#and yet is completely technologically illiterate

[rachealsaccount]

if my mom is gonna force/guilt trip me into being her work assistant could I at least get paid for it

[mandatory-blog-stop-asking]

It's funny how most every cyberpunk story or setting thought that due to technology taking over people's lives and humanity, computer literacy would become commonplace enough that the very term would disappear. Everyone in Night City or whatever is super into hacking or can at least give you the difference between hardware, software, antivirus, spam, etc. To not know the basic gists or cybernetics and cyber security is paramount to not knowing how to count or how to read.

In reality we're about to enter an age where knowing how to create a folder or a zip file is back to being ancient lore inscribed in tablets that only the 30 year old who works at your IT office knows how to do. Phones and the growing marketability of easy-access no-customization technology means kids just don't use computers anymore. And it's crazy how fast it happened.

When I was in kindergarten we still had "computer class" once a week, and it was objectively useless for everyone in my class. Regardless of our age or interests, all of us had casual PC time either at home or in cyber cafes, all of us knew how to do things the teachers many times struggled with. The moment typing machine class became keyboard typing class, computers were already dominating most of our time. I learned how to navigate a computer the same way I learned English; by myself, because it was vital for my own interests.

And between highly streamlined video games, single umbrella closed OSs and everything being a fucking app, a 14 year old nowadays is lucky if they know what quotation marks do to your Google results. It's genuinely harrowing how the future is tech-dependent, yet we're becoming completely tech-illiterate.

The worst part is that it's completely on purpose by the tech industry. Much like not being able to fix your own products when they break, if you simply don't know what your phone or your computer can *do*, it's much easier to sell you a borderline identical one a little earlier than you'd actually need it. Phone updates are already pretty much semantic; you can't even see the difference between new models and old ones anymore, unless the visual difference is the point. And it all just gets more and more expensive for less and less bang for your buck.

We never expected the cyberpunk dystopia to be dull, and to rely on making us dumb. Crazy how well it worked.

[that-stone-butch]

Are you pro-guns?

that's such a nonsense question; you cannot meaningfully be pro or anti gun because regardless of what you believe, they still exist.

now, one may have a stance against citizens owning guns, that's an actual stance. but they'll still exist even within the framework of your stance and they'll still have to factor into the political ramifications of your stance. ex: if you are against citizens owning guns and think citizen ownership should be criminalized, they will still exist both as tools of the state, and within networks of illegality. guns will still be produced, illicitly or commercially, and will be obtained by those who want them so long as they want them enough to:

1. assimilate into roles of state violence (such as police forces),

2. illegally acquire guns that were originally created legally (steal from/bribe state munitions stockpiles), or

3. individually manufacture them, in whole or part, outside of sanctioned production. within an environment where guns are completely illegal, it is still possible to make them, from zip gun to 3D printed receiver.

as such it is impossible to be meaningfully anti-gun, and most who would consider themselves 'anti-gun' simply oppose the ownership of guns by citizens other than police/military. the prohibition of guns is difficult to enforce, and often just means that they are functionally impossible for working class people to acquire, but only marginally more difficult for the wealthy/connected/privileged to acquire. both aspects of this stance necessarily weaken the struggle of working class peoples. if you want to see what unarmed laborers look like versus state-sponsored/private militaries, google what the pinkertons have done to striking workers. what scant labor laws we do still have are the fruits of armed resistance.

tl;dr: i am absolutely 'pro-gun,' as many gun illiterate people would put it, in the fact that i think that disarming the working class in the sociopolitical context of capitalism and police states is a fucking terrible idea. as a great communist once said, "Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary."

there are circumstances under which i might entertain the idea of the wholesale abandonment of arms, but we are nowhere near that level of utopia yet. for now, they are a technological Pandora's box we can't shut back closed.

[alphaman99]

No, it's not "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." It lacks the scope, the erudition, and the majestic prose. But this short 2019 essay from Alyssa Ahlgren, whom I'd never heard of until this morning, is nevertheless worth the read. It traffics in familiarities, to be sure, but the thing about familiarities is that they're easy to lose sight of. You need to be reminded to notice them: If you're living in the US in the 21st century, whatever victimhood descriptors you cling to, you've already won the lottery. (Via Wesley Wynne)

THOUGHTS FROM A HIPSTER COFFEE SHOP

I’m sitting in a small coffee shop near Nokomis trying to think of what to write about. I scroll through my newsfeed on my phone looking at the latest headlines of Democratic candidates calling for policies to “fix” the so-called injustices of capitalism. I put my phone down and continue to look around. I see people talking freely, working on their MacBook’s, ordering food they get in an instant, seeing cars go by outside, and it dawned on me. We live in the most privileged time in the most prosperous nation and we’ve become completely blind to it. Vehicles, food, technology, freedom to associate with whom we choose. These things are so ingrained in our American way of life we don’t give them a second thought. We are so well off here in the United States that our poverty line begins 31 times above the global average. Thirty. One. Times. Virtually no one in the United States is considered poor by global standards. Yet, in a time where we can order a product off Amazon with one click and have it at our doorstep the next day, we are unappreciative, unsatisfied, and ungrateful.

Our unappreciation is evident as the popularity of socialist policies among my generation continues to grow. Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently said to Newsweek talking about the millennial generation, “An entire generation, which is now becoming one of the largest electorates in America, came of age and never saw American prosperity.”

Never saw American prosperity. Let that sink in. When I first read that statement, I thought to myself, that was quite literally the most entitled and factually illiterate thing I’ve ever heard in my 26 years on this earth. Now, I’m not attributing Miss Ocasio-Cortez’s words to outright dishonesty. I do think she whole-heartedly believes the words she said to be true. Many young people agree with her, which is entirely misguided. My generation is being indoctrinated by a mainstream narrative to actually believe we have never seen prosperity. I know this first hand, I went to college, let’s just say I didn’t have the popular opinion, but I digress.

Let me lay down some universal truths really quick. The United States of America has lifted more people out of abject poverty, spread more freedom and democracy, and has created more innovation in technology and medicine than any other nation in human history. Not only that but our citizenry continually breaks world records with charitable donations, the rags to riches story is not only possible in America but not uncommon, we have the strongest purchasing power on earth, and we encompass 25% of the world’s GDP. The list goes on. However, these universal truths don’t matter. We are told that income inequality is an existential crisis (even though this is not an indicator of prosperity, some of the poorest countries in the world have low-income inequality), we are told that we are oppressed by capitalism (even though it’s brought about more freedom and wealth to the most people than any other system in world history), we are told that the only way we will acquire the benefits of true prosperity is through socialism and centralization of federal power (even though history has proven time and again this only brings tyranny and suffering).

Why then, with all of the overwhelming evidence around us, evidence that I can even see sitting at a coffee shop, do we not view this as prosperity? We have people who are dying to get into our country. People around the world destitute and truly impoverished. Yet, we have a young generation convinced they’ve never seen prosperity, and as a result, elect politicians dead set on taking steps towards abolishing capitalism. Why? The answer is this, my generation has ONLY seen prosperity. We have no contrast. We didn’t live in the great depression, or live through two world wars, or see the rise and fall of socialism and communism. We don’t know what it’s like not to live without the internet, without cars, without smartphones. We don’t have a lack of prosperity problem. We have an entitlement problem, an ungratefulness problem, and it’s spreading like a plague.

With the current political climate giving rise to the misguided idea of a socialist utopia, will we see the light? Or will we have to lose it all to realize that what we have now is true prosperity? Destroying the free market will undo what millions of people have died to achieve.

My generation is becoming the largest voting bloc in the country. We have an opportunity to continue to propel us forward with the gifts capitalism and democracy has given us. The other option is that we can fall into the trap of entitlement and relapse into restrictive socialist destitution. The choice doesn’t seem too hard, does it?

--Alyssa Ahlgren

[1americanconservative]

Dawn Trodglen NlioveSm0berp 2s9o1c,r 2g30t1mf9 · What a great perspective and well worth the read ..... This article was written by a 26 yr old college student by the name of Alyssa, who's in grad school for her MBA. “My Generation Is Blind to the Prosperity Around Us! I'm sitting in a small coffee shop near Nokomis (Florida) trying to think of what to write about. I scroll through my newsfeed on my phone looking at the latest headlines of presidential candidates calling for policies to "fix" the so-called injustices of capitalism. I put my phone down and continue to look around. I see people talking freely, working on their MacBook's and ordering food they get in an instant, seeing cars go by outside, and it dawned on me; we live in the most privileged time in the most prosperous Nation and we've become completely blind to it. Vehicles, food, technology, freedom to associate with whom we choose. These things are so ingrained in our American way of life we don't give them a second thought. We are so well off here in the United States that our poverty line begins 31 times above the global average. Thirty One Times!!! Virtually no one in the United States is considered poor by global standards. Yet, in a time where we can order a product off Amazon with one click and have it at our doorstep the next day, we are unappreciative, unsatisfied, and ungrateful? Our unappreciation is evident as the popularity of Socialist policies among my generation continues to grow. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently said to Newsweek talking about the millennial generation, "An entire generation which is now becoming one of the largest electorates in America came of age and never saw American prosperity." Never saw American prosperity?? Let that sink in. When I first read that statement, I thought to myself, that was quite literally the most entitled and factually illiterate thing I've ever heard in my 26 years on this earth. Many young people agree with her, which is entirely misguided. My generation is being indoctrinated by a mainstream narrative to actually believe we have never seen prosperity. I know this first hand, I went to college, let's just say I didn't have the popular opinion, but I disagree. Why then, with all of the overwhelming evidence around us, evidence that I can even see sitting at a coffee shop, do we not view this as prosperity? We have people who are dying to get into our country! People around the world destitute and truly impoverished. Yet, we have a young generation convinced they've never seen prosperity and, as a result, we elect some politicians who are dead set on taking steps towards abolishing Capitalism!! Why? The answer is this, my generation has only seen prosperity. We have no contrast! We didn't live in the great depression or live through two World Wars, the Korean War, The Vietnam War and we didn't see the rise and fall of Socialism and Communism. We don't know what it's like to live without the internet, without cars, without smartphones. We don't have a prosperity problem. We have an entitlement problem, an ungratefulness problem, and it's spreading like a plague."

[rewritingthemcuwithnight]

Character profile number one:

Wanda Maximoff.

Problems with original MCU Wanda;

A white Christian. Comic Wanda is Romani Jewish. There is nothing wrong with white Christian characters but taking an *CANONICALLY* Romani Jewish character and making them a white Christian is not a good look for the MCU. Lots of people don’t like this choice marvel made and I for one agree,she should be played by a Romani Jewish actress,it’s a part of her character and shouldn’t be removed or glossed over. I’m not going to talk about how her MCU potential is Racist or anything since I am not Romani or Jewish,but I still think she should be Portrayed as Romani Jewish.

Gets away with everything. Yes the hex wasn’t on purpose *at first* but she still chose to keep the hex up even when she figured out that it wasn’t real. I’m sure you can just go on the anti Wanda tags to see what she’s done in the MCU that she’s somehow gotten away with.

None of the writers know how to use her properly. She’s just kind of there for drama and ooooh pretty magic powers(in my opinion)

Girl that origin what is that.

I could go on but geez they did Wanda dirty in the MCU.

Okay,before go on a rant about how much I hate MCU Wanda,let’s-

Let’s fix her up shall we?

So first things first,faceclaim.

I-

Actually don’t have a good one sadly,finding Actresses that are COMFIRMED to be both Romani and Jewish is harder for me then expected,though maybe I’m just technologically illiterate and don’t know what I’m looking for. Regardless I’m positive there are plenty of good actresses out there who could do a wonderful job as Wanda and fit with her comic accurate background. Feel free to DM me suggestions as to who could play her!

Sticking with the Mutant version of Wanda’s story from some of the older comics,this includes Magneto being Wanda and Pietro’s adoptive father figure,the twins even originally believing Magneto to be their biological father,and the presence of Polaris/Lorna Dane being Magneto’s biological daughter and The twin’s adoptive sister.

Agatha is going to be a presence much earlier in the MCU and,well I still think Kathryn Hahn was an amazing casting choice,I’m going to tweak her backstory to fall more in line with Comic Agatha,but I’ll cover that more later.

Wanda will certainly still do bad thing but they will definitely kick her in the ass later. She will also do good obviously,but I’m not 100% which way to take her character just yet. I don’t want her to be 100% villain though,she will definitely lean to the heroic side but even heroes have their moments of bad decision making and borderline villainy. We’ll have to see how it plays out as I iron out the story.

Wandavision as a whole is going to be thrown in the trash. In this rewrite that will never happen. I will include a storyline surrounding Wanda based possibly off the House Of M,and other Wanda-centric comic stories,but nothing too inline with Wandavision.

Might change up how her powers look a little bit. Maybe a bit more distinct and less wispy? Idk something to make it look cleaner and most powerful,but nothing too drastic.

Powers shall be based off of mutant Wanda’s powers in the comics. Before she was changed to…not being a mutant.

She will be Serbian,and keep her accent through the entire storyline,even if it changes to be less noticeable over time it will still be there.

She’s going to be tough as hell but not necessarily the strongest character flat out. Definitely a close contender,but I don’t think there is going to be a definite ‘strongest’ in this storyline. Wanda will still definitely whoop ass though don’t you worry.

Hand to hand combat will be entering her skill set,Cap will personally train her at some point so she doesn’t completely rely on her powers.

Won’t have full access to all her powers in the beginning and will have to train to get access to them. No sudden magically upgrades because of emotional distress although emotional outbursts may cause her powers to go temporarily haywire. Lots and lots of training for her. Definitely still an Omega-Level Mutant in the end though,promise.

Pietro won’t die. He’s a speedster,he can dodge bullets.

Vegetarian Wanda. I vaguely remember a comic mentioning her being Vegetarian and I think it would be something interesting to include.

Running gag of there being at least two other Wanda Maximoffs near Wanda’s place of residence in Manhattan,and the three of them getting calls meant for each other frequently,something also mentioned in the comics.

Wanda will 100% be treated like an adult. She’s like 30 something not 19,come on MCU writers,she’s a grown ass woman.

I think that about covers it for now-

I’ll definitely expand on this as I iron out the story beats but for now,this is roughly how I would have written a version of Wanda for the MCU.

Remember to be civil please,this is just how I personally would write Wanda for the MCU,if I had the chance to control the MCU from the start. Not meant to set off any Wanda Stans I swear this is just my opinion

[ozcarpin]

Technology, Magic, and Humanity

@ozqrowweek  Day 1 of OzQrow week!

“Well, that was a load of crap.”

“Mm, I’ll admit that the situation may not be exemplary. But I trust James’ judgement and Fria is still of the mind to be aware of what she’s agreeing to.”

“For now.”

The dark undertone of the gruff reply was not lost on Ozpin, nor were the narrowing of crimson eyes as shoulders were bunched and hands were shoved as deeply into scant pant pockets as they could go. 

Qrow had never been one to hide his feelings on a matter, expressive in his words and physicality alike. It made the man an effective opposite to the immortal who used those same things to hide his true feelings on most things. Or, at least tried to. As time had brought them closer over years and moments, Qrow had grown more and more effective at reading him. The statements behind his words, the concern beneath his optimism, and the insecurities buried deep in the pools of his outward confidence and the expectations that came with the title of ‘immortal wizard’. 

Stepping out into the cold, biting air of Atlas, Ozpin sucked in a deep breath, letting it pool into his lungs and wash away the stuffy warmth that had become cloying in the discomfort of the earlier conversation. As much as he’d put a nice coat of paint on it, he had to admit that things had just gotten a lot more complicated. While he trusted Fria completely (after all, the woman had commandingly held the mantle of the Winter Maiden since he’d been the King of Vale) things would undoubtedly get a little tricky if her mental facilities were indeed beginning to slip from her. They would need to find an arrangement that protected and respected all the vulnerable parties involved in the situation and after hours of debate, it really seemed like there would be no unanimously preferable option. 

Beside him, Qrow was still compressing his spine into a slouch impressive enough to remove about a quarter of his height, the man leering into the distance as the two of them meandered down the streets at random. They’d agreed to adjourn the (rapidly escalating) discussion for the evening and to continue it in the morning when they all had new eyes and clearer heads. To that end, Ozpin was thankful that his companion (as aggravated as he was) seemed to have opted to remain with him, rather than (literally) flying off to drown his anger at the nearest bar. As brash as Qrow could be at times, Oz was thankful to have his input in these discussions, more so in how easily the man could bark what they were all thinking when everyone else was unwilling to. 

“I hate it here.”

Golden hues shifted to once again regard his grumbling companion, following his eyes to a screen showcasing a muted advert for the newest line of Atlesian Knights. 

“Everything’s so damned cold an’ lifeless. CIty of Progress? City of robots is what it is.”

Oz knew his opinionated partner well enough to know that while Qrow undoubtedly did feel what he said, most of it was likely just projection given his sour mood. It would be easy enough to leave the statement where it was, even more to agree and let the other vent his frustrations but so often those healthy releases turned into spirals that lead off into him watching the dark silhouette of a bird disappearing into the night to find some other manner of release. As much as he loved the man, self-deprecation and healthy coping strategies were always things that Qrow struggled with, but wasn’t that all the more reason to reach out? To offer a little nudge out of the hole forming around his companion in these dark times? Besides, he’d love to talk about anything that wasn’t their current situation as well. 

“I think it has a beauty all its own.”

While he’d meant it to be heard, Oz was still a bit caught off guard when Qrow’s face turned to him finally, skeptical look in place though even that was far less sharp than the man’s features had been before, some prickly sort of curiousity peeking out underneath it all. It seemed they were of one mind in wanting a bit of a distraction. 

“How do you figure that? Aren’t old guys like you supposed to hate this stuff?”

A snort left Oz’s lips at the familiar jab and Qrow’s own quirked in response, a slight change in trajectory having them walking shoulder-to shoulder (more so when Qrow’s slouch became a bit less oppressive on his bones). 

“Contrary to popular belief I’m not entirely illiterate when it comes to modern technology, though I will admit in recent years its evolution has been kicked up a notch or two.”

“-Yeah, remind me of that the next time you have to update your desk again. I’ll come around and laugh.”

A sharp look just had the man snickering, playfully bumping Oz’s shoulder with his own as a more natural smirk coming into place. 

“Go on gramps, I need quotes for later.”

Eyes were rolled and cheeks pinkened but Ozpin remained undeterred fixing his gaze on one of the other colourful screens above them, his movements paused.

“Well, believe me or not, but it actually makes me a bit nostalgic at times.”

“What?”

He flicked a look back to his companion who had followed his own gaze, face skyward and reflecting the lights dancing across his humoured features. 

“What’s all this crap supposed to remind you of?”

“Magic.”

His answer came quickly and short, almost as if a part of him hoped that it wouldn’t be heard at all. He’d always struggled with sharing these parts of himself, even with someone like Qrow who’d he’d trust with his life five times over. It simply felt alien admitting such things.

There was no luck in Qrow mishearing though, as all at once the amusement washed away to something quizzical, Qrow turning back to face him with a raised brow and an unasked question which Oz answered first with a sheepish half-shrug and a return of his own eyes to some distant screen before quietly continuing with words barely loud enough to reach Qrow over the wind. 

“In ‘my time’, magic was an ultimate solution to many problems. Those with a gift for it were capable of some truly spectacular feats, and while it could be a source of acclaim for some, it was mostly just viewed as a matter of life. A gift from the Gods.”

Colours swirled and flickered as a dust advertisement came on above, and Oz could feel more than hear as Qrow shifted in a bit closer from where his sudden stop earlier had created distance. He resisted the urge to look, continuing before he lost his nerve to. 

“And then, it wasn’t. Humanity was reset, and so much of what had seemed ‘normal’ in life, was now different. The Grimm were rampant, resources were scarce, and so much of what had once seemed ‘easy’ now was a collective struggle. But.....”

And here he found his own smile tugging at his lips, a fondness bleeding into his voice that cut through his nerves at sharing this possibly silly comparison.

“Humanity always finds a way. You build, you create, you find ways to create solutions that were never before possible. I may not always understand the intricacies of technology, but it is, at its core, accessible in ways that magic never was and with it, with your own human ingenuity you’ve far surpassed what we had accomplished with our magic. You’ve created your own form without Gods or simple solutions. And that, to me, is-”

“-Beautiful.”

The gruff voice interjected into the end of his embarassed monologue, bringing his eyes to meet the crimson ones of his companion, something within them turning the pink on his face to red and causing it to spread as a warmth through his entire body particularly when a hand came to wrap around his own reminding him of how cold out it was if only because Qrow’s was so warm in comparison. 

“.....Yes.”

He finished, his affirmation delayed and coming out like a stammer now that he was faced with the abrupt reminder that all he’d said actually had an audience. 

Eyes searched his as his hand was squeezed, something unnameable passing over Qrow’s expression there and gone in a moment before a wide smirk split his features and a tug brought Oz stumbling back into motion with him. 

“Well, I don’t know if I share your views on that completely. Hard to really see ‘humanity’ as ‘beautiful’ or any of that when we just keep fucking everything up.”

A huff was given from the man, eyes flicking back to the screen they’d passed before, still looping the footage of the new knights ebfore they returned to Oz and the smile was back, along with a quirked brow that said far too much with the words it was accompanied by. 

 But, maybe once we get back to the hotel and I can feel my feet again, you can try convincing me again, and we’ll see how that goes.”

Very suddenly, nothing felt cold anymore, in fact, Oz remembered very little of the rest of the brisk walk back to their accommodations that night. And while the next day saw more frustrations than joy, and the weeks afterwards were touch and go as well, Qrow remained close more than he was away and together they all worked to create a solution between the warring yet co-alligned forces of magic, technology and humanity. 

[nrctranslations]

Episode 11 “A Place Without Clouds”

[Headmaster’s Office]

The day of the Festival

Grimm: Far away, I can see huge clouds that look like whales, but this area is completely clear.

Trey: Yeah, it seems like we can smoothly complete the ceremony, right, headmaster?

Crowley: Hmm...

Deuce: Why are you hesitant? All of us believed there would be clear skies on the day and rehearsed until today!

Crowley: Yes, but even so, look outside the window! As Grimm says, they are far away, but the rainstorm clouds are approaching!? It will only be a matter of time before it reaches the school, and to continue with the ceremony at this time will be...

Phone rings

Crowley: Hmmm? The number is...private. (Picks up) Hello? Yes? Idia Shroud? I-I never told you my phone number, right? How did you get this num-what? Ceremony? I was just talking to Deuce Spade about whether to cancel the ceremony. Yes...yes...what?!! T-that will be a problem!! Excuse me, wait!? Idia Shroud!!! (Phone call ends) ...He hung up.

Deuce: What did Idia say?

Crowley: He said to not worry about the weather, and requested that the ceremony take place for sure. And, he also remotely controlled my computer and sent the reporters e-mails- “The ceremony will be taking place as planned and we will be waiting for your interviews of the school”. I’m at a loss...if it comes to this, doesn't it mean that I really, really have to carry out the Wishing Stars festival!?

[Woods Behind Campus - Big Tree]

Cater: Trey and Deuce, are they alright? It’s a bit far away, so I can’t really tell.

Ace: Well, if it’s Deuce you can tell. He’s definitely trembling from nervousness.

Deuce: I-it’s finally time...c-c-can I e-even dance properly?

Trey: Deuce, don’t get so stiff. Relax your shoulders. We were specially chosen to do the ceremony, but you won’t be able to dance as rehearsed if you’re like that.

Crowley: It’s as Trey Clover says. The news reporters that will be covering our school’s celebration of the Wishing Stars festival have all arrived. I’m counting on you, alright?

Deuce: Y-Yes sir!

Crowley: By the way, where is the vital Idia Shroud?

Trey: He seems to be late.

Crowley: Please don’t tell me that he’s not coming.

Deuce: I really don’t think that...well...but it is Idia Shroud...no, we decided this from a man-to-man competition. Idia will definitely show up!

???: ..........AaaaAaAaAaaAA...!!!!!!!! Footsteps running

Deuce: Oh! That person that’s running over while screaming something...!

Idia: G-g-g-g-going outdoors in clothes like this...it’s too embarrassinggg ahhhhhhhhhh!!! Pants Oh- my bad for being l-late.

Deuce: Idia! It’s great you came!

Grimm: Hmmm? What about Ortho? Shouldn’t you two be together?

Idia: Y-yea, he’ll come later. Th-there were a lot of ‘adjustments’ that I got caught up on.

Grimm: ‘Adjustments’?

Crowley: Anyway, it’s great you made it in time. Now, let’s begin the festival before the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Idia: Understood. Deuce, Trey, are you ready?

Deuce: ....

Idia: W-w-what?!

Deuce: No, it’s just that Idia today seems to have a completely different aura than usual.

Trey: Yeah, I felt the same way. Honestly, I thought you were going to spit out that you didn’t want to play the drums so I was surprised.

Idia: I-there really is no trust in me huh. Well I get what I deserve, yep I do. N-now that doesn’t matter. Rather than my aura, we should really think about what we can do to make the ceremony successful...

Thunder

Grimm: NYAA!!

Option A: “What a loud rumble!” Option B: “That was a really bright flash!”

Grimm: H-hey you, how could you stay calm? It was so scary!

Crowley: I was also a bit scared! It suddenly rumbled, and I was surprised. However, it really has come to this. I have to put a stop to this here. Everyone, the ceremony is cancelled!

Deuce: Wait, there isn’t any rain yet...

Crowley: You heard the rumble of thunder just now, right? I cannot allow you to continue under these circumstances. Besides, look! Above you! The rainstorm clouds have completely engulfed the skies.

Deuce: T-that’s true...

Grimm: You can’t even see the stars at all because of the huge whale clouds!

Crowley: You understand now, right? Holding the ceremony in this weather is too dangerous. I will evacuate the students, so all of you should also make preparations to leave.

Deuce: ....is it really going to end like this?

Trey: We can’t do anything about it, Deuce. We all did as much as we could. When it comes to the weather, there really is nothing we can do at all.

Deuce: But...we tried so hard just for today...to be able to study in this school, even though I’m still far from a model student, I was lucky enough to be chosen to represent the students, and I really wanted to tell my mother about how I carried through my role as ‘stargazer’ to make her happy......but now it ends halfway through like this!! Argh...damn! 

Idia: Yep yep, muscle-brained people always suddenly loose their temper like that LOL

Deuce: I-Idia...?

Idia: You kept quietly mumbling over there by yourself. It was really annoying. Besides, isn’t it even weirder to sigh over a weather forecast that’s been scientifically conducted by the meteorological agency?

Deuce: HUH? What the hell did you just say??

Idia: Technology illiterate LOLLLLLLL I’m not the same as you. Unlike you, I don’t get so worked up over childish school traditions, I don’t run around just to get a shut-in otaku to participate in a ceremony, and I can’t collect 300 ‘wishing stars’. However...because Deuce really is an idiot, that’s why I decided to listen to Ortho’s wishes.

Deuce: Huh? What do you mean by that...

Idia: If the wishes can’t reach the stars, then we’ll deliver them to the stars.

Swoosh

Ortho: IDIA~~~!!!!

Idia: You came!!!!!!!!!! I’ve been waiting, Ortho!!!!

Grimm: NYA! W-what is this? What’s that amazing suit on Ortho?

Trey: Somehow, it looks like the design of the ‘wishing star robes’ too...

Idia: This is the attachment my brother made for me so that I can break through the planet’s atmosphere! It’s ‘Stargaze・Gear’!

Deuce: ‘Stargaze・Gear’....? W-wait, before that, did you just say you’d ‘break through the atmosphere’?

Ortho: YUP!

Idia: If the clouds are in the way, then just decorate the stars wherever there aren’t clouds. Have Ortho carry them up to the skies.

Everyone: EHHHHHHH~~~!?

Deuce: O-Ortho...isn’t it dangerous?

Ortho: It’s alright! It’s been tested many times, and more than anything it’s the body that my brother designed.

Deuce: So the two of you really plan to just fly through outer space?

Ortho: Of course!

Deuce: T-THAT’S AMAZING~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Idia: Wha- wait- what!? Can you not suddenly let out such a loud noise?

Deuce: Idia, you really are truly amazing!!!!!

Idia: EH? Wait-, no-, stop, don’t cling to me! I really can’t deal with skinship! I-even I really wanted it to go well this year. For Ortho.

Idia: Deuce, Trey, what do the two of you plan to do?

Trey: Well...I could never have imagined that Idia would come out with flying machines like this. Since you’ve done that much, we have to do what we can.

Deuce: Of course! Ortho will surely deliver the ‘wishing stars’. The three of us should respond to that with the perfect dance and drums performance!

Idia: Hehe, K!! Now, let’s begin.

Ortho: I’ll move to the sports ground which will be the launching complex. Idia...see you later!!

Idia: Yup!

Deuce: Ortho!

Ortho: Hmm? What’s wrong, Deuce Spade?

Deuce: You said that you weren’t a student of this school, and that you and your brother counted as 1 student...but you are definitely the 4th ‘stargazer’. Let’s show everyone the best Wishing Stars Festival!

Ortho: Yep!!

Ortho runs off

Crowley: W-Wait a moment, all of you! What in the world are you planning to do?!

Grimm: NYAHAHA! Good luck, ‘stargazers’! My ‘wishing star’ depends on you!

[eggs3123]

bet you weren’t expecting my longest rant to be about a single topic

so i’m watching that smartphone isekai. and i have so many problems with it after only two episodes. not like the art style or the characters cuz honestly the characters so far seem pretty okay. but the thing that bugs me the most is just how fucking carefree everyone is. like when this dude dies god’s like “oh shit sorry dude i hit you with lightning on accident, you good” and he’s just like “yeah ig” and god’s like “I would’ve thought you’d be more upset over you dying” and he’s just kinda like “yeah ig”. So as a way of apologizing god sends him into another world with his smartphone :0. and this is like the first example of deus ex machina we get. cuz some random merchant who just happened to be passing by is like “YO DUDE SELL ME YOUR CLOTHES” and he’s just like “that’s a bit weird bro but ok.” and so he sells all his clothes to this dude and in return he gets a new set of clothing and a sack of gold coins. And they never explain why the merchant wanted his clothes. Like they do a transition with the merchant sniffing his clothes as like a joke but that’s all the explanation we get. Then we get introduced to our first of many heroines. Elze and Linze. They’re twins. He saves them from some people trying to mug them or something. and gives them a gold coin. This is an important detail for me to complain about later. He introduces himself as Mochizuki Touya and they point out that that’s not how first and last names usually go and they ask him if he’s from a country that’s totally not japan called Eashen. He doesn’t ever give them a proper answer but they kinda just assume he is. So they all decide to get guild cards together and start adventuring together. So since this dude just got reincarnated here he can’t read. So while they’re looking at quests he points that out. Now this is a sort of medieval isekai. Not much technology. So it’d probably be normal for peasants to be illiterate. BUT DOES THIS FUCKING DUDE SEEM LIKE A PEASANT TO YOU?? HE SAVED TWO RELATIVELY KNOWLEDGEABLE ADVENTURERS FROM A MUGGER AND GAVE THEM A GOLD COIN FROM A SACK OF FUCKING GOLD COINS ON TOP OF THAT. NO MATTER WHAT WAY YOU LOOK AT IT THAT’S FUCKING WEIRD. i’m not even halfway done btw this is still the beginning of episode 1. So they go and defeat a bunch of “one-horned wolves” and after that little venture with no good fight choreography he asks them if they could help him with A) learning to read and write and B) learning magic. They then explain how magic works in this world. Him not knowing how magic works in this world is another point in the possible peasant category. Magic in this world is decided by affinities. If you have an affinity for water magic you can use water magic. If you have an affinity for water and dark magic you can use water and dark and so on and so forth. Sometimes an individual will be able to use null magic or “personal magic” it’s basically magic unique to an individual. Back to elemental affinites. it’s extremely rare for a person to have affinities in three elements. Touya here has all 6. And on top of that he can use all types of Null magic. After that little display some random lady comes in like “oh i need new food for my restaurant and i heard you were a foreigner do you know any Eashen dishes I could use???????” AND HE DOESN’T EVEN STOP TO THINK LIKE “oh wait i’m not actually from there i should just say no” NO HE JUST FUCKING SAYS “hoW AbOuT iCE CrEAm?????” and then he pulls out his phone and Elze and Linze ask what it is and he’s like “Oh it’s a special magical item that only I can use” AND THAT HAS TO BE SO FUCKING EXTREMELY RARE AND VALUABLE LIKE ARE YOU KIDDING. HE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO USE MAGIC UNTIL A COUPLE MINUTES AGO AND YET YOU JUST ACCEPT THAT HE HAS A UNIQUE MAGIC ITEM THAT ONLY HE CAN USE. FUCKING CALL HIM OUT SAY SOMETHING’S UP WITH HIM. HE’S JUST LETTING EVERYTHING HANG OUT PUNISH HIM FOR THAT FOR FUCKSAKE. I’m gonna stop ranting about how stupid all the characters are and come around to the plots of each episode. THEY FEEL LIKE A BUNCH OF COINCIDENCES TAPED TOGETHER TO FORM A PLOT. LIKE “oh he just happened to see them get mugged in an alley” and by itself that’s completely fine but stacked on top of the fact that HE JUST GOT A SACK OF GOLD COINS BECAUSE A MERCHANT JUST HAPPENED TO SEE HIM WALKING TOWARDS THE TOWN. AND HE USES ONE OF THOSE COINCIDENCE COINS TO GIVE THEM AFTER HE SAVES THEM. AND THEN THE LADY JUST HAPPENS TO SHOW UP AT THE END SO HE COULD WHIP OUT HIS SMARTPHONE AND THEY COULD DO A FUCKING KAWAII ICE CREAM OUTRO. FUCK. AND EVERYTHING GETS WORSE IN EPISODE TWO CUZ THEY MEET A GIRL FROM EASHEN AND SHE INTRODUCES HERSELF THE SAME WAY JAPANESE PEOPLE DO AND HE DOES THE SAME INTRODUCTION BACK AND SHE’S LIKE “OH SHIT ARE YOU FROM EASHEN” AND YOU GOTTA REALIZE, THIS IS HIS OUT, THIS CAN EXPLAIN AWAY ANY JAPANESE TENDENCIES HE HAS BUT HE JUST STAYS VAGUE AND SAYS “NO I’M NOT FROM THERE BUT I’M FROM A VERY SIMILAR COUNTRY” LIKE WHAT THE FUCK DUDE TAKE YOUR FUCKING OUT THAT WAS YOUR ONLY ONE. SO THEY DECIDE TO TEAM UP CUZ THEY NEED TO DELIVER A LETTER TO SOMEONE AND THEY GET ON A CARRIAGE AND TOUYA TELLS LINZE HE WANTS TO STUDY NULL MAGIC SO HE CAN USE MORE OF IT AND HE LEARNS A FEW. ONE CALLED APORTS THAT CAN TELEPORT SMALL ITEMS TO YOUR HAND AND ONE CALLED SLIP THAT CANCELS ALL FRICTION AND BASICALLY JUST MAKES THE PERSON SLIP. HE GETS ONE MORE THAT I CAN’T REMEMBER THE NAME OF AND IT GIVES HIM HEIGHTENED SENSES WHEN OUT OF NOWHERE “OH, I SMEEL BLOOD OVER THERE!!!!!!” AND THEY ALL RUSH OUT AND SAVE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE DYING AND THEN SOME CHICK CALLS OUT TO THEM LIKE “FUCK HELP MY BUTLER’S DYING HE HAS AN ARROW IN HIS CHEST” AND SO THEY GET OVER THERE AND TOUYA’S LIKE “HEY LINZE DO HEALING MAGIC” AND SHE’S LIKE “NO I CAN’T THE ARROW’S LODGED IN THERE IF I USE IT NOW THERE’LL BE A FOREIGN OBJECT STUCK IN HIS CHEST” AND THAT GOT ME THINKING. THAT MEANS SOME IDIOT SNAPPED THE ARROW OFF WHILE IT WAS IN THE BUTLER’S CHEST. THAT’S BASICALLY A DEATH SENTENCE IN THIS WORLD. HEALING MAGIC WON’T COMPLETELY SAVE THEM IF THERE’S STILL A FOREIGN OBJECT IN THEIR CHEST. ONE COULD ARGUE “OH THEN IT MUST’VE BEEN THE ATTACKERS, THEY SNAPPED IT OFF TO ENSURE HE WOULD DIE. THE ONLY ATTACKERS WERE A SUMMONER A BUNCH OF SUMMONED LIZARDMEN!! I DOUBT EITHER THE SUMMONER WOULD THINK IT IMPORTANT ENOUGH THAT THE BUTLER DIE THAT HE’D ORDER THE LIZARDMEN TO SNAP THE ARROW OFF IN HIS CHEST. SO THAT FUCKING MEANS THAT THE ONE WHO BASICALLY FUCKING SENTENCED HER BUTLER TO DEATH WAS THE GIRL WHO CALLED THEM OVER TO HEAL HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE. LUCKILY WE LEARNED THE SOLUTION TO THIS PUZZLE ALREADY AND TOUYA USES APORTS TO PULL THE ARROWHEAD OUT. AND THEN WE LEARN THAT THIS GIRL WHO THEY JUST SAVED JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE DAUGHTER OF THE DUKE. WHICH IS THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE RANKING NOBLE IN THE COUNTRY. SO THEY GO TO HIS HOUSE TO RECEIVE A REWARD FOR SAVING HIS DAUGHTER AND BUTLER, BUT OH NO! TURNS OUT THE DUKE’S WIFE IS BEDRIDDEN DUE TO SOME SEVERE ILLNESS. AND THE REASON HIS DAUGHTER WENT OUT WAS IN HOPES THAT SHE COULD LEARN HER GRANDFATHER’S PERSONAL MAGIC CALLED RECOVERY THAT COULD CURE ANY ILLNESS. WHATEVER SHALL WE DOO- AND FUCKING TOUYA’S JUST LIKE “YO I CAN USE ALL NULL MAGIC” AND HEALS HER AFTER FIVE FUCKING YEARS OF BEING BLIND. LIKE GOOD FOR HER AND ALL BUT IMAGINE HOW ANTICLIMACTIC THAT IS. THEY WERE EXPECTING SOME EPIC JOURNEY WHERE THEIR DAUGHTER WOULD WORK HARD TO OVERCOME AND LEARN THE RECOVERY NULL MAGIC AND FINALLY SAVE HER MOTHER BUT SOME DUDE SWOOPS IN LIKE “OH, UH ... ABRACADABRA!” AND SHE’S NOT FUCKING BLIND ANYMORE! LIKE SERIOUSLY!!! AND THEN THE DUKE GIVES THEM LIKE 4000 PLATINUM COINS WHICH IS LIKE 40,000,000 YEN OR SOMETHING AND I’M PRETTY SURE THAT WAS ALL JUST AN EXCUSE FOR WHY THEY CAN BUY EXPENSIVE STUFF IN THE FUTURE

and thus concludes my thoughts on the first two episodes of In another world with my smartphone. oh also he doesn’t ever pull out his phone during episode two.

[rwood2477]

WE HAVE A PROBLEM: This is a well written and thought out article written by a 26 yr old college student by the name of Alyssa Ahlgren, who's in grad school for her MBA. What a GREAT perspecitve...

My Generation Is Blind to the Prosperity Around Us!

I'm sitting in a small coffee shop near Nokomis (Florida) trying to think of what to write about. I scroll through my newsfeed on my phone looking at the latest headlines of presidential candidates calling for policies to "fix" the so-called injustices of capitalism. I put my phone down and continue to look around.

I see people talking freely, working on their MacBook's, ordering food they get in an instant, seeing cars go by outside, and it dawned on me. We live in the most privileged time in the most prosperous nation and we've become completely blind to it.

Vehicles, food, technology, freedom to associate with whom we choose.These things are so ingrained in our American way of life we don't give them a second thought.

We are so well off here in the United States that our poverty line begins 31 times above the global average. Thirty One Times!!!

Virtually no one in the United States is considered poor by global standards. Yet, in a time where we can order a product off Amazon with one click and have it at our doorstep the next day, we are unappreciative, unsatisfied, and ungrateful. ??

Our unappreciation is evident as the popularity of socialist policies among my generation continues to grow. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently said to Newsweek talking about the millennial generation, "An entire generation, which is now becoming one of the largest electorates in America, came of age and never saw American prosperity."

Never saw American prosperity! Let that sink in.

When I first read that statement, I thought to myself, that was quite literally the most entitled and factually illiterate thing I've ever heard in my 26 years on this earth. Many young people agree with her, which is entirely misguided.

My generation is being indoctrinated by a mainstream narrative to actually believe we have never seen prosperity. I know this first hand, I went to college, let's just say I didn't have the popular opinion, but I digress.

Why then, with all of the overwhelming evidence around us, evidence that I can even see sitting at a coffee shop, do we not view this as prosperity? We have people who are dying to get into our country.

People around the world destitute and truly impoverished. Yet, we have a young generation convinced they've never seen prosperity, and as a result, we elect some politicians who are dead set on taking steps towards abolishing capitalism.

Why? The answer is this,?? my generation has only seen prosperity. We have no contrast. We didn't live in the great depression, or live through two world wars, the Korean War, The Vietnam War or we didn't see the rise and fall of socialism and communism.

We don't know what it's like to live without the internet, without cars, without smartphones. We don't have a lack of prosperity problem. We have an entitlement problem, an ungratefulness problem, and it's spreading like a plague." #pleaseshare

[grootpoepjeplasjehoofd]

The 1890 census — the nation’s 11th — was the most ambitious yet. It contained 35 questions, 10 more than the previous census, on a whole range of data: literacy levels, sizes of household, professions, the value of a family’s property, and whether they rented or owned. Perhaps most important was the racial dimension. The census collected stats on native and foreign-born Americans and broke them into multiple racial categories: white, colored, Chinese, Japanese and “civilized Indian” (i.e., a Native American no longer living in a tribal society). It was the first census to include a complete count of Native Americans living on tribal lands. It asked for data on unemployment history, fertility rates, citizenship status, criminal history, literacy, and English language proficiency.

Despite the long list of questions and requirements for calculating a whole slew of new stats, including birth, unemployment, and causes of death divided up by race, the basic population count was completed in just six weeks. It would take a full four years to finish tabulating and editing all other categories of data and release the reports. It was an amazing improvement over the previous census, which took nearly a decade.

It wasn’t just the speed that set Hollerith’s invention apart. It was its ability to mine and sift through data and even combine multiple data points. Such fine-grained analysis on a mass scale was completely unprecedented, and it made Hollerith’s machines an immediate hit with the United States’ race-obsessed political class.

Robert Porter, head of the 1890 census, who had overseen the adoption of Hollerith’s tabulator machines, was deeply impressed by their power to sort immigrant and non-white populations based on numerous demographic variables. He was particularly pleased about being able to analyze the three things most feared by the “race suicide” crowd: immigration rates, immigrant fertility rates, and mixed race marriages (or what the census called the “conjugal condition”), all of which could be broken down by age, race, literacy levels, and naturalization status.

Simon Newton Dexter North, a longtime wool industry lobbyist who would head the 1900 census, was also dazzled by the power of Hollerith’s tabulators. Like Walker and other census colleagues, he was obsessed with immigration and cross-breeding. He believed they were diluting the country’s superior Anglo-American stock and destabilizing society.

“This immigration is profoundly affecting our civilization, our institutions, our habits and our ideals,” he warned in 1914. “It has transplanted here alien tongues, alien religions, and alien theories of government; it has been a powerful influence in the rapid disappearance of the Puritanical outlook upon life.”

North believed that bureaucrats and statisticians like him were fighting a new kind of war — a war for America’s genetic purity. And Hollerith’s tabulator technology was a vital weapon — an “epoch-making” invention — without which this fight would be lost.

Overnight, Hollerith’s tabulator technology had transformed census taking from a simple head count into something that looked very much like a crude form of mass surveillance. To the race-obsessed political class, it was a revolutionary development. They could finally put the nation’s ethnic makeup under the microscope. The data seemed to confirm the nativists’ worst fears: Poor, illiterate immigrants were swarming America’s cities, breeding like rabbits, and outstripping native Anglo-American birth rates.

Immediately following the census, the states and the federal government passed a flurry of laws that heavily restricted immigration.

It started with the Immigration Act of 1891, which set up the first federal agency to oversee immigration and border control and turned an unused island on the southern tip of Manhattan into an elaborate screening center for immigrants. It continued through the passage of a half-dozen major immigration bills, including one that stripped women of U.S. citizenship if they married non-naturalized foreigners, culminating in the Immigration Act of 1924 — a landmark piece of legislation that introduced race immigration quotas.

This suite of laws gave immigration officials the power to ban just about anyone, including “idiots, imbeciles, and feeble-minded persons” or those who exhibited “constitutional psychopathic inferiority” or were “mentally or physically defective.” Anarchists and socialists were banned outright as was anyone from the “Asiatic Barred Zone,” which included most of Asia, the sub-continent, the Middle East, and parts of eastern Russia. Meanwhile, immigration from European countries was constrained by hard limits based on the 1890 census — the first census processed by Hollerith technology. Combined with the anti-Chinese bills passed in the late 19th century, these new laws created a virtual wall around the U.S. Immigration rates plunged.

[crystaluki]

My Generation Is Blind to the Prosperity Around Us!

This article was written by a 26 yr old college student by the name of Alyssa Ahlgren, who's in grad school for her MBA. What a GREAT perspecitve...

I'm sitting in a small coffee shop near Nokomis (Florida) trying to think of what to write about. I scroll through my newsfeed on my phone looking at the latest headlines of presidential candidates calling for policies to "fix" the so-called injustices of capitalism. I put my phone down and continue to look around.

I see people talking freely, working on their MacBook's, ordering food they get in an instant, seeing cars go by outside, and it dawned on me. We live in the most privileged time in the most prosperous nation and we've become completely blind to it.

Vehicles, food, technology, freedom to associate with whom we choose.These things are so ingrained in our American way of life we don't give them a second thought.

We are so well off here in the United States that our poverty line begins 31 times above the global average. Thirty One Times!!!

Virtually no one in the United States is considered poor by global standards. Yet, in a time where we can order a product off Amazon with one click and have it at our doorstep the next day, we are unappreciative, unsatisfied, and ungrateful ??

Our un-appreciation is evident as the popularity of socialist policies among my generation continues to grow. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently said to Newsweek talking about the millennial generation, "An entire generation, which is now becoming one of the largest electorates in America, came of age and never saw American prosperity."

Never saw American prosperity! Let that sink in.

When I first read that statement, I thought to myself, that was quite literally the most entitled and factually illiterate thing I've ever heard in my 26 years on this earth. Many young people agree with her, which is entirely misguided.

My generation is being indoctrinated by a mainstream narrative to actually believe we have never seen prosperity. I know this first hand, I went to college, let's just say I didn't have the popular opinion, but I digress.

Why then, with all of the overwhelming evidence around us, evidence that I can even see sitting at a coffee shop, do we not view this as prosperity? We have people who are dying to get into our country.

People around the world destitute and truly impoverished. Yet, we have a young generation convinced they've never seen prosperity, and as a result, we elect some politicians who are dead set on taking steps towards abolishing capitalism.

Why? The answer is this,?? my generation has only seen prosperity. We have no contrast. We didn't live in the great depression, or live through two world wars, the Korean War, The Vietnam War or we didn't see the rise and fall of socialism and communism.

We don't know what it's like to live without the internet, without cars, without smartphones. We don't have a lack of prosperity problem. We have an entitlement problem, an ungratefulness problem, and it's spreading like a plague."

[wlb1963]

Regardless of who wrote it, it hits the nail on the head.

This article was written by a 26 yr old college student by the name of Alyssa Ahlgren, who's in grad school for her MBA.

I’m sitting in a small coffee shop near Nokomis trying to think of what to write about. I scroll through my newsfeed on my phone looking at the latest headlines of Democratic candidates calling for policies to “fix” the so-called injustices of capitalism. I put my phone down and continue to look around. I see people talking freely, working on their MacBook’s, ordering food they get in an instant, seeing cars go by outside, and it dawned on me. We live in the most privileged time in the most prosperous nation and we’ve become completely blind to it. Vehicles, food, technology, freedom to associate with whom we choose. These things are so ingrained in our American way of life we don’t give them a second thought. We are so well off here in the United States that our poverty line begins 31 times above the global average. Thirty. One. Times. Virtually no one in the United States is considered poor by global standards. Yet, in a time where we can order a product off Amazon with one click and have it at our doorstep the next day, we are unappreciative, unsatisfied, and ungrateful.

Our unappreciation is evident as the popularity of socialist policies among my generation continues to grow. Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently said to Newsweek talking about the millennial generation, “An entire generation, which is now becoming one of the largest electorates in America, came of age and never saw American prosperity.”

Never saw American prosperity. Let that sink in. When I first read that statement, I thought to myself, that was quite literally the most entitled and factually illiterate thing I’ve ever heard in my 26 years on this earth. Now, I’m not attributing Miss Ocasio-Cortez’s words to outright dishonesty. I do think she whole-heartedly believes the words she said to be true. Many young people agree with her, which is entirely misguided. My generation is being indoctrinated by a mainstream narrative to actually believe we have never seen prosperity. I know this first hand, I went to college, let’s just say I didn’t have the popular opinion, but I digress.

Let me lay down some universal truths really quick. The United States of America has lifted more people out of abject poverty, spread more freedom and democracy, and has created more innovation in technology and medicine than any other nation in human history. Not only that but our citizenry continually breaks world records with charitable donations, the rags to riches story is not only possible in America but not uncommon, we have the strongest purchasing power on earth, and we encompass 25% of the world’s GDP. The list goes on. However, these universal truths don’t matter. We are told that income inequality is an existential crisis (even though this is not an indicator of prosperity, some of the poorest countries in the world have low-income inequality), we are told that we are oppressed by capitalism (even though it’s brought about more freedom and wealth to the most people than any other system in world history), we are told that the only way we will acquire the benefits of true prosperity is through socialism and centralization of federal power (even though history has proven time and again this only brings tyranny and suffering).

Why then, with all of the overwhelming evidence around us, evidence that I can even see sitting at a coffee shop, do we not view this as prosperity? We have people who are dying to get into our country. People around the world destitute and truly impoverished. Yet, we have a young generation convinced they’ve never seen prosperity, and as a result, elect politicians dead set on taking steps towards abolishing capitalism. Why? The answer is this, my generation has ONLY seen prosperity. We have no contrast. We didn’t live in the great depression, or live through two world wars, or see the rise and fall of socialism and communism. We don’t know what it’s like not to live without the internet, without cars, without smartphones. We don’t have a lack of prosperity problem. We have an entitlement problem, an ungratefulness problem, and it’s spreading like a plague.

With the current political climate giving rise to the misguided idea of a socialist utopia, will we see the light? Or will we have to lose it all to realize that what we have now is true prosperity? Destroying the free market will undo what millions of people have died to achieve.

My generation is becoming the largest voting bloc in the country. We have an opportunity to continue to propel us forward with the gifts capitalism and democracy has given us. The other option is that we can fall into the trap of entitlement and relapse into restrictive socialist destitution. The choice doesn’t seem too hard, does it?

[classicwoodie]

Written by a 26 year old college student by the name of Alyssa Ahlgren, who’s in grad school for her MBA. AOC AND THE BLIND GENERATION My Generation Is Blind to the Prosperity Around Us! I’m sitting in a small coffee shop near Nokomis (Florida) trying to think of what to write about. I scroll through my newsfeed on my phone looking at the latest headlines of presidential candidates calling for policies to “fix” the so-called injustices of capitalism. I put my phone down and continue to look around. I see people talking freely, working on their MacBook’s, ordering food they get in an instant, seeing cars go by outside, and it dawned on me. We live in the most privileged time in the most prosperous nation and we’ve become completely blind to it. Vehicles, food, technology, freedom to associate with whom we choose.These things are so ingrained in our American way of life we don’t give them a second thought. We are so well off here in the United States that our poverty line begins 31 times above the global average. Thirty One Times!!! Virtually no one in the United States is considered poor by global standards. Yet, in a time where we can order a product off Amazon with one click and have it at our doorstep the next day, we are unappreciative, unsatisfied, and ungrateful. ?? Our unappreciation is evident as the popularity of socialist policies among my generation continues to grow. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently said to Newsweek talking about the millennial generation, “An entire generation, which is now becoming one of the largest electorates in America, came of age and never saw American prosperity.” “NEVER SAW AMERICAN PROSPERITY!” Let that sink in! When I first read that statement, I thought to myself, that was quite literally the most entitled and factually illiterate thing I’ve ever heard in my 26 years on this earth. Many young people agree with her, which is entirely misguided. My generation is being indoctrinated by a mainstream narrative to actually believe we have never seen prosperity. I know this first hand, I went to college, let’s just say I didn’t have the popular opinion, but I digress. Why then, with all of the overwhelming evidence around us, evidence that I can even see sitting at a coffee shop, do we not view this as prosperity? We have people who are dying to get into our country. People around the world are destitute and truly impoverished. Yet, we have a young generation convinced they’ve never seen prosperity, and as a result, we elect some politicians who are dead set on taking steps towards abolishing capitalism. Why? The answer is this…My generation has ONLY seen prosperity. WE HAVE NO CONTRAST! We didn’t live in the great depression, or live through two world wars, the Korean War, The Vietnam War Nor did WE see the rise and fall of socialism and communism. We don’t know what it’s like to live without the internet, without cars, without smartphones. We don’t have a lack of prosperity problem; WE HAVE AN ENTITLEMENT PROBLEM, an UNGRATEFULNESS problem, and it’s spreading like a plague.

[1americanconservative]

WE HAVE A PROBLEM: This is a well written and thought out article written by a 26 yr old college student by the name of Alyssa Ahlgren, who's in grad school for her MBA. What a GREAT perspecitve...My Generation Is Blind to the Prosperity Around Us!I'm sitting in a small coffee shop near Nokomis (Florida) trying to think of what to write about. I scroll through my newsfeed on my phone looking at the latest headlines of presidential candidates calling for policies to "fix" the so-called injustices of capitalism. I put my phone down and continue to look around.I see people talking freely, working on their MacBook's, ordering food they get in an instant, seeing cars go by outside, and it dawned on me. We live in the most privileged time in the most prosperous nation and we've become completely blind to it.Vehicles, food, technology, freedom to associate with whom we choose.These things are so ingrained in our American way of life we don't give them a second thought.We are so well off here in the United States that our poverty line begins 31 times above the global average. Thirty One Times!!!Virtually no one in the United States is considered poor by global standards. Yet, in a time where we can order a product off Amazon with one click and have it at our doorstep the next day, we are unappreciative, unsatisfied, and ungrateful. ??Our unappreciation is evident as the popularity of socialist policies among my generation continues to grow. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently said to Newsweek talking about the millennial generation, "An entire generation, which is now becoming one of the largest electorates in America, came of age and never saw American prosperity."Never saw American prosperity! Let that sink in.When I first read that statement, I thought to myself, that was quite literally the most entitled and factually illiterate thing I've ever heard in my 26 years on this earth. Many young people agree with her, which is entirely misguided.My generation is being indoctrinated by a mainstream narrative to actually believe we have never seen prosperity. I know this first hand, I went to college, let's just say I didn't have the popular opinion, but I digress.Why then, with all of the overwhelming evidence around us, evidence that I can even see sitting at a coffee shop, do we not view this as prosperity? We have people who are dying to get into our country.People around the world destitute and truly impoverished. Yet, we have a young generation convinced they've never seen prosperity, and as a result, we elect some politicians who are dead set on taking steps towards abolishing capitalism.Why? The answer is this,?? my generation has only seen prosperity. We have no contrast. We didn't live in the great depression, or live through two world wars, the Korean War, The Vietnam War or we didn't see the rise and fall of socialism and communism.We don't know what it's like to live without the internet, without cars, without smartphones. We don't have a lack of prosperity problem. We have an entitlement problem, an ungratefulness problem, and it's spreading like a plague.

[girlwiththebooktattoo]

Am I Supposed to Know How to Do Other Things Than Just Repost Memes?--Technology and The Teacher in Public Schools

 Society has labeled my generation as the technological generation. I am automatically labeled as having the technological savvy as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. I was actually born a month after Google, so as twins I’m supposed to know more about Google and it’s advantages than myself. According to Collin Gifford Brooks’ essay titled “New Media Pedagogy”, “‘[M]ultimodal pedagogy,’ a phrase that layers together no only multimedia but the multiliteracies advocated by the New London Group, who call for teaching a broader range of meaning-making ‘modalities,’ including visual, audio, spatial, and gestural literacies alongside more traditional textual/linguistic practices”

I found this quote haunting me as I read through the chapter. I never believed in a traditional style of teaching and constantly strive for new avenues of teaching and understanding the mind of young students.  While learning to be a teacher I was also a young woman living in the 21st century. I have Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok (something I’m not completely proud of), and Tumblr (obviously). I use them quite often to look at the status of close friends and family members as well as post my own pictures and often times memes that nobody really wants to see but are now forced to because they accidentally refreshed the page while looking at a dog video. Yet, I regard myself to be quite technologically illiterate. I don’t know how to use the modern applications for presentation and I still haven’t figured out how to put a title at the top of my Tumblr page (and I’m kind of too embarrassed to ask). Prezi was a very new thing for me when I was in high school and I still only use it as a slightly elevated form for the tired Powerpoint. 

I come to explain this because a teacher I very much admire says that it will be difficult for me to get a job and teach in this new era of education if I don’t keep up with the technological advances that were programmed for a classroom. And this quote and the rest of the chapter elevated her statement to the point that her words shoved me off the pedestal of good grades and ambitions which I thought at the time was safeguarded and landed me into a pit of an unknown future for my career.

What exactly would I have to learn? Could I get away with using social media as other platforms for learning? Am I required to know all the nuances of Google Classroom, Prezi? What’s Adobe Flash again? Am I required to know what that is? Oh, a student is asking me if he should accept the cookies, I’m assuming it’s okay because they’re just regular cookies right?

And it’s not just that. So many times I have seen schools overuse technology to the point that students are simply plugging and chugging vocabulary problems instead of actually learning vocabulary through written text. Not to mention that it’s scientifically proven that people read better on paper than on a screen. All of this sudden influx of implementation of technology in the classroom to fulfill grants that purchased the Chromebooks. 

I do agree with what Brooks’ said and much of it makes sense. The activities were quite enticing and showed not just learning skills, but why the reasoning behind the skills that are used for writing today. My favorite was using Prezi so students can present their annotated bibliography which explains their thought process of research. But how exactly am I supposed to be both an expert in writing skills while also an even greater expert in technology? At some point, the students will have questions about why the app or computer isn’t working and the teacher 9/10 should have an answer other than “I don’t know”. The student’s future depends on understanding the technological advances that are constantly changing, but am I supposed to just know everything because I am considered only a millennial who is constantly glued to their phones. Not to mention when will American public schools realize that a computer is a great source for more information and greater learning avenues of presentation instead of just another way for them to systematically rank the students using standardized tests on laptops. 

Technology IS a good thing in public schools, just not in the way public schools picture technology being utilized and understood.