#Energy department jobs 2022

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #26

July 5-12 2024

The IRS announced it had managed to collect $1 billion in back taxes from high-wealth tax cheats. The program focused on persons with more than $1 million in yearly income who owned more than $250,000 in unpaid taxes. Thanks to money in Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act the IRS is able to undertake more enforcement against rich tax cheats after years of Republicans cutting the agency's budget, which they hope to do again if they win power again.

The Biden administration announced a $244 million dollar investment in the federal government’s registered apprenticeship program. This marks the largest investment in the program's history with grants going out to 52 programs in 32 states. The President is focused on getting well paying blue collar opportunities to people and more people are taking part in the apprenticeship program than ever before. Republican pledge to cut it, even as employers struggle to find qualified workers.

The Department of Transportation announced the largest single project in the department's history, $11 billion dollars in grants for the The Hudson River Tunnel. Part of the $66 billion the Biden Administration has invested in our rail system the tunnel, the most complex Infrastructure project in the nation would link New York and New Jersey by rail under the Hudson. Once finished it's believed it'll impact 20% of the American economy by improving and speeding connection throughout the Northeast.

The Department of Energy announced $1.7 billion to save auto worker's jobs and convert factories to electronic vehicles. The Biden administration will used the money to save or reopen factories in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, and Virginia and retool them to make electric cars. The project will save 15,000 skilled union worker jobs, and created 2,900 new high-quality jobs.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development reached a settlement with The Appraisal Foundation over racial discrimination. TAF is the organization responsible for setting standards and qualifications for real estate appraisers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics last year found that TAF was 94.7% White and 0.6% Black, making it the least racially diverse of the 800 occupations surveyed. Black and Latino home owners are far more likely to have their houses under valued than whites. Under the settlement with HUD TAF will have to take serious steps to increase diversity and remove structural barriers to diversity.

The Department of Justice disrupted an effort by the Russian government to influence public opinion through AI bots. The DoJ shut down nearly 1,000 twitter accounts that were linked to a Russian Bot farm. The bots used AI technology to not only generate tweets but also AI image faces for profile pictures. The effort seemed focused on boosting support for Russia's war against Ukraine and spread negative stories/impressions about Ukraine.

The Department of Transportation announces $1.5 billion to help local authorities buy made in America buses. 80% of the funding will go toward zero or low-emission technology, a part of the President's goal of reaching zero emissions by 2050. This is part of the $5 billion the DOT has spent over the last 3 years replacing aging buses with new cleaner technology.

President Biden with Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau and Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed a new agreement on the arctic. The new trilateral agreement between the 3 NATO partners, known as the ICE Pact, will boost production of ice breaking ships, the 3 plan to build as many as 90 between them in the coming years. The alliance hopes to be a counter weight to China's current dominance in the ice breaker market and help western allies respond to Russia's aggressive push into the arctic waters.

The Department of Transportation announced $1.1 billion for greater rail safety. The program seeks to, where ever possible, eliminate rail crossings, thus removing the dangers and inconvenience to communities divided by rail lines. It will also help update and improve safety measures at rail crossings.

The Department of the Interior announced $120 million to help tribal communities prepare for climate disasters. This funding is part of half a billion dollars the Biden administration has spent to help tribes build climate resilience, which itself is part of a $50 billion dollar effort to build climate resilience across the nation. This funding will help support drought measures, wildland fire mitigation, community-driven relocation, managed retreat, protect-in-place efforts, and ocean and coastal management.

The USDA announced $100 million in additional funds to help feed low income kids over the summer. Known as "SUN Bucks" or "Summer EBT" the new Biden program grants the families of kids who qualify for free meals at school $120 dollars pre-child for groceries. This comes on top of the traditional SUN Meals program which offers school meals to qualifying children over the summer, as well as the new under President Biden SUN Meals To-Go program which is now offering delivery of meals to low-income children in rural areas. This grant is meant to help local governments build up the Infrastructure to support and distribute SUN Bucks. If fully implemented SUN Bucks could help 30 million kids, but many Republican governors have refused the funding.

USAID announced its giving $100 million to the UN World Food Program to deliver urgently needed food assistance in Gaza. This will bring the total humanitarian aid given by the US to the Palestinian people since the war started in October 2023 to $774 million, the single largest donor nation. President Biden at his press conference last night said that Israel and Hamas have agreed in principle to a ceasefire deal that will end the war and release the hostages. US negotiators are working to close the final gaps between the two sides and end the war.

The Senate confirmed Nancy Maldonado to serve as a Judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Maldonado is the 202nd federal Judge appointed by President Biden to be confirmed. She will the first Latino judge to ever serve on the 7th Circuit which covers Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

Bonus: At the NATO summit in Washington DC President Biden joined 32 allies in the Ukraine compact. Allies from Japan to Iceland confirmed their support for Ukraine and deepening their commitments to building Ukraine's forces and keeping a free and Democratic Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. World leaders such as British Prime Minster Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, praised President Biden's experience and leadership during the NATO summit

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

1. ‘It was an accident’: the scientists who have turned humid air into renewable power

Greetings, readers! Welcome to our weekly dose of positivity and good vibes. In this edition, I've gathered a collection of uplifting stories that will surely bring a smile to your face. From scientific breakthroughs to environmental initiatives and heartwarming achievements, I've got it all covered.

In May, a team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst published a paper declaring they had successfully generated a small but continuous electric current from humidity in the air. They’ve come a long way since then. The result is a thin grey disc measuring 4cm across.

One of these devices can generate a relatively modest 1.5 volts and 10 milliamps. However, 20,000 of them stacked, could generate 10 kilowatt hours of energy a day – roughly the consumption of an average UK household. Even more impressive: they plan to have a prototype ready for demonstration in 2024.

2. Empty Office Buildings Are Being Turned Into Vertical Farms

Empty office buildings are being repurposed into vertical farms, such as Area 2 Farms in Arlington, Virginia. With the decline in office usage due to the Covid-19 pandemic, municipalities are seeking ways to fill vacant spaces.

Vertical farming systems like Silo and AgriPlay's modular growth systems offer efficient and adaptable solutions for converting office buildings into agricultural spaces. These initiatives not only address food insecurity but also provide economic opportunities, green jobs, and fresh produce to local communities, transforming urban centers in the process.

3. Biden-Harris Administration to Provide 804,000 Borrowers with $39 Billion in Automatic Loan Forgiveness as a Result of Fixes to Income Driven Repayment Plans

The Department of Education in the United States has announced that over 804,000 borrowers will have $39 billion in Federal student loans automatically discharged. This is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to fix historical failures in the administration of the student loan program and ensure accurate counting of monthly payments towards loan forgiveness.

The Department aims to correct the system and provide borrowers with the forgiveness they deserve, leveling the playing field in higher education. This announcement adds to the Administration's efforts, which have already approved over $116.6 billion in student loan forgiveness for more than 3.4 million borrowers.

4. F.D.A. Approves First U.S. Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

The move could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill is expected to be available in early 2024.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the United States, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The medication, called Opill, will become the most effective birth control method available over the counter

5. AIDS can be ended by 2030 with investments in prevention and treatment, UN says

It is possible to end AIDS by 2030 if countries demonstrate the political will to invest in prevention and treatment and adopt non-discriminatory laws, the United Nations said on Thursday.

In 2022, an estimated 39 million people around the world were living with HIV, according to UNAIDS, the United Nations AIDS program. HIV can progress to AIDS if left untreated.

6. Conjoined twins released from Texas Children’s Hospital after successfully separated in complex surgery

Conjoined twins are finally going home after the pair was safely separated during a complex surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital in June.

Ella Grace and Eliza Faith Fuller were in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for over four months after their birth on March 1. A large team of healthcare workers took six hours to complete the surgery on June 14. Seven surgeons, four anesthesiologists, four surgical nurses and two surgical technicians assisted with the procedure.

7. From villains to valued: Canadians show overwhelming support for wolves

Despite their record in popular culture, according to a recent survey, seven in 10 Canadians say they have a “very positive” view of the iconic predators. 

Here's a fascinating video about how wolves changed Yellowstone nat'l park:

----

That's it for this week :)

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Also don’t forget to reblog.

[murderousginger]

I lost myself in 2022.

I was burnt out. I was lost in motherhood. I didn't know what I liked and barely had energy to take care of myself after I took care of everyone else. I put me last.

I changed jobs in 2022 in hopes it would heal my burnout. It was 10 months before I went back to the same company I left, but in a different department.

My job I hopped to wanted to drastically cut my pay when we were already barely getting by and racking up credit card debt.

I jumped ship. Quickly. Impulsively. To the first raft I found. While having a sinus infection after the barrage of illnesses that Wildflower brought home. The job valued me so much, they walked me out at noon.

Luckily, my new job at my old company agreed to take me early. I dropped Wildflower at daycare... right after hitting a deer.

The new position promised more pay, more consideration about having small children -- one of the reasons I left my previous position in the company -- and seemed to deliver.

Three weeks into the position, I found out I was pregnant.

I had been told I was "basically infertile." Wildflower took two years of trying and crying to conceive. Little Bird took a round of antibiotics and the most stressful time in my life.

Companies can't fire you for being pregnant, but they also don't have to have a good reason to get rid of you in the first 90 days. 'Merica.

I rambled my news to my manager, terrified of her response. She was excited for me.

This job has flexed with my every growing pain. I have a caring manager that has pushed for a sizeable raise to go through while I'm on maternity leave, has checked in on me more than she ever needed to, has fought beside me when HR wanted me back in 6 weeks.

I have coworkers that like each other, push each other for greatness while also holding each other up. I've been told that I've excelled beyond what they asked for, been treated with such kindness and respect for what I do, and celebrated for being who I am and what I'm capable of.

I have a wonderfully stubborn, intelligent toddler who learns more each day. I have a 5 week old baby that is so much easier going than Wildflower was. Wildflower didn't sleep through the night her first year. Little Bird, who sleeps through her sister's tantrums and singing at the top of her lungs, has already slept 6 hours in a night.

I am tired. I am healing. I am blessed.

My hope is that 2024 brings me back to myself.

Back to enjoying things. Back to being interested. Back to not feeling so alone in a crowded room. Back to feeling connected.

And maybe a tattoo or two after I finish breastfeeding. That might be something for 2025.

I have wanted a 1975 tattoo of flowers with "Be A Riot" for years. Wildflower gave me a bouquet of clover and dandelions that might just be the flowers for the tattoo.

My forearm needs "I love you // don't you mind" from my favorite song. For me.

My head pounds but my heart sings.

Please be good to me, 2024.

[darkmaga-retard]

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics released its report for July, indicating a slight uptick in employment. It is difficult to trust BLS data after their latest data revision that showed the Biden-Harris Administration have failed to create new jobs outside of the public sector. It was their steepest revision to data since 2009, yet all eyes were on July’s report. The headlines are optimistic about the workforce but fail to note two main issues – manufacturing is declining while the public sector is rising.

Manufacturing appeared flat during Q1 but it has been on the decline ever since as corporations move their operations overseas to avoid US regulation and taxation. The Biden-Harris Administration pledged to attract 1 million new manufacturing jobs in 2024. They believe that the CHIPS Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will attract business and spent billions on these measures that have failed to produce a single job. Initial data claimed that manufacturing was soaring under Biden but that was only due to businesses reopening after the pandemic. The BLS first claimed Biden added 765,000 manufacturing jobs before revising that figure down by 115,000 but even that was completely inaccurate. Estimates now believe manufacturing sharply declined by 96,000 by mid-2022 and has been contracting ever since. The most recent report found that July shed 24,000 positions but we should expect this figure to be optimistic.

Trump added 462,000 to the sector during his first two years before it declined by 43,000 during 2019. The COVID lockdowns caused the sector to plummet by 1.4 million jobs, 770,000 positions were later recovered before Trump left office but there was a net loss of 188,000 positions by the end of Trump’s term.

The White House promotes the manufacturing propaganda on its website:

“While our work isn’t finished, Bidenomics is already delivering for the American people. Our economy has added more than 13 million jobs—including nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs—and we’ve unleashed a manufacturing and clean energy boom.”

Admittedly, the sector was always beginning to see problems before Biden took office, however, Biden then spent hundreds of billions on acts to attract manufacturing and they ALL failed. BIDENOMICS HAS FAILED.

The White House paints a different picture:

“None of this progress was an accident or inevitable—it has been a direct result of Bidenomics. And rather than taking us back to the failed trickle-down policies of the past, President Biden is committed to finishing the job and continuing to build an economy that finally works for working families—with better jobs, lower costs, and more opportunity.”

Then we have the growing public sector that multiplied under Biden-Harris. The public sector added an additional 24,000 positions in July. Biden openly stated that he wanted to expand the government by at least 82,000 positions in FY24 and this seems to be the one promise he made good on. Every federal agency received a budget boost for this fiscal year with an emphasis on increasing the Treasury Department.

Bidenomics has failed and businesses continue to flee overseas. America is beginning to see a recession in manufacturing at a time when the US needs to produce more. Instead, we are wasting countless resources by growing government to the highest level since World War II. The proper way to analyze this jobs report is to view it as expenses rising and production declining. This will contribute to the coming stagflation that we will see in this economy as GDP declines.

[aquilathefighter]

Fluffbruary 11: Fog

Find all my @fluffbruary ficlets on AO3 here!

Fandom: The Sandman (2022)

Relationship: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

It’s another foggy day in London, another dreary workday for Hob. He loves his job, really, but all the grant writing and department meetings and emails put a damper on the energy he can put into teaching. He’s sat at his desk, staring out the window into the fog. He can hardly see the tree nestled beside the building. Hob tries to come up with a professional way to say some choice words to a request to be on yet another committee, wishing he could pull a dagger on them like the old days. He sighs and starts to think about home.

Where the office is cold, the home he shares with Dream is warm not only in temperature but in spirit. The flat is littered with signs of two. Two coat hooks, two mugs left on the kitchen table, two rumpled spots in the bed they forget to make. Before Dream, the flat was lonely. Too big for someone on their own. But Dream fills in all the empty spaces in their home and in his heart. He didn’t think it could be this easy, loving someone this way. To let them see all sides of you, even the darkest parts you keep hidden until you’re backed into a corner and snarling.

But Dream had seen him at his worst long before their relationship began. He tries not to think about the 17th century often, but still the sense memory remains. Even then, Dream cared for him. When their meeting was over, he had left Hob a pouch of coins. Now, when Hob wakes in the night shivering and hungry, Dream reminds him where he is and fixes him a snack. It had taken them centuries to admit their feelings but now that they’re out there, each man knows there’s no one else for him.

Hob wishes he was curled up on the couch with Dream, where they spend most nights cuddling and talking. Hob makes them tea, which Dream now has strong opinions about. He’ll wrap his arms around Dream and kiss him gently. They spend hours just touching each other, kissing each other, enjoying each other’s company with no expectation of doing anything more. Sometimes, when Hob’s yawns become too frequent, Dream will read to Hob, his smooth baritone lulling him to sleep and keeping him from waking when he is carried to bed.

The fog always brings with it a sense of wist, though there’s not much sense in being wistful when Dream will be there when Hob gets home. He glances at the clock. 4:00 PM.

Screw it, he thinks. I want to be with my Dream.

He packs his laptop bag and tosses his coat on, heading down the stairs with speed he rarely uses now that he leads a more sedentary lifestyle. When he pushes open the door, he nearly runs into someone.

“Hello, Hob.” Dream wraps his arms around Hob, catching his fall and pulling him into a hug.

Hob looks up at him, smiling. “Hey love, was just thinking about you.”

“So I heard. Now shall I whisk you back home to do everything you daydreamed about?”

Hob pretends to think. “Hmm… I suppose if you must,” and leans up to kiss Dream as a swirl of sand takes them away.

[atlanticcanada]

Environment commissioner warns Canada failing to protect commercially valuable fish

The federal government is biased against listing commercially valuable fish as species at risk and needing protection, environment commissioner Jerry DeMarco said in a new audit published Tuesday.

The audit of Canada's efforts to protect aquatic species at risk was one of six new environmental reports tabled in the House of Commons.

It found Fisheries and Oceans Canada was very slow to act when the national committee that is responsible for assessing whether species need protection says a particular aquatic creature or plant is in danger.

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And when that assessment relates to a fish with significant commercial value, the department's default appears to be against listing the fish as needing special protection.

That includes the Newfoundland and Labrador population of Atlantic cod.

Overfishing led to a moratorium on commercial fishing of Newfoundland cod in 1992, and twice since then the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada assessed it as being "endangered," meaning it faces imminent danger of going extinct.

Once that assessment is made, Fisheries and Oceans Canada must review the assessment and decide whether to list the species for special protection under the Species at Risk Act. Listing the species in the act as endangered would prevent it from being killed, harmed, harassed or captured.

The first assessment on Newfoundland cod came in 2003, and it took three years for Fisheries and Oceans to review the finding. In 2006, the federal department decided against adding it to the Species at Risk Act list, and allowed some inshore fishing and Indigenous harvesting to continue.

Capital Dispatch: Sign up for in-depth political coverage of Parliament Hill

In 2010, the committee assessed the Newfoundland cod as endangered a second time. Twelve years later, Fisheries and Oceans still has not finished a review to determine what to do with that assessment.

DeMarco's audit looked at nine fish, two mussels and a sea turtle that the endangered wildlife committee assessed as needing protection. Five of the fish were marine species with significant commercial value, and in all five of those cases, the department opted against listing the fish as a species at risk.

That includes Newfoundland cod, steelhead trout, the Okanagan population of chinook salmon, yellowmouth rockfish, and Atlantic bluefin tuna.

The other four fish, both mussels and the loggerhead sea turtle were deemed to have no significant commercial value, and all seven were recommended to be listed as species at risk by Fisheries and Oceans.

DeMarco also found it took the department far too long to conduct its own reviews.

He said Fisheries and Oceans hasn't finished its review for half the 230 aquatic species that the wildlife committee recommended for an at-risk designation since the Species at Risk Act took effect in 2004.

Furthermore, the department was found to have big gaps in what it knows about species that need protection, and not enough staff to enforce protections when they are put in place.

"A bias against protecting species of commercial value under the Species at Risk Act, significant delays in listing species for protection, gaps in knowledge about species, and limited enforcement capacity all have adverse effects on ecosystems and communities," DeMarco said in a written statement.

The commissioner's fall audits also looked at policies to manage low- and intermediate-risk radioactive waste, which accounts for 99.5 per cent of all radioactive waste in Canada.

DeMarco said Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and Atomic Energy of Canada were doing a good job managing the waste.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2022.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/1RhLFS4

[creepercraftguy]

NAEGIRI WEEK Day 1 - Overtime.

Kyoko was expecting to return home to a quiet house on this cold winters night, not expecting the surprise that would greet her in the doorway...

@naegiriweek​

Full Story below the cut. You can also find the story on my WattPad - https://www.wattpad.com/1287541962-naegiri-week-2022-creepercraftguy-day-1-overtime

[3:42 am]

That was the time that read on Kyoko's watch, which she stared down at, dourly.

It was cold that winter night. So cold that it was snowing. And even for someone like the Ultimate Detective, who always retained laser-like concentration, be she on the job or not, it was challenging for her to resist the urge to fall asleep.

As you probably may have guessed, the reason why Kyoko was walking through the snowy streets so late in the evening was that she has finally tied the knot on a big case she'd been working on for the majority of that winter month, involving a secret terrorist plot. She and her team endeavored not to leave a single stone unturned and to not let a single detail go missing from their report.

Kyoko was lucky to work with a group of individuals who took their jobs so seriously. One of them was a boy who had graduated from the academy with the same Ultimate Talent as her; a boy named Saihara. What wasn't so lucky is the team may be too diligent because they burned the midnight oil down to the last drop. So much so that the date changed and she didn't even notice until she took a look at her watch.

If Kyoko had been doing this for herself and her family, she wouldn't have minded so much, but given that she had been living with Makoto, it complicated things.

Abrasive as she was, Kyoko Kirigiri always valued time with him. Shortly after graduating from Hope's Peak as classmates, she and fellow Ultimate Student, Makoto Naegi, had started dating, and now they lived together. Kyoko kept her job as a detective even after she graduated, but being the Ultimate Lucky Student, Makoto's options weren't particularly widespread. However, he had committed to getting a job as a teacher at the academy they had learned together. Kyoko had even heard that the current headmaster; her father, Jin Kirigiri; was considering allowing Makoto to become headmaster in his place when he retired.

Makoto's job typically didn't require him to work this late though, so Kyoko half expected that he would already be asleep by the time she got back. It was a shame since it was the end of the week, and she had very much liked to spend some quality evening time together with him.

*Because of the scale of this investigation, the department did warn us that we may be putting in extra hours...* the detective deliberated, *but that doesn't make it any less tiring...*

She yawned as she got to the end of this thought. Continuing down the street, she approached her household but stopped in place as she noticed the lights were on.

*That's rare...Could Makoto have fallen asleep and forgotten to have turned the lights off?* she, as she often did, started to think of several possibilities in her head at once, *no, that seems unlikely...It was he who brought up the idea of saving energy when we wrote the contract after moving in together...*

However, Kyoko didn't need to think about it for too long. As she approached the door, she heard the lock click open from the inside, and the door creaked open. The bright, warm light poured out at her from the doorway, and Makoto stepped through. He smiled at her, his smile warm as the light from inside the house, but his eyes looked tired, and his usual liveliness and optimistic glow were near absent.

"Welcome home, Kyoko," he simpered, "good job today at work."

There was a long pause where both of them just stared at each other, Makoto in bliss and Kyoko in surprise. Kyoko eventually became the one to break the silence.

"So...you were awake?" she inquired.

"Yep," Makoto replied cheerily.

"You do know it's gone three in the morning, right?"

"I know."

"Are you ok? You weren't worried about me, were you? I know I should have called..."

"No, no, it's ok! You were busy, I understand. This isn't because of you, I just...couldn't get to sleep..."

"Evidently...You have bags under your eyes," Kyoko sighed, "I know it's the weekend, but it's not good for your health to stay up like-"

Kyoko didn't finish her sentence. She reached out to cup Makoto's cheek in her hand, and as soon as her fingers felt his skin, she frowned.

"Why are you so cold?" she asked sternly.

"H-Huh? Oh, uh...don't worry about it," he scratched his head, "come in. I saved dinner for you, and I can run you a bath if you-OW OW OW!"

"Answer my question..." Kyoko growled, pinching his cheek, tighter than she meant to, "and be honest about it."

"Alright, alright, please, just let me go!" Makoto cried, rubbing his sore cheek after Kyoko released him, "it's because...I kept coming in and out the house...and I wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion..."

Makoto was wearing some very casual clothes. Not indecent, but not warm enough for the frigid winter weather.

"Are you an idiot?" Kyoko asked, "you could have caught a cold by doing that!"

"I know, I'm sorry..." Makoto pouted, "I just...missed you...and I wanted to see you as soon as you got back. I kind of got impatient and...well, I just sort of wandered around on my own...I'm sorry..."

Despite a delayed reaction, Kyoko stepped forward, and slumped her bashful head onto Makoto's shoulder, burying her face into him. She also instinctively reached out and wrapped her arms around his body.

"A-Ah! Kyoko! Um...I'm glad you're back, but can you please let go?" Makoto pleaded.

Kyoko didn't respond.

"Oh well..." Makoto chuckled, "if you're that tired...then I guess it's fine if you use me as a pillow. Just...maybe come inside so neither of us catches a cold?"

*What is it about this man that renders me so incapable when all others fail?* Kyoko didn't move her face, even as Makoto pulled her inside, afraid he might see just how flustered she was. *I can't explain it but...I need to marry him soon...*

[beardedmrbean]

The Senate approved a measure Wednesday evening to override President Biden's move last year to allow Chinese solar panel makers to avoid tariffs for 24 months.

In a bipartisan 56-41 vote, the Senate voted in favor of the resolution which was sponsored by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and co-sponsored by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., the latest congressional action to face an expected veto from President Biden. The vote comes less than a week after the House passed a companion resolution with 12 Democrats voting in favor.

"This measure is pro-American jobs and anti-Chinese forced and child labor. It's that simple," Scott remarked on the Senate floor ahead of the vote.

"It's time for the Senate to finish the job in Congress and send this to President Biden's desk. This isn't partisan, it's about human rights," he continued. "I will not stand by, and I hope the U.S. Senate will not stand by, and accept excuses to turn a blind eye to communist China's human rights atrocities."

CONGRESS GEARS UP TO SMACK DOWN PRESIDENT BIDEN'S CHINESE SOLAR HANDOUT

Overall, Chinese companies control a more than 80% share in the global solar panel industry, controlling the supply chain in all the manufacturing stages of the product, according to the International Energy Agency. The Chinese solar industry has been tied to forced labor in China's Xinjiang province.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

In addition to Manchin, several Democrats including Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Bob Casey, D-Pa., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., voted with Republicans in favor of the legislation.

"Ohioans are manufacturing solar panels that can power our economy," Brown said in remarks of his own Wednesday. "They just need a level playing field. You can’t say you want American manufacturing to lead the world, while allowing Chinese companies, often subsidized by the Chinese government, to skirt the rules and dump solar panels into the U.S." 

"This comes down to whose side you’re on: Do you stand with workers in Ohio, or do you stand with the Chinese Communist Party?"

CHINESE TECH COMPANIES ARE EXPLOITING US GREEN ENERGY GOALS, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS WARN

In June 2022, Biden implemented the 24-month moratorium on the enforcement of solar panel anti-circumvention tariffs introduced under the Obama administration to protect U.S. companies. The White House characterized the move as a two-year "bridge" that would allow companies to build solar panel production capabilities on U.S. soil.

The move, however, came after the Commerce Department said months earlier it would investigate whether Chinese manufacturers were routing solar panels through countries in Southeast Asia to avoid U.S. tariffs. And in December, the agency published its preliminary findings showing four large solar companies had routed products through Cambodia, Malaysia and Vietnam to circumvent duties. 

The Commerce Department is expected to release its final findings in May. Still, the White House vowed last week that Biden would veto the resolution passed Wednesday if it made it to his desk regardless of the findings. 

"From day one, the President has prioritized investments that will create good-paying jobs and build secure supply chains in the United States, including for solar energy," the White House said on April 24. "The Administration is working aggressively to support domestic solar panel manufacturing."

DEM CONGRESSWOMAN SILENT ON WHY SHE SIGNED HUSH AGREEMENT INVOLVING CHINESE TECH COMPANY

The resolution, meanwhile, earned the support of pro-tariff groups like the Coalition for a Prosperous America and human rights groups like the Uyghur Human Rights Project.

Environmental groups and green energy organizations like the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) have opposed it.

"We are urging senators to see through this political charade and examine the facts at hand," SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper said last week.

"The United States cannot produce enough solar panels and cells to meet demand, and the remaining 14 months of this moratorium gives us time to close the gap," she continued. "The United States can get there and become a global leader in clean energy manufacturing and development. Overturning the moratorium at this stage puts that future at risk." 

Following the vote Wednesday, Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., who sponsored the House version of the bill alongside Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., applauded the Senate vote.

"I am pleased to see the U.S. Senate, in a strong bipartisan vote, pass my legislation that supports American workers," Kildee said in a statement. "We must hold those who violate U.S. trade laws accountable, including China." 

"When we fail to enforce our trade laws, it hurts Michigan and American businesses and workers. I will continue standing up for fair trade and the American worker, including support efforts to expand the domestic manufacturing of solar panels."

[potionboy3]

Character profile

► basics;

Full Name: James “Jimmy” Crouch

Birthday: 28th October 1996

Pronouns: he/him

Sexual Orientation: Bi until proven otherwise

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw

Blood Status: Pureblood

Nationality: English

Personality type: ISTJ ► personality Jimmy is smart and determined but he can't often reach his own goals. He gets easily down and even though he claims to dislike people, he’s quite lonely. He's also a bit disloyal and had problems with his friends in school and in workplace because of this.

► magical info;

Wand: Hazel wood with a phoenix feather core, 12 ¾ and reasonably supple flexibility

A sensitive wand, hazel often reflected its owner's emotional state, and worked best for a master who understood and could manage their own feelings. Others should be very careful handling a hazel wand if its owner had recently lost their temper, or suffered a serious disappointment, because the wand would absorb such energy and discharge it unpredictably

Patronus: Hyena

Often given a bad reputation, hyenas are cunning hunters and scavengers that know what they have to do to survive in the animal kingdom. They live and hunt in packs/clans and are very social animals. They often communicate with those in their clans by making a variety of noises, including the “laughter” they are so famous for. Hyenas are loyal, creative, and fierce. If your Patronus is a hyena, Dementors won’t stand a chance!

Patronus Memory: Getting sorted into Ravenclaw, it was a really big deal for him to get in.

Boggart: Dementor

Specialized/Favourite Spells: He's good at occlumency

► background;

Pre-Hogwarts: Jimmy was his parents only child until he was 11. His parents married after the second wizarding war and things were peaceful in his childhood. They were strict and expected a lot from their son and he couldn't wait to get to school to get away from the fuss.

 ► physical;

Faceclaim: Federico Cesari, Peter Vack

Eye Color: hazel

Hair Color: dark brown

Height: 175 cm, 5 feet 9

► fashion;

► story;

When Jimmy got back home from Hogwarts for the summer after his first year, his parents told him that they're expecting another child. He wasn't thrilled about the idea and felt as they were replacing him. His school went alright; he wasn't a bad student, but his efforts didn't seem enough for his parents. They were pleased to find out that he was a Ravenclaw, but his grades didn't impress them. He also had a tough time forming a relationship for his little brother Brandy. He claimed to not really care what his parents thought of him after his little brother became their favourite and after graduating, he wanted to spend less time with them.

In school he became friends with Rocky Weasley and also started his relationship with Jupiter Durand.   After his time in school, he started to work in the ministry just as most of his family had in the Council of Magical Law. However, working there for few years he fell in with a bad crowd and started to accept bribes. Being good at occlumency, he got far by making people forget his mistakes and actions. He got  in trouble in 2021( while his younger brother started his fifth year in school). By the 2022 he was fired from his job. He was almost sentenced to Azkaban, but his father stood up for him in the last minute. After the occasion his father removed his name from the family and didn't want anything to do with him. to be continued...

 ► relatives;

 Father: Kerry Crouch

His father is the younger brother of Barty Crouch senior. He lived his life whole life in the shadow and the two were distant, even though they both worked on the ministry in same department. He made his brother and his son a warning example for his own sons. Kerry favourited Brandy more than Jimmy during his childhood and was surprised to learn that Jimmy got a job in the department of Law in the first place.

Mother: Velma Crouch Velma was a housewife who had hopes for a big family. She didn't think she could have children after Jimmy was born which is why they favour Brandy more than him. Brandy’s great academic skills didn’t help the situation. She was mostly quiet and let Kerry do the raising of the children but if Brandy was in any kind of dangerous, she suddenly got very loud about it.

Brother: Oscar “Brandy” Crouch Brandy and Jimmy were never close due to their age difference and neither tried much to fix this. It was only after Jimmy got arrested that Brandy decided that what their parents are doing to him isn’t fair and he wanted to form a better relationship with him. 

► relationships;

Love interest: Jupiter Durand  (fc: benedetta porcaroli, @cursed-herbalist​ )

Jimmy originally claimed to find Jupiter annoying but in reality he was quite charmed with her since the beginning. He didn’t really want to fall in love but she just got on his path and changed his plan. Jupiter and Jimmy started dating on their sixth year some time after Christmas and the relationship continued until his job at the ministry. At that point Jupiter became irritated with him overworking himself and ignoring everything else from his life and the two broke up. It deeply hurt Jimmy and he got more involved on his darker path. After his trial Jimmy realized that he wanted her in his life and started to amend himself. Eventually she forgave him and the two got back together. (more will be added)

Friends:  Open Roger Jr. “Rocky” Weasley (fc: alex  fitzalan, @magicallymalted​ )

Rocky and Jimmy met on the train to Hogwarts when they were younger. The two became close. They’re very different but Jimmy actually likes Rocky a lot and finds him to be his best friend. He doesn’t let people in easily but Rocky  is one of the few one’s who he did. 

Dawn Harvelle (fc: nathan bouts, mine)

Dawn is dormmates with Rocky and Jimmy doesn’t much like him. He finds the other boy annoying  but eventually warms up to him and even when he claims to not get along with him, he actually does consider the other as his friend.

Maxim Raeburn Maxim is Rocky’s cousin and became friends with Jimmy through him. They get along fine enough.

Allegiances: Ravenclaw house and quidditch team, ministry of magic (formerly), 

Enemies: Open

► misc

Hobbies & Extracurriculars: Quidditch to his parents’ great display. He was his team’s chaser and loved it.

Favourite Subject: Taking care of magical creatures, which he loves but which his parents thought was nonsense so he never admitted to liking it.

Professions: He worked at the council of magical law but got fired. to be updated...

[draqo-pctter]

Based off the sonnet sequence Astrophil and Stella by Sir Philip Sidney. This is an exploration of desire and denial; a discovery of the difference between lust and love; the story of a poet craving an intangible muse. Will Draco ever earn Hermione's love? Or will he forever be just a star lover, chasing an unreachable star?

loving in truth / a dramione trilogy on archive of our own

book one: loving in truth After finishing his Ministry-ordered probation, Draco had to decide on a "new life path", whatever that meant. He wasn't sure the judge knew what that meant. What it sounded like was a farce. How was he supposed to decide on a new future when he still hadn't come to terms with the past? Enter Hermione Granger in all her Ministry glory. As an employee of the Ministry's Department of Magical Law Enforcement, it became her job to ensure that Draco did what he was supposed to do: find a new career path, and disavow everything that his family had stood for. As he tried to piece himself back together, and put distance between himself and his family values, he found himself wanting to be closer to Granger, who wanted nothing to do with him.

words: 38,357 chapters: 10/36 rating: m tags: slow burn, redemption, post-war, canon divergence, unrequited love, depictions of alcoholism & depression, enemies to lovers, angst and hurt/comfort, inspired by poetry, pov draco malfoy

first ten chapters are being edited (spelling/grammar) & then this story will be coming off hiatus february 2022!!!! i’m very excited to be bringing this story back; it hasn’t left my mind once since 2020 and now that i’m in a (much) better place in life, i’d like to give it the attention it deserves. 

excerpt from chapter one below:

Draco wondered what would come of their forced proximity to each other. He no longer had the energy to call her names and attempt to fight with her. He'd lost the war, and had been lucky enough to be granted freedom. Would he ever express regret or apologize for his actions to her? Of course not. What kind of man would he be if he did so? He'd look stupid, and weak, and those were two adjectives which did not describe Malfoy men.

He chuckled softly to himself, sitting down on the large leather sectional. The fireplace was quiet, as there was no need for fire in the middle of May. The air outside was warm, peaceful spring giving way to rambunctious summer as it always did. Granger reminded Draco of summer—of days spent play fighting outside as a child, loud laughter and screams coming from every direction. She was hot like the beach, and unforgiving like the ocean. She seemed to generate warmth but Draco knew that she was capable of more. She could be cold, and aggressive—he used to call it bossy, but it was more than that. It was a need to control others, to be in charge. She would argue it was for others' safety, but Draco suspected it was more for her own sanity than anything else.

And he sure as hellfire wasn't going to let her control him. No, she was going to see what he was truly capable of. And she was going to leave him alone. Because that's what he wanted—he wanted peace and quiet, and Granger didn't promise him either of those things.

A small voice at the back of his mind chided him. You think you want peace, but what you want is acceptance. And you know she won't accept you. And that's why you're so obsessed. That's why you're excited. You're craving denial; you're craving detachment.

No, Draco thought to himself. He wanted to know when he was going to see her next. He was curious about what she would say, how she would act. Would she be angry and bitter, or would she actually try to help him? Would she pity him? He didn't know if it was beneath her or not to pity him.

Could he make her like him? Did he want her to like him? Why did he even care?

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #32

August 30-September 6 2024.

President Biden announced $7.3 billion in clean energy investment for rural communities. This marks the largest investment in rural electrification since the New Deal. The money will go to 16 rural electric cooperatives across 23 states Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Together they will be able to generate 10 gigawatts of clean energy, enough to power 5 million households about 20% of America's rural population. This clean energy will reduce greenhouse emissions by 43.7 million tons a year, equivalent to removing more than 10 million cars off the road every year.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced a historic 10th offshore wind project. The latest project approved for the Atlantic coast of Maryland will generate 2,200 megawatts of clean, reliable renewable energy to power 770,000 homes. All together the 10 offshore wind projects approved by the Biden-Harris Administration will generation 15 gigawatts, enough to power 5.25 million homes. This is half way to the Administration's goal of 30 gigawatts of clean offshore wind power by 2030.

President Biden signed an Executive Order aimed at supporting and expanding unions. Called the "Good Jobs EO" the order will direct all federal agencies to take steps to recognize unions, to not interfere with the formation of unions and reach labor agreements on federally supported projects. It also directs agencies to prioritize equal pay and pay transparency, support projects that offer workers benefits like child care, health insurance, paid leave, and retirement benefits. It will also push workforce development and workplace safety.

The Department of Transportation announced $1 billion to make local roads safer. The money will go to 354 local communities across America to improve roadway safety and prevent deaths and serious injuries. This is part of the National Roadway Safety Strategy launched in 2022, since then traffic fatalities have decreased for 9 straight quarters. Since 2022 the program has supported projects in 1,400 communities effecting 75% of all Americans.

The Department of Energy announced $430 million to support America's aging hydropower. Hydropower currently accounts for nearly 27% of renewable electricity generation in the United States. However many of our dams were built during the New Deal for a national average of 79 years old. The money will go to 293 projects across 33 states. These updates will improve energy generation, workplace safety, and have a positive environmental impact on local fish and wildlife.

The EPA announced $300 million to help support tribal nations, and US territories cut climate pollution and boost green energy. The money will support projects by 33 tribes, and the Island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. EPA Administer Michael S. Regan announced the funds along side Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland in Arizona to highlight one of the projects. A project that will bring electricity for the first time to 900 homes on the Hopi Reservation.

The Biden-Harris Administration is investing $179 million in literacy. This investment in the Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant is the largest in history. Studies have shown that the 3rd grade is a key moment in a students literacy development, the CLSD is designed to help support states research, develop, and implement evidence-based literacy interventions to help students achieve key literacy milestones.

The US government secured the release of 135 political prisoners from Nicaragua. Nicaragua's dictator President Daniel Ortega has jailed large numbers of citizens since protests against his rule broke out in 2018. In February 2023 the US secured the release of over 200 political prisoners. Human rights orgs have documented torture and sexual abuse in Ortega's prisons.

The Justice Department announced the disruption of a major effort by Russia to interfere with the 2024 US Elections. Russian propaganda network, RT, deployed $10 million to Tenet Media to help spread Russian propaganda and help sway the election in favor of Trump and the Republicans as well as disrupting American society. Tenet Media employs many well known conservative on-line personalities such as Benny Johnson, Tim Pool, Lauren Southern, Dave Rubin, Tayler Hansen and Matt Christiansen.

Vice-President Harris outlined her plan for Small Businesses at a campaign stop in New Hampshire. Harris wants to expand from $5,000 to $50,000 tax incentives for startup expenses. This would help start 25 million new small business over four years.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

[The Daily Don]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

More good news today for Bidenomics, as the gross domestic product report for the second quarter showed annualized growth of 2.4%, higher than projected, and inflation rose at a slower pace of 2.6%, down from last quarter and well below projections. Economic analyst Steven Rattner noted that as of the second quarter, “the US economy is over 6% larger than it was before COVID (after adjusting for inflation). At this point in the recovery from the Great Recession, 2011, the economy was just 0.7% larger than it had been in 2007.”

Both consumer spending and business investment, which is up 7.7% in real annualized terms, drove this growth. Business spending makes up a much smaller share of gross domestic product, but it drives future jobs and growth, and much of this growth is in manufacturing facilities. In keeping with that trend, the nation’s largest solar panel manufacturer, First Solar, announced today that it will build a fifth factory in the U.S. as alternative energy technology takes off. This commitment brings to more than $2.8 billion the amount First Solar has invested in the U.S. to ramp up production. 

While so-called Bidenomics is designed to rebuild the middle class, the administration is also trying to reestablish fair ground rules for corporate behavior. Yesterday, the Departments of Justice, Commerce, and Treasury invited American businesses to come forward voluntarily if they think they might have violated U.S. sanctions, export controls, or other national security laws by sharing sensitive technology or helping sanctioned individuals launder money. Coming forward “can provide significant mitigation of civil or criminal liability,” the note says. 

It highlighted the anti–money laundering and sanctions whistleblower program in the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN. 

While many of us were watching the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., to see if an indictment was forthcoming against former president Trump for his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, a different set of charges appeared tonight. Special counsel Jack Smith brought additional charges against Trump in connection with his retention of classified documents.

The new indictment alleges that Trump plotted to delete video from security cameras near the storage room where he had stored boxes containing classified documents, and did so after the Department of Justice subpoenaed that footage. That effort to delete the video involved a third co-conspirator, Carlos De Oliveira, who has been added to the case. 

De Oliveira is a former valet at the Trump Organization’s Mar-a-Lago property who became property manager there in January 2022. Allegedly, he told another Trump employee that “the boss” wanted the server deleted and that the conversation should stay between the two of them. 

In the Washington Post, legal columnist Ruth Marcus wrote, “The alleged conduct—yes, even after all these years of watching Trump flagrantly flout norms—is nothing short of jaw-dropping: Trump allegedly conspired with others to destroy evidence.” If the allegations hold up, “the former president is a common criminal—and an uncommonly stupid one.”

This superseding indictment reiterates the material from the original indictment, and as I reread it, it still blows my mind that Trump allegedly compromised national security documents from the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (surveillance imagery), the National Reconnaissance Office (surveillance and maps), the Department of Energy (nuclear weapons), and the Department of State and Bureau of Intelligence and Research (diplomatic intelligence). 

It sounds like he was a one-man wrecking ball, aimed at our national security. 

The Justice Department has asked again for a protective order to protect the classified information at the heart of this case. In their request, they explained that, among other things, Trump wanted to be able to discuss that classified information with his lawyers outside a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, a room protected against electronic surveillance and data leakage. 

Former deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division Peter Strzok noted that there is “[n]o better demonstration of Trump’s abject lack of understanding of—and disregard for—classified info and national security. He is *asking the Court* to waive the requirements for classified info that EVERY OTHER SINGLE CLEARANCE HOLDER IN THE UNITED STATES must follow.”  

The Senate today passed the $886 billion annual defense bill by a strong bipartisan margin of 86 to 11 after refusing to load it up with all the partisan measures Republican extremists added to the House bill. Now negotiators from the House and the Senate will try to hash out a compromise measure, but the bills are so far apart it is not clear they will be able to create a bipartisan compromise. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has passed on a bipartisan basis for more than 60 years.

The extremists in the House Republican conference continue to revolt against House speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) deal with the administration to raise the debt ceiling. They insist the future cuts to which McCarthy agreed are not steep enough, and demand more. This has sparked fighting among House Republicans; Emine Yücel of Talking Points Memo suggests that McCarthy’s new willingness to consider impeaching President Biden might be an attempt to cut a deal with the extremists.  

As the Senate is controlled by Democrats, the fight among the House Republicans threatens a much larger fight between the chambers because Democratic senators will not accept the demands of the extremist Republican representatives.

The House left for its August recess today without passing 11 of the 12 appropriations bills necessary to fund the government after September, setting up the conditions for a government shutdown this fall if they cannot pass the bills and negotiate with the Senate in the short time frame they’ve left. Far-right Republicans don’t much care, apparently. Representative Bob Good (R-VA) told reporters this week, “We should not fear a government shutdown… Most of what we do up here is bad anyway.”   

Representative Katherine Clark (D-MA), the second ranking Democrat in the House, disagreed. “The Republican conference is saying they are sending us home for six weeks without funding the government? That we have one bill…out of 12 completed because extremists are holding your conference hostage, and that’s not the full story: the extremists are holding the American people hostage. We will have twelve days…when we return to fund the government, to live up to the job the American people sent us here to do. This is a reckless march to a MAGA shutdown, and for what? In pursuit of a national abortion ban? Is that what we are doing here? 

“The American people see through this. They know who is fighting for them, fighting for solutions…. Your time is coming. The American people are watching. They are going to demand accountability. We should be staying here, completing these appropriations bills, stripping out the toxic, divisive, bigoted riders that have been put on these bills and get[ting] back to work for freedom and for our economy and the American family.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[empress-hancock]

okay i didn't want to dox myself by connecting my blog, but I went to the November 2022 oSTEM (out in STEM) conference and they had sam brinton as the keynote speaker and the whole time i was like wtf is this, why is he here???? and when i got home i looked him up and there were already DIFFERENT luggage stealing rumors from earlier that month. wack.

Yep, found it. Wow. This article mentions TWO incidents a few months apart, one in July in Vegas and one in September in Minnesota, that lead to his firing. He was hired one month before the first incident, and still did something that stupid so soon after. I will never understand what leads men to make choices that sabotage their jobs, especially highly respected jobs, so soon after they get hired

[wordsandsound14]

2022 Albums of the Year

What a year it’s been. In all honesty, 2022 was a little disappointing in the album department. The albums I have on this list are all ones that I like and enjoy, don’t get me wrong. But I feel that I didn’t have an album that blew me away that normally does. However, I also didn’t have albums that I absolutely hated. Even the Panic! album that I didn’t care for isn’t an unbearable mess, it’s just not good and that’s it. Regardless, I listened to a good amount of albums from this year that I feel confident in my top 20. (I’m sure when I look at other year end lists, that my ranking will get changed. Yet, this list still feels good.) Let’s just jump in now 

20. Sometimes, Forever - Soccer Mommy

I find this album really explores the different sounds that Soccer Mommy is capable of producing. “Clean” was an introduction to her sound and “Color Theory” took that sound and made it larger. “Sometimes, Forever” doesn’t do anything unexpected but it does embrace experimental sounds that she hasn’t yet made. I adore the pinball “With U” as it launches into a electro-rock track that embraces the energy it has while still having an incredible chorus to hold the song together. “Shotgun” is another standout and the numbers back up how catchy the chorus is. It’s the most memorable song off the album and it’ll be stuck in your head. The rest of the album does a marvelous job of weaving the new ideas without feeling like two completely different thoughts, all the while still sounding like Soccer Mommy. A very unique album that will stand out in her discography with the years coming.

19. Lila - Marketa Irglova

After the long hiatus, the third album (and apparently the ending of a trilogy of albums) has finally arrived. Many know Marketa as being a member of The Swell Season and being a co-star in the film Once. Years later, we arrive at “Lila” and her long journey to where she is today. For those unfamiliar, she creates piano driven music that often focusses on the complexities and intricacies of love and its many different forms: platonic, parental, eternal, romantic, etc. She touches on a lot of topics but often, endearingly, looks at the side of love. While the short track listing is a hard pill to swallow after the wait (being only 9 tracks long), each song does feel special if you give it time to bloom. I was initially a little disappointed that after all these years and it didn’t feel like they compared to the past two albums. But living with the songs and listening to them more often proved how intricate these songs are. My personal favorite being “Girl From a Movie” with a melody that touches my soul and calms it. I hope these songs can find you where you are at and you can embrace the peacefulness they bring

18. Dance Fever - Florence + The Machine

The song “King” alone is enough to land this album on this list. Being the feminist song of the year and maybe decade, it has an ability to be empowering without feeling like there is an agenda or coming off really corny/obvious is what sets this track apart. “Cassandra” is another highlight that brings attention to the gothic fantasy that is thematically embraced by the band this time. The thing that does hold this album back is there is a series of songs on here that I don’t care for. From “Back in Town” to “Prayer Factory” is what feels like a very automatic Florence. However, everything else exceeds my expectations and fulfills that Florence scratch that I didn’t know I needed itching. I think what made this album work so well was the subtle experimentation they used. I felt like they utilized Florence’s fantasy sounding voice really well and made music that surrounded her voice well and doubled down on it. I think it’s the best decision they could have made and embracing it only created the album that we have here.

17. Hold the Girl - Rina Sawayama

There’s not a huge stand out here but this album fully showcases Rina’s ability to songwrite while fully embracing the pop genre. With her last album, she genre bounced almost as many times as she could and here she still incorporates other genres but I would still put them all in the pop genre. That being said, I fully understand why if others weren’t too fond of the this project. It doesn't feel like a betrayal from the artist but it isn’t a path that works for everyone. Without a standout, it can feel like you’re waiting for her to break the ceiling and it can feel like she never really does but if you take each individual song as it is, she does a great job of making them unique and their own. I see this album more as a collection of songs rather a complete project that has a start and finish. However, this perspective has helped me hear the songs for what they are and that each one was carefully made to be the best pop song it can be. “This Hell” being a catchy Gaga inspired song, “Hurricanes” being a momentous pop song, and “Frankenstein” being the iconic rock-pop song off the album (I think it’s an actual leftover Gaga track). Rina Sawayama is making waves as a new pop star that has no limits on her genre.

16. Chloe and the Next 20th Century - Father John Misty

This is probably the hardest album to rank. It took all year (did listen to this a little late; believe it was June when I listened to it for the first time) for this one to grow on me. Upon first listen, I felt like the title track was the only standout song (which it still is my favorite from the album) and the rest fell short of what I wanted from the 20′s inspired album. I lived with the songs some more and found some more songs from it but still felt like the songs felt a little stale. Then came late November and it’s time to re-listen to all of the albums I heard from the year so I can make my year end list and it clicked this time. Really clicked and suddenly there’s no skip tracks and it sounds super cohesive and I hear the diversity of the album. (There’s maybe one ballad that goes on too long but that was my only major complaint). It’s so well crafted and I think my only wish was that he committed to the 20′s sound more but he still did a really great job of getting that sound to the modern day. I’m sure this album will age like wine.

15. All Girls Go To Heaven - Mint Green

I did a lot of listening to Spotify’s Discover Weekly, a curated playlist of new music and this band showed up with their song “Body Language” (still my favorite from the album). I put the new songs I like in a “Rotation” playlist and I listen to them and funnel some in and out every 2 weeks. (It’s a whole system) To listen to new albums, I’ll pick a few songs that have albums attached to them. This is one of those albums that I found through this system. (Keep in mind that there are plenty of other albums but some come from last year so they don’t qualify for this year.) This album really impressed me, even though I thought there was places that it could improve on. The songwriting of this group is amazing and you can just imagine these being played in small rooms/live. You can hear their love and understanding of music through listening. These songs have such a great energy and it feels like there’s so much more of their talent for them to discover. I really can’t wait to hear what’s next for them but I also have this selection of songs to continue listening to. I also really love the dynamic of this band and having to women who sing in the band (though it seems the lineup of the band keeps changing every time I look). It’s a little difficult to rank a band on their music and not the potential of their music but they’ll land right here for now.

14. Asphalt Meadows - Death Cab For Cutie

While I’m sure Death Cab has made better albums, I feel this one is going to go under many radars of music from this year. This album showcases that they are a band who have plenty of ideas still for those still listening. I say it like I’m a longtime fan but really I only knew a handful of the bigger songs. I listened to “Plans” earlier in the year and then I saw that they dropped an album and gave it a listen also. I was pleasantly surprised when I gave it a listen and the songs have only improved with time. “Fragments From the Decade” is the perfected indie ambient music that I love from the band. “I Don’t Know How to Survive” is an excellent opener that presents the listener with confirmation that the rest of the album will be a good ride with its indie flares. “Hear to Forever” is another highlight that simply evolves with how the album is moving thematically but hits as a high point for the album. Each song is sonically interesting though and feel like they got the songs to the best of place they could get them in.

13. The Art of Survival - Bush

In 2020, Bush reinvented themselves with “The Kingdom”, opting for more of a modern hard rock sound with post-grunge. I loved the approach they did with their sound and evolving it to a place where that felt like it was appreciation to listeners who were still here after their on-and-off career. I wanted more of their recent evolution and they answered back maybe a bit too literally. It’s an album that serves as a sister album more than a sequel. But damn, this sound is really good. They don’t nail the ballad as good as they could have but all the other songs have a lot of energy to them with booming guitars and hard hitting drums. You can feel the wave of sound with every chorus that comes and the song structures are varied enough so that you never feel like it’s the same song over and over. It’s a great listen that I hope they can use it as a stepping stone for the next album. They can get away with one sister album but not two.

12. Meet the Moonlight - Jack Johnson

I hadn’t given up on Jack Johnson yet but I figured his best years were behind him, being a remnant of the 2000′s acoustic/folk scene. His past two albums didn’t seem to pushing his career forward in a significant way anymore, the first being more of a copy of his earlier work and the later feeling over-produced and sounding forced. But this album proved that he still has songs. I think the issue was that he was happy just touring, being a humanitarian, and being a family man. The studio and notebook weren’t calling him and he pushed himself to meet the page in times when it felt like his life wasn’t calling him that way. Here, you can feel that these songs were from his heart that he had something to say. The music matches the tone and Jack’s personality shines through; the Hawaiian beach ocean is almost tangible. It’s an album that feels like coming home. He has interesting songs and I’m extremely happy that he took a chance on ambient music with the title track and it ended up being my favorite from the record. It makes me happy to hear that he’s back in his element with music again.

11. It’s Almost Dry - Pusha T

I really liked Pusha T’s last effort with “Daytona” but felt that it could be expanded on in a way that could feel fully realized. “It’s Almost Dry” is the answer to that request. His hooks are impeccable and each song feels like its own. My favorite unfortunately has West attached to it and I had to make the tough call of not including it within my top 50 to not endorse West. While I know my actions alone will not really change what his reputation is, I don’t feel comfortable supporting him in any way. With that said, it doesn’t stop the music and hooks being absolutely great, with the only skip track being “Scrape It Off” as it uses a beat and plays of typical modern trap beats. But everything else is really progressive and evolves his songs in a new way. I know a lot of people say that Pusha T makes only one type of music and that you should know what you’re getting when you put on his music but idk, this album seems to prove that wrong and I might bet that’s what he was after cause no track sounds the same and I can tell he used his creativity to expand the best he could within the rap genre.

10. Where the Heart Is - Sweet Pill

Another Discover Weekly band that I found and fell in love with. The best way I can describe this band is take Paramore’s first two albums and they have recreated it without sounding like carbon copies. You can hear the heavy influence but it doesn’t take away from their own original sound. “High Hopes” was the song that got me hooked and still is my favorite with its addicting riff and high energy rock. However, the title track does make it run for the money providing a great thesis for the album. “Sometimes” is the perfect song for you if you are interested in their Paramore similarities. It’s a great callback album to the 2000′s edgy alt rock scene but moves it to a modern headspace. Overall, I’m super delighted to have found this band and am super excited to how they expand their sound next time.

9. Harry’s House - Harry Styles

Separate the art from the artist they say. I’ll do that here. And it’s not like I started hating or disliking Harry that much but the second half of this year has proved how much growing up he has left as a human. The drama behind the movie is difficult to ignore and how he is in interviews (especially surrounding the film) has made it evident that he isn’t really ready for any type of normality/reality check. Being someone who loves Harry, his daring outfits, and protest against gender norms seems like a long past now. He now seems like that annoying little brother who got famous but isn’t ready for the responsibility but is still able to BS through life. It’s complicated; he hasn’t done anything really wrong but he could be doing better. Anyways, more about the music since that’s what this is about. Harry’s ability to create insanely catchy pop hooks and do it successfully 12 times is truly a feat. And a good portion of them are fully realized and the others work well as shorter songs. He doesn’t try to push an idea further than it needs to if he doesn’t know how to fill that space. “Boyfriends” is the only song that I feel falls short. Everything else keeps up with the rest of discography. This album might be a little more simple musically, goes for the pop production, and sticks to shorter songs but I feel that these choices benefit the album majority of the time. There’s a song for everyone in here and Harry’s House is a good addition to his portfolio.

8. Spinning the Truth Around (Part 1) - Blue October

Blue’s last album was such a major disappointment. I felt like a lot of it was overproduced and that a lot of songs didn’t get fully realized. And it sucks because there’s a “fan reason” behind it that really seems to be true for this band. It goes something like this: “Justin (Blue October frontman) only makes music if he isn’t doing well. I’m happy that he’s finally happy and in a good place but the music doesn’t hit like it used to when he was depressed and anxious all the time.” And well... he made some really good music. The news is that he’s going through a divorce with his second wife. Luckily, it’s not even close to how messy the first divorce went. It seems like they just grew apart and didn’t feel their marriage was what it was supposed to be nor did it feel right for them. Yet, that still is a gut punch and you can hear it in the songs where Justin talks about this topic. He perfectly walks you through the emotions of losing a love that you still love. The anger, the sadness, the confusion, the passion, the acceptance, the etc. The greatest thing to come out of this album is how diverse their sound has become. While there’s still a glossy pop production to the album, there’s a lot of different sounds and approaches to songwriting. I can hear the band really pushing themselves to make great songs here and it really pays off. “Where Did You Go I’m Less of a Mess These Days” is my favorite for its soaring chorus and gut wrenching words. “How Can You Love Me If You Don’t Even Like Me” is groovy and incorporates its dark tone with its ambient sound. “Change” is a super unique, sleek rock song that I wouldn’t have seen coming from the band. I’ll let you listen to it but I’m super excited for Part 2 if it continues this new ambition within the band.

7. THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND- PUP

PUP seems to have found their sound and seems super comfortable with exactly how to expand that sound while maintaining it. They nailed a great sound with their last album “Morbid Stuff” and continue by going a little harder but continue with their great energy punk with indie rock. While I’m not a fan of the interlude songs in-between the longer songs, they are quick. But every normal length song on here is an absolute blast to listen to. They’re snappy, punchy, and rock really hard. “Matilda”, “Robot Writes a Love Song”, and “Habits” are the highlight tracks but it’s really hard to hand pick the songs off from here when each one is so well made. It’s an album that you can hear it being played live just by listening to the studio recording (but I kinda wanna hear it in a small room too).

6. 22 Make - Oh Wonder

Last year saw the return of Oh Wonder. Not that they went away but their album before “Nobody Can Wear Your Crown” felt like Oh Wonder on autopilot. 22 Break had urgency, creativity, and passion. It felt like that music was the only route for them to work through this part of their life. 22 Make is 2nd part of the album, a sister album. The first half explored how their struggles, doubts, and conflicts lead to a difficult first year of marriage. This album is reaffirming themselves through all the pain that they truly love each and backing away from their marriage and time together would be for the worse. The love is bleeding through the sound and the choice to stay in a relationship after a time of hardship is never more beautifully displayed than here. While there’s a bit more tendency for pop production compared to the first one, this still has a lot of creative ideas and unique sounds. Oh Wonder has still yet to really branch into something unknown but they have continually made interesting songs and sounds the accompany their music. Also the more time passes, the better Anthony’s production skills get. His beats, mixing choices, and selection of effects are really spectacular. Truly a producer I’m inspired by.

5. Are You Happy Now? - Jensen McRae

Discover Weekly really brought me to an artist here that has such a bright future in front of her. Comparable to Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, Jensen McRae’s lyrics and indie folk music is soulful, introspective, and meaningful. “Wolves” is commentary on average predatory men and how they affect women’s lives. “Adam’s Rib” is a desperation we all feel from unrequited or decaying love that is out of our hands. “Dead Girl Walking” was my introduction and utilizes its infectious beat to display her insecurities and stress. Her ability to share her thoughts well, keep the lyrics intimate, and the music interesting are welcome in the realm in highly praised modern folk songwriters mentioned above. Her album really caught me off guard tho. On the surface, she’s an indie artist that has a good knack for interesting songs but nothing that really jumps out. The moment you realize what she’s doing and how she sings really changes that perspective and tells you how wrong you are. There’s a lot more depth and letting these songs sing to you is the key to listening.

4. HOLY FVCK - Demi Lovato

Even with all of the discover weekly finds this year, this is still the biggest left field album for me this year. I’ve never listened or been interested in her music. I heard her music was actually rock this time and I kind of assumed people who said this were stretching the truth and it would sound way more like pop than rock. (kinda like Avril’s release) But I gave it a chance so I could have my own opinion and I was so surprised with what I found. Actual rock music... like what I was told. There are definitely some songs that have a pop sound to them but she never leaves the realm of rock music. Two biggest complaints is that there isn’t a song that super stands out to me and the track listing is bloated. I enjoy the whole track listing so it’s a little difficult to eliminate songs but it does indeed drag. Anyways, I was really taken back with how hard these songs rock and how ambitious it is for a pop artist to commit to a sound that would seemingly alienate the target pop audience. This album could have flopped (for Demi standards) and I may have never heard it. But she nails each of these songs and doesn’t make any adjustments for her audience. On top of it all, these songs are super honest with the listeners. She doesn’t sugar coat her experience the past years and has so much self-awareness. It’s how we get songs like “29″ and “SKIN OF MY TEETH” on how she realizes what her choices, things that have happened to her, and everything in between has affected. It’s her art and she made sure it was her story. It’s an impressive album and is executed as so. (I do also apologize if excluding them/them pronouns is harmful. It is not my intention to inflict harm. I remembered their pronouns changed at the beginning of this year. I thought it was she/her but it was they/her. Since they do go by she/her pronouns currently, I’ll keep my wording the way it is but I did not want to exclude they/them without mentioning those pronouns in a disclaimer at least.)

3. Vaxis II: Window of the Waking Mind - Coheed and Cambria

This is one of the most consistent bands of modern day. I understand that they aren’t for everybody but I find their music has always been so carefully made. This time, they took a few notes from classic metal and made the bold decision of making the majority of their songs shorter. If you aren’t familiar with the band, they are a modern Prog Rock band. Prog is known for their story driven albums and longer songs (Rush and Pink Floyd are well known classic Prog bands). While Coheed has a story within their album, it doesn’t need to be known to like or even connect with their music. I do think it helps knowing that there is a story so if something feels a bit narrative, you’ll understand why. However, Coheed has always done a wonderful job of displaying the emotion of the narrative if there is a story element happening. This is all beautifully displayed on the title track, which really feels like a Magnus opus. All of their skills, learning, and creativity reaches its max with this song. While you can jump into it if you really need to, the payoff is way better when the whole album is listened to so the last song has the impact that it has. Your mind will subconsciously pick up on the journey of the album and the final song will conclude this story well. They also lead this album off right where the last album drops off (more listening if you end up liking the band) with the melody of “Unheavenly Creatures”, which is thematically satisfying. Then you have the electrifying “Comatose” and the anthemic “The Liar’s Club”. And if that’s not enough, the band really experimented and mixed their sound with a Eurovision sound in “A Disappearing Act”. It’s a solid release from a band that continues to display their growing talent and professionalism as musicians.

2. Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers - Kendrick Lamar

I’m unsure if this is a hot take or not. All I can say is that Kendrick did a daring move and instead of tackling racism again after the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, he took a step away to focus on his family trauma and his healing process through therapy. I feel like he even stepped away from flashy hooks in an attempt to make music that felt like less of a product and one that told his story. At first, I was thinking this project would land lower on my list, remembering that the songs felt like they missed the musical creativity that Kendrick offers more of and it sometimes felt like sitting in on his therapy sessions vs listening to a creative project. However, upon re-listening, I don’t feel that way anymore. These songs now feel like an old best friend that I’ve been needing to connect with again and I had put it off. These songs become personal in the same way that they are to him. They keep their impact, the theming becomes so much purposeful, and his execution of this album is precise. There’s so much depth and importance in what he’s saying: “Stop tiptoeing around the conversation”, “I’ve got daddy issues and that’s on me”, and “So I set myself free from all the guilt I thought I made.” There’s a deep sense of self healing and helping his loved ones with their healing. He’s tired of the damage that has been done and the passing of the damage with generation to generation. Hurt people hurt people. He decided that instead of continuing the conversation of racism he started, he wanted to start a new one on generational trauma. While I think a lot of us were doing healing ourselves at the same time during the pandemic, I don’t think there is a better example of this process than this album.

1. Expert in a Dying Field - The Beths

It’s a tough choice between this album and Kendrick’s. I went with this one because of how consistent it is in comparison. Kendrick’s album is a bit like a roller coaster of what works and what doesn’t. And sure, it does feel weird to have an album like this at my number 1 but it really has topped my list for best album. This album is full of amazing songwriting and consistently delivers throughout its runtime, plateauing at a high line. The Beths also take great notice to incorporate parts of different genres within their indie rock sound. Punk, 2000′s pop, and adult contemporary. And it sure sounds like a weird and maybe boring mix of genre’s but it never leaves the realm of indie rock. The catchy melodies with lyrics that paint a picture of different relationships and the aftermath of them are surrounded by carefully curated guitar tones. It’s an easy album to listen to but doesn’t sacrifice musicality, lyrics, or enjoyment. It’s a really solid album that keeps every song interesting and fun. Give this energetic album a chance and you’ll soon be singing along to the choruses of these songs. Maybe you too can be an expert in a dying field. 

[llynwen]

I posted 6,394 times in 2022

That's 1,665 more posts than 2021!

220 posts created (3%)

6,174 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@i-see-you-jon

@ed-teach

@linklamont

@eyeldritch

@abitofboth

I tagged 2,122 of my posts in 2022

#owen wilson - 358 posts

#ofmd - 141 posts

#hotd - 53 posts

#spn - 50 posts

#yeah - 46 posts

#prev tags - 31 posts

#wes anderson - 25 posts

#ocw - 21 posts

#loki - 20 posts

#beloved - 17 posts

Longest Tag: 112 characters

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My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Another woman has died due to Poland's extremely strict abortion laws

Here is a translation of a statement given by the family:

We ask for justice and compensation for the death of our late wife, mother, sister, and friend.

Yet again, a young, pregnant, and innocent woman has died, leaving behind 3 children. They will never see their mother again. She wanted to live.

Agnieszka T. is a 37-year-old woman from Częstochowa who was in the first trimester of a twin pregnancy. She was admitted to the gynecology department of the Provincial Hospital in Częstochowa on December 21st, 2021 due to worsening abdominal pain and vomiting.

Earlier, her complaints were dismissed by the doctors who said that since it's a twin pregnancy the pain is normal. She came to the hospital fully conscious and in good physical and mental condition. Through phone calls, we witnessed a deterioration in her condition.

On December 23rd, 2021 the first one of her twins died, and the dead fetus was not extracted due to the extremely strict Polish abortion laws. The doctors decided to wait for the life functions of the second fetus to cease. Agnieszka carried the dead fetus in her womb for 7 days. The second fetus passed on December 29th, 2021.

An atrocity was done to her when the doctors decided to wait another 2 days to manually extract the dead fetuses from her womb, which was only done on December 31st, 2021.

Agnieszka became septic, but that information was kept from her official file. The hospital kept the family from contacting her and refused to update them on the situation.

On January 23rd, 2022, her heart stopped, but she was successfully resuscitated. On January 24th she was in a state of agony, most of her organs having had stopped working.

Unfortunately, on January 25th, Agnieszka passed away in Blachownia. We are devastated, and the pain we are feeling is indescribable. We are begging for help. We have proof of a crime having been committed and of the attempt to hide the information about the cause of Agnieszka's condition, and of the hospital staff giving false information.

She is not the first one to be killed by the abortion ban. She won't be the last.

737 notes - Posted January 26, 2022

#4

when i said i missed the chaotic energy of Nov 5th this is Exactly what I meant. great job everyone

746 notes - Posted September 8, 2022

#3

you PLINKO the horse?

you plinko its body like the ball?

oh! oh! jail for tumblr user!

jail for tumblr user for One Thousand Years!

1,625 notes - Posted January 4, 2022

#2

2,248 notes - Posted July 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

See the full post

17,457 notes - Posted November 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[raindropmage]

So uh... it's that time of the decade where I go through my "Keep Reading" posts where I was an absolute depressing sack of shit.

Update:

I graduated university with a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science. A lot of family came to see me (including my best friend who flew down from Kansas in secret to surprise me).

I had written this past January about getting two internship interviews. I didn't get either one. The local internship was nice enough to let me know but I was pretty sure I wouldn't get it when they told me they would only be hiring one person. The second internship, however, I was 100% confident in. They didn't even let me know that I didn't get it, I found out when the internship started because uh... I would've been there if I got the job. Probably one of the biggest letdowns of the year. Nevertheless, I kept applying for everything I could find. Had maybe 3 or 4 programming-related interviews that I didn't get (suprise!).

My weight is at 206. There was a point where I was at my highest weight of 216. I had started a low-calorie diet back in August of 2022 and got down to 199. I was doing so well and then....

I got a new job. Unfortunately, not related to Computer Science but as an admin with Progressive that Emily gave me a referral for! They feed us at least twice a week and I get paid $19 an hour and being totally drained from learning a shit-ton, I ate out. Alot. Back to being over 206 but we'll get back down!

Even though I said that I got a new job, I'm still employed with HEB. My lead said that he would schedule me on weekends but he's only been scheduling me one day a week. Was salty at first but I'm actually blessed that he did that.

So with alot of new stuff happening, I looked back at a few posts from the past. I have new feelings about them that I feel like is worth addressing.

Moving on from work family is normal. I remember when leaving Popeyes, I felt like I was leaving behind a family. I would visit very often to say hi and would feel loved when they would greet me back with the same energy. I remember applying back and trying to work both at HEB and Popeyes. I made a post about regretting it wholeheartedly because of how it fucked with my self-esteem. The only thing worth it was that it motivated me to get together with my then-boyfriend, now-fiance. Other than that, I'm no longer connected with my past co-workers save for one or two. No ill feelings towards them but it was just time to move on. I should feel the same about HEB but I've grown so close to a few of them that I'm not quite ready to say good-bye for good. HEB is a whole different ball-game than Popeyes. You don't just leave behind a small crew, you leave behind people from all different departments. I wouldn't be leaving a family, I would be leaving a community. I'm slowly working up the courage to break free and accept that as close as I've grown with them, we probably won't hang out outside of work. ^^;

I see Ram from time-to-time. Maybe three or four times a year. I feel as if I tried too hard to be close with him. We definitely had a father-daughter relationship but not seeing each other as often definitely watered that relationship down. I would still often send him Happy Birthday texts but that's it. I saw a post from his daughter that he's going through back surgery. Might throw in a donation in the GoF*ndMe and wish him well. I do still miss him, but not enough to make an effort to see him.

Fuck Joel. Fuck Mariah. I have dreams about them sometimes where we reconcile but I've officially moved on. Joel was nice and such a good friend back then but I should've left him alone after he was deployed in the army and shouldn't have contacted his wife to ask for HER PERMISSION to be friends with a grown-ass man. Good riddance to the both of them.

I don't know a single person who still works at Popeyes except Ram (who works a good 20 miles away) so I have absolutely no ties with them anymore.

I was a stupid 20 year old who was attention-starved. A guy 7 years older showed interest in me for a good week and I was desperate to keep our interactions going. I should've gotten the hint and stopped messaging him. We sorta stayed friends afterwards but he's no longer active on Facebook and seems like he dropped off the internet.

The people who've been the nicest to me are the friends I cherish the most. Funny enough, when COVID hit, one of my group of friends made a discord so that we could still hang out and social distance and that was the most I've ever talked to them. They still come into town and ask if I'm down to hang and even though I'm not able to 70% of the time, I have the best time with them!

I originally planned on writing down more but I think thinking about all this has drained my brain so I'll probably come back to this at a later time. I need to end this nostalgia episode before it spirals too deep.