#Article 226

[eruscreaminginthedistance]

James Fitzjames's body has been identified this is literally my superbowl.

I have to go to bed soon but managed to grab some of my favourite findings from this article after a brief skim:

"NgLj-2 is just 80 km south of Victory Point and it is conceivable that like many others Fitzjames’ physical condition and endurance was compromised and deteriorated further during the initial stage of the retreat resulting in his death within a matter of weeks, possibly in May or June 1848."

"Fitzjames’ death at Erebus Bay also eliminates him from the list of possible candidates that have been proposed over the years as the person identified by the Inuit as ‘Aglooka’"

"The mandible that we now know was that of James Fitzjames, NgLj-2:226, was one of the bones Keenleyside (1993, unpublished data) found to exhibit multiple cut marks."

"…Either way, some of the last survivors at NgLj-2 did attempt to save their lives by resorting to consuming parts of his body and those of several other sailors."

"…But it also shows that neither rank nor status was the governing principle in the final desperate days of the expedition as they strove to save themselves."

[allthegeopolitics]

The death toll in Israel’s latest military assaults across the Gaza Strip has risen to 226 and more than 400 wounded, according to the Government Media Office in the besieged territory. The military’s attacks – one of the worst since October – by air, land and sea on Saturday (Jun 9) hit Nuseirat and Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, with doctors describe the scenes inside Al-Aqsa Hospital as a “complete bloodbath”. A Gaza health ministry spokesman earlier said there were still “a lot of” bodies and wounded people that were “scattered” on the streets.

Continue Reading

Article from June 9th, 2024.

[canonizzyhours]

RE: #222 and #220 This is pure speculation, but was wondering the same thing.

The obsession with steddyhands/edizzy/stizzy shipping could stem from any number of things (and we know when some people ship, they ship hard), but probably why some were so convinced of its validity or potential might be because this is a show that's been advertised/perceived as 'you never know what's going to happen next' and where 'so many fanfic-related dreams can come true' especially when related to queer fanfiction. Combined with the show's flexible disregard for the rules of reality (bird transformations, super fast healing, logic-defying dinghies, etc.), this could foster the perception that literally 'anything is possible.'

Also, OFMD has consistently reassured the queer community that they're not bullshitting when it comes to featuring, highlighting, and supporting queer relationships, which apparently could translate to 'any ship you could dream of might actually happen here.' So from that point of view, the OFMD crew basically said ‘yes, let's do it!’ to so many beloved fanfic tropes and queer relationships except these particular OTPs. There's also the possibility of outright indignation - 'Well, you gave Fan Groups A and B their fantasies, why not me/us?' Plus the manifestation of Izzy's antagonist-to-ally arc was probably equated to meaning 'only positive things are going to happen to him from here on out,' so naturally this was going to progress into a romantic/sexual relationship with one or both of the romantic leads (whether out of genuine belief that it made sense and would be good for him or just because it would be a hot and sexy outcome). So this - as well as an article promoting and practically promising an Izzy/Ed/Stede love triangle - might be another reason why some of the shippers went beyond being just disappointed (which isn't too unreasonable) and plummeted into a sense of hurt and devastation. Maybe they felt somewhat 'betrayed' in a bait-and-switch kinda way by the revelation that pairing Izzy with Ed/Stede/both more than likely wasn't the even on the table.

Being upset over Izzy's death however, that's another matter...

#226.

related posts: #222, #220

[study-with-aura]

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

My mom got me a bunny! I named her Sherbet because she sort of reminds me of sherbet. I went through several names however. At first it was Bun-Bun and then Hop-Hop and then BeBe and then Poppy, and then I think I finally settled on Sherbet. I will let you know if I change my mind again. Isn't she cute though?

The study day went by quickly. I didn't need my full four hours, so I added in a supplement for Biology since we're on the evolution unit right now. My curriculum is mostly a creationist perspective, although it touches on evolution and natural selection, so I found this docuseries called Life on Our Planet which dives deeper into evolution. I don't need my parents permission to watch the docuseries since they give me a lot of freedom around things like that, but I still let them know I was going to. Apparently my dad has already seen it, and he thought I would enjoy it. That was a surprise to me that he had watched it. The first episode was suspenseful, but I am looking forward to watching more. I will have to build it into my study day somehow. I think it has 10 episodes, all a little under an hour long.

Tasks Completed:

Geometry - Learned to construct perpendicular bisectors and angle bisectors + practice + practice with proofs involving segments and angles + honors work

Lit and Comp II - Reviewed Unit 21 vocabulary + read chapter 39 of Emma by Jane Austen

Spanish 2 - Vocabulary test (100%)

Bible I - Read Judges 12-13

World History - Read second part of the introduction to the unit + read about Albert Einstein + read about Pablo Picasso + viewed some of Picasso's artwork

Biology with Lab - Read and watched videos on the functionality of life from a creationist perspective

Foundations - Read the definition of self-control + completed next quiz on Read Theory + read an article about propaganda in schools

Piano - 60-minute piano lesson + practiced for one hour

Khan Academy - None today

CLEP - None today

Streaming - Watched episode 1 of Life on Our Planet (evolutionist perspective)

Duolingo - Studied for 15 minutes (Spanish, French, Chinese) + completed daily quests

Reading - Read pages 177-226 of House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Chores - Laundry

Activities of the Day:

Personal Bible Study (Colossians 3)

Ballet

Pointe

Journal/Mindfulness

-

What I’m Grateful for Today:

I am grateful that my parents agree and encourage me to study the beginnings of life from creationist and evolutionist perspectives instead of only creationism.

Quote of the Day:

Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction.

-Pablo Picasso

🎧Suite in B minor for piano, op. 58 - Charles-Marie Widor

[mariacallous]

Recent elections have given Americans a refresher course on how our presidents are chosen. We have been reminded that the Electoral College, not the national popular vote, is decisive. We have learned that although nearly every state allocates its Electoral College votes to the electors representing the candidate receiving the most popular votes, the Constitution does not require them to do so. (Maine and Nebraska award some of their electoral college votes to the winners of each congressional district.) We have been surprised to learn that the Constitution does not specify the details of how the electors are to be certified and counted—and dismayed to discover that the law passed to do so more than a century ago was vague and outdated, which is why Congress came together across party lines in 2022 to rewrite it.

Now it is time to focus on the destabilizing possibility that some so-called “faithless” electors could disregard the will of the people and cast their votes for a candidate who did not win the most votes in their state. This has happened 90 times throughout our history, so far without changing the outcome of the presidential contest.1 But because we live in an era of close elections with a handful of swing states, the chances are higher today that such electors—indeed, just one—could do so, with potentially disastrous consequences.

Let’s see how this could happen in 2024.

Unless there’s a political earthquake, Joe Biden will comfortably carry 19 states, the District of Columbia, and Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district, for a total of 226 electoral votes, while Donald Trump will prevail in 24 states plus Maine’s 2nd district, with 219 votes. The remaining 93 electoral votes are controlled by seven swing states—the famous “Blue wall” (Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania), two southern states (North Carolina and Georgia), and two states in the southwest (Arizona and Nevada).

Although Biden now trails in all seven swing states, he is doing significantly better in the three Blue Wall states than in the others.2 Indeed, it is not unlikely that he could gain enough ground by Election Day to carry Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, with 44 electoral votes, while losing the other four. This would give him 270 electoral votes, just enough to win, leaving Trump with 268—or so it would seem.

But then an elector from a state Biden carried decides that they can’t in good conscience vote for the president and on the appointed day instead casts their ballot for Robert F. Kennedy Jr, leaving Biden one vote short of the needed majority.

What happens then? It depends on which state this elector represents.

Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution gives each state the authority to appoint its electors as it chooses. The result has been a patchwork of laws dealing with faithless electors. In 15 states, a renegade elector’s vote is voided, and a replacement is named. But in 19 others, their votes would count, including 11 states Biden won in 2020. Some of these laws specify enforcement mechanisms; others don’t. And some states—including Pennsylvania—have no laws bearing on this question. Chaos would ensue if a Biden elector from the Keystone State jumped ship.3

The Supreme Court offers only limited guidance on such controversies. In 2020, the Court ruled that states may enforce laws to punish faithless electors—if they have such laws. But the U.S. Constitution does not require any state to enact one, and a federal statute to that effect probably would be held unconstitutional.

It’s easy to predict that the campaign facing a razor-thin Electoral College loss—in this scenario the Trump campaign—would do everything it could to pry loose at least one vote from the winner. The Trump forces surely would target all the states that allow the votes of faithless electors to be counted—and those whose laws are silent on the matter—and probably those whose laws are vague about how to enforce their prohibition on faithless electors as well. With such high stakes, any campaign would be tempted to resort to unseemly tactics against vulnerable electors. As bare-knuckled combat raged across the country, a political system that is already under severe pressure would suffer an additional blow to its legitimacy.

There’s no chance that many state legislatures will act on this matter before Election Day, so if I were an election lawyer or a senior political operative working for the Biden campaign, I’d prepare myself for this issue. If I were working for the Trump campaign, I’d do the same thing. And if I held a leadership position in a state legislature with no law or a vague law on this matter, I’d be urging my colleagues to act now or, if it’s too late for this cycle, in time for the 2028 presidential election. 

[pinktinselmonstrosity]

Thoughts about the library of Alexandria?

THANK YOU FOR ASKING i'm always glad to talk about this lol

think about the library of alexandria. i bet i can guess what you think you know about it: a vast store of knowledge which was destroyed by julius caesar, as a result of which europe was plunged into a dark age.

what if i told you that none of that is true? or, at the very least, not substantiated in a way that any scholar would accept it?

putting details under the cut bc um. i am very passionate about this

let's start with the most egregious and outdated claim: that the loss of knowledge stored in the library of alexandria was responsible for a wider loss of knowledge in europe, commonly called the dark ages.

the whole concept of a 'dark age' in european history has been strongly contested in recent years, with many scholars pointing out continued scholarly activity and education, serious artistic development and monumental building, and little evidence for a large increase in illiteracy. basically, there wasn't a 'dark age' when all ancient knowledge was lost and barbarism took over - this is a fiction, first concocted by renaissance scholars who wanted to distinguish their age from earlier ones, and maintained by such bastards as edward gibbon, who had their own agendas to maintain through the claim that the birth of nations and the rise of christianity in europe was the death of knowledge. it therefore stands to reason that if there were no 'dark ages', then the destruction of the library of alexandria was not responsible for them.

"but pinkie!" i hear you cry, "maybe the destruction of the library didn't cause a worldshattering loss of knowledge, but it did exist, and it was destroyed? right?"

alas. the past is never as simple as that, especially not the ancient past. you might have seen this post about the difficulty in truly knowing 'facts' about the ancient world. while it is true that it is very difficult to know 100% for absolute certain what happened 2000+ years ago, there are many things that classicists can be pretty sure about. when a classicist says something happened, it is an argument they are making based on multiple independent written sources and supporting archaeological evidence.

a good example is the rhodes earthquake of 226/7BC - while we obviously don't have seismic data, or newspaper articles, or video of this event, we have multiple records of the event from different chroniclers, and epigraphic evidence of aid given from other Hellenistic kingdoms to rebuild the city after the earthquake. therefore, we can be fairly certain that it did happen, even if some specifics are still debatable (like whether or not there was a tsunami after the earthquake, or exactly what year it happened in since ancient greek years were different from the system we use now).

in the case of the library of alexandria - its construction, its contents, its scale, its destruction - we have very little in the way of corroborating evidence. the earliest source which mentions the library is a rhetorical letter by an unknown author, dating from the 2nd century BC. over the next six centuries many others wrote accounts which mentioned the library; they contradict each other on almost every point, and most of the agreeing facts are explainable by the fact that later writers were basing their accounts on earlier ones.

some of the key points these accounts disagree on are:

• who was responsible for building the library in the first place, and when (ptolemy I? ptolemy II? demetrius of phalerum? aristotle?)

• how many books the library contained (ancient estimates range from 40,000 to 700,000 - Bagnall (2002) and Nesselrath (2012) have both attempted to calculate the number of works which could have been held in the library, based on the number of ancient texts known to have existed at the time and have found the numbers. overblown to say the least)

• the kinds of texts the library contained (everything ever written or just texts in greek and latin? key point of contention in this category is whether or not early jewish texts were included)

• what happened to the library, exactly (destroyed by a fire started by julius caesar in 48 BC? destroyed by Christians in the 391 AD riots which also killed Hypatia? destroyed when the emperor Aurelian invaded in 272 AD? or, as some modern scholars have suggested, had the library already deteriorated by 48 BC due to natural causes and political neglect? many accounts also record evidence of scholarship continuing in alexandria long after 48 BC - how could this happen if the library had been destroyed? some accounts don't mention the destruction of the library at all)

what's more, there is, to date, very little archaeological evidence to support the ideas that:

1) a library of the scale described by even the most moderate of ancient accounts existed (remember that texts at the time were written on scrolls, which took up far more space than books)

2) there was any great destructive event in 48 BC (evidence has been found for the destruction caused by Aurelian's invasion in the late 3rd century - see Empereur (2008))

(it's worth noting that improved marine archaeology techniques have lead to some impressive discoveries in Alexandria in recent years - no evidence yet which has been argued to be the library, but it could definitely happen)

i could go on, but i feel like nobody would enjoy that (and i have to get my laundry from the dryer in like 5 minutes). to conclude, basically everything people think they know about the library of alexandria is either demonstrably false, or not able to be corroborated to any acceptacle scholarly standard. and it really annoys me when people still post that fucking bullshit graph of the """""knowledge lost""""" when the library was destroyed lmao it's bullshit!!!!!!!

rant over bc i do need to get my laundry lol. might reblog later and add sources in case anyone wants to read up on this!! bc u shouldn't just take my word for it obviously ❤️

[adrl-pt]

Putin blames Ukraine for the terrorist attack and condemns the journalist for “extremism.” Instead of fighting terrorism - shelling of Ukraine.

You are watching news from the weekly rally at the Russian Embassy in Lisbon. Today is March 30, 14:30.

As of March 27, the death toll as a result of the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall reached 143 people. https://www.rbc.ru/society/27/03/2024/660455979a7947006ce1aae9

Responsibility for the terrorist attack was claimed by Vilayat Khorasan, an Afghan-Pakistani ISIS cell that is fighting the “empires of infidels,” including Russia. US intelligence considers her responsible for the terrorist attack. https://meduza.io/feature/2024/03/23/otvetstvennost-za-terakt-v-krokuse-vzyala-na-sebya-yacheyka-igil-vilayat-horasan-kak-voznikla-eta-gruppirovka-i-pochemu-ona-schitaet-rossiyu-odnim-iz-svoih-glavnyh-vragov

On March 25, at a meeting about the terrorist attack, Putin said that he sees that “the United States … are trying to convince … the countries of the world that, according to their intelligence data, there is supposedly no Kyiv trace in the Moscow terrorist attack.” http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/73732

On March 23, a video was published showing one of those detained on suspicion of committing a terrorist attack having his ear cut off and stuffed into his mouth. https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2024/03/23/pravye-telegram-kanaly-rasprostraniaiut-video-gde-odnomu-iz-zaderzhannykh-terroristov-otrezaiut-ukho-i-zasovyvaiut-emu-v-rot-news

Another accused of committing a terrorist attack was taken to court in a wheelchair and fully admitted his guilt. https://iz.ru/1671110/2024-03-25/chetvertyi-obviniaemyi-v-terakte-v-krokuse-pribyl-v-sud-na-kresle-katalke

Retired police captain Nikolai Korolev in an interview at Khodorkovsky Live said that the Rosguardia base is located 30 minutes from the place of the terrorist attack, but the assault began when the terrorists had already left. https://www.youtube.com/live/AWTNHky6vkA?feature=shared&t=3100

Politician Vladimir Milov, in a program on the Alexander Plyushchev channel, said that Putin and the FSB had enough information, not only from the United States, and they allowed the terrorist attack to happen. He also believes that they needed a reason to revive the anti-Ukrainian discourse. https://youtu.be/MUfjnpXvPAQ?feature=shared&t=226

The Committee 2024 association said that the terrorist attack at Crocus helped divert attention from the non-recognition of Putin as the legitimate president of Russia. They propose to join the lawsuit to cancel the results of the pseudo-elections. Link in description. https://www.facebook.com/Komitet2024/posts/pfbid02mhm1stgtePq4dyE3V8nGpYHz9823f3tJW1n2GEzQcFCkmqRVxjmZ5Qttc5bmEMRtl

Russian security forces only know how to fight unarmed citizens. SotaVision journalist Antonina Favorskaya was detained because of filming in the cemetery where politician Alexei Navalny, who was killed in prison, is buried. Antonina is on trial for contacts with the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which the Russian authorities have called extremist. https://zona.media/online/2024/03/29/antonina

Instead of fighting terrorism within its own country, the Russian army has intensified terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. On March 22, the Dnieper hydroelectric power station was seriously damaged and Kharkov was completely power cut. https://www.bbc.com/russian/articles/c4n7pjxgl83o

Putin’s troops use hypersonic missiles, which fly from Crimea to Kyiv in 7-10 minutes. https://www.unian.net/weapons/ataki-rf-po-ukraine-ekspert-obyasnil-chem-otlichayutsya-rakety-cirkon-i-kinzhal-12584301.html

Deputy Andrei Lugovoy, speaking on Vladimir Solovyov’s propaganda show, said that Kharkov needs to be de-energized to such an extent that it becomes inviable. And he proposed to do the same with other cities. In 2006, Lugovoi poisoned FSB lieutenant colonel Alexander Litvinenko, who escaped to the UK. https://www.youtube.com/live/AWTNHky6vkA?feature=shared&t=576

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky expects a large-scale offensive by Russian troops in May-June. He said that Ukraine right now needs help in the form of supplies, first of all, of artillery ammunition supplies and Patriot air defense systems. https://www.moscowtimes.ru/2024/03/28/zelenskii-vsu-ne-gotovi-k-rossiiskomu-nastupleniyu-v-mae-iyune-a126102

We appeal to the international community and ask to provide Ukraine with all the necessary weapons.

[odaclan]

News say artillery power did make a difference in Nagashino, but maybe not in the way that you might think

For quite a long time, it’s the popular story that Nobunaga decimated the Takeda in Nagashino because he readily embraced guns when other clans didn’t. Despite how it’s being severely disputed in the scholarship, this story is still repeatedly trotted around, especially in the fandom/pop culture talking spaces. 

First, a little credit to the “old stories”, as it were. The famous scene from Kurosawa Akira’s Kagemusha, of the Takeda cavalry units moving out one by one, and each getting mowed down by gunfire—that’s not entirely without basis. Its source was in fact the Shinchoukouki: 

The battle raged from sunrise of the 21st of the Fifth Month to the Hour of the Sheep [around 2 p.m.], the action bearing East by Northeast. The Takeda army attacked in relays, but its soldiers kept being shot down, and its manpower gradually drained away to nothing.

(The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga, page 226)

There’s actually a longer description in the text, detailing a narrative that’s very similar to the movie. One unit moves out, gets gunned down, and had to withdraw. The next unit moves out, gets gunned down too, and had to back off too. This kept going until about 5 units marched out, and eventually Katsuyori gave up and the Takeda army all withdrew. 

So what was wrong in the “pop culture” story? For one, the Shinchoukouki text described this terrible move as being the Takeda’s last ditch attempt after they’re already surrounded. Meaning that there’s other strategy and battle manoeuvres that’s already taken place before this showdown finally happened. The Oda victory is not entirely thanks to the guns, although it does help. It would be a tougher win if the soldiers had to actually run out there and have a melee fight.

For another, it’s not like the Takeda or the other clans didn’t have guns. You’d have to ask why and how there were people making so many guns in the first place if it wasn’t a popular weapon that everyone’s actively using.

Lastly, just because the text says that the soldiers were “shot down”, it doesn’t automatically mean a rotating volley technique had been used. 

Here’s the breaking news: This article from Yahoo News reports that what the Oda had that made the difference was likely having more bullets (possibly of a much higher quality as well). 

The news report describes that research into bullet remains has identified particular kinds of bullets unique only to the Sengoku and very unlikely to have come from later periods in time, and these were found in Nagashino. From the studies conducted, the theory was that the Oda had a massive supply of high quality lead bullets that the Takeda didn’t.

In that time, lead was not only used for bullets, but also other smithing needs. As such, supply of domestic lead, it says, did not quite meet the necessary numbers, so they had to imports bulk loads from overseas. This is something that the Oda had advantage of, thanks to their Nanban connections and having monopoly of Sakai.

The Takeda, on the other hand, was not able to supply enough lead bullets that they were forced to melt down copper money to make the bullets with. Talk about literally burning down cash. The news reports that a letter artefact of Katsuyori ordering this had been found previously, and analysis of the copper bullets found in Nagashino has found that they have the same chemical composition as the Ming copper money that’s in circulation at the time. These copper bullets were judged by some to be inferior than the lead bullets.

And even after doing all that, there’s still not enough of bullets in supply on the Takeda side. The news then reported that after this defeat, Katsuyori learned from that mistake and circulated a new order decreeing that the army must supply at least 200 bullets for each gun that they have. 

In conclusion, this new theory says that even though both sides had guns, the Takeda side ran out of bullets too early on and their artillery was then rendered useless. The Oda army, who still had plenty of bullets to go around, was able to keep on shooting the enemy to the ground. 

I think this is a part of the conversation that didn’t really occur to a lot of people in the Sengoku gun conversations, especially in casual/non-academic or fandom spaces. Without the bullets and the gunpowder to light it up, you can have a million guns and they'd be no better than a very heavy stick. 

There’s new books about the updated research of Sengoku gun usage, and based on the reviews and summaries, it’s basically "Never mind the guns. The drama is in the trade war surrounding the gunpowder (and the bullets too)". Among many other things, the tactics also include actually sending letters to the missionaries asking them to help tell the European traders to not sell gunpowder to a very specific entity.

[conservativebrew]

From article:

“According to that research, the scale of sexual abuse in the public schools is nearly 100 times greater than that of the Catholic Church,” he said. “The question for critics who seek to downplay the extent of public school sexual abuse is this: How many arrests need to happen before you consider it a problem? How many children need to be sexually abused by teachers before you consider it a crisis?”

[mystarmyangel]

[HOT-THEQOO] 231231 Gayo Daejejeon MCs held an eye-opening party with their perfect visual combination in real time.jpg

At time of posting 1 Jan 1.30am KST: 53K views, 290 comments (will translate YoonA + non-repetitive comments)

1. The visuals are insane 2. YoonA is so pretty ㅠ The visual party of the MCs are awesome 3. Thank you for the combination of this trio 4. This really opens my eyes 5. Wow.. 8. Wow, my eyes are open, and the sense of stability they provided is amazing 9. This is it 11. So good...... 12. YoonA is really an angel... 15. The gathering of deers only 19. The faces and the progression are both stable.. 20. All three of them are really trustworthy. Infinite trustworthy 22. I am cancelling my LASIK surgery next year. My eyes are really opened. 24. YoonA is so pretty. I am the only one getting oldㅜ 28. Indeed, my eyes are fully opened. This totally deserves a free pass award. 30. Wow, I really like the colours 33. YoonA is really like the identity of Gayo Daejejeon 35. All three of them have visuals that are comfortable to look at. YoonA is insane 37. I think the colour and texture of YoonA’s dress are great 39. So handsome and pretty. And you all hosted well 51. YoonA is insane...... 54. Wow Minho, YoonA and Minho are dazzling. Minhyun is so white 55. It was a visual party and their hosting are so comfortable to watch. The ‘My Dream Patisserie’ dance challenge was so cute ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 63. My eyes have gotten clearer and brighter 67. This is it. Yes, my eyes have been cleansed. 75. Aside from being handsome and pretty, the combination is harmonious and stable. 76. YoonA is so freaking gorgeous even though she is wearing a pink dress.. 79. Who came up with this combination? Both the visuals and hosting are so comfortable to watch ㅋㅋㅋ 84. Minho and Minhyun are both 181cm tall, so all three of them are tall. 88 . Pink YoonA is really so pretty 91. All three of them have mesmerizing eyes 95. No, but I think their faces match perfectly. The vibes of the three? It is similar. 97. For end of year MCs, please stop with the middle-aged men and young women combination and do it like this, everyone. 98. I am just thankful 103. It is a flower garden. The visuals are really great ㅠㅠ

107. I am going to see pretty things at the end of the year as well as the start of next year. This is a feast for the eyes.

109. It is perfect that YoonA is the oldest among them. And not a combination of middle-aged men and young women ㅋㅋㅋ 115. I am watching the program, and it is going on so smoothly 116. You are really the best, YoonA ya ㅠㅠㅠ 130. YoonA is so pretty. 135. It is a deer partyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 137. The gathering of elves 140. The colour tone of the male MCs’ suits are about the same, and YoonA’s colour is really pretty ㅜㅜThis is the gathering of the deers ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 155. It’s even better if you watch the video. YoonA unnie is insane 159. The combination after Suho – YoonA – Cha Eun Woo *trembling* 161. Is YoonA a goddess for real? 169. Happiness.. This is indeed year end music festival ㅜ ㅜ 174. My eyes are happy 191. They look like cousins because they have similar vibes ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 197. As expected, it is right for good-looking people to be the MCs 203. YoonA’s voice has a moderately low-pitched tone, so it is easy to listen to her and her voice is really nice. In addition, she is so prettyㅠㅠ 204. Proportion kings, face kings 205. I think the quality of the TV also become clearer 207. I clicked in, wondering just how pretty it is, and then I exited the article thinking ‘oh my god’ 211. Minho and YoonA’s vibes are exactly the same. 212. Isn’t YoonA a human Azalea (flower)? Her eyes are so mesmerizing, I guess it is spring now. 214. YoonA and Minho are the best MCs 224. Hwang Minhyun is stable at MC too. I thought YoonA is a human Azalea. It is a pretty and handsome party   226. Are you insane, YoonA? She is such a freaking goddess, all three of them are like flower deers ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ 234. Aren’t Minho and YoonA from the same family...? 245. YoonA’s vocal tone is perfect for hosting,,,, 262. The three of them please take a photo together 👍👍👍 263. They look like Disney material.. The visuals are insane 264. YoonA is good at MC job 269. I have watched a lot two shots of Minho and YoonA, and they are always easy on the eyes and makes my mood better 290. In my opinion, the three of them (their looks) are legendary in Part 2 (of MBC Gayo Daejejeon) 🖤💛🖤

Source: TheQoo Trans: mystarmyangel

[newspatron]

Unveiling Article 226: India’s Legal Powerhouse

Enjoyed the article? Share your thoughts or questions in the comments below!

Image Source – Newspatron Creative Team AI-Generated Image for representative purpose [Read About Us to know more] Dive into the depths of Article 226, a cornerstone of the Indian Constitution that empowers High Courts to uphold justice and protect fundamental rights. Explore its scope, significance, and the landmark cases that have shaped its application. Founder & Editor…

[sortyourlifeoutmate]

And since I mentioned the new-for-third Space Marines the other day, here's the White Dwarf article about them:

From White Dwarf 226 - the second one I ever got!

[seemabhatnagar]

Business Visa is not meant for collecting Funds

Randa Chehab v. Union of India & Others

WP © 1250/2023

Before Delhi High Court

The Writ was dismissed on 18.12.2023 by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Subramonium Prasad J as petitioner failed to establish violation of her right.

The petitioner a US citizen has challenged her deportation (before Delhi High Court) by the Bureau of Immigration from Trivandrum, Kerala Airport on 28.11.2022 as being arbitrary, unreasonable, illegal and unconstitutional.

Notice was issued to the Union of India on 01.02.2023.

Status Report was filed by the Counsel of Union of India.

The Status Report discloses that the Petitioner was issued the following visas by the Consulate General of India, San Francisco, i.e., T-1 Visa No. VK 0275900 valid from 31.03.2017 to 30.03.2027; and B-1 Visa No. VK 3934693 valid from 20.06.2019 to 19.06.2024.

The Petitioner again applied for a tourist visa on 15.12.2022 which was rejected as her name was found in the adverse/banned list entry of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Status Report revealed that the name of the Petitioner has been blacklisted at the behest of Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Trivandrum as she was involved in public fund collection while visiting on a business visa which is not permitted.

It is stated that as of today there is an adverse entry report against the Petitioner.

General policy guideline to Indian Visa

When a person is granted a business visa, the purpose is to attend business meetings and technical meetings and funds cannot be collected for the said purpose.

Submission of the Counsel of the petitioner

The Petitioner has been involved in charitable activities and is collecting public funds for the purpose of a charity, and this cannot be said to be unlawful.

The Petitioner has rendered yeomen's services when cyclone Amphan in 2020 struck in eastern India and she has since been closely associated with various charitable activities.

In this backdrop, it is not wrong to collect funds.

Petitioner holds a valid tourist visa and as a tourist visa holder, she can be permitted to come to India.

Petitioner has come to India numerous times and the reason for blacklisting is completely arbitrary.

Submission of the Counsel of the State

Section 3 of the Foreigners Act gives the power to the Central Government to make provisions either generally or for all foreigners prohibiting, regulating or restricting the entry of foreigners into India or their departure from India.

Issue

Whether the violation of the conditions of the business visa can be a sufficient reason for deportation and blacklisting of the Petitioner?

Law

Collecting money ostensibly for charitable activity is not permitted when a foreigner comes to India on a business visa.

Since the Petitioner has admittedly acted contrary to what is permitted, the decision taken by the authorities to blacklist the Petitioner cannot be said to arbitrary and as such requiring any interference under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.

Observation of the Court

It is well settled that a Writ Court can exercise its jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India only where there is a violation of a right.

In the absence of any right, a writ cannot be issued.

Since the Petitioner has not been able to establish violation of any rights granted to the Petitioner, this Court is not inclined to exercise its jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to interfere with the decision taken by the authorities.

Order

Writ Petition is dismissed.

Seema Bhatnagar

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

Going to Defcon this weekend? I'm giving a keynote, "An Audacious Plan to Halt the Internet's Enshittification and Throw it Into Reverse," tomorrow (Aug 12) at 12:30pm, followed by a book signing at the No Starch Press booth at 2:30pm!

https://info.defcon.org/event/?id=50826

#20yrsago Ultima’s economic indicators http://www.juliandibbell.com/playmoney/2003_08_01_playmoney_archive.html#106022990884580908

#15yrsago Traffic cams bring in $250,000/month in a town with a $4.6 million budget https://web.archive.org/web/20080813150522/https://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/47592.html

#15yrsago Wal-Mart: you can’t scan century-old photos of your ancestors because copyright lasts forever https://www.flickr.com/groups/100_years_old/discuss/72157594167106526/

#15yrsago Janes in Love: graphic novel is a call-to-art for young people https://memex.craphound.com/2008/08/12/janes-in-love-graphic-novel-is-a-call-to-art-for-young-people/

#10yrsago NYPD stop-and-frisk procedure ruled unconstitutional https://www.nythttps://web.archive.org/web/20180812142041/https://www.bitcoinstacks.com/wbb/index.php?thread/15081-exclusive-interview-with-a-twitter-eth-giveaway-scam-ringleader-making-50k-100k/imes.com/2013/08/13/nyregion/stop-and-frisk-practice-violated-rights-judge-rules.html

#10yrsago Podcast of “Metadata – a wartime drama” https://ia600704.us.archive.org/28/items/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_255/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_255_Metadata_A_Wartime_Drama.mp3

#10yrsago Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia won’t surveil users for China https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-DGB-28426

#5yrsago The eminently hackable police bodycam https://www.wired.com/story/police-body-camera-vulnerabilities/

#5yrsago Interview with a cryptocurrency scammer https://web.archive.org/web/20180812142041/https://www.bitcoinstacks.com/wbb/index.php?thread/15081-exclusive-interview-with-a-twitter-eth-giveaway-scam-ringleader-making-50k-100k/

#1yrago The FTC takes aim at commercial surveillance https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/12/regulatory-uncapture/#conscious-uncoupling

I'm kickstarting the audiobook for "The Internet Con: How To Seize rhe Means of Computation," a Big Tech disassembly manual to disenshittify the web and bring back the old, good internet. It's a DRM-free book, which means Audible won't carry it, so this crowdfunder is essential. Back now to get the audio, Verso hardcover and ebook:

http://seizethemeansofcomputation.org

[pokepocketzine]

thank you for all your 396 responses! we looked through them carefully and truly felt the massive love for tiny pokemon! these results may guide our decisions but may not be final!

our applications are still ongoing!

the interest check results are written below!

Q1: How would you be interested in contributing to the zine? Of the 396 (wow!) responses

261 people wanted to contribute as an artist

57 people wanted to contribute as a writer

187 people wanted to contribute as a merch artist

198 people wanted to contribute as a buyer

Q2: Would you be interested in buying a physical or digital zine?

The most popular answer was both digital and physical at 55.3%!

Q3: What kind of writing would you like to see in the zine?

The two most popular answers were short fics (600 words or less) and Reports (science notes, magazine articles, ect) We also got a lot of interesting suggestions for writing, like journals/ letters or Pokedex entries!

Q4: What kind of digital merch would you want to see?

The two most popular answers were phone lockscreens and desktop wallpapers! As well as suggestions for coloring pages and papercrafts

Q5: What kind of physical merch would you want to see?

The top 5 responses were Stickers/sticker sheets, Keychains,Enamel pins, prints, and wooden pins 

Q6: How much would you pay for…

Digital bundle? $15-$19

Physical zine? $20-$24

Full bundle? $45-$54

Q7: Favorite small pokemon?

The top ten responses were - Joltik, with a whopping 53 votes!

- Togepi, with 23 votes

- Cutiefly, with 17 votes

- Mimikyu, with 15 votes

- snom, with 14 notes

- Liwick and Goomy Tied with 13 votes each

- Rowlet, with 12 votes

- Shaymin, with 11 votes

- and Applin, Sinistea, and Pichu tied with 9 votes each

A lot of votes were for pokemon that were slightly too big for our zine (which is understandable, a lot of pokemon are surprisingly big!) But a special shout out to the biggest pokemon that was voted for, Dratini! At 5’ 11”, it won’t be featured in the zine but we do love it dearly.

🐛asset credits @aycief

🎐take a tiny peek at our guidelines: pokepocketzine.carrd.co/#apply

🎐ask us a little question: retrospring.net/@pokepocketzine

[ID: 7 graphics showing the data from the interest check. Each graphic has a stained glass-like background in a different color. In order: yellow, green, blue, purple, red, orange, and yellow again. In the center of each is a translucent white square with a white dotted line border.

The first page reads “ INTEREST CHECK RESULTS. THANK YOU FOR 396 RESPONSES” and has a rotom in the bottom right corner. Its smiling at the viewers as it flies by, trailing a bright blue line of electricity behind it.

The second page reads “AUDIENCE AND MEDIUM” with two pie charts showing the results for questions one and two above. In between these pie charts is a small cutiefly looking at the viewer.

The third page is titled “WRITING STYLES” and shows a bar graph with the number of votes each choice on the poll received; Short fics- 208 votes; Poetry-138 votes; Reports-196 Votes; letters-202 votes. A drawing of an Applin is in the bottom right corner of the graph looking up at the results.

The fourth is titled “DIGITAL MERCH” and shows a bar graph with the number of votes each choice on the poll received; Icons- 164 votes; Discord emojis-146 votes; lockscreens-220 votes; Desktop wallpaper-226 votesIn the bottom right of the graph is a drawing of a comfey. 

The fifth is titled “PHYSICAL MERCH”  and shows a bar graph with the number of votes each choice on the poll received; Stickers-319; buttons-166; enamel pins- 261; Bookmarks- 153; washi tape-201; standees- 145; keychains- 300; pencil pouches-140; totes- 130

The sixth is titled “PRICE RANGE (not final)” The answers to question 6 are written below in blue, red, and yellow circles respectively. In the bottom left and right are drawings of a scorbunny and a sunkern.

 The seventh and final page is titled “FAVORITE TINY POKEMON” and has a rainbow pie chart depicting the answer to question 7. To the left of the chart is a drawing of a joltik surrounded by sparkles. To the right of the chart is a drawing of a dratini, looking down at a shocked joltik in confusion, with text that reads “special shout out to the single vote for Dratini. Dratini is 5’ 11” and will not be featured in the zine proper”  /END ID]

[giornosaiyaman]

Why the Star Wars fanbase sucks

After years in the SW fanbase, I think I have finally figured out why it sucks so much.Also, Rey is not a Mary Sue. Star Wars fans fail to realize three really important things about good ol papa George.

1) He is or at least was a hippie

  “ I was angry at the time, getting involved in all the causes. The draft was hanging over all of us, and we were bearded, freako pre-hippies.”

https://lareviewofbooks.org/.../politics-behind-original.../

More specifically, he’s the scion of 50’s California hot rod culture, and 60’s San Francisco film school culture, a boomer beatnik. “My father thought I was going to turn into a beatnik,”https://lareviewofbooks.org/.../politics-behind-original.../“

I'm more on the liberal side of things," he says. "I grew up in San Francisco in the '60s, and my positions are sort of shaped by that” https://web.archive.org/.../article/0,8599,232440,00.html

2) The man has a mean anti authoritarian streak.“I’ve always had a basic dislike of authority figures, a fear and resentment of grown ups.”https://lareviewofbooks.org/.../politics-behind-original.../

3) Although George values stuff like maturity, adult responsibility, parental authority, role models, struggle, selflessness, and relatability, a part of him genuinely loves….or at the very least is partial to, the mythologized version of teen rebellion. 

Before SW, he directed American Graffiti, a 60’s teen comedy that celebrates Greasers, pranks, street racing, under age drinking and rock n roll. During that movie, a teenager, played by Ron Howard, tells his teacher to kiss a duck without consequence. In this interview, he praises Ahsoka for being a “tough little teenager”, for challenging Anakin’s authority.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEHPxvgsFis&t=226s And you can bet this hippie mentality influenced Star Wars, intentionally or not.

ANH is about a bunch of college hippies sticking it to the man….in space.Luke unlocks the force by chilling out and going with the flow.How do you think the line a Jedi can feel the force FLOWING through him, sounded to a 70’s American youth audience, man?

So what does any of this have to do with the SW fanbase? Simple, they have adopted an ethos that directly contradicts George‘s hippie mentality. They want the series to…develop its characters into mature young role models for children, to make its heroes earn their victories through hard work and struggle, to teach kids their actions have consequence. Therefore, whenever a hippie element shows up in SW, fans lose it. For example, how does Rey, a cool young Rebel, beat Kylo Ren, a lame square during TFA? Simple, she chills out, and goes with the force’s flow man, it’s totally in line with ANH from a purely thematic perspective. Rather than pick up on that thematic idea, the fans complained that “Rey didn‘t unlock her powers through hard work or struggle,  which made her victory feel…unearned!”Given the context of George’s hippie perspective, and the subtext of the og trilogy, doesn’t the fanbases’ obsession with struggle, role models, consistent internal logic, continuity and consequences sound….off?