#access control systems in usa

[sapphia]

USA please listen to me: the price of “teaching them a lesson” is too high. take it from New Zealand, who voted our Labour government out in the last election because they weren’t doing exactly what we wanted and got facism instead.

Trans rights are being attacked, public transport has been defunded, tax cuts issued for the wealthy, they've mass-defunded public services, cut and attacked the disability funding model, cut benefits, diverted transport funding to roads, cut all recent public transport subsidies, cancelled massive important infrastructure projects like damns and ferries (we are three ISLANDS), fast tracked mining, oil, and other massive environmentally detrimental projects and gave the power the to approve these projects singularly to three ministers who have been wined and dined by lobbyists of the companies that have put the bids in to approve them while one of the main minister infers he will not prioritise the protection of endangered species like the archeys frog over mining projects that do massive environmental harm. They have attacked indigenous rights in an attempt to negate the Treaty of Waitangi by “redefining it”; as a backup, they are also trying to remove all mentions of the treaty from legislation starting with our Child Protection laws no longer requiring social workers to consider the importance of Maori children’s culture when placing those children; when the Waitangi Tribunal who oversees indigenous matters sought to enquire about this, the Minister for Children blocked their enquiry in a breach of comity that was condemned in a ruling — too late to do anything — by our Supreme Court. They have repealed labour protections around pay and 90 day trials, reversed our smoking ban, cancelled our EV subsidy, cancelled our water infrastructure scheme that would have given Maori iwi a say in water asset management, cancelled our biggest city’s fuel tax, made our treasury and inland revenue departments less accountable, dispensed of our Productivity Commission, begun work on charter schools and military boot camps in an obvious push towards privatisation, cancelled grants for first home buyers, reduced access to emergency housing, allowed no cause evictions, cancelled our Maori health system that would have given Maori control over their own public medical care and funding, cut funding of services like budgeting advice and food banks, cancelled the consumer advocacy council, cancelled our medicine regulations, repealed free prescriptions, deferred multiple hospital builds, failed to deliver on pre-election medical promises, reversed a gun ban created in response to the mosque shootings, brought back three strikes = life sentence policy, increased minimum wage by half the recommended amount, cancelled fair pay for disabled workers, reduced wheelchair services, reversed our oil and gas exploration ban, cancelled our climate emergency fund, cut science research funding including climate research, removed limits on killing sea lions, cut funding for the climate change commission, weakened our methane targets, cancelled Significant National Areas protections, have begun reversing our ban on live exports. Much of this was passed under urgency.

It’s been six months.

[ntitechnologies]

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[transandrobroism]

notes/replies on that last post (about Florida moving to ban all HRT for adults) suggest it was struck down by a judge, which is a relief obviously. but i do wanna pick up on the response being "set up DIY networks for HRT! organise and help each other!" which is cool and all but... as the latest reblog comment points out, T is a controlled drug.

some quick and dirty googling confirms testosterone is a Schedule III controlled drug in the USA, with most legal sources suggesting possession and/or distribution of Schedule III drugs is a 3rd degree felony. conviction can mean up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. crucially, in Florida (where this law was intended to come into force), selling or distributing a Schedule III drug to minors pushes it up to a 2nd degree felony with a harsher fine/sentence.

i make this point because the response to HRT being restricted is often some variation of "mutual aid DIY network" or just flat suggesting DIY to people as the solution. which is cool if you're on estrogen, but possessing testosterone without a prescription is a literal felony in the USA. T is also a controlled drug in the UK, where trans people face long waiting lists for HRT - it's not illegal to possess T for personal use, but it is illegal to get them sent to you from abroad (importing a controlled drug) and to give them to other people (supply). to legally get T you need a prescription from a doctor.

in a hostile transphobic environment there is no guarantee that prosecuters will decide not to charge trans people for DIYing HRT. "set up DIY networks" for transmascs basically translates to "set up an illegal drug ring".

this is a form of transphobia that affects transmascs but does not affect transfems. it also affects nonbinary and intersex folks seeking or using testosterone HRT. in fact it could potentially impact some nonbinary trans folks worse because the medical gatekeeping around trying to transition as nonbinary is already an uphill struggle.

it is not easy for those of us on T to just DIY it and fuck the system. without a valid prescription our HRT becomes a banned illegal steroid that can land us in serious legal trouble if we get caught, especially if we're distributing it to other people as part of a mutual aid setup. i know we're all very "be gay do crime" for the memes but we are talking about an actual factual go-to-jail-irl crime here.

the fact that our HRT is an illegal drug unless prescribed by a doctor is a form of transandrophobia that affects trans men, transmascs, nonbinary people on masculinising HRT, and intersex people who want or need testosterone. it means that:

we cannot DIY transition without committing a crime, and have to weigh up that risk when considering DIY as an option

setting up a mutual aid testosterone DIY network is even more of a crime, especially if you want to use it to help trans teens

we are thus more dependent on placating medical practitioners and convincing them to prescribe us HRT

we will always be more impacted by any moves to restrict or delay access to HRT because we don't have an easy, legal DIY option

when access to HRT is limited for transphobic reasons, the DIY option comes at much higher risk

where access to HRT is severely delayed (as it is in the UK by years-long waiting lists), it is easier for transfems to start DIYing while they wait than it is for transmascs to do the same thing. in fact in the UK they've started selling estrogen HRT over the counter for menopause, so here if you want to start estrogen DIY all you have to do is get a cis lady friend to ask a pharmacist for menopause treatments. if you wanna start T you have to go on the fucking dark web (I'm exaggerating but... not a lot)

none of this is intended to suggest that transfems don't experience medical transphobia or gatekeeping and this isn't a "trans men have it worse universally across the board" post. there are undoubtedly some areas where it's harder to be transfem. however, this is one area where it is clearly and demonstrably harder to be a trans man. i am pointing this out because i keep seeing people saying that transmascs have it easier or there's no systemic or structural transphobia targeting trans men or we only ever experience misdirected misogyny or whatever. here is your proof that that is not true. this is a form of structural and systemic transphobia that impacts trans men and not trans women. and there is no possible world in which you can argue that testosterone being a controlled drug is somehow misogyny.

[decolonize-the-everything]

Just to be clear, natives existed before the USA and we'll be here long after.

It's not us who rely on it to survive. Quite the opposite. And I know natives aren't the only ones feel this way.

Maybe consider this perspective when you're saying our lives will be worse if we do nothing.

Our lives were fine before the British and french and US empires colonized us. In fact perhaps I'd be eating berries while my hot wives skin dinner, kids playing in the field, just home after goofing off with the cousins I'll never get to meet in this life, the smell of toasting manoomin in the air.

That's the peace and future the US tore from me, as far as I'm concerned.

"if you don't vote then-"

I have to apply to be part of my tribe that mostly lives in poverty on exploited land. I need to work in this government but I'm disabled but the healthcare system is trash so I haven't even been diagnosed with anything which is probably to do with the systemic racism, transphobia, and misogyny within medicine itself so instead I'm poor with no job and forced to beg for rent and food money online because the welfare system is also trash and my benefits are reliant on those diagnoses I told you I haven't gotten cuz I also haven't had the privileged of seeing a regular doctor since I'm on Medicaid and doctors just Drop you or leave the state or drop your insurance all the time and I live in CONSTANT fear that at ANY moment I will be made hungry, homeless, or worse for reasons entirely out of my control because instead they entirely controlled by bureaucracy and legalities that are not built with people like me in mind and in fact were built specifically to make it as hard as possible for me to access any help because this system and the people who built didn't WANT people like me to have any rights in the fucking first place.

AND I COULDVE BEEN JUST EATING BERRIES IN A SUSTAINABLE HOME THAT I BUILT WITH MY BARE FUCKING HANDS SURROUNDED BY A TRIBAL COMMUNITY THAT WASNT OBLITERATED

"if you don't vote-"

The USA was one of the worst things to happen to the entire planet, please go fuck yourself.

[omensofatimelord]

The thing about testosterone being a controlled substance means that acess to it for hrt is restricted. While it makes access a significant issue for many people and an easy and effective way to prevent trans men and mascs from transitioning (as we've seen terfs campaign for and succeed at doing in Britain) it also means that is very easy for health care professionals to be able to take it away from trans men/mascs arbitrarily. This is most aborant in cases where trans men/mascs are forced to detransition to gain access to abortions after being raped. However, the first sign of an issues tangentially related to hormones a gp, without any training in trans people or hormones, can and will stop a person's testosterone. Apart from how stressful it is to know that for the rest of your life you'll be dependent on the goodwill of a random person, this has measurable negative consequences for a trans person subjected too it.

Going off t fucking sucks at the best of time, but being forced off t will most likely result in depression and worsening mental health for a trans man/masc, who are already one of the most likely groups to attempt suicide. It can also put a trans person at risk if they suddenly start being visibly trans again, especially if they're closeted in, say, a work place environment. Trans people, including trans men, are already one of the most targeted groups of harassment and violence and sexual assalt and forcibly reducing or stopping t can out people and risk their safety. And a gp won't see this or care about this, or attempt to treat a trans man/masc first or ask for their opinion or situation.

Ultimately, testosterone is seen as entirely optional and so the first resort when something goes wrong it to take it away, when it should be considered the last resort, and is considered the last resort for cis men. And as long as testosterone continues to be a controlled substance it will remain like this.

(edit for clarification: I am a kiwi, this post was intended as a general critique of accessing t through health care systems - based in my lived experience in NZ and what ive heard from international trans ppl; including but not limited to the USA)

[iamnotyourbabe]

Piggybacking on a recent post I reblogged, one thing I don't think most people in the USA realize is that cops are strategically brainwashed and given PTSD as a part of their training. The point of police training is to make every single officer believe "anyone can kill you at any time." This is not to excuse them or defend them in any way, but simply to explain why they act the way that they do.

Police departments use the same tactics that cults do to indoctrinate new hires, including isolation, us vs them mentality, and (this is hard to find online sources for because law enforcement has their own walled garden internet spaces to talk about internal stuff so it doesn't leak easily, but I've read and heard accounts from multiple police officers describing it) showing trainees psychologically distressing videos in an attempt to further break them down mentally.

Fear tactics are heavy stuff. They essentially create a fast-track pathway for thoughts to take through your amygdalae, which are the most accessible parts of the limbic system (the 'lizard brain' part of our brain - this phrasing is a gross oversimplification, but serves perfectly well in this example) and regulate emotional (knee-jerk) responses like fear, anxiety, and aggression. Emotional reactions are also addictive, they give you a burst of adrenaline and other brain chemicals to help you fight off whatever lion is supposedly attacking you (your brain doesn't know whether you're panicking over a predator stalking you or you forgetting to pick up a birthday present for your mom day-of) and unsurprisingly, this has a feedback effect.

The amygdalae are heavily involved in PTSD - they regulate fear response, threat assessment, avoidance, and episodic memory which consists of the sensory and emotional responses to past events. I don't want the most heavily-armed people in any area to also be the highest-strung. That sounds like -and is- a recipe for a bad time and bad interactions with the public.

I see a lot of internet leftists crafting conspiracy-style theories about why this is such an overarching problem throughout police departments but the truth is that it's simply convenient for authoritarian groups like them to traumatize people under their service. They see trauma-bonding as an extremely effective method of control and they don't care about the well-being of their peons beyond them being able to perform their job duties: win-win!

It's very easy to get conspiratorial about authority figures but it's important to remember that they are just as dumb, unorganized, and human as us.

Still.

Fuck cops.

[menlove]

the thing abt HRT and gender affirming surgery is that like... yes many providers do provide incorrect/insufficient information. a lot of providers DO downplay the risks or don't mention all of them. ignoring this reality and pretending that everyone who starts HRT/gets gender affirming surgery is completely 100% informed doesn't do anyone any good

however

this problem is FAR from exclusive to gender affirming medical care. it is a GENERAL problem in ALL aspects of medical care, especially in the USA (and I'm sure elsewhere but I can only speak on our healthcare system as I haven't lived anywhere else)

like here's a couple examples.

when I was 8 years old, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes by a nurse practitioner. she however prescribed me a type of insulin for type 2 diabetes and instructed me to take it once a day and only check my blood twice a day. this is completely incorrect, as type 1 diabetics need to take short acting insulin every time they eat and long acting insulin once or twice a day and check their blood sugars at MINIMUM 4 times a day. I almost died. I had to be hospitalized about a week later with insanely high blood sugars. this was grossly mishandled by that nurse practitioner who had no idea what she was doing & she could've killed a child. does that mean no one should have access to insulin? or that we should start scare mongering diabetics telling them their providers are trying to harm them?

another example! when I was 14, I was having an allergic reaction to a medication and had to go into the ER. they didn't read my chart to see that I had type 1 diabetes, did not check my blood glucose levels, and gave me a steroid shot. that shot spiked my blood sugar (which was already high) so high so fast that I passed out and nearly cracked my head on the floor. it turned what would've been a quick ER trip to an overnight fiasco. does that mean doctors should never ever give steroids as treatment for allergic reactions?

or far more general than me- how many times are people prescribed birth control without the side effects being fully described? how many people get gastric bypass surgery without fully understanding what they're doing to their bodies? how many people have debilitating chronic illnesses but have no clue how they're supposed to handle them bc no doctor ever bothered to educate them (as I see constantly with other diabetics)? how many people have 0 knowledge about their own reproductive systems or have their concerns about their reproductive systems completely ignored until it turns lethal?

the issue isn't gender affirming care. the issue is medical professionals who don't care enough about their patients to make sure they're fully informed and fully consenting, or even that they themselves know exactly what they're doing. it's overworked medical professionals who skip vital steps because they've been working 15 hours in a row. it's the disregard for the health of people assigned female at birth (& the disregard for the health of people assigned male at birth if they decide to pursue gender affirming care). it's the disregard for poor people, for people of color, for patients in general who tend to get viewed with disdain for not having medical degrees and asking questions

like yes it IS something we should be talking about. but focusing the conversation on "we have to ban gender affirming care!!!" instead of "the medical system needs to take better care of its patients" is just stupid

[heresylog]

do you have pokemon sleep?

No, I collected snippets of their privacy policy. I was very uncomfortable with them collecting this data about my sleep habits.

5. WHO WE MIGHT SHARE YOUR INFORMATION WITH

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(f) Ad network. Service providers that deliver information to you via ad network system regarding Pokémon's current or future products and services (Adjust KK, based in Japan, and its subcontractors, such as Adjust GmbH, Lease web Germany GmbH, Lease web Netherlands B.V., and Leaseweb USA, Inc., based in Germany, Netherlands, and USA).

(g) Other third parties (including professional advisers). Any other third parties (including legal or other advisors, regulatory authorities, courts, law enforcement agencies and government agencies) based in the UK, USA, Japan, and other countries/regions to enable us to enforce our legal rights, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our employees, or where such disclosure may be permitted or required by law.

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8. HOW WE LOOK AFTER YOUR INFORMATION AND HOW LONG WE KEEP IT FOR

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[storagedepotdallas]

Affordable Self Storage Units in Dallas, GA: Finding the Best Deals

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[whumpinggrounds]

Disability Activists Worth Knowing

Hi! In honor of Disability Pride Month, which is July in the USA, I am writing about some disabled activists who I think are cool. Many of you are (hopefully) familiar with giants like Helen Keller and Judy Heumann, but there are a lot of really interesting people out there whose names aren’t as widely shared, especially those who are also POC, queer, and/or non-American.

Please feel free to add more disabled people, or information about people I’ve already listed! Note that this post is intended to be about people who advocate for the disabled community and are also disabled themselves. Non-disabled advocates have also done a lot for the community! But that is not who this post is about <3

Final disclaimer: This is a post that I researched quickly, and specifically sought out some new people I hadn’t heard about. If there’s someone on this list that’s fucked up, feel free to add that, and even feel free to @ me so I can reblog your correction. Please do not yell at me or assume I’m aware of every political opinion/possible transgression of the many people on this list pls

Now, in no particular order -

Javed Abidi was an activist who advocated for disability rights in India. He helped pass the Person with Disabilities act in Parliament, and served as the first director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People.

Ola Abu Al Ghaib is a Palestinian activist who works to promote the rights of people with disabilities, particularly women with disabilities, in the Arab States, Africa, and Asia.

Ari Ne’eman is an Israeli-American activist who founded the Autism Self Advocacy Network, one of the earliest advocacy organizations run both by and for Autistic people. Currently, he consults with the ACLU on disability justice issues and is writing a book about disability history in the USA.

Dana Bolles is an American spaceflight engineer and advocate for people with disabilities in STEM. She also advocates for women and the queer community, and currently works at NASA.

Fatima al-Aqel was a Yemeni woman who advocated for blind and visually impaired women in Yemen, as well as opening Yemen’s first school for the blind. She later founded the Al-Aman Organization Blind Women Care to further opportunities for blind women in the social and professional spheres, as well as working to adapt literature to Braille.

Judi Chamberlain was an American activist, leader, speaker, and educator in the psychiatric survivors movement. Her book On Our Own: Patient-Controlled Alternatives to the Mental Health System is a foundational text in the Mad Pride movement and argues for the rights of patients in psychiatric care.

María Soledad Cisternas Reyes is a Chilean lawyer and disability rights advocate who has helped increase access for disabled people in Chile and internationally, through her work with the UN. She has also been recognized for her work on the intersection of rights of disabled people, children, women, indigenous people, and the elderly.

Tony Coelho is an American politician of Portuguese descent who was the primary sponsor of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and was a former chairman of the Epilepsy Foundation.

Justin Dart Jr. was an American activist and disability advocate who was regarded as the father (or sometimes godfather) of the ADA. Other notable accomplishments include founding his university’s first group to oppose racism, founding the American Association of People with Disabilities, and receiving a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Vic Finkelstein is a South African disability rights activist and writer who pioneered the social model of disability. He spent the latter part of his life in Britain after being imprisoned and banned from South Africa for anti-apartheid activities.

Chen Guangcheng is a Chinese civil rights activist, often referred to as a “barefoot lawyer,” who worked on civil rights cases in rural China. Due to his advocacy and activist work surrounding land rights, women’s rights, disability rights, and the welfare of the poor, Chen was repeatedly imprisoned and eventually left China for the USA.

Rick Hansen is a Canadian paralympian and activist, most famous for circling the world in a wheelchair to raise money for charity. His journey lasted just over 2 years, with an average of 8 hours of wheeling per day. He founded the Hansen foundation to raise funds and awareness to create a world without barriers for people with disabilities.

Abha Khetarpal is an Indian poet, author, and disability rights activist and counselor who founded a counseling/educational resource website and app for people with disabilities. Her work focuses on disability and women’s rights, with a focus on sexual liberation and sexual education and access for disabled people.

Harriet McBryde Johnson was an American author, attorney, and disability rights activist who specialized in securing Social Security benefits for disabled clients who could not work. She debated Peter Singer, arguably the most famous philosopher in America today, on the right of parents to euthanize their disabled children, an encounter she wrote about in the essay Unspeakable Conversations. 

Yetnebersh Nigussie is an Ethiopian lawyer who primarily works in disability rights and anti-AIDs activism. She is a 2017 winner of the Right Livelihood award, widely considered the “Alternative Nobel Prize.”

Satendra Singh is an Indian medical doctor who has advocated extensively for disability rights and access in India, including founding an “Enabling Unit,” a group staffed entirely by people with disabilities that ensures other disabled people are able to attend medical school and associated programs with proper accommodations and support.

Lauren Tuchman was the first blind woman to be ordained as a rabbi. She advocates primarily for disability rights and an inclusive Torah.

Emmanuel Yeboah is a Ghanian athlete and activist who rode a bike across Ghana to raise awareness about the lack of disability rights and access in the country, specifically a lack of wheelchairs. He currently works on ensuring education access for children with and without disabilities in Ghana.

Stella Young was an Australian comedian and journalist who was known for coining the term “inspiration porn.”

Nabil Shaban is a Jordanian-British actor and writer who is best known as the villain Sil on Dr. Who. He co-founded Graeae, a theater group which promotes the work of disabled actors.

That’s all I have for you! Please feel free to add :) I am considering writing up a few more posts about disabled celebrities, artists, etc, so let me know if you’d be interested <3

[joelernstblog]

How Does Apple's Privacy Policy Compare to Other Tech Giants?

Apple's privacy policy sets a high bar in the tech world. Unlike some rivals, Apple focuses heavily on user data protection. For instance, Apple limits how much data apps can collect. This is different from Google or Facebook, where data is used for targeted ads. With Apple, users get more control over their data. You can see which apps have access to what information.

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Overall, Apple’s privacy practices offer a more secure and transparent option compared to many tech giants. While no system is perfect, Apple’s emphasis on encryption and user control is notable. Users looking for better privacy might find Apple’s policies a compelling reason to choose its products over others.

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[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Can you talk about Gladue Reports for Native criminals? I was SA'd as a child by a Native man and I remember his lawyer reading a Gladue Report for him during sentencing and it felt like such a slap in the face to me, because it basically excused everything he did to me without him actually having to take responsibility. That's just my opinion though, would love to hear yours.

To be honest, I had to look it up as I'd not encountered the term before. And I agree with you, the whole thing is repugnant.

Essentially, a Gladue Report is the opposite of a victim impact statement. Instead of a victim describing how the crime has impacted their life, it's the perpetrator saying why what they did is somehow mitigated by the fact they're native/indigenous/first peoples.

What this says is, this group of people over here can't be expected to behave according to the norms of the society in which they live and were born into, so we should lower our standards and stop expecting them to. It's the bigotry of low expectations.

That somehow the sexual assault this man perpetrated against you is lessened or less of a crime because the man who did it is indigenous/native/whatever we're calling it now. He's less in control of and responsible for his own actions and less able to learn to behave right.

Imagine being able to say, I'm of Slavic descent and my ancestors were enslaved throughout the Middle East, therefore when I murder someone it's less of a crime because history or something. Or, many of the first Europeans in Australia were convicts who were shipped out having committed only minor crimes in Britain, so a descendant of those people gets a lighter sentence because history and deportation and shit.

Ridiculous.

In looking into this, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole regarding indigenous violence. As I've mentioned before, there's a myth that native people were peaceful and coexisted with each other and nature until the evil settlers arrived. Except this isn't true. Natives made alliances with settlers in many cases, in order to gain access to the weapons to exterminate their enemies. (They really needed Starfleet's rules around the Prime Directive, First Contact and not granting access to alien technology back then.)

In many communities with a high percentage of native people with tribal backgrounds, violence occurs at a higher rate per capita than other communities/populations. And this is across multiple countries: USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and so on. Tribal customs of retaliation or score-settling are common. But nobody wants to talk about or address this because racism, colonialism, white guilt, something, something, something.

And yet, the existence of Gladue Reports at all is covertly an admission of this reality.

Lower violence is actually associated with strong centralized government, where violent deaths occur in the low single digit percentages... at their worst. Which is the absolute lower band of tribal societies and only goes up from there.

Bringing it back to the point, the legal system said to you, what you went through is less serious or less of a crime because of who he is.

In essence, it's like saying that he owes you $1,000 for what he did to you.... but you owe him $500 because of something he didn't experience that you didn't do, so he only owes you $500 and then you're even.

Or, more insidiously, that society owes him some proportion of a sexual assault, and disturbingly, you're the one to pay him the reparations he's owed.

Ridiculous, racist and utterly immoral.

[cicadaknight]

The fastest way to make me bristle is by a non-USA person saying something like “I just learned that America is in it’s 7th stage of genocide from an optional course in my Canadian high school. And our education system is sooooo much better than America’s, don’t know if you learned about that. So let me explain it to you!”

Like… hon. Could you be any more condescending and out of touch with day to day American life? Your overwhelming vision of the USA might be a bunch of entitled, white, ignorant fucks, but that doesn’t make it so. BIPOC have known this shit. Queer people have known this shit. Working class people have known this shit. Disabled people have known this shit!

America is heavily manipulated by propaganda and political theater. Yes, our public systems like education and transit are severely controlled and underfunded. (Most importantly, they’re inequitably underfunded and controlled by region. Either because of regional poverty or regional political dominance.) Yes that has consequences. But it doesn’t mean everyone (or even a majority) is universally uneducated, salivating for individualism, and unaware of our predicament. And I’m not even gonna go into the impact of the internet on our ability to access knowledge and community (for better or for worse).

I saw a post on here awhile ago that said most foreign hot takes about the US boil down to an ignorance about how classism, racism, and corporate greed impact the very core of our existence. Y’all need to stop falling for American propaganda too.

[amor-est-potestas]

Good Stuff in 2023

Since every year seems to be shit, I thought I would go through some major news stories and pick out the ones that seemed pretty good, actually. There's a bit of a USA bias in the source I used... but here's some year-end positivity, anyway!

January

An ebola outbreak was successfully controlled in Uganda

Sierra Leone introduced a law that reserves more jobs for women

The UN declared the current approach to repairing the ozone layer is successful and could return it to 1980 levels

New York's gun restrictions were upheld by the Supreme Court

February

Google lost $100bn in shares because its chatbot was crap (lol)

Tesla had to recall over 350,000 cars because its self-driving system was crap (lmao)

March

The International Criminal Court put out a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin

12 Democrat-led states in the USA sued to attempt to protect access to mifepristone (an abortion inducing drug)

Donald Trump was charged with criminal offences in New York

The Royal Society tested robotic prosthetics with the public and found that over 95% of people could use them well within the first minute

April

Finland was approved to join NATO

Christina Koch was announced as the first woman and Victor Glover as the first black astronaut on a NASA lunar mission

The tiger population of India was confirmed to have risen by around 200

A SpaceX rocket blew up (haha)

Japan approved an abortion pill for use for the first time

Pope Francis announced that women would be allowed to vote in meetings of bishops

The US Supreme Court rejected a West Virginia transgender athlete ban

Washington state eliminated the death penalty and sterilisation as criminal punishment

The US Supreme Court protected access to mifepristone (see March)

The UK fined TikTok for mishandling children's data

NASA was able to extract oxygen from lunar soil

Germany confirmed the shut down of nuclear power stations in the interest of safety

May

Colorado state signed several gun control bills into law

Donald Trump was found liable in a civil case where he was accused of rape and defamation

North Carolina's governor vetoed an abortion ban

The UK's first "three-parent baby" was born via IVF

June

Former Brazil president (Collor) was sentenced to prison for corruption

Federal courts blocked laws preventing healthcare for young trans people in Kentucky and Tennessee

July

Donald Trump's request for a new trial (see May) was rejected

Sweden's bid to join NATO was backed by Turkey

August

FDA approved use of the first drug (Zuranolone) to treat postpartum depression

Direct detection and nanopore sequencing (DDNS) used to halve the time for polio detection

India's space agency achieved their first unmanned moon landing

September

Mexico's Supreme Court decriminalised abortion rights

The African Union permanently joined the G20

The EU raised their renewable energy targets

Donald Trump was found guilty of fraud in New York

Apple announced a switch to USB-C charging ports in its new iPhone

October

California banned driverless taxis

November

A court in South Africa ruled in favour of introducing shared parental leave

The UK Supreme Court blocked plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda

An assault weapons ban in Illinois was upheld by an appeals court

The first images were received from ESA's Euclid space telescope

The EU started talks to bring Ukraine into the union

December

41 workers were rescued from a tunnel under the Himalayas in India

Pope Francis allowed priests to bless same-sex couples (but not for marriage... but still a win maybe?)

Supreme Court dismissed Ohio's attempt to enforce an abortion ban

Colorado's Supreme Court declared Donald Trump ineligible to run for office (only applies to Colorado)

IBM unveiled a quantum computing chip and machine

Google, Meta and other tech companies agreed to work towards open digital ecosystems (prompted by EU regulations on digital markets)

[powergpu111]

Navigating the World of Gaming PCs: Your Guide to Prebuilt and Custom Solutions

The gaming industry is constantly evolving, with new games demanding ever more powerful hardware to run smoothly. Whether you're a seasoned gamer looking to upgrade or a newcomer ready to take the plunge into high-end gaming, selecting the right gaming PC can be daunting. Fortunately, recent advancements in prebuilt gaming PCs and services from custom PC builders have made it easier than ever to find a machine that fits both your needs and your budget.

Choosing Between Prebuilt Gaming PCs and Custom Builds

When venturing into the realm of high-performance computing for gaming, one of the first decisions you'll face is whether to opt for a prebuilt gaming PC or engage in the journey to build a PC tailored precisely to your specifications. 

Prebuilt gaming PCs offer convenience and quick accessibility—ideal for those who want a plug-and-play solution without the wait. With configurations designed to handle modern games, these systems are rigorously tested for stability and performance before they reach your hands. This means less hassle in terms of setup and troubleshooting for you.

On the other hand, opting for custom PC builder services opens up a world where every component choice is yours—from CPU and GPU all the way down to networking cards and LED lighting. A PC builder service gives gamers who have specific performance goals (or aesthetic preferences) the ability to fine-tune their system’s configuration.

The Benefits of Ready-to-Ship Gaming PCs

For those who don’t want extended lead times typically associated with custom builds, ready-to-ship gaming PCs present an attractive alternative. These units come from an inventory of popular builds that combine performance with immediate availability, ensuring no lag between purchase and playtime.

Ready-to-ship options cater not only to those who are eager but also serve as robust solutions for gamers unsure about what specs will suit them best. By selecting from curated setups that balance cost with performance, buyers can capitalize on expert configurations without diving deep into individual component research.

Utilizing PC Building Services 

PC building services provide an invaluable resource for both novices wanting guidance through their first build experience or veterans pursuing their ultimate dream machine tailored exactly how they envision their rig should be.

A trustworthy custom PC builder will listen carefully to requirements while also providing recommendations based on years of experience within the industry. Services might range from helping you select components that offer great value for money up through full assembly and testing stages—ensuring that when your system arrives, it’s set up correctly from day one.

Tips When Investing In Your Gaming Experience

Regardless if you choose a prebuilt or custom-built route here are some things every shopper should keep in mind:

- Always consider future proofing – think ahead about what upgrades may become necessary as new game titles get released.

- Factor in peripheral devices – remember that monitors, keyboards, and controllers may impact overall spending plans.

- Don’t underestimate aesthetics – ensure there's synergy amongst your workspace including how it looks because you’ll likely spend considerable time there!

In summary, whether seeking immediacy with readily available machines or desiring complete control over every facet through bespoke services, navigating today’s market provides ample opportunities for gamers at all levels. Reflecting upon personal requirements beforehand – considering factors like budget constraints against desired features – helps pave the way toward optimal purchase decisions between offerings such as prebuilt gaming PCs along with bespoke solutions provided by reputable PC-building firms.

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[femmesandhoney]

i always found it interesting how usa is so bad at using its own education system. in my country our electives, if we have them, i didn't, are just more classes of a class we already have in our schedule, lol. it's just that usually we have a lot of classes. i'm not saying this is good, but i was always jelly of your electives, like music, choir, poli sci etc etc.

i live in eastern europe, btw.

it's usually because while the federal government has control over stuff like budget and funding, education is primarily a state concern and differs by state and districts within states, since public schools are also funded by neighborhood taxes. this means there's a huge variety in quality and resources of any given school that's highly determined by the socioeconomic status of those in the community. many underfunded and over-stressed schools may not have the resources to even offer and run electives (that means paying a teacher, supplying materials depending on the class, having space for this class). there's a shit ton of challenges that go into offering electives, which is disappointing as all hell because the US government definitely has the resources and money to finance all the damn public schools in the states adequately to relieve the burden on lower income neighborhoods, but they just don't. so yeah you're right we're bad at using our own education to its fullest, and it varies by neighborhood what your offerings and quality of offerings may be. it's ridiculous honestly. like you may see americans have access to these electives, but it's not actually universal in our public schools either sadly. you're definitely lucky if your school can offer decent electives, which yeah would be more fun than taking a repeat of a core class like you said lol!