#DC Nation (2018 )

[rabbitcruiser]

British troops invaded Washington, D.C. and during the Burning of Washington the White House, the Capitol and many other buildings are set ablaze on August 24, 1814.

[zvaigzdelasas]

You can’t buy the Seagull in the US. But I bet you wish you could.

A small hatchback around the size of a Mini Cooper, the Seagull is a fast-charging electric car and claims a range of up to 250 miles [...] BYD, its Chinese manufacturer, claims it can go from 30 percent to 80 percent charged in a half-hour using a DC plug. It’s hardly a luxury car but it’s well-equipped, with a power driver’s seat and cruise control. “If I were looking for an inexpensive commuter car … this would be perfect,” veteran car journalist John McElroy said after taking a drive.

The best part? Its base model costs about $10,700 in China.

That’s about a third of the cost of the cheapest EV you can buy in the US. In South America, it’s a little pricier, but still fairly affordable, at under $24,000 for a top-trim version. Even in Europe, you can get an entry-level BYD for under €30,000. These are absolutely screaming deals — exactly the kind of products that could turbocharge our transition away from gas and toward electric vehicles.[...]

The problem for Americans? The Biden administration is hell-bent on preventing you from buying BYD’s product, and if Donald Trump returns to office, he is likely to fight it as well.

That’s because the BYD cars are made in China, and both Biden and Trump are committed to an ultranationalist trade policy meant to keep BYD’s products out. [...] Shipments to Europe have increased astronomically; Chinese companies sold 0.5 percent of EVs in Europe in 2019 but they’re already over 9 percent as of last year. Companies like BYD make cheap, reasonably good-quality cars people are eager to buy.

In 2018, Trump imposed, and Biden has since continued, a special 25 percent tax on Chinese-made autos, on top of the ordinary 2.5 percent tax on foreign-made cars.

That has so far prevented BYD and its Chinese peers from trying to enter the US market. US customer tastes are different enough that Chinese manufacturers would probably prefer to make cars tailored to them — but US policy has been so hostile toward cheap Chinese EVs that so far, the companies haven’t wanted to bother.

So, the result is that we’re left out of the bounty of cheap EV options created by BYD and others. “If you’re a consumer right now, the best place to be right now is China, because you have the best choice of EVs,” Ilaria Mazzocco, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and an expert on Chinese EVs, says.[...]

Still, China’s price advantage is big enough that even the extreme Trump-Biden import tax might not be enough to deter companies like BYD from entering the US market. Even with the tariffs, Chinese cars might be cheaper than their rivals. “​​Subsidies most likely won’t be enough; Mr. Biden will need to impose [more] trade restrictions,” climate journalist Robinson Meyer predicted recently. The Biden administration is already making noise about imposing even more draconian taxes or trade restrictions against these vehicles. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has described Chinese-made cars as a national security threat, and recently announced an investigation into the vehicles’ data collection abilities and the possibility they could send movement data to Beijing.

On the one hand, Biden is offering Americans up to $7,500 per vehicle to buy EVs (provided they meet certain made-in-North America rules). On the other hand, he’s imposing massive taxes to keep Americans from buying EVs. It’s a bizarre policy that makes no sense from a climate perspective.[...]

[The Biden Administration] has proven shockingly willing to sabotage its own climate policy if it gets to stick it to the Chinese in the process.

“There’s almost an across-the-board apprehension about Chinese EVs, even though they would make an important contribution to [lower] CO2 emissions,” Gary Clyde Hufbauer, a veteran trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, says.[...]

Realistically, Helveston argues, BYD might not sell something like the Seagull in the US because it’s smaller than most cars Americans buy. They’d probably build plants in the US instead, or its free-trade zone partners Canada and Mexico, to build vehicles tailored for Americans. “If you’re going to really enter a market, you have to make it locally,” Helveston explains. “US automakers like GM sell and make millions of cars in China to sell in China.” BYD would do the same. Indeed, it’s already reportedly scouting sites for factories in Mexico.

If they ever were to set up shop in North America, BYD and other Chinese car companies would still have a major price advantage versus American EVs. They have years more experience and a much more successful track record of building batteries and EVs at low cost.

“Part of why they’re so successful is they’ve been thinking outside the box on cost reduction for a long time,” Mazzocco says. They took the “opposite of the Tesla approach”: starting not with luxury vehicles but ultra-cheap cars fit for taxi fleets and not much else, and constantly improving their early inexpensive prototypes. The result is that Chinese firms have gotten extremely good at making inexpensive EVs, at a time when Ford, by contrast, lost $28,000 for every EV it sold in 2023.[...]

“If you have more affordable EVs in the United States, no matter where you come from,” Gopal says, “that’s better for the climate.”

Still, the Biden administration reportedly wants to restrict Chinese car companies’ access to the US even if they do set up shop in North America. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that the Biden administration is formulating rules that would limit US sales of Chinese-made parts, even if they’re in vehicles ultimately assembled in the US or Mexico.[...]

But the Biden administration’s objections to Chinese EVs are also ideological. The Biden administration represents the victory of a protectionist, trade-skeptical wing of the Democratic party that was relegated to the sidelines during the Clinton and Obama years.[...]

[O]ver 90 percent of American households have a car, and surging car prices were a huge contributor to the 2021–2023 rise in inflation.

Barriers to importing cheap cars make inflation worse and reduce the real incomes of the middle class.

Not only are the administration and other left-leaning institutions opposed to Chinese EVs, but hardline conservatives at places like the Heritage Foundation are calling for outright bans on Chinese EVs as well. Their rationale is security, another theme the Biden administration evokes often. On Thursday, the Commerce Department announced it was beginning a process to “investigate the national security risks of … PRC-manufactured technology in [internet-connected] vehicles.”

6 Mar 24

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #17

May 3-10 2024

Vice President Harris announced 5.5 billion dollars to build affordable housing and address homelessness. The grants will go to 1,200 communities across all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 1.3 billion will go to HUD's HOME program which builds, buys, and rehabs affordable housing for rent or ownership. 3.3 billion is headed to Community Development Block Grants which supports housing as well as homeless services, and expanding economic opportunities. Remaining funds focus on building housing for extremely low- and very low-income households, Housing for people struggling with HIV/AIDS, transitional housing for those with substance-use disorder, and money to support homeless shelters and homeless prevention programs.

At the 3rd meeting of the Los Angeles Declaration group in Guatemala Security of State Blinken announced $578 million in new US aid to Latin America. The Los Angeles Declaration is a partnership between the US and 20 other nations in the Americas to address immigration, combat human trafficking, and support economic development and improved quality of life for people in poor nations in the Americas. The bulk of the aid, over $400 million will go to humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people. Inside of Venezuela over 7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance due to decades of political and economic instability. Over 7 million more have been forced to flee the country and live in poverty across the Americas. The aid will help Venezuelans both inside and outside of Venezuela.

The Department of Energy lead an effort to get the G7 to agree to phase out coal by the early 2030s. The G7 is a collection of the 7 largest Industrial economies on Earth, the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy. To avoid catastrophic climate change the International Energy Agency believes coal needs to be phased out by 2035. However this has been a sticking point with the G7 since 1/3rd of Japan and 1/4th of Germany's energy comes from Coal. This agreement to phase out represents a major breakthrough and the US plans to press for even wider agreement on the issue at the G20 meeting in November.

President Biden announced a major investment deal in Racine, Wisconsin, site of the failed Trump Foxconn deal. In 2018 then President Trump visited Racine and declared the planned Foxconn plant "the eighth wonder of the world.". However the promised 13,000 jobs never materialized and the Taiwan based Foxconn after bulldozing 100s of homes and farms decided not to build. President Biden inked a deal with Microsoft for the land formally given to Foxconn which will bring 2,000 new jobs to Racine to help replace the 1,000 job losses during Trump's Presidency in the community.

200 tribal governments and the US territories of American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, published climate action plans. The plans were paid for by the Biden Administration as part of a 5 billion dollar Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program. The federal government is supporting all 50 states, territories, DC, and tribal governments to draft climate action plans, which will be used to apply for more than 4 billion dollars in grants to help turn plans into reality

As part of marking Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), the Biden Administration announced a number of action aimed at combating antisemitism and supporting the Jewish Community. This included $400 million in new funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. The Program has supported Synagogues and Jewish Community Centers with security improvements like bullet proof windows and trainings for staff in how to handle active shooter and hostage situations. The Department of Education issued guidance to all schools districts and federally funded colleges stressing that antisemitism is banned under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These actions come as part of the Biden Administration's National Strategy To Counter Antisemitism, the first ever national strategy addressing the issue by any Administration.

USAID announced $220 million in additional humanitarian aid to Yemen. This new funding will bring US aid to Yemen over the last 10 years to nearly $6 billion. Currently 18 million Yemenis are estimated as needing humanitarian assistance, 9 million of them children, and the UN believes nearly 14 million face imminent risk of famine. The US remains the single largest donor nation to humanitarian relief in Yemen.

The Department of Interior announced nearly $150 million to help communities fight drought. The funds will support 42 projects across 10 western states. This is part of the President's $8.3 billion dollar investment in the nations water infrastructure over the next 5 five years.

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

Today, January 6th 2024, is the perfect day to make purchases at Overstock.com AND then donate to organizations supporting the unarmed Americans who were waved into the Capitol, unnecessarily pepper sprayed, unnecessarily shot with rubber bullets & smoke bombed to create the illusion of a Capitol Hill riot.

Christmas Miracle: Patrick Byrne, Overstock CEO, offers matching $500,000 donation to January 6 Legal Defense. $250,00 via GIVE SEND GO and $250,000 to Stand In The Gap.

Give Send Go Matching Fund

Stand in the Gap

Stand in the Gap is a non-profit foundation dedicated to advocating for change in re-entry, family services, and justice reform. We believe in second chances, providing support to individuals transitioning back into society, and working towards a more equitable and compassionate world. Through our programs, partnerships, and advocacy efforts, we strive to make a lasting impact on the lives of those in need and promote systemic change.

Join us in standing for justice and being a voice for the voiceless.

Our Story

On January 6, 2021, a historic day unfolded in our nation's capital that will be etched in history. As the foundation of our nation was put to the test, many individuals heeded the call to stand up for their rights, their future, and their beliefs. However, the aftermath saw the government taking action against them, leading to a series of events that unveiled the deep-seated issues within the American justice system.

Before January 6th, many were unaware of just how broken the justice system in America truly was. The January 6th defendants and their advocates soon realized that this injustice had persisted for far too long.

In September of 2021, The Real J6 was founded with a mission to give a voice to the voiceless. Its primary focus was to shine a light on the treatment of January 6th defendants at the hands of their own government. However, as the organization delved deeper into this mission, it became clear that there were numerous unmet needs for the defendants and their families. This realization led to the creation of Stand in the Gap.

Shane Jenkins, the co-founder of Stand in the Gap, possesses a unique perspective on the challenges within the incarceration system and the broken nature of the justice system. His life story, marked by several run-ins with the law prior to January 6th, is one of transformation and redemption. Raised in a religious environment and attending Episcopalian school, Shane's life took a different path due to personal struggles and feelings of abandonment stemming from his adoption and an abusive stepfather. In 2016, while incarcerated and at a low point in his life, Shane had a transformative encounter with CHARM – Christ's Hope And Reconciliation Ministries. Through CHARM, he found faith and redemption, and his life took a new direction.

Paroled in July 2018, Shane transitioned to a CHARM Prison Ministries transitional house and dedicated himself to a life of faith and service. He became involved in prison ministry, took on leadership roles, and found a supportive community at church. Despite his personal transformation, in 2021, Shane once again found himself facing government action. Since then, he has been incarcerated, ministering to others within the system and working to bring about positive change.

Through the efforts of many individuals including The Real J6, significant improvements have been achieved within the DC Department of Corrections, including changes in visitation policies, COVID restrictions, guard behavior, and even Congressional intervention. Shane's unique perspective and experience are foundational to the mission of Stand in the Gap, as it strives to address the systemic issues within the justice system and provide support to those who have been affected by it.

[dcbinges]

DC Nation #0 (2018) by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson and Jorge Jiménez

[morallyinept]

A full character analysis on DAVE YORK from the film THE EQUALIZER 2.

I've created this as a point of reference when writing for Pedro's characters, and I hope you find it useful. Even if you just want to learn more about the character. 🖤

FULL MASTERLIST OF PEDRO'S CHARACTERS ANALYSED

FULL CHARACTER STUDY:

Basic Details:

Full Name: David York

Nickname(s): Dave

Appears in: The Equalizer 2, 2018 (first appearance on screen seen on Susan's laptop at approx. 30:14, full appearance seen at approx. 33:46)

Age (if known): 43 - (Although this was the age Pedro was himself when he filmed his scenes, and Dave's DOB is listed the same as Pedro's, 2nd April 1975, so Dave's age may be incorrect. This was found via Dave's character Wiki page, see the bottom of this post for the link.)

Nationality: American - specific dialect unconfirmed, however Dave appears to live in Washington DC

Sexuality: Straight

Family: Wife, Carol, and two young children, Molly and Alice. Molly is the elder of Dave's two daughters, ages unconfirmed

Spouse/Partner: Carol York, wife

Relationship Status: Married

Current Living Status: Deceased - Killed by Robert McCall

Languages Spoken: English

Education: Not confirmed, although as Dave worked for the government, he would have needed to have at least completed high school/college education as a minimum

Occupation:

Job Role/Title: DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) Agent, former Black Ops Operative, private hire mercenary

Special Skill(s): Tactical, artillery, intelligence/surveillance work, field work, military experience

Notable Colleague(s): McCall, Ari, Resnik & Kovac, later worked with Susan Plummer

Distinguishing Features:

Tattoo(s): Flower tattoo seen behind left ear in the park scene with McCall (Pedro's own), however this is later covered up in another clip in the same scene, so whether this is meant to be a deliberate feature for Dave or not, remains unclear

Piercings: None

Scar(s): Scar on right wrist to mid forearm from previous explosion injury

Other Markings: Freckles on neck

Eye Colour: Brown

Prominent Feature(s): Clean shaven face

Injuries: Dave sustains several injuries before his death: an injury to his right arm when he was caught in a hotel explosion around seven or so years ago. Dave hits the back of his head when he is blown across the tower, which dazes him. He also loses a tooth when McCall elbows him in the jaw. He has his left eye gouged out by McCall shortly before he dies. He is also lacerated four times by his own knife that McCall uses. He looks to be lacerated on his left upper chest/shoulder, his right side arm, left thigh and right side leg; these lacerations look to slice through nerves rendering Dave unable to move, before he is stabbed in the lower left third rib; a close quarter technique - the same way Dave killed Susan. McCall stabs the knife in the back of Dave's neck and slices deep at around a 6cm gash line, severing his carotid artery. McCall then kicks Dave off the tower and he hits the rocks with the back of his head, resulting in death if he hadn't already yet died. The tide then washes his body away.

Hair Colour: Brown

Dave's scar on his right arm, as pictured below in this film still:

Personality:

Traits: focused, ruthless, smart

(From Dave Wiki Fandom Website) Prior to the events of the Equalizer 2, Dave York served in the U.S. military. At some point, either while still in the military or shortly after his discharge, Dave was recruited into the DIA, and became part of a covert black ops team which consisted of Resnik, Ari, and Kovac. Dave also met former U.S. Marine Robert McCall, who became his team leader, mentor, and close friend. He also befriended fellow DIA agent Susan Plummer. For seven years, Dave and Robert worked together on many covert operations for the DIA. According to Dave himself, most of these operations involved assassinations.

Despite Dave and Robert's close friendship, Robert who had become disillusioned with the DIA and wished to be with his wife, decided to fake his own death. While on a mission in a foreign country, Dave witnessed, what he believed, was Robert being killed in a car bombing (website says 'car bombing' but Dave says 'when that hotel came down on us' in the film, so it's possible the blast from the car bomb destroyed the lobby that Dave was standing in). Three months after Robert's alleged death, Dave's black ops team was then shutdown by the government. Despite this, Dave continued working as an agent for the DIA and worked closely with Susan.

Unbeknownst to Susan and the DIA, Dave secretly went rogue, as he felt disillusioned by the government's decision to shut down his black ops team. He and his former teammates decided to go private and utilized their skills to become assassins and hitmen for hire.

Dave has a cabin that he mentions to McCall in their conversation in the park where he takes his wife and kids for vacations, although it is not stated where this cabin is exactly.

On outer appearance, Dave is a family man. He lives in a suburban house with two cars, a wife and two children and a modest job in the DIA. He is seen taking out the garbage bins and helping his youngest daughter with her homework at the dining table. He refers to both his wife and daughter affectionately as "baby."

Fashion/Outfits:

Outfit 1 - (Opening scene on laptop) Blue suit jacket, white shirt, red and white/silver striped tie

Outfit 2 - (Belgium crime scene) Blue textured two-piece suit, white shirt, red embossed tie, black shoes

Outfit 3 - (Hotel lobby & elevator) Brown three-quarter length trench coat, grey pants, brown belt, blue shirt, red embossed tie

Outfit 4 - (Jogging the park) Blue navy jog pants, blue Adidas trainers with white sole stripes, grey workout jacket, grey round neck t-shirt

Outfit 5 - (On phone to McCall) Dark navy blue two-piece suit, white shirt, blue tie with red dots, black shoes, American flag pin on lapel

Outfit 6 - (At home in his kitchen) Light blue long-sleeved shirt, black slacks, black belt, black shoes

Outfit 7 - (At Robert's House) Black beanie hat, black zip up jacket, black cargo pants, black boots

Outfit 8 - (Final showdown) Green camo soft fleece jacket, black cargo pants (in some scenes they appear dark green), black boots, black fingerless gloves

Accessories: American flag pin badge, black mobile phone, plain gold wedding band on wedding finger, watch on left wrist

Weapons Used:

Weapon(s): (Exact weapons pictured below)

Dave's hand gun is a Beretta M941 9x19mm

Dave's Rifle is a Daniel Defense MK12 with a separate mounted periscope

Dave also uses a knife to stab Susan in the lower third rib, known as a 'close quarter technique'. which would result in almost instant death from a punctured lung. It was a two millimetre stab wound, resulting in a thin blade used.

Dave has a knife he uses in the final fight with McCall, with a black handle and slate looking blade

Modes of Transport:

Vehicle(s):

Dave has two cars parked on his home driveway: a 2017 white/silver Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 which Carol drives, and a black Chevrolet, possibly either a Malibu or a Cruze model, although not confirmed as we don't see him actually drive it. License plate reg looks to be ZX36S3, custom plate made for the film.

Dave is sitting in the driver's seat of a 2017 Silver Ford Taurus outside of McCall's house.

Dave is passenger in the same 2017 Silver Ford Taurus later when he tracks down McCall.

Dialogue:

🗨 See Dave's full dialogue from the film, including deleted scenes.

Further Character Links (if any):

Pedro Pascal Soundbites The Equalizer 2, Equalizer 2 Behind the Scenes Through Antoine's Lens: The Cast, Equalizer 2 Action Scenes Breakdown, Building The World of Equalizer 2

Dave's Wiki Villain Page

FULL MASTERLIST OF PEDRO'S CHARACTERS ANALYSED

[freackthejester]

Here's how some characters from Homestuck vote:

Jane: Republican (search your heart)

Jake: Votes however Jane tells him too, but his choices would be just slightly left of that if he knew anything. But he does not, and that is the tragedy

Dave: Democrat Blue no matter who, because of his childhood crush on Obama. Does not really understand politics and why everything can't just be simple, but has a strong sense of justice and sexiness that leads him kind of in the right direction

Rose: Understands fully what is going on on in DC, but has that npr-listener disease of treating it like sports. When it was 2018, and twitter was the life of the "orange man bad" party, she was able to compose some of the very funniest QTs to 45's most recent outburst. Adrift in the current era

June: true does-not-care-centrist, votes however Rose tells her to vote and avoids talking @ it w/ family

Roxy: Raised carapacian. Understands the importance of local elections. Cares about downballot issues and races and does not heavily consider the national elections. Might 3rd party it for fun or what the race calls for.

Jade: Does not bother to vote. Too busy with community organizing, and picketing to remember what state she legally lives in the finish the mail-0in ballot. it never mattered eneway

Dirk: Does not vote and is Serious about it

[1americanconservative]

Charlie Kirk

The $1.9 TRILLION American Rescue Plan was supposed to be about helping *Americans* recover from idiotic COVID lockdowns.

But for some reason, $500 million of that deficit spending went to the State Department to “resettle refugees.”

$33.7 million went directly to Gaza via the UNRWA, an organization that’s been described as “effectively a branch of Hamas.”

In total, Biden has given this branch of Hamas $730 million since 2021, making the US taxpayer its largest donor in the world.

UNRWA employees in Gaza belong to the Hamas-linked trade union and a number of employees are actual Hamas fighters. UNRWA schools teach kids to hate Jews and glorify terrorism. UNRWA facilities are often used to store rockets, munitions, and serve as human shields for Hamas.

Trump defunded them in 2018 because all of this is common knowledge. But Biden’s State Department says it’s in “America’s national security interest to fund them” despite the group being guilty of war crimes.

Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan ended up being the spark inflation, fund terrorism, and kill Jews plan.

This flow of money must immediately stop and the terrorist sympathizers responsible should be fired and held accountable.

Absolutely infuriating how DC spends our money.

[black-arcana]

THE PRETTY RECKLESS Has 'A Lot' Of Music Written For Upcoming Fifth Album

During an appearance on the May 6 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", THE PRETTY RECKLESS singer Taylor Momsen was asked about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the band's fifth album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't have [release] dates for you, but we booked — we've locked up the studio for eight months. It takes us a while to make a record. But it was going amazingly [before we paused the sessions in order to hit the road]. Hopefully when we pick back up in September, it'll be the same kind of flow and everything will just jell. But a lot of it's written. I'm sure that more will be written when these experiences happen and then new songs [arise] out of them. So I'm sure that there'll be some more songs coming. But I don't have dates. But it was going great, and we had just started; we really haven't started at all, but there's written stuff. So that's a start, I guess. But as far as recording, we hadn't really gotten into it yet."

This past January, THE PRETTY RECKLESS shared a photo of Taylor in the studio with Jonathan Wyman, who co-produced THE PRETTY RECKLESS's latest album, 2021's "Death By Rock And Roll", apparently confirming that Wyman has re-teamed with the group for the upcoming LP.

In a May 2023 interview with Ronni Hunter of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station, Momsen revealed that she and her THE PRETTY RECKLESS bandmates had commenced work on the follow-up to "Death By Rock And Roll".

"We're in a great headspace," she said. "We're just having fun with it, and wrapping up the tour cycle of 'Death By Rock And Roll'. And then new record — and it's next chapter. We've already kind of started it… We've gotten into a studio; we've stepped foot into a studio. So that's saying something for us."

THE PRETTY RECKLESS will support AC/DC on the legendary hard rock band's spring/summer 2024 European tour. Momsen and her bandmates will also open for THE ROLLING STONES this coming Saturday, May 11 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In November 2022, THE PRETTY RECKLESS released a new collection of music, "Other Worlds", via Fearless Records. The effort saw the group delivering its first proper acoustic recordings, unexpected covers and other reimaginings.

"Death By Rock And Roll" was made available in February 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.

Upon release, "Death By Rock And Roll" topped multiple sales charts — including Billboard's Top Albums, Rock, Hard Music, and Digital charts. The record also yielded three back-to-back No. 1 singles — "Death By Rock And Roll", "And So It Went" (featuring Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) and "Only Love Can Save Me Now" (featuring Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of SOUNDGARDEN). The band has tallied seven No. 1 singles at the rock format throughout its career.

"Death By Rock And Roll" was THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS formed in 2009 and consists of Momsen, guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mark Damon and drummer Jamie Perkins.

In 2021, Momsen — who rose to fame portraying the character of edgy little sister Jenny Humphrey on The CW's "Gossip Girl" — described "Death By Rock And Roll" in an interview with ABC Audio as a "battle cry for life and for hope."

"I think that that's something that we can all use a little bit more of, especially right now," she said. "We could always use a little more hope, and we could always use a little more rock and roll."

[maaarine]

Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity (Peggy Orenstein, 2020)

"Nearly 60 percent of American boys in an international 2017 survey said that their parents (usually their dads) were the primary source of restrictive messages about masculinity.

Rob, an eighteen-year-old from New Jersey in his freshman year at a North Carolina college, said his father would tell him to “man up” if he was struggling in school or on the baseball field.

“That’s why I never talk to anybody about any problems I’m having,” he said.

“Because I always think, If you can’t handle this on your own, then you aren’t a man, you aren’t trying hard enough, you’re being a bitch.”

Rob’s roommate, Ely, who grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, got a similar message, though in a subtler form.

“My dad wasn’t sexist,” he said. “I didn’t learn ‘toxic’ or homophobic behavior from him. But I certainly learned the emotionally stunted side of masculinity. He never showed emotion: he was more of a sigh-and-walk-away guy than someone who would talk to you about what was going on.”

A 2018 national survey of over a thousand adolescents found that although girls believed there were “many ways to be a girl” (the big, honkin’ caveat being they still felt valued primarily for their appearance), boys felt there was only one narrow pathway to successful manhood.

They still equated the display of most emotions, as well as vulnerability, crying, or appearing sensitive or moody, with “acting like a girl”—which, in case you were wondering, is not a good thing.

A third of the boys surveyed agreed that they should hide or suppress their feelings when they were sad or scared.

Another third, like Rob, had felt pressure to “be a man” and “suck it up.”

Over 40 percent agreed that when they were angry, society expected them to be aggressive; the next most common response was that they should do nothing, keep quiet, and, again, “suck it up.”

Only 2 percent associated maleness with qualities such as honesty or morality, and only 8 percent with leadership—traits that are, of course, admirable in anyone but have traditionally been ascribed to masculinity.

Young American men also report more social pressure than other nationalities to be ever ready for sex and have as many partners as possible; feel a stronger stigma against homosexuality; and receive more messages that they should conform to rigid gender roles in the home and control their female partners, even to the point of violence."

[soranatus]

Zatanna on the DC Nation variant cover by Jorge Jiménez (2018)

[mariacallous]

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is expected to secure his third term in power in a Sunday presidential election that critics have called a sham, as global attention is focused on the bloody war in neighboring Gaza.

The 69-year-old president has enjoyed two months of a pause in criticism from Western allies over his authoritarian rule and heightened crackdown on dissent, experts say, attributing the shift to Sisi’s renewed diplomatic relevance on the international stage due to the Israel-Hamas war.

Several top Western officials have paid Sisi visits since the war began, including United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

H.A. Hellyer, nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in London, said that Cairo has historically been “a critical interlocutor for the international community in general when it comes to the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

“As the Israeli-Palestinian question diminished in importance in many policy arenas, which was clearly a fundamentally flawed approach, so did Cairo’s geopolitical weight,” Hellyer told CNN, adding that with the Palestinian issue now prominently back in discussions, “there is a new prioritization internationally for good and comprehensive contact with Egypt.”

Egypt controls the Rafah crossing, the sole remaining link between the Gaza Strip – which Hamas controls – and the outside world. Egyptian officials have played mediation roles in previous wars between Israel and Hamas, as Cairo maintains diplomatic ties with both sides. During the current conflict, Egypt’s good offices have been used to deliver crucial aid into Gaza and to help secure the release of some of the hostages held there by Hamas since its militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting more than 240 others.

Egypt has also helped foreign nationals escape the carnage in Gaza, along with injured Palestinians. More than 17,000 Palestinians have so far been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, which cites sources from the Hamas-controlled enclave. Aid has also been able to trickle into Gaza through Rafah.

Meanwhile, Sisi is moving to quietly secure another presidential term with little to no opposition at home or abroad, critics say.

“There are no elections. There is electoral theater,” Timothy Kaldas, deputy director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy in Washington, DC, told CNN, citing the lack of viable opposition to Sisi.

The former field marshal rose to power in 2013 after overthrowing Mohamed Morsy, Egypt’s only democratically elected president, in a military coup. Sisi ran for president in 2014 and 2018, winning both elections with a sweeping majority. In 2019, his government passed constitutional amendments that permitted him to run for a third term.

“The terrible violence we’re witnessing (in Gaza) helped Sisi divide the attention of the public from their domestic concerns onto what’s happening, particularly the Palestinians in Gaza,” Kaldas said. “And as a result, somewhat reduce the level of focus on their own domestic plight, particularly their economic struggles.”

Egypt has also spent the past two months reminding its international partners of how “vitally important” it is, Kaldas said. Egypt can say: “See the useful role we play in negotiations and facilitation of the humanitarian assistance that needs to go to Gaza,” he added.

Sisi has appeared keen to capitalize on the crisis and present himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause. In a speech last month, the president repeated his call for a ceasefire, as well as his refusal of the “displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip,” calling such a prospect a red line.

While diplomats have been focused on Gaza, critics and human rights groups have lambasted Egypt over the past two months for what they say is its suppression of political dissent and silencing of opposition candidates.

Former lawmaker Ahmed el-Tantawy, who was the most prominent potential challenger to Sisi before he ended his campaign in October, said his supporters were restricted from registering their endorsements for him. He ended his campaign after failing to register the number of signatures required to run.

The Egyptian National Elections Authority (NEA) denied el-Tantawy’s claims, according to state media.

Three other candidates are running for president, with little support expected for each. These are the head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Farid Zahran; Wafd party nominee Abdel Sanad Yamama; and Republican Peoples’ Party candidate Hazem Omar.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International said last month that “genuine opposition candidates (were) barred from running” in Sunday’s election, adding that since October 1, Egyptian authorities “have arrested and interrogated at least 196 individuals due to their participation in unauthorized protests, as well as on allegations of engaging in terrorism-related activities and spreading ‘false news.’”

Amnesty also criticized Egypt’s prosecution of el-Tantawy, along with members of his campaign, which the rights group says are under fire “in retaliation for exercising their rights to political participation and to freedom of expression and association.”

El-Tantawy is accused of circulating election-related papers without the permission of the authorities. His trial date was pushed to January 9.

“Once more, the Egyptian authorities lay bare their utter intolerance for even the faintest whisper of dissent,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, as he urged the country to lift “sweeping restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.”

The Egyptian government’s foreign press center did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

‘No one will come out to vote’

Just days before the election, streets in the capital, Cairo, were draped with large banners bearing Sisi’s portrait. An increased security presence is noticeable throughout the city, with officers and checkpoints dotting squares, highways and the entrances to bridges.

Among those boosting the pro-Sisi campaign is the Nation’s Future Party. “We are all with you” and “beloved of millions,” read the party’s pro-Sisi banners.

Despite the president’s high-profile election campaign, public sentiment is marked by frustration. Grievances regarding the economy are most evident.

Magdy Gerges, an Egyptian in his 50s who works as a driver, said economic hardships were painful, but that he feels a sense of security under Sisi’s rule.

“I’m one of those who suffer from the high prices, but this man (Sisi) gives me something more important than food; that I feel safe whenever my daughters go out,” Gerges told CNN. “By the end of the day, we will manage with our income, but what good is money if there is no security?” he said.

Gerges noted however that there are no other viable alternative candidates for voters to choose from, especially given the region’s precarious security situation.

“Even if we want to choose someone else, we have no alternative,” he said.

Another citizen, who asked to remain anonymous fearing reprisal from Egyptian authorities, questioned the legitimacy of Sunday’s election, saying polling stations will be empty since Sisi’s victory is clear.

“No one will come out to vote. People know the result in advance, so why this farce?” the man told CNN, saying it might have been better to “save these huge sums of money in the difficult economic conditions we are living in.”

Hellyer, of the Carnegie Endowment, said that with the current crisis in Gaza, Cairo might even see “potential for substantial economic assistance” from foreign nations, given the role it has played.

Egypt has been struggling to dig itself out of a debt hole that experts say requires structural reforms to avert economic collapse. Cairo’s allies in the Persian Gulf, who for years bailed out the most populous Arab nation, had in recent months criticized Egypt, saying the days of blank cheques are now over.

Egypt’s economic woes are far from resolved. Inflation is still high, and a foreign currency crisis remains unremedied. The country is also yet to meet the terms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $3 billion loan secured in December 2022 but which is yet to be disbursed.

Kaldas, of the Tahrir Institute, said that the Egyptian pound is expected to devalue further. The dollar now trades officially at 31 Egyptian pounds, and if the government decides to further devalue the exchange rate after the elections, that will translate to higher inflation, a deepening of economic hardship for individuals and businesses, and a rise in poverty, he said.

“There is no short-term scenario that doesn’t mean more economic pain for the average Egyptian,” Kaldas added.

The election takes place from December 10 to December 12. Results are expected by December 18.

[sukimas]

Kela (in total, not just college; Finland's social security program) costs ~16.9 billion euros per year. Finland has ~5.6 million people. Therefore, Kela costs about 3015 euro (or 3285 dollars) per person. A United States equivalent of Kela (properly managed) would cost 1.09 trillion dollars per year.

The total cost of the US Social Security program for the year 2021 was $1.145 trillion or about 5 percent of U.S. GDP.

Even assuming scaling administration costs, US Social Security provides nowhere near the number and amount of benefits Kela does. There is no reason that its cost should be 105% of what Kela's is (scaled for size).

The United States isn't impossible to make into a welfare state because the money is not available. The United States is impossible to make into a welfare state because its administration should be the laughingstock of the world for how poorly it is managed and run. We can only manage to stop paying more for less if we actually realize this and start taking steps to reduce the administrative bloat that is present in all of our institutions, from the local high school to the Federal Reserve.

A better world is possible! Know this: it is only so if you know the causes of this world's failures, instead of shadowboxing against Elon Musk. Billionaires should not exist- but neither should a Social Security system that costs 105% the price of one that also provides health insurance and university. This isn't just from employee number scaling, either- the Social Security Administration of the US has 60,000 employees. Kela has 6,000. The US has a population 59.3x the size of Finland, with a social security administration only 10x larger. By all accounts, Kela should cost more per head!

The United States is not a "failed state"- that means something very different- but the things it has achieved in the past (interstate highway system, post office, incredible freight rail, scientific innovations) are not achievable now. Institutions drag their feet and chase ghosts instead of looking to their more successful contemporaries. The US is not a failed state, but it is certainly a failure of a state.

I'll leave the post on this anecdote: The Washington DC Metro's Silver Line- connecting the capital of the nation to the international airport regularly used by the President of the United States, and arguably the singular piece of publicly funded infrastructure of most import to Congress- received a funding contract for line completion in 2014. The line was scheduled to open in 2018.

In actuality, the line opened in November of 2022.

[dcbinges]

DC Nation #0 (2018) Variant by Clay Mann & Jordie Bellaire

[winxanity-ii]

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