#And I am not a law/medical expert

[zvaigzdelasas]

Cuban Pedro Rafael Delgado, a 56-year-old accountant, saw his life change dramatically just days after Cuba approved a set of laws by referendum in September that allow gay marriage.

For more than a decade, Delgado, who works at a Communist Party office, lived as "friends" with his 62-year-old partner, Adolfo Lopez. He lacked basic rights and felt shunned even by his own family because of his sexual preference. "Being gay was the embarrassment of the family and I always lived with that," he told Reuters. Cuba's family code, a set of measures and regulations that establishes the rights of all Cubans, regardless of sexual orientation, to marry and adopt children, changed everything, Delgado says.

But activists and experts consulted by Reuters say the sweeping, government-led campaign to promote the law did more to moderate entrenched homophobia and machismo than the fine print of the code itself - which governs the totality of family relations and not just issues related to sexual orientation.

"There is no doubt that it represents a change...not just legislative, but also in mindset," said Adiel Gonzalez, a 32-year-old activist and professor.

"Some say that (change) is solely due to the code, but that is false," said Gonzalez, adding that changes in attitude existed before, but the discussion around the law helped people to accept other sexual orientations.[!]

For months ahead of the referendum, the government flooded Cuba's TV, radio and newspapers, which it controls, to promote the law. The government also put up billboards on national roadways and held parades, while Communist Party leaders, including President Miguel Diaz-Canel, repeatedly touted the measure.

That one-sided media push did not sit well with everyone. Cuba's Catholic Church, in a missive just before the referendum, said the state's overwhelming support and control of the media had stifled voices of opposition.

The government said at least half [!] of the island's 11 million residents participated in town-hall style meetings prior to the vote aimed at discussing and refining the measure.

Cuba registered 75 same-sex marriages in October, according to state newspaper Trabajadores. That is more than 2% of the total 3,300 marriages reported for the month, the data shows.[...]

However, same-sex households in the United States account for 1.5% of homes occupied by couples of any sex, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. [...]

Cuban transgender medical student Ariana Mederos, of Matanzas, recalls two years earlier explaining to her university rector that "he" was now a "she."

At the time, she was unprotected by the recently approved Family Code.

"I cried. I thought I was going to give up my career," she told Reuters, recalling the day. "But just as I thought it was over, he told me, 'We are going to support you throughout your transition and you will have all our support, including that of your professors.'"

Mederos says she too believes attitudes shifted in Cuba with the discussion ahead of the referendum.

"Cuba is changing and I am proof of that," she says. "I've seen positive changes but there is still much to fight for."

14 Nov 22

[mschievousx]

now and then | b.b.

pairing: benedict bridgerton x ofc

summary: loraine silva always knew she was not normal. she loves unusual things. she love her father's guns, horses, boxing, climbing a tree, falling from a tree, engineering, astronomy... oh, and a man eleven years older.

series masterlist

iv. four: you were right for me

"why would you need to go? the hawkins balloon will be tomorrow."

loraine silva finds herself at her father's study, planting her head on her hands above his table in an attempt to act endearing enough and change his mind.

she pouted, whining to him, "i am not interested with the gas laws related to balloons. i have read them enough."

"what is in this scientific convention then?" armand placed his pen down and removed his glasses, fully putting his attention to his daughter.

"chemistry and medicine!" she exclaimed with exciteness in her voice.

"hm? i thought you like engineering."

"i do, but it's not everyday you can practice chemistry and medicine." she argues. although the girl loves engineering above both subjects, the opportunity to witness these two does not come as often, "aside from the difficulty of obtaining chemicals, it also must be supervised closely."

he narrowed his eyes at her, crossing his arms strictly, "you're not helping your case. that means it would be dangerous."

raine pouted at him, her chances of attending continues to decline, "they are professionals and experts, likely recognised by the queen to be able to conduct such a grand expo."

"you have not been doing much of the work of a viscountess." he sternly added.

"papa, it is my very first season." she stood up, rounding the table to her father's side, clasping both hands as if on a prayer, "please? i will surely attend to everything after the season."

her father made no attempt to move or acknowledge whatever she said, forcing her to make more points for consideration.

"it is perhaps a part of being a viscountess. my presence in academic events will highlight our activeness in such field." still with no budge, she sighed heavily before another point entered her mind.

"it's like a ball. a lot of gentlemen will be there, and who knows? perhaps, i will meet a charming one who shares my interests." she reasoned with a dearly smile.

armand growled at the mention of charming boys. he really doubts there is anyone as such these days, "and what of the bridgerton boy?"

"i jest—it is still benedict. however," she moved to unlock his crossed arms and grasped his hands together in hers, which she cannot envelop seeing as her hands are quite smaller in comparison, and gave out a longing smile, "i could use another friend, can't i?"

━━━ ✦ ❘ ☽ 【❖】 ☾ ❘ ✦ ━━━

it is safe to say that the young silva has her father wrapped around her thumb. with warm smiles here and there, she now arrives at the medical convention with unmeasurable elation.

stepping in, she did not know where to look at all. everywhere she turns, she could spend an hour looking at a single specimen—minus the bones. she does not like them at all. but, she knew they're still a sight to see, so she has decided to start with them before she spends most of her time to other subjects.

she walked and walked, simply passing the specimen with a lot of audience like the humerus, the pelvic bone, and the thoracic cavity.

raine would have really loved to observe the thoracic cavity but she thought against it. being in close proximity with a lot of people is not something she enjoys.

upon more walking, a lone skull has managed to grab her attention. she neared to look at it closely. it's crazy, isn't it? to refer to this skull as it when it once housed a brain of a moving, feeling person—one that was referred as he or she.

"the human skull is made up of twenty-two bones, accounting for ten percent of all our bones." an unfamiliar voice joined her side.

she stood up straight from her peering, adding to what the man said, "eight cranial, fourteen facial."

"a fan of the skull?"

raine turned to him at that question. she fought all her facial muscles that was aching to grimace. on another note, the man is quite handsome. of distinguished upbringing too, it seems.

she puffed out lightly as she turned back to the skull, "i dislike bones."

he chuckled at her strong statement, quite ironic that he finds her curiously looking at one, "what are you here for?"

"muscles, cardio, and neuro." she answered, walking away towards other specimen this time.

"ah, interesting choice of subjects. although, i must say, bones are as important." the man followed closely, which she did not mind but she would have loved to look around with none bothering her.

she let out a sarcastic chuckle, looking around as if disregarding his person, "i did not say otherwise."

"you dislike it."

the young lady turned to him with a crossed brows, "i do not have to like it for it to be as significant."

"you are shrugging at its importance." he stubbornly argued.

raine fired back, "i am shrugging at you."

"with the use of your scapula, which are in fact bones." he held up his right index finger, as if to highlight a point—a point she chose not to take.

"with the use of my muscles who initiate the movement sent by motor neurons." she completely turned to him, her voice quite increasing in volume.

his mouth is slightly ajar as raine waited for his retort. he settled with an astonished smile, offering a hand forward, "astley cooper, lady silva."

she let out a small scoff, her annoyance being covered by the very familiar name, "ah, and another day i do not get to introduce myself."

"you must understand. your family is celebrated," they continued to converse in a calmer manner, both accepting the arguments of each other, "and you cause an uproar everywhere you go."

the young silva lightly laughed at the mention of her antics, stopping in front of the humerus that was crowded earlier, "i like to leave my mark."

"i do not doubt it." mr. cooper affirmed.

"you are the son of sir cooper?" she inquired with indifference.

"i am." he shows no sign of surprise that the lady knows of the name. if she is indeed an academic, his father's name is always mentioned on the textbooks.

she simply hummed at that, proceeding to walk to another specimen, "well, this is your forte after all."

"conceding so easily, lady silva?" astley retorted with a hint of smugness. she turned to him, voice laced with friendly annoyance.

"i doubt you would argue with me about guns, would you?"

he laughed at her point as he replied, "never."

and for the first time of the day, she was reminded; she would have loved for him to be the one with her right now. granted, he does not know a lot about these, and granted, she prefers to look around in solitude in these events, but she would have seriously loved his presence. to him, she would never say never."

noticing her zoning out, the man coughed lightly and asked, "what part of the body do you most like?"

she turned to him, completely caught, "oh, hands."

"you surprise me. i thought you would be a lover of eyes. why the hands?"

she smiled at that, raising her hand from the arm near him, as if showing it to him, "they are fascinating; their ability to grip things."

she would have loved to mention the real reason. they can hold on to things. they can let things go. raine thought it too poetic for an academe like him to understand.

"incredible. i'm afraid mine is not as well-thought as yours."

she returned the question, certainly feeling the man's own urge to share his, "what's yours?"

"a femur. it's the hardest bone."

raine did not think twice to laugh. he was being honest after all. it was indeed not as well-thought.

they reach a hall where a live amputation is going on. most audiences were of the academy, she can tell. the daily man would have no appetite for such thing that these young men were watching closely.

she whispered to astley in a hushed voice, "how do you convince them to do it live?"

"he is from our school. he understands the importance of live discussions. sadly, he met an unfortunate accident, and here we are."

raine nodded in understanding, eyes watching the procedure attentively. it is quite harsh to look at, of course. after all, it is an amputation.

after the left mid-forearm was severed, the use of burnt wool was executed. the man has been administered with a bit of anaesthetic, but only enough for until the severing is done. a higher dose than that would prove to be risky for the patient. and so, the application of burnt wool can be felt by the man, gradually increasing in intensity.

as the procedure is ongoing, the surgeon performing it offered information and explanations here and there. the ligature, she could understand, but surely there's an alternative for burnt wool that is less painful.

"how about hydrogen peroxide, sir?" she offered, the surgeon and the students turning to her.

"what do you mean?" he asked, returning to his patient and continuing post-operative care.

"it may be able stop the bleeding more effectively than a burnt wool, which can cause more damage."

the surgeon chuckled, finding the fault on her argument, "it causes irritation to skin, actually the harmful one."

raine stepped forward, laying her case more directly, "yes, but in the right concentration, it has oxidative properties and is a reactive oxygen species. by this, it can cause vasoconstriction upon the dysfunction of the endothelial cells."

the surgeon turned to her, now understanding her train of thought, "it can close the source of the bleeding, achieving hemostasis."

"impressive. we will study such activity of the said chemical, lady?" he inquired, genuinely amazed by her case and how she has thought of it.

raine smiled inwardly, letting out the most prideful smirk she could muster, "silva. viscountess silva."

━━━ ✦ ❘ ☽ 【❖】 ☾ ❘ ✦ ━━━

just as the clock hits ten before two in the afternoon, the young lady has decided she's satisfied enough of the things she were able to witness and learn. that and the fact that her stomach is now growling.

as she stepped out of the building that housed the convention, she's met with a familiar back of a person across the street.

"ben!" she called, waving overly that some people have spared her a look. the said man turned to her and immediately placed a hand on his forehead at her loudness.

she eagerly crossed the street to him, bridgerton inquiring with a confused face, "what are you doing here?"

upon reaching him, she hugged his right arm with pure excitement as they continue to walk forwards. he could do nothing but let her, "there's a medical convention near. it was awesome!"

"really? i did not know." he feigned ignorance at that, the girl not minding anything as she was overcame with exhilaration.

"you're not an avid follower. that's alright. anyways—"

she proceeded to tell him what happened to her day, from the part she was begging her father to let her go until before the amputation. she also highlighted the specimen she has seen, throwing information about them with elation. she was about to continue when benedict interposed.

"i would have went with you, you know." he said before setting his eyes back on where the pair is walking towards, now with a smaller voice, "if you just asked."

she heard it. of course, she heard it. he could whisper meters away and she would certainly hear it with ease. and, no matter how high up on cloud nine she was, she had no problem jumping off it just to hear him.

raine giggled at his offer, "it's not fun for you. you would find the contents of it boring."

"i would not," he replied at once, seeming as if he does not even need to think twice of the reason, "you were there."

she stopped walking instantly, pulling benedict back by the act without warning. he turned to her for the second time today and all he can see is her widest grin. she was not doing anything but grin, which is what making him so confused as of the moment.

and, just as raine was utterly clueless of what her words were doing to him, he was just as clueless of his words to her.

with confusion, he raised a brow at her, "what? did you have lunch?"

she simply nodded her head sidewards, grin still present, "i have not."

he nudged her as they begin walking again, "what say you for a late lunch together?"

her answer was apparent, "yes!"

they entered an eating house nearby, raine continuing her stories of the day as the food is served.

in the middle of eating, she asked out of the blue, "what part of the body do you most like, ben?"

"mine? let me think," he settled both his hands on the table, looking afar in thinking.

"hands," he replied, placing the fork on the dish to steady it as he slice, "you can tell a lot from a person's hands—the softness, the roughness, its shaking..."

raine smiled serenely at that. he would never fail to do poetic justice to the mere existence of things. and, perhaps, she should have really asked him to go with her earlier, so that the contents of the convention would feel alive once more by his words alone.

he knew her so well that his words spoke to her on their own. she could not remember clearly, but she was sure. it was a moment like this when she first realised she liked benedict. it was one of those moments where she realised that he was the right person for her.

"how about you? what were you doing around here?" she asked, turning to her own plate.

"oh, i was just walking around." he shrugged off easily, which just made her suspicious of it.

"oh my—right," she began, causing the man across her to look at her, "there is a pleasure house nearby."

he should have really noted already not to intake anything if the girl is present. but, he did not. and so, he finds himself choking once again, on food this time, at what the girl accused him of.

"what are you insinuating? how do you even know there is such a house here?!" he whisper-yelled, controlling his volume to not attract other listeners.

raine laughed at his reaction and gave a sarcastic, understanding smile, "ben, do not worry. i have known your activities since i was a child. i still like you."

"i did not go to a brothel!"

taglist: @aadu2173 @imgondeletedis @pumkiinpasties @rebleforkicks

[smallswingshoes]

Sorry, followers, for posting a lot on the isotretinoin post. (I'm gonna go back and tag all those with the tag "isotretinoin".) I'm just... very passionate about my job as a pharmacy technician. Accurate medication information is so so so important!! Accurate information is your best weapon in the fight to advocate for yourself!!!

I personally am on the side of the patient. My coworkers even tease me sometimes for always trying to assume good faith on the part of the patient (even when they sometimes make it really hard to). I take my job very seriously and think it's important.

Most of what I do is talking to patients, typing, counting, billing insurance, etc. I want to point out that I am not a medical expert. That's the pharmacist. They're the ones who went to school for medical training. Being a pharmacy technician is an entry-level position you can learn on the job. A lot of my knowledge is passively absorbed thru working in a pharmacy for 6 years. I still won't dispense medical advice because I am not trained to.

But if anyone has questions for navigating the world of the pharmacy as a patient? Or you have questions about why things are set up certain ways? That's the stuff I can more confidently answer.

If any of yall have questions about your medications, talk to your pharmacist!! If that pharmacist kinda sucked, talk to a different one. (Most pharmacists do care, but they're overworked and exhausted. Altho I've certainly met a few assholes.) Consulting patients on their medications is considering the most important part of their job to the point that it's enshrined in law! And consulting a pharmacist, at least in America, is free. (Can't speak for other countries. I imagine it's similar most places?)

Everyone, please respect the power medications have over your body. They are not things to be afraid of, but they are not to be taken lightly either. There is no shame in taking medications, but there is also risk to be balanced. And accurate knowledge is one of the best ways to do so.

[phoenixyfriend]

VP Kamala Harris is calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

I was alerted to this by the BBC Global News podcast. AP News has a full article on the speech itself, which was not held about Israel and Palestine, but was rather focused on domestic issues of race equality, as the speech was given in Selma, Alabama, on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday (a 1965 Civil Rights march that ended in police violence). There is also a Reuters article if you prefer those.

Despite VP Harris's incredible dedication to the topic of combating anti-black racism in the US and position as a figurehead and spokeswoman for many in that regard, she did find time in her speech for the following:

THINGS OF NOTE:

Harris is still, technically, holding to the party line on the topic of 'Israel has a right to defend itself.' At this point, I'm sure we've all seen enough arguments on whether or not that right is something Israel actually has, given its violations of the international laws of occupation, but it does read to me as more lip service than actual sincerity at this point.

Harris puts the onus of agreeing to a ceasefire on Hamas, rather than Israel. Given Netanyahu's months of explicit refusal to consider a ceasefire unless Hamas is completely and utterly destroyed (and with them, Gaza), this is... not great. Not great. She said, "Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire. Well, there is a deal on the table. And as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal. Let’s get a ceasefire. Let’s reunite the hostages with their families. And let’s provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza."

The 'immediate ceasefire' is still just the 6-week pause that Biden has been talking about, rather than a permanent one.

The speech included "The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses." This statement is interesting to look at in light of the US recently hitting a watershed moment and beginning airdrops of relief aid, something so inefficient that they were reluctant to engage with it until given no other choice. The preference was trucks, which are more efficient in terms of quantity, fuel usage, risk of damage from wind blowing things off course, etc. The 'no other choice' is in regards to whether or not the trucks could still get in, not in regards to international or domestic pressure, though that was likely a factor as well.

We got what I believe are some of the harshest and most direct criticisms of Israel's actions so far: "What we are seeing every day in Gaza is devastating. We have seen reports of families eating leaves or animal feed. Women giving birth to malnourished babies with little or no medical care, and children dying from malnutrition and dehydration. Our hearts break for the victims of that horrific tragedy and for all the innocent people in Gaza who are suffering from what is clearly a humanitarian catastrophe. People in Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane."

These comments are receiving international coverage, though I'm a bit concerned by how... blase and unconcerned Israeli media seems to be, though since this particular journal (Times of Israel) claims to be non-partisan, maybe that's why? That said, Al Jazeera is also calling it a 'rare rebuke,' which I would guess is a good sign for the shifting of DC's position on the subject when combined with the recent aid drops.

As usual, I am not a political expert, I just like to gather and share information; please go to actual experts when trying to understand what politicians' actions mean. I do, however, want you to call your reps. Here's a guide on how to do it.

To support my blogging so I can move out of my parents' house, I do have a ko-fi. Alternately, you can donate to one of the charities I list in this post.

[odinsblog]

“I think there is a simpler explanation to the tragedy and the barbarism on October the 7th, which is that you cannot indefinitely contain a group of people under military occupation for decades and expect that there won't be violence. There is violence in the Middle East, and the root cause of that violence is an illegal military occupation that is now in what, it's 57th year in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. And this is not just me saying this.

I mean, people like General Shlomo Brom, one of Israel's most famous military strategists, says, the oppressed will rise against the oppressor because it's absurd to hope that Israel can indefinitely contain with its military might millions of Palestinians who claim the right to a free, normal life. That is the statement of Shlomo Brom.

It's not true that the previous Gaza conflicts were all started by Hamas. Some were, but not all of them. Ceasefires have been broken on both sides and that's been well documented by multiple neutral observers and international observers.

But just on the broader point, Israel was never done with Gaza. This myth that they pulled out all the settlers and the occupation ended, first of all, under international law, Gaza is still occupied.

The Israelis control most of the land borders, all of the naval waters, all of the airspace. You tell me a country in the world that would accept that, any kind of country that you would call independent or sovereign. The Israelis even control the population register in Gaza, which means if you're born in Gaza, the Israelis are the ones who register you in control.

All of the information about your birth, life, and death. So this idea that Gaza was free, it was not free. And the boycott, the siege, I mean, it was not defensive.

Again, multiple human rights groups, including Israeli human rights groups like Gisha have said over the years, that the boycott was not defensive, that it was arbitrary, that it was cruel. Items like pasta, coriander, right? These are items that were banned at certain points going into Gaza.

Even now, David Miliband, the former British Foreign Minister, head of the International Rescue Committee, went on CNN this week to point out that dual-use items are being blocked going into Gaza. Entire aid trucks are being turned away because there's a scissors in them. A pair of scissors is inside a truck.

For medical purposes, the entire truck is turned away. For years now, the people in Gaza have been blockaded, besieged. The UN said it would be unlivable years ago.

We're now in 2024. It's certainly unlivable now. So no, I don't believe the Israeli narrative.

And one last thing, let's say everything Israel said was true. That still does not justify the collective punishment of 2.2 million people, half of whom are children, and who are now in the midst of one of the worst famines in living memory, according to the experts.

[…]

I've been very, very, very critical of Hamas. I've been critical of Hamas for decades. I've been critical of Hamas since October the 7th.

I was critical of Hamas on October the 7th. So no, I'm not sparing in my criticism of Hamas, but the missing context here, of course, is that we don't fund Hamas. I'm not responsible for Hamas.

I am responsible for the famine in Gaza. I am responsible for the killing of 30,000 people in Gaza because my taxes paid for it. The United States government is funding one side of this conflict.

The United States does not fund Hamas, last time I checked. So this idea that we are either fund them or protect them with a UN veto or arm Hamas, I don't think we send arms to Hamas, we do to Israel. Therefore, that is the focus of my journalism.

And by the way, yes, the focus of my journalism right now is on criticism of Israel because the rest of the US media has completely failed on this issue, has dropped the ball. I mean, I can go through The New York Times, The Washington Post, and show the exact opposite, pieces that are providing cover and safety for the Israeli narrative, including in absurd headlines where we go out of our way to use the passive voice and never cite that Israel is responsible for bombing a hospital or Israel is responsible for bombing a refugee camp. So I'm trying to do a little bit of correction on my end with this new media organization.

But look, Hamas is a brutal group. What it did on October the 7th was pure terror. They killed innocents, they abducted innocent babies as hostages into the war crime.

But none of that justifies what Israel is doing right now. And nor are we responsible for what Hamas is doing. But we are, in New York and across the country, sadly, we are responsible for the crimes that Israel is carrying out.

And that's the point I'm trying to make.”

—Mehdi Hasan

[biscuitbox23]

Dead weight.

summary: you run into the woods to get away from the group, you were reaching the end of your life as you suffer from aplastic anemia, only to get stopped by Rick.

A/n: I’m not a medical expert, i have no familiarity with the field of medicine I am just an idiot who is a sucker for terribly made sad stories. This may be a very long opening to the actual climax so im sorry for that :( please do DM me for advice on how i can make my fanfictions better!

Warnings: inaccurate depictions of the illness, non-established relationship (rick and reader), mentions of death, angst, cursing. (Not much due to me being a minor.) somewhat bad grammar since English isn’t my second language.

words: 1.3K

It has been a while, well, a while since you had a good stock of medicine. You had been in an abandoned cabin a few months after the outbreak. During it, you got stuck in a pharmacy in Atlanta. The law was gone now, so you hoarded a ton of antibiotics, capsules, injections, and anything you could get your grubby hands on.

When Rick and Daryl saved you from a trio of men who were trying to take advantage of you, you joined them and did not stay inside forever, especially when blood stained the floors of your shelter. It was a mistake.

You wanted to stay with yourself, isolated from the horrors and sacrifices that the world has offered now. It was harder to find medication now that most stores were stripped clean. It was easier for you to catch minor fevers, and you tended to have more rest than the others in the group. The only reason you were there is because you knew how to survive.

In the woods, in the apocalypse, no problem. Whatever your dad knew your dad would teach you, he was an outdoor person and loved to forage different shrooms and plants. God knows what happened to him.

You grew closer to the group, helping them find food and clean water, scavenging what you can find in abandoned retail stores (even if it does not have much importance.)

Now you find yourself walking out of Alexandria by attempting to climb the steel borders to the outside of the wall, your head spinning as drowsiness has consumed you to your very core, yet you still have the urge to continue. Or else you are just dead weight. You had a few foot slips —you swear, Enid makes it look easy— but managed to get out. You can sense your muscles aching as if you did not even have the strength to pull yourself up despite climbing trees more than a million times when you were a teen. You needed to disappear 

from the people, the group. Rick.

Rick was a leader, for sure. He had all the correct morals and cunningness and looked up to him for it. You were no longer the person of any use to him and his group. You could not even defend yourself without stumbling down to the ground.

You were around when T-dog and Lori passed away. You 

remembered falling for Rick when you first saw him, only to discover he had a pregnant wife and a kid. It started like a rocky road. You were so used to the isolation that it took a lot of convincing to get you to come with them to the prison.

You took a liking to his daughter Judith. You loved babies. It was a surprise. You thought that you would never find a baby in this world again. Carl was the closest to you. You tell him stories about your life and would do the same, reminiscing about the world that used to be. He praised his father a lot and got a good idea of what Rick was like as a father. Hershel would check up on your health while Rick would stand beside the old sport as Hershel examines you.

Making your way into the woods, you stopped by a tree to take a breather. Your hands were on your knees as you stared down to the ground, crinkles of the leaves crushing on the bottom of your shoes. The night was cold and airy. The chill on the tip of your nose was evident as you took one more glance at the haven that shielded the real outside world from its inhabitants. The sour stench of rotting meat was not detectable and gave some fresh air — It is not like you cannot get fresh air in Alexandria. You want to be alone most of the time.

“thought I'd find you here." A voice called out, the voice echoing in your ears sounding familiar as the crunching of leaves has gotten closer and closer.

“fuck” you curse under your breath, “how did you find me?”

“Carl saw you tryin’ to climb the walls.”

“huh,” you playfully scoffed but was met with a chill and a cough, “thought I was being sneaky…”

“what're you doin’ out here?” Rick asks out of the blue, staring you up and down as you lean back into the tree.

“Rick," you sighed heavily, “go back.”

“I'm not goin’ back till you tell me what happened, y‘know that, don’t you?” Rick asked with a twinge of concern mixed with his southern drawl.

You paused.

“I'm leaving, Alexandria,” You rubbed your forehead as your stomach grumbled. Sliding down to sit as your back leaned onto the tree further.

“If this is about your illness we can make—“Before Rick could finish his sentence you interrupted.

“Make it work? Yeah, I don’t think so…” You retorted, “You don’t understand, Rick. I have a condition where my bone marrow doesn't produce enough blood cells, and I have no meds to help me, what are the chances of finding a pharmacy? A pharmacy where it has all the things I need to survive?” You spat, frustration filling your mind like hot liquid.

“Denise can help you, Y/n, you have seen her efforts in helping you,” You can sense Rick’s desperation to get you back to Alexandria’s infirmary. His voice remained gentle but firm.

“Why, Rick?” Your eyes stared into Rick's ocean blue orbs, frustration, and confusion, “I’m not strong, anymore. I can’t go on runs, anymore. I can’t protect anyone.”

“Because we still need you—“

“Maybe it’s you who still needs me, Rick…” You spat, leaning your head on the wood as you got the strength to finally stand up, with the support of the tree, of course.

“Y/n we can discuss this once we get back,” Rick sighed, coming closer to you as he held both your arms gently.

A rush of adrenaline painfully scours into your veins as you push him away with all the remaining strength you have.

“GODDAMNIT RICK, WHY CANT YOU JUST LET ME DIE OUT THERE!” You yelled at him. “YOU KNEW I WAS GOING TO BE A BURDEN AND YOU SAW HOW MANY PILLS I HAD ON THE TABLE!”

Rick scoffed, “You're giving up now? After all that has happened? The prison, terminus… and you decide to end it all here? Where we’re finally safe?” His tone wasn’t as gentle but it was now harsher, deeper.

“if you think more treatments, will change anything, it won’t. I'm done and I won't let you guilt me into continuing this charade.”

“then what’re you gon’ tell Carl, hm? That you’re sick of bein’ alive so now you’re gonna leave?”

“This isn’t about Carl, Rick it’s about you keeping me to fill in the gap of what Lori gave you,” you glare with poison in your very eyes. “Leaving you to care for a child that was never yours.”

Rick went quiet, as you realized what you had said, “i-I’m sorry… Rick…” you pleaded, holding his hands.

Rick sighed, “Maybe you're right."

You nodded, your breath becoming shorter as your legs finally give in. You feel your body starting to shut down. Rick helped you sit down comfortably on the ground. You were paler and had many bruises on your arms and legs. You were heating up again.

“I'm sorry, Rick,” you breathed heavily, clutching the hand he gave you.

“It’s okay, Y/n,” Rick comforted you, kissing her knuckles as her legs trembled. Rick’s voice was shaky, almost labored.

“I don’t wanna turn, you can ask Daryl to keep my gun, you’ll need it,” You softly chuckled. Rick looked at you, taking his revolver from his holster.

“Get back to Alexandria, to Judith…” you smiled as you felt bile in your throat, blocking your airway and your heartbeat becoming more abnormal.

Rick gives you a final kiss on the head as an act of kindness and comfort on the edge of a quick and painless death.

—————————————————————

a/n: Hello everyone! This is my very first Fanfic and I thought about it on the spot 😭 Reading it for me makes me kinda cringe but don’t we all? Anyways hope you guys enjoyed it (cuz I didn’t but I’m a sucker for tragic love)

[muskoxen]

Amber Nicole Thurman is dead because of Georgia’s extreme abortion restrictions.

She was a medical assistant, and a mother to a 6-year-old son and she’s dead because when she sought medical care after an incomplete at-home abortion, doctors legally couldn’t help her until her life was in danger.

Well, guess what. She grew sick, and then sicker, and then septic, and by the time the doctors were legally allowed to intervene, it was too late. She died. Her son lost his mother.

This is unacceptable. There is NO REASON why anyone in America should have to wait until they are halfway dead to receive medical care. These “life of the mother” exceptions are BULLSHIT, just like we’ve always said. Politicians and religious dogma have no place in our private medical decisions.

Propublica will report on the other confirmed death due to these laws in Georgia in the coming days. We will never hear from Texas, or Florida, or many other states who have changed how their maternal mortalities are reported. I am positive that Amber and her fellow Georgian are not the only ones who have lost their lives to these laws; the other women who suffered and died will never have their stories told.

I am sick at heart having confirmed what I already knew, that our American sisters would die for these extremists’ unpopular and medically irresponsible laws.

I hope Amber’s family takes some small measure of comfort knowing that we will NOT FORGET and we will NOT STOP FIGHTING FOR OUR RIGHTS TO OUR OWN DAMN BODIES.

[randomfoggytiger]

ok I was gonna ask about your charlie scully one (still am I guess lol) but I must know your thoughts on the autism question, a while back there was a fandom-wide twitter spat over whether or not mulder and scully were autistic, and I was leaning against it but that was before I figured that out about myself, and most of my moots are in favor of it, and idk really what to think lol so your insight would be much appreciated🙏🏻 (also if I wasn’t so goddamn busy I would do all of that research for you lmao)

You should do it!! Even if one day my project comes to fruition!

My leanings on the autism question: no. But I'd have to prove or disprove my own theory if I wrote up that post; and in order to do that, I'd have to have a clearer understanding of the diagnosis, its symptoms (and symptoms that are commonly misdiagnosed), and its identifiable characteristics.

The "problem" is: the new understanding of autism and other disorders are now framed on a spectrum. In order for me to break down the topic, I'd have to ingest lots and lots of autism content from clinically licensed professionals and hear what they look for, broadly, when forming a diagnosis; then, I'd have to search up what the fandom perceives Mulder and Scully's autistic traits to be; then, I'd have to compare and contrast the strength of each claim; then I'd have to balance the whole. Currently, I'm ingesting new autistic creators that are breaking down barriers of what autism is perceived to be (and that's been helpful); and I have a few other licensed professionals I'd need to catch up on (one who even has the diagnosis herself.) In short: tons of layman research.

More importantly: who would be interested in my post, realistically? I don't have doctorate (or training), for one. Second, it's a rather popular thought that Mulder or Scully have some sort of diagnosis (besides trauma-- canon agrees with that one.) The rule dictates everyone has a right to their own opinion; and since that's the case, where would my post fit in?

Realistically, the 90s FBI wouldn't have recruited Scully out of medical school if they suspected she had autism. Mulder perhaps, but only because of Bill Mulder's (or CSM's) connection. There's a program just instituted (2021) by the Feds that is working on recruiting people with autism into their pilot program. And according to studies I've learned about from autism creators (that they've gleaned from the professionals), a neurotypical brain automatically senses something "off" or "different" about a neurodivergent brain, which can lead to ostracization (or bullying in children... and adults.) 90s Scully would have had to learn to mask her autism so well that not only was she never diagnosed but she attracted the attention of the FBI recruitment office-- not a small feat for a woman in the 90s-- and was able to keep it through their very strict recruitment circuit. (Fyi, the man who inspired "Catch Me if You Can" tried to get in with a law degree and was still turned down.)

Also, Mulder and Scully face back-to-back stimulating environments; and go right back to work without time to decompress (which is a feat nearly unachievable.) I'm not an expert-- far from it-- but the common denominator I'm finding from professionals and diagnosed individuals is that overstimulation is a key factor in autism. To varying degrees, yes, but still. Overwhelm and meltdowns are parts of the diagnosis that have to be factored in. Anecdotally, I've read one person who states she becomes better in high-stress situations than her peers because of her hyperfocus; but she seems to be an outlier (I presume.) I'd need to do more research on differing degrees of overwhelm and meltdowns (not everyone manifests overwhelm or a meltdown in the same way, of course); but since the field is still swamped with more information regarding "stereotypical" autism (a.k.a. boys who show the most extreme signs), it would take me a bit to narrow things down even more.

Lastly, we can all probably agree CC didn't write Mulder and Scully with an autism diagnosis. He definitely gave Mulder PTSD in the Pilot; and Scully's trauma from her abduction was written in later. The personal theories branch off from there; and, again, in order to finalize a perspective one way or another, a licensed professional would probably have to watch the show (or more than one season) and make a conclusion; otherwise, my "research" could be written off as another form of headcanon. And since professionals are professional, they'd probably abstain from forming an opinion either way.

Thus, the scales have been put before you: time requirements and lukewarm reception weigh against it; putting my ideas out there for me and the mutuals to puzzle over weigh for it.

[lablass-2882]

A bit of an early treat for y’all.

Since my move actually went pretty quick. I guess having a big family who all own trucks/SUVs makes for light work, huh?

The meta reason is that I needed a break from arranging and putting together my apartment. So, I decided to finish this piece.

Introducing Alpha Squad. They are a small part of bigger Phoenix Squadron Unit in the Rebel Allience.

Click for better quality

And some close ups.

These aren't the squads final designs. They're more of a first pass that I am comfortable with showing off. Putting faces so sorts to names.

Going from left to right.

Captian Tally. Alpha Squads fearless 2nd in command and probably one of the best hand to hand fighters in the Rebellion. She is not to be pissed off, ever. Tally is Trapper's daughter but was raised by Cody after Trapper's death.

Commander Aurora. Leader of Alpha Squad and its resident caf addic. She is well known for her calm and collected attitude even when under fire. Her father was a member of the Corrie Guard, but she was raised by Fox and Thire.

Sparks is Alpha Squad tech maniac, hacker, and general trouble maker. She loves messing with all manor of machines and tech. She is the daughter of Comet, Sinker and Boost.

Head Medic Mako. The calmest and strongest member of Alpha Squad, Mako also has the honor of trying to wrangle all of his half siblings into the medic tent when shit goes sideways. He was adopted by Woffle after his mom abandoned him, and his clone dad is long dead.

Lieutenant Arrow. The unofficially weapons master of the group and the resident grump of the Squad. Arrow would be hard pressed to admit to it, but he loves his crazy siblings. They are just way too loud sometimes. He is Longshot's son.

Twig. One of two expert pilots for Alpha Squad, Twig, along with his twin Branch, make sure that the Squad gets where it needs to go. Regardless of laws, physics, and sometimes all common sense. His dad was a member of the 501st

Branch. One of the best pilots among the clone units, Branch is fearless, loves to go fast, and is always on the go. Along with her twin brother Twig, the squad always gets where it needs to go. Maybe not always in the sensible way tho. Her dad was a member of the 501st.

And last but not least.

Max. He is the Jack of all trades among Alpha Squad. He's a mechanic, a cook, an assistant to Mako, good at logistics, and is generally a level head dude. He does tend to get overwhelmed by his siblings' antic tho. He father is Dogma.

[zer0expektation]

Gotham characters & their respective disorders/neurodivergencies (canon and headcanon) (& whether or not they'd actually qualify for an insanity plea based on this):

First and foremost: Insanity is a legal term, not a medical one. For this particular post we will determine based on the M'Naghten rule and the Irrisitible Impulse test.

"The "M'Naghten rule" was a standard to be applied by the jury, after hearing medical testimony from prosecution and defense experts. The rule created a presumption of sanity unless the defense proved "at the time of committing the act, the accused was laboring under such a defect of reason, from disease of the mind, as not to know the nature and quality of the act he was doing or, if he did know it, that he did not know what he was doing was wrong."" "The test is bifurcated into two components, (...). First, a defendant is deemed insane if they were incapable of knowing what they were doing at the time committing the object offense." - "The second component of the test looks to determine if the defendant knew that his or her actions were wrong. Here, even if the defendant knew what he or she was doing, he or she is deemed insane where he or she was incapable of recognizing the wrongfulness of the action committed." "Under the "Irresistible Impulse" test a jury may find a defendant not guilty by reason of insanity where the defendant was laboring under a mental disease or defect that compelled him to commit the object offense." Link

tldr / an easier way to digest: our determining factors will be;

whether or not a character would be "in control" during the time of the crime (if they weren't mentally present, or believed something else entirely was happening because of delusion or psychosis) - ex. Humpty Dumpty (in DC)

whether or not a character would be able to determine the morality of their actions during the time of the crime (ie. they believe they had to/had no other choice because of delusion (believing God is telling them that they have to kill someone) or think that they were "saving" someone(s)/themselves) - ex. (some versions of) Poison Ivy and her belief that the world would be better off without humankind

whether or not they could control a compulsion that would be of cause - ex. Victor Zsasz's compulsion to add more tally marks and thus needing to kill more & having to kill someone if a tally is "incorrectly"/"wrongfully" added (at least in his depictions in both the Arkham games & the Telltale games)

(Please keep in mind that I am not qualified to properly "diagnose" these characters nor am I in any way trained to know anything about actual prosecution laws, I just think the insanity defense & psychology as a whole are interesting.)

Anyways, with all of that in mind:

Bruce Wayne:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (headcanon)

Autism spectrum disorder (headcanon)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (headcanon)

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (semi-canon - it was mentioned that he had some sort of ED through most of s1, which, esp with his autism, would have affected his eating habits for a time)

Five (514-A):

Dyscalculia (headcanon - idk why I just think it makes sense (i also didnt even think about this when deciding, but it really makes his name all that much more tragic lmao))

Selina Kyle:

Willis-Ekbom disorder (aka restless legs syndrome) (headcanon - particularly post-paralysis)

Jim Gordon:

Generalized anxiety disorder (headcanon - I just think the constant itch to be chasing something and "stopping the bad guys" could be related to a near-constant anxiety of not doing enough)

Harvey Bullock:

Alcoholism (canon I think?)

Oswald Cobblepot:

Borderline personality disorder (not canon, but iirc Robin has said that he likes the hc)

Realistically would not qualify for an insanity plea - is known for being manipulative and driven by his need for power, and despite being rather impulsive can be relatively predictable and reasoned with - might be able to get an insanity plea anyway seasons 2-4 if not solely because of his power and the corruption in Gotham (but probably on a more real basis in s4 more because he would probably be unshakeable in the insistence that Martin was actually alive despite several witnesses stating that he killed him)

Edward Nygma:

Autistic spectrum disorder (canon)

Otherwise specified dissociative disorder/psychosis (semi-canon - hc osdd type 1)

Substance-induced psychosis (canon - s3 e15)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (usually canon for all versions of the Riddler, but I'm not sure if it's actually canon for Gotham specifically) (+ ocd and autism tend to be comorbid)

Narcissistic personality disorder (semi-canon?)

Dermatillomania (compulsive picking at your own skin) (headcanon - no real reason outside of the fact that I'm autistic (and might have ocd?) and I have this & I like to project onto Ed)

Realistically could qualify for an insanity plea - if he played his cards right / could prove that he was dissociated when committing the crime - probably less likely to get it in s2, but still could if he tried

Butch Gilzean:

Bipolar disorder (canon - hc BP-II (he experiences hypomania rather than mania))

Dissociative fugue (headcanon - particularly after his death)

Realistically would (probably) not qualify for an insanity plea - the only way he could is if hes charged for something from while he was Grundy (he'd really have to play his cards right & get a good lawyer)

Barbara Kean:

Bipolar disorder I (headcanon - overall I think the way she is isn't because of her bipolar, rather that she acts like that because its more freeing and fun - instead during some plot lines (end of s1 & her death and being revived by Ra's and her entire arc post Ra's's death) could be broken down between depressive episodes and manic episodes quite easily)

Realistically would not qualify for an insanity plea

Ivy Pepper:

Depersonalisation disorder (headcanon - I just think that the rapid aging thing in s2 & all of the shit that happened with her parents)

Autism spectrum disorder (headcanon - her being described as "creepy" or unnerving throughout s1, her special interest in plants, her everything in s3)

Realistically would not qualify for an insanity plea

Victor Zsasz:

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (headcanon - i think though in this version his tallies exist as less of a compulsive need, and instead as a self-reminder and physical proof that he can fulfill as promised)

Realistically would not qualify for an insanity plea

Jonathan Crane:

Psychosis (canon)

Panic disorder (headcanon? - i mean it just kind of makes sense esp for this version of the character)

Epilepsy (headcanon)

Realistically would (probably) not qualify for an insanity plea

Bridgit Pike:

Pyromania (canon)

Realistically would not qualify for an insanity plea - unless arrested quite quickly post-Indian Hill

Jerome Valeska:

Trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling) (headcanon)

Dermatillomania (compulsive skin-picking) (headcanon)

Histrionic personality disorder (headcanon)

Night terrors (headcanon - particularly when he was a kid, then they came back after he was revived)

Realistically would not qualify for an insanity plea - could still get it for plot reasons as a "not" Joker character

Jeremiah Valeska:

Exploding head syndrome (headcanon)

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (headcanon)

Antisocial personality disorder (semi-canon i think? - im pretty sure in the show he just says that he's "always been insane" or some shit, but that's not really a thing soo)

Realistically would not qualify for an insanity plea - shown to be far too calculating - could still get it for plot reasons as a "not" Joker character

[liminalweirdo]

Everyone’s immune system is different, Lam said. “And I am not going to explain [mine] to a cop … We have the right to prevent ourselves from getting sick.”

Dr. Angelique Corthals, an expert adviser for the group, agreed.

“Are you going to stop everybody who’s wearing a mask on the street and ask them for very private medical status?” she asked.

Corthals can foresee a dark world for immunocompromised people if these bans become widespread.

“It’s going to totally shrink their worlds to the point where they won’t be able to leave their houses. People coming out against the lockdowns saying, ‘Loneliness kills’—well, imagine just how lonely people are going to feel. They’re going to be completely abandoned by society.”

what can you do? You can wear a mask when you go out into any public space. Stand in solidarity with disabled people. Masking is community care, masking is harm reduction. Fight eugenics; wear a mask.

[imsorryimlate]

back when we were doing dracula daily, someone posted something about how van helsing was both a lawyer and a doctor, and i was like “?? but jack is also both?”, but when i tried to find support for this idea of mine, i couldn’t find it. eventually i resigned myself to it being something i had dreamt.

but then!! i was again rereading the october 1st passage, where renfield says:

[…] I am as sane as at least the majority of men who are in full possession of their liberties. And I am sure that you, Dr. Seward, humanitarian and medico-jurist as well as scientist, will deem it a moral duty to deal with me as one to be considered as under exceptional circumstances.

and this is where i had gotten the idea, i think. but a medico-jurist is not a lawyer, which i had assumed because of the word jurist. no, a medico-jurist is, as the name implies, someone who’s involved in medical jurisprudence.

from wikipedia (awkwardly abridged for convenience):

Medical jurisprudence or legal medicine is the branch of science and medicine involving the study and application of scientific and medical knowledge to legal problems, such as inquests, and in the field of law. […] medicolegal cases involving death, rape, paternity, etc. require a medical practitioner to produce evidence and appear as an expert witness, […] Medical jurisprudence includes […] questions of competence or sanity in civil or criminal proceedings.

(emphasis mine)

so… our boy jack is out here giving expert witness testimonies in court?

now, i will admit to being someone who’s interested in true crime, and historical cases are always of interest because of the continuous evolution of forensic science and the shifting ideas around diminished responsibility. looking at the late 18th century and the 19th century, there are two points of interest regarding cases in the uk where defendants were found not guilty by reason of insanity:

1. a lot of them where kept at bethlam or broadmoor, famous mental hospitals

2. a lot of the expert witnesses were doctors and superintendents at bethlam or broadmoor, or at times at private asylums

some names that pop up a lot are:

william orange (superintendent at broadmoor)

sir william charles wood (superintendent at colney hatch, with its own connection to seward, later at bethlem)

edward monro (doctor at bethlem, appeared as an expert witness up to around 400 times!)

sir alexander morison (doctor at bethlem)

forbes winslow (owner of his own private asylums, also funniest middle name ever: benignus)

i’m not gonna ascribe nefarious motives to these doctors (especially dr. winslow because he seems to have been a pretty good guy who was “cutting-edge” by treating his patients humanely uhhh) but i still think there was a lot of potential for a conflict of interest, which is why i pointed out their professional positions.

but there is one doctor i will ascribe possible nefarious motives to: our dear doctor jack seward.

i know i’m not the only one who thinks that he was “saved” by the narrative in that in gave him a purpose and a stronger anchoring to his friends (both old and new). considering his opening entry, where he’s like “of course i wouldn’t experiment on renfield, that would be unethical and send me to hell…. but what if?? 👀” like, this guy… this guy!! i say this with love, but he’s primed for becoming an evil scientist.

i don’t think he would have done it when we meet him in the novel, or afterwards when he’s been through the whole adventure/mission – but if the events of dracula hadn’t happened, i could definitely see him descending deeper into self-justified malpractice, by which i mean he’d testify that accused criminals are insane just to get his hands on them, to be able to study them.

but aside from my speculation about that^ i also wonder if perhaps he’s well on his way to becoming an eminent expert witness when we meet him in the book. by renfield’s words, it would seem that he has been involved in an inquest or legal case at least once (but probably more if he’s going to claim the title medico-jurist). we all wonder sometimes how a 29 year old doctor came to have an immense lunatic asylum under his care, but honestly, some of these trials were huge, and expert witnesses could rise to some prominence and gain benefactors that way (just like they do today).

and who knows, maybe jack got his foot in the courtroom door via his lordling friend arthur, which would allow him to establish himself as a medical expert despite being young and (presumably) recently graduated.

[pseudowho]

omg I didn’t know you’re a midwife! I’m currently a nursing student and I plan on working in OB 🤞🏻. One of my favorite clinical experiences was following around a very nice midwife from England (I’m in southern California so the accent immediately threw me off) and she let me watch everything. I watched her do membrane sweeps, she made sure I watched a few epidurals being done. She was so kind, sweet, and smart and I was so upset when my time with her was over. Midwives are pretty rare over here in my area (I think just the US in general is kinda lacking in that area) so I really hope I get to work with her

Hey! I am. Midwifery is just as certified a profession in the UK as nurses, doctors, etc.

It sounds like you were privileged to watch a British midwife go and do her thing. I imagine her ability to practice to her full extent was very corseted by American Medical Law though. I hope you enjoy your time in Obstetrics, I'm sure you'll make it!

We're different to nurses, paid more, as we are autonomous practitioners like doctors. We're considered the experts on normal pregnancy and birth. So, when a pregnancy and birth is totally straightforward, if a doctor tried to make clinical decisions for our patients, a midwife has the authority to frogmarch them from the room, because we're the best person to look after that patient.

Midwives do almost everything for a woman in pregnancy, labour and postnatal, even if she's considered 'high risk'. We deliver all of the babies that aren't instrumental births or caesareans. We do suturing, all the meds administration, observations, 'being with woman'.

It's an incredible privilege, honestly. There aren't many other countries in the world, I think, where Midwifery is what it is in the UK.

-- Haitch xxx

[thetempestechoes]

Yuno and stairs.

We have had some thoughts about Yuno and stairs for a while now, and I want to talk about it.

This post will be discussing pregnancy, abortion, and the restrictions on it. To be clear, we are pro-choice, and support safe avenues for abortion being legal and accessible. We are also not suggesting that people endanger themselves through the methods mentioned below the cut.

I have a theory that Yuno's staircase motif isn't just its resemblence to a double helix: Yuno is consistently shown with staircases, including staircases that aren't spiral (Undercover), and from how her various segments are framed in Undercover and her own trials, I wonder if this symbolism is supposed to also represent a method of purposefully induced miscarriage.

To be clear, I am not saying that Yuno went through with purposefully inducing a miscarriage by throwing herself down a staircase- I am, however, saying that I think that her staircase motif is at least alluding to this symbolically, whether or not she did it or considered it.

Now, disclaimer that I am no expert in Japanese law, but to my understanding, abortion in Japan, like in many countries, is subject to a lot of restrictions about why a pregnancy can be terminated, and at what stage of a pregnancy it can be terminated. It is very possible that Yuno did not meet the requirements for a legal medical abortion under Japanese law when she decided she was going to abort her pregnancy. Throughout history, pregnancies have been aborted by purposefully inducing a miscarriage, and this also continues to this day.

This can also tie into her asking Es if she's dead. Purposefully inducing a miscarriage can be incredibly dangerous and life-threatening, and it can be fatal.

Of course, this is just things that I noticed and things that stuck out to us - I'm not assuming I'm right. I could be totally wrong. I'm also not saying that she definitely did xyz, because the presence of symbolism doesn't always correlate to definites. But whatever the case, I'll be interested in what she has to say in the third trial.

[stupidjewishwhiteboy]

I’m not anything even close to an expert on the laws of war, but from what i am gathering from people who seem to know what they’re talking about the laws involving where armies can and cannot target revolve around 2 principles (well, more than 2 but these 2 are important):

1) areas where there are children, medical sites, and religious sites should not be targeted

2) because of the obvious ways that point 1 could be misused, anyone who thinks they’re a clever boots by using the above areas for military purposes has committed a warcrime and also removed said areas’ protection

A lot of people seem to be investing a lot of effort into either pretending point 2 doesn’t exist or in using point 2 to entirely invalidate point 1. It’s frustrating.

Also, if anyone sees this who actually is a scholar of the laws of war, and you think I missed something important or got something wrong, please respond with your corrections

[novumtimes]

She Was the Brightest Star in the Department: Seniors Recollect Memories With Kolkata Rape-Murder Victim

Doctors and nursing staff protest against the recent the rape and murder of a woman doctor inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. (PTI) Seniors of the 31-year-old said they were sure she would rise to the top and now, all their energies were focused on ensuring justice for her “She was a bright and sincere student who always wanted to do something new” — This is how seniors of the 31-year-old doctor raped and murdered in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital remember her. The case has sent shockwaves across the country, with the medical fraternity taking to the streets to oppose the attacks on medical personnel. Trying to come to terms with the horrors of the case, the doctor’s seniors said they were sure she would rise to the top in the profession. Hasan Mushtaq, who was senior to the victim and from the same department, told News18 that she was a competent doctor. “She was very bright. In fact, she was better than us. She always wanted to do something new. We used to say she will rise to the top. I am unable to sleep, eat or do anything.” Recollecting the day when he heard the news, Mushtaq said: “One of our seniors from the department came rushing and asked me if I had heard the news. He looked shocked and just said two words — death and her name. I thought some patient had died by suicide and went inside the seminar room to check since I saw some PGTs were there who were crying. They pointed me to the direction where a body was lying on a make-shift bed. I could not see the face as it was covered with a bedsheet. I was shattered and shocked beyond belief.” Safikul Alam, another senior, said the main motive was to bring the culprits to book. “We are in a state of shock. She was an extraordinary worker and never had problems with hard work. We would tell her that she would become the best doctor.” LATEST IN THE CASE The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the case, re-registering the FIR of the Kolkata Police. The experts are likely to go through the autopsy report and analyse its videography, if any, besides visiting the crime scene where the body was found. The medics at RG Kar, AIIMS, Indira Gandhi Hospital and other resident doctors’ associations, including the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), said on Tuesday that their stir would continue until a central law to curb attacks on medical personnel is implemented and a concrete solution found. The body of the postgraduate trainee was found on Friday morning and the preliminary autopsy report suggested that the doctor was sexually abused and murdered. It stated that the victim was bleeding from her eyes, mouth and private parts. There were also injuries on her left leg, neck, right hand, ring finger and lips. The Kolkata Police had arrested 33-year-old Sanjoy Roy who joined the Kolkata Police as a civic volunteer in 2019. The police had alleged that he was married at least four times and was a known “womaniser”. The accused, who is a trained boxer, got close to a few senior police officers over the years, following which he was moved to the Kolkata Police Welfare Board and posted at the police outpost at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where the incident occurred. Kamalika Sengupta Kamalika Sengupta, Editor, Digital East of News18, is a multilingual journalist with 16 years of experience in covering the northeast, with specialisa…Read More Source link via The Novum Times