#2023/08/06

[georgenotfound-archive]

George tweet at Shadoune 2023/08/06

[mutumi-saito]

untitled / 2023

某SNSで出会い系のコミュニティーがあって参加してみた。ほぼほぼ出会い系マッチングアプリの誘導への入り口で女性の投稿は美人かそれなりの美女が殆どで、ありえないというか少し考えて俯瞰的に物事を見てみたらおかしいと思える。一昔前まではネットか何処からか手に入れた女性の画像を使っていただろうが、自分が見た限りではAIによって生成された美女の写真が並んでるだけのように見えた。リスキーな行為である自分の写真まで晒して募集をかけているのは男性が圧倒的に多く、失礼ながら女性に縁のない人たちの集まりに見えた。自分も女は好きではあるが此の状況は孤独な男の悲しい性に思えた。

[hyeahgaku]

Suzuki-sensei’s comment this week (2023/08/06)

[dailysudeikis]

Jason Sudeikis at the Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty game August 06, 2023.

[vhscorp]

Je ne connais pas l’avenir, mais si je dois partir demain, j’emporterai tous tes sourires pour m’éclairer sur le chemin…

V. H. SCORP

[merpmonde]

Strasbourg's tramway's 30th anniversary!

On this day in 1994, Strasbourg inaugurated - or rather, resurrected - its tramway network. Like many cities in France, Strasbourg had a streetcar system until the late 1950s, when it was decided that cars would take over. 30 years of worsening congestion and pollution later, the town chose a tramway, which had made a successful return in the mid 1980s in Nantes and Grenoble, over an automatic metro to revitalise its transit service.

Unlike Nantes and Grenoble, Strasbourg looked to foreign streetcar manufacturers Socimi and ABB, who designed a fully low-floor tram with generous windows. The Eurotram was at first a 33-metre vehicle (original form seen above), which quickly proved insufficient. A lengthened version, with an extra motor module and carriage, appeared in the following years.

Personally, I quite like this tram for the massive windows, the very mechanical sounds as it runs, and the fact that the warning bell is a real bell (later models have an electronic bell which... just sounds worse). A downside I have noticed, though not for me specifically, is that it has a low ceiling.

After losing out in the 90s, national constructor Alstom won the next round of contracts for Strasbourg's trams in the 2000s. The Citadis model, fully low-floor and taller than the Eurotrams, entered service in 2005. More Citadis trams arrived in 2016, with a new design that I really like, and with special adaptations to allow it to run in Germany, as the network crossed the border to Kehl in 2017, a first for a French tram operator.

Today, the network consists of 6 lines, crisscrossing the city centre and heading out into the suburbs. A 7th line is in the planning stages, due to head North towards Bischheim and Schiltigheim. Despite refurbishment, the Eurotrams won't be around forever, and new trams are on order - more from Alstom.

[nicoscheer]

[biggsodorcitystories]

Happy Percy & Duck Day!

06/08/2023

Percy x Duck is one of my favourite one-sided ships. I see it as a kid having a crush on his babysitter or the teen next door scenario. But it's a very fluffy ship nonetheless.

(This is usually the part just before Percy wakes up!)

[uni-versosenpapel]

Si solo la distancia no fuera una variable complicada, nuestra ecuación ya se habría resuelto.

-Hydra

[alwaysgo]

[mutumi-saito]

untitled / 2023

今日から八尾へ。

[fluxrspar]

Selena in Fódlan

source: shadoll

GENDER. Transgender Female (she/her)

AGE. 23

HEIGHT. 5’11” (179 cm)

BIRTHDATE. 13th of the Ethereal Moon (December 13th)

CREST/HOLY BLOOD. None 

CLASS. Magic Instructor

AFFILIATION. None. (She’s very unsure of herself at the moment.)

BIOGRAPHY. A mage knight who once served in the Imperial Army of Grado. She’s disciplined and believes in doing what is right, both for her own allies and for innocents on both sides. After falling in the War of the Stones, she miraculously awoke in Fódlan and chose to become a magic instructor as an inspiration to others. Worries that she is actually still dead.

PERSONAL HISTORY

779 - Born to a couple of common blood in the Empire of Grado.

798 - Joined the Imperial Army, later becoming the Fluorspar of the Imperial Three.

803 - The War of the Stones begins, and she falls in battle to Ephraim’s army.

804 - Awakens in Fódlan and, after some wandering, eventually arrives in the town of Garreg Mach and becomes a magic instructor at the Officers Academy.

INTERESTS. Protecting the innocent, helping others, having purpose in her life LIKES. Emperor Vigarde (before the war), teaching, magic, devoting herself to her work, being thought of, spicy foods DISLIKES. Unnecessary violence, having nothing to do, feelings of helplessness, talking about her past, sour flavors STATUS. Magic Instructor CLOSE ALLIES: N/A

DINING HALL PREFERENCES

LIKES. Saghert and Cream, Vegetable Pasta Salad, Spicy Fish and Pasta Stew, Sweet and Salty Whitefish Sauté, Sweet Bun Trio, Super Spicy Fish Dango, Peach Sorbet, Sautéed Pheasant and Eggs DISLIKES. Cheesy Verona Stew, Fish Sandwich, Pickled Rabbit Skewers, Country-Style Red Turnip Plate, Pickled Seafood and Vegetables, Gautier Cheese Gratin, Cabbage and Herring Stew, Fried Crayfish

DINING HALL NOTES

DEFAULT.  ✧

“I’m always glad to be able to spend time with others. Let’s enjoy this meal, Professor.”

FAVORITE DISH.  ✧

“This actually happens to be one of my favorites. Thank you.”

LEAST FAVORITE DISH.  ✧

“Well, I suppose if you like it, I don’t really mind too much.”

WITH EPHRAIM.  ✧

“Funny, how we began as enemies on the battlefield, and now we are sharing a meal as allies.”

WITH LYON.  ✧

“Are you enjoying your food, Prince Lyon? I am not the one who prepared the dish, however…”

WITH VALTER.  ✧

“Let us put the past behind us.”

TEA TIME GUIDE

FAVORITE TEA. Sweet-Apple Blend, Albinean Berry Blend, Honeyed-Fruit Blend CONVERSATION TOPICS. A place you’d like to visit. A word of advice. Children at the market. Equipment upkeep. Exploring the Monastery. Fódlan’s future. I’m counting on you. Monastery security. Overcoming weaknesses. Someone you look up to. Thanks for everything. The view from the bridge. You’re doing great work. Favorite sweets. Books you’ve read recently. The library’s collection.

TEA TIME QUOTES

GREETING.  ✧

(1) “You called for me, Professor?” (2) “I can’t say I’ve been to too many tea parties, but I’ll try my best to be a good guest.” (3) “A little break now and again would do me well.”

FAVORITE TEA.  ✧

“Did you pick this for me?”

FIVE STAR TEA.  ✧

“Oh, you really shouldn’t have.”

BEING OBSERVED.  ✧

(1) “Oh– I…”  (2) “I am used to such staring, but so shamelessly…” (3) “I am not a vain person, but appearances can inspire confidence.”

QUIPS.  ✧

“Yes?” “I see.”  “I hadn’t expected that.” “You mean it?” “Indeed!” “(Soft laughter)”

ENDING.  ✧

“Thank you, Professor. It seems I really needed that. Shall we do this again sometime?”

FINAL COMMENTS.  ✧

(1) Life is full of hard choices, don’t you think? It isn’t always easy to find the best path forward. ANSWER: Nod, Chat (2) While I am used to being a leader from my time in the army, teaching is… new to me. ANSWER: Laugh, Agree (3) I swore to serve my emperor the same day he saved my life. Well, I formally swore years later, but my heart was moved on that day. ANSWER: Smile, Chat (4) The gazes of some men… disturb me. I refuse to approach them about it as they don’t deserve my attention like that, but I do wish it would stop. ANSWER: Nod, Agree (5) I’ve caught glimpses of a former coworker on Academy Grounds here and there. Although he wasn’t the greatest, the fact that he’s still here attests to something. Perhaps he’s changed… ANSWER: Agree, Sip Tea

MISCELLANEOUS DIALOGUE.

GIFT GUIDE

FAVORITE GIFTS. Tasty Baked Treat, Riding Boots, Monarch Studies Book, The History of Fódlan, Legends of Chivalry DISLIKED GIFTS. Hunting Dagger, Training Weights

GIFT QUOTES

DISLIKED GIFT.  ✧

“I’ll see if I can find a use for this.”

LIKED GIFT.  ✧

“Thank you. This is nice.”

FAVORITE GIFT.  ✧

“I am astonished you would go out of your way for me like this.”

LOST ITEMS

MISCELLANEOUS TOMES. A collection of magic tomes of varying types and power. Likely belongs to someone who is skilled with magic. Location found: Blue Lions Classroom. FLUORSPAR AMULET. A cut of the gemstone small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand, it is encased in silver with a loop to attach it to a belt or make it into a necklace. Likely belongs to someone with a meaningful connection to fluorspars. Location found: Library. OLD LETTER. An old letter discussing the sender and recipient’s shared home. Some of the letters have been traced to keep the ink fresh. Likely belongs to someone born in a frontier town. Location found: Faculty Dorms

LOST ITEM QUOTES 

OWNER.  ✧

“Oh, that happens to be mine if you don’t mind returning it.”

NOT OWNER.  ✧

“I’m afraid this doesn’t belong to me. Would like some help finding the owner?”

BATTLE QUOTES

MOCK BATTLE RETREAT.  ✧

“Seems my battle ends here…”

FIRST KILL.  ✧

“It had to be done.”

MONASTERY QUOTES

CHOIR PRACTICE.  ✧

(1) “You don’t really expect me to sing, do you?” (2) “I can try my best, but I will warn you. I’m not very skilled.”

COOKING.  ✧

(1) “Let’s do our best, Professor. Together.” (2) “I believe the next step is…” (3) “Just like that.”

TUTORING

INSTRUCT

BAD.  ✧

“Really? I can’t believe I messed that up.” Critique: I see. That does make sense. Console: Thank you, but I don’t need your consolation. I’d rather know what I did wrong.

GREAT.  ✧

“Thank you, Professor.” “That was nothing, really.”

PERFECT.  ✧

“They called me the Fluorspar for a reason.” PRAISE. “Oh, there’s no need for the flattery, Professor.”

TASKS

STABLE DUTY. ✧

“I’m quite used to working with horses. If you need help, I’m more than happy to assist you.”

WEEDING.  ✧

“If we work together, we should be done pretty soon.”

SKY WATCH.  ✧

“This height… is quite foreign to me.”

ANY TASK (W/ VALTER). ✧

“Let’s get this over with.”

CERTIFICATION EXAMS FAILED.  ✧

“Seems I wasn’t as prepared as I thought…”

PASSED.  ✧

“Always striving to be better.”

REASON.  ✧

“I’ve always enjoyed magic as method of asserting myself on the battlefield, no matter how far away I am from a foe. …I also value it as something you can be good at, even if you lack in physical strength. All of that to say I would like to learn reason again, and know the magic of Fódlan better.”

LANCE + RIDING.  ✧

“I must admit I have a fondness for horses. They’re loyal, dependable steeds, great for both utility and companionship. I’d like to reacquaint myself with them. For this purpose, I’ll also be studying the lance.”

AUTHORITY.  ✧

“There is much that goes into be a good leader. …I feel lacking in that regard, like I still have much to learn. I want to study authority, that I can better guide those under my protection.”

LEVEL UP

0 TO 1 STATS UP .  ✧

“This is what the Fluorspar has amounted to?”

2 TO 3 STATS UP .  ✧

“I aspire to do better.”

4-5 STATS UP .  ✧

“Steady progress, I suppose.”

6+ STATS UP .  ✧

“I have to keep going.”

UPON REACHING LEVEL 99 .  ✧

“Am I truly incapable of growing any further?”

BUDDING TALENT

“I suppose there truly is so much I don’t know yet.”

NEW SKILL

“This is more than I deserve…”

RECLASSING .  ✧

“I hope to learn something new from this.”

BATTLE QUOTES

WHEN SELECTED

FULL/HIGH HP .  ✧

“I am at your command.”

MEDIUM HP .  ✧

“A minor setback, really.”

LOW HP .  ✧

“Don’t worry about me.”

ENEMY DEALS 1 OR NO DAMAGE OR MISSES .  ✧

“Hmph.”

CRITICAL ATTACK .  ✧

“Settle this with steel!” “I will not fail again.” “Be gone with you!” “I am Selena Fluorspar!”

GAMBIT .  ✧

“Follow my lead!”

GAMBIT BOOST .  ✧

“My strength is yours!”

DEFEATED ENEMY .  ✧

“Let this be a lesson for the dead watching.” “I will not let harm befall the innocent.” “Madness though it may be.”

ALLY DEFEATS ENEMY .  ✧

“Good work.” “Excellent. Like that.” “I’m glad I can depend on you.”

ALLY HEALS/RALLIES .  ✧

“Thank you.” “You shouldn’t have.” “I will repay this deed.”

DEFEAT QUOTE

CASUAL .  ✧

“I must retreat. I can’t… go on like this.”

CLASSIC .  ✧

“So very tired…”

THE ADVICE BOX

“Back home, I had a liege who I could never dream to disobey, but one day, he suddenly changed. Still, I showed loyalty, even until I was told it wasn’t truly him. I had to fight some of my former allies, for whom I still had respect, as a result. Looking back, I’m uncertain if that was the right choice.” > You should’ve defected considering your lord didn’t trust you enough to be honest around you. Integrity is important, even for lords. (Correct Answer) > Your allies should’ve understood. A knight’s oath is not something to be taken lightly. If they were knights also, they should’ve sided with you. > You should’ve tried to get to bottom of things. Perhaps you didn’t know your liege as well as you thought? Or maybe what you heard was a lie, and whoever told you that was trying to undermine you and your lord.

[dailysudeikis]

Jason Sudeikis with his children, Otis and Daisy at the Barclays Center in NYC today - August 06, 2023.

[boreal-sea]

Look.

I have made you a chart. A very simple chart.

People say "You have to draw the line somewhere, and Biden has crossed it-" and my response is "Trump has crossed way more lines than Biden".

These categories are based off of actual policy enacted by both of these men while they were in office.

If the ONLY LINE YOU CARE ABOUT is line 12, you have an incredible amount of privilege, AND YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT PALESTINIANS. You obviously have nothing to fear from a Trump presidency, and you do not give a fuck if a ceasefire actually occurs. You are obviously fine if your queer, disabled, and marginalized loved ones are hurt. You clearly don't care about the status of American democracy, which Trump has openly stated he plans to destroy on day 1 he is in office.

EDIT:

Ok fine, I spent 3 hours compiling sources for all of these, you can find that below the cut.

I'll give at least one link per subject area. There are of course many more sources to be read on these subject areas and no post could possibly give someone a full education on these subjects.

Biden and trans rights: https://www.hrc.org/resources/president-bidens-pro-lgbtq-timeline

Trump and trans rights: https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/trump-on-lgbtq-rights-rolling-back-protections-and-criminalizing-gender-nonconformity

The two sources above show how Biden has done a lot of work to promote trans rights, and how Trump did a lot of work to hurt trans rights.

Biden on abortion access: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/08/politics/what-is-in-biden-abortion-executive-order/index.html

Trump on abortion access: https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-republican-presidential-election-2024-585faf025a1416d13d2fbc23da8d8637

Biden openly supports access to abortion and has taken steps to protect those rights at a federal level even after Roe v Wade was overturned. Trump, on the other hand, was the man who appointed the judges who helped overturn Roe v Wade and he openly brags about how proud he is of that decision. He also states that he believes individual states should have the final say in whether or not abortion is legal, and that he trusts them to "do the right thing", meaning he supports stronger abortion bans.

Biden on environmental reform: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/07/fact-sheet-president-biden-restores-protections-for-three-national-monuments-and-renews-american-leadership-to-steward-lands-waters-and-cultural-resources/

Trump on environmental reform: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html

Biden has made major steps forward for environmental reform. He has restored protections that Trump rolled back. He has enacted many executive orders and more to promote environmental protections, including rejoining the Paris Accords, which Trump withdrew the USA from. Trump is also well known for spreading conspiracy theories and lies about global climate change, calling it a "Chinese hoax".

Biden on healthcare and prescription reform: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/06/09/biden-administration-announces-savings-43-prescription-drugs-part-cost-saving-measures-president-bidens-inflation-reduction-act.html

Trump on healthcare reform: https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/07/politics/obamacare-health-insurance-ending-trump/index.html

I'm rolling healthcare and prescriptions and vaccines and public health all into one category here since they are related. Biden has lowered drug costs, expanded access to medicaid, and ACA enrollment has risen during his presidency. He has also made it so medical debt no longer applies to a person's credit score. He signed many executive orders during his first few weeks in office in order to get a handle on Trump's grievous mishandling of the COVID pandemic. Trump also wants to end the ACA. Trump is well known for refusing to wear a mask during the pandemic, encouraging the use of hydroxylchloroquine to "treat" COVID, and being openly anti-vaxx.

Biden on student loan forgiveness: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-additional-77-billion-approved-student-debt-relief-160000-borrowers

Trump on student loan forgiveness: https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2024/06/20/trump-knocks-bidens-vile-student-loan-forgiveness-plans-suggests-reversal/

Trump wants to reverse the student loan forgiveness plans Biden has enacted. Biden has already forgiven billions of dollars in loans and continues to work towards forgiving more.

Infrastructure funding:

I'm putting these links next together because they are all about infrastructure.

In general, Trump's "achievements" for infrastructure were to destroy environmental protections to speed up projects. Many of his plans were ineffective due to the fact that he did not clearly outline where the money was going to come from, and he was unwilling to raise taxes to pay for the projects. He was unable (and unwilling) to pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill during his 4 years in office. He did sign a few disaster relief bills. He did not enthusiastically promote renewable energy infrastructure. He created "Infrastructure Weeks" that the federal government then failed to fund. Trump did not do nothing for infrastructure, but his no-tax stance and his dislike for renewable energy means the contributions he made to American infrastructure were not as much as he claimed they were, nor as much as they could have been. Basically, he made a lot of promises, and delivered on very few of them. He is not "against" infrastructure, but he's certainly against funding it.

Biden was able to pass that bipartisan bill after taking office. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan that Trump tried to prevent from passing during Biden's term contains concrete funding sources and step by step plans to rebuild America's infrastructure. If you want to read the plan, you can find it here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/build/guidebook/. Biden has done far more for American infrastructure than Trump did, most notably by actually getting the bipartisan bill through congress.

Biden on Racial Equity: https://www.npr.org/sections/president-biden-takes-office/2021/01/26/960725707/biden-aims-to-advance-racial-equity-with-executive-actions

Trump on Racial Equity: https://www.axios.com/2024/04/01/trump-reverse-racism-civil-rights https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-37230916

Trump's racist policies are loud and clear for everyone to hear. We all heard him call Mexicans "Drug dealers, criminals, rapists". We all watched as he enacted travel bans on people from majority-Muslim nations. Biden, on the other hand, has done quite a lot during his term to attempt to reconcile racism in this country, including reversing Trump's "Muslim ban" the first day he was in office.

Biden on DEI: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/06/25/executive-order-on-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-accessibility-in-the-federal-workforce/

Trump on DEI: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-tried-to-crush-the-dei-revolution-heres-how-he-might-finish-the-job/ar-BB1jg3gz

Biden supports DEI and has signed executive orders and passed laws that support DEI on the federal level. Trump absolutely hates DEI and wants to eradicate it.

Biden on criminal justice reform: https://time.com/6155084/biden-criminal-justice-reform/

Trump on criminal justice reform: https://www.vox.com/2020-presidential-election/21418911/donald-trump-crime-criminal-justice-policy-record https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/05/trumps-extreme-plans-crime/678502/

From pardons for non-violent marijuana convictions to reducing the federal government's reliance on private prisons, Biden has done a lot in four years to reform our criminal justice system on the federal level. Meanwhile, Trump has described himself as "tough on crime". He advocates for more policing, including "stop and frisk" activities. Ironically it's actually quite difficult to find sources about what Trump thinks about crime, because almost all of the search results are about his own crimes.

Biden on military support for Israel: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/biden-obama-divide-closely-support-israel-rcna127107

Trump on military support for Israel: https://www.vox.com/politics/353037/trump-gaza-israel-protests-biden-election-2024

Biden supports Israel financially and militarily and promotes holding Israel close. So did Trump. Trump was also very pro-Israel during his time in office and even moved the embassy to Jerusalem and declared Jerusalem the capitol of Israel, a move that inflamed attitudes in the region.

Biden on a ceasefire: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2024/06/05/gaza-israel-hamas-cease-fire-plan-biden/73967659007/

Trump on a ceasefire: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-israel-gaza-finish-problem-rcna141905

Trump has tried to be quiet on the issue but recently said he wants Israel to "finish the problem". He of course claims he could have prevented the whole problem. Trump also openly stated after Oct 7th that he would bar immigrants who support Hamas from the country and send in officers to American protests to arrest anyone supporting Hamas.

Biden meanwhile has been quietly urging Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire deal for months, including the most recent announcement earlier in June, though it seems as though that deal has finally fallen through as well.

[merpmonde]

Kanazawa-Tsuruga Shinkansen extension open!

Since yesterday, these beauties (seen at Takasaki on the same trip I had that "race" into Omiya) have another 120 km of track to play on, as the Hokuriku Shinkansen extends further West along the coast of the Sea of Japan into Fukui Prefecture.

Of course, the best news here is that travel times between Kanazawa and Tsuruga are slashed - let me rephrase: halved - compared to the previous fastest express services. The dream of completing the route to Kyoto and Osaka is in reach, and if you add the Maglev line, there could, in the long-term future, be three full high-speed Tokyo-Osaka lines: the historic South coast route, the scenic North coast route and the ultra-fast route straight through the middle.

But there are other consequences. As has become the standard along the Hokuriku route, the old line has immediately been sold off to a "third sector" company - largely run and subsidised by local authorities for as long as they're happy to keep the line open. Only all-stop trains are operated by these third sector companies, so there are only two options: very slow local trains, or very fast, but all the more expensive, high-speed trains. No rapids, no expresses.

The express trains which used to go to Kanazawa now all terminate early at Tsuruga, including the Thunderbirds - of course, technologically advanced Japan has more than the five Thunderbirds Gerry Anderson could muster! This display board seen in 2016 is not likely to be seen again. And if the route to Kyoto is completed, will the name disappear altogether, or continue as an omnibus Shinkansen service to Toyama? Maybe resurrect the original name Raichô (yes, similar to the Pokémon)?

Train geek notes aside, the future's hopefully bright for the region this new stretch of line serves, which was hit hard by the New Year Earthquake.

北陸新幹線おめでとうございます!

[nicoscheer]

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