fiber-optic cables and data centers strategically located to deliver high-speed connectivity and reliable performance. Whether businesses operate in local markets or across continents, CenturyLink's network ensures seamless data transmission and low-latency connectivity, enabling organizations to optimize their digital workflows and deliver superior customer experiences.

Furthermore, CenturyLink's Virtual Private Network (VPN) services provide an additional layer of security for businesses operating in today's increasingly vulnerable cyber landscape. By establishing encrypted tunnels over public networks, CenturyLink's VPN solutions enable secure remote access to corporate resources, allowing employees to connect to the company's network from any location without compromising data integrity or confidentiality.

In addition to securing remote access, CenturyLink's VPN services facilitate interconnectivity between distributed offices and branches, enabling seamless collaboration and data sharing across geographically dispersed teams. Whether employees are working from home, on the road, or at branch locations, CenturyLink's VPN ensures consistent access to critical resources and applications, enhancing productivity and driving business agility.

With a proven track record of reliability, scalability, and security, CenturyLink's network and VPN services empower businesses to navigate the complexities of the digital landscape with confidence. By leveraging CenturyLink's robust infrastructure and cutting-edge technologies, organizations can optimize their operations, mitigate security risks, and unlock new opportunities for growth in an increasingly interconnected world.

Effects of CenturyLink on VPN usage

CenturyLink is a telecommunications company that offers various services, including internet connectivity and Virtual Private Network (VPN) solutions. The effects of CenturyLink on VPN usage are significant for individuals and businesses relying on secure and private network connections.

One of the primary impacts of CenturyLink on VPN usage is the enhancement of online security. VPNs create encrypted connections, making it difficult for hackers to intercept data. By partnering with CenturyLink for VPN services, users can benefit from an added layer of protection for their internet activities, such as browsing, sharing sensitive information, or accessing company networks remotely.

Another effect of CenturyLink on VPN usage is improved network performance. CenturyLink's robust infrastructure and high-speed internet services can optimize VPN connections, resulting in faster speeds and more reliable performance. This is especially crucial for businesses that require seamless communication and data transfer across different locations.

Moreover, CenturyLink's global presence can expand the reach of VPN services to various regions, allowing users to securely connect to international servers and access geo-restricted content without compromising their privacy.

Overall, CenturyLink's influence on VPN usage is positive, providing users with enhanced security, improved performance, and global connectivity options. As VPNs continue to play a vital role in safeguarding online activities, partnering with a reliable provider like CenturyLink can ensure a seamless and secure browsing experience for both individuals and organizations.

Bypassing VPN blocks by CenturyLink

Title: Overcoming VPN Blocks: Strategies Against CenturyLink Restrictions

In recent times, Internet users have increasingly turned to VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) for privacy, security, and accessing geo-restricted content. However, some internet service providers (ISPs), like CenturyLink, have been known to implement measures to block or restrict VPN usage on their networks. This poses a challenge for individuals seeking to maintain their online privacy or access content not available in their region.

CenturyLink employs various methods to detect and block VPN traffic, including deep packet inspection (DPI) and blacklisting known VPN server IP addresses. When a user attempts to connect to a VPN server, CenturyLink's network can detect the VPN protocol and throttle or block the connection, resulting in frustration for users.

To bypass these VPN blocks imposed by CenturyLink, users can employ several strategies. One approach is to use obfuscated servers offered by certain VPN providers. These servers disguise VPN traffic as regular HTTPS traffic, making it harder for CenturyLink's DPI systems to detect and block it.

Another method is to switch to lesser-known VPN protocols such as SSTP (Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol) or OpenVPN with TCP port 443. These protocols are less likely to be blocked by CenturyLink compared to more common VPN protocols like PPTP or L2TP/IPsec.

Additionally, users can try connecting to VPN servers located in countries with less stringent internet regulations. By routing their traffic through these servers, users can avoid CenturyLink's VPN blocks as they appear to be accessing the internet from a different location.

However, it's essential to note that while these strategies may help bypass CenturyLink's VPN blocks temporarily, the ISP may continuously update its blocking techniques. Therefore, users should remain vigilant and be prepared to switch VPN servers or providers if necessary to maintain their online privacy and access.

[relaxacouk]

Here are some reasons why the DSE desk assessment is so insightful:

DSE workstation assessments are not only required by law, but if they are done right, they can also help prevent workplace injuries, distractions, and other problems that can come up because a workstation wasn't built right.

There are several risks when you use DSE display screen equipment for long periods. These symptoms include headaches, backaches, and a general lack of motivation to do anything. Professionals who have been trained to evaluate the risks that come with DSEs can help come up with ways to reduce those risks.

Assessors trained in DSE Workstation risk assessment can do DSE evaluations that follow the most up-to-date health and safety rules. They will also know what the law says about how things should be done. Because they give detailed advice, people who use DSE will be better able to protect themselves from possible adverse health effects. They will also learn how often accidents happen at work and the best ways to avoid them.

Assessors of the risks that computer workstations might pose are essential parts of any business. Assessors who focus on DSE help businesses save money by cutting sick leave costs and ensuring all legal requirements are met. An estimated $36 million is spent yearly on disability claims for back and neck pain caused by too much computer use. Assessors for DSE workstations can lower this number by ensuring that health and safety rules are followed.

Thousands of people get hurt yearly because their workplaces aren't set up well. The result is that everyone has to pay a lot of money. In 2013, back and neck pain caused by missed work days cost the economy $15 billion.

DSE assessor training courses are available for people who want to learn about DSE rules and the basics of assessing DSE workstations. People with management experience will get the most out of DSE assessor training. As a DSE assessor, it will be your job to teach new hires how to use display screen assessment equipment and lead orientations safely.

Many DSE workstation assessor training courses allow companies to evaluate their employees in line with regulations and best practices. Prospective evaluators can expect instruction in danger identification, analysis, and control measures. Participants will get a certificate, course materials, and a guidebook when they finish the course.

There are many benefits to assessing risks in the workplace.

Organizations can gain a lot from conducting evaluations. Here are some of the results:

Stopping injuries and illnesses caused by DSE.

When fewer injuries occur, insurance costs and workers' compensation payments go down, and workers who are happier and healthier are more productive.

Policy for Video Display Devices

A policy is implemented to ensure that people who use display screen equipment (DSE) at work are safe. By making a DSE policy, you can describe your responsibilities in more detail. This document should talk about training and giving information to DSE users.

Is it required by law to get a DSE report?

Every worker in the United Kingdom must have a DSE self-assessment done on them, no matter where they work.

However, this is especially crucial when dealing with remote employees, as you will not have prepared a suitable workspace for them, and they will not be in a regulated office setting, both of which increase the likelihood of a variety of practical problems.

Who should carry out the DSE risk assessment?

These standards must be met by workers who use Display Screen Equipment daily for an hour or more per shift.

It would help if you did a DSE evaluation whenever you could.

A DSE self-assessment should be done every time a new workstation is set up, a new person starts working, or a significant change is made to a workstation.

The government's order to "work from home if you can" has forced millions of workers into places they don't know, which is why more DSE evaluations are being done now.

How does a DSE self-assessment take place?

A simple checklist that temporary remote workers can fill out on time can be used to evaluate them. Long-term or permanent home workers, on the other hand, face more significant risks, so their employers have to take on more responsibilities. Under these circumstances, it's best to do a complete workstation evaluation with each employee in person or over the phone. If that's not possible, you should give them a virtual assessment tool and enough instructions on how to use it.

In this situation, you shouldn't put all your trust in the employee who is giving the evaluation. A health and safety expert must review the evaluation results to determine which areas need more research, intervention, training, or other steps to fix them. Depending on what is found, special hardware may also be required.

[sharktankketogummiesofficial]

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[blackwoolncrown]

For the past few days, a heatwave has glowered over the Pacific Northwest, forcing temperatures in the region to a record-breaking 118ºF. Few people in the region—neither Americans nor Canadians—have air-conditioning. Stores sold out of new AC units in hours as a panicked public sought a reasonable solution to the emergency. Unfortunately, air-conditioning is part of what’s causing the unusual heatwave in the first place.

We came close to destroying all life on Earth during the Cold War, with the threat of nuclear annihilation. But we may have come even closer during the cooling war, when the rising number of Americans with air conditioners—and a refrigerant industry that fought regulation—nearly obliterated the ozone layer. We avoided that environmental catastrophe, but the fundamental problem of air conditioning has never really been resolved.

Mechanical cooling appeared in the early 1900s not for comfort but for business. In manufacturing, the regulation of temperature—“process cooling”—controlled the quality of commodities like cotton, tobacco, and chewing gum. In 1903, Alfred Wolff installed the first cooling system for people at the New York Stock Exchange because comfortable traders yielded considerably higher stock returns. Only in the ’20s did “commercial cooling” appear. On Memorial Day weekend 1925, Willis Carrier debuted the first centrifugal air-conditioning system at the Rivoli Theater in Midtown Manhattan. Previously, theaters had shut down in the summer. With air-conditioning, the Rivoli became “the talk of Broadway” and inaugurated the summer blockbuster.

-another direct tie to capitalism. Everything born out of colonio-capitalism carries its toxic mark. Article totally not under the cut for those who can’t pay for Time. It honestly paints a really clear picture of the situation. Bolding mine.-

“It’s time we become more comfortable with discomfort. Our survival may depend on it.“

Before World War II, almost no one had air-conditioning at home. Besides being financially impractical and culturally odd, it was also dangerous. Chemical refrigerants like sulfur dioxide and methyl chloride filled most fridges and coolers, and leaks could kill a child, poison a hospital floor, even blow up a basement. Everything changed with the invention of Freon in 1928. Non-toxic and non-explosive, Freon was hailed as a “miracle.” It made the modernist skyscraper—with its sealed windows and heat-absorbing materials—possible. It made living in the desert possible. The small, winter resort of Phoenix, Arizona, became a year-round attraction. Architecture could now ignore the local climate. Anywhere could be 65ºF with 55% humidity. Cheap materials made boxy, suburban tract housing affordable to most Americans, but the sealed-up, stifling design of these homes required air-conditioning to keep the heat at bay. Quickly, air-conditioning transitioned from a luxury to a necessity. By 1980, more than half of all U.S. homes were air-conditioned. And despite millions of Black Americans fleeing the violence of Jim Crow, the South saw greater in-migration than out-migration for the first time—a direct result of AC. The American car was similarly transformed. In 1955, only 10 percent of American cars had air-conditioning. Thirty years later, it came standard.

The cooling boom also altered the way we work. Now, Americans could work anywhere at any hour of the day. Early ads for air-conditioning promised not health or comfort but productivity. The workday could proceed no matter the season or the climate. Even in the home, A/C brought comfort as a means to rest up before the next work day.

The use of air-conditioning was as symbolic as it was material. It conveyed class status. Who did and didn’t have air-conditioning often fell starkly along the color line, too, especially in the South. It conquered the weather and, with it, the need to sweat or squirm or lie down in the summer swelter. In that sense, air-conditioning allowed Americans to transcend their physical bodies, that long-sought fantasy of the Puritan settlers: to be in the world but not of it. Miracle, indeed.

But it came with a price. As it turned out, Freon isn’t exactly non-toxic. Freon is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), which depletes the ozone layer and also acts as a global warming gas. By 1974, the industrialized world was churning out CFCs, chemicals that had never appeared on the planet in any significant quantities, at a rate of one million metric tons a year—the equivalent mass of more than 500,000 cars. That was the year atmospheric chemists Sherry Rowland and Mario Molina first hypothesized that the chlorine molecules in CFCs might be destroying ozone in the stratosphere by bonding to free oxygen atoms and disrupting the atmosphere’s delicate chemistry. By then, CFCs were used not only as refrigerants but also as spray can propellants, manufacturing degreasers, and foam-blowing agents.

The ozone layer absorbs the worst of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Without stratospheric ozone, life as we know it is impossible. A 1 percent decline in the ozone layer’s thickness results in thousands of new cases of skin cancer. Greater depletion would lead to crop failures, the collapse of oceanic food systems, and, eventually, the destruction of all life on Earth.

In the 1980s, geophysicist Joseph Farman confirmed the Rowland-Molina hypothesis when he detected a near-absence of ozone over Antarctica—the “Ozone Hole.” A fierce battle ensued among industry, scientists, environmentalists, and politicians, but in 1987 the U.S signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which ended Freon production.

The Montreal Protocol remains the world’s only successful international environmental treaty with legally binding emissions targets. Annual conferences to re-assess the goals of the treaty make it a living document, which is revised in light of up-to-date scientific data. For instance, the Montreal Protocol set out only to slow production of CFCs, but, by 1997, industrialized countries had stopped production entirely, far sooner than was thought possible. The world was saved through global cooperation.

The trouble is that the refrigerants replacing CFCs, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), turned out to be terrible for the planet, too. While they have an ozone-depleting potential of zero, they are potent greenhouse gases. They absorb infrared radiation from the sun and Earth and block heat that normally escapes into outer space. Carbon dioxide and methane do this too, but HFCs trap heat at rates thousands of times higher. Although the number of refrigerant molecules in the atmosphere is far fewer than those of other greenhouse gases, their destructive force, molecule for molecule, is far greater.

In three decades, the production of HFCs grew exponentially. Today, HFCs provide the cooling power to almost any air conditioner in the home, in the office, in the supermarket, or in the car. They cool vaccines, blood for transfusions, and temperature-sensitive medications, as well as the data processors and computer servers that make up the internet—everything from the cloud to blockchains. In 2019, annual global warming emissions from HFCs were the equivalent of 175 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

In May, the EPA signaled it will begin phasing down HFCs and replacing them with more climate-friendly alternatives. Experts agree that a swift end to HFCs could prevent as much as 0.5ºC of warming over the next century—a third of the way to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Yet regardless of the refrigerant used, cooling still requires energy. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, air-conditioning accounts for nearly a fifth of annual U.S. residential electricity use. This is more energy for cooling overall and per capita than in any other nation. Most Americans consider the cost of energy only in terms of their electricity bills. But it’s also costing us the planet. Joe Biden’s announcement to shift toward a renewable energy infrastructure obscures the uncertainty of whether that infrastructure could meet Americans’ outrageously high energy demand—much of it for cooling that doesn’t save lives. Renewable energy infrastructure can take us only so far. The rest of the work is cultural. From Freon to HFCs, we keep replacing chemical refrigerants without taking a hard look at why we’re cooling in the first place.

Comfort cooling began not as a survival strategy but as a business venture. It still carries all those symbolic meanings, though its currency now works globally, cleaving the world into civilized cooling and barbaric heat. Despite what we assume, as a means of weathering a heat wave, individual air-conditioning is terribly ineffective. It works only for those who can afford it. But even then, their use in urban areas only makes the surrounding micro-climate hotter, sometimes by a factor of 10ºF, actively threatening the lives of those who don’t have access to cooling. (The sociologist Eric Klinenberg has brilliantly studied how, in a 1995 Chicago heat wave, about twice as many people died than in a comparable heat wave forty years earlier due to the city’s neglect of certain neighborhoods and social infrastructure.) Ironically, research suggests that exposure to constant air-conditioning can prevent our bodies from acclimatizing to hot weather, so those who subject themselves to “thermal monotony” are, in the end, making themselves more vulnerable to heat-related illness.

And, of course, air-conditioning only works when you have the electricity to power it. During heatwaves, when air-conditioning is needed most, blackouts are frequent. On Sunday, with afternoon temperatures reaching 112ºF around Portland, the power grid failed for more than 6,300 residences under control by Portland General Electrics.

The troubled history of air-conditioning suggests not that we chuck it entirely but that we focus on public cooling, on public comfort, rather than individual cooling, on individual comfort. Ensuring that the most vulnerable among the planet’s human inhabitants can keep cool through better access to public cooling centers, shade-giving trees, safe green spaces, water infrastructure to cool, and smart design will not only enrich our cities overall, it will lower the temperature for everyone. It’s far more efficient this way.

To do so, we’ll have to re-orient ourselves to the meaning of air-conditioning. And to comfort. Privatized air-conditioning survived the ozone crisis, but its power to separate—by class, by race, by nation, by ability—has survived, too. Comfort for some comes at the expense of the life on this planet.

It’s time we become more comfortable with discomfort. Our survival may depend on it.

#ac #climate change #climate crisis #eco #environment #comfort #articles #to read

[blindbeta]

I have a question! Thank you for existing I deeply appreciate it. I was wondering if it is possible for a blind person to be able to read by learning the shape of raised letters, rather than braille. I ask because I have a situation in which it is reasonable that the blind character would know this, if possible, and the person they are travelling with is completely illiterate.I thought it might be interesting if the seeing character could describe the letters, or find a way to texture them so the blind character could tell them what something says. I have done a great deal of research for this character, but this is the one part I can't find a clear answer for. Thank you very much.

Good question, nonnie.

The short answer is, maybe? It would depend on the time period and location of your characters.

Since you want both characters to read, I’ll assume this culture has a formal writing system in place and values written communication.

A Brief History

In order to address this, allow me to offer a brief history of Braille. Because what you’re describing is exactly what happened in France before Braille was invented. This informative video summarizes it pretty well. Here is the text version of the video. The video mentions the embossed letter or raised type method of reading that was used at the time. It was difficult to read and the letters had to be very large in order to be understood, making it harder to read words and sentences. Reading must have been very slow.

According to this page on the National Braille Press website, reading this way required slowly tracing raised print letters. To write, one had to memorize the shapes and try to create them on paper, although they could not read the results.

Creating books was even more difficult. According to this page, [quote] “teacher Valentin Haüy made books with raised letters by soaking paper in water, pressing it into a form and allowing it to dry. Books made using this method were enormous and heavy, and the process was so time-consuming that l'Institution Royale des Jeunes Aveugles, or the Royal Institution for Blind Youth, had fewer than 100 of them when Louis Braille was a student there.” [End quote]

Braille books are already notorious for taking up several volumes. Large print books are only a little better. Textbooks used in schools take up several shelves to translate one print textbook.

Individual use and traveling with these things must have been impossible for the everyday person, even if you were a student.

Also, in this video by blind YouTuber Molly Burke, at the 9:05 time-stamp she answers the question: why don’t we raise print letters for blind people? She explains that it took too long to read and is not as efficient as Braille.

In the interest of time, I’ll try to keep this brief. The transition from the raised print letters to Braille was not a smooth one.

In 1826, first embossed letters published in English was James Gall’s triangular alphabet. Read about it and other systems here.

Another source says Gall’s writing system was introduced in 1831. The system did not gain much popularity outside of Endinburgh.

According to this page: [quote] “In 1832 The Society of Arts for Scotland held a competition for the best embossed type. There were 15 entries but Edmund Fry’s alphabetical system of roman capitals triumphed. Shortly afterwards John Alston began printing at the Glasgow Asylum for the Blind using a slightly modified version of Fry’s design. “Alston type” proved popular and inspired similar forms across Europe and North America.” [end quote]

None of these really caught on outside of certain areas.

In 1821, Charles Barbier was invited to the Royal National Institute For Blind Youth in Paris to demonstrate his Night Writing invention, which was developed for soldiers to read in the dark. It was too difficult to read and so was not used by soldiers, nor did it end up being used by the blind schools. However, a young Louis Braille was in the audience and was inspired.

In 1825, Braille thought he had figured out a good system of writing.

In 1829, he published the first Braille alphabet.

1834 - Braille is invited to Exposition of Industry in Paris, which extended the popularity of the Braille system.

1846- a school for the blind in Amsterdam starts using Braille’s system.

In 1852, Louis Braille dies.

1854- Royal National Institute For Blind Youth officially adopt Braille as official system after fighting it for years.

Because Braille didn’t take hold as quickly in Britain, the British and Foreign Blind Association, all of whom were blind, voted in 1870. They decided Braille was the best system. Braille quickly fell into use all over the world with the exception of the United States. By 1882, the embossed letter system was over.

In the U.S, from 1868-1918, the New York Point system was used. American Braille (developed by a blind teacher named Joel W. Smith) was also used from 1878 to 1918, when the U.S switched the standardized English Braille.

Would Your Character Know Raised Type?

Remember how I said you might be able to do this depending on the time period and place?

If you have French characters, you can used the raised type method as you described in your ask if the story takes place before, probably, 1825. It would be reasonable for your character to know the raised type method if they had attended a blind school before the Braille method was adopted in 1854. Between roughly 1829 and 1854, the French blind character attending school would know about the Braille system and probably complain about their school not teaching it despite Braille himself teaching there.

Similarly, they could used raised type depending on where the story is set, when the character attended school, and what system was in place at the time. If the story is a fantasy, you could make up a history similar to what I described above, although it would be important to have schools for the blind and have Braille or the equivalent be created by a blind character.

Remember that your blind character needs to learn the raised type method if you want them to use it.

If Braille would be available in real life (such as a more modern setting), I would prefer a blind character use Braille instead. Which is why I tried to offer alternatives that were historically justified.

I don’t feel very comfortable with a blind character having to use a raised type method rather than another system, because Braille literacy is declining nowadays and something about learning a raised type method over Braille (or other system, depending on where you set the story and what they were using at the time) doesn’t sit right with me. Your character doesn’t have to use Braille specifically, but I would rather they use the system that is available to blind people at that time. For example, if your story is set in the United States, it would be fine to use American Braille or the New York Point, depending on the time period.

If your story is modern, blind people can usually read raised print letters on signs, such as for the bathroom. In fact, a lot of people who can’t read Braille get by this way. However, keep in mind that we have screen-readers and audiobooks now. People aren’t reading entire texts or even many words with this method.

As for other countries, I tried my best to research what places, such as Japan, used before Braille. For several reasons, including the European-centric search results that keep coming up over and over again, finding the correct information is proving difficult. In some cases, previous methods may have unfortunately been lost due to colonization. It is important that we acknowledge that.

I feel that it would be easier to leave the research up to you since you know where you want to set your story and your own personal background, historical knowledge, etc.

Keep in mind that not all blind people in the world had access to formal education, depending on the place, time, their social class, etc. If you want your blind character to know how to read, you’ll need to find or create a setting that allows for it.

Generally, I would prefer blind characters use methods designed for blind people, whatever that happens to be in that time or culture. Prioritizing the other characters’ needs and having a blind character learn raised type over Braille when Braille actually exists in the story doesn’t work for me.

Like always, I suggest having more than one blind character in the story to avoid tokenism. Also, since your character is going to teach another character, be sure to show your blind character’s needs and goals as well.

I hope this helps. Feel free to message me or send another ask. I am not a historian and so if anyone wants to correct anything, such as dates, or provide any relevant knowledge, please feel free. I tried my best with this question. I would be grateful for help if anyone has more information!

-BlindBeta

#blind #disability #braille #ask #anon ask

[maulusque]

Clone genetic enhancement ideas

So the clones were genetically enhanced, but i don’t really see any writers (in fanfic or in published stuff) really exploring what that MEANS beyond “clone very stronk”. Here are some ideas that would actually make clones significantly different from just a regular-ass human in peak condition. 

-enhanced senses: eyesight, hearing, etc. I’m talking eyes like a HAWK

-better reflexes

-quicker information processing

-can hear sounds of higher and lower frequency than standard humans

-can see light of a broader spectrum than human standard

-learn quicker, retain information and skills better (potential problem: if you learn something the WRONG way, that way might stick really well)

-photographic memory (really useful for memorizing layouts and maps)

-immunity to various diseases

-can tolerate a wider range of temperatures and environments

-increased stamina and strength baseline. Clones can just run full-tilt for hours and hours and be like “ah a nice stroll”. Over long distances, they can out-pace jedi in the same way that humans can out-pace horses.

-higher tolerance of certain poisons/toxins (clones can straight-up drink ethanol, and get maybe a little tipsy)

-bodies respond quickly to physical stress, and slowly to the absence of it (basically, this means that physical conditioning results in stronger muscles and a stronger cardiovascular system really quickly, and it takes MUCH longer for a clone to lose strength and conditioning due to not exercising than standard humans. Think how much valuable training time is saved if they only have to go on a run like, once a month in order to stay in shape)

-increased ability to function through intense pain and acute injuries. Basically, semi-disabling the pain system so it’s less distracting. Probably not good for the survival of the individual in many situations, but an advantage on the battlefield. 

-heal faster and better, with fewer long-term complications. Clones can dislocate their shoulders and NOT have the joint be permanently fucked up, because the Kaminoans re-designed the whole damn thing to suck WAY less.

-actually, unique internal anatomy. There’s probably a lot about the human body besides the shoulder joint that is actually just really stupid, and something no intelligent designer would actually build. So the Kaminoans can fix a lot of that stuff. Better knees, maybe. Stronger ribs. Maybe Cody punches droids not just because he’s a mad bastard, but also because his metatarsals are literally as strong as steel. 

-Hearing loss/hearing damage? No problem, your ear can regrow those little hair-thingies that help you hear. 

-Of course, it takes energy to maintain muscle mass, which is why human bodies lose it if we’re not using it. Clones need significantly more calories than standard humans. However, their digestive systems are enhanced to extract calories and nutrients from food much more efficiently, so food goes much farther. Potential weird side effect: maybe clones only have to poop like, once a week?

-You could probably extend that into increased ability to tolerate long periods without food/on low rations, despite the increased need for calories. 

-wouldn’t it be NEAT if the kaminoans somehow designed self-repairing DNA. This would mean that others couldn’t take a DNA sample from a clone and modify it to create their own clones (basically, it protects their product. It’s like DRM for clones). This ALSO means that clones couldn’t get cancer, and that they’d be immune to radiation poisoning. So a clone could just walk up to a sphere of uranium at critical mass and pick it up. Maybe with oven mitts on if it’s hot. (this would also make it harder for a rapid-aging cure to be developed, but uhhhh fanfic writers find a way)

- “bred for obedience” I think most of this would have to be accomplished through tightly-controlled messaging and cultural norms as the clones grow up- basically, enshrining obedience as a desirable and almost sacred trait, to be prized higher than anything else, including the lives of your brothers. In the same way that we hear stories of people sacrificing their lives to protect their loved ones, the clones would grow up hearing stories of soldiers sacrificing their brothers’ lives to obey an order from a superior. 

-SOME of the “obedience” thing could be engineered, though. Humans are already super social, but it would probably make sense for the clones to have an even greater need for social bonds. This would make for greater teamwork and coordination, and better unit cohesion, since the clones would be more inclined to prioritize friendship/agreeing with someone over winning an argument. It would also make it so they’d bond with their natural-born generals more easily, so they would obey them not just because they’re supposed to, but because they’d be much quicker to see them as a friend, and someone who’s trust they want to earn, someone they want to incorporate into their group and make happy.

-consequently, clones who find themselves alone do NOT do well. Isolation has a much more profoundly negative impact on clones than on regular humans.

-Originally, clones designed to operate alone or in small teams would not have the social enhancement- ARC troopers, spec-ops teams, etc. There wouldn’t be much of a noticeable difference in everyday interactions, but they’d also be vaguely weirded out by what they interpret as aggressive friendliness from their brothers, and their brothers would think they’re a bit shy and standoffish. 

-actually this social modification would make it MUCH harder for clones to kill people. REGULAR HUMANS are already super bad at killing people- i remember reading this article about how as soon as soldiers have to point their weapons at actual people, their aim gets mysteriously much shittier. Even when compared to situations that are exactly the same, except they’re not shooting at other humans. So reconcile this how you will, idk.

-I imagine a lot of these enhancements would be accomplished not through DNA, but through microorganisms. Retroviruses could explain the DNA resistant to modification, and the increased healing speed, and possibly some disease resistance (do i know anything about retroviruses other than a vague concept of what they are? no i do not. will that stop me? also no.) Their metabolism can be partially explained through specially engineered gut microbes.

-not sure how they’d go about making clones “resistant to any stress”, because you can’t exactly turn off the trauma response in the brain without breaking a bunch of other things. They could probably do a bit of fiddling to make clones more resistant to chemical imbalances, and therefore more depression-resistant. I think most of the “stress-resistance” would have to come through training. Either they train the clones to basically suppress everything, which might work alright in the short term. OR they actually have systems in place that help prevent the development of things like PTSD and help treat trauma. Meaning the clones are literally trained in self-care, positive self-talk, talking about their pain with their brothers, and having community rituals around things like death and grief. I don’t think that’s super likely because one thing that’s integral to those concepts is the concept of “i am a person and i have worth, and if i feel angry about something bad happening, that is ok and valid” and considering that a whole lot of bad things happen to the clones all the time and their childhood is a whole boatload of bad all happening at once, i don’t think the kaminoans would want the clones realizing “hey wait a minute i’m a person and i don’t deserve to be treated this way and it’s ok for me to be mad at you”. 

- the clones were supposedly engineered to be “less aggressive” but i think there was literally nothing more to that than a cover story for the control chip. The clones wouldn’t be raised with a lot of the aggressive western concept of masculinity, where anger is the default reaction to like, everything, and your personal pride is extremely important and also fragile (no offense lmao). So you wouldn’t have clones posturing and getting angry over perceived slights and fighting each other all the time, like everyone in-universe apparently expects to be the case. Anyway, why would you want your soldiers to be less aggressive? they’re literally supposed to fight and kill the enemy. You want them fully capable of getting angry, anger is the human response to fear and danger that lets us DO something about it. 

-obviously the biggest component in how they behave would be how they are raised, but that’s an entirely different post

-Specializations! I imagine that initially, the Kaminoans had different clones with different traits engineered specifically to fill certain roles. However, as the war went on, they struggled to keep up with demand and had to start shoving clones into whatever roles were needed (hence Fives and Echo becoming ARCs, despite not being engineered as ARC troopers). 

-Command clones would have better abilities in the executive function parts of the brain that deal with extrapolation, planning ahead, spatial reasoning, etc. They’d also have increased visual pattern recognition (like a pigeon)

-search-and-rescue troops would also have the pigeon pattern recognition abilities. The coast guard literally strapped pigeons to helicopters who would tap a button when they saw orange in the water, because they were better at spotting it than humans. Pigeons can detect cancer in microscope images of cells, because they’re that good at pattern recognition

-Pilots would have hella reflexes, excellent spatial awareness and spatial reasoning skills, much greater ability to process visual information, stronger hearts and blood vessels (to resist greater Gs of force), and they’d also be much shorter, to better fit into a cockpit. Which reminds me of Axe, that poor bastard from Ahsoka’s squadron over Ryloth who was almost eight feet tall. rip poor Axe, how did you even become a pilot, you long bastard.

-medics who can smell certain diseases. If you want to get a little bit out there, make the medics able to purr so they can sooth stressed-out patients. 

-infantry would have even greater endurance than everyone else, as well as greater tolerance for, and ability to, remain constantly on alert.

-ability to fall asleep at will? that would be super dope.

-maybe more efficient sleep, so to an adult clone, 4 hours of sleep is genuinely sufficient.

-concept: clones can sort of turn down their bodily functions- slow their digestion, heart, lungs, the whole nine yards- to last longer in adverse conditions. Sort of a half-hibernation (or quarter hibernation- they’d still be able to talk and think, but they’d feel very lethargic). They wouldn’t be able to function very well, but it would be great for things like enduring intense cold, periods without food, low-oxygen environments, and it would be especially useful if you were wounded and waiting for help, since you could slow your circulation, meaning it would take you a lot longer to bleed out. This state could be triggered by a combination of physical actions such as sitting or lying still, breathing slowly and deeply, and focusing on slowing the heart down (humans can actually slow down their hearts consciously if you practice at it, this is basically that, but turned up to like 1100).

-one thing that never made sense to me was the whole “we’re running out of jango fett’s DNA, all the new clones won’t be as good, and we have to stop ventress from stealing the original DNA” because like, can’t they just, get the EXACT SAME DNA from the clones?? you know, the exact genetic copies? With all the enhancements already done? But now my idea is that the kaminoans have engineered the clones so their DNA straight up can’t be copied. The clone’s own body can obviously replicate it, but if you take a sample and try to extract the DNA, it just self-destructs or something. This is to protect their intellectual property, but also means that they literally have to use a couple of Jango Fett’s actual human cells for every single clone they make (and the fact that they then have to do all the above enhancements to every single embryo helps explain why there’s so many small mutations, such as hair color and height). So they kinda shot themselves in the foot with that one. 

-of course since things like ADHD and autism have a strong genetic component, the kaminoans could theoretically engineer those out of the clones, but actually FUCK THAT so for whatever reason, that’s just not something they are able to do, and neurodivergent clones are absolutely a thing

#maulusque's stuff #meta #clones

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Misread Details, Part One

CW: Death talk, BBU, dehumanizing language about Box Boys

A Box Boy Serial Killer On the Loose? Part 1 of 3

r/LetsTalkTrueCrime

•Posted by u/oshaycanyousee 1 month ago

Hello, r/LetsTalkTrueCrime! 

I’ve posted this write-up in a couple other reddits, but someone pointed me to this one as being a good place for discussion, and this is a really weird set of three unsolved murders (well, one death and two murders? Maybe?) and I wanted to see if any of you have some thoughts or maybe more info on these cases.

Three men died within two years in three different cities. 

While each death is unique, all of them have one thing in common - fingerprints and DNA from a single human pet was found in every single location. 

Let’s start with the first death.

Nathaniel Matthew Benson, who went by “Nanda” (a childhood nickname given to him by a younger brother who couldn’t pronounce his full name as a toddler, apparently), was forty-one years old at the time of his death. 

He was born and raised in North Dakota by very strict religious parents, and had three younger brothers and one younger sister. There is some disagreement here about whether his home life was peaceful or not. His younger sister claims that the environment at home was strict but fair, and the family was mostly happy. Two of his three younger brothers tell a different story, about a father who put too much on their shoulders, especially “Nanda” as the eldest, and the pressure they felt to be perfect.

His other brother, the youngest of the family, has never given a public interview beyond a short statement that he and Nanda were not close, and he did not feel able to speak about his character. There were nearly fifteen years between the oldest and youngest childrens’ births, and Nathaniel had moved out of the house by the time the youngest was four years old, so this makes sense.

By all accounts, Nathaniel was an excellent student, getting all A’s throughout his years of education. He was considered quiet and shy, and most of his high school classmates don’t have many standout memories of him. He graduated valedictorian of his high school class, then surprised everyone by stating he wouldn’t be attending college, and instead would be taking a “gap year” to travel the United States using money from his graduation party and also some he’d saved up from working part-time retail and restaurant jobs.

Between ages 18 and 19, he took his small secondhand four-door vehicle around the nation, calling home every week or so to give his family updates, sending postcards, etc. After about six months, though, the phone calls and postcards became fewer and fewer, and eventually he told everyone he had gotten a new job and decided to forgo college entirely.

His family was shocked - and by all accounts his father was furious - but Nathaniel refused to budge. 

There was apparently a very hostile phone conversation about one year after this decision which was the last time Nathaniel Benson spoke to his father directly until his death.

After this, his family received only sporadic communications sent from a P.O. Box located in central California, in a mid-sized city known as Dosaba. He never did give anyone an actual home address.

He occasionally called them, mostly his sister and one of his brothers, but surviving family states that the phone number he called from was different every single time, and usually didn’t have a California area code.

“He used burner phones for everything,” Nathaniel’s sister Samantha told WNDR, a local news station, shortly after his mysterious death. “And he would never tell us what job he did. We asked and asked and Nanda would just say ‘oh, this and that’, or ‘I do contractor work’. Just answers that don’t tell you anything. It was all very mysterious, very secretive. You know, we talked about how maybe he’d gotten into drugs or something, but my brother wasn’t a drug user, ever. It just seems so out of character for the brother I knew.”

“He was always reading his Bible when we knew him,” Younger brother Timothy stated. “But you know, I asked him once if he had found a home church wherever he was living, and he laughed and laughed. Then he just said, ‘they’d have a lot of opinions on how I live my life if I did that’, and changed the subject. So I knew whatever he was doing, it probably wasn’t good.”

There has been a lot of speculation by investigators that “Nanda” had indeed picked up employment within some kind of drug smuggling group at this time. Evidence found after his death has even opened the possibility that he worked as a high-end hitman.

There’s a lot of international travel during this time period, far more than can be accounted for unless travel was part of his workplace responsibilities. Employment records show him working as a sales manager for a company called Sunrise Investments, but this is believed by many to be a shell corporation hiding something much, much darker. 

However, all of this remains speculative, and there’s never been any proof that Nathaniel Benson did anything but the financial sales the company claims. No one ever did much work with him, and other employees at the company stated contact with him occurred entirely by phone and fax (and then e-mail) at this time. 

When investigators pored over the documents after getting a warrant, they weren’t able to find anything suspicious - and that in and of itself seems suspicious to some.

For years, Benson seemed to simply drop off the map entirely when it comes to local information - investigators did find that he owned a vintage Corvette that he fixed up himself (found via vehicle registry and taxes listings, which is public knowledge), and that about two years before his death he bought a large five-bedroom house with a basement in Dosaba, which he renovated in total secrecy. I was able to find records of him paying home taxes through his mortgage company, and that he spoke to local contractors and building companies, paying for consultations about the renovations he undertook. 

None of the companies he spoke to kept any kind of detailed notes about these consultations, but you’ll see why it’s relevant when I discuss what was found after his death.

Nathaniel Benson’s life came to an abrupt end on August 16th, 20XX, but nobody would find his body for more than two days. 

On August 18th, his cleaning lady arrived for her usual weekly visit to discover him crumpled at the foot of the stairs, face-up. She called 911 immediately and first responders arrived within twenty minutes to her white-faced and nearly silent. 

First responders noted that Nathaniel’s eyes were closed, unusual for a violent death. A wet cloth had been laid over them to help them stay that way. The medical examiner stated later that this would have to have been done within the first hour after he died, before rigor mortis could stiffen muscles and lead to them opening again. 

That whoever witnessed his death knew to do this is deeply unusual, and may be a sign of affection or grief. 

The autopsy found that Nathaniel had met his end approximately 36 hours before he was found, and had died due to an undiagnosed heart defect that had resulted in cardiac arrest. 

Sounds like any sudden death that can simply be written off as sad but natural, right? Well, there’s a few details that make things a little murkier than that, and have led to his death being listed as “undetermined” officially, and possibly including foul play.

For one thing, Nathaniel hadn’t simply collapsed next to the stairs - he had fallen, or been pushed, and showed evidence of bone fractures and head trauma consistent with the fall. A bit of blood was found on one step that came from his injuries. This head trauma would likely not have been fatal if he had received medical attention, but cardiac arrest ensured death even if head trauma didn’t. 

Did Nathaniel Benson suffer a heart attack and fall down the stairs, dying only when he reached the bottom? Maybe. 

Or maybe he really was pushed, the shock of it is the reason he went into cardiac arrest. 

There’s one more unusual fact that makes foul play a possibility in this mysterious death. 

Nathaniel Benson owned a legally purchased Box Boy, no known legal name, who went by his original purchase number: 334235. The Box Boy was a Romantic designation, and was purchased from Facility 001 in Berras, a city in Southern California, where the WRU headquarters is located.

WRU, when contacted by investigators, easily agreed to meet and provide detectives with information regarding the Box Boy’s purchase, as well as the DNA and fingerprint samples the company keeps on file. 

According to WRU’s internal records, this Boxie was not only a designated Romantic, but a specialty Romantic, trained for ‘masochism’. This tracks with multiple books on, shall we say, somewhat salacious interests that Benson had for his love life.

As Benson never seemed to date anyone or maintain a relationship, it’s theorized that the Boxie was his way of dealing with the stress of his work. WRU noted that Benson had contacted them after the purchase was complete to give his compliments on the Boxie’s training and note that he was ‘perfect’ and they ‘got along just fine’. 

The Box Boy’s fingerprints were found all over the house, which is totally normal. He was living there full-time, after all. But investigators also located something a bit more unusual: a secret room within the home that the cleaning lady had never seen before, hidden behind a carefully camouflaged door.

This is what Benson had been working on when he ‘renovated’ his newly purchased home: He built a secret dungeon room with stone walls and a concrete floor, outfitted with a dip and a “drain”, plus a garden hose hooked up on one wall. 

The room also had rows upon rows of cabinets full of various tools consistent with a ‘hard BDSM lifestyle’, according to one detective. I wasn’t able to get ahold of the actual list of items found, but was able to determine that whips, knives, ‘unspecified implements purchased from adult stores’, and other things were found.

Tests done on the walls and floor showed that blood had been spilled nearly everywhere in the room at one time or another, and large amounts of it. There was also evidence of blood found in Nathaniel Benson’s bedroom, primarily on the floor and in the bed. A small faded stain was found on the headboard just below a set of cuffs hooked into it.

A few small dried bloodstains were also found around the master bathroom sink, and investigators were able to determine the blood matched the DNA of the Box Boy, and was left there much more recently than the rest of the blood in the house, possibly even on the day of Benson’s death. 

Here’s the thing, though: the Box Boy himself was nowhere to be found. 

Was this Box Boy tired of being used as a human pincushion? Did he take matters into his own hands and commit the ultimate crime a pet can do, killing his owner? If he did, he no doubt knew what happens to pets who kill their owners, usually either being ‘put down’ or wiped clean to be resold.

Is our Boxie a killer right from the start? Or was he only a witness to a natural death who panicked and ran away?

Without locating the Boxie himself, it’s impossible to know.

The cleaning lady remembered him, and gave a description: Somewhere between 5’8” and 5’11”, wiry but with some muscle, usually dressed in just a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt when she was in the house. He has short dark hair, brown eyes, and an angular face. She mentioned visible scars on his arms, but none on his face. She was told to call him only “pet” if she needed to speak to him. She stated his voice was slightly hoarse and rough, as if he had a sore throat all the time. 

They had only one significant interaction, where the cleaning lady inquired about a large bruise on the Boxie’s face and bandages on his arms. He apparently told her, at the time, that he ‘liked the reminer’, but thanked her for asking after his health. They never spoke directly again. 

The detail about his face being unscarred will become incredibly relevant in parts 2 and 3.

Neighbors, when asked, mentioned that they had seen someone matching that description walking away from the house somewhere around 4 and 5 pm on August 16th. The medical examiner believes Benson died around noon, so this leaves about four or five hours between the death and the Boxie leaving.

He appeared to be walking very quickly and one neighbor noticed he was holding what looked like crumpled cash in one hand and a plastic shopping bag in another.

He was spotted waiting at a nearby bus stop, and footage from a camera mounted inside the bus shows someone matching the Box Boy’s description riding the bus all the way into Dosaba’s historic, artsy downtown. There, he was again captured on CCTV purchasing a one-way train ticket with cash. The train station employee who sold him the ticket remembers offering him a round-trip ticket for a discount, which she always did anyone who asked for a ticket to another city, only to have him “nervously” say he wouldn’t need to come back. She mentioned that he scratched at the side of his neck, and that when he walked away, he looked like his shoes were a little too big for his feet.

It is believed, as Nathaniel Benson was found barefoot but wearing clothing that suggested he had been outside doing yard work just before his death, that the Box Boy stole his shoes.

The fleeing Box Boy is captured one more time on camera as he arrived at his destination, Red Hills, approximately a two-hour train ride to the south. He walks past the CCTV quickly, hunched over as if trying to hide his face.

After that, he disappears.

Red Hills is a significantly larger city than Dosaba, with nearly a million residents within city limits and another 600,000 filling its suburbs and outer neighborhoods. Red Hills is a city that has seen better days, and it would be easy for a runaway Box Boy to simply fade away into its seedier districts. While Red Hills has had more than a dozen runaway Boxies picked up over the years, mostly Romantics who engaged in prostitution to make ends meet, it’s not believed that Benson’s Box Boy knew this when he chose the location.

As Romantic Boxies usually can’t read, it’s believed he simply chose a location he’d overheard someone else say, knowing nothing about what he would find when he got there.

Two days after his death, Nathaniel Benson’s debit and credit cards, Driver’s License, and a folded-up note he had written to himself about buying toothpaste were found in a plastic shopping bag tied-off at the top, were found inside the bus the Boxie had ridden, stuffed between the edge of a seat and the wall. The Boxie’s fingerprints were on everything.

But the Boxie himself wouldn’t be seen again until more than a year later.

Nathaniel “Nanda” Benson’s death for a time remained a one-off unsolved mystery. A little on the unusual side, but entirely possible that no foul play occurred, just some details that need filling in.

The shocking murder of a Red Hills man known locally as “Brute” would bring this Box Boy back into law enforcement’s line of sight, and open up questions about whether the Box Boy had simply been running away from Nathaniel Benson’s death… or leaving to find a new victim.

I’ll post Part 2, about “Brute”, shortly! Then Part 3 will be about a third murder, in which our potential Box Boy serial killer takes out… another serial killer. 

I told you this one gets interesting.

-

@astrobly @finder-of-rings @burtlederp @whump-tr0pes @raigash @orchidscript @doveotions @pretty-face-breaker @eatyourdamnpears @boxboysandotherwhump @whumptywhumpdump @whumpfigure @outofangband @thehopelessopus @downriver914 @justabitofwhump @butwhatifyouwrite @newandfiguringitout @yet-another-heathen @nonsensical-whump @endless-whump @gonna-feel-that-tomorrow @oops-its-whump @cubeswhump @whumpiary

#whump #jameson bb #epistolary #epistolary fiction #original fiction #murder tw #sorta #maybe #whumper death #escaped whumpee #runaway whumpee #bbu #box boy #box boy universe #pet whump #dehumanization tw #jameson's masochism #a brief mention but still #bruises tw #blood tw #horror fiction #crime fiction

[khizuo]

just for clarification, on this blog when I criticize c!techno I’m not criticizing anarchism as a political ideology. In fact, I even made a post which clarifies what anarchism is as compared to the aftermath of doomsday. I’m not going to pretend that I’m any expert on anarchist theory, because I’m not, and I’m 100% sure that cc!techno knows more about anarchism than I do because he did mention he read up on it. but anarchism is a completely valid political ideology and I’m really interested in learning more about it. I am not anti-anarchism in any way.

when I say I wish c!techno faced some narrative consequence, I’m saying I wish he faces some narrative consequence for taking canon lives and destroying some houses and books (however justified he is — because he’s not the only character who has done hurtful things for justified reasons). I’m not saying that I hope he comes to realize anarchism is a bad ideology. 

I recognize that some anarchists believe that violent revolution is necessary to overthrow an oppressive state. (anarchists aren’t united on this front — there is debate between them which again, I’m not informed enough to comment on.) so techno’s violence could be seen as a representation of anarchist revolution by some.

however, violence doesn’t go unchallenged for other characters. establishing anarchism is one reason to employ violence — just as wanting to keep a nation safe (quackity + the BA) or wanting to stand against Dream’s tyranny (tommy) or heck, even wanting absolute control over a server (dream) are reasons to employ violence. the difference simply happens to be that techno’s violence has gone unchallenged, whereas all of these characters have encountered some narrative consequences for their violence (and other shitty actions they’ve done).

and if you think that techno deserves fewer consequences because his reasons for violence are more ideologically ‘pure’ than everyone else on the server’s (disregarding the fact doomsday was as much about revenge as it was about anarchy), well, that is a valid opinion and I’m not going to argue that. for me, it simply feels unsatisfying to watch c!techno continually win unchallenged. I personally want to see how he would progress (and not in a “he suddenly thinks anarchism bad” way, because no) if he encounters some real resistance and pushback to his old actions or his mindset, like most other characters have faced. it’s not like quackity did a complete ideological 180 after he got beaten by techno’s pickaxe, for example.

but that is about what I want in a story, which is not what everyone wants in a story. some people feel like c!techno is a good representation of anarchism, and that’s cool! some people just like to see funny block man blow shit up, and I respect that! some people enjoy how techno’s character is currently being written, and that’s great! what I want to see in the dream smp storyline is not what everyone wants to see in the dream smp storyline, and I am 100% fine with that.

however, I just really hope my personal views on c!techno are not misconstrued as “I think anarchism is a bad political ideology”, because that’s not what I’m talking about at all. “I would like to see how c!techno would react to some true adversity” and “I think anarchism bad” are not the same, and I’m talking about the former, not the latter.

#mcyt #dream smp #c!technoblade critical #honestly maybe I shouldn't maintag this #hmmm #is this really analysis lmao #discourse tw #dsmp discourse

[the-hidden-writer]

And Into The Fire

Chapter 12: A Definitely-Not-Plan

Summary: Months after the Mitchells saved the world, Linda gets a phone call asking if she’s seen two defective Pal MAX bots. Powerful people are after Eric and Deborabot 5000, and it’s up to the Mitchells to protect them.

Taglist: @squidsushi , @astro-aye , @shitmyex, @sharks-are-friendly, @snakeguy99

Check reblogs for AO3 link!

A Definitely-Not-Plan

One of the worst parts of being a parent, Linda thought, was having to wake up your children when they were sound asleep with peace written all over their faces. As their original plan of spending the night at the campsite was discarded without warning, Aaron fell asleep very quickly into their high-speed journey to Silicon Valley. Even Rick (who had been adamant that he would stay awake) began to snore after an hour or so.

She hadn’t minded. She would much rather her boys be well-rested for whatever they were about to face.

While driving, it felt like the journey was taking forever. But now that they’d arrived it felt like it had taken no time at all. They weren’t too far from the massive Pal Labs facility that looked very menacing as it loomed in the near-distance.

They’d arrived at their destination. And she had no idea where to go from here. Unless they simply charged into the building…

Doing her best to brush all illegal-sounding thoughts from her mind, Linda continued to gently shove her son awake.

“Aaron, sweetie, we’re here.”

“Mmm not yet, Mom...”

She briefly considered leaving Aaron in the car to let him sleep. Which, although it may keep him safe, could also result in him being in a whole different danger that was out of their control. She’d rather keep him close.

“Rise and shine, son.” Rick said, purposefully speaking in a louder tone which caused Aaron to wince and squeeze his eyelids shut tighter. “We need to rescue the bots.”

That caused Aaron to stir a little. “But it’s still dark.”

It was true, dawn was only just beginning to break and soon they would lose the cover of darkness. But at least there was a chance, as small as it may be, that fewer people would be there due to it being the middle of the night.

However, Linda doubted it. Especially if both of the bots were inside.

“So what’s the plan, Lin?” Rick asked her once Aaron began to sleepily climb out of the car.

Shoot. She’d promised to have thought up a plan by the time they’d arrived in exchange for letting her drive the car. And in her defence she had tried, but without knowing what the situation was going to be like she couldn’t think of anything apart from…

“We storm in there and demand that they give them back.”

The hesitance on Rick’s face was totally justified. “Uhh, are you sure? No offence but that sounds like a pretty dumb plan, dear.”

“Got any better ideas?” She quipped back. And although it sounded sarcastic, the question was completely genuine.

“Why don’t you just pay for the bots?” Aaron supplied, shutting the car door in a way that sounded far too loud for the serenity of the night around them. “Just buy them off Pal Labs then they’ll leave us alone.”

“Aar, that’s a great idea!” Rick exclaimed in a hushed voice. “We may be completely broke afterwards, but it is a good idea.”

“Yeah…”

Linda had to admit that the idea was smart and even had a better chance of working than her plan. But there was something about the notion of having to buy her sons back that didn’t sit well with her. To treat them as collectable items, as inhuman as they were, went against all of her instincts.

(Her… sons? The bots. Her boys. Her… sons.)

“Let’s keep that as a last resort.”

“Yeah, that’s a better idea.” Rick agreed. “I’d like to save my money if possible, 'specially since I’m not working at the moment.”

She smiled at her small victory. Now came the hard part. “So… shall we go?”

“What, we just drive right up to them and walk in?” Rick frowned. “We really don’t have a better plan?”

“We never have a plan.” Aaron added from below them. “But we always win in the end, don’t we?”

Linda bit back a comment about how last time was nothing but pure luck. She also admired her son’s optimism and tried to let some of it sink in to calm her own nerves.

“You’re right.” She said, bending down to kiss Aaron’s forehead. “We’ll get them back.”

Even if it meant having to tear the whole building to the ground.

~-.-~

“I don’t understand.” Muttered Katie. “So you were trying to decommission them?”

“That’s what I thought they were trying to do.” Mark replied. “That’s what I was trying to do, but apparently that wasn’t the plan. They want one disassembled and one online for some reason.”

With Agent Ward busy elsewhere and due to the lack of agents/employees at this time of night, nobody was able to supervise the two as they sat in the locked office. It gave them an ample opportunity to have a private chat.

And it also allowed Katie to gather as much information about what the hell was going on here.

“Right… but why?”

Mark shrugged. “Beats me. Unless they want to build their own robot army-”

He paused abruptly- a look of horror growing on his face.

“Oh my god they wanna build a robot army.”

Katie wasn’t even surprised. Of course that was what they were planning, what else could it be? The robots had already proved their worth at being able to take over the world, just imagine what they would be able to do if they were utilized by the government of any country, let alone the United States.

“...Are you sure you can put him back together?” She asked quietly.

Mark Bowman blinked. “What?”

“Eri- uh, that Pal MAX bot in the lab.”

He furrowed his brows. “I’m pretty sure. I specifically told them not to break anything when taking it apart, whether they listened or not is out of my hands.”

“Right.”

They fell into silence for a few moments. Mark was sitting in his wheelie chair while Katie sat on the computer desk at the side of the room. It was surprisingly comfortable.

It was Mark that was the first to speak up again.

“You called it Eric.”

Katie hung her head. It sounded a lot more like an accusation than a comment. “Yeah… I did.”

“Why?” Mark Bowman continued. “Because the Evil Warden can’t be right, you and your family aren’t actually-”

“Working with them?” Katie finished. “I mean yeah, if adopting them counts.”

She knew it was probably a bad idea to tell him the truth, but she really needed an ally in this place, and since Mark Bowman seemed to be a prisoner in his own facility he was the best (and only) person for the job.

It took a few seconds for the implications to sink in.

“...You what? Adopted them?”

“Yeah.” Said Katie nonchalantly. “They helped us save the world, actually. A dinosaur fell on them and they turned defective and told us how to stop Pal. We literally couldn't have done it without them.”

The expression on Mark Bowman’s face was priceless.

“It's a long story. And then when all the other robots switched off, they had nowhere to go so we took them in.”

Mark looked stunned. “So you use them like normal? Get them to cook and clean and stuff?”

“God, no!” Katie cried. “They’re a part of the family! They’re practically children and they have their own personalities and everything. They gave themselves the names ‘Eric’ and ‘Deborahbot 5000’.”

“...And ‘Eric’ is chopped up on a table in Lab 5.”

Katie sighed, the memory of what she’d seen flashing through her mind. “Yeah. That’s it.”

“Well that makes a lot more sense.” Said Mark. “I still think turning them off is the best option though. They may seem nice, but they’re dangerous-”

“No they’re not! They’re absolutely harmless! Deborahbot practically started crying when he stood on a beetle by accident!”

Mark scoffed, but at least he didn’t argue.

“We all love them.” She added. “We just want them back. And I’m pretty sure the whole world is safer if they’re with my family instead of the CIA.”

Mark seemed to contemplate this for a few moments. “I mean…”

All of a sudden, the computer behind Katie began to flash red, causing her to jump straight off and Mark to leap onto his feet.

“What’s that?!” Questioned Katie, pointing at the screen that was flashing the words: CODE #15.

“That’s the alarm.” Said Mark worriedly, rushing to the computer. “Someone’s broken in.”

Comments make my day! :)

#the mitchells vs the machines #tmvtm #fic #fanfic #linda mitchell #aaron mitchell #rick mitchell #katie mitchell #mark bowman #eric and deborahbot5000 #eric and deborahbot #and into the fire