#aca-sonia

[aca-sonia]

[shunin-gumis]

L4mps Main Story Translation

Designs of Happiness A01

Title: ep.1 Well-being by myself

Characters: Nagi

Summary: One night, an interesting radio show could be heard at the Flower Laundry...

JP Proofreading: aca @463ce6 on twt EN Proofreading: jes @arcanecrayonn on twt

No matter how hard I try, a worthless person like me could never trace after the path to "happiness" that everyone else gets to experience.

As the gentle loneliness of the night envelops me, I drift between fleeting moments of happiness, barely holding on to see the next day.

-It was one of those days.

Location - Flower Laundry

Voice from the Radio: Coming to you live from HAMA Studio no.3-

Arisa: It's Arisa and~

Teresa: Teresa's~

Arisa and Teresa: Intelli-radio: Aristotle~*

Nagi: Sonia, could you turn up the volume?

Sonia: Okay~

Teresa: The rain sure isn't letting up huh?

Arisa: True~ It's quiet but it's perfect for getting some me-time in, whether it's to study or get some reading done.

Arisa: As we were talking about before the commercial break, forgive us if we go on too long on the mechanisms of achieving Happiness, just blame it on this lovely night we're having~

Sonia: ...

Sonia: Nagi-shan, you've been working on your bike all this time, but you made sure to eat dinner, yesh?

Nagi: Eh? ... Ah.

Nagi: Now that you mention it, I might be really hungry right now.

Sonia: Geez~

Sonia: You're still in the middle of work, so I'll get you shumthing you can eat with one hand.

Nagi: Thank you, Sonia. If you weren't around, I'm sure I would've ended up a mummy by now.

Nagi: "A mummy was discovered in the middle of the city!" Could Flower Laundry possibly be the next new hot spot...

Sonia: Don't say shumthing so ominous. It's exactly to prevent unfortunate people like you from ending up in such sad situations that helper robots like me were created.

Sonia: Pleash wash your hands and wait there.

Nagi: When did it get so late...

Nagi: I should get the bike back in the garage for now...

Arisa: While countries and corporations were competing between themselves for economic growth, the end result was that most of our environment was destroyed, and resources dried up in the blink of an eye.

Arisa: Did humanity manage to achieve true prosperity after this? Was it worth the cost? The answer is a resounding "No". Although the country's GDP* has increased four, or even five-fold, the happiness-index has flatlined for the past 100 years or so.

Teresa: Wait, really? A 100 years ago, people couldn't even have their clothes dry automatically, right? They also had to wash the dishes by hand... No way, that reminds me, they even had to vacuum the dust off the floor themselves or something right..?

Arisa: I think they'd still be using brooms about a 100 years ago?

Teresa: No way~ That's way too retro for me! I can't imagine life without all the smart appliances we have now. I mean, a world with no food-printers? Yikes.

Sonia: Here you go, "fresh" off the food-printer...

Nagi: Right on time.

Sonia: On time?

Nagi: I was just talking to myself. Thanks for the meal.

Arisa: Okay, I get how much you love your smart appliances, but do all these materialistic things truly fill your heart? Does it really let you sleep better at night?

Teresa: Hmm, you do have a point. The more convenient things get, the more it feels like the world is telling me to be time and cost-efficient, but before I even realize it, I'm already doom-scrolling on dazzle*...

Arisa: "More convenience! More income!" Such concepts are shoved in our faces constantly... How about trying to remove ourselves from this endless equation? There's quite a few factions amongst the younger generation who never expected much from society nor themselves...

Teresa: Sorry, that's just not for me. Chasing after your dreams, working towards your goals: those are the things that make life worth living. Growing as you compete with others is part of it too. And then when you finally get your hands on the things you've always wanted with your own effort... It doesn't get better than that.

Arisa: That's right. That's why people have come up with a strategy guide-

Arisa: The era of learning the Psychology of Happiness is upon us!

Teresa: The Psychology of Happiness?

Nagi: What's that?

Sonia: Oh! There's a response on the shop's PeChat*, hm...

Sonia: Nagi-shan, we just got an order. The customer will be coming by in ten minutes to pick it up.

Sonia: They're requesting a bouquet that can cheer up their girlfriend who's feeling down about making a mistake at work.

Nagi: ―

Sonia: Nagi-shaaan.

Nagi: Ah, sorry. Can you ask them what her favorite color is?

Sonia: I already did. Apparently, she likes the color blue!

Nagi: Blue... Blue, huh.

Nagi: I think we can use the nemophila we just got in earlier today. Add in some large calla lilies and sky-blue baby's breath...

Nagi: Maybe some delphiniums and blue stars could work as accents...

Sonia: And what about the ribbon?

Arisa: To explain, the Psychology of Happiness is the study that aims to help anyone, of all ages and gender, understand how to engineer and replicate the mechanism of happiness in their own lives.

Nagi: Replicate... happiness?

Sonia: Nagi-shaan, are you listening?

Nagi: I'm listening. Could you bring out the thin, light blue ribbon from the back?

Sonia: Got it. I'll leave the card here too.

Nagi: Okay, thank-

Teresa: Wait, some people find it easier to be happy because it's hereditary!?

Nagi: What!?

Sonia: Huh!?

Sonia: Geez, don't scare me like that. What's got you sho worked up?

Arisa: That's right. 48% is already determined by our DNA.

Nagi: .....

Sonia: Nagi-shan?

Arisa: Just like how some people might find a dish spicier than others, some can experience happiness easier than their peers as well. This is a hereditary factor, determined by our genes from the moment we're born.

Teresa: No way! So what you're telling me is that half of the happiness we can experience in life was already decided while we were in our mothers' womb!?

Nagi: ......

Sonia: Are you okay now? The customer will be dropping by soon.

Nagi: ...! Right, I need to get this done quickly...

Sonia: I'll go ahead and cut the flower stems under water.*

Nagi: Thank you. Could you also get the blue gift-wrapping paper-

Sonia: I've already spread it out for you!

Customer: Um... I'd put in an order just earlier.

Nagi: ...Ah.

Nagi: Sorry, could you please wait for just a moment? There's just the finishing touches left.

Teresa: So, what about the remaining 52%? Don't tell me it's influenced by the environment we were born and raised in.

Arisa: Not at all, the influence from your environment makes up only about 10% of it. As for the remaining 42%...

Teresa: ... Is it based on our actions?

Arisa: Correct! This means that, out of 100% achievable happiness level, about 42% of it is within our control.

Nagi: Wow. I've never thought about it that way.

Customer: Huh?

Nagi: No, if I think about it, is that really possible?

Arisa: Just as how the right diet is different for each person, once you figure out the method, anyone can achieve happiness. How it comes to bear fruit for you, is up to you yourself.

Nagi: If half of it is determined by fate, and the other half is uncertain... Could it really be that simple? Then maybe it's also possible for me to.... No, it's probably just a waste of time in my case. I shouldn't get my hopes up. Just thinking about it is making me depressed.

Customer: Erm... Are you alright? You've been muttering to yourself for some time now...

Nagi: Ah... Sorry about that. Don't mind me.

Customer: Right...

Nagi: Thank you for waiting. This is the completed bouquet. Is it to your liking?

Customer: Wow...! It's beautiful... It's just how I'd imagined it, I'm sure my girlfriend will be happy with it.

Nagi: I'm glad to hear that- Ah.

Nagi: That's right, I almost forgot... Excuse me, would you mind handing the bouquet back to me? There's one last thing I need to do.

Nagi: Mu....

Customer: Mu?

Nagi: Mu.....nn!

Customer: Um, what exactly are you doing...?

Nagi: I've instilled some energy* into it. In other words...

Nagi: It's something like a good luck charm. When your girlfriend receives this bouquet, she'll be so happy that she'd be skipping along the pavement.

Customer: To the point of skipping...

Nagi: Oh but, even without my little charm, I'm sure she would be plenty happy just knowing she has someone who would get her a bouquet when she's feeling down.

Nagi: In any case, I hope the two of you can skip along merrily.

Customer: I-I see... Thank you...

Nagi: Thank you for your patronage.

Sonia: Thank you very mush!

Teresa: Whaat, is it time for us to go already? Too bad, I really wanted to talk some more~

Sonia: Phew... I'm glad we finished it in time.

Nagi: Yeah, it's all thanks to your help Sonia.

Sonia: It's a piece of cake!

Arisa: Arisa and Teresa, your guides for psychology, signing out!

Nagi: Anyways, good job. Let's do our usual thing.

Arisa: Let's meet again when the fountain of knowledge wells up again!

Sonia: A high-five right? 3, 2, 1..!

Arisa and Teresa: See you again!

Play Ivory MV

Notes:

Sonia has a bit of a lisp so I changed a few words to match her speech

Intelli in Intelli-radio is short for Intelligentsia

dazzle is a social media site in the 18trip universe

PeChat is a messaging app in 18trip universe

GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product.

Cutting flower stems under water prevents air bubbles from going up the stem and helps in keeping the cut flowers fresh for longer.

'Muuun’ is the sound he makes when he’s instilling his happiness energy/thoughts(念) into the flowers, literally.

Flower Language:

Flower Language is important to Nagi's character and a way for him to communicate his thoughts, so I'll always note it down whenever any are mentioned.

Nemophila Lovely, Wish for success, I forgive you, Clear heart

Calla Lily Gorgeous beauty, Purity, Gracefulness of a young maiden

Blue Baby's breath Gratitude, Luck, Innocence, Kindness

Delphinium You spread happiness, Clear and bright, Generous, Precious

Bluestars (Amsonia) Trust in one another, Abundant love

Fun fact: The flower passed around in Ivory is a Delphinium! Meaning Nagi spreads happiness, which is what he does by sharing his happiness 'energy' but also that he brings joy to those around him by simply being himself.

[frothlad]

If we define a right-left axis where -10 is agreement with the right-wing christofascists, and 10 is agreement with the left-wing anti-imperial communists, then this is my assessment of the justices on the Supreme Court:

Samuel "Not Scalia" Alito: -9.5. In full agreement with right-wing media and their talking point du jour; never met a fundamentalist/evangelical Christian cause he didn't sign on to, happy to draw a line around a favored class while denying it to others outside the group. Ready to blow up precedent he doesn't agree with, but doesn't write in advance of that to lay the groundwork. Not a -10 only because he isn't actually Alex Jones.

Clarence "SO UNIQUE YOU GUYS" Thomas: -9. Long out on his own limb, he's been joined by others and is less unique. Has a specific and extremely retrogressive view of originalism, which shockingly happens to align with Republican Party policy goals. Consistently and regularly designates precedents he'd like to blow up.

Neil "Not Merrick Garland" Gorsuch: -8. While a core member of the precedent-destroying anarchy wing, with the concurrences to prove it, actually has a few principles and sticks to them in their narrow domain, moving him away from the right-hand pole at least a point. Nonetheless, a faithful vote for Republican Party policy priorities.

Brett "Beer Me" Kavanaugh: -7. Relatively the dumbest among his colleagues, and either insecure about it, or unearned-white-man-confident about it (which are indistinguishable), he can be led. Where he is usually led is where the Republican Party wants him to be; he is a doctrinaire Republican. Does not appear to have much independent thought, which is why he only targets precedent when everyone else is.

In the swing position, Chief Justice John "Umpire" Roberts: -5. Roberts' position lurched hard right by at least two points this term, as he abandoned his previous institutionalist perspective of being the guardian of the Court's integrity. Formerly a classical conservative in favor of conservative policies that minimize change. Impossible to reconcile the Roberts who upheld the ACA with the Roberts who immunized President Trump; maybe he's had a health scare and is thinking about retirement?

Amy "Ofmitch" Coney Barrett: -4. Professorial -- with all the arrogance and intelligence that implies -- Barrett has deeply held intellectual convictions that are clearly conservative, religious, and business-oriented. Her depth of knowledge of precedent means that she has little patience with the anarchic justices who'd give it no deference at all, but that doesn't stop her from joining in overturning precedents that have long been targets of conservative vitriol.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: 2. KBJ has been surprising this term, taking a stance against the Apprendi line of cases and siding with the Feds in a drug mule case, which drags her score a couple of points to the right. She has been separately vocal about deferring to Congress in a number of cases where the Court has been arrogating power to itself, which is bless-her-heart delightful. Otherwise, a reliable and strong voice for left-wing principles.

[Elena]*"The Explainer" Kagan: 4. Wildly intelligent and a teacher at heart, Kagan is a doctrinaire government Democrat; she'd be further left but for a distinctive tendency to favor the government. In no position to overturn precedent, she'd nonetheless be reluctant to do so, preferring to work within the system than to overturn it.

Sonia "The Best Justice" Sotomayor: 6.5 and moving left. The thing that characterizes the Court's left wing is that none of them are all that left. This is because of the relative position of the parties: Whereas Republicans readily embrace their right wing policies, Democrats prefer centrism and rarely accept true left-wing politicians into power (AOC is about an 8.5, for example). Anyway, Sotomayor is keenly aware of the power the Court can wield to bring justice to the weak, and is ever more pissed off that the Court is using its power to do exactly the opposite. She wouldn't overturn Youngstown; she's no socialist. But she would keep a wall between the government and religion, between government and free expression. That that makes her left-wing is something of a tragedy.

*Edited to correct name; the late SF author Janet Kagan is not a Supreme Court justice.

[bm2ab]

Arrivals & Departures 04 August 1961 Barack Hussein Obama II

Barack Hussein Obama II (/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/ (listen) bə-RAHK hoo-SAYN oh-BAH-mə) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the United States. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. After graduating from Columbia University in 1983, he worked as a community organizer in Chicago. In 1988, he enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. After graduating, he became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Turning to elective politics, he represented the 13th district in the Illinois Senate from 1997 until 2004, when he ran for the U.S. Senate. Obama received national attention in 2004 with his March Senate primary win, his well-received July Democratic National Convention keynote address, and his landslide November election to the Senate. In 2008, a year after beginning his campaign, and after a close primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, he was nominated by the Democratic Party for president. Obama was elected over Republican nominee John McCain in the general election and was inaugurated alongside his running mate, Joe Biden, on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, he was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Obama signed many landmark bills into law during his first two years in office. The main reforms include: the Affordable Care Act (ACA or "Obamacare"), although without a public health insurance option; the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; and the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 served as economic stimuli amidst the Great Recession. After a lengthy debate over the national debt limit, he signed the Budget Control and the American Taxpayer Relief Acts. In foreign policy, he increased U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, reduced nuclear weapons with the United States–Russia New START treaty, and ended military involvement in the Iraq War. He ordered military involvement in Libya for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1973, contributing to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. He also ordered the military operation that resulted in the killing of Osama bin Laden.

After winning re-election by defeating Republican opponent Mitt Romney, Obama was sworn in for a second term in 2013. During this term, he promoted inclusion for LGBT Americans. His administration filed briefs that urged the Supreme Court to strike down same-sex marriage bans as unconstitutional (United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges); same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide in 2015 after the Court ruled so in Obergefell. He advocated for gun control in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, indicating support for a ban on assault weapons, and issued wide-ranging executive actions concerning global warming and immigration. In foreign policy, he ordered successful military interventions in Iraq and Syria in response to gains made by ISIL after the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq, promoted discussions that led to the 2015 Paris Agreement on global climate change, continued the process of ending U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan in 2016, initiated sanctions against Russia following the invasion in Ukraine and again after interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, brokered the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran, and normalized U.S. relations with Cuba. Obama nominated three justices to the Supreme Court: Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were confirmed as justices, while Merrick Garland faced partisan obstruction from the Republican-majority Senate led by Mitch McConnell, which never held hearings or a vote on the nomination. Obama left office in January 2017 and continues to reside in Washington, D.C.

During Obama's terms as President, the United States' reputation abroad, as well as the American economy, significantly improved. Obama's presidency has generally been regarded favorably, and evaluations of his presidency among historians, political scientists, and the general public frequently place him among the upper tier of American presidents.

[gh0stly-shu]

Buenooo vi q alguien le pregu esto a otra persona entonces yo quiero jsjsjsj so cuáles son tus diseño de personaje fav de cada juego?

💋 anon :p

uuuuuu alta pregunta bro

A ver del primer juego para mi el mejor diseño es Mondo Owada. Nose bien como desarollar el porque pero tipo me encanta como le hicieron los detalles de la campera o saco que usa, del pelo, LA MOTO amigo alta C90 se clavo a- bueno nose LO AMO y lo simpeo.

Del segundo juego tenemos a

Gundham Tanaka

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu

Kazuichi Soda

Ibuki Mioda

Bueno aca a ver, el diseño Gundham lo AMO porque todo el coso de ser el Overlord of Ice y de sus poderes aaa- LO DEL ARITO JAJDJS me puse re mal cuando lo perdio yo estaba tipo para rey ya te ayudo para que nose como entrar al juego :'<<<. También lo de las vendas que usa por su piel venenosa y todo eso. Pero bueno en si en general me gusto mucho como lo hicieron<3

Con Fuyuhiko BUENO preparate te voy a escribir un ensayo de 300 paginas de porque es un gran diseño y porque es uno de mis best boys a. Amo el hecho de que lo hayan hecho así tipo "baby" y que tenga que lidiar con el "peso" (si se quiere decir así) de ser el Ultimate Yakuza y que se tenga que bancar los chistes de "-jaja este nene es de la yakuza?" y todo eso. Además si miras los diseños anteriores lo habían hecho aprox como Nekomaru, y estaba bueno el diseño, pero me alegro que lo hayan hecho así como quedo porque si lo hacían como el que se parecía al de Nekomaru iba a ser como muy estereotipado? nose me gusta más el resultado final.

Kazuichi, más alla del diseño, me gusta su personalidad (sacando cuando se pone SIMP por sonia 😡). Pero bueno en cuanto al diseño me gusta que el detalle de la trenza de su pelo largo y el gorrito, LOS ✨DIENTES✨ QUE TIENE DIOOOS FLACO y bueno su overol también lo amamos<3

I-BUKI MIO-DA! IBUKI MIODA!!! bueno MI REINA. A ella la verdad la empecé a kinear hace poco, pero siempre reconocí que su diseño es excelente, refleja mucho su personalidad Y OJO amo tanto el diseño que estoy haciendo un cosplay de ella ✨✨✨ (me faltan algunas cosas pero va querien2)

De V3 mis diseños favs son:

Miu Iruma

Tenko Chabashira

Kirumi Tojo

Kokichi Oma

Aca en si en general cada diseño es atractivo pero por ejemplo en el caso de Tenko hasta que ella no dijo su ultimate no entendía bien que era, pero igual amo como es. Después si también en general son atractivos pero yo pienso que (más que nada en sdr2) hubo mejores diseños que hacían destacar a los personajes. A ver no me mal interpretes, amo muchisimos los diseños de v3 pero siento que por ahí no los hace destacar tanto como en otros casos. Puedo decir igual que en el caso de Kirumi ella si se hace destacar.

bueno CREO que eso es mtodo, gracias por la pregunta 💋 anon tkm<3

-Mod Fuyuhiko

[buffleheadcabin]

‘‘At some point, common sense, [it] seems to me, would say, 'Huh?'’’

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, responding today to the Texas Solicitor General’s arguments against the ACA

[teefa85]

Second Section of this little scavenger hunt.  Same rules...I can use a picture from any show or game, as long as I can identify them, even if I haven’t seen it personally.  Since it’s a hunt more than a “I want a pic of this chara”

Character Situations

Main Character The main character of any show or game.  If there are two characters counted as the lead, you can use either of them! FOUND...Sword and Shield Male and Female protagonists with Lillie

Main Antagonist Now, as Anime sometimes shift who the Main Antagonist is (due to subordinates taking over after a main villain dies, or even just new antagonists every arc) and games do this from time to time too, as long as the person spends some time as the major threat in the heroes’ eyes, it will count. FOUND...Shigaraki with Himiko (Hero Aca)

Two Cosplayers as a Canon Couple Now, I know “canon” can sometimes be debatable when it comes to a series.  Therefore, we’re only going for 100% verified couples who get together by the ending, between a show/game and a sequel series, or they’ve been stated to be romantically involved by the creators themselves.  So for characters who appear to be canon but don’t officially get together (such as Ark and Ivy from CIMA...I know you don’t know who they are but that means nobody is going to complain about me using them as an example), they wouldn’t count. FOUND...Alm and Celica (Fire Emblem Echoes)

Two Cosplayers as a Non-Canon Couple This is for any couple that 100% DOESN’T get together (usually because one or more of them are involved with someone else, or the show/game isn’t romantic in nature).  Again, that means you can’t use people (like, again, Ark and Ivy) who seem to be canon but aren’t 100% confirmed, as they exist in a gray zone between canon and non-canon.  However, if the character is from a Harem that doesn’t answer who the MC canonically got with, any of the characters would be fair game (unless one is heavily implied to be the canonical love interest, but then you could use any of the other characters).  You should probably try to choose a pair that is clearly playing them as a couple.  However, if you can’t find any, feel free to choose any pic of two people you ship together, or possibly just make finding a duo acting romantic as bonus points.  But...nothing with any extra characters in it (unless you’re playing it off as an OT3, OT4, etc.). FOUND...Ophilia and Therion (Octopath Traveler).  Hey!  I’m in one of these!  The non-canon couples were pretty dry this year and this is my favorite ship for her.  Even if we didn’t take the pic as a shipping pic.

Cosplaying Family Sometimes, the parents who cosplay will do a family cosplay with their kids.  This must contain at least one adult and one child or teenager, and they must be in costumes from the same game or show!  Not a family where one parent went as Kagome, one child went as Deku, and the second child went as a Pokemon Trainer. FOUND...Robin, Tharja, and Morgan (Fire Emblem Awakening)

Guy With a Giant Weapon It can be wide.  It can be tall.  It can even be both!  As long as the damn thing is nearly as large or larger than you (or at least as large as your convention rules will allow) it can work! FOUND...Breath of the Wild Link with a Lynel Sword (Legend of Zelda)

Character With Lots of Weapons He doesn’t have to naturally carry them all on him in the game/show.  Or even be a dude!  But as long as you see someone running around with at least 3 weapons, you can use it! FOUND...a Cloud getting weapons ready for a fake duel (FF7)

Superhero I don’t care if it’s an American Comic Book hero, a Magical Girl, or a Japanese take on the American Super Hero!  If the character can be classified as a Super Hero, you can use them! FOUND...Tsu (Hero Aca)

Magic User Tomes, Staves, Scrolls.  Healing or Destruction.  Human or Non-Human!  If the character’s power is over mystical forces, they fit! FOUND...Flonne, Fallen Angel Version (Disgaea)

Deity Character They can be a god or goddess who shaped and created the world.  Someone with limitless power.  Or even along the lines of “nigh immortal and doesn’t consider themselves divine but is considered a god.”  Just as long as they’re seen as divine by someone within the universe.  Demon or Youkai Gods do count if that’s all you can find. FOUND...A Konosuba Group, so that means Aqua was there (Konosuba)

Dragon Character They can be in a full dragon suit, use body paint, look human but have some draconic features such as wings or a tail.  Or even just be fully transformed into their human form.  If the game or show classifies them as a Dragon, they work! FOUND...a hilarious pic of Corrin and Azura doing Jojo Poses due to a botched FEH summoning ritual (Fire Emblem Fates)

Demon Character Good Demons or Evil Demons, it doesn’t matter.  I’d even count Youkai in this mix if you manage to find someone from a series that focuses on it (there are usually a few Touhou characters running around).   Just as long as their series of origin classifies them as a Demon in some way. FOUND...Rin, actually in full Demon Mode (Blue Exorcist)

A “How Do They Battle Evil in This?” outfit Sometimes...games and anime make no sense!  Too skimpy!  Dress too long!  Complete fashion disaster where their only victories should be due to making the enemy laugh so hard!  It all can count as long as you or other people ask this question about them. FOUND...Judith (Tales of Vesperia) although she was also with Flynn who definitely does not count on this!

Pokémon Trainer They can be an actual character in the games or anime, a representation of one of the Trainer Classes in the games, or even just someone wearing normal clothes but running around with Pokeballs and at least one plushie!  Although, you can choose to only go for actual characters or classes, or make getting one of them a bonus point. FOUND...Red with a Pikachu and Charmander

Any Pokémon Design Reinterpreted as Clothing Seriously!  I’ve seen some creative things, such as the Hoenn Weather Trio being reinterpreted as a Kimono (Kyogre), a Samurai (Groudon), and a Ninja (Rayquaza).  People who cosplay actual Pokemon usually do an amazing job at capturing their chosen ‘mon in human outfits. FOUND...Schoolgirl Scorbunny

Animal Companion Any animal that might assist the heroes, regardless of whether or not they are the game or show’s mascot.  Even if that character is only around for minimal time, if they appeared and helped out, they count! FOUND...Rubble, Sky, Marshall, Chase (Paw Patrol...no, really, they even helped cheer up a crying baby at one point)

Mascot Character The opposite of above!  It’s a mascot, regardless of whether said mascot is an animal, a mechanical lifeform, or even a mecha!  As long as it’s very synonymous with the series of origin, it works! FOUND...Detective Pikachu (Pokemon)

Fursuit Whether they’re portraying an actual animal character or their own furry avatar, it doesn’t really matter.  As long as they’re in a full on fursuit that you have to hand it to them for wearing even in the summer! FOUND...Susie (Delta Rune)

Group of Bishonen Doesn’t all have to be from the same series.  As long as a group of friends are portraying a bunch of hot guys, it fits.  Also, they don’t have to be the only people in the group, like if you got lucky and managed to find the entirety of a Reverse Harem’s cast which included the female lead they were all going crazy over.  As long as most of the people are playing guys, it’s cool. FOUND...Fire Emblem Lord Group (that also had Lucina and Celica)

Character From a Game That’s Not Out Yet As long as you took the picture before the game is out, it’s fine.  Even if said game is going to be coming out within a few days! FOUND...Kris and Ralsei (Delta Rune), though if you don’t think it counts due to Toby Fox’s vagueness on when the game will come out, I also did find Sonia from Pokemon Sword and Shield (because this fandom works crazy fast...there was also a Milo and two Wooloo running around but I didn’t get pics).

Jesus! No, really!  I’ve seen people cosplaying Jesus at many a convention! FOUND...I found him!

ACQUIRED POINTS...21

[patriotsnet]

How Many Republicans Voted For Aca

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/how-many-republicans-voted-for-aca/

How Many Republicans Voted For Aca

Why Is The Aca Misunderstood

House Republicans Pass Bill To Repeal And Replace ACA

Oftentimes, how Obamacare is discussed and framed has led to misunderstanding of the ACA.

The legislation is a series of provisions, opening up a marketplace of different tiered plans from which citizens can choose. Its not a health insurance plan in and of itself, the way some anti-ACA-leaning media outlets tend to depict it.

When asked why there tends to be so much confusion over what exactly Obamacare is, John McDonough, DrPH, MPA, a professor of public health practice in the Department of Health Policy & Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of executive and continuing professional education, said its because American healthcare is confusing to begin with.

Ask Americans to explain Medicare and or Medicaid, and you will observe at least as much befuddlement as with the ACA. Our U.S. healthcare system is the most complicated and impenetrable to understand and make sense of on the planet, McDonough told Healthline.

He should know. McDonough was there at the beginning.

He worked on the development and passage of the ACA in the role of a senior advisor on national health reform to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

In the early days around 2010, when people would complain to me that they didnt understand the ACA, I would ask them politely how well they understand the U.S. health system in general, he said.

Affordable Health Care For America Act

This article is part of a serieson

e

The Affordable Health Care for America Act was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives of the 111th United States Congress on October 29, 2009. The bill was sponsored by Representative Charles Rangel. At the encouragement of the Obama administration, the 111th Congress devoted much of its time to enacting reform of the United States’ health care system. Known as the “House bill, HR 3962 was the House of Representatives’ chief legislative proposal during the health reform debate.

On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed an alternative health care bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act . In 2010, the House abandoned its reform bill in favor of amending the Senate bill ” rel=”nofollow”>reconciliation process) in the form of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

Obamacare Survives After Supreme Court Rejects Latest Republican Challenge

The Supreme Court ruled against Texas and other Republican-led states seeking to strike down the Affordable Care Act in its latest test before the nation’s highest court.

The top court voted 7-2 to reverse an appeals court ruling that had struck down the law’s individual mandate provision.

Two of former President Donald Trump’s court picks, Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, joined the majority in rejecting the Republican effort.

President Joe Biden praised the ruling as a major victory and vowed to expand Obamacare.

The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 on Thursday against Texas and other Republican-led states seeking to strike down Obamacare in the law’s latest test before the nation’s highest court.

The court reversed an appeals court ruling that had struck down the law’s individual mandate provision. Chief Justice John Roberts and fellow conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett joined Justice Stephen Breyer’s opinion, as did Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

Breyer said Texas and the other states that challenged the law failed to show they were harmed by it.

“Neither the individual nor the state plaintiffs have shown that the injury they will suffer or have suffered is ‘fairly traceable’ to the ‘allegedly unlawful conduct’ of which they complain,” Breyer wrote.

Biden also vowed to expand Obamacare, a central promise of his presidential campaign.

The Supreme Court agreed in March 2020 to hear the case.

“What a day,” he added.

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Rep Christopher H Smith Of New Jersey

Smith is the only remaining Republican representing New Jersey, after Democrats flipped four seats in the Garden State in the midterms. Smith voted against the GOP health care plan in 2017. He also broke with his party on the tax overhaul, along with other lawmakers from high-tax states. Smith is not a DCCC target and is running for re-election in a district Trump carried by 15 points in 2016. Inside Elections rates his race Solid Republican.

Fact Check: How Many Gop Senators Voted To Repeal Obamacare

By Sara Reynolds

The United States Senate voted three times in July to repeal all or part of the Affordable Care Act]. All of the measures failed. Commenting on the apparent change of position among Republicans who voted against repeal on July 26, Senator Ben Sasse claimed, With just one exception, every member of the Republican majority already either voted for repeal or explicitly campaigned on repeal.

Is Sasse correct? Did every current Republican senator, except one, previously vote for or campaign on repeal of the Affordable Care Act?

Yes. With the exception of Sen. Susan Collins , all 49 current Republican senators who were in office in 2015 voted that year to repeal elements of the ACA . Seven Republican senators who were in office in 2015, including Collins, voted against a similar bill on July 26, 2017.

Senators John Neely Kennedy and Todd Young , both elected in 2016, campaigned to repeal the ACA. Sen. Luther Strange , appointed in 2017 and currently running in a special election, has also campaigned on repeal. All three senators voted to repeal the ACA on July 26.

Recommended Reading: Who Is Right Republicans Or Democrats

Rep Denver Riggleman Of Virginia

The Virginia freshman, a member of the hard-line Freedom Caucus, explained his vote partly as one to protect pre-existing conditions, which he said hit close to home for me and I campaigned on continuing healthcare coverage for those affected.

The healthcare system is broken and Obamacare is a major part of the problem, but we should proceed with caution as we try and fix it. This resolution certainly doesnt help solve the problem, but hopefully will allow us to have a productive discussion on healthcare, he said in an emailed statement.

Trump carried Rigglemans 5th District seat;by 11 points in 2016. Riggleman defeated Democrat Leslie Cockburn by 7 points last fall in a race that got some national attention. Democrats are not targeting him in 2020. Inside Elections rates his race Solid Republican.

Russia Sanctions Headed To Trump’s Desk Will He Sign

Some GOP senators worried the measure would go back to the House, where leaders would put it on the floor, pass it and send it to Trump who has said he would sign whatever lands on his desk when it comes to Republican-passed health care legislation.

Before the vote, at 10:43 p.m. ET, Trump was rooting them on in a tweet: “Go Republican Senators. Go!”

Afterward, it was a different story, with the president tweeting at 2:25 a.m. ET that those who voted no had “let the American people down.”

It’s somewhat ironic that McCain was the one to derail what seemed like a sure Trump victory . After all, Trump’s comments about the former prisoner of war were among the earliest to land the then-candidate in controversy.

“He’s not a war hero,” Trump said in 2015 of McCain. “He was a war hero, because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured. He’s been losing so long he doesn’t know how to win anymore.”

That was likely never lost on McCain.

Read Also: When Did The Parties Switch Platforms

Democrats Sought To Put Gop Colleagues On Record With Symbolic Vote

Democratic congressional campaigns have already made health care an early focus of their 2020 messaging, and House Democrats bolstered that effort Wednesday with a symbolic vote that sought to once again put Republicans on record on the issue.

Eight Republicans sided with Democrats on the nonbinding resolution, which the House adopted, 240-186.;The measure condemned;the Trump administrations support for invalidating the 2010 health care law in its entirety.;The Department of Justice, in a new filing last week, backed a Texas judges decision to strike down the law.;

Three Republicans; New Yorks;Tom Reed and John Katko and Pennsylvanias Brian Fitzpatrick had voted in January to authorize the House general counsel to intervene in the lawsuit to defend the health care law. All three also voted for the resolution Wednesday.

One Democrat 15-term Minnesota Rep. Collin C. Peterson bucked his party and voted against the resolution. Hes one of the last Democrats remaining in the House who opposed the 2010 health care law and is likely the last Democrat who can hold his heavily agricultural 7th District seat.

Democrats were otherwise united in supporting the resolution, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched positive Facebook ads touting their vulnerable members votes to protect families with pre-existing conditions.

Also watch:;What if we switch to a single-payer health care system?

What The Aca Means For You

The 139 Republicans Who Voted Against Certifying The Election Have Faced No Consequences

The Affordable Care Act is perhaps the greatest overhaul ofthe US health-care system, and it will provide coverage for over 94% ofAmericans. In addition, one of its key reforms includes health coverage for adultswith pre-existing conditions, which generally had not been available up untilnow.

These great changes in health-care insurance can benefit you and your loved ones. However, it is still essential to find the best plans at the best price to ensure your family is properly covered.

To learn about the specific Obamacare-compliant health insurance plan options available to youplus see if you are eligible for a government subsidy to help pay for a plancompare ACA-compliant health insurance plans with eHealth today.

Also Check: Senate Dem Vs Rep

Schumer: ‘we Can Work Together Our Country Demands It’

Until the end, passage on the Health Care Freedom Act, also dubbed the skinny repeal, was never certain. Even Republicans who voted for it disliked the bill.

The skinny bill as policy is a disaster. The skinny bill as a replacement for Obamacare is a fraud. The skinny bill is a vehicle to getting conference to find a replacement, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said at a Thursday evening news conference hours before the vote alongside fellow Republicans McCain, Ron Johnson and Bill Cassidy, before the details were released.

The skinny repeal was far from Republicans campaign promise of also rolling back Medicaid expansion, insurance subsidies, Obamacare taxes, and insurance regulations.

Many Republicans who did vote for it said they were holding their nose to vote for it just to advance the process into negotiations with the House of Representatives.

The legislation included a repeal of the individual mandate to purchase insurance, a repeal of the employer mandate to provide insurance, a one-year defunding of Planned Parenthood, a provision giving states more flexibility to opt out of insurance regulations, and a three-year repeal of the medical device tax. It also would have increased the amount that people can contribute to Health Savings Accounts.

Leigh Ann Caldwell is an NBC News correspondent.

Watch Sen John Mccain Cast ‘no’ Vote On ‘skinny’ Repeal

It isn’t clear what comes next, but the collapse of some insurance markets around the country serve as an incentive for Republicans and Democrats to hold hearings and fix the problems with health care.

Most Republicans never embraced the different iterations of legislation they crafted, nor the process by which it was constructed. Even on the last-ditch effort at a bare-bones bill, Republicans couldnt reach agreement. Over the past two days, many rejected a plan that would have partially repealed and replaced Obamacare and a measure that would have just repealed it. The repeal vote was the same bill that passed the Senate and the House in 2015 when former President Barack Obama vetoed it.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, stood against every version of the legislation even in the face of immense pressure. The Trump administration threatened to withhold federal resources from Alaska because of her opposition, according to the Alaska Daily News. Murkowski herself said the next day in response to the report that she would not characterize it as a “threat.”

“I sat there with Senator McCain. I think both of us recognize that its very hard to disappoint your colleagues,” Murkowski told NBC News after the vote. “And I know that there is disappointment because it was the three votes that Senator McCain, Senator Collins, and I cast that did not allow this bill to move forward. And that is difficult.”

“John McCain is a hero and has courage and does the right thing,” Schumer said.

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When Did Obamacare Start

The timeline of key events leading up to the passage of the Obamacare law began in 2009. Here is a list of those events, along with key provisions that went into place after the law was enacted.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and a group of Democrats from the House of Representatives reveal their plan for overhauling the health-care system. Its called H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

;Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, a leading supporter of health-care reform, dies and puts the Senate Democrats 60-seat supermajority required to pass a piece of legislation at risk.

;Democrat Paul Kirk is appointed interim senator from Massachusetts, which temporarily restores the Democrats filibuster-proof 60th vote.

;In the House of Representatives, 219 Democrats and one Republican vote for the Affordable Health Care for America Act, and 39 Democrats and 176 Republicans vote against it.

In the Senate, 60 Democrats vote for the Senates version of the bill, called Americas Healthy Future Act, whose lead author is senator Max Baucus of California. Thirty-nine Republicans vote against the bill, and one Republican senator, Jim Bunning, does not vote.

Actions To Hinder Implementation

Under both ACA and the AHCA, CBO reported that the health exchange marketplaces would remain stable. However, Republican politicians took a variety of steps to undermine it, creating uncertainty that adversely impacted enrollment and insurer participation while increasing premiums. Concern of the exchanges became another argument for reforms. Past and ongoing Republican attempts to weaken the law have included:

Don’t Miss: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans

Rep Pete Stauber Of Minnesota

The freshman flipped a longtime Democratic seat;in northeast Minnesota that Trump had carried by 16 points in 2016. Its a largely white, working-class district, where Trumps populist appeal resonated. The former Duluth police officer ran a campaign ad last year about his son Issac, who has Down syndrome, and he talked about the importance of insurance companies covering pre-existing conditions. Democrats are not targeting this seat in 2020. Inside Elections rates the race Likely Republican.

Why Supporters Pushed For The Bill

The PPACA addresses the needs of the 46 million uninsured Americans;

strengthens the Medicare system by closing the donut hole in prescription coverage, and cutting waste and fraud while guaranteeing preventive care without co-pays;

provides health insurance to low-income children;

funds cutting-edge research into cures for diseases;

gives patients the clout to challenge the decisions of health insurers and;

increases access to care by making it impossible for insurers to shun the sick.

In the past, insurers either refused to cover patients suffering from pre-existing conditions, or charged them unaffordable premiums. As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi noted shortly before the legislation passed: “If you’re a woman that’s a pre-existing condition; if you’re a woman of child-bearing age and you’ve had children that’s a pre-existing condition. If you can’t have children, it’s a pre-existing condition. If you have a C-section, it’s a pre-existing condition. A victim of domestic abuse, it’s a preexisting condition.”

Under the PPACA, Americans would no longer have to worry about being denied insurance. Pelosi urged her audience to “Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer, a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance. Or that people could start a business and be entrepreneurial and take risks, but not be job-locked because a child has a child has asthma or diabetes or someone in the family is bipolar “

Read Also: Is Trump A Republican Or Democratic

The House Votes To Repeal Obamacare

Republicans overcame an embarrassing early failure to pass their replacement for the Affordable Care Act with few votes to spare. Now, they await the political fallout.

For House Republicans, the burden of an unfulfilled campaign promise had simply become too much to bear alone.

And so on Thursday, after an embarrassing early failure and weeks of fits and starts, a narrow GOP majority passed legislation to partially repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act that even many of its supporters conceded was deeply flawed. The party-line vote was 217-213, with 20 Republicans voting against. The bill now goes to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain at best.

The American Health Care Act scraps the Obamacare mandates that people buy health insurance and that employers provide it, eliminates most of its tax increases, cuts nearly $900 billion from Medicaid while curtailing the programs expansion, and allows states to seek a waiver exempting them from the current laws crucial prohibition against insurers charging higher premiums to people with pre-existing conditions. Conservatives complained that the bill did not fully repeal the 2010 law, while moderates blanched at its cuts to Medicaid and its weakening of its most popular consumer protections.

Attempts To Change Or Repeal

Schumer slams GOP senators in vote to protect ACA

Read Ballotpedia’s fact check »

The Affordable Care Act was subject to a number of lawsuits challenging some of its provisions, such as the individual mandate and the requirement to cover contraception. Four of these lawsuits were heard by the United States Supreme Court, resulting in changes to the law and how it was enforced. In addition, since the law’s enactment, lawmakers in Congress have introduced and considered legislation to modify or repeal parts or all of the Affordable Care Act. Finally, between 2010 and 2012, voters in eight states considered ballot measures related to the law. This section summarizes the lawsuits, legislation, and state ballot measures that attempted to change, repeal, or impact enforcement of parts of the law.

Also Check: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans

[aca-sonia]

[shunin-gumis]

Designs of Happiness - Track A14

L4mps Main Story Translation

Title: Imposed Blessings

Characters: Nagi

Summary: Nagi is working alone at his shop after abruptly leaving the Friday Film viewing. The protagonist chases after him, and he finally explains his unique predisposition.

Thank you aca @463ce6, jes @arcanecrayonn myun @/myuntachis and Niri for helping me with proofing!

Also a gentle request from me, please do listen to the chapter in-game alongside the translation if you don't do so already, the voice acting is very precious 🥺🥺

Location: Flower Laundry

Sonia: Nagi-shan, here ish all the flowers you can use! 

Nagi: …Oh no. This isn’t nearly enough.

Sonia: You came back all of a sudden from HAMA House, sho you have no right to complain! 

Nagi: Sorry. Please get whatever’s left in the storehouse too.

Sonia: Aye aye, Shir! Geez, I’ll bring back as much as I can!

*bell jingles*

Customer A: ‘Scuse me! Sorry for popping in last minute—

Nagi: Oh, that’s alright. What can I do for you?

Customer A: Just a quick question– Does the laundromat here accept IzuPay? 

Nagi: IzuPay… Ah, we don’t use that here yet. There were plans to add it as an option but it was delayed… Sorry about that.

Customer B: Darn… out of luck, huh. I guess it makes sense, not everyone would bother getting the ward’s special payment method.

Nagi: Other digital payment options are still available, and we accept cash too.

Customer A: Huh? Can’t believe there’s a laundromat that still takes cash… 

Customer A: I thought they’d all be gone with the ‘Valley of the Sky’ or somethin’. POTHARU! and all that. 

Customer B: Hey, don’t be rude… He’s standing right there, and that scene is long since over. Um, sorry about that. 

Nagi: …It’s fine. 

Nagi: (Right. I guess the film viewing would be over by now, too.)

Nagi: (...Why did I have to think about that now?)

Nagi: (I wouldn’t have lasted much longer in that situation… Just thinking about it gives me chills. I’m sorry I didn’t stick with Toi till the end, but I had no choice, I had to leave for everyone’s sake—)

Sonia: I’ve prepared the flowers for you!

Nagi: Thanks. —Let’s go, we need to leave right now.

??: Um, excuse me… 

Nagi: Oh, yes, welcome—

Momiji: Good evening… again.

Nagi: …… 

Momiji: Do you mind if we talk for a bit, Nagi-kun?

Momiji: …… 

Momiji: (I can’t believe he ran out of HAMA House during the viewing… I guess he must’ve hated it that much, huh…)

Momiji: (Maybe I was being too naive in thinking that he’d open up with enough time…) 

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: (I can’t believe she noticed I’d left… I might have messed this up worse than I’d thought. She must be annoyed with me…)

Nagi: (No, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, maybe she’s just here to check up on me. I clearly suck at communicating with others, so that might have gotten her worried…)

Nagi: (Still, it doesn’t change the fact that I troubled the Chief… I’m worth less than a plant louse that preys on flowers. I mean, even plant lice are useful to ants, yet I’m…)

Nagi: (No one would want a Ward Mayor that’s worth less than a louse.)

Nagi: (I wanted to take responsibility and see this job through to the end, but…)

Momiji: …You see, Yodaka-san just informed me earlier. 

Nagi: Yes?

Momiji: That you haven’t slept at HAMA House even once, Nagi-kun.

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: (So he knew. He’s too sharp to slip past, huh.)

Momiji: …… 

Momiji: (Ah… He’s tensed up.)

Momiji: (I wonder if I should’ve approached it more delicately…)

Momiji: (I’d readily help him if he’d just let me know what he’s having trouble with, or if there’s something he’d like changed… But what if he says that he never wanted to be a Ward Mayor in the first place? Hrm… What should I say…)

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: (She looks really troubled… I feel guilty that she’s worried over someone like me.)

Nagi: (I should just explain everything, even if it makes me uneasy. I know it’s the right thing to do, but… If I really just blurt everything out, she’d probably think I’m some kind of weirdo.)

Nagi: (But if I keep quiet any longer, she might feel hurt instead. What should I do…)

Nagi: (...The cyclamen at the storefront just caught my eye… In flower language, they mean “resignation” and “words of parting”...)

Nagi: (And next to it are the anemone, meaning “abandonment,” and the calendula, “sorrow of parting.”)

Nagi: (I see… I get it now.)

Momiji: Um… 

Nagi: (I should… brace myself.) 

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: …If I don’t hand out flowers, it rebounds. 

Momiji: Huh?

Nagi: The other side of the Yajirobe*. 

Momiji: Uh?

Nagi: This is just a theory of mine.

Momiji: O-Okay… 

Nagi: I believe that, just like with human emotions, if a person experiences great fortune or misfortune, then they will eventually have to return to a neutral state.

Momiji: Uh huh...?

Nagi: In my case, the rebound is especially strong. If I experience any fortune, then misfortune is sure to follow soon after. 

Nagi: That’s what happened when I got caught in that bee trap before; I’m sure it’s because I’d won a set of tissue boxes the day before, at a raffle in the shopping district.

Nagi: This is my theory on the phenomenon I call “The Yajirobe of Fortune and Misfortune.”

Momiji: I-I see... It’s like when people say bad luck doesn’t last forever, or how something good is bound to follow after something bad… Is it like that?

Nagi: …Are you a genius? I feel embarrassed for making up a whole theory now. I’ll just use your explanation next time.

Momiji: No, no, I understood what you were trying to say with your Yajirobe theory.

Nagi: …To avoid having the Yajirobe go crazy, I need to avoid any situation that might make me happy, intentionally or not. 

Nagi: Even a single slice of cake is too much for me. That sort of kindness… is too much happiness for me to bear. 

Momiji: (So he’s saying the cake made him so happy that he had to avoid accepting it, and even ran out of the dorm just so he could avoid inviting misfortune…)

Nagi: But sometimes, no matter how careful I am, the happiness just piles up anyways.

Nagi: That’s when I bring these out.

Momiji: Flowers…?

Nagi: My special ability– Flower Power: Imposed Blessings*.

Momiji: …Um?

Nagi: By imbuing flowers with the energy from my accumulated happiness, I can impose the excess onto others. There's no limit to how many flowers can be handed out. The only debuff I have to suffer is embarrassment.

Momiji: (Oh…)

Momiji: (Is that why he was handing out flowers in the middle of the street the first time I met him…?)

Momiji: (Honestly, I’m not sure how much of this I’m supposed to believe… But at the very least, I can tell Nagi-kun is being serious about this.)

Momiji: I…see. So if you give away your flowers—

Nagi: The misfortune’s rebound gets weaker. 

Momiji: –The misfortune’s rebound gets weaker…… Right. 

Nagi: (As expected, she looks really confused.)

Momiji: Um, let’s see if I got this right– You felt that joining HAMA Tours, and living at HAMA House would—

Nagi: Accumulate a debt of happiness.

Momiji: Which is why you left.

Nagi: Yes. Something like–

Nagi: Something like working together, and living alongside others, just like a ‘family’... There’s no way to predict the amount of happiness I’d receive from just being there.

Momiji: (The amount of happiness…)

Nagi: Being surrounded by happiness like that… Holding hands, and shouting POTHARU together with everyone—

Nagi: It wouldn’t surprise me if an earthquake hit right after, and HAMA House ended up as a pile of rubble…! 

Momiji: …… 

Nagi: (She looks stunned. I guess that’s expected.)

Nagi: (It was just impossible for someone like me, who’s always avoided other people, to suddenly work with others and live alongside them.)

Nagi: (She probably thinks I’m a weirdo. It’s not something you can wrap your head around. It’s a natural reaction.)

Nagi: (I’ll just get myself fired right here and now, so I can return to my old lifestyle. A life with no big waves, just the mundane everyday.)

Momiji: I understand your situation now.

Nagi: …… 

Momiji: Can I have all your flowers, then? 

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: —Huh?

Momiji: You just have to reduce that, um, debt of happiness, by giving away your flowers, right?

Momiji: But it’s probably difficult for you to find people to give flowers to on a daily basis, huh?

Nagi: …Is that… where this conversation is supposed to go?

Momiji: I think so?

Momiji: Then um, maybe your costs increase because you have to give out more flowers?

Nagi: No, that’s not really a problem. I can get a good discount if I buy it in bulk, so… 

Momiji: I see. Then, it’s just a problem of who you can give your flowers to. Accosting strangers to give them flowers is probably taxing for you, and confusing for the other person too.

Momiji: But, since I know what’s going on, I can take as many flowers as you want to give away.

Nagi: I… I guess that makes sense. 

Nagi: Wouldn’t it be a bother to you…?

Momiji: Of course not. You can never have too many flowers! I mean, flowers give a feeling of a fresh beginning, you know? They’re always nice to have.

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: Here.

Momiji: Oh! A flower! Thank you very much. You popped that out like some kinda magician!

Nagi: …Flowers have always been a part of my life, before I’d even realized it. That’s why, it’s always there, right beside me, where I can reach for it whenever I want.

Momiji: Still, what a large flower! What’s it called?

Nagi: Peony.

Momiji: Aw, it’s so pretty! And it smells so good too!

Nagi: —......

Nagi: Next, this one.

Momiji: It has such a unique shape… What’s its name? 

Nagi: Serruria.

Momiji: It’s so peculiar and cute! I wonder what I should decorate with it… 

Nagi: Here.

Momiji: This is a crazy amount! It’s starting to look like a huge bouquet at this point!

Nagi: Here.

Momiji: Oh dear, the colors are clashing…!

Nagi: Here.

Momiji: I can’t see in front of me anymore…! *giggles* But—

Momiji: Thank you, Nagi-kun!

Nagi: I should be the one saying that.

Nagi: Thank you for taking on my happiness, Chief. 

Notes:

Yajirobe is a term used for Japanese balancing toys. The mechanism involves balancing the main body at a fulcrum and making sure it doesn’t tilt too far in either direction before it’s balanced again, swinging back like a pendulum.

The name of Nagi’s ‘special ability’ literally translates to “imposing happiness/good fortune onto others through giving away flowers” which is super long hence why it got changed. He’s the type to make up silly names anyways.

Flower Language:

Peony Bashfulness, Shyness

Serruria Yearning, Beautiful heart

[newyorkprelawland-blog]

The Supreme Court & Sexual Health: Opting Out Of Birth Control

By Emily Ehrlich, Syracuse University College of Law Class of 2022

July 15, 2020

On Wednesday, July 8, 2020, the Supreme Court took a further step in determining whether employers must provide their female employees with health insurance that offers birth control.[1]The Court, in a 7-2 decision authored by Justice Thomas, determined that the federal government had the power under the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), to create religious and moral exemptions for employers from providing healthcare that included contraceptive coverage.[2]This landmark case, Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania (“Little Sisters”), found that the Trump administration had also complied with the Administrative Procedure Act (“ACA”) when promulgating the “moral” exemption to healthcare coverage.[3]

The ACA was enacted into law by the Obama administration in March of 2010, with three primary goals of (1) making affordable health insurance more widely available, (2) expanding Medicaid to those living in poverty, and (3) lowering the cost of health care generally.[4]Under the ACA, employers were required to provide health insurance to female employees that covered preventative health care, which included contraception.[5]However,under the ACA, a nonprofit religious employer who objected to providing contraceptive services, could file for an exemption, and thereby avoid providing contraceptives to employees.[6]

Prior to Little Sisters, the Supreme Court had addressed the ACA in terms of religious exemptions to coverage. In 2014, the Court decided in Burnwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., that under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (“RFRA”), the exemption to nonprofit religious employers could be expanded.[7] In Burnwell, the Court held that “closely-held for-profit corporations” (here, Hobby Lobby) were exempt “if they had sincere religious objections to... [providing] contraceptive coverage.”[8] Thus, after 2014, both nonprofit and for-profit entities had a way of circumventing contraceptive requirements under the ACA.[9]

Later in 2014, the Supreme Court took up another challenge to the requirement that employers provide health care insurance that included preventative care for women.[10] In Wheaton College v. Burwell, the Court held that it was unnecessary for an entity seeking exemption from providing coverage, to file an accommodation form.[11]Instead, the court determined in Wheaton College, that a notification to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), sufficed in place of filing for an entity to receive the exemption. [12]

Then, in 2017, the Court took up another challenge to ACA rule in Zubik v. Burwell.[13] In Zubik, it was asserted that the submission of notice for exemption “substantially burden[ed] the exercise of... religion,” and thus violated RFRA.[14] However, the Court never answered the question, instead remanding it to a lower court, to determine how to proceed in a way that allowed full healthcare coverage while respecting religious exercise.[15]

Later in 2017, the HHS, under the Trump Administration, widely expanded the eligibility of entities wishing to be exempt from the requirement that health insurance cover contraceptive services.[16]“[T]hese new rules, which the agencies promulgated without issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking or soliciting public comment, expanded the scope of the religious exemption and added a ‘moral’ exemption.”[17]

This expansion was challenged by both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, who alleged that the new rules violated the Constitution, federal anti-discrimination law, and the APA.[18] The suit filed was first brought to a district court, which issued a nationwide injunction preventing the new rules from taking effect.[19]The district court sided with the states when issuing the injunction, because it found that the states likely had a viable APA claim, given the lack of notice or public comment when the HHS made the new rules.[20] After being decided favorably for the states, the case was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which affirmed the ruling of the district court.[21]

Appealing again, the case was consolidated with Trump v. Pennsylvania, which “present[ed] the same legal question.”[22] This case was Little Sisters, which answered the question of whether “the federal government lawfully exempt[ed] religious objectors from the regulatory requirement to provide health plans that include contraceptive coverage.”[23] The Court reversed the injunction issued by the lower court when it held that the HHS “had the statutory authority to craft... [the expanded religious] exemption, as well as the contemporaneously issued moral exemption.” Further, the Court found that the HHS, even without notification or public comment, had “promulgat[ed]... [the expanded religious and moral] exemptions [without] procedural defects.”

However, both Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Sonia Sotomayor, disagreed with the majority of the Court.[24]Justice Ginsburg (joined by Justice Sotomayor), wrote “[D]estructive of the Women’s Health Amendment, this Court leaves women workers to fend for themselves, to seek contraceptive coverage from sources other than their employer’s insurer, and, absent another available source of funding, to pay for contraceptive services out of their own pockets.”[25] Justice Ginsburg penned that the majority decision “endorse[d] ‘the regulatory equivalent of taxing non-adherents to support the faithful’.”[26]

Further, Justice Ginsburg observed that the Majority decision was problematic because it “leaves women two options, neither satisfactory.”[27] The first option is that “women seek contraceptive care from existing government-funded programs.... [which] are not designed to handle an influx of tens of thousands of previously insured women.”[28]The second option left is that women pay “for contraceptive counseling and devices out of their own pockets....[N]otably, however, ‘the most effective contraception is also the most expensive.”[29] As Justice Ginsburg noted, these options will create difficulties for “70,500... [to] 126,400 women of childbearing age... [and] the numbers may be even higher.”[30]

________________________________________________________________

[1]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[2]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[3]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[4]"Affordable Care Act". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[5]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[6]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[7]"Burwell v. Hobby Lobby". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[8]"Burwell v. Hobby Lobby". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[9]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[10]"Wheaton College v. Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[11]"Wheaton College v. Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[12]"Wheaton College v. Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[13]"Zubik v. Burwell". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[14]"Zubik v. Burwell". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[15]"Zubik v. Burwell". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[16]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[17]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[18]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[19]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[20]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[21]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[22]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[23]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[24]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[25]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[26]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[27]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[28]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[29]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[30]"Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania". Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[freeupdate]

Supreme Court Rules Government Must Pay Insurers Under Affordable Care Act Program

Supreme Court Rules Government Must Pay Insurers Under Affordable Care Act Program

[ad_1]

WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court ruled that the federal government is obligated to pay billions of dollars to health insurers that sold consumer policies on exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act, the Obama-era health-care overhaul law.

The court, in an 8-1 opinion by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, said Monday that lawmakers had created rare obligations for the government under an early ACA…

[aca-sonia]

[att-tactical]

But Republicans called the program an insurer "bailout," and introduced measures that prohibited the use of taxpayer dollars to fund the program, which sharply reduced the amount of funds available for reimbursement payments.  According to experts, the decision destabilized the marketplace for years as insurers fled the exchanges or jacked up premiums.  But the justices on Monday said that Congress had an obligation to pay. "We conclude that [the ACA] established a money-mandating obligation, that Congress did not repeal this obligation, and that petitioners may sue the Government for damages in the Court of Federal Claims," Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for the majority. "These holdings reflect a principle as old as the Nation itself: The Government should honor its obligations," the court ruled.  Justice Samuel Alito was the only dissenting opinion. Alito said the Court provided a "massive bailout" for insurance companies.  "Under the Court's decision, billions of taxpayer dollars will be turned over to insurance companies that bet unsuccessfully on the success of the program in question. This money will have to be paid even though Congress has pointedly declined to appropriate money for that purpose," he wrote. The ruling represents a loss for the Trump administration and congressional Republicans, although it will have no practical impact on the law itself. The administration is still backing a lawsuit by GOP-led states to have the Supreme Court overturn the entire law later this year. If the law is overturned in its entirety, then there is no payout. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_gU-LcJuxZ/?igshid=qopbshog29gy

[acapulcopress]

Alejandro Giammattei será el nuevo presidente de Guatemala

] Sonia Pérez CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA. * 13 de enero de 2020. | AP. Alejandro Giammattei, un médico conservador opuesto al matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo y al aborto, será quien dirija a partir del martes las riendas de Guatemala por los próximos cuatro años en medio de expectativas y descontento de la población por el gobierno saliente. Gimmattei, de 63 años, ganó la presidencia en agosto de 2019 acompañado de César Guillermo Castillo como vicepresidente. Al frente del partido político Vamos Por Una Guatemala Diferente (VAMOS) --fundado en 2017 por políticos, empresarios y militares-- ofreció mejorar la situación de país, especialmente en el área de pobreza y de oportunidades. Giammattei ha propuesto construir lo que él llama un “Tren Maya”, un vehículo de alta velocidad que sería un conector de todo el país con dos vías, una de carga y otra de pasajeros. El nuevo presidente será juramentado en el Teatro Nacional Miguel Ángel Asturias por el presidente de la Junta Directiva del Congreso que resulte electo el martes, pues el organismo también se renueva. Al futuro mandatario le acompañarán varios homólogos latinoamericanos, entre ellos, Juan Orlando Hernández de Honduras, Nayib Bukele de El Salvador, Iván Duque de Colombia y Lenín Moreno de Ecuador. Uno de los principales retos que Giammattei enfrentará será la implementación del Acuerdo de cooperación respecto al examen de solicitudes de protección (ACA por sus siglas en inglés), que se firmó con Estados Unidos en julio pasado. El documento convirtió a esta nación en un tercer país seguro receptor de migrantes hondureños y salvadoreños devueltos desde Estados Unidos para que tramiten solicitudes de asilo aquí. El partido del nuevo presidente logró 17 escaños en el Congreso. El martes también tomarán posesión los 160 diputados electos, los diputados al Parlamento Centroamericano y los 340 nuevos alcaldes. Giammattei sufre de esclerosis múltiple, por lo que utiliza muletas para andar. Se graduó como médico cirujano, ha sido asesor de empresas del sector privado y ha participado cuatro veces como candidato presidencial (2007, 2011, 2015 y 2019). En 2006, Giammattei fue director del Sistema Penitenciario. Durante su gestión el Ministerio de Gobernación llevó a cabo una operación conocida como “Pavo Real” para quitar a los presos el control de la Granja Penal de Rehabilitación Pavón, una prisión de cumplimiento de condena. En la operación, miles de policías, militares y civiles armados ingresaron al lugar de madrugada. Durante el operativo varios reos fueron asesinados, por lo que funcionarios, particulares y autoridades fueron detenidos, juzgados y encarcelados, entre ellos el mismo Giammattei. Luego de varios meses en prisión y de ser juzgado, fue absuelto de los cargos. Read the full article

[icanneverbesatisfied]

the longest tag game in the history of ever

i’m tagging friends that i think need to suffer: @secretschuylersister @steiiarrs @a-bitch-stole-my-nutella @living-in-a-whale (i love you all I swear)

i was tagged by: @maybe-mikala @linmanuclmiranda and I think @butlinislin?? I’m not sure

the last…

drink? Root beer

phone call? My best friend calls for literally everything. Y'all should see my call history

text message? from @queerenbian

song you listened to? Long-Legged Guitar Pickin’ Man. My mom is angry because I won’t sing it for my grandparents

time you cried? i cried a little this afternoon because my screen door cut my foot open

dated someone twice? nope

kissed someone and regretted it? i have kissed exactly zero people y'all

been cheated on? im not sure????? Hard to explain

lost someone special? i have

been depressed? i don’t think so

gotten drunk and thrown up? i have never been drunk in my LIFE y'all

favorite colors

turquoise

mauve

purple

in the last year, have you…

made new friends? yep!

fallen out of love? cant say I have

laughed until you cried? thats an everyday thing for me

found out someone was talking about you? i did and it was interesting

met someone who changed you? i mean, maybe?

found out who your friends are? lol that’s an every year thing

kissed someone on your facebook list? see number 7. And also I don’t have facebook

general

how many of your facebook friends do you know in real life? see number 21

do you have any pets? i have a cat named cali, a dog named Rivi, and two guinea pigs names mocha and Sophia, though we call her Sophie a lot

do you want to change your name? i mean, sometimes?? Idk

what did you do for your last birthday? i was in DC so a lot of walking

what time did you wake up? 8:11

what were you doing at midnight last night? wrecking havoc on the world… not actually. I was just chillin’

name something you can’t wait for: the pizza my mom just ordered

when was the last time you saw your mom? …. I live with her

what are you listening to right now? (What happened to question thirty???) we’re watching the breakfast club (again lol) so that

Have you ever talked to a person named Tom? i have. Several. They’re all bitches

something that is getting on your nerves? MY PREGNANT NEIGHBOUR THATS SMOKING LIKE HER LIFE DEPENDS ON IT

most visited website? tumblr, without a doubt

hair colour? Currently? my normal hair colour, so like, kinda brown??? In between brown and blonde???

long or short hair? long

do you have a crush on someone? ye

what do you like about yourself? nothing?????

piercings: my ears are pierced. I’m boring when it comes to piercings

blood type: i have no fucking clue man

nickname: Ro, Rosie, Lo, Loge (pronounced like Doge) Loge (pronounced like Not-Doge), Logynn Rosie, Logini (sigh), and Jack calls me Logine a lot, for whatever reason

relationship status: what is this concept of ‘relationships’?

zodiac: Libra and i take nothing more seriously than I take my Libra identity

pronouns: she/her

favourite tv show: Grace and Frankie and Superstore. That’s it.

tattoos: nothing but I want a bunch

right or left handed: right handed but I can decently use my left hand

surgery: nothing

piercing: (This is a repeat question, so lemme tell you the one I want instead?) (same mickey) I WANT SO MANY! Nose piercing, I want to get some more piercings in my ear

sport: i love football okay

vacation: delaware. Or DC

pair of trainers: aca scuse me

more general

eating: pretty much anything

drinking: P E P S I. Or root beer

i’m about to: actually sit down and write for once in my life

waiting for? THE FUCKING PIZZA MY MOM ORDERED

want? P I Z Z A

get married? if I meet the right person. Also not saying 'guy’ there feels weird because life has conditioned me to assume I’m marrying a dude

career? BROADWAY PIT ORCHESTRA

hugs or kisses? i love both

lips or eyes? BOTH

shorter or taller? theres many advantages with both

older or younger? as long as it’s legal and consenting, I don’t see any problems

nice arms or nice stomach? i agree with Mickey. All bodies are good and I love your arms and tummies no matter the size or shape

hook up or relationship? relatioship. I crave stability

troublemaker or hesitant: troublemaker

kissed a stranger: see 7 and 21

drank hard liquor: maybe accidentally????

lost glasses/contact lenses: lol the majority of my life has been spent searching for my glasses

turned someone down: YES AND IT HURT MY SOUL BECAUSE HE SENT ME A NICE NOTE AND IT HAD HAMILTON LYRICS AND I FELT SO BAD

sex on the first date: hahahahahahahahahahahano

broken someone’s heart: I HOPE NOT

had your heart broken: ye

been arrested: nope

cried when someone died: yes

fallen for a friend: story of my life y'all

do you believe in…

yourself? i wish

miracles? yep

love at first sight? yes ma'am

santa claus? hard to explain

kiss on the first date? depends on how the date went

angels? yes and no

current best friend’s name: jack, Jonah and Cailyn. And sonia

eye colour: blue/gray. It teeters on the edge

favourite movie: ive been sucked into an 80’s movie spiral. So right now, Some Kind of Wonderful and Breakfast Club