#The Geneva Convention

[trashgremlendoesart]

In the span of about 10 minutes, the Geneva convention has been violated FOUR TIMES

*IN DND

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/a-curmudgeon-in-the-family-of-man/

A Curmudgeon In The Family Of Man

I was grateful to my neighbor for helping me with a technical problem.  He’s the resident guru on computers at the retirement center and far too modest about himself. Aware that I might need his advice in the future, I asked if he’d care to adopt me despite my advanced age.  A smile parted his lips as his gaze dropped to the carpet. “We’re all family here,” he said. I walked away thinking he’d uttered a beautiful notion, though I tend to reject sentiments that are warm and fuzzy.  I’m old enough to know that the history of “the “family of man” is dysfunctional. Since Caine slew Able we’ve worked to perfect the art of violence. Murder isn’t the kind of glue to hold society together, so we attempt to contain it by inventing rules. Murder on a grand scale we call war.  The rules on those occasions are those of The Geneva Convention. The smaller stuff we leave to religion, laws, politics, and the whims of tyranny. But, like the potter who leaves his fingerprints upon newly shaped clay, because we are flawed creatures, the systems we create can be weaponized and used to threaten others. Justice, after all, is the gloved fist of vengeance. Bill Clinton, our 42nd President, sees philanthropy as a better way to promote social cohesion. Philanthropy can help bust through political and cultural gridlock by showing what can be done. He has many true believers, so many that at his last conference on philanthropy, a thousand do-gooders had to be turned away.   Enthusiasm on this scale is heartwarming, but I’m a curmudgeon. I’ve never been keen to turn the world over to philanthropists.  Who are they, after all, but people otherwise known as oligarchs? Nick Caraway in The Great Gatsby told us about them. They are people who don’t think like the rest of us. I doubt any butcher, baker, cowboy, or tailor would choose to live in a Martian colony under Elan Musk’s rules. I place my faith in “we the people.” Democracy’s collective mind is where we are most likely to find common ground. Alexei Navalny, Vladamir Putin’s murdered opponent, was a man of the people. Having survived attempts to assassinate him, he warned his followers their fate didn’t depend upon his survival but upon their will. If it happens, if they decide to kill me, it means we are incredibly strong.  We need to use that power. (“A  Hero of Our Time,” by Mariam Elder, Vanity Fair, April 2024, pg. 34.) His words may seem like a whistle against the dark, but the Ukrainian people are a living example of that courage. Their David and Goliath story can set this curmudgeon’s heart to racing. Even so, dreams can become fodder for blind ambition.      Our Republican House has placed a chokehold on future aid to that country, reversing their past support.  They did it to placate their revenge candidate, Donald Trump, in the upcoming presidential election.  Trump holds a grudge against Ukraine and is happy to curry the favor of their invader, Vladimir Putin.  If elected, our former president promises to leave Ukraine to the Russians. The predatory world in which we live is Nature’s doing, but humans have wasted no time in making a hell out of the heaven they inherited.  Some attempt to escape the violence by turning to drugs or alcohol. Others rely on religion, mysticism, or conspiracy theories for the dopamine high that makes them happy. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and augmented virtual reality could provide other avenues of escape. Their illusions might help us create worlds so satisfying, that many won’t return to planet Earth. For proof of that possibility, observe how people are mesmerized by their smartphones. We humans aren’t algorithms, however. Wherever we go, we drag our dark side behind us like a beloved toy.  That’s a drawback to consider as we cheer the coming of augmented reality. Despite the challenges ahead, like Navalny, I have hope because….well, what else is there?  Fraternity, equality, and liberty are pretty good ideas. To obtain them all we have to do is curb our tribal nature, though some have argued it doesn’t exist. Whether Instinctive or learned, history confirms that group-think seems natural to us.  We desire to be among people who look like us and share our values.  That passion for conformity rivals our growing need to respect diversity and sometimes makes democracy seem like a fool’s dream.    Given my doubts about the future of mankind, I left the caring gentleman at the retirement center with one request.  “please don’t include me as a member of the community.  I prefer to be the resident alley cat.”

[tinfoilhattime]

Hehehehe, guy who I've been chatting with for about a week and a half unmatched with me after I didn't immediately reciprocate his clumsy and aggressive flirting. A few days in he even told me I needed to flirt with him more to know I'm interested. If you're gonna rush me into empty affection my interest plummets.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

we need more divorcebaiting. how strongly can canon imply (without technically outright stating) that these two characters are bitterly, acrimoniously divorced? essential we explore this

[whydidisavethistomyphone]

[luciluck2046]

Gerg is such a silly guy

:3

He is such a mood :3

[paintedcrows]

Unintended consequence of creating my own Bill... He watches me draw now...

The Horrible Triangle in question:

[diino8081]

guys i just realised i think chris breaks the geneva convention

incredibox express oc

chris "status" calibun

i made it on roblox first then drew it on ibispaint

full roblox img + lore below the cut

chris, or "status" as he's known by most, is a medic who is able to detect and predict injuries from very far away. he does this using his rabbit ears whenever they pick up a sound. the sound gets transferred into a signal through it's brain and visor and he follows it to his next patient.

it's really powerful except he still needs to travel the distance. this is where the express train comes in.

on the train he'd just try to keep to himself to be honest. incredibly difficult to do given he's on the same train carriage as locke who's being odd and deranged

i think if it had a sound it'd be some kind of radar or synth. an effect or melody for sure.

his first name was random but his second name comes from caliber and bunny. "status" comes from it's medic role and how it would be asked of it's patients' recovery status. in lore he heard word that people had started calling him such and he decided it was catchy so embraced it.

i think it's pronouns are he/it. he is a few hundred years old but the equivalent to around 29 in human years. he'd be asexual and not really care much about gender. people perceived it as a guy so he was like yeah sure why not. panromantic but he's not interested in anything currently.

yeah that's about it i think

here's the roblox guy

[icaruspendragon]

the biggest threat to national security the government has ever seen.

[mysharona1987]

[s1ndle]

Moon Cosmic Power, Make Up!!

[sayruq]

[CONT] genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza, according to documents seen by the HuffPost US.

[dapper-lil-arts]

Had this joke in my head ever since i designed this AJ anthro lmao (reference to a parks n rec bit)

[colorful-horses]

nurse

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

Wacky relationship dynamics that I love:

Edit to add:

Alchemy of Souls, Doom at Your Service, Extraordinary You, Moon in the Day, Marry My Husband, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Oh My Ghost, W: Two Worlds, Lovely Runner, The Judge from Hell, When the Phone Rings