#Released: 17 Apr 2015

[vocalsynthbdays]

happy birthday rana(vocaloid 3), natsuki karin(cevio ai and synthv studio), daisy(alter/ego), and recu(utau) !!!!!

rana(v3)

natsuki (cevio)

daisy

recu (song)

rana is a japanese synth originally developed by We've Inc. in collaboration with Internet Co., and released on 9 sep 2014. her vp is Ai Kakuma, and illustrator is Shindo Kamichi. rana was originally only available through a japanese magazine called "Vocalo-P ni Naritai!" (which translates to "i want to be a vocalo-p" i think), due to this she was only available in japan. however when her v4 released on 1 dec 2015 she became accessible to users world wide. shes also available on the mobile vocaloid editor. rana was intended to be a beginner friendly vocaloid, as the vocalo-p ni naritai magazine was designed for begginers. rana is 0yo, and 150cm tall (153cm with shoes). her character birthday is the same as the vps birthday, sep 9

Natsuki Karin is a japanese synth developed by TOKYO6 ENTERTAINMENT in collaboration with AH-Software, and released on 13 apr 2022. her vp is Miyu Takagi, illustrator is Teshima Nari, and 3d modeler is tumidango. natsuki was released for both cevio and synthv on the same day. she is also available in pitagoe. her character birthday is sep 9. she is a third year student of the ficitonal Otaru Shiokaze High School, which would make her around 17-18yo, though she doesnt have a canon age. she is 164cm tall. her plush companion is called Ekaterina

daisy is an english and japanese synth released on 9 sep 2015, as was alter/ego itself. her vp is Crusher-P, and illustrator is Pixoshiru. daisy was the first vocal released for alter/ego. she was later retired by crusher, who holds daisys copyright. the original download link for daisy has been removed, and Bones replaced her as the default vocal for alter/ego. crusher has said to be uncomfortable with users still using daisy

RECU is a japanese synth released on 7 nov 2015 (or maybe 17th, his website says this but vocadb and utaudb say 7th). he is voiced and manged by yauta. recus illustrated by yauta, G.M.kimchee, and 夜千世 (help sor idk what it is in english), but i have no idea who drew which art

i was going to write more, specifically about daisy and recu, but i hit the discord text limit and i write all my captions in there, so ples look into them all on their wikis and sites if you have time !!!

v4

ranas companions Sacchan/Sakiko and Jasmine Kenkyuuin

ranas companions Morio Shishou and Kouhei

logo

natsuki synthv

Ekaterina

logo

daisy in chipspeech

recu talk and tachie

[aidairoarchivetwo]

明日土曜日はGファンタジー5月号の発売日！花子くん第五の怪も掲載中ですので、よろしくお願いします！ 単行本の発売日とかについても載ってますので、読んで頂けると嬉しいです☆

Tomorrow, Saturday, is the release date of the May issue of G Fantasy! Hanako-kun's Fifth Mystery is also being published, so please look forward to it! The release date of the book is also listed, so I hope you will read it ☆ Date and Time: 7:05 AM · Apr 17, 2015

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Nicole Russell

Published: Apr 8, 2024

DEI-based programs purport to exist to address mostly racial and gender inequalities, but they’re often ineffective at colleges, and even harmful in corporate America, where these students go next.

Anti-discrimination laws have been around for decades. For the most part, they’re effective.  

But diversity, equity and inclusion policies – in companies, organizations and institutions of higher learning – are anti-discrimination laws on steroids. We can see that in Texas.  

Texas A&M University had an annual DEI budget of $11 million. From 2015 to 2020, the number of Black Aggies who “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they “belonged” at Texas A&M had dropped about 30%, according to the Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life, a conservative think tank.

DEI-based programs across the country purport to exist to address mostly racial and gender inequalities, but they’re often ineffective at colleges and universities, and even harmful in corporate America, where these students go next.

Texas leaders realize what others don't: DEI programs are wasteful  

This is playing out in Texas now at the University of Texas (UT), which just laid off at least 60 employees who worked in diversity, equity and inclusion-related positions, according to the Austin American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The mass firings were for efficiency to comply with Senate Bill 17, which went into effect in January. The new law bans Texas’ public universities and colleges from funding any offices or programs with a DEI-based aim.  

Several Texas outlets have slammed the bill again after this news leaked. It’s easy to see why. That’s a lot of people who now need new jobs, and this is a tough environment for people looking for employment. But in some ways, the sheer number of DEI positions, the reaction and statistics about DEI prove the need for a closer look at DEI.  

First, Texans support the law. A June poll showed that 49% of Texans "strongly” or “somewhat” support the ban, while only 34% oppose it. 

Second, it’s excessive. According to the American-Statesman, 40 of the 60 staff were let go from the Division of Campus and Community Engagement, where the median annual salary is approximately $69,000.

That’s more than $2.7 million a year in salaries just for 40 employees. That could have funded need-based in-state tuition for four years for, say, nearly 60 Black or Hispanic women – because poverty tends to disproportionately affect those demographics. 

Third, in some ways it’s ineffective at best and hypocritical at worst. (Especially in corporate America.) 

DEI has failed at its own goal

In 2022, almost 35% of UT’s enrolled students were white. About 25% were Hispanic or Latino. A little more than 5% were Black.

The faculty was even less diverse. In 2021, almost 70% of UT’s fall faculty were white, just 10% were Hispanic and 5% were Black.  

In 2022, students at UT released a report that claimed the university “does not offer the inclusivity that LGBTQIA+ students and other historically oppressed groups demand.”  

So almost $3 million worth of employee salaries are pushing DEI initiatives and they’re still failing.  

Administrators at Texas A&M and UT must have thought DEI was doing something good, or they wouldn’t have had so many staff working in this capacity. But surely, they had seen data showing their numbers weren’t improving. They were worsening. DEI initiatives often lead to feel-good roles but no real-time results. 

It’s certainly a good idea to reverse structural racism where it thrives and to dispel gender biases that keep historically marginalized people from achieving their best potential. But we have anti-discrimination laws for this.

DEI-based organizations and initiatives at a college level communicate to a generation of kids – who are already hyperfixated on themselves – that their educational success depends on a particular, perhaps marginalized, aspect of themselves.  

Students become further obsessed with these handful of identifiers and expect the world will lend them a leg up. Does a corporation owe a new graduate a job because he’s gay? Because she’s Muslim? Isn’t hiring a new college graduate because of their identifiers – and who succeeded thanks to DEI efforts in college – the opposite of equity and inclusivity?  

DEI initiatives fail college grads in the workplace

DEI initiatives in the workplace are also now facing backlash, per one report by Paradigm, following the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative action ruling.

In a survey of 1,000 hiring managers across the United States by ResumeBuilder.com, 1 in 6 “have been asked to deprioritize hiring white men,” almost half have been asked to “prioritize diversity over qualifications,” over half “believe their job will be in danger if they don’t hire enough diverse employees,” and 70% “believe their company has DEI initiatives for appearances’ sake.”  

So now fewer people who are qualified for employment will get a job because they’re not marginalized? Nobody is supposed to care about the white guys anymore because they’re part of a privileged patriarchal system, but by the looks of these hiring practices, that’s no longer true. And refusing to hire someone because they’re a white male is, well, against the law. 

Last fall, Bloomberg reported that the year after Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, the S&P 100 added more than 300,000 jobs and 94% went to people of color. Given that only about a quarter of the U.S. population is not white, that's a high percentage.

Anti-discrimination laws succeed where DEI falls short

Is there a better way to achieve what DEI has failed to? Or is DEI in and of itself unnecessary? Texas Republicans seem to think the latter is true – and that’s why they banned it.

One could say that’s to be expected of a legislature that’s 70% male and half white. They don’t need DEI; they’ve already tasted success. 

Two things are true: Thanks to decades-old state and federal anti-discrimination laws, American colleges and workplaces offer equity and equal rights under the law. Where these laws are broken, they’re challenged in court and overturned – like the Supreme Court’s decision last year that affirmative action at Harvard and the University of North Carolina violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.  

It’s also true that where DEI programs in colleges exist, they’re too expansive and simultaneously ineffective. Where they were perhaps originally a good idea decades ago, they’ve gone so far past the Overton Window, they’re either achieving little on college campuses or achieving the opposite in American workplaces, forcing companies to hire token representatives and eschewing merit-based hires because of sex and race.  

The news that 60 people were let go sounds harsh, but it’s a short-term consequence to fixing a longer-term problem. DEI advances people in work and schools because they’re marginalized, not because of merit. In the end, in the name of inclusivity, it ends up being quite an exclusive club. 

[taylore]

John Mayer & Taylor Swift Timeline #3 (2013 - Current)

Feb 10, 2013

They both attend the Grammys. John brings Katy Perry. Some people speculate this night is the inspiration behind Shake It Off's bridge.

Mar 15, 2013

Taylor allows a friend to discuss her personal life on her behalf. When asked why she dated 18-year-olds, Harry Styles and Conor Kennedy, they said, “It was like a pendulum for her, swinging back and forth. She dated Jake [Gyllenhaal] and John [Mayer] when she was really young and they were in their 30s, and she got really hurt. So it was like ‘That hurt—this won’t hurt.’ But then it did.” (X)

Apr 7, 2013

They both perform at the ACMs.

Apr 16, 2013

Taylor's team deny reports that they flirted after the event (X)

Jun 18, 2013

John releases Paper Doll. It is speculated to be about Taylor.

Oct 7, 2013

Taylor goes to Disneyland the same day as John and Katy (X)

Nov 17, 2013

Taylor says the guy Red was about got in touch with her, and that his response was a nice contrast to the "crazy, ranting emails" she'd gotten from a different guy (X)

Jun 3, 2014

John says he doesn't mind people writing songs about him, so long as they don't make it obvious (X) (00:10)

Aug 20, 2014

They both have dinner at the Chateau Marmont (X)

Feb 6, 2015

John makes a joke about Taylor avoiding him (X). Taylor likes this post in response (X).

Mar 6, 2015

John talks about Taylor and her battle against Spotify (X). When asked how he feels about Taylor's success, he says it "doesn't bother him" but that he does still have somewhat of an emotional reaction (X). He also pleads that their relationship stops being such a prominent topic of conversation (X)

Apr 28, 2016

Taylor and John both attend Gigi Hadid's 21st birthday party (X). She allegedly meets Joe.

Oct 23, 2016

Taylor, Katy and John all attend Drake's 30th birthday (X) (X). This night prompts him to get sober (X)

Dec 13, 2016

John tweets that "Tuesday, December 13th is the lamest day of year, conceptually." He then deletes the tweet. 

Dec 6, 2017

John likes tweets defending Taylor's inclusion on Time's "The Silence Breakers" cover.

Oct 25, 2018

John mentions thinking a lot about reputation, though he clarifies he's not referring to the album (X)

Circa October 2018

Taylor allegedly states that Dear John is "too painful" to perform (X)

Mar 5, 2019

John denies that Paper Doll is about Taylor (X)

Nov 17, 2019

John has Shawn Mendes on Current Mood. When introducing him, he makes a joke about music using a printed out version of the Lover single cover (X). Later, he makes a joke about the song itself (X)

Feb 22, 2021

Andy Cohen asks John how he interacts with the work of ex-partners. John admits to engaging with it positively, going so far as to say that he often hopes music written by former partners was inspired by him (X)

Mar 1, 2021

After joining TikTok, John's comments are swarmed by angry swifties (X)

Circa Mar 7 - 15, 2021

Taylor writes Would've Could've Should've (X)

Mar 14, 2021

Both perform at the Grammys.

Nov 15, 2021

John responds to an angry DM, prompted by the release of Red TV

Nov 16, 2021

Life & Style report that John disagrees with the way Taylor "targets" her exes (X)

Dec 15, 2021

Deux Moi alleges that John will play the guitar on Dear John TV. It is quickly denied by Este Haim/the Haim account.

Oct 22, 2022

Taylor releases Midnights. Would've Could've Should've is featured.

Apr 8, 2023

John plays Paper Doll, and speculates that the reason people tend to dislike it is because it's "bitchy." (X)

May 5, 2023

Taylor announces Speak Now TV.

Jun 23, 2023

Taylor performs Dear John, and pleads that fans don't harass people in her name (X) (01:40)

Jul 7, 2023

Taylor re-releases Speak Now.

[gifseafins]

Tarak Movies List

My goal was to arrive in May, the month of my birthday, and be able to say that I've watched all of Tarak's films, but some are very hard to find...

Here's the list no one asked to read of all the ones I've found . in search 🔎 saved on the computer 💾 already attended 🍿

subtitles need proofreading 📚

.

1.) Brahmashri Vishwamitra / released in 19-Apr-1991 /  🔎

Ramayanam / released in 06-Dec-1996 /  🔎

2.) Ninnu Choodalani / released in 25-May-2001 /  🔎

3.) Student No.1 / released in 27-Sep-2001 /  💾 

4.) Subbu / released in 21-Dec-2001 /  🔎

5.) Aadi / released in 29-Mar-2002 /  🔎

6.) Allari Ramudu / released in 19-Jul-2002 /  🔎

7.) Naaga / released in 10-Jan-2003 /  🔎

8.) Simhadri / released in 11-Jul-2003 /  🔎

9.) Andhrawala / released in 02-Jan-2004 /  🔎

10.) Samba / released in 11-Jun-2004 /  🔎

11.) Naa Alludu / released in 14-Jan-2005 /  🔎

12.) Narasimhudu / released in 20-May-2005 /  🔎

13.) Ashok / released in 14-Jul-2006 /  🔎

14.) Rakhi / released in 22-Dec-2006 /  💾 / 🍿 /  📚

15.) Yamadonga / released in 15-Aug-2007 /  💾 /  🍿

16.) Kantri / released in 09-May-2008 /  🔎

17.) Adhurs / released in 15-Jan-2010 /  💾 /  🍿

18.) Brindavanam / released in 15-Oct-2010 /  💾 /  🍿

19.) Shakti / released in 01-Apr-2011 /  💾 /  🍿

20.) Oosaravelli / released in 06-Oct-2011 /  💾 /  🍿 /  📚

21.) Dammu / released in 27-Apr-2012 /  🔎

22.) Baadshah / released in 05-Apr-2013 /  🔎

23.) Ramayya Vasthavayya / released in 11-Oct-2013 /  💾

24.) Rabhasa / released in 29-Aug-2014 /   💾

25.) Temper / released in 13-Feb-2015 /  💾 /  🍿

26.) Nannaku Prematho / released in 13-Jan-2016 /   💾

27.) Janatha Garage / released in 12-Aug-2016 /  💾 /  🍿 /  📚

28.) Jai Lava Kusa / released in 01-Sep-2017 /  💾 /  🍿

29.) Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava / released in 11-Oct-2018 /  💾

30.) RRR / released in 30-Jul-2020 / NETFLIX

[feuqueerfire]

April 2023 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

A little monthly (spoilery!) wrap-up of all the shows, movies, and shorts I’ve watched or am watching in April 2023, general thoughts, and ranking of them all.

Recommendation of the month: Dirty Laundry was fun!

Ranking

The Merciless

Kiss Me Again: Pete-Kao cut (rewatch) = Dirty Laundry

Midnight Museum

Average Rating: 6.125/10 [lowest for the year so far :< hopefully better next month]

MDL Updates - Added to Watchlist:

A section because I’m curious about how many shows I decide to add to my Watch List a month and also the ratio of watching them:adding them.

Midnight Museum

I Go to School Not by Bus (2015): There’s this one tiktok I liked a while ago and haha yeah

Bed Friend

Unintentional Love Story

The Eighth Sense

To Watch List At Start Of Month: 56

To Watch List At End Of Month: 57 [Currently: Our Skyy 2, Bed Friend]

Removed from To Watch List:

None

Watching On-Air

Our Skyy 2 

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Apr 19, 2023 - ONGOING

Watch Via: GMMTV YT (free)

Watch Dates: Apr 22 - ONGOING, 2023

Never Let Me Go: It was cute and fun and I'm happy to have seen Nueng and Palm one more time. Goodbye, Palm and Nueng. [6.5/10]

Star In My Mind: In Ep 1, they were soo cute and I liked scheming Daonuea. Ep 2 is boring rip. Also glad that Nuea initiates or reciprocates Kluen’s advances often enough it’s an uncomfortable dynamic otherwise. [5.5/10]

tags: our skyy 2, never let me go, gmmtv 2023, star in my mind

Also Appears In: Our Skyy 2 Live Blogging

Completely Watched

The Merciless (2017) - non-queer

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: May 17, 2017

Watch Via: Netflix, so :>

Watch Dates: Apr 1, 2023

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall Impression: I do like going into shows and movies knowing very little, so every twist was fun for me; none of it blew my mind but I was still surprised nearly every time because I wasn't trying to predict the twists or anything. Im Siwan is just really good at these sorts of roles I guess, his situation, dynamic with the other male lead, and ending had similarities to Strangers From Hell for sure (or I should say it the other way around because this came first). I wish so much of the movie wasn't in such darkness though, I can't fucking see rip. I wasn't that into the bromance aspect but did like how intertwined they were and how willing to trust the other and how that trust got betrayed.

Also Appears In: The Merciless Live Blogging

My School President non-rewatching rewatch because I'm watching the reaction by ReactionsByJavi. I've been obsessed with FourthGemini recently and am excited for OurSkyyxMSP and just want more of them (23.5 when?). I might watch some FourthGemini interviews and stuff too, who knows, but I've been following translation accounts for them and they've been so funny in their events this early April lol.

I watched all 12 eps reactions by ReactionsByJavi and 2, 3 + parts of 1, 12 by ธีร์สนุกสนาน [T sanuksanan]. I'm gonna raise my rating to 7.5 because I really liked this show :> and my favourite ep is 3. April 4: Gotta update rating in liveblogging, monthly wrap-up, 2023 masterlist, my spreadsheet, MDL, whew.

Midnight Museum - non-BL

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Mar 6, 2023 - Apr 4, 2023

Watch Via: GMMTV YT (free)

Watch Dates: Apr 5 - 7, 2023

Rating: 5.5/10

Overall Impression: I liked the first half with the artifacts and side stories more than the second half where they tried to do too much for a short runtime, not too much budget, and mediocre writing skills. I couldn't make myself care about Khatha or Dome and also it was funny how they kept emphasizing phi-nong with words but so romantic in action. I wish the fantasy and magic and parallel universes and time travel and cult and God and whatever else made more sense together.

tags: midnight museum

Also Appears In: Midnight Museum Live Blogging

Agh, I have barely been watching anything this month.

I think after focusing on less romantic shows the first few months of the year, I’m just craving some regular old familiar cheesy low-stakes BL but I also don’t really wanna start a new show (and Bed Friend seems a little too stressful). Wasn’t sure what I wanted to even rewatch, so I rewatched Gifted S1 via ReactionsWithJavi reactions and on April 16, watched ep 9-11 of Love In The Air SkyPai story. 

Can’t wait for Our Skyy to start so that I can at least have that to fulfill my romance BLs but with familiar characters but also not rewatch a whole show; wanted something new with the familiar and Our Skyy really is made for that.

Kiss Me Again: Pete-Kao cut

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Jun 19, 2018 - Aug 9, 2018

Watch Via: GMMTV YT (free)

Watch Dates: Apr 18, 2023

Rating: 6/10 [I’m not changing it from before]

Overall Impression: continuing on my can’t-watch-anything-new-that-i-have-high-hopes-for. I’ve been kinda craving like a very typical school BL that doesn’t have much going on outside of the ship dynamic and this delivers. Repressed and insane Pete who does stupid shit like get together with Mint again bc he thinks he’s jealous of Kao and then crash Kao and Sun’s dinner is so funny. Also the background music in this is jarring. Pete’s father continues to be great.  

Rewatched Moonlight Chicken Heart/LiMing scenes via ReactionswithJavi and ahhh I love them so bad like T.T 

Dirty Laundry

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Jan 18, 2023 - Feb 2, 2023

Watch Via: GMMTV YT (free)

Watch Dates: Apr 25 - 28, 2023

Rating: 6/10

Overall Impression: Personally worth watching just to see the plethora of the gendered terms used with Night in drag/pretending to be kathoey (esp with Momey). Also liked the ending with “but who’s gonna direct?” [look into the camera] [screen with Directed by Jojo’s name] This was really fun and kept my attention well. I’ve seen people say that the humour didn’t work for them but it did for me. Also fun to see actors like Nanon, Film, Pond in these roles.

tags: dirty laundry

Rewatched SOTUS eps 9-13 and the second half of 15 lol I think I’m just maybe in a typical uni BL mood. rewatching is so fun though, I get to lament that there were so many girls in this engineering friend group and even a lesbian unlike these days where there are 0 to 1 female friends. Also, I didn’t know the Thai honorifics as much when I watched this over a year ago but now Kongpob being like “Then you can drop the formality of khun and phom and change to Phi and nong instead” and Arthit being like “That’s totally up to me. You got a problem with that?” ahhh it’s so alskdjak younger pursuer/seme/top/1/whatever my beloved

Started watching Bed Friend rip should’ve done earlier or waited 2 days but it is what it is. 

Wonder how much I’ll get to watch shows now that I’m gonna have a 9-5 for the next 4 months oof

Worked on GeminiFourth April Roundup this month, will try to do it for next month too

[micro961]

Matteo Rovatti - Facce di scorta

Il singolo che anticipa il nuovo EP dell'artista emiliano Un brano sul bisogno di accettazione e sui volti che mostriamo per non svelarci nella nostra vera essenza

La paura di essere noi stessi, rischiando di non venire accettati, ci porta ad indossare quelle facce che non corrispondo al nostro io più profondo. In realtà sono proprio i volti che non vogliamo vedere e non cerchiamo quelli che ci danno vita.

«Non le mettere sono facce che fanno perdere anche te» canta Matteo Rovatti richiamando l’attenzione su quanto sia importante non indossare altre facce tranne che la propria per rimanere: «Liberi di essere noi stessi».

Etichetta: Indian Release Ep: 5 aprile 2023

Matteo Rovatti nasce a Sassuolo nel 1972 ed è un autore e compositore italiano. Nel marzo del 2008 pubblica il suo primo album “Vedere” con cinque canzoni inedite. A luglio dello stesso anno partecipa alla tappa di Carpi del concorso “Fammi sentire la voce” organizzato da Radio Bruno e vince il premio magazine. Nell’ottobre del 2009 partecipa al teatro Carani di Sassuolo al concerto di Africa aid “Water for children” organizzato da Africa nel cuore e Croce Rossa Italiana. Nel giugno del 2012 apre il concerto dei Nomadi al campo sportivo di Castelvetro. Nel febbraio del 2015 apre il “XXIII tributo ad Augusto_Nomadincontro” al teatro tenda di Novellara, esperienza che ripete nel 2016 e poi ancora con il  “XXVIII raduno nazionale fan Nomadi” a Casalromano. Matteo Rovatti è autore e compositore insieme a Giuseppe Carletti e Massimo Vecchi della canzone “Tutto Vero” pubblicata nel disco di inediti dei Nomadi “Lascia Il Segno” (2015). Nell’ottobre dello stesso anno lancia “Va Di Vivere” pubblicato dai “Nomadi”. Nel gennaio del 2016 annuncia il suo nuovo singolo “Lontano” pubblicato dai “Nomadi”, seguito da “Questa Vita”. Nel giugno del 2016 apre il “Come potete giudicar tour Nomadi” a Mestrino di Padova. Successivamente partecipa a tre tappe del “Festival Show”: Udine, Brescia e Jesolo. Partecipa al concorso “Sulla via (Emilia) per Woodstock” vincendo il premio Carlino d’Oro messo in palio dal “Resto del Carlino” e apre il “XXV raduno nazionale estivo fan Nomadi” in piazza San Bartolomeo a Castagnole delle Lanze. Nel settembre del 2017 esce il suo nuovo singolo “L’estate Tornerà” che si posiziona al primo posto della classifica indipendenti emergenti. Nel gennaio del 2018 pubblica "Amami Davvero” che raggiunge il primo posto della classifica indipendenti emergenti, posizione ottenuta anche a maggio del 2020 con “Sottosopra”. Il suo singolo “Governo”, uscito nel settembre del 2022, si posiziona al decimo posto della classifica indipendenti e al primo posto della classifica indipendenti emergenti entrando per la prima volta in classifica nazionale Earone. Il 2 dicembre pubblica “Stelle Cadenti” seguito, il 17 marzo, da “Facce Di Scorta”.

Contatti e social

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/matteorovatti YouTube   https://www.youtube.com/matteorovatti Instagram https://www.instagram.com/matteorovatti/

[ellcrys]

I did this exercise last year of categorizing my 2021 movies into loved, really liked, liked, meh, and disliked, and enjoyed the process so much that I decided to do it again this year!

Some patterns observed:

I guess this was the year for satire bc my top two films of the year (Bodies Bodies Bodies and The Good Boss) are both satire lol

I disliked every marvel movie released this year lmao

Some other comments:

I liked EEAAO, I really did, but it just wasn’t my jam ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I recognize that it’s a groundbreaking film, and like I said, I enjoyed it, but it just wasn’t the film for me

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was... disappointing imo. I really didn’t like it all that much and I’m not going into why in this post lol. There were parts that I loved. But on the whole, it really didn’t leave a great taste in my mouth

I might have enjoyed The Tragedy of Macbeth had I an ounce of knowledge about the play before going to see the movie but as someone who went in blind: I had absolutely no idea what the fuck was going on. It’s a beautifully captured and edited film. But the barrier to entry is 100 miles high for anyone who hasn’t read the play

The surprise dark horse of the year for me was King Richard. I’m not usually a biopics gal. But this one is amazing.

Jurassic World is 10/10 peak entertainment and I will fight you on this

*: watched in theaters **: rewatch

Loved

Encanto (2021) | Jan 2

Jurassic World (2015)** | Jun 24

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)* | Aug 23

The Good Boss* (2021) | Sep 3

Really Liked

Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021) | Jan 17

King Richard (2021)* | Feb 19

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) | Mar 18

The Batman (2022)* | Mar 29

Nope* (2022) | Jul 24

Liked

Love Hard (2021) | Jan 1

The Losers (2010) | Jan 8

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) | Jan 22

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)** | Feb 5

Drive My Car (2021)* | Feb 12

Jumanji (1995)** | Feb 20

Luca (2021) | Feb 26

Shrek the Third (2007)** | Mar 5

The Power of the Dog (2021) | Mar 12

After Yang (2021)* | Mar 15

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)* | Apr 2

What We Do in the Shadows (2014) | May 14

Rush Hour (1998)** | May 15

Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)* | Jul 2

Fire Island (2022) | Jul 22

Straight Up (2019) | Jul 23

Ticket to Paradise* (2022) | Oct 27

Meh

The Fast and the Furious (2001) | Mar 11

Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) | Apr 8

Shazam (2019) | Apr 29

Rampage (2018) | Jul 15

Mary Poppins Returns (2018) | Jul 30

Don’t Worry Darling* (2022) | Sep 19

Disliked

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)* | Feb 21

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)* | Jun 7

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)* | Aug 6

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever* (2022) | Dec 2

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Slayer ‎– Black Magic 

[breelandwalker]

Hex Positive, Ep. 021 - Witchcraft and Modern Law

Now available wherever you get your podcasts!

As promised, the followup episode is here! This time, I'm digging into witchcraft as it relates to modern law, plus covering a few key 20th-century events that I missed in Episode 20 and some legal codes that may apply to your practice even if they don't deal with witchcraft directly. We'll also be discussing some instances of modern witch hunts that are still occurring in some parts of the world and there are articles you can check out for more information below. (Massive trigger warning for violence and abuse in the ones discussing modern witch hunts.)

(Incidentally, the information I discovered while researching modern witch persecutions is EXACTLY why I get so cheesed off when some privileged politician whines about being the target of "a witch hunt." Like buddy, you don't even know the meaning of the word. Having to face the consequences of your own actions isn't a witch hunt. That's just cosmic justice serving up a long-overdue headslap.)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Witch With Me - Book Club and 2021 Witch Census

Samhain Witch Market Diversity Richmond, Richmond VA Sunday, October 17, 2021, 3pm-9pm Indoor/Outdoor, Masks Required Facebook Event Page

SOURCES

Folk Magic - Powwow: History and Practices (LearnReligions.com)

Analysis | In Canada, pretending to be a witch is a punishable offense (Washington Post, Oct. 31, 2018)

Victoria clears witches for takeoff (The Sydney Morning Herald, July 21, 2005)

Modern-day witches still facing 'endless abuse and threats' (The Independent, Feb. 09, 2020)

Witch Hunts: a global problem in the 21st century (Deutsche Welle, Oct. 08, 2020)

Chinese 'witches' are banding together after rural Chinese communities ostracise them (AP, South China Morning Post, Jan, 16, 2018)

Why Do Witch Hunts Still Happen? (Smithsonian Magazine, Oct. 30, 2015)

Witch Hunts Today: Abuse of Women, Superstition, and Murder Collide in India (Scientific American, Jan. 11, 2018)

"They Burn Witches Here"; Papua New Guinea: Asia's Fastest-Growing Economy Burns Witches (Huffington Post, Oct. 29, 2015)

Witch Hunts Are Back - And This Time They're Targeting Female Activists (HuffPost Brazil, Nov. 01, 2019)

Witch Trials in the 21st Century (National Geographic, Jan. 21, 2011)

Modern witches are stepping out of the shadow of Germany’s folklore (Sleek Magazine, Apr. 30, 2019)

Wikipedia Article - Rehmeyer's Hollow

Wikipedia Article - Satanic Panic

Wikipedia Article - West Memphis Three

Wikipedia Article - Modern witch-hunts

Wikipedia Article - Witchcraft Suppression Act of 1957

Wikipedia Article - Mpumalanga Witchcraft Suppression Bill

BOOKS AND PODCASTS

America Bewitched: The story of witchcraft after Salem (Owen Davies)

American Hysteria, Eps. 4 & 5 - "Satanic Panic, pt 1 & 2"

BS-Free Witchcraft, Ep. 10 - "The Satanic Panic"

BS-Free Witchcraft, Ep. 32 - "A New Satanic Panic?"

Lore, Ep. 62 - "Desperate Measures"

Morbid Podcast - Ep. 122-125, “The West Memphis Three, pt 1-3”

Sacred Actions: Living the Wheel of the Year though Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices (Dana O'Driscoll)

This episode is sponsored by:

Portland Button Works - http://www.portlandbuttonworks.com

PBW Witch Shop - http://www.PBWwitchshop.com

Global Grey Ebooks - http://www.globalgreyebooks.com

Follow the show on Twitter @hex_podcast for the latest updates! You can also find me as @BreeNicGarran on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Wordpress. For more information on how to support the show and get access to early releases and extra content, visit my Patreon.

Visit my shop to purchase my books and homemade accoutrements for your craft!

Proud member of the Nerd and Tie Podcast Network.

MUSIC CREDITS "Spellbound" & "Miri's Magic Dance" Ads - "Feelin' Good," "March of the Spoons," and "Danse Macabre - Violin Hook" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

[vocalsynthbdays]

happy birthday to flower(vocaloid 3) and fuiro(vocaloid 6) !!!!!!!!! [may 9]

flower

fuiro

flower is a japanese synth developed by YAMAHA in collaboration with Gynoid co for vocaloid, the later liscenced out to INCS Toenter Co., Ltd. and Techno-Speech for her cevio ai version . her v3 illustration was drawn by Yamako, and her v4 and gynoid talk by △○□×/miwasiba,  her character design was done by Rocoru. her v4 design was based off of "shota" fanart of flower drawn by miwasiba i guess ??? (???????), her cevio was illustratited and designed by Oguchi.  rocoru and yamako are both part of honeyworks ("a circle consisting mainly of the composers Gom and shito, and the illustrator Yamako, along with many support members"*).  her design inspired that of the meika twins. 

 she was initially released in 2014 just for download,  then got a physical release on 16 july 2014.  she later got a v4 bank on 16 july 2015.  her addition to gyndoid talk was announced on 26 july 2019,  on twitter her design was released on 11 feb 2020, and the bank itself was released on 3 apr 2020.  she is also has a vocaloid neo release which came out on the same day as her initial v3.  after great delay, her cevio bank released on 10 mar 2023. she was initially supposed to get here cevio bank in autumn to winter of 2022, then around new years, then it released in march. she also has a vocaloid mobile editor bank, called "v for flower". 

 "flower" is the name of the character mascot, while "vflower" and "ciflower" are the names of the software itself.  in vocaloid, she was said to have an androgynous voice which is designed to specialise in rock music. her voice provider has never been revealed and she has no canon age. 

 due to the general lack of androgyny (and purple), as well as the move towards the design and voice of a more generic anime girl, ciflower was negatively received by a large number of fans.

Chinozo's song "Goodbye Declaration" featuring flower surpassed 100 million views on youtube in july 2021, making it the most viewed song in vocaloid history and the most viewed song sung by a vocal synth in history. 

 the honeyworks song called "inokori sensei"/ "detained teacher" (with Gom doing music and lyrics, Oji guitar, Rocuro the illustration, Yamako the illustration, video, and encoding, and drm the bass) released on 17 apr 2014. this song features flower and was used as a debut demo for her. at this time the character rights for flower belonged to gynoid co, despite the company not being fully established until aug 2014.

fuiro is an ai bank who released on 9 may 2023 (today). they themself are designed by ORIHARA, but their logo is designed by iga_kitty. their vp is philo, who is the winner of a contest which was held on nana (?) (a music sharing platform (?)) in 2022

*straight from vocaloid fandom wiki (edited)

[96thdayofrage]

The Supreme Court agreed to review two aspects of the actor’s case.

The seven judges reviewed Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O’Neill’s decision to let prosecutors call five other accusers to testify about long-ago encounters that never resulted in charges or police reports.

And they reviewed the questionable judge’s decision to allow the jury to hear unsubstantiated testimony from two-decade old depositions taken out of context at trial.

Judge Steven O’Neill has never explained why he allowed five women to testify in the second Cosby trial after allowing only one to do so at his first trial in 2017.

On Dec. 1–when it came to the Commonwealth’s rebuttal of the defense’s points of appeal attorney—Adrianne Jappe did not get through her opening comments before the judges began interrupting and interrogating her on the relevance of the five prior bad acts witnesses.

Justice Dougherty pointed out that one of the women – Lise-Lotte Lublin – had ‘no actual recollection of sexual contact’ but merely of losing consciousness.

Bill Cosby to be Released from Prison After Pennsylvania Supreme Court Deems Trial Tainted

Cosby DA reaches level of desperation as Supreme Court decision nears, fines comic for unkept grass

Cosby DA accused of prosecutorial misconduct for charging YC reporter amid heated email battle

Cosby DA won’t release emails that may reveal ‘locker-room banter’ about Pa. Supreme Court

DA Under Fire for Admitting Bill Cosby Gave ‘Exculpatory Account’ to Cops, Tricked by Phony Immunity Deal

Jappe angered members of the court after instructing them not ‘to consider’ statistics in their decision making, according to an aide of one of the honorable justices.

Your Content exclusively revealed on Oct. 22 that Police in Arizona are stunned after a Pennsylvania prosecutor accommodated a fugitive prostitute to testify against the comedian in 2018.

Cosby, 83, has spent the past two years in a prison outside of Philadelphia after a jury convicted him in 2018 of three aggravated indecent assault counts—and the court deemed the elderly inmate a ‘sexually violent predator’ for posing an ‘imminent safety risk to women.’

From the moment the first witness took the stand, Your Content readers were spot-on in their questioning of trial tactics and backhanded deals cut amid the retrial—going as far as filing a motion to intervene in the trial after politicians tried to silence our publication and banish Your Content reporters from the proceedings.

But we conducted more than just research, providing game-changing scoops that impacted the trial to its core:

» Jun. 1, 17′: Bill Cosby to face a jury 13-years after allegations of sexual assault were made and ultimately debunked by investigating detectives.

» Jun. 5, 17′: Cosby arrives for his first day in court. Attorneys called the proceeding ‘an attack on human dignity.’

» Jun. 6, 17′: Jurors were drowned in reasonable doubt ‘on day two’ of the trial when attorneys revealed the motivation behind the ‘witness cult’s’ testimony: a $100 million payday.

» ‘One lie begets another lie begets another lie’: The judge finally cracked down on overzealous prosecutors after they tried tricking him by rephrasing the same question six times.

» Jun. 9, 17′: The trial’s briefest yet most powerful cross examination that derailed the questionable proceeding in just fifteen minutes.

» Jun. 12, 17′: Moments before the jury left to deliberate, Cosby’s lawyers moved for a mistrial on the grounds that the chief accuser had changed her story nearly two-dozen times.

» The ‘defining moment’ of the trial erupted as lawyers outed a hand-picked George Soros district attorney who prosecuted the funnyman solely to ‘bang on his throne.’

» Jun. 13, 17′: The chief Cosby accuser unleashed a tsunami of reasonable doubt upon jurors, who continually asked the court reread her testimony to weed out the conflicting statements.

» Jun. 15, 17′: Blockbuster revelations by Your Content funneled to our tipline by a juror claimed they would not be reaching a unanimous verdict.

» Despite a deadlocked jury, the hard-nosed court ordered they return after the weekend to continue deliberating until reaching a unanimous verdict.

» Jun. 17, 17′: After the jury informed the court once more of their deadlock, the judge declared a mistrial.

» Oct. 20, 17′: The former district attorney files a lawsuit against chief Cosby accuser Andrea Constand for working hand-in-glove with his competitor, Soros-funded Kevin Steele, in effort to secure an election and conviction.

» Nov. 9, 17′: An explosive report by Your Content reveals new information about Constand’s potential motivation behind the trial.

» Nov. 22, 17′: Your Content discovered Soros’ hand-picked district attorney worked closely with Constand to coordinate television commercials amid the heated election.

» How prosecutors initially claimed the former district attorney was ‘suing Contand more or less because he blames her for cooperating with police.’

» Jan. 11, 18′: Your Content attends a dinner with the funnyman for an exclusive tell-all before the retrial: ‘We’re Ready.’

» Jan. 28, 18′: Soros’ hand-picked district attorney is accused of destroying evidence and allowing perjury to secure a conviction. The FBI ‘cannot confirm nor deny’ an investigation into the accusations.

» Mar. 28, 18′: An exclusive Your Content investigation revealed that the presiding judge carried out an extramarital affair with a staffer of a key witness.

» Apr. 7, 18′: A juror is overheard by a Your Content reporter calling the comic ‘guilty’ immediately after being selected to serve on the panel.

» Apr. 10, 18′: Your Content exclusively reports that the prosecution intends to fly a wanted fugitive to testify, and they wined and housed the prostitute-turned-witness.

» Apr. 12, 18′: A key witness makes a bombshell revelation and confirms she previously sold Quaaludes to friends and never obtained the pill from Cosby.

» The moment Janice Dickinson revealed Robert De Niro partied at a nightclub that was full of ‘sex, drugs, cocaine and tea.’

» As their stories collided, accusers turned blame to magazine editors at New York Magazine of ‘condensing and editing’ their statements to publish on the cover.

» Your Content was first to report that the chief Cosby accuser claimed the comic tricked her into the situation by bribing her with ‘baked goods.’

» The powerful opening statement that painted the chief Cosby accuser as an ‘inconsistent money-hungry con artist.’

» How Gloria Allred’s representation of too many victims nearly derailed the case on day one.

» Apr. 15, 18′: Chief Cosby accuser Andrea Constand officially provides the sixth conflicting story as cross examination continued.

» Apr. 16, 18′: Constand is asked to reread all of her inconsistent statements back to the jury.

» When Hollywood’s heaviest-hitting private detective Scott Ross served Constand with a second subpoena as she left the courtroom.

» Apr. 16, 18′: At one point, testimony from the chief accuser became too confusing for the court and jurors, and Judge Steven O’Neill ordered she go home and do ‘homework’ over the weekend before returning to court Monday.

» Apr. 17, 18′: Your Content captured exclusive photographs of a staffer employed by the hand-picked Soros district attorney documenting each move Cosby made outside of the courtroom.

» Apr. 18, 18′: A key witness lost credibility when it’s discovered Cosby hadn’t been dubbed ‘America’s Dad’ until 1984, not 1982, as she claimed.

» It is discovered that Cosby never called Temple University to speak with chief accuser Constand, university staff reveal.

» Apr. 25, 18′: Closing arguments for the second trial begin. The defense drops a powerful remark: ‘A case that was rejected. A case that was revived. I’ll show you the sequence.’

» Jurors asked the court to re-play the testimony of Margo Jackson, who said the chief accuser confided in her and claimed she could accuse Cosby and ‘get money to go to school and open a business.’

» Unsatisfied jurors question the court: ‘We understand we could see things again?’ The judge allowed it and replayed the chilling testimony that accused Cosby’s accuser of falsifying her claims in pursuit of money.

» Prosecutors pulled an unprecedented stunt and compared Cosby to Casey Anthony in effort to hide the jurors from the media and public.

» Your Content flies the Canadian ex-boyfriend of chief Cosby accuser Andrea Constand to Philadelphia for an exclusive sit-down interview. He reveals the accuser’s family ‘despises black people’ and ‘used Cosby for revenge on all black people.’

» Soros’ hand-picked district attorney went through great lengths to keep his Florida father in the loop at all times—even divulging information about what jurors munched on during breaks.

» Oct. 10, 19′: Your Content obtains thousands of exclusive e-mails from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Among the exclusive e-mail revelations:

» ‘First Order of Business, Lock Up That Creep Bill Cosby.’

» ‘Old Man’ Cosby’ Would Die If Jailed, Prosecutors Joked

» DA Mocked #MeToo Before, During & After Trial

» In 2015, DA Steele Claimed There Was An ‘Air-Tight’ Case Against Bill Cosby, Turns Out There Wasn’t

» Jun. 23, 20′: Bill Cosby is granted the opportunity to go before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in a first-ever virtual hearing.

» Aug. 26, 20′: Your Content makes a groundbreaking discovery that indicates the presiding judge assigned himself to the Cosby trial.

But we are not done. If the court has proven to be just, it has also reinforced how few voices in American media can be trusted to listen to you.

This exceptional moment serves as a call to action for Your Content. We refuse to fall in line with the out-of-touch media establishment—and we will not accept the ‘official’ version of events as told by news agencies that side with power and ignore the untold stories.

Your Content will continue to deliver the truth, and not the spin of politicians or those who failed you.

As the world of professional story-tellers spend the next several months trying to explain their embarrassment, while the lamestream media is held to the fire, we proudly declare: Your Content is the people’s paper, and the only publication that power fears.

Cosby, 83, has spent the past two years in a prison outside of Philadelphia after a jury convicted him in 2018 of three aggravated indecent assault counts—and the court deemed the elderly inmate a ‘sexually violent predator’ for posing an ‘imminent safety risk to women.’

As Your Content readers know, Judge Steven O’Neill assigned himself the privilege of presiding over the Cosby trial.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

August 30, 2021

Heather Cox Richardson

At 3:29 ET on August 30, 2021—early on the morning of August 31 in Afghanistan—the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan ended. It was the longest war in American history.

Among the last to come home were the 13 Americans killed in an ISIS-K attack last Thursday. They arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware Sunday morning from Germany. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and 8 aides attended the dignified transfer between the plane and a waiting vehicle.

In the last 17 days in Afghanistan, U.S. troops evacuated more than 120,000 people, making up the largest airlift in our history. For comparison, as Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post pointed out, the U.S. evacuated no Americans from the civil war in Yemen in 2015, and only about 167 from Libya in 2011.

While critics have suggested that America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan will hurt American credibility abroad, President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have called for combatting terrorism through financial sanctions, bombing, and drone strikes like the one they used to retaliate against ISIS-K for the attack on the Kabul airport that killed more than 160 Afghans and 13 Americans last Friday, and by strengthening democracy at home.

There is plenty of work to do on that last front.

Last week, Peter Wehner, who served in the Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush administrations, pointed out in The Atlantic that the right wing has moved to such extremism that former president Trump, whose behavior seemed so shocking in 2015 and 2016, is now being sidelined by lawmakers and pundits who are even more extreme.

Yesterday, in an event hosted by the Macon County Republican Party, Representative Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) insisted that the January 6 rioters are “political hostages” and said he wanted to “bust them out.” When someone in the audience asked “When are you going to call us to Washington again?” he said, “We are actively working on that one…. We have a few plans in motion that I can’t make public right now.” He called for removing Biden from office under the 25th Amendment and added, “when Kamala Harris inevitably screws up, we will take them down, one at a time.” He concluded by saying: “The Second Amendment was not written so that we can go hunting or we can shoot sporting clays…. The Second Amendment was written so that we can fight against tyranny.”

Increasingly, right-wing agitators are calling for violent overthrow of the government.

Today in Pennsylvania, Steve Lynch, a candidate for Northampton County executive, said: “Forget going into these school boards with freaking data. You go into these school boards to remove them. I’m going in with 20 strong men and I’m gonna give them an option—they can leave or they can be removed.”

At a protest in Santa Monica yesterday before a vote on a mask mandate, a man held a sign with the names and home addresses of each Los Angeles City Council member and said protesters would go to the homes of anyone who voted for the mandate and, if it passed, “Civil War is coming! Get your guns!”

This sort of street-level violence is known for radicalizing individuals as they get swept up in it and then later embrace the larger political arguments behind it. It also forces more reasonable individuals out of government positions as they conclude that their position on a school board, for example,  is not worth threats against their families and their lives.

Far from trying to tamp down this violence, right-wing leaders are egging it on. Tonight, on the Fox News Channel, personality Tucker Carlson told his audience that no leader had apologized for “these terrible decisions” in Afghanistan. “This can’t go on,” he said. “When leaders refuse to hold themselves accountable, over time, people revolt��. We need to change course immediately… or else the consequences will be awful.”

The images on the screen behind Carlson were of President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, Defense Secretary Austin, and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Milley. Carlson often tries to undermine the current leadership of the military, suggesting that he would welcome its replacement by officers he finds less objectionable.  

Republican offense may be an attempt at defense.

Today, Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chair of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, announced that the committee has demanded that 35 major communications companies preserve their records from April 1, 2020, to January 31, 2021, for people involved in the January 5 and January 6 rallies in Washington, D.C., or “potentially involved with discussions” about stopping the electoral vote count on January 6 or otherwise  “potentially involved with discussions" in planning the January 6 insurrection. According to CNN, the companies affected include cell phone giants Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Sprint. Social media companies covered under the request include Apple, Google, Facebook, Signal, Slack, YouTube, Twitch, and Twitter.

CNN reports that members of the committee have requested preservation of the records of representatives Cawthorn, Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Mo Brooks (R-AL), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Jody Hice (R-GA), and Scott Perry (R-PA). They have also asked the companies to preserve the records of former president Trump; those of his children Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump; and those of his daughter-in-law Lara Trump and Don Jr.’s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, who worked on the campaign.

Those determined to regain control of the country from the Democrats also have to contend with continuing good news from Biden’s policies. A new study from the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University shows that the first child tax credit payment kept 3 million children from falling below the poverty line and that the child poverty rate dropped from 15.8% in June to 11.9% in July. Coronavirus relief measures kept another 3 million children from poverty. Families are using the money to buy food and pay off debt.

The administration is also coordinating aid to the states hit hard by Hurricane Ida, which brought up to 15 inches of rain to parts of Louisiana and knocked out the state’s power grid. The administration deployed more than 3,600 employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, who prepared more than 3.4 million meals, millions of liters of water, more than 35,700 tarps, and roughly 200 generators in the region before the storm hit. They have moved ambulances and search and rescue teams into the area and have opened shelters. The Army Corps of Engineers has mobilized personnel to remove debris and to provide temporary roofing and housing.

The administration is shifting its focus from unilateral military might to multilateral alliances to deal with common problems. Tomorrow, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will leave for Asia, where he will meet with leaders from Japan and then China to bolster international cooperation on climate change before the meeting of the 2021 U.N Climate Change Conference in early November.

—-

​​

Notes:

Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1CENTCOM's Gen. McKenzie: In total, 123,000 civilians were evacuated from Afghanistan over the last 18 days.

869 Retweets3,334 Likes

August 30th 2021

Aaron Fritschner @FritschnerAt Macon County GOP event yesterday, Madison Cawthorn called January 6 rioters “political hostages,” and spoke of trying to “bust them out.” Then- Attendee: “When are you gonna call us to Washington again?" Cawthorn: “We are actively working on that one.”

4,235 Retweets7,587 Likes

August 30th 2021

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/cawthorn-calls-jan-6-defendants-political-hostages-muses-about-trying-to-bust-them-out

Scott MacFarlane @MacFarlaneNewsALERT:  House Select Jan 6th Committee asks 35 major communications companies (including major cell service providers, Twitter, Parler, etc) to preserve records  for "individuals  potentially involved with discussions" in planning Jan 6 Sweeping request (more)

1,408 Retweets3,875 Likes

August 30th 2021

/photo/2

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/08/30/statement-by-president-joe-biden/

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/30/politics/fact-check-biden-dover-afghanistan-kabul/index.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/28/world/asia/kabul-airport-attack-isis-us-strike.html

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/30/politics/january-6-phone-records-members-of-congress/index.html

Ron Filipkowski @RonFilipkowskiAt protest in Santa Monica today before the vote on mask-mandate, Jason Lefkowitz has the home addresses of each LA City Council member on his sign. He says they are going to the homes of whoever votes for it, and if it passes, it’s “civil war, get your guns.” From @chadloder

3,407 Retweets5,941 Likes

August 30th 2021

Andrew Lawrence @ndrew_lawrencethe most watched cable news host in america justifies a coming "revolt" unless we "change course immediately"

261 Retweets957 Likes

August 31st 2021

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/01/american-civilians-yemen-left-behind

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/30/1032615984/house-panel-investigating-the-capitol-attack-orders-35-companies-to-preserve-rec

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/08/30/how-evacuation-americans-is-going/

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/radicalism-post-trump-gop/619891/

https://www.povertycenter.columbia.edu/news-internal/monthly-poverty-july-2021

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/08/30/readout-of-president-bidens-briefing-with-gulf-coast-elected-officials-on-hurricane-ida/

https://www.businessinsider.com/child-tax-credit-expansion-reduce-child-poverty-rate-research-2021-8

https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-ida-louisiana-new-orleans-c43c2c68946ceb6100c2239534c6c290

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[ziezie13]

Merthur Fic Recs

@beedragony​ in celebration of your Merlin rewatch as promised here are some of my favorite Merthur fics!

A Battle of Wills by bravenclawesome

Based off this Tumblr headcanon, in which Arthur and Merlin have been friends for years and are fiercely competitive with each other, to the point where they refuse to give in to being the first one to kiss the other.

Words: 2k, Chapters: 1, Rating: Explicit, Last Update: 05 Jan 2015

Tags: First Kiss, Necking, Neck Kissing, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Surprise Kissing, Tumblr Prompt, Based on a Tumblr Post, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Restraints

Best You Ever Had by orphan_account

Arthur has been with just about every girl in the sixth form. Merlin pines from afar, knowing he doesn't have a chance. Then Merlin gets an invitation, and realises he has a chance after all. Apparently Arthur is bored and wants to try something new. Merlin knows it's meaningless sex, but he might just be okay with that. Even if the butterflies in his stomach say otherwise.

Words: 36k, Chapters: 1, Rating: Explicit, Last Update: 14 Feb 2014

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blow Jobs, Angst, Anal Sex, First Time Bottoming, Drunkenness, Promiscuity, Bottoming from the Top, Alternate Universe - High School, Party, Facebook, Romance

The Student Prince by FayJay

A Modern day Merlin AU set at the University of St Andrews, featuring teetotal kickboxers, secret wizards, magnificent bodyguards of various genders, irate fairies, imprisoned dragons, crumbling gothic architecture, arrogant princes, adorable engineering students, stolen gold, magical doorways, attempted assassination, drunken students, shaving foam fights, embarrassing mornings after, The Hammer Dance, duty, responsibility, friendship and true love...

Words: 145k, Chapters: 35, Rating: Mature, Last Update: 10 Jul 2010

Tags: Modern AU, AU, Slash, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe, Friends to Lovers, Уточнять у автора, Don’t copy to another site, this was written after two seasons of the show, Depiction of Homophobia, depiction of casually homophobic public school boy douchebaggery, because that is how these fuckers roll, depictions of obnoxious rich privileged teenagers being obnoxiously rich and privileged, Magic, Reincarnation, Roommates, student life which in Scotland means drinking your bodyweight in alcohol and making bad life choices

Fools of Us All by adelagia

Merlin accidentally makes everybody in Camelot fall in love with him. Everybody except Arthur, that is.

Words: 11k, Chapters: 1, Rating: Explicit, Last Update: 02 Apr 2013

Tags: Fluff, Future Fic, Humor, Porn

Arthur's Purple Shirt by Bellobelle

Merlin has a favorite shirt of Arthur's.

Words: 2.5k, Chapters: 1, Rating: Teen, Last Update: 05 Mar 2013

Tags: Fluff, Clothes, Sharing Clothes

aeternus (eternal) by bravenclawesome

No one was around to hear him when at long last, the young warlock sank to his knees, shaking all over as wrecked sobs tore themselves out of his throat. No one was around to see him when the greatest sorcerer who ever lived curled into a ball on the shore, moaning long and low, "Arthur… Arthur… Arthur… Arthur, please… please come back to me…"

Words: 7k, Chapters: 1, Rating: Teen, Last Update: 06 May 2014

Tags: Diamond Day, Episode: s05e13 The Diamond of the Day, Feels, Angst, Heavy Angst, Major character death - Freeform, Grief/Mourning, #thediamo

Above and Beyond by lamardeuse

Merlin and Arthur face the morning after.

Words: 1k, Chapters: 1, Rating: Mature, Last Update: 17 Mar 2010

a catalogue of non-definitive acts by schweet_heart

In the morning, Arthur rolls over and kisses Merlin awake.

Written for arthur_pendragon's Merthur Kiss Fest

Words: 500, Chapters: 1, Rating: Explicit, Last Update: 08 Dec 2018

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Era, Established Relationship, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Merlin, Oblivious Arthur Pendragon, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Fluff and Angst, Domestic Fluff, Rough Oral Sex, Sex Magic, Banter, Kissing, Sleepy Kisses, Idiots in Love

Backfire by Signe (oxoniensis)

In which there are giant ears, a curious cat, backfiring spells, a stick figure Arthur, some unfortunate truths and some very welcome ones.

Words: 8k, Chapters: 1, Rating: Explicit, Last Update: 25 Nov 2009

Tags: Humor, Magic, First Time

A Social Experiment by bravenclawesome 

Arthur and Merlin are complete strangers who take part in an experiment where they have to kiss for the first time. Months later, they run into each other again. Based off a YouTube video called "First Kiss" that went viral.

Words: 3.5k, Chapters: 1, Rating: Teen, Last Update: 04 May 2014

Tags: Boys Kissing, Awkwardness, Inspired By Tumblr, Inspired by a YouTube video, Hugs, YouTube, Pining, Pining Arthur, Resolved Romantic Tension, implied Resolved Sexual Tension, First Dates, MORGANA SHIPS MERTHUR, Surprise Kissing, Protective Morgana, Prompt Fill, Prompt Fic, Tumblr Prompt, Canon Compliant, Modern Era, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss

An Age Old Fandom Cliché by Gyllenhaalic01

Here I am again trying to summarise what is basically another painfully fluffy story. It seems to me that as a Merthur fanfic writer, the love potion storyline is some kind of right of passage. So here is my version of the age old fandom cliché, the 'Merlin accidentally gives Arthur a love potion' plotline...

Words: 2k, Chapters: 1, Rating: General Audiences, Last Update: 09 June 2009

Some Say It's a Blessing; Some Say It's a Curse by Anonymous

Arthur gets captured and Merlin releases his wrath.

Words: 2k, Chapters: 1, Rating: Teen, Last Update: 04 December 2010

[dr-vaidyas]

20 Foods That Increase Immunity Naturally

Protect yourself from viruses and illness with these 20 foods that increase your immunity naturally.

1) Whole Grains

Whole grains have anti-inflammatory properties that boost healthy bacteria in the gut, increasing your immunity.

2) Citrus Fruits

Oranges, tangerines, lemons and other citrus fruits are packed with Vitamin C that strengthens your immune system.

3) Bone Broth

A broth made with animal bones (like chicken bones) can help you get over your cold by improving immune system. According to studies, chicken bone broth produces anti-inflammatory effects on the body.

4) Mushrooms

Research suggests that mushrooms are great for boosting immunity. One study found participants who ate mushrooms every day for four weeks to have a greater number of immunity-boosting T-cells.

5) Kefir

Kefir is a fermented drink with healthy bacteria that may boost the immune system. One study showed drinking Kefir regularly helps increase antioxidant activity, reduce inflammation, and combats bacteria.

6) Rosemary

Rosemary is a great herb to brings your cooking to the next level. However, it is also antioxidant-rich. The herb also has anti-inflammatory properties that support a healthy immune system.

7) Almonds

Almonds are packed with healthy fats and vitamins like Vitamin E and C. Eating half-cup of shelled almonds will provide you with 100% of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin E.

8) Poultry

Poultry like chicken and turkey are rich in Vitamin B6. This vitamin is important for helping your body produce healthy red blood cells. Stock from poultry also contain nutrients that boost gut health and immunity.

9) Tomatoes

Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C, which we know is beneficial for your immune system. Vitamin C can also help strengthen the body’s T-cells and Phagocytes, two important parts of the immune system.

10) Water

Staying hydrated is one of the first things you need to do if you are feeling sick. Dehydration can have several effects on the body, one of which is a weakened immune system. Doctors suggest adults drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

11) Blueberries

Blueberries contain a flavonoid called Anthocyanin that has antioxidant properties that can improve your immunity. Studies have shown that those who eat flavonoid-rich foods like Blueberries were less likely to catch a cold.

12) Spinach

Spinach, like many of the immunity-boosting foods on this list, is rich in Vitamin C. In addition to this wonderful vitamin, it also contains antioxidants and beta carotene. These two components help support our immune system’s ability to fight off infections.

13) Ginseng Tea

Ginseng tea is gaining popularity in India because of its many proven health benefits. Drinking this tea can help treat the common cold while also strengthening your immune system. This tea is also said to be very calming as it contains anxiety-reducing properties.

14) Elderberries

Elderberries, like many other berries, are rich in antioxidants that protect the body from oxidative stress. According to some studies, Elderberry extract can help block several flu viruses. That said, it has yet to be proven that Elderberries is a cure for COVID-19.

15) Red Bell Peppers

Did you know that Red bell peppers have three times the Vitamin C of Oranges if measured by weight? So, don’t discount this healthy and tasty veggie as an immunity-boosting food. It also contains Beta carotene that helps produce Vitamin A while supporting your body’s immunity.

16) Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is a tasty way to boost your immunity. It contains Theobromine, an antioxidant that protects your body from free radical damage. That said, eat dark chocolate in moderation because it’s got plenty of calories and saturated fat.

17) Anise Tea

Anise tea is not a commonly found tea. But if you get some anise from Arunachal Pradesh, you can enjoy its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral benefits. Along with these benefits, you also have access to antioxidants that support your immunity when drinking Anise tea.

18) Wild Salmon

Salmon is filled with Zinc that is proven to reduce common cold symptoms. It is also essential for immune cell maturation and its proper functions. According to one study, children who ate a zinc-rich diet experienced fewer colds during winter. Zinc was shown to be effective at reducing the severity and duration of the cold symptoms if taken within the first 24 hours of the cold.

19) Sunflower Seeds

Eating sunflower seeds makes for a nutritious snack that provides you with Magnesium, Phosphorous, and Vitamin E and B6. As mentioned earlier, Vitamin E helps boost and maintain your immune system. Selenium in sunflower seeds may also help combat viral infections like swine flu (H1N1).

20) Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranates are a sweet-tasting fruit that has been used for centuries to promote better health. Ancient Egyptians even used the fruit to help treat infections. These days, experts claim that Pomegranate juice can help your body combat bacteria and viruses like the flu.

Speed Up Your Immunity-Boosting Naturally:

Eating a diet rich in immunity-boosting foods will strengthen your immune system naturally. However, this will be a gradual process and won’t happen overnight.

To speed up this process, you can take the aid of Ayurvedic Immunity Booster supplements. These are made with natural ingredients and formulated to increase your immunity naturally and without side effects. Most of the major brands have an immunity booster, even Dr. Vaidya’s New Age Ayurveda with their Imunoherb Capsules.

References:

·       McFarlin, Brian K., et al. “Reduced Inflammatory and Muscle Damage Biomarkers Following Oral Supplementation with Bioavailable Curcumin.” BBA Clinical, vol. 5, Feb. 2016, pp. 72–78. PubMed Central, doi:10.1016/j.bbacli.2016.02.003.

·       https://fwdlabs.com/studio/web, FWD:labs-. “Explore IM.” Explore Integrative Medicine, https://exploreim.ucla.edu/wellness/an-inside-scoop-on-the-science-behind-chicken-soup-and-the-common-cold/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2021.

·       Mashhadi, Nafiseh Shokri, et al. “Anti-Oxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ginger in Health and Physical Activity: Review of Current Evidence.” International Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 4, no. Suppl 1, Apr. 2013, pp. S36–42.

·       “Mushrooms Boost Immunity, Suggests Research.” ScienceDaily, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150416112826.htm. Accessed 18 Feb. 2021.

·       Shojaii, Asie, and Mehri Abdollahi Fard. “Review of Pharmacological Properties and Chemical Constituents of Pimpinella Anisum.” ISRN Pharmaceutics, vol. 2012, July 2012. PubMed Central, doi:10.5402/2012/510795.

·       Eteraf-Oskouei, Tahereh, and Moslem Najafi. “Traditional and Modern Uses of Natural Honey in Human Diseases: A Review.” Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences, vol. 16, no. 6, June 2013, pp. 731–42.

·       “New Study Supports Chicken Soup As A Cold Remedy.” ScienceDaily, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/10/001018075252.htm. Accessed 18 Feb. 2021.

·       Rubió, Laura, et al. “Recent Advances in Biologically Active Compounds in Herbs and Spices: A Review of the Most Effective Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Active Principles.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, vol. 53, no. 9, Jan. 2013, pp. 943–53. Taylor and Francis+NEJM, doi:10.1080/10408398.2011.574802.

·       Vanegas, Sally M., et al. “Substituting Whole Grains for Refined Grains in a 6-Wk Randomized Trial Has a Modest Effect on Gut Microbiota and Immune and Inflammatory Markers of Healthy Adults.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 105, no. 3, Mar. 2017, pp. 635–50. PubMed, doi:10.3945/ajcn.116.146928.

·       Publishing, Harvard Health. “Can Vitamin C Prevent a Cold?” Harvard Health, https://www.health.harvard.edu/cold-and-flu/can-vitamin-c-prevent-a-cold. Accessed 18 Feb. 2021.

·       Martínez-Pinilla, Eva, et al. “The Relevance of Theobromine for the Beneficial Effects of Cocoa Consumption.” Frontiers in Pharmacology, vol. 6, Feb. 2015. PubMed Central, doi:10.3389/fphar.2015.00030.

·       Rao, Goutham, and Kate Rowland. “Zinc for the Common Cold—Not If, but When.” The Journal of Family Practice, vol. 60, no. 11, Nov. 2011, pp. 669–71.

·       Ströhle, Alexander, and Andreas Hahn. “[Vitamin C and immune function].” Medizinische Monatsschrift Fur Pharmazeuten, vol. 32, no. 2, Feb. 2009, pp. 49–54; quiz 55–56.

·       Allan, G. Michael, and Bruce Arroll. “Prevention and Treatment of the Common Cold: Making Sense of the Evidence.” CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 186, no. 3, Feb. 2014, pp. 190–99. PubMed Central, doi:10.1503/cmaj.121442.

·       Somerville, Vaughan S., et al. “Effect of Flavonoids on Upper Respiratory Tract Infections and Immune Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), vol. 7, no. 3, May 2016, pp. 488–97. PubMed, doi:10.3945/an.115.010538.

·       “Cold Remedies: What Works, What Doesn’t.” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/in-depth/cold-remedies/art-20046403. Accessed 18 Feb. 2021.

·       Douglas, R. M., et al. “Vitamin C for Preventing and Treating the Common Cold.” The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, no. 4, Oct. 2004, p. CD000980. PubMed, doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub2.

Jagetia, Ganesh Chandra, and Bharat B. Aggarwal. “‘Spicing up’ of the Immune System by Curcumin.” Journal of Clinical Immunology, vol. 27, no. 1, Jan. 2007, pp. 19–35. PubMed, doi:10.1007/s10875-006-9066-7.

[hauntedpeachjellyfish]

Safe Torrent Downloader

Our BitTorrent Web and Classic products for Windows are available in one location to help you quickly find the version that suits you. Download today. Apr 17, 2020. BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer communications protocol for efficiently sending any type of file, large or small, over the Internet. Safe torrenting software, such as such as BitTorrent Classic, are needed to send or receive files using the protocol.

uTorrent is the most popular torrent client in the world by a large margin, but is uTorrent safe? This guide will teach you how to use uTorrent as safely as possible, and how to get the most from your uTorrent experience.

Cached

You’ll learn:

What safety issues does uTorrent have?

The safest versions of uTorrent to use (and which ones contain malware)

How to block ads in uTorrent

How to protect your identity when downloading torrents with uTorrent

We recommend you also read:

How to use uTorrent anonymously (Learn to hide your uTorrent IP address and encrypt your torrents)

uTorrent proxy setup instructions (use a SOCKS proxy for more anonymous downloads)

QUESTIONS ABOUT UTORRENT’S SAFETY

uTorrent made news across the internet in 2015 when it was reported that they were bundling bitcoin mining software that would auto-install along with uTorrent and secretly use host machines to mine for bitcoins without the users’ knowledge.

It turns out that this issue wasn’t widespread, and uTorrent removed the malware from future releases, but it did raise questions about how far the company is willing to go in order to generate revenue. Currently, the bulk of their revenue comes from low-cost advertising and the small percentage of users who choose to upgrade to utorrent pro for $19.95/year.

In 2014, google’s chrome browser also flagged uTorrent software as malware though it came up clean on virus scanners. This issue was temporary as well and likely had nothing to do with the actual risk of installing the software.

Adware and ransomeware bundled with other torrent clients, has demonstrated the risk of installing torrent software, even from reputable sources. In March 2016, an update of Transmission torrent client (distributed from the company’s own servers) was infected with ransomeware which would hold users’ systems hostage by encrypting the harddisk and demanding a ransom payment in bitcoins.

SO IS IT SAFE TO USE UTORRENT?

The short answer is yes, but it’s complicated.

Currently, uTorrent’s software is considered safe and free of dangerous malware. The primary risk of using uTorrent comes not from the software itself, but the risk of downloading dangerous or infected torrents from unknown sources. No torrent client can protect you if you choose to download unsafe files which may contain rootkits, malware, or trojans. Read our safe torrent guide for our top prevention/safety tips.

It’s also a good idea to always your identity when downloading torrents, and to encrypt your traffic so you can’t be blocked or throttled by your internet provider. We wrote our‘ultimate guide to anonymous utorrent’ to show you exactly how to hide your identity while torrenting.

Safest versions of uTorrent

There is great debate over the best version of uTorrent released over the years. Some versions are more stable then others (and have less privacy leaking features). Over time, uTorrent has become much more bloated (with extra features) and less lightweight then it was in the early days.

Among hardcore veterans, uTorrent version 2.2.1 is still the favorite (and considered the last version not bundled with adware). You can still find download links to this old utorrent version (though always software from unknown sources before installing. This reddit thread has several links to download this OG version.

Save Torrent Downloader

​You can also find previous versions of uTorrent on ​oldversion.com

USING UTORRENT ANONYMOUSLY

We always recommend taking steps to hide and anonymize your torrent downloads. By using a VPN (best option) and/or a proxy service, you can make your torrent downloads virtually impossible to monitor or trace.

Here are some step-by-step guides to help you use utorrent safely:

How to use uTorrent Anonymously (VPN + Proxy setup instructions)

You will also likely find this youtube video helpful. It includes step by step instructions showing you how to use a VPN or Proxy with uTorrent, and how to check your torrent IP address to verify your setup is working and your IP is hidden.

10 Best Free Torrent Clients For Downloading Torrents (2020)

HOW TO REMOVE ADS FROM UTORRENT

Advertisements in uTorrent can be rather annoying. Fortunately, you can choose to disable them by tweaking a few advanced settings in the uTorrent preferences menu.

Ubergizmo has the complete guide on how to disable ads in uTorrent.

Safe Torrent Downloader

Best of all, this isn’t some hack method. It’s actually a built in option buried deep in the uTorrent’s menu. It works great, and you can have an ad-free uTorrent experience in just a few minutes.

FINAL THOUGHTS

uTorrent is still the torrent client of choice for over 100 million users worldwide. The software itself remains relatively safe, though if you want a true ad-free and adware-less torrent experience, you should consider trying one of the open-source torrent clients like Deluge or Qbittorrent, both of which are extremely functional and popular.

The biggest risk with uTorrent (and with any torrent software) is what you download, and where you download it from. The safest practice is to never download installable files or software such as .EXE or .BAT files, which could contain dangerous software, keyloggers, spyware, etc. You should also have a high-quality antivirus, and use it frequently. Read our Safe Torrent Guide for a full list of good safety practices.

Be well, torrent safely and always use strong protection.

Ryan McCarthy

Safe Utorrent Download Windows 10

Ryan is the editor and head reviewer. He's been a tech geek and digital privacy enthusiast since the Y2k freakout in '99. When not writing BitTorrent tutorials, he can usually be found sipping a lager or playing pickup football (the real kind).