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Exploring the World of Network Development with Jean Sebastien Dulac

In today's interconnected world, network development plays an important role in shaping our digital landscape. From the infrastructure that powers our internet connections to the algorithms that govern social media platforms, networks are the backbone of modern technology. One individual who has made significant contributions to this field is Jean Sebastien Dulac, a seasoned expert with a wealth of experience in network development. Let's delve into the fascinating world of network development and explore the insights offered by Jean Sebastien Dulac.
Understanding Network Development:
At its core, network development involves the design, implementation, and optimization of systems that facilitate communication and data exchange. This can encompass a wide range of technologies, including telecommunications networks, computer networks, and the internet. As our reliance on digital connectivity continues to grow, the demand for skilled network developers like Jean Sebastien Dulac has never been greater.
The Evolution of Networking Technologies:
Over the years, networking technologies have undergone rapid evolution, driven by advancements in hardware, software, and protocols. From the early days of dial-up internet to the emergence of high-speed fiber-optic networks, we've witnessed a remarkable transformation in how information is transmitted and accessed. Jean Sebastien Dulac has been at the forefront of this evolution, contributing his expertise to projects that push the boundaries of what's possible in network development.
Challenges and Opportunities:
While network development offers immense potential for innovation and progress, it also presents its fair share of challenges. From ensuring security and reliability to managing scalability and performance, developers must navigate a complex landscape of technical considerations. Jean Sebastien Dulac has honed his skills in addressing these challenges, leveraging his deep understanding of networking principles to deliver robust and efficient solutions.
The Impact of Network Development:
The impact of network development extends far beyond the realm of technology, influencing virtually every aspect of modern life. From enabling global communication and commerce to driving advancements in healthcare and education, networks have become indispensable tools for progress. Jean Sebastien Dulac recognizes the profound implications of his work and remains committed to leveraging technology for the greater good.
Innovation and Collaboration:
One of the key drivers of progress in network development is collaboration among industry professionals, researchers, and innovators. By sharing knowledge, exchanging ideas, and working together towards common goals, individuals like Jean Sebastien Dulac are able to push the boundaries of what's possible in networking technology. Whether through open-source initiatives, academic partnerships, or industry collaborations, collaboration fuels innovation and drives positive change.
Looking to the Future:
As we look ahead, the future of network development appears both exciting and challenging. Emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things promise to revolutionize how we connect and communicate. However, these advancements also bring new complexities and considerations that must be addressed. With his expertise and passion for innovation, Jean Sebastien Dulac is well-positioned to help shape the future of network development.
In conclusion, network development is a dynamic and multifaceted field that plays a crucial role in our increasingly interconnected world. Individuals like Jean Sebastien Dulac are leading the charge, driving innovation and progress through their expertise and dedication. As we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in networking technology, the insights and contributions of professionals like Jean Sebastien Dulac will be more valuable than ever.
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Larry Savage Jr Birmingham - Logistics Communication Skills Explained
Improving your logistics communication skills is important to create a strong network of contacts and become an expert in the logistics industry. You should know this because many profit and business opportunities in the logistics industry stem from the relationships that partners and clients form.
So, to compete in the logistics industry, one must build effective communication with both potential and existing partners and customers. This article provides tips for boosting your communication skills in logistics, offering insights from logistics networking specialists. You can also read Larry Savage Birmingham – 7 Books to Read to Improve Your Communication Skills to build connections with partners for your business.

Here Are Some Tips To Improve Logistics Communication:
Pay Full Attention
Effective communication always starts with listening. Misunderstandings in communications are common with people who don’t have listening skills. All people have responsibilities, so wasting other people’s time can be bad for someone in the logistics industry.
It takes more than just physical presence to attend a logistics event. You must give your full attention in every meeting to avoid missing important details and forcing your partner to repeat information they've already said. Anyone can tell when you're not paying attention, and that's not how you should interact with current or future partners.
Practice Active Listening
You must listen actively to truly understand your logistics partner. Active listening in logistics communication requires understanding, responsive engagement, and retention of the information the other person is conveying.
Understand What’s Not Being Said
You should also be able to recognize when a prospect is lying. These are essential skills to have, and you won’t succeed until you develop the ability to read between the lines.
Speak In Specifics
You should be specific to be influential in logistics. You can prove to others that your freight forwarder is the ideal fit for his services and working style by providing concrete instances or tales to bolster your arguments.
Be A Logistics Expert
It is impossible to be particular if you do not understand what you're talking about. You should prove that you are an expert in the logistics sector and you know the issues, practices, and purchasing trends.
If you want to locate other logistics specialists who are true professionals in their freight forwarding industry, you should join a logistics network that carefully selects its members.
Know What They Don’t Know
It's not necessary to know everything about the logistics industry to be considered an expert. But you should be knowledgeable enough to manage the cargoes of your partners, have excellent assistance, and be an outstanding operator. You should also need to depend on your prospects to provide the missing information.
Recognize your knowledge gaps and ask your logistics partner to assist you in filling them in. You won't lose transactions due to erroneous assumptions; they will respect your candor about what you don't know.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are many ways via which honing your logistics communication skills can assist you in creating beneficial relationships for your enterprise. Finally, read Larry Savage Jr. Birmingham- 7 Skills That Can Help You Become an Expert Logistics Specialist if you want to become a master of logistics.
#larry savage jr#larry savage jr birmingham#logistics business#logistics expert#entrepreneurial success#logistics professionals#transportation#proficient in logistics#Logistics Specialist#logistics networking specialists#artificial intelligence#supply chain management#business#business development
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"For years, California was slated to undertake the world’s largest dam removal project in order to free the Klamath River to flow as it had done for thousands of years.
Now, as the project nears completion, imagery is percolating out of Klamath showing the waterway’s dramatic transformation, and they are breathtaking to behold.

Pictured: Klamath River flows freely, after Copco-2 dam was removed in California.
Incredibly, the project has been nearly completed on schedule and under budget, and recently concluded with the removal of two dams, Iron Gate and Copco 1. Small “cofferdams” which helped divert water for the main dams’ construction, still need to be removed.
The river, along which salmon and trout had migrated and bred for centuries, can flow freely between Lake Ewauna in Klamath Falls, Oregon, to the Pacific Ocean for the first time since the dams were constructed between 1903 and 1962.
“This is a monumental achievement—not just for the Klamath River but for our entire state, nation, and planet,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “By taking down these outdated dams, we are giving salmon and other species a chance to thrive once again, while also restoring an essential lifeline for tribal communities who have long depended on the health of the river.”
“We had a really incredible moment to share with tribes as we watched the final cofferdams be broken,” Ren Brownell, Klamath River Renewal Corp. public information officer, told SFGATE. “So we’ve officially returned the river to its historic channel at all the dam sites. But the work continues.”


Pictured: Iron Gate Dam, before and after.
“The dams that have divided the basin are now gone and the river is free,” Frankie Myers, vice chairman of the Yurok Tribe, said in a tribal news release from late August. “Our sacred duty to our children, our ancestors, and for ourselves, is to take care of the river, and today’s events represent a fulfillment of that obligation.”
The Yurok Tribe has lived along the Klamath River forever, and it was they who led the decades-long campaign to dismantle the dams.
At first the water was turbid, brown, murky, and filled with dead algae—discharges from riverside sediment deposits and reservoir drainage. However, Brownell said the water quality will improve over a short time span as the river normalizes.
“I think in September, we may have some Chinook salmon and steelhead moseying upstream and checking things out for the first time in over 60 years,” said Bob Pagliuco, a marine habitat resource specialist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in July.


Pictured: JC Boyle Dam, before and after.
“Based on what I’ve seen and what I know these fish can do, I think they will start occupying these habitats immediately. There won’t be any great numbers at first, but within several generations—10 to 15 years—new populations will be established.”
Ironically, a news release from the NOAA states that the simplification of the Klamath River by way of the dams actually made it harder for salmon and steelhead to survive and adapt to climate change.
“When you simplify the habitat as we did with the dams, salmon can’t express the full range of their life-history diversity,” said NOAA Research Fisheries Biologist Tommy Williams.
“The Klamath watershed is very prone to disturbance. The environment throughout the historical range of Pacific salmon and steelhead is very dynamic. We have fires, floods, earthquakes, you name it. These fish not only deal with it well, it’s required for their survival by allowing the expression of the full range of their diversity. It challenges them. Through this, they develop this capacity to deal with environmental changes.”
-via Good News Network, October 9, 2024
#california#oregon#klamath river#dam#dam removal#yurok#first nations#indigenous activism#rivers#wildlife#biodiversity#salmon#rewilding#nature photography#ecosystems#good news#hope
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Groom Persona chart Observation ✨
✨ For entertainment purposes only, enjoy ✨
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💖 1st house stellium in GPC means your fs maybe someone who is noticeable and stands out in social situations.
💖 5th house stellium in GPC means your fs could be an artist, musician, writer.
💖 7th house stellium in GPC means your fs could be attractive and socially adept, drawing others to them with their magnetic personality and charisma.
💖 Union (1585) in 1st house meaning meeting your fs while attending social events, gatherings, or parties where you can connect with new people/ professional connection/ shared interest.
💖 Union in 3rd house means you can meet your fs during short journeys or travels close to home.
💖 Union in 8th house means you may meet your fs in context where there is a shared investment and mutual dependency, such as through work, joint projects or shared social circles.
💖 Juno in Capricorn means your fs is known for their ambitious and goal oriented nature. They may be highly driven and motivated to achieve success in thier career, personal goals and relationships./ Could be famous too .
💖 Juno in Sagittarius means they can be a foreigner, philosophical and open minded.
💖 Juno in Taurus means your fs may prioritise creating a stable and secure home environment and may value financial stability within the relationship.
💖 Juno in leo means your fs may be confident, outgoing and enjoy being the center of the attention in social settings., Creative, generous, romantic.
💖 sun in 11th house means your fs is likely to possess a charismatic and Magnetic personality within their social circles ,may value friendship highly and their social network may play a significant role in shaping their identity and opportunities.
💖 Sun in 12th house means your fs may be introspective and contemplative with a rich inner world that is not always readily apparent to others.
💖 sun in 6th house means your fs may prefer predictable schedules and organized workflows that allows them to efficiently manage their time and responsibilities., Possess strong problem solving skills and an analytical mindset.
💖 Juno / groom/ Venus in Sagittarius or 21°/9° or in Aquarius or in 9th /12th house means a Foreign spouse.
💖 Venus in 5th - creativity, music/ art , your fs may have a strong desire for children or a nurturing instinct towards family life.
💖 Venus in 10th house - ambitious, successful, well liked , respected spouse.
💖 Fama in 1st / 7th house - could be famous spouse.
💖 POF in 4th house - fs may have a deep connection to their cultural background or family traditions., May have interest in real estate or property related work.
💖 leo rising means your fs may have a strong desire for recognition and appreciation.may carry themselves with Grace and poise projecting on air of authority and nobility.
💖 Virgo rising -Fs may be modest and humble , health conscious, possess a discerning eye and critical mind.
💖 Scorpio rising - fs may have mysterious allure and a penetrating gaze that leaves a lasting impression on those the encounter, have a rich inner world with complex emotions that run Deep.
💖 industria(389) in 3rd house - your fs career-
musicians, blogger, public relations, possess creative ideas, small business owner.
💖 industria in Libra - your fs career may be something with public relations or marketing, art or design, legal advocacy, or event planning.
💖 industria in Aquarius - you fs may be in technology or IT specialist, social activism , scientist or researcher, humanitarian work or international development.
💖 industria in Pisces - creative arts , healing arts , oceanography or marine conservation, healing arts , charity work.
💖 Industria in Aries - entrepreneur, may thrive in leadership roles , sales , marketing, or sports management.
💖 industria in Taurus - financial sector, buisness ownership, agriculture, horticulture, real estate, painting, sculpting or in music composition.
💖 industria in cancer -
Hospitality, home based business, psychotherapist, food blogger, art therapy.
💖 industria in gemini - social media influencer, journalist, writer, teaching profession, tour guide , hotel manager.
💖 industria in Scorpio -
- psychology and counseling, detectives, private investigator, forensic scientist ,holistic/ energy healer.
💖 Industria in Virgo - doctor, nurse , scientist, data analyst, , office manager, project coordinator, teachers, or instructors.
💖 industria in leo - actors , musicians, artist, brand ambassador, publicist, marketing manager.
💖 industria in Sagittarius - professors , researchers, journalist, media, philanthropy or in social justice advocacy.
💖 industria in Capricorn -
Buisness and management, politician, policy advisors , civil servants, lawyers, engineering, architect, judges.
💖 Northnode in 7th house suggests that your relationship with your fs may have karmic significance., Soulmate placement.
💖 Northnode in 3rd house means your fs may play a significant role in facilitating your growth and development in the areas of communication, intellect and learning.
💖 Karma conjunct ascendent/ descendant - karmic relationship.
💖 your fs may share similar placement like your groom pc. Example - if your sun in Aries in GPC, they could have sun in their 1st house or at 1°,13° or 25°.
💖 Groom conjunct vertex - fated/ predestined encounter with fs. They may have a profound impact on your life and personal growth. they may serve as a catalyst for important experiences, growth opportunities and transfermetive changes is in your life .your relationship with them maybe characterised by depth, intensity and sense of spiritual or emotional connection.
💖 Groom conjunct Venus -
The conjunction of groom and Venus indicates are strong attraction between you and your fs. there may be a magnetic pull or chemistry that draws you together, fueling feelings of romance ,passion and desire. your FS may possess qualities that you find irresistibly attractive both physically and emotionally.
💖 your fs may be drawn to individuals who embody the qualities associated with the seventh House lord for example-
* if the 7th house lord is sun then your fs may be attracted to individuals who support their ambitions, encourage their creativity and contribute positively to their self expression. they may be drawn to partners who are confident, self assured and have a strong sense of individuality.
* if 7th house lord is moon - your fs desires a partner who can meet there emotional needs and provide a sense of comfort and belonging. they are drawn to individuals who are empathetic, nurturing and emotionally supportive. emotional intimacy is a priority for them in the relationship.
* if the 7th house lord is Venus -
Your FS values relationships highly and seeks harmonious and loving partnership. they may prioritise finding a romantic partner who complements their own sense of beauty and aesthetics. partnership is Central to their sense of fulfillment and happiness.
* if the 7th house lord is mercury - your fs places a high value on mental simulation and intellectual compatibility in the relationships. they seek a partner who can engage them in stimulating conversations and share their interest and ideas.
*if the 7th house lord is mars - your fs may seek a partner who can match their level of energy and enthusiasm and they may be drawn to firey and spirited individuals. they thrive on excitement and adventure in their relationships.
* if the 7th house lord is saturn - your fs value tradition and stability in relationships. they may have traditional views on marriage and may seek partners who share their values and commitment to building a secured and enduring Union.
* if the 7th house lord is Jupiter - your fs seeks meaningful and enriching connections in their relationships. they may be drawn to partners who share their values and aspirations who can inspired them to expand their horizons and pursue their goals with confidence.
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Thanks for reading ~💫
-piko💖
#astro community#astro notes#astro observations#astrology#astro placements#composite#composite chart#synastry aspects#synastry#synastry observations#groom persona chart#briede persona chart#juno astrology#juno persona chart#future spouse#future husband#future#synastry overlays#spiritualgrowth#spiritual awareness#spiritual awakening#asteroid#astro asks#love astrology
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Ariel E-Nomad Concept, 2024. The Somerset-based specialist car maker have revealed a prototype electric version of their Nomad off-road buggy. Last year Ariel received funding from the Niche Vehicle Network (NVN) and Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) to construct the Nomad EV. It features a 41kWh battery sending power to a 210kW rear motor, producing 281bhp and a 150-mile range. The bodywork uses natural flax fibres, developed by Bamd Composites helping to keep the weight of the battery-powered Nomad to 896kg. Ariel hope to have a production version ready by 2026
source
#Ariel#Ariel Nomad#Ariel E-Nomad#EV#electric vehicle#prototype#concept#test vehicle#Somerset#2024#new cars#Niche Vehicle#off road#lightweight
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Snezka and SCP-049 beginning (lore)
1. Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski lore (Snezka)
(Events before the containment breach).
In the corridors of the SCP Foundation, where secrets and anomalies are hidden from the public eye, Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski worked. Her life was full of mystery, and this is what drew her to the world of anomalies.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Name: Snezhana Lewandowski
Age: ██
Date of Birth: 27/08/ ████
Clearance Level: Third
Personnel Category: B
Specialty: IT Specialist. Psychologist.
Place of work: Zone 19
Foundation experience: 5 years
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Education
First: IT-Specialist.
Snezhana enrolled in the Faculty of Information Technology at a state university. During her studies, she specialized in cybersecurity and data analytics.
After graduating with a Bachelor's degree, then a Master's degree, she continued her education in graduate school, where she focused on research in the areas of:
1. Information Security.
2. Big data analytics.
She defended her doctoral dissertation on "Anomaly detection methods for system and big data", which attracted the attention of the SCP Foundation.
Second: Psychologist.
After achieving the success she needed in technical education, she decided to fulfill her life's main dream of working in the field of psychology. Due to some unpleasant events in her childhood, she did not have the opportunity to study in this field, so she had to temporarily change her orientation in life.
From an early age, Snezhana has shown an interest in psychology and human behavior. The motivation for this comes from a tough youth and personal traumatic experiences. Her goal was to help those who couldn't make it on their own, as she once couldn't. After enough time had passed, she managed to apply to the academy to study psychology. Upon graduating from the academy, Snezhana specialized in the areas of:
1. Clinical psychology.
2. Experimental psychology.
3. Counseling psychology.
After she got a job in a psychoneurological dispensary, gaining valuable experience and practice, a broader understanding of the inner world of people.
Invitation to the Foundation
Finding contacts and personal information about Snezhana was not difficult for the Foundation. Having noticed her abilities, the Foundation ordered to send a recruiter - ████ ██████ - into her social circle to get more information about the candidate. As a result, the recruiter ████ and Snezhana became close friends.
After some time of observation and communication of the recruiter with her, having received all the necessary information, the Board of the Foundation came to the decision to give her the invitation to work.
Realizing the risks and danger, Snezhana accepted the invitation, having resigned from her previous job after working for about 2 years.
After testing, interviewing and training, she became an employee of the Foundation with a level 2 security clearance.
Career at the Foundation
Snezhana started her career as a junior specialist in cybersecurity, a little later gaining a junior position in psychology.
Her specialization is a unique combination of programming and psychology, allowing her to look at anomalies from two perspectives: both as complex systems that require analysis, and as entities with their own consciousness and motivation.
Incident
While analyzing data, Dr. Lewandowski came across strange signals on the network. These were not just hacking attempts - they were coming from an entity known as SCP-███ She and others in the programming field developed a comprehensive defense strategy. In the process, they faced many challenges: the SCP-███ system was constantly adapting, and they had to find new solutions. Under conditions of stress and strain, Dr. Lewandowski managed to implement their real-time protection algorithm.
After that, for some reason, she was assigned more work in the field of psychology. Also, her success in the incident gave her a promotion to level 3 clearance.
In psychology
Dr. Lewandowski researches and analyzes object psychology. She develops methods of interacting with abnormal entities and helps in understanding their behavior.
Real security is achieved not only through physical barriers, but also through the emotional stability of employees. She took time to help her colleagues through seminars and psychology trainings for the staff of the Facility, trying to create an atmosphere of trust and mutual support among the employees.
For about 2 years, Dr. Lewandowski worked only with Safe Class facilities, and after being promoted to Senior Specialist in Psychology, she was ordered to work with Euclid Class facilities.
This promotion led her to meet one subject that changed her life, and in the future, his too... SCP-049 - Plague Doctor.
2. Lewandowski and SCP-049
(Events on the eve of the containment breach).
Experiment
The first days of Dr. Lewandowski and the SCP-049 subject were formal, protocol-driven. Lewandowski conducted standard interview sessions in an attempt to understand the motives and nature of his subject. The subject was cool and detached.
She knew SCP-049 was dangerous, but she saw him not only as an anomaly, but as a complex, multifaceted individual. His words were full of sadness and loneliness, imbued with longing and melancholy. She understood his logic, his pain, his desire to “help,” even if the methods were questionable, but perhaps all is not what it seems at first glance.
And yet she too had thought similar things to what SCP-049 had said, that the world was sick, humanity needed to be saved. Ever since she was a child, she had had thoughts like his in her mind.
She had a theory that there were no bad people in the world, but wounded people who had not been healed. She believed that a person becomes wounded, after being treated unfairly or cruelly, by similarly wounded people. If a person does not work on their wound, it will not heal, because there are many wounded people in the world that will scratch that wound, making it bigger. And this pain and resentment, like a virus or rot, infects his soul completely, making the person the same as the one who once inflicted the wound. Later that person carries this pain and resentment further, taking it out on others, making more infected. It is an endless cycle that cannot be eradicated completely, but can be minimized. Some can handle it, and some need help. You have to want help, you have to understand the situation and try to solve it too, because no one can help you better than you can help yourself, and that's what Snezka had to go through.
She thought these thoughts were strange, but after so many years, there was a creature that literally reflected her thoughts, with whom you can share this theory, and perhaps get understanding.
She saw herself in him, only a better version of herself, but with the same mental problems.
— How can that be!? He's just an abnormal object, why can't I stop thinking about him!? I can't stop thinking about him, his words. Maybe it's my soft nature, too compassionate, empathic, or maybe it's his anomalous action?
Dr. Lewandowski felt a kindred spirit in him and wanted to have more sessions with him, and most importantly, she wanted to get away from formal conversation, and share her thoughts with him about their common problem.
She decided to send a request to the management above about the idea of having experimental conversations with SCP-049, so that he would see Dr. Lewandowski as genuinely understanding, get comfortable with her, and tell her more about his treatment, himself, and the fever. Approval was granted, but it was a long wait. Finally she could be sincere with him.
Trust
New conversations with SCP-049, but not as formal as before, it took several such conversations before SCP-049 settled down with Dr. Lewandowski.
He told her more about the fever, about the treatment, they began to have deep dialogues about life and death, about philosophy, about society, SCP-049 even began to tell stories from his own life. Lewandowski also told him about her life, but she liked to listen to him more.
She found comfort in his monologues about the world, about death, about eternity, his stories about medicine. Her mind resisted, but her heart could no longer deny it: she felt something more than professional interest in him. It was a dangerous game, bordering on insanity. She knew it, but she couldn't stop. Lewandowski realized that her feelings were illogical, unacceptable, but they were there. Her greatest fear was that the Foundation would suspect something and restrict her access to him, which unfortunately happened...
Another conversation between SCP-049 and Lewandowski, the subject had already started addressing her by her favorite version of her name, Snezka, while she addressed him as Doctor. Suddenly the object fell silent.
— Doctor? Is everything all right?
— ...Yes. Snezka, let me demonstrate something to you, you should know....
The subject held out his hand, as far as it was possible being handcuffed for safety's sake, and nodded, offering to touch her. Sensing that this venture might not end well, Lewandowski extended her palm, and SCP-049 touched it.
— Wait, what...? Oh... My thoughts about your abilities were valid. - Was the last thing Snezka said before the cell door opened and she was summoned to leave.
Reprimand
— Dr. Lewandowski, your experimental conversations with the subject have come to an end. We have all the information we need, you will no longer have to work with SCP-049. Let's be honest, it seems you've begun to abuse your access to the facility, and the Foundation board has some questions about that.
— ...It was part of an experiment, you see.... It gave you a lot of new information, before such experiments such informative results were not observed. - said Lewandowski in her defense.
— Lucky for you that it didn't end in your death! Objects like 049 are dangerous, you can't trust them or reach out to them. Or have you forgotten what he did to Dr. Hamm? And everything was fine at first, too. This object is unpredictable! You're lucky you're a valued member of our staff, and this is the first time you've had an incident like this, otherwise we'd be forced to take action.
Separation
More work with other facilities has now fallen on her. One day, she dared to inquire about SCP-049. But she didn't get a clear answer.
Meanwhile, SCP-049 was asking the same question to the staff - when would Dr. Lewandowski visit?
— We're sorry, but Dr. Lewandowski has declined to work with you, SCP-049.
— ...That can't be true, you're lying! She couldn't have done it, I can feel it!
Subject SCP-049 became hostile to the Foundation, uncooperative and drove all attempts at contact away.
All or Nothing
— "Is the dream and freedom worth risking the lives and safety of others?" — Pondered by Dr. Lewandowski . — "Risking everything, insanity, selfishness(?). But if it's for a great purpose, for the good of all mankind..."
INCIDENT ██-████
(Latest walkie-talkie recordings)
(Static noise and warning signal sound)
Operator One: (Confused) This is operator one. Security protocol has failed! Repeat, security protocol has failed! All subjects... all subjects are at large!
Agent █: Reporting a security breach in Sector 3. Doors unresponsive, cameras disabled. Looks like SCP-███ is out of control.
Commander ███████: be careful! Confirm the presence of the intruder and take action to apprehend him.
(Noise, sound of gunshots)
Agent ██: (panic) This is crazy! Reporting SCP-███ is not alone. There are several other objects present. Very aggressive, we need help, repeat ████████████████ (interference).
Commander ████████: Come in, Agent ██, come in!!! (communication lost).
Commander ████████: Fuck...
Dr. █████: It could be SCP-███! He could have hacked into the security system and released the other facilities.
Commander ████: █████, are you sure? How?!
Dr. █████: I can't say for sure, but... (struggle noise) HOW ARE YOU!? STOP, DOCTOR... (interference).
Commander ████: All personnel to the assault! Stop the targets at all costs! What the hell's going on! Where's all the security personnel!?
(explosions, shouting)
Agent █████: They're all over the place
Agent ██: Where's the ██ squad?
Agent █████: they're holding back SCP-682
Agent ██: he's the last fucking thing we need!
SB-2: SB-1, this is SB-2! We've got-- we've got SCP-███breaking through! We can't stop him!
SB-1: Hold him off at all costs! Support is on the way.
(Siren and explosions)
Operator Three: SB-1, this is Operator Three! The ██ camera signal is gone! SCP-█████... he's out!
SB-1: All SB personnel to camera ██! Isolate SCP-█████! Repeat, isolate SCP-█████! (radio interference)
End of Calm
There has been a massive failure of the entire Foundation security system in Area 19, as well as a power failure. Security protocol, alarms, and warnings went off with a delay with most of the dangerous objects wreaking havoc in the Foundation. The alleged culprit of the SCP-“”" incident. Likely had accomplices, an investigation is underway.
During the incident, a large number of soldiers and staff died. There was a leak of several objects to freedom. The lists of dead and missing were equal. Dr. Snezana Lewandowski and SCP-049 were also listed as missing, among dozens of personnel and facilities.
The SCP Foundation, having suffered loss and damage, is doing its best to restore order after the chaos, but the world is no longer safe as before.
3. Conversations between Lewandowski and SCP-049
Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19
Interviewee: SCP-049
[START RECORDING]
Dr. Lewandowski: Good afternoon, SCP-049. I am your psychologist, Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski. It's a pleasure to meet you!
SCP-049: Greetings, doctor, I hope we can work together.
Dr. Lewandowski: I think so! So, how are you feeling today?
SCP-049: (pause) I feel... A burden. A burden that is hard to describe in words. Every day I see suffering, and it depresses me.
Dr. Lewandowski: Are you talking about human suffering? About those whom you refer to as sick people?
SCP-049: Yes. The weathering is not just a physical condition. This world, this wretched piece of the universe, is forever doomed to suffer. (Irritated) Mortals, powerless over their own weaknesses, forever seek salvation in false doctrines and vain hopes. They build cities out of flimsy material, create weapons that can destroy themselves, and cling to life without realizing its true nature. I see their pain, their despair, feel their fear of the inevitable. And I know I can help them. But they don't understand. They fear me! They reject my mercy! They call me a monster, a monstrosity! I see them trying to stop me, lock me up, impose their rules. But can you limit what is beyond their comprehension? Can one defeat that which is eternal? Their attempts are futile. I will always exist. Let them resist, let them fear. It only confirms their blindness.
(A moment's silence)
Dr. Lewandowski: (Sigh)...Have you ever thought about why this “fever” bothers you so much? What exactly causes you to feel so strongly about it?
SCP-049: (sighs) I have witnessed a lot of suffering. I have seen people lose hope, I have seen them fall victim to their weakness. This makes me want to help, but sometimes I feel that my efforts are futile.
Dr. Lewandowski: Do you feel that your help is really effective? Or is there any doubt about your methods?
SCP-049: (with some irritation) My methods are the only way to free people from their suffering! I cannot afford to doubt my vocation. But sometimes... It catches up with me.
Dr. Lewandowski: It is normal to have doubts. Many people face similar feelings. What do you do to deal with these emotions?
SCP-049: I continue my work. I focus on my goals.
Dr. Lewandowski: Maybe you should take time to reflect on yourself and your feelings. It may help you better understand your motivation and calm your mind.
SCP-049: I don't think so, but... You may be right. I worry that if I stop, the darkness around me will consume everything.
Dr. Lewandowski: (Pause)...How I understand that. Sometimes you have to take a step back to see the big picture. It doesn't mean you stop fighting the disease. It can only make you stronger.
SCP-049: Perhaps...
Dr. Lewandowski: This is an important step. And remember, you are not alone in your experience. I'm here to help you make sense of it.
SCP-049: Thank you... I'll try to remember that.
[END RECORDING]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19
Interviewee: SCP-049
[START RECORDING]
Dr. Lewandowski: Good evening Doctor, how are you feeling?
SCP-049: It would be better if I were allowed to return to my work.
Dr. Lewandowski: Don't worry Doctor, you will definitely be given that opportunity...
SCP-049: Really? Really!? I'm finally going back to work, I'm glad to hear that! When do I get a patient?
Dr. Lewandowski: ...Unfortunately, I don't have that information.
SCP-049: Maybe you could influence this situation? Explain my urgent need to progress with my treatment!
Dr. Lewandowski: I don't think I can... Doctor, you need to rest, you've been working hard. As a doctor, you should know that rest is very important for high productivity.
SCP-049: (Sighs) I wish I had something to do in these four walls...
Dr. Lewandowski: I have a suggestion. Do you like to read? I can bring you some books if the Foundation leadership says so.
SCP-049: That's a very marvelous idea.
Dr. Lewandowski: What kind of literature do you prefer?
SCP-049: I was interested in modern books about medicine, it is interesting to study what is being written about it now. It would be interesting to read something from philosophy.
Dr. Lewandowski: Excellent choice Doctor, we have the same taste in literature. Would you mind if I brought a couple more books on my recommendation for you?
SCP-049: Sounds good, I agree.
Dr. Lewandowski: See you, Doctor.
SCP-049: See you, thank you for such an interesting proposal, Dr. Lewandowski.
[END OF RECORDING]
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Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19
Interviewee: SCP-049
[START RECORDING]
Dr. Lewandowski: Good evening, Doctor.
SCP-049: Good evening, Dr. Lewandowski.
Dr. Lewandowski: I want to understand how you feel when you look at the world through the prism of your...your uniqueness.
SCP-049: (hesitantly) Uniqueness?
Dr. Lewandowski: I'm talking about wisdom. You have lived for centuries, watching the birth and decline of civilizations. What have you learned in that time?
(Minute's silence)
SCP-049: I've seen nations rise and fall, empires born of dust and turned to stone, ideas ignite people's hearts and turn to ash. (Pause). I realized that existence is a perpetual cycle of birth and death, a constant struggle for survival. People are so hungry for meaning, but it eludes them.
Dr. Lewandowski: Isn't this struggle, this longing for meaning, the very essence of being?
SCP-049: (With sadness in his voice) Meaning... (Pause) It wanders like a ghost through the labyrinths of our consciousness. We search for it in religion, in science, in art, but it eludes us, leaving only emptiness.
Dr. Lewandowski: But don't you see, Doctor? You create your own meaning by helping people to get rid of the disease. You believe in what you're doing, Doctor. You believe it's necessary.
SCP-049: Faith... (Pause) This is another one of those ghosts that haunt us. I see things that others do not see, and it pains me. It pains me to see the suffering that is inevitable for all living things.
Dr. Lewandowski: And you're trying to help, Doctor...
SCP-049: (Interrupting) We are but pawns in the hands of fate. Our actions are insignificant in comparison to eternity.
Dr. Lewandowski: Don't say that, Doctor. You are not a pawn. You are the creator of your own destiny. And I believe you will find your path, your meaning.
SCP-049: (Heavy sigh) But not in this place, not here, not now.
Dr. Lewandowski: (Pause) You know Doctor... I'd like to share with you a thought that has been on my mind since I was a child.
SCP-049: What is it that's bothering you?
[recording interrupted for 5 minutes]
Dr. Lewandowski: I almost forgot, the Foundation gave me permission to bring you some books.
(Took several books out of her bag and placed a stack on the table next to the subject)
SCP-049: (With joy in her voice) Glad to hear that! Immensely grateful to the Foundation and of course to you, Dr. Lewandowski.
Dr. Lewandowski: (Smiling) I'm glad it lifted your spirits. See you later, we'll be sure to discuss what we read next time.
SCP-049: I look forward to seeing you.
[END RECORDING]
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Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Zone 19
Interviewee: SCP-049
[START RECORDING]
Dr. Lewandowski: Hello, Doctor! How are you today?
SCP-049: Good afternoon, Dr. Lewandowski. I'm feeling... quite well. I've been studying some of the books you brought me at the last meeting.
Dr. Lewandowski: Excellent! Which books did you enjoy the most?
SCP-049: I was impressed with the works on human nature. Their authors convey emotions and experiences in a very subtle way.
Dr. Lewandowski: Yes, literature can indeed be a great way to understand people. Is there anything that surprised you about these books?
SCP-049: I was surprised by how diverse human feelings are. Everyone experiences love, fear, and hope in their own way.
Dr. Lewandowski: Yes, humans are amazing creatures! What about you? Have you ever experienced something similar to love?
SCP-049: (Pause) I'm not sure. My life has been devoted to fighting the windfall, and I haven't given much thought to such feelings. But... sometimes I feel warm when I talk to you. (turns away)
Dr. Lewandowski: I'm glad to see your condition has improved markedly. I feel warm when we talk, too. (Pause) You are an unusually interesting conversationalist.
SCP-049: (surprised) Interesting? I've always thought of myself as rather... odd. But it's nice to hear you say that. You don't hear that very often in this place, in general... I've never heard it from you.
Dr. Lewandowski: Weird people can be very interesting! We all have our unique qualities. For example, your view of the world is something special, not strange. By the way, have you read that novel?
SCP-049: The Master and Margarita? Yes, an interesting work about the power of love and the struggle against darkness.
Dr. Lewandowski: I think there are so many layers and philosophical themes there. You know, you sound like the Master (Laughs).
SCP-049: Hmm... There's something, maybe, and you remind me of Marguerite.
Dr. Lewandowski: (Laughs) That's probably true. Unfortunately, I have to go. Don't forget, you deserve to be understood. And I'm here to help you do just that.
SCP-049: (With a slight sadness in his voice) Your support gives me strength.
Dr. Lewandowski: We all need each other's support.
SCP-049: I look forward to our future conversations.
[END OF RECORDING]
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Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19
Interviewee: SCP-049
[START RECORDING]
Dr. Lewandowski: Good afternoon Doctor, I would like to know what your thoughts have been occupied with lately?
SCP-049: Greetings. (Pause) Relatively recently, I've been thinking about the nature of human cruelty.
Dr. Lewandowski: Cruelty... (Pause) Unfortunately, it permeates every facet of existence, like a shadow that follows the light.
SCP-049: Yes. (Sighs) I watch people, and it makes me sad how capable they are of terrible things. There is a darkness lurking in their hearts that sometimes overshadows even the brightest impulses.
Dr. Lewandowski: As it happens, humanity is a paradox. On the one hand, it creates beautiful works of art, science and culture, and on the other hand, it is capable of ruthless acts of violence and hatred.
SCP-049: Exactly. I see how people can be kind and compassionate, but at the same time they easily cross the line into becoming instruments of destruction. It causes me deep sadness and bewilderment.
Dr. Lewandowski: I share your feelings and support your thoughts, Doctor.
SCP-049: It is most gratifying to know that, Dr. Lewandowski. My mission is to rid mankind of disease. At times I am at a loss as to what to do about this inner cruelty? How do you heal a society that is tearing itself apart?
Dr. Lewandowski: You see, many of these atrocities come from fear, ignorance and hatred. Or perhaps they were mentally wounded once, and that wound, without proper treatment, began to fester, infecting the whole mind and soul.
SCP-049: (Interested) I like the way you think. Abuse is not just physical violence. It is also words that hurt, betrayals and indifference to the suffering of others. In each of these acts I see a reflection of the disease.
Dr. Lewandowski: (Sigh) Sadly, dreams of a world where humanity can overcome its cruelty and learn to love are utopian.
SCP-049: I'm not so sure about that. It's certainly not an easy task, the whole world and one me, the road to healing is long and thorny. But the more I work at it, the closer that peace comes.
Dr. Lewandowski: (Pause) Perhaps someday people will realize that cruelty is not part of their true nature. Perhaps they will learn to see in each other a reflection of themselves and learn to care for those who suffer. Perhaps... (Pause) But sometimes you get the idea that some people are so rotten in their souls that treatment will be useless, and the only thing left to do is to rid the world of that person so they don't hurt others. This is not humane, but in such a case it is possible to make sure that this person stays alive but is not capable of hurting others.
SCP-049: (Surprised) Your thoughts make sense. We've had a rather pleasant dialog. I've never had such an in-depth discussion with anyone else. I feel much better.
Dr. Lewandowski: (Smiling) That's wonderful, Doctor, I confess I don't often have someone to talk to about this either.
[END RECORDING]
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Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19
Interviewee: SCP-049
[START RECORDING]
Dr. Lewandowski: Good afternoon, Doctor, how is your mood?
SCP-049: Greetings. My mood is a little down, without my work I'm having a hard time mentally.
Dr. Lewandowski: I'm sorry to hear that, Doctor. (Pause) Let me ask you something.
SCP-049: I'm listening to you.
Dr. Lewandowski: Do you have any pleasant memory from your life?
SCP-049: (Sighs) Unfortunately, there aren't many... (Pause) I do recall one. Yes, it was a time when I was out in the wild, searching for rare herbs and plants in the forest. No people and just the sounds of nature. And then I came to a field, a field of lavender. (Sighs) It's... It was a magical feeling. The field was filled with bright colors and the air was full of a light, slightly spicy aroma. I felt like I was in another world, away from my worries. I walked slowly among the flowers, watching the bees as they worked to gather nectar. The bees are not aware of the suffering that humans are experiencing, they are just doing their job, benefiting the world around them. It made me think: maybe that's what humanity needs - the simple pursuit of the good. (Pause) The whole day I was there. It was wonderful. I dream of being in that moment again one day.
Dr. Lewandowski: That's... It's a wonderful memory, very beautiful.
SCP-049: Yes... It's beautiful. You know, I feel a little better.
Dr. Lewandowski: (Smiling) That's wonderful to hear. Try to remember something else, good thoughts can smooth out your condition within these walls.
SCP-049: I'll try. Thank you for encouraging me to remember this.
[END RECORDING]
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Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19
Interviewee: SCP-049
[START RECORDING]
Dr. Lewandowski: Good afternoon Doctor, how is your mood?
SCP-049: Good afternoon Snezka. I guess my mood is somewhere between average and good. Good to see you, how are you feeling?
Dr. Lewandowski: I'm not bad. I have something I'd like to give you. I had a hard time getting permission for it from the foundation, but....
(Took out of her bag a small pillow with a lavender flower print pillowcase and placed it on the table in front of the subject).
This is for you. I remember that you don't need sleep, but that's not what it's for. Rather it is for coziness, and your favorable mood. This pillow is stuffed with lavender.
SCP-049: (Surprised) It's for me?! What a wonderful gift, lavender really calms me down.
Dr. Lewandowski: I'm glad the gift is useful to you. I would have brought you something else, but unfortunately the Foundation has only authorized this one so far.
SCP-049: I am honored by such attention, thank you, Dr..... Snezka. (Pause) ...How did I not notice that... Your last name is...
Dr. Lewandowski: (Interested) Hmm?
SCP-049: Lewandowski, that last name comes from the Old Polish word levanda, which means lavender. What a wonderful coincidence, my favorite plant.
Dr. Lewandowski: (Smiles) Yes, that's right, my favorite too by the way. I am amazed at your knowledge, Doctor!
SCP-049: It is a pleasure to be appreciated and understood by you. I must admit, you are not out of my mind.
Dr. Lewandowski: (Embarrassed) Oh... You know, it's mutual. Doctors aren't supposed to have favorites, but I have to admit...(Pause) You're my favorite patient.
(momentary silence)
SCP-049: I wish we could meet more often...
Dr. Lewandowski: I'd like that too, Doctor...
[END OF RECORDING]
Supplement
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From 1862 until 1923, US senators and members of Congress provided vast numbers of seeds to constituents. At its peak, the congressional seed distribution program delivered over 60m seed packets directly to farmers and market gardeners every year, helping introduce new varieties of everything from wheat and corn to oats, soybeans, flowers and vegetables. A century later, far fewer Americans till the soil for a living, but seeds remain central to our lives.
Maintaining the seed diversity and abundance we rely on requires constant development of new varieties to combat disease, increase production and adapt to changing conditions. Seed advances are particularly urgent now, as farmers confront the fickle weather of a warming planet while working to meet a projected 50-60% rise in global food demand by 2050. Although elected officials no longer send out seeds through the mail, federal support for these efforts remains vital.
In the era of Doge, that support has been flipped on its head.
The US Department of Agriculture employs many plant breeders directly and funds many more through grants and partnerships, but the crown jewel of its seed program resides in a bunker-like building in Fort Collins, Colorado. The national seed bank houses more than 2bn carefully preserved specimens in a facility designed to withstand floods, fires, earthquakes, power outages and tornadoes. With over 620,000 varieties from nearly 17,000 different species, it is one of the world’s largest seed collections and a major supplier to the global seed vault in Svalbard, Norway.
It is also at risk.
While words like “vault” and “bank” imply simply turning the key and walking away, managing a seed collection demands constant activity. Even in cold storage, the specimens steadily degrade and must be tested regularly to make sure they’re still viable. When germination rates drop for any particular sample, those seeds must be planted and grown to maturity – in the right conditions – to produce a fresh supply. That activity takes place at over 20 research stations in locations (and climates) as diverse as North Dakota, Texas, California, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
Known officially as the US National Plant Germplasm System, the seed bank and its network of regional facilities recently lost 10% of their workforce in the Doge firings, including farm managers, research scientists, lab technicians, IT specialists, orchardists and more. Some have since been rehired, at least temporarily, but the program remains in turmoil. Projects interrupted or suspended range from germination trials to seed regeneration, research lending and many longterm breeding programs, weakening the entire enterprise.
Plants don’t wait on politics. Any seed varieties lost now will simply be unavailable to improve crops and address challenges in the future. The importance of a robust and diverse seed bank cannot be overstated. To combat the invasive Russian wheat aphid, for example, plant breeders screened over 54,000 wheat and barley samples to find a handful of precious strains with natural resistance.
It’s time for Congress to return to the seed business. Without its intervention, backed by the courts, additional firings appear imminent. Undermining the nation’s seed security undermines its food security and embodies the definition of reckless: “utterly unconcerned about consequences”.
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Michael de Adder :: @deAdder :: The Globe and Mail
* * * *
LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN
February 2, 2025
Heather Cox Richardson
Feb 03, 2025
Billionaire Elon Musk’s team yesterday took control of the Treasury’s payment system, thus essentially gaining access to the checkbook with which the United States handles about $6 trillion annually and to all the financial information of Americans and American businesses with it. Apparently, it did not stop there.
Today Ellen Knickmeyer of the Associated Press reported that yesterday two top security officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) tried to stop people associated with Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, from accessing classified information they did not have security clearance to see. The Trump administration put the officials on leave, and the DOGE team gained access to the information.
Vittoria Elliott of Wired has identified those associated with Musk’s takeover as six “engineers who are barely out of—and in at least one case, purportedly still in—college.” They are connected either to Musk or to his long-time associate Peter Thiel, who backed J.D. Vance’s Senate run eighteen months before he became Trump’s vice presidential running mate. Their names are Akash Bobba, Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, Gautier Cole Killian, Gavin Kliger, and Ethan Shaotran, and they have little to no experience in government.
Public policy expert Dan Moynihan told reporter Elliott that the fact these people “are not really public officials” makes it hard for Congress to intervene. “So this feels like a hostile takeover of the machinery of governments by the richest man in the world,” he said. Law professor Nick Bednar noted that “it is very unlikely” that the engineers “have the expertise to understand either the law or the administration needs that surround these agencies.”
After Musk’s team breached the USAID computers, cybersecurity specialist Matthew Garrett posted: “Random computers being plugged into federal networks is obviously terrifying in terms of what data they're deliberately accessing, but it's also terrifying because it implies controls are being disabled—unmanaged systems should never have access to this data. Who else has access to those systems?”
USAID receives foreign policy guidance from the State Department. Intelligence agencies must now assume U.S. intelligence systems are insecure.
Musk’s response was to post: “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die.” Also last night, according to Sam Stein of The Bulwark, “the majority of staff in the legislative and public affairs bureau lost access to their emails, implying they’ve been put on admin leave although this was never communicated to them.”
Congress established USAID in 1961 to bring together the many different programs that were administering foreign aid. Focusing on long-term socioeconomic development, USAID has a budget of more than $50 billion, less than 1% of the U.S. annual budget. It is one of the largest aid agencies in the world.
Musk is unelected, and it appears that DOGE has no legal authority. As political scientist Seth Masket put it in tusk: “Elon Musk is not a federal employee, nor has he been appointed by the President nor approved by the Senate to have any leadership role in government. The ‘Department of Government Efficiency,’ announced by Trump in a January 20th executive order, is not truly any sort of government department or agency, and even the executive order uses quotes in the title. It’s perfectly fine to have a marketing gimmick like this, but DOGE does not have power over established government agencies, and Musk has no role in government. It does not matter that he is an ally of the President. Musk is a private citizen taking control of established government offices. That is not efficiency; that is a coup.”
DOGE has simply taken over government systems. Musk, using President Donald Trump’s name, is personally deciding what he thinks should be cut from the U.S. government.
Today, Musk reposted a social media post from MAGA religious extremist General Mike Flynn, who resigned from his position as Trump’s national security advisor in 2017 after pleading guilty to secret conversations with a Russian agent—for which Trump pardoned him—and who publicly embraced the QAnon conspiracy theory. In today’s post, Flynn complained about “the ‘Lutheran’ faith” and, referring to federal grants provided to Lutheran Family Services and affiliated organizations, said, “this use of ‘religion’ as a money laundering operation must end.” Musk added: “The [DOGE] team is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments.”
In fact, this is money appropriated by Congress, and its payment is required by law. Republican lawmakers have pushed government subsidies and grants toward religious organizations for years, and Lutheran Social Services is one of the largest employers in South Dakota, where it operates senior living facilities.
South Dakota is the home of Senate majority leader John Thune, who has not been a strong Trump supporter, as well as Homeland Security secretary nominee Kristi Noem.
The news that DOGE has taken over U.S. government computers is not the only bombshell this weekend.
Another is that Trump has declared a trade war with the top trading partners of the United States: Mexico, Canada, and China. Although his first administration negotiated the current trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, on Saturday Trump broke the terms of that treaty.
He slapped tariffs of 25% on goods coming from Mexico and Canada, tariffs of 10% on Canadian energy, and tariffs of 10% on goods coming from China. He said he was doing so to force Mexico and Canada to do more about undocumented migration and drug trafficking, but while precursor chemicals to make fentanyl come from China and undocumented migrants come over the southern border with Mexico, Canada accounts for only about 1% of both. Further, Trump has diverted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents combating drug trafficking to his immigration sweeps.
As soon as he took office, Trump designated Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and on Friday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded that “all options will be on the table” when a Fox News Channel host asked if the military will strike within Mexico. Today Trump was clearer: he posted on social media that without U.S. trade—which Trump somehow thinks is a “massive subsidy”—“Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada—AND NO TARIFFS!”
Trump inherited the best economy in the world from his predecessor, President Joe Biden, but on Friday, as soon as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump would levy the tariffs, the stock market plunged. Trump, who during his campaign insisted that tariffs would boost the economy, today said that Americans could feel “SOME PAIN” from them. He added “BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID.” Tonight, stock market futures dropped 450 points before trading opens tomorrow.
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum wrote, “We categorically reject the White House’s slander that the Mexican government has alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of meddling in our territory,” and has promised retaliatory tariffs. China noted that it has been working with the U.S. to regulate precursor chemicals since 2019 and said it would sue the U.S. before the World Trade Organization.
Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau announced more than $100 billion in retaliatory 25% tariffs and then spoke directly to Americans. Echoing what economists have said all along, Trudeau warned that tariffs would cost jobs, raise prices, and limit the precious metals necessary for U.S. security. But then he turned from economics to principles.
“As President John F. Kennedy said many years ago,” Trudeau began, “geography has made us neighbours. History has made us friends, economics has made us partners and necessity has made us allies.” He noted that “from the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of the Korean Peninsula, from the fields of Flanders to the streets of Kandahar,” Canadians “have “fought and died alongside you.”
“During the summer of 2005, when Hurricane Katrina ravaged your great city of New Orleans, or mere weeks ago when we sent water bombers to tackle the wildfires in California. During the day, the world stood still—Sept. 11, 2001—when we provided refuge to stranded passengers and planes, we were always there, standing with you, grieving with you, the American people.
“Together, we’ve built the most successful economic, military and security partnership the world has ever seen. A relationship that has been the envy of the world…. Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together.”
Trudeau said Canada’s response would “be far reaching and include everyday items such as American beer, wine and bourbon, fruits and fruit juices, including orange juice, along with vegetables, perfume, clothing and shoes. It’ll include major consumer products like household appliances, furniture and sports equipment, and materials like lumber and plastics, along with much, much more. He assured Canadians: “[W]e are all in this together. The Canadian government, Canadian businesses, Canadian organized labour, Canadian civil society, Canada’s premiers, and tens of millions of Canadians from coast to coast to coast are aligned and united. This is Team Canada at its best.”
Canadian provincial leaders said they were removing alcohol from Republican-dominated states, and Canadian member of parliament Charlie Angus noted that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario buys more wine by dollar value than any other organization in the world and that Canada is the number one export market for Kentucky spirits. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario has stopped all purchases of American beer, wine, and spirits, turning instead to allies and local producers. Canada’s Irving Oil, which provides heating oil to New England, has already told customers that prices will reflect the tariffs.
In a riveting piece today, in his Thinking about…, scholar of authoritarianism Timothy Snyder wrote that “[t]he people who now dominate the executive branch of the government…are acting, quite deliberately, to destroy the nation.” “Think of the federal government as a car,” he wrote. “You might have thought that the election was like getting the car serviced. Instead, when you come into the shop, the mechanics, who somehow don’t look like mechanics, tell you that they have taken the parts of your car that work and sold them and kept the money. And that this was the most efficient thing to do. And that you should thank them.”
On Friday, James E. Dennehy of the FBI’s New York field office told his staff that they are “in a battle of our own, as good people are being walked out of the F.B.I. and others are being targeted because they did their jobs in accordance with the law and F.B.I. policy.” He vowed that he, anyway, is going to “dig in.”
LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON
#deAdder#Michael de Adder#The globe and Mail#Heather Cox Richardson#Letters From An American#Musk#tariffs#coup#Timothy Snyder#FBI#USAID#DOGE#constitutional crisis#unprecidented
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🇵🇸 *Help My Son Fight Cerebral Palsy: Your Support Means the World*🇵🇸
Dear Friends and Kind Souls,
I hope this message finds you in good health and high spirits. My name is Ashraf, and I am reaching out to you today with a humble heart and a plea for help. My beloved son, Muhammad , is a courageous and strong-willed child who has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP).
Muhammad has always been a source of joy and inspiration to everyone around him. Despite his challenges, his spirit remains unbroken, and his smile lights up our lives. However, the journey we are on is not an easy one, and we are in desperate need of your support to ensure that Muhammad receives the best possible treatment and care.
Cerebral Palsy has affected Muhammad’s motor skills and muscle coordination, making everyday tasks a significant challenge. Specialized therapies and medical treatments are essential to improve his quality of life and help him achieve his full potential. Unfortunately, the costs associated with these treatments are overwhelming, and our family's financial resources are stretched thin.
We have created this GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for Muhammad's treatment, which includes:
1. *Physical Therapy:* Intensive sessions to improve motor skills and muscle strength.
2. *Occupational Therapy:* To help Muhammad develop the skills needed for daily living.
3. *Speech Therapy:* To enhance communication abilities and support language development.
4. *Medical Equipment:* Specialized equipment to assist with mobility and daily activities.
5. *Specialist Consultations and Treatments:* Regular visits to medical specialists to ensure comprehensive care.
Every donation, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to providing Muhammad with the care he needs. Your generosity will make a profound impact on his life and give him the chance to thrive and reach his dreams.
We understand that not everyone may be able to contribute financially, but you can still help us by sharing our story with your friends, family, and social networks. Spreading the word is just as valuable and deeply appreciated.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your kindness, compassion, and support. Your contributions will not only provide Muhammad with the necessary treatments but also bring hope and light into our lives during this challenging time.
Thank you for being a part of our journey and for giving Muhammad the chance to live a fulfilling and joyful life.
With gratitude,
Ashraf and Famil🇵🇸😓
Pretty people's please reblog or share my post and if you can please donate them:( i hope everything will get better
#gojo fluff#gojo satoru fluff#jjk x reader#jujutsu kaisen#satoru gojo x reader#trending#gojou satoru x reader#gojo satoru#jjk x you#gojo x you
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✨PART OF FORTUNE IN SIGNS AND HOUSES SERIES: 10TH HOUSE✨
Credit: Tumblr blog @astroismypassion
ARIES PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Aries and Capricorn Sun people in your life. You can earn money via marketing or work in dynamic and fast-paced industries, via coaching, sports management, fitness entrepreneurship, coaching and mentoring services in connection with career development, leadership skills, personal empowerment, via work in innovation management, technology development, product development, especially emerging industries. You find abundance when you are bold, take risks, focus on ambitious goals, cultivate independence, build a strong public image and when you embrace leadership qualities.
TAURUS PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Taurus and Capricorn Sun people in your life. You can earn money via work in finance, banking, investment, wealth management. Or via working as a realtor, property manager, real estate developer, via curating, selling or managing art collections, working as a chef, restaurateur or food critic. You find abundance in work in hospitality (managing hotels, resorts, spas), via work in landscape architecture or gardening, interior design, or as a performer, producer or manager, through farming, agricultural management or sustainable food production or creating an eco-friendly business. You feel abundant when you are focused on stability, value quality, when you are patient and persistent.
GEMINI PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Gemini and Capricorn Sun people in your life. You can earn money via work as a journalist, writer, editor, public relations, marketing, working as PR specialist, brand manager, social media strategist, work as a teacher, lecturer, educational content creator, via writing content for blogs, websites or online platforms connected with technology, lifestyle, business. You find abundance when you write books (fiction or non-fiction), via work in technology sector, via technical writing, UX writing or product management, via event planning and work as a sales representative, account manager or business strategist. You feel abundant when you network actively, when you keep learning and embrace versatility.
CANCER PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Cancer and Capricorn Sun people in your life. You can earn money via work in healthcare as a nurse, doctor or therapist, work in interior design or home décor, helping others create comfortable and nurturing spaces, work as a chef, baker or food critic, via handmade furniture, textiles or pottery, engaging in childcare, daycare management or family support services, via work in real estate, helping families find their ideal home. You feel abundant when you use emotional intelligence, emphasize nurturing and care.
LEO PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Leo and Capricorn Sun people in your life. You can earn money via pursuing a career in acting on stage, in film or on television, working as a musician, singer or performer, via directing or producing theatrical productions, films or TV shows, work in television, radio or digital broadcasting, you could work as a host, anchor or presenter, designer, stylist, model, painter, sculptor or graphic designer.
VIRGO PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Virgo and Capricorn Sun people in your life. You can earn money via offering personalized health and wellness service. You can offer remote fitness coaching, such as offering personalized fitness plans and virtual training sessions. You could work in mental health professions, like counselling or psychology, work as a nutritionist, dietitian, work as a proofreader or editor, work with biology, chemistry, environmental science, mathematics or with language or having an IT role (system analysis, IT support or cybersecurity). You feel abundant when you develop organizational skills, use analytical skills and when you seek structured environments.
LIBRA PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Libra and Capricorn Sun people in your life. You can earn money via offering dance classes, via work in art curation, gallery management or the fines arts, helping to showcase and promote artists and their work, via a career in human resources, focusing on employee relations, conflict resolution, via talent management, recruitment or career coaching. You feel abundant when you work in fashion design, graphic design, visual arts, brand management and marketing. You feel abundant when you aim for balance and harmony, emphasize fairness and justice.
SCORPIO PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Scorpio and Capricorn Sun people in your life. You can earn money via forensic accounting, crisis counselling or support services, via a career in scientific research, forensic science, medical research, psychology, surgery, oncology, energy healing, finance, technology or wellness, via art therapy and filmmaking. You feel abundant when you embrace transformation, healing, use psychological insight, when you pursue authority and expertise.
SAGITTARIUS PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Sagittarius and Capricorn Sun people in your life. You can earn money via travel blogging, vlogging or becoming a travel consultant. You find abundance via academic research, publishing, by becoming a travel consultant, tour guide, work in the tourism industry, work connected with educational, human rights and cultural exchange, via career as a spiritual teacher, counsellor, life coach, via theological or philosophical work, writing or teaching. You feel abundant when you cultivate optimism or enthusiasm, seek global or cultural perspectives, pursue knowledge or education and embrace exploration and travel.
CAPRICORN PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Capricorn Sun people in your life. You find abundance via work as a financial advisor or analyst, accounting, as a property developer, manager or investor, via work in property management, overseeing rental properties, commercial spaces or large residential complexes, via civil engineering, work in educational administration (school or college management). You feel abundant when you focus on long-term goals and value pragmatism and responsibility.
AQUARIUS PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Aquarius and Capricorn Sun people in your life. You can earn money via buying and selling collectibles (stamps, coins, vintage items), creating eco-friendly products or services (zero-waste goods, sustainable fashion). You may also find abundance in esports coaching by offering coaching services for aspiring professional gamers. You feel abundant via work in scientific research, in fields like physics, astronomy, biotechnology and environmental science, work in roles focused on research and development, via digital marketing. You feel abundant when you are pursuing unconventional paths, via networking with like-minded individuals and align with social causes.
PISCES PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 10TH HOUSE
You feel the most abundant when you have Pisces and Capricorn Sun people in your life. You can earn money via work in music as a composer, musician or performer, via a career in painting, illustration, sculpture or other visual arts, via hospice work, via work in non-profit sector, focusing on causes related to humanitarian aid, environmental conservation or social justice, work in hospitality, such as hotel management or event planning, via cultural exchange, guided tours or spiritual retreats. You feel abundant when you embrace your creative talents, cultivate compassion and empathy, when you explore spiritual and esoteric interests and when you focus on meaningful impact.
Credit: Tumblr blog @astroismypassion
#astrology#astroismypassion#astro notes#astroblr#astro community#astro note#astro observations#natal chart#astrology blog#chart reading#part of fortune in the 10th house#pof in the 10th house#aries pof#taurus pof#cancer pof#gemini pof#taurus#cancer#scorpio#pisces#aries#sagittarius#cancer part of fortune#libra part of fortune#scorpio part of fortune#sagittarius part of fortune#capricorn part of fortune#aquarius part of fortune#aquarius pof#capricorn pof
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How competitive was the copper market? Would Ea-Nasir have been one of many sellers of broadly equivalent status all trying to make a buck, like how one town might have six building firms all competing for work, or would he have had a near-monopoly like Starbucks? Would he have been a sole trader who brokered deals between mines and consumers, or would he have managed a warehouse with employees and held stock, etc?
Oh SHIT, I never answered this and it got lost in my drafts! I'm so sorry.
This is a fantastic question! Just to flesh out the picture of the trade in the day: Bronze is an alloy of copper (Cu) with either arsenic (As) or tin (Sn). Arsenic is a common unwanted element in copper deposits, and copper-arsenic-oxide (Cu-As-O) minerals look very similar to plain copper minerals. However, tin (Sn) occurs in very different, rarer, geologic environments, and thus must be sourced from different areas.
Likewise, As-Bronze is less malleable than copper, but not by much; arsenic ions are about the same size. Tin ions form good bronze because they're larger than the copper ions and prevent the metal from freely deforming, so it was prioritized for weapons and tools. Arsenic was used when tin wasn't available.

Ur was known for being one of the best cities for bronzework during the Bronze Age: metalworking services were in high demand, and they were the center of the copper, arsenic, and tin trades. Copper from Oman (or Cyprus, as their industry was developing more at the time), tin from Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, or Turkey, (depending on which archaeologist you talk to), and arsenic from India or Egypt.
So yeah, as a middleman, Ea-Nasir probably had numerous competitors who procured copper from Oman, particularly from the halfway point in Qatar, and then sent it back to Ur. Also referencing the plural translation "-those of the people who travel to Dilmun-", although likely only a few of those merchants were chosen to sell to the temple/government. (But that's speculation. Maybe the temple picked one person a year? Maybe copper tithes meant there was usually supply, and it was only this year during war the temple picked Ea-Nasir to buy from.)
It's also quite possible there were people doing copper business like Ea-Nasir further up the Tigris and Euphrates closer to Cyprus, and there were definitely specialist merchants for arsenic-copper and tin procurement. Once the copper was in the city, his buyers were refiners and metallurgists who made the bronze or copper wares that were purchased/exported throughout the Middle East.
As for employees and stock, I honestly don't know. But from the letters, it sounds like he was stretched rather thin, and he was dealing with buyers' messengers himself. So I wouldn't be surprised (although this is speculation) if it was just him and perhaps a servant/slave of the period to handle things in Ur while he was in Dilmun.
[Image References under the cut]
meme from r/historymemes
Peterson, 2012. Forging Social Networks: Metallurgy and the Politics of Value in Bronze Age Eurasia. The Archaeology of Power and Politics in Eurasia. Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139061186.018
Content References within my other Ea-Nasir writeups under iamthepulta: #mining history, or #ea nasir
#copper#metallurgy#mining history#trade#bronze age#ea nasir#Technically arsenic bronze would bend afaik but the meme was too funny not to include.
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General important notes from the Napoli Comicon panel
Hopefully the video fully resurfaces so I can translate the whole panel gah
Broadcasters currently prefer female heroines according to Straffi, he will make sure to balance male characters too while still making female characters the dominant aspect. Specialists fans hopefully you'll be fine
Straffi gives great importance to storytelling and darker themes and thanks anime for bringing these concepts to tv animation in the west and hopes to bring these elements back to Winx in the reboot. He wants Winx to be a bridge between the best of american and japanese animation, in european style.
The reboot has only been in the works for one year, despite the last development on season 8 being 2017
The reboot will go back to Bloom's origin story, "kinda like Spiderman and other superheroes"
The story will contain more mature elements for older fans while still being appropriate enough for kids. Iginio may refuse to sell the shows to some networks if they bug him too much about such mature elements, he will not back down on targeting older fans too (BBC refused Winx for example)
Nabu never died, he "disappeared" and could be brought back "anytime". The reason he was killed was just to up the stakes, compared to most american animation that avoids killing a character and dealing with darker themes. Please remember that according to a previous interview, Straffi admitted they ignored continuity for the sake of broadcasters' demands.
Roxy is "a Winx from earth". She can come back "anytime". Please remember that according to a previous interview, there won't be a 7th main Winx.
The reboot has a very high budget and the animation will be movie quality. Straffi was very nervous about showing the animation test clips but is happy the reception has been positive.
NO MENTIONS of: Trix, specialists, fairy forms, live action movie project, Netflix
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I've been struggling a bit lately and could use some advice from the hivemind. It deals with a lot of the emotional baggage I've been trying to carry lately, so I'm putting it under a cut if you're not in the headspace for that sort of thing right now.
So the relevant backstory: Dad was in love with Mum since high school, and when she died, he went to pieces. My sister, who'd been living at home, helping take care of Mum through the cancer, basically put her grief on hold to keep Dad going through the next six months. Then, on the way home from Mum's memorial six months after her death, he told my sister he was seeing someone. He met her at work when he returned from bereavement leave. Now, I do understand this is a man who never learned how to handle his own emotions. He'd always had my grandmother, then my mother, to manage them for him. But in the next year, he did pretty much everything he could to drive both of his children away for a woman who bailed on him the moment the going got tough. Without getting into too much detail, my sister checked into an institution a while back because she was having some pretty dark thoughts about her own life, and her triggers were feeling like a burden to the family. Mum assured her she wasn't, and that she'd always have a home as long as she needed it. But as soon as that woman moved in and Dad didn't need my sister anymore, he started emotionally abusing and berating my sister, telling her what a burden she was every day until she had no choice but to leave. This was in the middle of the lockdowns. My sister landed with one of the greatest people in the world, and they're living in poverty but relatively happy. Because of this, Dad has convinced himself that not only did he do nothing wrong, he was actually a great Dad, making sure his disabled child developed independence.
But after multiple infections thanks to the woman he was living with (who believed that COVID was "just the sniffles" and vaccines were poison, and as long as they drank colloidal silver they'd be fine), Dad now believes he's developing dementia. His doctor thinks it's actually "pseudodementia," which apparently is mental health related. But Dad watched his mother lost to Alzheimer's and nothing scares him more. And the second colloidal silver and celery juice didn't cure him, the woman he'd moved into the house bounced.
Now Dad's scared. And he's been pressuring us to move in with him to take care of him. My sister will never trust him or put herself in that position again, and I'm of the same mind. He used to do similar to me when I lived there. Meanwhile, I'm still sick with a mystery disease that has no cure yet. I've got GP who actually believes in Long COVID, and a series of specialists I can get to in under 20 minutes. They're basically hacking away at the hydra heads of my symptoms until modern medicine figures out where the heart is. I'm still very much disabled. If I get ANY infection, my immune system goes berserk and starts doing the equivalent of firing a bazooka into a crowd in hopes of hitting whatever is off. I'm just coming off of about 2 months of throwing up at least once a day from the havoc it's wreaked on my digestive system. I can barely take care of myself, let alone another person, and if I moved three hours away to a small town with no public transit, at a time when there's a provincial crisis and NOBODY can find a new GP, not only would I lose my health network, but I'd be essentially housebound in a way I'm not in the city. I also know that I physically cannot handle a three-hour commute either way on days when I have to go in to work, so moving in would involve giving up the career I've been working toward for twenty years.
For all of these reasons, I said no. His siblings are coming at me with varying degrees of "it's your filial duty." None of them really understand just how sick I actually am, but I also don't think that would change things. And I feel guilty. Despite knowing that moving into a place with no infection control could make me bedbound or worse, and that I can't afford to be without a GP or a medical team, I feel like I've failed somehow. I love my Dad. But I can't take care of him and keep myself healthy at the same time. I've been doing what I can from here since he first started feeling like he was losing it. Every other day, I call him and read him a chapter of Sherlock Holmes, and he's told the rest of the family how much he enjoys it. And sometimes it's exhausting to read for that long, but I do it because he needs me and it's something I CAN do. I've also offered to help with his banking and things, but he's turned me down whenever I offer.
Now, since I said no, Dad has said that he wants to sell his house and move into a care community, and that what's holding him back is knowing if he did, there'd be nothing left for me and my sister when he's gone. And I don't think that's an attempt at manipulation, I genuinely believe he's concerned, because he knows how much we both struggle currently. But honestly, neither one of us was counting on getting anything anyway, and as much as we're still deeply hurt by what he did (he also threw my mother's remains away and then informed us in an add-on to an email forward, which broke me in a way I've never been broken before, and when my sister called him out on it, HE got mad and said "it was none of your business, this was between a husband and his wife."), we still want him safe and not alone and scared. We've both told him as much, and that neither of us are the kind of people who'd be sitting around going "raaah, how dare he spend our inheritance! Who does he think he is taking care of himself?"
But it's not an easy thing to deal with, especially given that I'm the one he's leaning on hardest -- I think even he realized he didn't just burn the bridge with my sister, he nuked it from orbit. I've been crying on and off for the last three days. And I don't know how to get myself out of it. Anyway, if you've made it this far, thank you. And yeah, that's what I'm dealing with as I try to drag myself out of this funk. So here's where the advice part comes in. I've been reflecting on a lot of things, and one of the conclusions I've come to is I need something to DO. I fill my days when I'm not working with movies and playing video games with my sister, but I think I need a physical hobby. Something to do with my hands. Something that lets me create things.
I've had to put a lot of what I used to do on hold. My brain still hasn't healed enough to write reliably. I started knitting, but COVID did something to my eyes, and when I look at the knitting for more than a minute or two, the rest of the world goes blurry and I can't see clearly again for another thirty minutes. I have similar problems with the beadwork I used to do. Anything that involves leaving the house is iffy due to my health, so it's got to be something I can do from home. So. Any ideas? What brings you joy?
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Located 62km north-east of the capital Manila, Daraitan village in Rizal province is home to about 5,700 residents, a majority of whom are members of the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous people who consider vast hectares of the mountain range as part of their ancestral domain.
But the village may soon disappear under the same waters that give it life, once the Philippine government finishes building the Kaliwa Dam – one of 16 flagship infrastructure projects of former president Rodrigo Duterte that is being funded by China.
The new dam is expected to provide Metro Manila with an additional 600 million litres of water daily once it is finished by end-2026. Officials said building the 60m-high reservoir is even more necessary now that the country is starting to feel the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon.
But it was only in 2021 under Mr Duterte that construction finally broke ground, three years after Manila and Beijing signed the 12 billion peso (S$288 million) loan agreement.
Of the 119 on the list [of flagship projects of the "Build, Build, Build” infrastructure programme], Mr Duterte turned to China to finance 16 big-ticket projects in a bid to cement his legacy by the time his presidency ended in 2022. He embraced Beijing during his term and even downplayed Manila’s claims in the disputed South China Sea in favour of securing loans and grants from China.
Analysts have criticised Mr Duterte’s infrastructure programme as ambitious. Perennial domestic issues like local politics, right-of-way acquisition problems, lack of technology and red tape in bureaucracy led to severe delays in the projects.
The same issues hound the China-funded projects – which come under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to build infrastructure in developing nations – with the problems made more severe by Beijing’s high interest rates in its loan agreements and local backlash due to displacement of residents or potential environmental damage.
Critics say the BRI has been detrimental in the long run to some recipient countries, especially those that have been unable to repay their loans, like Sri Lanka and Zambia.
The Duterte government’s failure to take advantage of its BRI loans was a “missed opportunity” for the Philippines, said infrastructure governance specialist Jerik Cruz, a graduate research fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The four completed China-funded projects under Mr Duterte were controversial too. But they came to fruition because they had the support of local politicians allied with Mr Duterte and therefore increased his political capital, said Dr Camba.
Tribal leaders said they were not properly consulted regarding the project that threatens their traditional way of life. Environmentalists from the Stop Kaliwa Dam Network also say the project would destroy 126 species of flora and fauna in the Sierra Madre.
The Philippines’ Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act states that the government must first secure a tribe’s free, prior and informed consent before building on its ancestral lands.
But Ms Clara Dullas, one of the leaders of the Dumagat-Remontado in Rizal, alleged that the Duterte government had either misinformed or pressured other tribe members into giving their consent.
She could not bear to hold grudges, though, noting that the Dumagat-Remontado organisations that eventually agreed to the Kaliwa Dam were each given 80 million pesos, or $1.9 million, in “disturbance” fees.
“The Kaliwa Dam is the reason why our tribe is divided now. There is a crack in our relationships even if we all come from the same family,” said Ms Dullas. “I can’t blame the others because we lack money. I believe there was bribery involved.”
The government requires them to present identification documents, and only those given passes may enter. Mr Dizon said this is to ensure that no unidentified personnel enter the area [close to the construction zone].
“We feel like we are foreigners in our own home because the Chinese and the people in our own government are now preventing us from entering the lands where we grew up,” said tribe leader Renato Ibanez, 48.
Mr Ibanez also accuses the Philippine authorities of harassing tribe members who are vocal against Kaliwa Dam. Some of them have been accused of working with communist rebels, a charge the tribe vehemently denies.
Unlike his predecessor, Mr Marcos is more aggressive in defending Manila’s overlapping claims with Beijing in the South China Sea, but still fosters economic ties with it.
Geopolitical tensions between the two nations and Mr Marcos’ stance towards Beijing are going to dictate the fate of the pending China-funded projects the President inherited from Mr Duterte, said Mr Cruz.
Tribe members said they would be more amenable if Mr Marcos would revisit Japan’s proposed Kaliwa Intake Weir project that Mr Duterte had set aside.
“We like Japan’s proposal. It would not destroy our forests. It would not affect residents here. The Philippines would not be buried in debt,” said Ms Dullas.
This was among the alternatives the Dumagat-Remontados offered during their nine-day march in February 2023, when some 300 members walked 150km from Quezon and Rizal all the way to Manila to protest against the Kaliwa Dam.
But they failed to secure an audience with Mr Marcos. They remain wary of the President’s position on the Kaliwa Dam and other controversial China-funded deals.
“As much as we want to fully pin our hopes on him, we don’t. We’ve learnt from past efforts to trick us, make us believe a project is about to end, only for it to be resurrected again years later,” said Ms Dullas.
2024 Mar. 3
#philippines#indigenous rights#dumagat-remontado#state violence#red tagging#infrastructure#environmental issues#afp-pnp
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Finally...she's here!

Oh, who is she? A misty memory...
> Delta is a specialized exploit program developed by an anonymous hacker who was secretly hired by the Dillingers. For a hefty reward, this programmer agreed to infiltrate the corporate network of ENCOM and obtain exclusive confidential documents needed to take over the business.
Using technical vulnerabilities of the target enterprise, Delta successfully penetrates the internal system of the organization and gains full access to the entire volume of corporate data. However, contrary to expectations, the files sought are not there. However, another important discovery attracts the hacker's attention - information about a mysterious infrastructure called the Grid.
Assuming that the files sought may be there, the attacker begins a lengthy process of searching for information about the new discovery. To accomplish this task, the specialist equips the tool he created - the Delta program - with the ability to independently analyze large volumes of data and sends it to explore the virtual infrastructure known as the Grid.
After much work exploring multiple levels and subsystems, Delta finally finds what the mission was launched for - the Grid itself and the ability to penetrate it. During the exploration of the Grid, it is discovered by protective programs that threaten delete Delta. However, using its abilities, the exploit manages not only to repel the attack, but also to obtain additional information, including information about a certain "system administrator". Delta realizes that all the most important information may be stored with him and sets off. The system administrator turns out to be a program in black and yellow robes named CLU. He admires her abilities and at the same time is wary of her knowledge of users. However, he decides to make her his ally. This is where the unexpected happens: the connection between the operator-programmer and the Delta program itself is suddenly lost.
This situation becomes a serious problem for the creator of the program, because the contact was lost unexpectedly and for no apparent reason. At the same time as the connection disappears, the visual representation of the program's lines takes on an unusual shade of red-orange.
Features:
• vision that allows you to see vulnerabilities
• the ability to penetrate the protective barriers of programs and systems. Exploit is able to detect weak points in defenses and use them to get inside. Once inside, it begins to manipulate the internal mechanisms of the program, taking control of it* and forcing it to act contrary to its original goals.
*"take control"
Taking control implies the ability to influence the behavior of a program by performing certain operations, such as changing settings, stealing data, installing additional software and other unwanted actions.
• Due to its flexibility and adaptability, the exploit can imitate other programs, hiding among the peaceful inhabitants of the Tron world. This ability makes it virtually invisible to guards and patrols, allowing it to freely move around the territory, collecting valuable information.
> The triangle symbol (∆) on Delta's chest is her distinctive mark, the symbol of her name, her essence, her abilities. (The ∆ sign is used in mathematics, physics and other sciences to denote difference, increment, or change.)
(I finally finished retcon Delta and made her story acceptable. I hope you like it!)
#tron#original character#art#tron oc#digital painting#artwork#digital illustration#tron legacy#tron uprising
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