#Els accessibility tools

[myspotlessmindx]

i’m going to start sharing tools i use for accessibility under Els Accessibility Tools!!

first up is an app called Remote Mouse. it allows you to connect your phone to your computer and use your phone screen as the mouse and keyboard for the computer! as someone who doesn’t have use of their hands, this has been an absolute game changer for my technology use. i hope that it can be helpful for you guys as well(:

EDIT: there is a free version as well

[fbfh]

stark tower - basement lvl 1

Floor B1: shipping/receiving, loading docks, and inventory

primary shipping and receiving area, loading docks for larger cargo, general inventory

also contains freight and cargo elevators and loading docks for deliveries

additionally also has secure elevators for employees, as well as a secure stairwell

probably has employee bathrooms (I feel like there's at least one or two per floor this is a bigass building)

also I know some people don't like ai images (which I totally get the internet is v oversaturated with it right now) I've added a cut. below are visuals/concept images for this floor of stark tower, enjoy!!

DISCLAIMER: the above images were generated using ai (chatgpt and gentube) as concept/inspiration images

[goofygubegubler]

𝑺𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒐𝒃𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅

Spencer throws out a comment so uncharacteristically bold that even Morgan is speechless.

wc: 768 | F!Reader (established relationship) | cw: VERY suggestive

A/N: I’m honestly blown away by all the love on my first fic—thank you so much! I’ve got more in the works, including blurbs and maybe even a few one-shots. My asks are open, so feel free to send requests or just chat! Hope you enjoy this one—it's short and oh so sweet <3

Your desk was a mess—files spread out, coffee half-drunk, and a notepad filled with half-legible scribbles. Across from you, Spencer was deep in his own pile of paperwork, meticulously writing everything out by hand, as usual. Despite having access to every digital tool imaginable, he still swore by pen and paper, claiming it helped him retain information better. It was kinda endearing, in a stubborn, old-man way.

You were in the middle of reviewing a case file, flipping through pages while absentmindedly tapping your pen against your desk, when you heard Morgan stroll over to Spencer’s desk.

“Come on, pretty boy,” Morgan said, dropping his coffee onto Spencer's desk with a thud. “You mean to tell me you, the guy who once used the word ‘cloacal kiss’ in casual conversation, has nothing to say about his own mating habits?”

Your fingers hovered over your mouse as you scrolled through your playlist on your monitor, hesitating between switching to something instrumental or letting the indie rock keep playing. Oh boy. Here we go.

Spencer barely looked up, flipping a page in his file. “Because, unlike you, I don’t feel the need to turn my personal life into locker room talk.”

Morgan grinned. "I’m just saying, man, if all that reading has you treating sex like a final exam, I got some study guides for you."

Spencer finally lifted his head, blinking at him like he was the dumbest person alive. “Morgan, your definition of 'expertise' is having a lot of experience. Mine is actually understanding the mechanics of what you’re talking about.”

Morgan scoffed. “That’s not even—listen, Savannah and I are solid, okay? And I’m just saying, for a guy who overexplains everything, you sure get real quiet about this topic.”

Spencer gave him a flat look, putting his pen down. "Morgan, sex isn’t complicated. It’s just applied physics with a little bit of chemistry—and if done correctly, some very impressive biology."

JJ, who had apparently been listening in, snorted. "That might be the nerdiest thing you’ve ever said—and that’s saying something."

Morgan threw up his hands. "See? This is what I’m talking about! The man could turn seduction into a science fair project."

Morgan pointed at Spencer, then at you, then back at Spencer, clearly trying to form a comeback. Before he could, Spencer sighed and said, "Morgan, what do you want me to say? Yes, I have sex. Yes, I enjoy it. No, I’m not about to give you a play-by-play."

Morgan opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, searching for something—anything—that wouldn't result in him taking yet another loss. Finally, he let out a deep sigh, grabbed his coffee, and pointed a finger at Spencer. "We're not done."

Spencer just smiled, leaning back slightly in his chair. "Morgan, I hate to break it to you, but we were done the moment you started this conversation."

You were still working, or at least making a half-hearted attempt at it, but you weren’t exactly subtle. Your grip on the pen had tightened, your page-flipping slowed, and the barely-contained smirk on your face was giving you away completely. Spencer noticed—of course, he did. His sharp eyes flicked toward you, and the way his lips curled just slightly told you he knew you were listening.

He tilted his head, eyebrows raised in amusement. "Don’t act like you didn’t hear that."

You huffed, shaking your head as you clicked play on your music.

The first few soft notes of "Juno" by Sabrina Carpenter filtered through your headphones.

But your mind was already elsewhere—lingering on the way Spencer had leaned back so casually, how he hadn’t hesitated once, how damn sure of himself he had been. You bit your lip, heat crawling up your spine. You liked the way he’d said it—like he knew exactly what effect he had on you, and he wasn’t afraid to use it. Like he enjoyed it. Like he was claiming something, not just stating a fact. And that was the part that really got to you. You liked being seen, being wanted, being talked about like you were something worth studying, something worth knowing inside and out.

But you were at work. And work meant focus, control, and professionalism. You exhaled, straightening in your chair and forcing your attention back to the case file in front of you. Even as you tried to push it aside, the heat still curled in your stomach, his voice replaying in your head like a song you couldn’t shake.

And then, as if on cue, Sabrina Carpenter’s voice cut through the moment:

 "Sorry if you feel objectified."

[najia-cooks]

[ID: One puffy circle of bread, and three which have been halved to show an internal pocket, on a striped blue and white kitchen towel. End ID]

خبز الكماج / Khubiz al-kmaj (Palestinian flatbread)

Khubiz al-kmaj is a thin flatbread with an internal pocket. It is commonly eaten with breakfast to scoop up dips such as hummus, used to eat stews, served alongside main dishes, and used to make sandwiches and to wrap falafel. "خُبْز," pronounced "khubz" or (in Levantine varieties of Arabic) "khubiz," comes from the root خ ب ز (kh-b-z), which also produces the word "خَبَزَ" "khabaza" (Levantine: "خَبَز" "khabaz"), "to bake."‎

This bread is eaten across the Levant and in Greece, with slight differences in terminology and style. It is variously called "خُبْز العَرَبِيّ" (khubz al-'arabiyy; Arabian bread), "خُبْز "البَلَدِيّ (khubz al-baladiyy; bread from my country), or (occasionally) "خُبْز البيتة" or "البيتا" (khubz al-bita), a borrowing from "pita." ("Pita" itself is perhaps from Greek "πίτα" "pita," or the modern Hebrew "פיתה.") The bread is referred to as "khubiz al-kmaj" in Palestine, from the Turkic "kömeç" / كُمَجْ‎ ("bread baked in ashes"). The collective term for the bread in general is كماج (kmāj); each individual piece of bread is referred to with the singulative "كماجة‎" (kmāja).

Today, kmaj is frequently made with white flour; some people add olive oil or milk powder to ensure a very soft dough. Leila el-Haddad writes that a more traditional method omits milk and uses whole white spring wheat, a whiteish wheat grain harvested in late spring and ground without removing the bran.

Since the late 20th century, many Palestinian households have used an electric cooker (طنجرة الكهرباء; ṭanjara al-kahrabā') to cook kmaj, placing one kmaja inside of the chamber and one on top and allowing both to bake at the same time. These aluminum and tin cookers, which were invented in Gaza and became popular there during the first intifada in the late 1980s, are designed to route electricity through a metal pipe or spiral wire on the underside of their lids, heating both the top and the inside of the cooker simultaneously.

The cookers' popularity can be attributed in part to a curfew that Israel imposed on Gazan refugee camps during the intifada, supposedly in an attempt to restrict the movements of resistance fighters. Refugees in the Jabalia camp in the north, for example, unable to afford home stoves, and without the necessary outdoor space to make familial clay ovens, would have to wait in line for hours every day to get bread from shared ovens, risking curfew violations; household electric cookers were far more convenient. The success of local industry and innovation in the form of Gazan-manufactured technology was also symbolically and strategically important during the first intifada, in which Palestinians employed strikes and boycotts (largely organized by women) of Israeli companies and goods as a strategy of resistance to occupation.

An electric cooker is still today considered a very important tool, as it spares families the need to purchase kmaj (the price of which was soaring compared to the cost of flour in the 2010s, and which was often of inferior quality compared to what could be made at home). They are frequently given as wedding or housewarming presents. Lack of access to electricity, though, imposes a limiting condition on the usage of these cookers, as Israel has for over a decade strangled the flow of power to Gaza: Abier Almasri wrote in 2017 that tasks such as cooking and laundry had to be rushed during the four or so hours a day when electricity was available. In this environment, electric cookers are useful in that they can prepare a lot of bread in a short period of time. Fathia Radwan said in 2022 that she would wake up early, after the nightly power outage, to prepare more than 100 loaves of bread at a time for her family of nine.

Today, the taxes that Israel levies on imports of raw materials into Gaza makes the cost of new electric cookers, which sometimes exceeds 120 shekels (37 USD), too expensive for some families to afford. The difficulty and expense of importing materials, and the impossibility of exporting goods to foreign markets with the advent of the 2007 siege, also limit the number of factories in Gaza that are able to manufacture these cooking pots. The aluminum industry, introduced to Gaza in the 1960s and once the basis of a manufacturing and economic renaissance in the region, deteriorated as a result of the siege, as factories were no longer able to export goods to the West Bank and were newly reliant on imports of raw materials from Egypt. Even parts to repair electric cookers are expensive, due to a tax levied on items judged by Israel to have a "dual," i.e. a possible civilian and military, use.

Still, repairman Iyad Faraj estimates that over half the homes in Gaza have and use an electric cooker, as maintaining, repairing, and operating one is cheaper than having a gas pipe installed (at 68 shekels, 20 USD) and purchasing gas. Electric pots thus stand in many homes as both a utilitarian item, and a symbol of Palestinian ingenuity and resistance to Israel's attempts at impoverishment and starvation.

Support Palestinian resistance by contributing to Palestine Action’s bail fund or to Palestine Legal’s defence fund, by attending court or making a sign to support the Elbit Eight, or by buying an e-sim for distribution in Gaza.

Ingredients:

500g (4 cups + 3 Tbsp) white whole wheat (spring) flour

1/2 Tbsp (5g) active dry yeast

1/2 Tbsp (6.25g) vegetarian granulated sugar

1/2 Tbsp (7.25g) kosher salt

About 2 1/4 cups (530mL) room-temperature water, divided

Olive oil

White whole wheat flour is flour that has a white color once ground, despite the fact that it includes both the bran and the germ of the wheatberry. It is milled from white spring wheat (so named because it is harvested in late spring).

You may instead mix white all-purpose flour and brown whole wheat flour in your desired proportion. Keep in mind that whole wheat flour will need more water and more kneading than white flour. If you’re using all white flour, you will need about 1 1/4 cup (300mL) water.

Instructions:

1. Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add water gradually until dry ingredients come together into a sticky dough.

2. Knead the dough on the countertop or in a wide, shallow bowl until smooth, about 5 minutes. (If using whole wheat or white whole wheat flour) continue incorporating water into the dough as you knead to maintain a tacky texture.

3. Fold the dough into a ball and return to the bowl, seam-side down. Pat the top of the dough with some olive oil, cover the bowl, and let rise for an hour.

4. Pinch the dough into about 8 balls of equal size (about 110g each). Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball of dough into a circle about 1/4" (1/2cm) in thickness. Set dough circles on a surface prepared with parchment paper and cover closely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let rest and ferment for at least 1 and up to 10 hours.

An overnight rest is traditional in Palestine and will create a more complex flavor in the bread (see note below).

6. Remove each circle of dough from its resting place with a metal spatula and roll it out to a 1/4” thickness again. Preheat a baking stone or sheet in the top third of an oven at 500 °F (260 °C), and then cook breads in the oven for three minutes, until large bubbles have begun to form.

7. Flip bread over and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side, until golden brown and puffed up completely.

8. Wrap breads in a kitchen towel or tea towel and allow to steam for a few minutes while the others cook.

Notes

The climate where I live is dry enough that I have discovered a risk of my breads becoming crackers if I leave them out overnight. The dried-out flatbread does puff up in the oven, but the resulting product is not as nice and fluffy as it should be.

Through experimentation, I have found the best method of both preventing drying out and guaranteeing that the flatbreads will puff up during cooking the next day is:

1. Roll out the dough and place dough circles on a lightly oiled surface. Cover them closely with lightly oiled plastic wrap.

2. The next day, fold dough circles back into balls. Place seam-side down and roll out again on a lightly floured surface.

3. Bake as described above.

If you live in a humid environment, the first instructions given in the recipe above should work for you.

[camerainbow]

✨More HOPECORE for Eddie Diaz✨

Post-Finale - S8 Seismic Shifts Ep. 18 - A Rant

I think some of us forget that Eddie is still generally repressed. Like yes he was able to take control of the Chris situation and stand up to his parents to get him back but that’s not the totality of his emotional repression. (He in a ways had to get permission from his son and Buck to step up to the plate in that situation)

When Chimney made that speech and snatched that phone away in the finale: Eddie probably felt some (newfound) permission to choose his own happiness over the duties he’s made up in his head. I’m seeing some people act like Chimney commanded Eddie return and Eddie felt he had no choice. The moving back logistics not being included on screen in the episode made it seem easy but in reality Eddie made a huge step in choosing happiness/comfort. Fighting for his own life he had built not merely fitting himself in someone else’s (no shade to Chris).

This is a man who re-enlisted himself in the military for his family and almost always prioritizes something over his own comfort (thinking of others first- Ex. Letting Chris leave for El Paso). The speech scene wasn’t as extensive as necessary to properly convey but I think from it Eddie felt like his chosen family was finally telling him he was wanted/needed in their lives (he assumed ~resigned himself to the idea that~ they didn’t need him long term or in person, yes there’s the 8x17 storyline but that’s treated as short term assistance for Buck, not long term).

Him not snapping at Buck choosing to transfer in the early parts of the finale was proof that Eddie doesn’t even have the tools to stop destructive behavior of his loved ones, so why does it feel like some of the fandom assumes he has easy access to those tools for himself? Though he was surprised by what Buck said, he didn’t fight back at Buck in that scene because he understood what Buck was doing. Eddie staying strict to his plan to go back to Texas, even after choosing to be there with his 118 family during the emergency, is him running away from the pain of the changed circumstances of the 118 with Bobby gone (just like Buck, even though for Eddie it is way more convenient). He allowed himself a prolonged stay for his own grief but still thought about his “duty” to create stability for Chris in Texas.

I understand people wanting more Chris and Eddie development (resolution) in season 8 after the whole situation that caused Chris to leave. However I do feel like the addition of the finale montage scene with Chris wanting to go see his friends and asking Eddie was them reminding the audience that Chris had a life in L.A. before he left and similarly to Eddie I think he did not enjoy El Paso for a multitude of reasons (his grandparents probably sucked a lot of the life out of it). Thus Chris was more understanding than a lot of the fandom assumes he would be at a decision of this caliber (moving back) from his dad (think back to earlier s8 with how they show his love for his dad and how he didn’t replace that role in his life with his grandparents like Eddie sorta assumed).

Hence, yes there was some meh writing for the speech scene (concerning Eddie) but I think I can understand how it and the rest of the episode fits for his character. Let’s hope he continues on a trajectory of choosing joy and not feeling burdened.

Going forward, I do assume he still feels burdened by the expectation of replacing Shannon for Chris, but I think he will start to realize that Chris is fine without it (since he is growing up) and that will give him permission to actually realize what he wants over what he thinks he needs. Having that in S9 will help bring more resolution to that whole situation that caused Chris to leave.

In conclusion, Eddie Diaz is trying his best and I think he is on a good path moving forward! :) <3

[subdee]

In case you needed something positive to read today.

Even if Trump becomes the most unpopular American President of all time - which seems likely - and even if the Republican Congress finds a spine and votes to remove him, I doubt he will leave office peacefully, especially after he's deliberately replaced the all the highest ranking officers of the military with his cronies.

Also, every day Trump and company stay in office is another day DOGE guts government databases - just today "a whistleblower alleged that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency gained high-level access to internal systems at the National Labor Relations Board and removed around 10 gigabytes of sensitive data....DOGE staff disabled logging tools, deleted records, and left parts of the system exposed to the public internet."

Becoming so unpopular that even Republicans are clamoring to remove him is still the first step, though

And on that part. Turns out that when you ask people the specifics of Trump/Miller's immigration policies, and not something broad like "do you agree with Trump's policies on immigration," US citizens on the whole do NOT approve.

So there you go. Something positive. It was exhausting thinking that my fellow Americans actually wanted all the crap we are getting, however the good news is: We don't!!!!

But we do need Republicans, specially, to wake up and get with the program about what a disaster this administration has been in only 3 months.

And then to help the rest of us think about what we can do now, BEFORE the 45 billion for ICE actually materializes and El Salvadore goes ahead with Trump's joking-but-not proposal to build five more "places" aka holding pens for warehousing people indefinitely beyond the reach of US laws aka concentration camps.

[kiragecko]

DC Costume Timeline Links

As the internet gets harder and harder to search, I'm losing to access to one of its best features - sites by probably autistic people highlighting every costume a character has ever worn, down to issues where the boots got miscoloured.

I'm going to attempt to archive these sites. And also more normal sites that just provide good information. But I already can't find a lot of my former mainstays, so I'm asking for help if any of you know anything!

They need to actually mention dates for the costumes. Preferably issue number as well, but I'm much more flexible when we get to supporting characters. And, sadly, most of the images need to still load.

This is what I've got so far (***** means the I was praising the authour in my first paragraph, no stars means its normal):

WONDER FAMILY

Diana/Wonder Woman

https://carolastrickland.wordpress.com/the-wondie-suit/ *****

https://ew.com/books/wonder-woman-costumes-evolution/

Donna Troy/Troia

https://carolastrickland.wordpress.com/donna-troy-costumes/ *****

Cassie Sandsmark/Wonder Girl

https://carolastrickland.wordpress.com/cassie-sandsmark-costumes/ *****

https://bookriot.com/wonder-girl-outfits/ (much less complete, but still good)

(And also, since it’s available:

Hippolyta

https://carolastrickland.wordpress.com/hippolyta-costumes/ *****

SUPERFAMILY

Clark Kent/Superman

https://www.metropolisplus.com/Superman/ *****

https://www.ranker.com/list/superman-costume-evolution/pierce-nahigyan

https://www.supermansupersite.com/evolution.html (just a picture, but it IS a thorough one!)

Kara Zor-El/Supergirl

https://www.metropolisplus.com/supergirl/ *****

https://nerdist.com/article/supergirl-complete-costume-history-from-the-1950s-comics-to-the-flash-movie/

https://maidofmight.wordpress.com/minor-detour-a-dedicated-follower-of-fashion/

Karen Starr/Power Girl

https://carolastrickland.wordpress.com/power-girl/ *****

https://bookriot.com/fashion-disasters-power-girl/

http://www.dccontinuityproject.com/power-girl.html

Matrix/Linda Danvers/Supergirl

https://maidofmight.net/history/linda-danvers/costumes/

Kon-El/Superboy

Jon Kent/Superboy

BATFAMILY

Bruce Wayne/Batman

https://ultimatebatmancomicswebsite.weebly.com/the-bat-suit.html

https://batman-news.com/2024/05/29/batsuit-evolution/

https://www.criminalelement.com/the-evolution-of-the-batsuit/

Dick Grayson/Nightwing

https://nightwingology.blogspot.com/2020/09/tools-of-trade-nightwings-costume-gear.html

Barbara Gordon/Oracle

Jason Todd/Red Hood

https://ultimatebatmancomicswebsite.weebly.com/robin-i-ii-graysontodd.html

Tim Drake/Red Robin

https://www.tumblr.com/batboyblog/617193218576154624/tim-drakes-costume-through-the-years

https://ultimatebatmancomicswebsite.weebly.com/robin-iii-drake.html

https://ultimatebatmancomicswebsite.weebly.com/robin-iii---tim-drake.html

Stephanie Brown/Spoiler

https://stephaniebrown.fandom.com/wiki/Costume_History *****

https://ultimatebatmancomicswebsite.weebly.com/robin-iv-brown.html

Cass Cain/Black Bat

https://www.tumblr.com/cassbatgirlblog/650557028479221760/all-of-cassandra-cains-costumes

Damian Wayne/Robin

https://ultimatebatmancomicswebsite.weebly.com/robin-v-wayne.html

https://www.tumblr.com/damianwayneoutfits (live archive of clothes Damian has worn!)

Duke Thomas/Signal

Helena Wayne and Helena Bertinelli/Huntress

https://www.tumblr.com/helenawaynehuntress/36967260723/while-there-is-no-easier-way-to-completely-tell

Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael

FLASH FAMILY

ARROW FAMILY

Ollie Queen/Green Arrow

Roy Harper/Arsenal

https://everydayislikewednesday.blogspot.com/2007/08/roy-harper-fashion-history.html

https://bookriot.com/fashion-disasters-roy-harper/

Connor Hawke/Green Arrow

Mia Dearden/Speedy

BLACK CANARY

https://screenrant.com/black-canary-every-costume-otto-schmidt-art/ (just a picture, but it IS a thorough one!)

AQUA FAMILY

Arthur Curry/Aquaman

https://aiptcomics.com/2018/10/06/every-aquaman-costume-from-the-comics-and-movies-from-1941-to-date/

LANTERNS

Hal Jordan

Guy Gardner

https://bookriot.com/fashion-disasters-guy-gardner/

John Stewart

Kyle Rayner

https://bookriot.com/kyle-rayner-fashion-heroes/

MARTIANS

ZATANNA

https://bookriot.com/fashion-disasters-zatanna/

WILSON FAMILY

Slade Wilson/Deathstroke

Grant Wilson/Ravager

Joey Wilson/Jericho

https://bookriot.com/fashion-disasters-jericho/

Rose Wilson-Worth/Ravager

TEENS

Gar Logan/Beast Boy

https://bookriot.com/beast-boy-fashion/

Koriand’r/Starfire

https://bookriot.com/fashion-disasters-starfire/

-

I might make another post when I've got more links and have cleaned things up a bit. (I KNOW there's a Raven page, but haven't looked for it yet, for example.) Or maybe I'll just make this one nicer. We'll see. But my new, possibly spyware, firefox add-on can only do so much work! There are INFINITE "cosplay idea" sites clogging up my search results, and keeping me from finding the correct 30 year old sites designed before frames existed, with tiny images a Windows 95 computer could PROBABLY load!

[mariacallous]

Sudan’s rival generals have ignored warnings of mass starvation. In more than a year of brutal war, the two military factions have weaponized humanitarian aid.

Sudan’s de facto leader, military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has blocked aid into at least half of the country under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti. Meanwhile, the RSF is obstructing trucks into places held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Local volunteers running soup kitchens have been targeted and killed by the RSF, particularly in Khartoum, Sudanese aid workers told FP.

The conflict has created the world’s largest hunger and internal displacement crises. The fighting has pushed 25 million people, more than half the nation’s population, into acute hunger and forced about 11 million people to flee their homes, including 2.3 million who fled abroad. More than two million Sudanese could die by the end of this year, aid agencies warn.

In areas where there is food available, extortion and attacks on traders at checkpoints have raised prices. Women have recounted having sex with SAF soldiers in exchange for food. Reports of torture, rape, the use of children under 15 in the fighting, and ethnic-based massacres by the RSF and armed militias have surged over the past year.

“People are dying of hunger in the capital,” said Mathilde Vu, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s advocacy advisor in Sudan. “We are looking at the risk of starvation being used as a weapon of war. … This needs to be monitored. The policymakers already have a tool for that. The U.N. Security Council resolution about conflict and hunger, and what they need to put in place is a monitoring of that.”

Both sides in Sudan’s nearly 17-month civil war have committed “harrowing” abuses that may amount to war crimes, a U.N.-mandated mission reported on Friday, calling for a countrywide arms embargo. Sudan’s military government rejected a proposal by U.N. experts to deploy a peacekeeping force to protect civilians.

Compounding the situation, the humanitarian response is critically underfunded. A $2.7 billion U.N. appeal has been just 32 percent funded. Much of that funding has come from the United States. However, aid agencies say local volunteers on the ground need to be better supported since a cease-fire is highly unlikely in the immediate future.

Famine was declared in Zamzam camp housing about 500,000 displaced people near the besieged city of El Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur—areas where the RSF is blocking aid trucks. There’s a realistic chance of famine in 16 other areas, Vu said, but precise figures are hard to confirm. Last month, the SAF agreed to open the Adré border crossing from landlocked Chad into Sudan, for a period of three months. But international aid agencies told FP that the SAF has made things difficult through lengthy authorizations ensuring only a trickle of shipments gets in.

U.S. envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey this week in the latest attempt by the Biden administration to expand humanitarian access in Sudan, following failed peace talks in Geneva. The conflict risks turning into a forever war, in which various external actors seize the opportunity to extend their influence. Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Russia have been accused of arming warring parties.

While such negotiations are essential, U.S. attention and pressure should also focus on other regional powers with a vested interest in the conflict such as Eritrea and Ethiopia. Foreign mercenaries from Chad, Mali, Niger, the Central African Republic, and Libya are believed to be fighting in Sudan.

Pressuring regional powers could engage local armed militias allied to the warring parties in ultimately ensuring access to places like El Fasher. “It will create more of a buffer than two guys signing an agreement in Jeddah” and then breaking it, Vu said. “You cannot bypass the regional powers. … They really are the ones who have the leverage. It’s very important that Western powers engage them so that they have a constructive role in this crisis rather than a harmful one,” she added. Even if Burhan and Hemeti signed a peace deal, many of the local armed groups involved would likely not abide by it.

Both generals have held meetings with several African leaders, while the African Union has been largely absent in peace negotiations. More recently, Burhan held meetings with Eritrea’s president, Isaias Afwerki, and Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, at the China-Africa summit.

[meret118]

The cogent documentary, “Surveilled,” now available on HBO, tracks journalist Ronan Farrow as he investigates the proliferation and implementation of spyware, specifically, Pegasus, which was created by the Israeli company NSO Group. The company sells its product to clients who use it to fight crime and terrorism. It is claimed that Pegasus was instrumental in helping capture Mexican drug lord, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman. However, there are also reports that NSO’s products are being used to target journalists, human rights activists and political dissidents.

. . .

Farrow: I put up a piece in The New Yorker this week. It was fascinating to talk to experts in the privacy law space who are really in a high state of alarm right now. The United States, under administrations from both parties, has flirted with this technology in ways that is alarming. Under the first Trump administration, they bought Pegasus. They claimed they were buying it to test it and see what our enemies were doing, and The New York Times later sued them for more information and found really persuasive evidence that the FBI wanted to operationalize that in American law enforcement investigations.

In September, the Department of Homeland Security (D.H.S.) signed a two-million-dollar contract with Paragon, an Israeli firm whose spyware product Graphite focusses on breaching encrypted-messaging applications such as Telegram and Signal. Wired first reported that the technology was acquired by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—an agency within D.H.S. that will soon be involved in executing the Trump Administration’s promises of mass deportations and crackdowns on border crossings. A source at Paragon told me that the deal followed a vetting process, during which the company was able to demonstrate that it had robust tools to prevent other countries that purchase its spyware from hacking Americans—but that wouldn’t limit the U.S. government’s ability to target its own citizens. The technology is part of a booming multibillion-dollar market for intrusive phone-hacking software that is making government surveillance increasingly cheap and accessible. In recent years, a number of Western democracies have been roiled by controversies in which spyware has been used, apparently by defense and intelligence agencies, to target opposition politicians, journalists, and apolitical civilians caught up in Orwellian surveillance dragnets.

Now Donald Trump and incoming members of his Administration will decide whether to curtail or expand the U.S. government’s use of this kind of technology. Privacy advocates have been in a state of high alarm about the colliding political and technological trend lines.

“It’s just so evident—the impending disaster,” Emily Tucker, the executive director at the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown Law, told me. “You may believe yourself not to be in one of the vulnerable categories, but you won’t know if you’ve ended up on a list for some reason or your loved ones have. Every single person should be worried.”

[msrlunatj]

¿Qué Distribución de Linux Deberías Usar Según tus Intereses? / Which Linux Distribution Should You Use Based on Your Interests?

Introducción / Introduction

Español: Linux ofrece una vasta gama de distribuciones, cada una diseñada para diferentes intereses y necesidades. Ya sea que te enfoques en el desarrollo de software, la administración de sistemas, la creación de contenido multimedia, o simplemente busques una alternativa a Windows o macOS, hay una distribución de Linux que se adapta a ti. Además, Linux proporciona ventajas significativas sobre otros sistemas operativos en muchos de estos escenarios. En este blog, exploraremos cuál distribución es ideal según tus intereses y las razones por las que Linux puede ser una mejor opción en comparación con Windows o macOS. Presentaremos esta información de manera accesible para tanto hispanohablantes como angloparlantes.

English: Linux offers a wide range of distributions, each designed for different interests and needs. Whether you focus on software development, system administration, multimedia creation, or simply seek an alternative to Windows or macOS, there’s a Linux distribution that suits you. Additionally, Linux offers significant advantages over other operating systems in many of these scenarios. In this blog, we’ll explore which distribution is ideal based on your interests and why Linux might be a better choice compared to Windows or macOS. This information will be presented in a way that is accessible to both Spanish and English speakers.

1. Ubuntu: Ideal para Principiantes, Desarrollo y Diseño Gráfico / Ubuntu: Ideal for Beginners, Development, and Graphic Design

Español: Ubuntu es la elección perfecta para quienes son nuevos en Linux o buscan una distribución estable y fácil de usar para el desarrollo de software. Su amplia compatibilidad con aplicaciones como GIMP, Inkscape y Blender también la convierte en una excelente opción para diseñadores gráficos e ilustradores. Además, Ubuntu ofrece soporte para una variedad de herramientas de desarrollo, lo que la hace ideal para programadores.

English: Ubuntu is the perfect choice for those new to Linux or looking for a stable and user-friendly distribution for software development. Its broad compatibility with applications like GIMP, Inkscape, and Blender also makes it an excellent choice for graphic designers and illustrators. Additionally, Ubuntu offers support for a variety of development tools, making it ideal for programmers.

2. Fedora: Para Desarrolladores, Seguridad y Creación de Contenido Multimedia / Fedora: For Developers, Security, and Multimedia Creation

Español: Fedora se destaca por estar a la vanguardia en términos de tecnología y seguridad. Es una distribución ideal para desarrolladores y aquellos interesados en seguridad informática. Además, Fedora es compatible con una amplia gama de software para edición de video, audio y animación, como Kdenlive, Audacity y Blender, lo que la convierte en una opción sólida para creadores de contenido multimedia.

English: Fedora stands out for being at the forefront of technology and security. It’s an ideal distribution for developers and those interested in cybersecurity. Additionally, Fedora supports a wide range of software for video editing, audio production, and animation, such as Kdenlive, Audacity, and Blender, making it a solid choice for multimedia content creators.

3. Debian: Para Administradores de Sistemas, Usuarios Avanzados y Diseño 3D / Debian: For System Administrators, Advanced Users, and 3D Design

Español: Debian es conocida por su estabilidad, lo que la hace ideal para administradores de sistemas y usuarios avanzados. Su entorno sólido también es adecuado para diseñadores 3D que buscan un sistema confiable para trabajar con software como Blender o FreeCAD. Debian proporciona un entorno de trabajo predecible y seguro, ideal para manejar proyectos de gran escala y complejidad.

English: Debian is known for its stability, making it ideal for system administrators and advanced users. Its solid environment is also suitable for 3D designers looking for a reliable system to work with software like Blender or FreeCAD. Debian provides a predictable and secure work environment, ideal for handling large-scale and complex projects.

4. Arch Linux: Para Usuarios Avanzados, Personalización Extrema y Jugadores / Arch Linux: For Advanced Users, Extreme Customization, and Gamers

Español: Arch Linux es la distribución preferida por aquellos que desean un control total sobre su sistema. Es ideal para usuarios avanzados que buscan personalización extrema y desean optimizar su sistema para el rendimiento en juegos. Arch te permite configurar tu entorno de juego con precisión, optimizando el rendimiento con herramientas como Steam y Proton para jugar títulos de Windows en Linux.

English: Arch Linux is the preferred distribution for those who want full control over their system. It’s ideal for advanced users seeking extreme customization and who want to optimize their system for gaming performance. Arch allows you to finely tune your gaming environment, optimizing performance with tools like Steam and Proton for playing Windows titles on Linux.

5. Linux Mint: Alternativa a Windows para Escritorio y Creadores de Contenido / Linux Mint: Windows Alternative for Desktop Users and Content Creators

Español: Linux Mint ofrece una experiencia de usuario familiar para aquellos que buscan una alternativa a Windows, siendo particularmente amigable para el uso en escritorios. También es una excelente opción para creadores de contenido que necesitan una distribución simple y efectiva para trabajar con herramientas como OBS Studio, GIMP y Audacity. Mint combina facilidad de uso con estabilidad, facilitando la transición desde Windows.

English: Linux Mint offers a familiar user experience for those seeking an alternative to Windows, being particularly user-friendly for desktop use. It’s also an excellent choice for content creators who need a simple and effective distribution for working with tools like OBS Studio, GIMP, and Audacity. Mint combines ease of use with stability, making the transition from Windows smooth.

6. Pop!_OS: Para Desarrolladores, Gamers y Diseño 3D / Pop!_OS: For Developers, Gamers, and 3D Design

Español: Pop!_OS es una distribución basada en Ubuntu, optimizada para desarrolladores y jugadores. Incluye soporte nativo para GPUs, lo que la hace ideal para jugar y trabajar en proyectos de diseño 3D con software como Blender. Además, su enfoque en la productividad y el flujo de trabajo eficiente la convierte en una excelente opción para desarrolladores que buscan un entorno de trabajo optimizado.

English: Pop!_OS is a Ubuntu-based distribution optimized for developers and gamers. It includes native GPU support, making it ideal for gaming and working on 3D design projects with software like Blender. Additionally, its focus on productivity and efficient workflow makes it an excellent choice for developers looking for an optimized work environment.

Ventajas de Linux Sobre Windows y macOS / Advantages of Linux Over Windows and macOS

Español: Linux ofrece diversas ventajas sobre Windows y macOS, incluyendo:

Costo: La mayoría de las distribuciones de Linux son gratuitas, lo que reduce significativamente el costo en comparación con las licencias de Windows o macOS.

Seguridad: Linux es conocido por su robusta seguridad, con menos vulnerabilidades a malware debido a su arquitectura y modelo de permisos.

Rendimiento: Linux es más eficiente en el uso de recursos, ofreciendo mejor rendimiento, especialmente en hardware más antiguo o limitado.

Personalización: Con Linux, tienes un control total sobre tu sistema, permitiendo ajustar cada aspecto según tus necesidades, lo que es ideal para usuarios avanzados y creadores de contenido.

English: Linux offers several advantages over Windows and macOS, including:

Cost: Most Linux distributions are free, significantly reducing costs compared to Windows or macOS licenses.

Security: Linux is known for its robust security, with fewer vulnerabilities to malware due to its architecture and permission model.

Performance: Linux is more resource-efficient, offering better performance, especially on older or limited hardware.

Customization: With Linux, you have full control over your system, allowing you to tweak every aspect to fit your needs, ideal for advanced users and content creators.

Conclusión / Conclusion

Español: Elegir la distribución de Linux adecuada puede mejorar significativamente tu experiencia, dependiendo de tus intereses y necesidades. Desde Ubuntu y Fedora para principiantes y desarrolladores, hasta Arch Linux para usuarios avanzados y jugadores, y Pop!_OS para creadores de contenido y diseño 3D, hay una distribución que se adapta a cada perfil. Linux ofrece notables ventajas sobre Windows y macOS, convirtiéndose en una opción atractiva para una amplia variedad de usuarios.

English: Choosing the right Linux distribution can significantly enhance your experience, depending on your interests and needs. From Ubuntu and Fedora for beginners and developers, to Arch Linux for advanced users and gamers, and Pop!_OS for content creators and 3D design, there’s a distribution that fits every profile. Linux offers notable advantages over Windows and macOS, making it an attractive option for a wide range of users.

[cashewpilk]

Speaking to No One:

The Reality of Ultra Personalization

For nicer formatting check this out on AO3

The voices which seek to stand up for laborers in the ever present class war are being silenced by techno fascist propaganda and ‘tools’ such as AI. Notoriety culture is killing us all, creatively and in some cases, literally. The aspiring writer or artist is a dying concept as the existing ones are put in the position of competition over collaboration, and the quality of both human and machine written media continues to wane as a result. Repeat that for artists.

Consumers are being pitched the concept of custom art and writing for little to no cost via AI, but prior to that and even if it is just a fad, which is increasingly seeming unlikely, it follows another trend that has decimated communities for years, from services like Fiverr to the custom character artist trend of the last two and a half decades that has trended with the popularization of anime and Dungeons and Dragons, the customization market is AI’s predecessor, and in some ways the reason so many people opt to skip the human element all together when seeking these products. Why wait days or weeks for a human to do what AI propertedly does in seconds?

There is a quantity over quality issue in consumption that is only becoming worse over time. With everything from TV shows to news articles, the speed at which we cumulate information and products have skyrocketed exponentially. The predecessor of the ultra customization issue was the internet itself in some ways. As the cost of access to the resources it provides has decreased the larger it gets, the more prevalent technology becomes, the cost of the resources to create things without it has exceeded the value of the instantaneous. People have called into question what we are losing with each of these steps forward, often being met with the critique that it is nostalgia alone that makes them pine for the days when we had to put in more effort for less results.

I'm not here to say we aren't made for this, but in the face of all of these factors, we must consider that we are not headed for a brighter future for most people as a result of this. Loss of income, loss of homes, loss of entire cities worth of people as we ourselves become commodities rather than human beings, this is not something we are consciously choosing by using these tools the way that we do, but it is something we are actively choosing by not demanding better.

In the Run the Jewels 4 song ‘walking in the snow’ El-P wrote:

“Funny fact about a cage, they're never built for just one group

So when that cage is done with them and you still poor, it come for you

The newest lowest on the totem, well golly gee, you have been used

You helped to fuel the death machine that down the line will kill you too”

When he said this he was referring to issues like systemic racism and literal imprisonment of political opponents and migrant families, but as with any well written metaphor, it applies to so much and unfortunately it means the same thing. The link between the death of accessibility in the arts is inextricably linked to the class war that the laborers in our country are losing. By necessitating the possession of a skill and proof of that skill to gain enough leverage to earn a livable wage, we are ensuring that there will be a day when possession of that skill will not be enough to provide the same leverage. People in trades and those whose skills demand physical labor may not be the most quick to see the chopping block, but imprisonment and automatization are the building blocks of enslavement, the draining of resources from the average person, and ultimately the enslavement of ourselves and our children to the wealth controlling class. We have been caught in a cruel joke where our manufactured divisiveness is more than just a tactic of political power seekers, it is the fundamental end of all we know.

The fact that people deserve to be compensated for all labor of all types in a capitalist society is such because without the existence of leverage exploitation is inevitable. By taking away the need to create and by devaluing the labor of creation we spell our demise. It shouldn't be the job of consumers to bear the costs and responsibility of funding creative works alone.

Governments and states of societies more functional than our own have bore the cost of funding the arts and companies have given creative workers comfortable compensatory packages in the past because people are unhappy without these things. The creation of a pale imitation of the things that make us human sold as a good enough alternative to placate the people who do work that holds the fabric of our society together is going to proceed something. What that is is dependent on us. The idea of taking revolutionary collective action and making change without being met with immediate violence is a fantasy, not a thing of the past.

We must go beyond just offering our limited dollars as a means of supporting the arts, the fight against AI and technofascism as a whole is not going to be won with the statement ‘anti-AI’ or the consumption and creation of more algorithm friendly media, it is unionization, the defying of productivity quotas on mass, work stoppages, general strikes and community participation. It is the restructuring of who is and isn't worthy of participation in collective action. It is the process of showing up, both offline and online, the process of allowing ourselves to experience things we find uncomfortable, allowing inexperience to be celebrated and met with guidance rather than annoyance.

There are actions, large and small, that we can take to be better, we just have to decide to take them. For more and more people, the stakes aren't just discomfort, they are lives stolen, rather than lived.

The ultimate goal of this statement is not to add to the endless supply of fear mongering. Hopelessness is not an option. We have to fight to stay patient with the people we see every day, we have to fight to be kind to the people we interact with, we have to contribute to the cultural consensus that people deserve to exist without fear of the violence of impoverishment as a punishment for any number of intangible factors.

If you don't have the emotional capacity to continue to watch innocent people die as outrage entertainment, consider that you can make a difference in the world by using your voice, time, and energy to support the arts. Question people and things that don't use larger audiences to spread the privilege to create to more people, and above all else, if you have the privilege to create without compensation or the greater privilege of being compensated to create, do so without guilt or shame. Show the world who you are everywhere you can for yourself and try to make connections and tell others they can too, even if for a while you're speaking to no one.

[imthepunchlord]

I love how a love how a lot of your animula designs have this kind of fantasy RPG vibe to them. It's pretty cool!

That probably just works off my own preference truthfully, cause I love fantasy. And I recently got into roleplaying, and looking at different outfits people have done for their characters have helped a lot to get some ideas on what to do design wise.

I am also trying to work off what I think these kids may be into, which has been a HUGE help for some of these animals.

Like, Firefly is one of the plausible Luminous to include, and it hasn't been easy to think of a Firefly hero, and for the latest kid I'm working on, he could be into roleplaying, hence the wizard theme for him maybe having Firefly (though RIP kid, no access to fireball).

Or if I go with Crane, could be a reference to Bloodborne.

Boar I was also struggling to think of a design for a boar hero, I was working off the idea that this kid was going to use Boar to essentially play being Superman. At first, I tried him as a football player to play off strength.

But I wasn't certain I could pull off doing that helmet all the time. Then I thought Boar could go to a girl and be a cheerleader, maybe this could be og Humdinger's Luminous and work off pigtails.

But it also wasn't working to show this is a Boar hero.

I then thought about superheroes and remembered Thor, and thought I could do something off Thor, and looked at his og design from the comics.

And this was one of those instances that I got hit by inspiration and a theme, cause with that helmet, I can do a flying pig, and Boar already has a hammer as it's tool, so doing a design based off Thor is really perfect.

And it's fun that for this kid, I can say that Thor and Superman are his favorite heroes from Marvel and DC. Gives me a little more to work off of than the initial idea that this kid could be "pig headed" and reckless, what those heroes hold in value he can echo.

And most other characters are going to work off interests or be a reference.

Humdinger is definitely meant to work off Clint Eastwood, the Lone Ranger, and El Kabong. Which I am most excited for Humdinger, I don't think I've ever seen a take of a Western Bee hero. I think most go with the fancy Queen Bee aesthetic or just general bee vibe. And I can just work off that this character grew up on Western movies.

The Badger and Windfall though, atm don't have anything to work off of, they're one of the cases where the design came to me without anything in mind. They'll probably be rarities in comparison to most other characters.

Either way, I am glad they're working out so far. I may not be a natural with fashion, but I'm definitely going to make an effort to make these outfits look like actual clothes than just skin tight suits.

[zeldabecameaqueen]

hi!

i've created a qsmp album photo 📂, the aim of which is to list all the photos taken in the game, including some screenshots and canvases

for reading only, the site is accessible without registering or downloading an app. However, to contribute, you need to register as you would on any other fandom site

as this is a very large-scale project, i can't do it alone, so i'd like to invite you to add any photos you've collected throughout the year during the streams, to add to the collection

the album is arranged in a certain way, but there's a "questions 👥" and "mess 🕸️" sections for people who don't want to bother with sorting

please reblog to reach more people!

take care 🌸

↓ link here ↓

FR, ES, PO translations ↓

DeepL translations

🇫🇷+ FRENCH

j'ai créé un album photo 📂, dont le but est de répertorier toutes les photos prises dans le jeu, y compris certaines captures d'écran et peintures

pour la lecture seule, le site est accessible sans inscription ni téléchargement d'application. En revanche, pour contribuer, il faut s'inscrire comme sur n'importe quel autre site de fandom

comme il s'agit d'un projet de très grande envergure, je ne peux pas le mener à bien seul, et je vous invite donc à ajouter les photos que vous avez collectées tout au long de l'année pendant les streams, afin d'enrichir la collection

l'album est organisé d'une certaine manière, mais il y a une section "questions 👥" et "désordre 🕸️" pour les personnes qui ne veulent pas s'occuper du tri

n'hésitez pas à rebloguer pour toucher plus de monde!

prenez soin de vous 🌸

------------------------------------------

🇧🇷+ PORTUGUESE

oi!

criei um álbum de fotos 📂, cujo objetivo é listar todas as fotos tiradas no jogo, incluindo algumas capturas de tela e telas

apenas para leitura, o site pode ser acessado sem registro ou download de um aplicativo. Para contribuir, no entanto, é necessário registrar-se como em qualquer outro site de fandom

como esse é um projeto de grande escala, não posso fazê-lo sozinho, portanto, convido você a adicionar as fotos que coletou ao longo do ano durante as transmissões, para aumentar a coleção

o álbum está organizado de uma certa maneira, mas há uma seção de "perguntas 👥" e "bagunça 🕸️" para as pessoas que não querem lidar com a classificação

faça um reblog para alcançar mais pessoas!

-----------------------------------------

🇲🇽+ SPANISH

¡hola!

he creado un álbum de fotos, cuyo objetivo es enumerar todas las fotos tomadas en el juego, incluidas algunas capturas de pantalla y lienzos

sólo para leer, se puede acceder al sitio sin registrarse ni descargar ninguna aplicación. Para contribuir, sin embargo, hay que registrarse como en cualquier otro sitio de fandom

como se trata de un proyecto a gran escala, no puedo hacerlo solo, así que te invito a que añadas las fotos que hayas ido recopilando a lo largo del año durante los streamings, para engrosar la colección

el álbum está ordenado de una manera determinada, pero hay una sección de "preguntas 👥" y "lío 🕸️" para la gente que no quiera ocuparse de la clasificación

por favor, ¡rebloguea para llegar a más gente!

[lucss21a]

Notepad #1: On Artificial Intelligence and Creativity

It has been many years since we made machines "think" for "themselves", and as so the emergence of the so called AI "art" rose as developments in the field sprung up tenfold day after day. Midjourney, Dall-E and so many other image generation tools are now being developed even the sloths of our society could create "art".

But is it indeed art? As I traveled through life and have absorbed insanely high amounts of opinions from social media, the general consensus is still the same: no, it's not art. Though it is very wild to think about for those who haven't stepped into the world of art, it isn't.

Ever since the first humans can create and comprehend speech, developed tools and live in structures, they expressed themselves, through painting and early forms of literature, trying to explain natural events, give lessons, and/or purely entertainment. In the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years in this puny space rock we call home, we have accumulated stories; of life, love, peace and war, good and evil, utopias and dystopias; that have been purely been in our own minds, with the brain's complex electrochemical circuitry, giving us fantastic world to adore, or apocalyptic worlds we could learn from.

But, artificial intelligence, in my own personal opinion, would never replicate the raw emotions Shakespeare has injected into the story of Romeo and Juliet, nor Rizal's desire for autonomy with Noli and El Fili, as they only know numbers, represented by only 1s and 0s, they only know what a "banana" is because they grabbed the library of Alexandria and back, and shoved it down into numbers they only comprehend.

They're just purely performing orders, in a sequence, making art comoditized in the process of "infinite growth" for capitalism. They only ran out of problems to solve, to the point they're creating ones to only solve, leaving actual problems like poverty and homelessness in the dust, in search for infinite growth.

I have written some outspoken criticisms about the proliferation of artificial intelligence before, in fact, I have written a literary piece already about the topic last November in our school publication. The thing is that, artificial intelligence will never replicate the intrinsic properties of human art, the life experiences a person can make such artistry and the environment they all live in.

And even though the promise of accessibility towards art in the disabled has been provided, I know for a fact that artists with disabilities learned to adapt with their problems, turning such into insane abilities. The fact that we have amazing pieces of art, music and literature (I know for a fact that Stevie Wonder creates such good tunes while also blind), even with such disabilities proves that art is already democratized more than ever, it is that you, my dear reader who can unlock a whole world of possibilities.

So, grab a pen and paper. Write, doodle, hum, anything. It's hard at first, I know. But it'll get easier as years go by. It's you, who decides if you will pursue it.

A pen ain't that expensive. So go ahead and let your imagination run free.

Thank you for reading this until the end. The next one will be tomorrow, March 6th, detailing on love and valentines, my fellow readers. Until next time.

[soft-sunbird]

I am back!

Where have I been?

Well, it's my birthday! So I'm feeling more capable than usual. So I'm here to tell you that the reason I've been away is because I've been working hard to archive and automate the collection of data on Gazavetters campaigns. (No, I'm not working in an official capacity with them. I just appreciate their work immensely.)

The excellent @gazavetters have just hit 350 individually vetted and verified campaigns. That's a lot! In fact it's this many: XXXXX XXXXX XXX0X XXXXX XXXXX - 25 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX 00XXX - 50 X0XXX XXXXX XXXX0 XXXXX X0XXX - 75 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX - 100

XXXXX XXXXX 0XXXX XXXX0 XXXXX - 125 XXX0X 00XXX XXXXX X0X0X XXXXX - 150 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX - 175 0XXXX XXXXX XXXXX XX0XX XXXXX - 200

XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XX0XX - 225 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX - 250 XXX0X XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX - 275 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX - 300

XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXX0X - 325 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXX0 XXXXX - 350 X (351)

I've bolded and linked to campaigns that either have less than 5 donations, or collected less than 50 of their currency. (16 of them)

I've replaced campaigns that have closed with zeroes. (5% of them)

Every single campaign except for two I couldn't catch in time (#47 and #142) has been archived in the Wayback Machine, or archive.is where that wasn't possible.

More details under the cut

I could not have done without the help of my incredible boyfriend, who basically put this tool together for me - here's how long it takes to scan 10 campaigns:

All that data goes into here, Supabase:

Which I can then import directly into a spreadsheet for analysis:

Which is how I created the post "50 campaigns less than 4% funded", etc.

I wanted this to be flexible enough to handle any masterlist of campaign links, not just Gazavetters. Other amazing efforts include el-shab-hussein and nabulsi's spreadsheet, Operation Olive Branch, Bees and Watermelons, the Butterfly Effect project, the Strawberry Seed collective, and definitely more that I don't have in my bookmarks folder. You could absolutely swap out all the names and links for any of theirs and the scraper would do most of the rest.

Kids in Gaza don't have a lot to be happy about. Fortunately, my other talent and hobby is locating and acquiring media. I've managed to obtain a rip of the entire children's section of an Arabic audiobook platform, a decent amount of Iftah Ya Simsim (Sesame Street), and an animated educational series about Muslim scholars and their contributions to science and philosophy. I'm working with a mate to get these as small and accessible as possible, before I share them privately. I've got... oh, about 475GB worth of material so far? Let's see how these projects go, as well as my own fundraisers (Shaima Fatima Aya Asmaa) plus the other 17 I'm advocating for (see my pinned post for details), and we'll see what happens. Peace. Bee out.

[kingwuko]

As usual, @lautaronahuellopez and I can't access each other asks, but tumblr emails them to me sooo...

Mi nuevo delirio: Mako, después de retirarse, dando clases en la universidad sobre criminalística. Me imagino que no se daría vueltas con conceptos complicados y que, después de mucha práctica, aprendería a traducir esos conceptos complejos al común de la gente. Sería muy metódico, tanto en la teoría como en la práctica, y me lo imagino enseñando tranquilamente como diseccionar cuerpos o ver el ángulo en que cayeron las marcas de sangre en las paredes. Sus clases durarían varias horas, pero se pasarían volando. De vez en cuando trae a Lin Beifong para que lo ayude. También siento que comprendería los desafíos y las dificultades personales de sus alumnos, en especial los de bajos recursos, pero sin dejar de ser estricto. Siento que, después de toda una vida viendo las peores atrocidades, se volvería un poco indiferente a la sangre y las carnicerías, pero al mismo tiempo les transmitiría a sus alumnos la importancia del descanso y el apoyo psicológico para no caer en el cinismo. Asami, Bolin, Korra y Wu pasaron una vez de sorpresa para ver una de sus clases y se asombraron de lo diferente que era a cuándo salía con ellos. Era apasionado, directo y demostraba lo mucho que sabía, y eso les llenó de orgullo. Más sabiendo lo mucho que le costó llegar a dónde estaba y adquirir la confianza y las herramientas para transmitir eficazmente lo que quería decir.

Translation via Google Translate:

My new delusion: Mako, after retiring, teaching criminology at the university. I imagine he wouldn't be bewildered by complicated concepts and that, after a lot of practice, he would learn to translate those complex concepts to the layman. He would be very methodical, both in theory and practice, and I imagine him calmly teaching how to dissect bodies or see the angle at which blood marks fell on walls. His classes would last several hours, but they would fly by. From time to time he would bring Lin Beifong to help him. I also feel that he would understand the personal challenges and difficulties of his students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, while remaining strict. I feel that, after a lifetime of seeing the worst atrocities, he would become a bit indifferent to blood and carnage, but at the same time he would convey to his students the importance of rest and psychological support so as not to fall into cynicism. Asami, Bolin, Korra, and Wu stopped by one of his classes one day and were amazed at how different he was than when he hung out with them. He was passionate, direct, and showed how much he knew, and that made them proud. Even more so knowing how much it took him to get to where he was and gain the confidence and tools to effectively convey what he wanted to say.

Oh I actually love this a lot. There's some stuff in Avatar Legends that describes how Mako would be as a teacher:

not like, exactly what you're describing, but some good insight about how Mako might be as a teacher!