#anti Julie-Su

[inserthumanname]

Finally, IT'S DONE. When i heard that there was supposed to be an anti-Chaotix group but they only went as far as calling them the Orderix i was like "well don't mind if i do" and these guys are the result, maybe i'll do an individual page for each. Also that "D" gave me more trouble than a letter should have.

[dracarialove]

📄F it, I'm posting my finished fics here, too 📄

*Check the 'rouge's heart' tag if you haven't read chapter 1

[Chapter 2: Betrayal]

Rouge sat on the plush white living room couch, fiddling with a communication device while a random dramedy played on the television. Knuckles came down the stairs, doing up a navy blue tie, and hesitated when he saw her.

He'd hoped to slip out while she was washing dishes, but reluctantly approached the back of the couch to tell her goodbye. He leaned over the bat's shoulder and planted a sweet kiss on her cheek before straightening his posture.

"Bye, babe," he said nonchalantly, Rouge smiling as she turned to look at him. "I'm going to work."

"Work?" the confused woman repeated, watching him walk to the front door. "It's almost sundown!"

The echidna stopped at the mahogany entrance, one mitted hand on the doorknob. He replied over his shoulder, "Yeah... my boss is on a kick of working away from the office; he held a whole meeting about doing performance reviews on a more personal level."

He hesitated again, wanting to leave the excuse there as he squeezed the doorknob. But Rouge was staring at him, perplexed and expecting further clarification. "It's stupid, um... but he's the boss, you know? Kind of a weirdo, so I didn't want him coming here – I offered to let him do my performance review at the apartment."

"Oh," his fiancée replied, mulling over the explanation for a second. Then she smiled, allowing the echidna to let out the breath he'd been holding. "I guess there's nothing wrong with a little change. Strange, but I can't say it's the weirdest thing I've ever heard."

Knuckles chuckled, turning the doorknob. "Gotta go. Love ya."

She returned the sentiment and waved goodbye, her man quickly stepping out and closing the door behind him. Placing the communication device on the glass coffee table, Rouge stood from the couch, then turned off the TV and went into the kitchen.

She picked up her cell phone, thinking about calling Blaze for an evening chat. Before she could open the contact, a stack of papers sitting on the kitchen table caught her eye. Looking them over, it seemed to be a business contract, stapled and stamped, with Knuckles' signature at the bottom.

Figuring he would need it for work, Rouge picked up the stack and placed her cell phone back on the kitchen counter. Walking over to the front window, she could see that Knuckles' red BMW was already gone from the driveway, so she grabbed her keys and went out to her own car.

Stepping into her cherry-scented white Corvette, the bat predicted that she would be able to get the contract to him before his boss arrived – intending to wish him luck before she returned home. She admired the way her engagement ring twinkled as the sky darkened.

***

When she got to Knuckles' apartment, she parked next to his car, noticing a gray convertible sitting in the space on the other side of the BMW. It made Rouge raise an eyebrow as she exited her car, knowing that the convertible belonged to Julie-Su, one of Knuckles' coworkers. The bat had only met her briefly when she'd picked up her fiancé after an office party, so seeing the vehicle next to his struck her as suspicious.

'Maybe she lives in the complex somewhere,' Rouge thought, trying to justify it as she approached the stairs that led to the echidna's door.

Though she attempted to quiet the nagging voice telling her that something wasn't right, she also took each step cautiously, placing her weight on the balls of her feet to avoid clicking her heels against the metal.

The worried woman was tense, her fingers unconsciously bending the stack of business papers when she spotted a 'Do Not Disturb' sign hanging from Knuckles' doorknob. She almost immediately grabbed the knob, but stopped and leaned forward to extend one large ear near the door.

She heard his voice, low and muffled. Then a chuckle – a womanly chuckle. The bat's heart raced, her face flushing hot as jealousy rushed through her in an instant. She gripped the doorknob, pushing before it was even fully turned.

The door opened loudly, and she caught the two echidnas pulling away from each other as Knuckles gasped. Julie-Su's hand was resting on his knee, and there was a light smudge of pink lipstick on the redhead's lips.

Rouge's grip on the stapled papers tightened again, crumpling them in her palm as her eyes angrily darted between the pair. Julie-Su's eyes were large, staring at the bat in confusion while she removed her hand.

Knuckles' face twisted into an expression of horror and guilt. The betrayed woman couldn't find her voice for a moment, her gaze finally sticking to Knuckles and causing him to speak up.

"R-Rouge," he stammered. "Uh, w-what are you doing here? I-"

Her growing rage pushed her mouth to speak before she even knew what she wanted to say, interrupting the echidna with a raised tone. "How dare you! We're engaged!"

She thrust her left hand forward, flashing the ring – Julie-Su stared at it, her mouth agape as Rouge continued. "And you're having an affair?!"

While Knuckles nervously stuttered to conjure a response, the pink echidna blinked and her expression instantly turned to anger. She whipped her head in the cheater's direction, her long locks flicking around her body before settling. Pushing herself from the couch, she slammed her gloved fists against her hips and raised her voice, as well.

"Hold up, you're engaged? You said she wasn't your girl!"

Knuckles blushed in embarrassment, his tongue still too tied to reply. Julie-Su grabbed her purse from the floor and headed for the door, almost bumping into Rouge as she stopped and turned to him again.

"Lose my number," she ordered angrily, avoiding eye contact with Rouge as she walked out and stomped down the stairs.

"Wait, Julie!" Knuckles finally managed to shout, standing.

Rouge's expression twisted to one of disgust. "'Wait, Julie'? You don't give a fuck about me? I can't believe you!"

"Babe, let's just talk-" pleaded Knuckles.

She interrupted him with a scoff, dropping the papers and swiftly shimmying the engagement ring off her finger. "Talk? No, I've had it with you. We're through!"

Throwing the ring to the floor, she glared at him for a brief second before turning to leave. The bat struggled to tune out the excuses flying frantically from his mouth as he began walking around the couch. She slammed the door behind her, hopping off the balcony and gliding down to her car while Julie-Su pulled out of her parking spot.

By the time Knuckles reopened the door, Rouge was climbing into the driver's seat; she started the ignition while he leapt down the steps two at a time. Still seething, she refused to look up at him and jerked her car backwards, peeling away from the apartment in the opposite direction that Julie had gone.

'Bastard!' her mind shouted, the furious bat unable to hold back tears as she sped away. The rest of her thoughts were angry, jumbled, a flurry of incoherent emotions that forced rivers from her eyes while she tried to focus on the road.

Shaking, she gripped the steering wheel tightly and drove in silence – besides the screaming in her own head – until she reached a coffee shop where her foot dropped absent-mindedly against the brake. She swung her car into an empty space and sat parked, falling back against the black leather seat and staring angrily up at the sun visor. There were a couple of people sitting outside, so she didn't yell to herself like she wanted. Instead, she quietly cried it out, silently calling herself stupid and cursing Knuckles for his betrayal.

When her heart beat had slowed and the tears couldn't flow anymore, Rouge took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. She gathered the strength to sit up again, then flipped the sun visor down and looked into the attached rectangular mirror. Her eyes were still wet, teal irises shining back at her, and transparent streaks ran down her cheeks.

Beginning to collect herself, she reached into the glove compartment for tissues and gently wiped away the moisture. Then, glancing at the coffee shop sign, she sighed and flipped the visor back up. She decided it would be a good idea to go inside for a quick cup of tea, not feeling well enough to go back home just yet.

After ordering, the tired-looking cashier handed her the steaming cup and yawned the moment she turned around; Rouge took the hot drink to a two-person table nearby and sat for a while, ruminating between sips.

She was still shaking a bit, mostly staring at her own reflection inside the mug. Soon, a male hedgehog exited the back room of the shop and relieved the other employee, who promptly left while Rouge remained lost in thought.

The black hedgehog looked her way, noticing the bat's glum expression and finding it surprising that she was alone. He wondered what was bothering her, perplexed that a pretty young woman would be sitting in a coffee shop instead of partying at the nearby clubs.

The stoic man kept a subtle eye on her, eventually becoming curious enough to approach the lone patron. He quietly cleared his throat before rounding the counter.

"Hi," said the hedgehog in a deep, smooth voice.

Rouge looked up, caught a bit off guard, and was met with the most striking crimson eyes she'd ever seen. They were matched by red highlights along his silky black quills, his expression entirely neutral as he stood in a gray apron, white chest hair escaping the collar.

She straightened in her seat, subconsciously perfecting her posture while her gaze remained glued to his. The bat was a little embarrassed that she hadn't noticed him walking up to her; and she wouldn't have been in the mood to speak with him if he weren't shockingly handsome.

"Oh, hi," she responded, her tone shaky from the crying.

"Are you enjoying your tea?" he asked, looking down and pointing at the half-empty cup.

"Oh, yes, I am," Rouge answered, then noticed the nametag stuck to his apron. "Do you work here?"

She immediately felt dumb for asking, but the hedgehog didn't miss a beat in his response. "Yes, I've been here for a while. Truthfully, I only took the job so I could get free coffee. It calms me."

Rouge appreciated the softness in his voice; although not very chipper, his energy matched hers in the moment. All things considered, she found it friendly enough that he was talking to her, the sad bat feeling a bit grateful for the light conversation. Although she was too drained to smile, her eyes brightened a little more.

"Not a bad gig," she said. "Seems pretty quiet in here."

The hedgehog nodded and there was a moment of silence between them. His eyes drifted back down to her mug, and she got the feeling that he didn't know what else to say. Then he looked back up and took a step forward, extending his gloved hand.

"Shadow," he said simply, ignoring that she had already seen his nametag.

She reached out and pressed her palm against his, shaking a couple of times. He had a firm grip, and his hand was warm. "I'm Rouge."

"I'll let you finish your tea," replied Shadow, taking his hand back as she let go. "But maybe you could come by tomorrow."

He shrugged and added, "If you have the time."

Rouge's heart skipped a beat and she managed a faint smile. "I just might do that."

He nodded again, then returned to the counter just before another customer entered the building. The newly-single jewel hunter finished her drink – sneaking glances at Shadow while he worked – then offered a quick wave to him before leaving.

She felt a little more energized as she climbed into her car, then made the drive back home and confronted the question of what to do with Knuckles' belongings.

[respectthepetty]

Upcoming Taiwanese BLs

We are over halfway through 2024, and as usual, I've only had two Taiwanese BLs (Unknown, Anti Reset), so even though I'm sitting on a stack of BLs to watch every single week from other countries, call me Smaug because I need MORE!

Honorary Korean BL: Uncovering the Curse of Taekwondo (2024)

Former friends (and possibly lovers) reunite at a funeral after going their separate ways for over a decade, but, honestly, I don't care about the plot because this comes from Hwang Da Seul who was behind Blueming, To My Star, and Where Your Eyes Linger, so I know it's going to be amazing. There is a movie and a series version, and the movie already premiered at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea at the beginning of July. The runtime was 154 minutes, but the series is eight episodes around thirty minutes each and is currently seeking distribution.

First Note of Love (August 2024)

My most beloved, Charles Tu, from my favorite BL HIStory 4: Close to You is finally returning to me in the form of a washed-up singer who stepped away from the spotlight due to a tragic event only to be dragged back in by an up-and-coming composer who is also a longtime fan. It is a joint production with Thailand's Star Hunter Entertainment (the company behind Big Dragon, Love Senior, City of Stars, and Sunset x Vibes) and features a side couple of a Thai singer and a Taiwanese agent. It will involve singing, but I'm already too comfortable in my seat with my snacks to care.

Fragrance of the First Flower Season 2 (2024)

The lone GL holding down this list finished filming late last year and Gagaoolala has been releasing BTS images since filming began, so it'll likely land there once it is released. The series is a continuation of the 2021 first season, which people were not thrilled about because of the ending, so this season should solve some of the angst we were left with by exploring the two women actually coming together to navigate life as a couple.

The Only One (August 2024)

Directed by Liu Kuang Hui, who directed Your Name Engraved Herein, written by the same folks behind The Untamed, and based on Mu Su Li's novel A Certain Someone which is about two boys whose parents are dating and move in together, so the mains go from enemies-to-??? and the only reason for the question marks on a Taiwanese BL is because the word on these BL streets (and his MDL page) is one of the actors works heavily in China, so this might be the reason this one has been was in limbo even though filming finished earlier this year, but the socials are still posting it's coming this year.

See Your Love (Filming Complete)

This co-production with Japan is about a rich man who falls in love with his hearing-impaired caregiver. It finished filming at the end of May and will have those sweet sweet Taiwanese BL cameos from some Be Loved in House: I Do and Plus and Minus folks PLUS it will be the first cameos for the Kiseki: Dear to Me guys since the company that produced their show is the same one for this show.

Impression of Youth (Filming Complete)

Very little is known about the plot of this teacher-student romance, but it comes from the same folks who produced DNA Says Love You and one of the mains, Muji Hsu, was also the lead in 2020's Because of You. Filming finished at the end of May, and the company stated it would be out before the end of the year.

Islanders (late 2024/early 2025)

This is based on a novel, Islands, by Lolita Hu, features some well known Taiwanese actors, and for a bit was under the name Sea of Intimacy. It's being presented as an 'older BL' but the MDL summary is sparse of the BL-plot: Hung, a successful entrepreneur, has three intimate relationships: his wife, his mistress, and his girlfriend. The lives of these individuals in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s are intertwined because of romance, but their story extends beyond that. When Hung faces criticism on social media and loses everything, the way they react tells us how they see the world.

Wishing Upon the Shooting Star & The Young Gangster (2025)

These two deal with completely different plots but are together because of one reason: Ray Jiang. He is the director for these two and was the director for Unknown, My Tooth Your Love, and We Best Love. The companies behind them have stated the series are coming next year, but the guess is Ray's busy schedule is part of the hold up since he has a Netflix series in the works and apparently a film featuring Sam Lin (We Best Love) on the way. The Young Gangster is based on a novel and deals with a research assistant gathering information on the mafia (and we know how the mafia works in BLs), while Shooting Star deals with a man wishing that nobody notices him once he returns to his hometown after being fired. The wish backfires and nobody recognizes him, not even his dad or the boy he confessed to in high school! BL Mafia, Sideways Wishes, and Ray Ray are my favorite types of snacks!

Pray in Love (2025?)

A police officer falls in love with a man only to realize that man is the son of a prominent leader on the day of his arranged wedding in which he was hired as security for the event. The series already released a short film of the basic premise for fundraising efforts and festival rounds. Apparently, filming has started on the series, but there is no concrete confirmation from the production company.

Eternal Butler (2025)

Edited to add thanks to @cankersoregirl! This is a sequel to VBL's Anti Reset and began filming in early July. It focuses on Ever 4 who is sent to be a bodyguard for a young rich man only to encounter a rebellious man.

That Year, 162 Rainfalls (In Production?)

Is this a movie? Is it a series? Is it happening?! Who knows, but last year, it finally got funding and a director attached to it, but the real kicker is Lin Pei Yu is the screenwriter, and she is the writer behind all of my favorite Taiwanese BLs: We Best Love, HIStory 3: Trapped, My Tooth Your Love, Kiseki: Dear to Me, and so much more. Basically, the company struck gold getting her for this story about two archers and best friends. One gets confessed to but admits he actually is in love with his best friend, but before love can happen, the best friend has an accident and falls into a coma. It is based on a novel of the same name, and the plot is way more hefty than this, but I know Lin Pei Yu will make it work!

Four Seasons (Pre, Pre, PRE-Production?)

This is supposed to be four different stories focusing on different seasons, and is rumored to be VBL's next group of shows since the company has stated it wants to continue its formula from last year of releasing slightly connected shows. VBL/Vidol was behind Stay by My Side, VIP Only, You Are Mine, and Anti Reset. Winter is about a scrooge CEO and a florist who is hired to decorate for the CEO's Christmas event. Spring is about two boys meeting on a bus and falling in love over music. Summer is about a market owner and a chef falling in love over food. Autumn is about two former best friends seeing each other ten years after graduating and exploring their hometown together.

Connecting to You (Pre-Production?)

It seems to have gotten funding, but it's been quiet since which isn't surprising because when it comes to Taiwanese BLs, nothing is really heard until filming begins or even after it ends. I still have my hopes high because this is *THE* BL for me as it deals with a man who can see colored threads connecting people and one day runs into a policeman whose thread connects to him. The thread between them begins to change color, from silver-grey to yellow, representing friendship, and even to red, representing love. If I have to sell an organ or two to fund this myself, I. Will. Do. It. I NEED THIS!

And this wouldn't be a Petty Post if I didn't include this final one:

HIStory 15: Freed (GIVE IT TO ME!)

I don't care if this a long shot. I don't care if I seem crazy always asking for this. I. Deserve. It. HIStory 3: Trapped ended with our best mafia boy in prison, and it's time he got out! The HIStory franchise has not had a series since 2022's HIStory 5: Love in the Future, and although there have been rumors that a HERstory story might be next, I think bringing back a popular story would be just as good. I will ask for this every chance I can until I get it, and I plan on living a long life, so I got time!

[reasonsforhope]

Federal Judge Gregory Presnell has placed a preliminary injunction on a Florida bill banning individuals under the age of 18 from attending drag performances. 

[Note: "Preliminary injunction" means that the judge has blocked the law from going into effect. The ban is temporary, and is designed to keep the bill from being enforced or applied while the bill goes through the appeals process, where higher-level judges will rule on whether they agree with DeSantis, or with this judge.

Given how incredibly overbroad the law is, previous recent rulings on these issues, and this judge's ruling in particular, DeSantis's government will almost certainly have a difficult time convincing any not-a-total-right-wing-crony lawyer that the law is constitutional. Because, in fact, this law is a huge violation of the first amendment, which protects freedom of speech and freedom of expression.]

The law, dubbed the “Protection of Children Act,” would allow “the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to fine, suspend, or revoke the license of any public lodging, establishment, or public food service establishment if the establishment admits a child to an adult live performance.” DeSantis previously said that drag shows, which are covered by the ban, “sexualize” children.  

In his ruling, Presnell sided with Hamburger Mary’s, a restaurant that hosts drag performances and sued the DeSantis administration, claiming that the restrictions implemented by the act were too broad and not only violated their first amendment rights but unfairly harmed their business. 

In a move the DeSantis administration likely did not see coming, Presnell cited previous laws passed by the Florida governor in his reasoning for placing an injunction on the law. Presnell wrote that the Florida government had failed to sufficiently narrow the breadth of the ban to prevent its unjust application and its “inevitable clash with the Florida ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’ and other laws.” 

The “Parental Bill of Rights” was signed into law by DeSantis in July of 2021. The law, as quoted by Presnell states that “all parental rights are reserved to the parent of a minor child in this state…including…[t]he right to direct the upbringing and the moral or religious training of his or her minor child.” 

-via Rolling Stone, June 23, 2023

[batboyblog]

Two former librarians of the Sterling Free Public Library in Sterling, Kansas have filed a lawsuit claiming they were fired over a June library display featuring a rainbow symbol that was mistaken for a Pride Month display.

The library’s board fired library director Kari Wheeler and assistant librarian Brandy Lancaster on July 5 after library employee Ruth Splitter complained to the board about the display. Lancaster created the display as part of a national summer reading program with the theme of “All Together Now,” The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

The display featured a rainbow infinity symbol, a logo often used by neurodivergent and autism rights advocates, along with a heart and the words, “We all think differently.” The display also featured a rainbow image of a child in a wheelchair and a quote from Black writer Maya Angelou that said, “In diversity there is beauty and strength.”

On June 22, Splitter, a temporary summer library employee, complained about the display to Lancaster, saying she found the “gay Pride” symbol offensive and going into “an anti-LGBT diatribe” even though Lancaster explained that the infinity symbol represented neurodiversity and autism.

Splitter then complained about the display to Michelle Miller, vice chair of the library board. Miller reportedly told Lancaster that she could get her fellow board members to have Lancaster take down the display.

“I am totally fine with diversity of skin color display, just not represented with rainbow colors,” Miller texted Wheeler, the director, according to the lawsuit. “I do not want any kind of rainbow display especially in this month. We have a conservative town and as a library do not need to make political statements (see Target and Budlight as negative examples). I certainly do not want the library to promote LGBTQ agendas.”

Wheeler removed the display, thinking its removal would just be temporary until the board advised her on how to change it. Instead, two weeks later, the board decided that it had lost confidence in Wheeler and Lancaster and voted to fire them.

[julie-sufan]

The In-Depth Look at Julie-Su Part 6: Knuckles #16-23

Issue #16 is a one shot. Here Knuckles is upset after finding out that his mom plans to marry her new boyfriend. He runs off not wanting to talk to anyone at the moment.

First (But definitely not the last) time that Julie kisses Knuckles. Then they share a nice quiet moment together.

Issue #17 & 18 features yet another past echidna guardian with a ton of backstory. He meets Julie-Su who is riding an absurdly evil looking horse type of creature.

Love that she's giving him attitude even when in the thrones of death.

In issue #18 she stops by Lara-Le's house (Knuckles's Mom) for some tea and cookies and to hear about of Tobor's (The echidna with the unique eyes) backstory.

Another moment I like. Here we see Julie-Su going from being in complete denial about wanting a relationship with Knuckles to hugging him on the exact same page. Kind of reminds me of Michiru from Fruit of Grisaia who would also fail at trying to be a tsundere type.

Second kiss scene.

Issues 19-21 barely has Julie in it and centers around the Royal Acorn Family. It really feels like a plot that should have been in the main Sonic comic series but for some reason ended up here.

Issue 20 features the first full appearance of Elias who would later show up in the Sonic comic.

After this point Julie gets knocked out for pretty much the rest of the arc.

Next arc 22-24 is going to be a bit tricky to talk about without getting political because it features politics. Please keep in mind that this arc was written way back in 1999.

It features a importance first appearance of Julie-Su's half sister Lien-Da working with the Dark Legion to smash stuff up. No matter what you're views are I like to think that people would come together against the anti-flat screen party.

Did some quick research and found this from howstuffworks. Flat screen tvs used to be called HDTVs when they were first released around 1998.

"Those sets came from manufacturers like Panasonic and Sony, and had a different appearance -- they were wider than standard televisions. That's because the new HDTV standard also included a new aspect ratio. The standard aspect ratio was 4:3, the new ratio was 16:9. They also came with a hefty price tag -- the first sets on the American market cost $7,000 or more."

Lien-Da has never looked more sinister. You can really tell that the artist (Jim Valentino) enjoyed drawing the Dark Legion and it's various members.

Nice Chaotix group shot. This upcoming full page scene I'm going to let speak for itself and that's all I'll say on it.

Hope you enjoy seeing Julie hang upside down because that's what she spends the most of issue 24 doing.

Next up: More hanging around and the Dating arc.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Outside the California State Capitol last month, a fitness trainer turned school board president fired up the crowd at a parental rights rally, telling them they were all fighters in “a spiritual battle” for their kids and must answer the call from God.

Sonja Shaw, who was elected to the Chino Valley Unified School District board of education last November with an assist from a local megachurch and its Christian nationalist pastor, didn’t equivocate in naming the enemy: state Democratic officials who are challenging her right-leaning policies—and drafting laws that hinder book bans and protect teachers from harassment.

“Today we stand here and declare in his almighty name that it’s only a matter of time before we take your seats and we be a God-fearing example to the nation, how God is using California to lead the way,” Shaw crowed, adding, “We already know who has won this battle. You will be removed in Jesus’s name! You, Satan, are losing.”

Now Shaw is in the national spotlight in wake of her Chino school board passing codes that ban pride flags in classrooms and force educators to inform parents if their children identify as transgender—the first such policy to be passed in the state.

This summer, Shaw’s school board meetings, about 35 miles east of Los Angeles, became chaotic spectacles, ones that attracted the Proud Boys and other right-wing extremists and pitted them against students and parents protesting what they’re calling anti-LGBTQ practices that endanger children. When California superintendent of schools Tony Thurmond appeared at the July meeting in opposition, Shaw unceremoniously silenced him.

Weeks after state Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a civil rights probe into Shaw’s “gender disclosure” policy, his office sued the school board. Bonta said the policy violates the California constitution and state law, and would cause LGBTQ+ students, “mental, emotional, psychological and potential physical harm,” according to a press release.

Other right-leaning school boards across the state have followed Chino Valley Unified’s lead. Shortly before filing suit against the Chino board, Bonta issued statements denouncing the Anderson Union High School District, Temecula Valley Unified and Murrieta Valley Unified school boards’ decisions to pursue “copycat” anti-trans policies.

“These students are currently under threat of being outed to their parents against their will, and many fear that the District’s policy will force them to make a choice: either ‘walk back’ their constitutionally and statutorily protected rights to gender identity and gender expression, or face the risk of emotional, physical, and psychological harm,” Bonta said.

To concerned observers in Chino, Shaw’s tack is not unlike what’s happening at school boards across the country, with brawls over curriculum, social emotional learning, and the banning of books that focus on race and LGBTQ issues. Extremist groups like Moms for Liberty have spawned a mainstream narrative that public schools are “indoctrinating” children with “woke” ideology and into believing they’re a different gender.

But in Chino Valley, the school board’s new direction appears to be spurred on by a man behind the curtain: Shaw’s megachurch pastor Jack Hibbs.

Indeed, three of the board’s five members belong to his church, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills.

At the Sacramento rally, Hibbs boasted of his congregation’s work in electing Shaw. Calling her a “true modern-day Deborah,” Hibbs said the soccer mom “heeded the call to run for the school board” and that “when churches get involved and get informed, people vote.”

God, Hibbs said, installed Shaw into her position.

“Get on your knees every night,” Shaw told the crowd. “All day I talk to him. People probably think I’m crazy, but I’m really just talking to God all day.” After reciting a Bible verse, she added, “I have looked demons straight in the eye and with God’s authority rebuked them back to hell where they belong.”

“You can do that too, trust me.”

Residents have long raised alarms about the school board’s religious bent. And Pastor Hibbs and members of his megachurch congregation appear to be more involved than ever in Chino’s public schools.

Last week, in an interview with right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk, Hibbs said that he brought the policy language to the school board after Republican state Assemblyman Bill Essayli’s “parental notification” legislation died without a hearing.

“He came back thinking he was defeated,” Hibbs said. “What we did is that we read his bill and we took the verbiage from that bill and then introduced it to our unified school district school board and they voted and adopted the verbiage.”

“Guess what happened?” Hibbs continued. “We found out something, Charlie, that the most powerful politics is local…”

Hibbs then turned to Bonta’s lawsuit against the board, saying, “We’re going to take that on, we’re going to make sure that this goes to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

The pastor, who hasn’t returned messages left by The Daily Beast, wasn’t shy about his fight on the school board’s behalf.

Before he signed off, Hibbs told Kirk that children are “groomed” into trans ideology in the classroom and that schools want to “castrate your children” and “mutilate them.”

Ahead of the parental notification vote in July, Hibbs also urged people to flock to the fiery board meeting. “We’re asking people to show up by the thousands,” he said in a video announcement on the church’s Facebook page. “Please make it a priority.”

Meanwhile, Calvary Chapel has boasted on social media of collecting tens of thousands of ballots for state and local candidates endorsed by Hibbs. The church’s ballot collection, a practice it’s engaged in for years, is conducted with help from Hibbs’ political organization Real Impact.

A teacher in another district—who alleges she was fired for refusing to follow her school’s gender identity protocols—heeded Hibbs’ call. “I could no longer be both a Christian and a public school teacher,” she said at the board meeting. “Then I remembered what Pastor Jack Hibbs taught me, that the word of God says… that being a coward is a sin.”

Still, Shaw claims that neither she nor the school board follow Hibbs’ orders. “Absolutely not. No one has a direct line to Pastor Jack Hibbs. Pastor Jack has never said, ‘Hey, guys, I want you to bring this policy forward.’ Never ever did he do any of that,” she told The Daily Beast. She added, however, that she couldn’t speak on Hibbs’ involvement with the board of education prior to her election.

The mother of two daughters—a freshman and junior in high school—Shaw was a Bible study leader at another church before joining Hibbs’ Calvary Chapel Chino Hills about two years ago.

Last September, Shaw told the San Bernardino Sun that she wasn’t running for election on the behalf of the 10,000-member Calvary Chapel. “They keep calling me ‘the church’s choice.’ I’ve never met Pastor Jack (Hibbs). I’ve never been brought up on stage,” she said.

One month later, however, Hibbs introduced her at the pulpit, telling his Sunday service that “she’s truly going up against the machine” before leading a prayer for her victory. Shaw bowed her head as Hibbs lifted a hand in the air and declared, “She has decided, Lord, to take on the woke-ism that is attacking our children.”

Hibbs has emboldened supporters to fight progressive education bills and prop up Christian candidates. In his sermons, he has tearfully prayed on stage for Donald Trump to win the 2020 election, said COVID-19 vaccines would lead people into accepting “the mark of the beast,” and called “transgenderism” a “sexually perverted cult” and “an anti-God, anti-Christ plan of none other than Satan himself.”

On education, he’s claimed that he and his acolytes are “trying to rescue kids from a system that is sexualizing them,” that kids “come out of school questioning their gender but they don’t even know how to do simple math” and “are being raped by the public school system.”

Hibbs has also taken aim at California’s abortion protections, describing them as “Infanticidal Death Policies,” in a document circulated to his congregation in October 2022, just before Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s re-election.

“If God does not intervene in this upcoming election through His people, which has always been his MO, and, if Newsom has his way, then this will certainly be proof that judgment has begun in California if not the United States,” the document reads. It ends by encouraging followers to return their ballots to the church.

“We should be able to stand against the school board,” Hibbs said in May. “We should be able to stand against some teacher that is molesting your child—if not physically, in their minds.”

In July, Hibbs delivered a skewed history lesson claiming that some founding fathers “inherited” slaves but actually cared for them. “Before you call them rich white guys who were slave owners,” Hibbs preached, “you need to finish the sentence: They were rich white guys who were slave owners who clothed, fed, and in many cases took very good care of their slaves while at the same time juggling two worlds…”

The megachurch has also tried to meddle in Chino Valley public school classes and teachings. Calvary Chapel members once funded textbooks for an elective course in two public high schools on the Bible as history and literature and tried to alter rules for sex education curriculum.

The church also runs a Christian “Released Time” program, where public school students can duck out of class for weekly one-hour Bible lessons held in buses outfitted with tables and chairs. This program had a table at the district’s back-to-school night, and a volunteer in a Calvary Chapel Chino Hills T-shirt handed out candy and Bible coloring books.

“This is a national movement and it’s intentional,” former school board president Christina Gagnier told The Daily Beast. “I think Chino Valley is a cautionary tale.”

District parent Glory Ciccarelli condemned Hibbs’ words on slavery at the August board meeting, urging Black parents to leave his church and “wake up and realize that what our ancestors went through is slowly getting phased out of the curriculum to the point where our kids will eventually be taught that literal slaveholders were nice guys…”

Ciccarelli told The Daily Beast that her biggest issue with Chino Valley leadership is “the apathy they have for the Black kids in the district,” and that the board needs professional development training relating to race and culture and diversity in hiring.

But she believes that Hibbs’ influence over certain board members could derail any progress in the district. In addition to Shaw, two other school board members—James Na and Andrew Cruz—are also members of Calvary Chapel.

“Cruz and Na are quite literally acolytes of Jack Hibbs at this point,” Ciccarelli said. “In my opinion, everything they say and believe as it relates to the school board is basically something they have heard from him.”

Hibbs, she added, “reminds me of Jim Jones with the way he is so easily able to control so many people at the same time.”

At the July board meeting that attracted far-right extremists like the Proud Boys, some local parents pushed back against the church’s connections to the school board.

“Madam President, board, cabinet, and staff,” quipped one father of a queer child, “I didn’t know I came to church tonight. I thought it was a board meeting.”

So many citizens had signed up to speak, waiting in a line outside in 100-degree weather, that the board cut the public comment period from three minutes to one minute per person.

Lisa Greathouse, a local mom and former school board candidate, defended teachers against claims they were “indoctrinating” and “grooming” kids. “Make no mistake,” Greathouse told the auditorium, “what this board is pushing through now is just the tip of the iceberg. They are taking their cue from their megachurch…”

Outbursts from hecklers interrupted the proceeding, which had a heavy police and security presence. Speakers from out of town and from Calvary Chapel preached about God and the Devil, facing off with parents and students who warned Shaw and her board they would have blood on their hands should the “outing” policy pass.

One moment in particular was so explosive it made headlines: Shaw excoriated Tony Thurmond, California’s state superintendent of schools, who’d asked her to reconsider the policy about notifying parents if their children identified as trans. He said it might run afoul of student privacy laws and jeopardize kids who “may not be in homes where they can be safe.”

Thurmond wasn’t finished with his remarks, but Shaw cut him off for time like she did anyone else. “Tony Thurmond,” she seethed, “I appreciate you being here, tremendously. But here’s the problem: We’re here because of people like you. You’re in Sacramento proposing things that pervert children!”

After Thurmond tried to continue, Shaw yelled into her mic that she wouldn’t let him “blackmail” or “bully” her district. Video of the scene showed Thurmond exchanging words with a group of cops before walking away.

In a statement, Thurmond told The Daily Beast that a group of concerned students contacted him about Shaw’s proposal, and he rearranged his schedule to be there. “Let’s be clear about these policies—a small group of anti-LGBTQ+ politicians like Ms. Shaw believe they have the right to dictate when and how students and their families talk about their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Thurmond said. “They are trying to turn our public school educators—who are already overworked and underpaid—into the gender police.”

“Choosing when to come out and to whom is a deeply personal decision that LGBTQ+ young people have the right to make for themselves.”

Ashlee Peters, the parent of a child in the district, watched the scene unfold. “As an educator and as a mom, you just sit there and go, ‘I can’t believe this is happening in my community,’” said Peters, who has been a public school teacher for 22 years.

Peters was also in line when far-right activist Bryce Henson, who also goes by Ben Richards, walked around trying to bait people into reacting on camera. “He would come up to you and be like, ‘I just want to talk to you, why can’t we just have a conversation about this?’” It was a sneak preview of the testimony to come.

Inside, people proselytized and spewed hatred, calling LGBTQ people “terrorists” and warning “demons are after our children.” Richards called transgender, Black Lives Matter and Juneteenth flags flying outside his San Diego school district a symbol of “systemic radical leftist indoctrination." One mother ended her speech with, “As Jason Aldean would say, ‘Well, try that in a small town.’”

When it was her turn, Peters warned that the “outing” policy would “create a hostile environment” for LGBTQIA+ students and that the board’s “reckless pursuit of personal agendas” could bring about “expensive lawsuits.”

The atmosphere was so tense that security escorted a person out who put hands on someone else, Peters said. “It seriously feels like I’m in some sort of weird dystopia,” Peters told The Daily Beast. “I don’t know how this happened because it does not feel real.”

Peters believes that what’s unfolding in Chino Valley Unified is a wake-up call to monitor school board elections. “I just didn’t think it was going to happen in my community because I live in California,” she said. “I feel relatively safe living in a blue state—that religion wasn’t going to suddenly take over my public school system, and it has.”

Even though the involvement of Hibbs and his megachuch in local public schools has been center stage in Chino Valley this year, it’s a battle that’s been brewing for at least a decade. Back in 2014, the Freedom from Religion Foundation filed a lawsuit on behalf of parents in Chino Valley over prayers and Bible readings at school board meetings, arguing these practices “constituted an establishment of religion in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.”

The prayers and Bible verses were being led by Calvary Chapel members James Na and Andrew Cruz, who were elected to the school board in 2008 and 2012 respectively.

According to the prayer lawsuit, Na once told spectators of a school board meeting that their “lives begin in the hospital and end in the church, and urged everyone who does not know Jesus Christ to go and find Him.” In 2013, Na sent out a letter to school district “family member[s]” that referred to Hibbs with an excerpt from “Pastor Jack’s Christmas story.”

“The community is going to rise and create a war chest to help you,” Hibbs told the board in 2016 in the midst of the legal battle, though a crowdfunding drive affiliated with the church apparently never delivered. A school board spokesperson previously said that funding was intended to bring the case to the Supreme Court.

A federal judge ultimately ruled in the parents’ favor, and the board lost its Ninth Circuit appeal, leaving the district with $282,000 in legal bills.

This apparently hasn’t stopped Cruz’s Christian commentary. In April, he went on a rant wherein he said that if he were governor, he’d mandate citizens be trained in firearms and that, “I do love one man, I really love this man, and that is Jesus Christ. It’s in my head.”

Since his election, Cruz has especially ignited parents’ ire and weathered calls to resign as a result of his offensive remarks and chemtrail conspiracy theories. In 2015, Cruz said mothers who don’t vaccinate their kids are wrongfully vilified while “illegal aliens” bring infectious disease to America. In 2018, Cruz infamously said that “it wasn’t Hitler that was bad, it was the people that follow the laws and the agenda” while discussing “parents rights.”

That year, Na and Cruz (and Hibbs) proposed that parents have the ability to opt kids out of sex-ed discussions on gender identity, sexual orientation, and discrimination—and for schools to notify parents when a transgender student uses a locker room or shower. Those measures failed.

Na is also not without controversy. Aside from his religious musings at the board, he’s also been accused of trying to recruit at least one student to Calvary Chapel.

At a June board meeting, a statement was read on behalf of Esther Kim, who was the panel’s student representative in the 2021-2022 school year. “In sophomore year, I met Mr. Na through a personal phone call where his school board role and my school were acknowledged,” Kim said. “During an unrelated conversation, he attempted to persuade me to go to his church.”

[...]

Federal law explicitly prohibits churches from engaging in political campaign activity.

Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, where Jack Hibbs is pastor and school board member Sonja Shaw is a parishioner, should immediately have its tax exempt status revoked under 501 (3)(c).

File a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service HERE. Email the completed form to eoclass@irs.gov.

Specific info for the IRS form:

• This church's EIN (Tax ID #) is 33-0419808.

• Address: 4201 Eucalyptus Ave, Chino, CA 91710

• Complaint Against: Jack Hibbs, Pastor

• Date Of Violation: April 19, 2023

• Description: Pastor Hibbs held a political rally outside the California State Capitol in opposition to a specific bill pending in the legislature. Also published a notice in the church newsletter soliciting attendees for this political lobbying rally under the headline, "California Lobby Day: Stop AB 2223."

• Evidence #1: Political Lobbying Violation on the church's newsletter (include link)

• Evidence #2: Archive.org snapshot of the newsletter article (include link)

[web-novel-polls]

Best (Web Novel) Hater Tournament

Last Updated: July 27th, 2024 - Please check the original post for updates

Submissions Closed - Masterpost here

[Plain Text: Submissions Closed /end pt]

Rules:

Must be from a web novel or adaptation

Can be a hater of any kind or just have the hater soul

Please submit one character per response (no limit overall)

Tournament Tag: #best hater tournament

Arthur Galvhan from Unlucky Clover

Submission: Legitimately nominating him because he's such a hateful piece of shit that his irrational hatred causes the apocalypse. That is simply an impressive amount of being an absolute asshole. 

Han Sooyoung from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Submission: She spent years hating on a web novel similar to her own through an anonymous account and hate reading the comments it's sole reader posted. Even after the novel came to life, she still kept criticizing its horrible writing and protagonist. 

Hua Cheng from Heaven Official’s Blessing 

Submission: Treats nearly everyone that isn't Xie Lian with derision

Wiki Link

Jiang Cheng from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Submission 1: Hates Wangxian's relationship. 

Submission 2: Dude devoted more than a decade of his life to hating on his dead kind-of-brother (it's complicated) how has he not been submitted already? bonus points for his actor's many faces of utter disgust in The Untamed 

Mod Propaganda: Haterism so bad you can start fandom discourse just by name-dropping him. 

Wiki Link

Jun Wu from Heaven Official’s Blessing

Submission: 

(Spoilers) Tossing his old pals into lava and then destroying an entire generation of gods wasn't enough! He also ground the old generation of gods up and made them into the foundation of the new Heavenly Realm, so everyone steps all over them whenever they're walking around. Also an over simplified explanation of the entire plot is basically Jun Wu hears one phrase that sets him off and decides to be a giant hater because of it, destroying a whole kingdom within like three to four years in the process. This guy is the epitome of "...and I took that personally."

Wiki Link

Lan Jingyi from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation 

Submission: jingyi hates su she so much even though they've never interacted before and then absolutely obliterates him verbally in front of almost every sect leader, what a legend

Lan Wangji from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation / MDZS

Submission: Just because he's quiet doesn't mean he's not a hater. He gets his hate across economically. Jin Guangyao? Hated. Su She? Hated. Jiang Cheng? Don't even ask. Loathed entirely. Anyone else not in his immediate family (including problematic cancelled husband Wei Wuxian)? Not even worth his time. Bro even hates himself (sometimes) 

Mu Qing from Heaven Official’s Blessing

Submission: https://www.tumblr.com/bonesblubs/708661194148511744/inspiration 

Mod Propaganda: Mu Qing can split a tower bell in two yet can’t admit he wanted to be friends with someone he’s known for 800+ years without trying to immediately kill himself. Randomly started reciting a poem about his least favorite coworker’s dick just to fuck with him (Feng Xin). Said he’d kill a bride like Xie Lian if she was sent to him. 

Wiki Link

Shen Jiu / Original Shen Qingqiu from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving 

"Even if all of this could be redone from the beginning, in the end, the conclusion would remain the same. My heart is full of malice, my insides hatred and resentment. Today, Luo Binghe wishes for me to die horribly, and I only have myself to blame." - Shen Jiu, The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, Volume 4: Chapter 24 (Reddit 1, 2)

Submission: Both the Shen Qingqius are haters just in very different ways 

Mod Propaganda: The Scum Villain that beefed with a 14-year-old out of jealousy & tried to kill him. 

Wiki Link

Shen Yuan/Qingqiu from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System 

Submission 1: He was an anti fan that literally got so mad at a novel he was reading that he died and then was transmigrated into the novel he hated (besides the main character) as the villain. The author of said novel also transmigrated and they formed a love/hate broship.

Submission 2: 

My man is the hater-est hater to ever hate, except like Kendrick Lamar. He hate-read a webnovel with over 20 million words, and left scathing commentary on every single chapter. Even the author Shang Qinghua, of the webnovel PIDW, which by subtext was very very popular, knew Shen Yuan (Peerless Cucumber) as the legendary anti-fan.  He hated it (everything except the protagonist Luo Binghe) so much that after reading the last chapter, he choked and died (...slight exaggeration). Shen Yuan also proceeded to transmigrate into the novel, make everyone fall in love with him, use the power of headpats and 'a smile from the cold beauty' to overturn the genre from harem-esqe to danmei, bending the protagonist. Tldr, the power of Shen Yuan's haterism turned Cool Edgy Awesomely Powerful Protagonist Luo Binghe to soggy wet clingy white lotus bing-bong Bingmei, and it's honestly better off this way <3 

Submission 3: he's an internet hater screenname Peerless Cucumber who hates this webnovel so much he dies and transmigrates into it to fix the entire plot and also he's left so many hate comments the author (fellow transmigrator) knows and remembers who he is after being in the webnovel world for decades. Dedication.

Su She from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation / MDZS

“Stop thinking so highly of yourself. Who told you I cursed Jin Zixuan in order to frame you? Back then, I wasn’t working for Sect Leader at all. I cursed him simply because I wanted to!” ….Su She, “Those as arrogant as him--I’ll kill every single one who comes my way!” - Su She to Wei Wuxian, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, EXR, Chapter 104

No propaganda submitted

Mod Propaganda: Haterism so bad he straight up made a new sect. Cursed Jin Zixun. Has beef with a guy who barely knows he exists. 

Wiki Link

Yin Hanjiang from Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know 

Submission: Second half of the novel YHJ in particular, hater energy unmatched! Righteous sects? fuck them up. His own sect? on eggshells. His best effort at not murdering someone is to start wiping his weapon with their clothes. General vibe of 'if anything happened to Venerable i'd kill everyone in this room and then myself AND SOMETHING JUST HAPPENED TO VENERABLE'. Anyway get their asses babe <3

Yu Ziyuan from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Submission: I would not blame anyone who went through the first half of the story believing that Yu Ziyuan hated every single person she ever met because she talks shit about her husband, her son, her adopted son, and her daughter whenever she gets the chance to. Sometimes all at the same time. She projects so much raw hater energy that she psychologically scarred her son for life. 

Dealer's Choice

Qi Rong from Heaven Official’s Blessing

“Obviously, those things weren't within the realm of consideration for Qi Rong. He swore like there wasn't a single person in the Three Realms he didn't want cursed to death. He called Pei Ming a rotten manwhore, Little Pei a kiss-ass, Jun Wu a faker, Ling Wen a damned bitch, Lang Qianqiu a moron, Quan Yizhen dog shit, the Water Master blackhearted, the Wind Master a tramp–he probably didn't know Shi Qingxuan was actually a man.” - Heaven Official’s Blessing (Tumblr)

[skrooy]

Sonic Crack Ships

So lately I've been going through a Sonic phase though its mostly a Tails phase if im being honest with myself. I've been trying to watch all the Sonic media and read all the Sonic comics that I can while playing a few Sonic games here and there. So my messed up brain came up with this stupid idea. What if I put every version of every canon Sonic characters from all Sonic media into multiple rounds of the hunger games simulator until only ones left. So I did that and even though I literally did it yesterday I already forgot who won I just remember it was something stupid. I also did it with all the diffrent canon and AU versions of Tails I could find and the winner was actually Tails from Sonic Boom. But anyways im getting off track where im going with this is that today while I was doing nothing lying in bed my brain came up with an even more messed up idea. What if I put all the Sonic characters not including the humans into a random wheel picker on Google to form a bunch of crack ships. So I did it for every character on the wheel. I now have a list. And I have decided to post this list because I find it funny. And I dare people to draw a couple from this list together or make a short cute crack story about one of these ships. And if you do please send a link to me. Ill die laughing if anyone does this. Sorry if I misspelled some names. P.S. I tried to put pictures on here for each character but I couldn't figure out how. I already have a part 2 for this in the works with even more characters.

Rosy the Rascal x Dark Doom

Scourge the Hedgehog x Trip the Sungazer

Mephiles the Dark x Silver Sonic

Ray the flying Squirrel x Rouge the Bat

Espio the Chameleon x Whisper the Wolf

Sage x Metal Amy

Storm Beard x Tumble the Skunk

Tiara Boobowski x Duck Bill Platypus

Cat (from Sonic Freedom Fighters) x Sonar the Fennec Fox

Hangry x Johnny Lightfoot

Gaia (Light, Dark, or both) x Megan Acorn

Tangle the Lemur x Silver the Hedgehog

Thrash the Tasmanian Devil x Sails

Thorn Rose x Vector the Crocodile

Monkey Khan x Fang the Jerboa

Jack x Tikal the Echidna

Prim x Chip

Werehog Sonic x Blaze the Cat

Nicole the Holo Lynx x Catfish

Knuckles the Dread x Sonic the Hedgehog

Zector the Zone Cop x Metal Tails

Wave the Swallow x Morian Blackthorn

Infinite the Jackal x Mighty the Armadillo

Vermin the Cybernik x Super Mecha Sonic

Porker Lewis x Zails the Zone Cop

Geoffrey St. John x Nazo the Hedgehog

Metal Sonic 3.0 x Manic the Hedgehog

Rocket the Sloth x Eclipse the Darkling

Marine the raccoon x Metal Scourge

Sonia the Hedgehog x Red

Black Rose x Dingo

Metal Knuckles x Nine

Charmy Bee x Neo Metal Sonic

Zknuckles the Zone Cop x Knuckles

Vanilla the Rabbit x Ebony the Cat

Rusty Rose x Perci

Mecha Sonic x Jet the Hawk

Bark the Polar Bear x Emperor Metallix

Mangy x Amy Rose

Sally Acorn x Griff

Fleetway Sonic x Tails the Fox

Bean the Dynamite x Zonic the Zone cop

Nasty Hyenas (the whole group) x Sticks the Badger

Metal Sonic x Stripes the Tiger

Batten x Storm the Albatross

Fiona the Fox x Cream the Rabbit

Anti Tails x Shade the Echidna

Bunnie Rabat x Shadow the Hedgehog

Antoine x Zooey the Fox

Sonic.exe x Jules (yes I know this is Sonics dad in the comics)

Ifrit x MinaMongoose

Rocket Metal Sonic x Tekno the Canary

Avatar x Big the Cat

Zantoine the Zone Cop x Gnarly

Chaos x Rotor the Walrus

Bunny Bones x Anti Sally

Zouge the Zone Cop x Zespio the Zone Cop

Denizen 1998 x Tails Doll

Mecha Knuckles x Honey the Cat

Rebel x Sleet

Knucks x Pseudo Sonic

Solaris x Zally

Nack the Weasel x Athair

Ball Hog x Carrotia

Grand Battle Kuku 15th x Lupe the wolf

Roxy the waiter x Lien-Da

Number 16 Speedy x Alicia Acorn

King Max Acorn x Bearenger

Lawrence x Burning Blaze

Elias Acorn x Fiest the Panda

Ari x Roller

Sallybot x Queen Aleena

Da Bearz (both of them) x Fockewulf

Julie-Su x Dr. Finitevus

Ms. Possum x Catty Carlisle

[destinyc1020]

I dont want to start drama, but apparently, Law reposted a paulchanitruther anti account, and then that account was deactivated. I honestly think he was tagged and didn't know, but Law is messy cause know those antis are gonna get fuelled by their acknowledgement. Maybe this post will be in Sunday confession, but will Dom speak to the press, and now this situation with Law, Tom, and Z have a messy family, lmao. This is why having family whose career and clout are dependent on you can backfire cause they don't know when to stop. It's always good to forge your career outside of them cause you know you bet Laws probably got Z telling him to delete if he hasn't deleted so far. My only annoyance is that it's gonna fuel those antis cause the whole point of Z leaving instagram was to not give access to fans like that. Also, why is he social media stupid, does nobody know how close stories work lmao😭

Law Law Law Law Law.... 🤦🏾‍♀️

Welp...I didn't see the post, so I can't really speak to what he reposted on his IG stories.

It's not going to do any harm in the long run, and by now, does anyone even care about Antis anymore?? LOL 😅🤣 Everyone knows they're a bunch of crazy delulus by now lol.

I don't think anyone takes them seriously anymore. I know I haven't given a crap about what they think/say since July 2nd, 2021 lol. 😅

Anyway, Law might just need to be more careful about what accounts he reposts on social media, that's all. I don't even know the context of what he reposted. But anyway.....

Personally? I don't think Z and Law have dependency at all. I mean, yes, Law wouldn't be as famous as he is if Z weren't his long-term client for years, but one could also argue that Zendaya might not be where she is today without Law either. 🤷🏾‍♀️ I think they're two separate individuals, and I think they WORK together, but I don't think her fame is dependent on him, and I don't even think he's just using her for clout either. I think they're genuinely very good friends and family at this point. I just feel like he (like a lot of people) didn't check the source of whatever account tagged him. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Granted, I have my own personal feelings about Law 👀, but Idk if I would go so far as to say that he's using Z for clout. 🤔 I think he genuinely does love and care for Zendaya. His actions (especially since last year) have been SUPER SUS (I'll admit), but I don't think he has ulterior motives or anything malicious regarding Z.

I also don't think Dom will be talking to the press regarding this either. But maybe that's just me. I don't think Tom and Z really have "messy family" (have you all SEEN messy?? LOL) , but I can see why some might give some in their circles the side-eye at times.

[sefarad-haami]

176 gravestones at 2 Jewish cemeteries vandalized, FBI investigating

🇺🇸 Between June 25 and July 1, 2024, nearly 200 gravestones at the Tifereth Israel and Beth Hamedrash Hagadol cemeteries in the Covedale Cemetery complex in Cincinnati were vandalized, discovered early on Monday. The FBI and Cincinnati police are investigating the incident, with no arrests made as of July 3. The Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati and the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati expressed their outrage and commitment to restoring the gravestones, many of which were knocked face down or broken. This vandalism is part of a national rise in antisemitic incidents, with a 140% increase reported by the Anti-Defamation League from 2022 to 2023.

🇪🇸 Entre el 25 de junio y el 1 de julio de 2024, casi 200 lápidas en los cementerios Tifereth Israel y Beth Hamedrash Hagadol en el complejo del cementerio de Covedale en Cincinnati fueron vandalizadas, descubiertas temprano el lunes. El FBI y la policía de Cincinnati están investigando el incidente, sin arrestos realizados hasta el 3 de julio. Los Cementerios Judíos del Gran Cincinnati y la Federación Judía de Cincinnati expresaron su indignación y su compromiso de restaurar las lápidas, muchas de las cuales fueron derribadas o rotas. Este vandalismo es parte de un aumento nacional en los incidentes antisemitas, con un incremento del 140% reportado por la Liga Antidifamación de 2022 a 2023.

[theculturedmarxist]

On Friday, the US Chamber of Commerce issued an open letter to President Joe Biden imploring him to appoint a “mediator” and force through a tentative agreement between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the over 22,000 dockworkers in the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).

In the letter addressed to Biden and acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, Suzanne P. Clark, the CEO and president of the Chamber, wrote that the group was “very concerned by the premeditated and disruptive service actions that are slowing operations at several major ports along the West Coast.”

Beginning last week, and continuing through this writing, dockworkers at several West Coast ports have refused to show up to work after it was revealed that the PMA was proposing an across-the-board $1.56 “raise” for dockworkers, well below the rate of inflation. The fury of rank-and-file workers across all three tiers, A, B, and casual, prompted the ILWU, worried that workers would take matters into their own hands, to unofficially authorize job actions that led to the near-shutdown of major ports and terminals.

Dockworkers have been laboring on 29 ports, from Washington to California, without a contract since last July, while the PMA and ILWU have been negotiating in secret for 13 months. These secret negotiations, Andy, a Los Angeles-area dockworker told the WSWS, have left him and his coworkers “frustrated...we don’t know what is going on. We have no say in anything, it is outrageous.”

Commenting on the long hours that dockworkers put in during the pandemic, and the “thanks” they have received so far from the PMA, Andy said, “Me and a lot of other people got over 2,000 hours. We didn’t step out of line, we did everything they asked. The PMA are talking about not giving us enough retroactive pay, that insulting $1.56 pay increase.”

On Friday, June 9, the PMA issued another statement confirming that while job actions had lessened at the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland, the “Ports of Seattle and Tacoma continue to suffer significant slowdowns as a result of targeted ILWU actions.”

The PMA asserted that the ILWU was refusing to dispatch lashers, leaving ships idle and resulting in “a backup of incoming vessels.”

Terrified at the prospect that these limited actions could spiral into a “serious work stoppage at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach” that “would be devastating to...businesses,” Chamber Commerce CEO Clark, on behalf of Wall Street, urged Biden “to appoint an independent mediator to help the parties reach a voluntary agreement.” Clarke wrote that this “step is necessary to avoid potentially billions of dollars in economic damage to the American economy.”

Raising the prospect of invoking the anti-union Taft-Hartley law against dockworkers, and possibly deploying soldiers in the case of a strike, Clarke added that Biden should “consider additional steps that may be necessary in the event of a widespread work stoppage.”

This is the third statement issued by a major big business lobby over the last week calling on Biden to intervene in the dockworker negotiations, on the side of capital. On Monday, representatives from the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Retail Federation also called on the White House to impose a contract on dockworkers.

While Biden himself has not directly commented, his actions last year show that the self-declared most “pro-union” president is more than willing to run roughshod over workers’ democratic rights in order to satiate Wall Street’s unquenchable hunger for profits. Furthermore, high-level officials, in his administration and outside of it, have made clear that the White House has been actively involved in the dockworker negotiations from the outset.

In an interview on CNBC on Thursday, Gene Seroka, the executive director at the Port of Los Angeles, confirmed that the same labor officials who blocked a railroad strike last year, and subsequently dictatorially forced through a rotten pro-company agreement rail workers had already rejected, were again intervening in the contract talks.

“Here’s what’s been happening,” Seroka said. “Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su has been working with both sides, individually and collectively, trying to keep these talks moving.” Su was the deputy labor secretary under Marty Walsh last year during the railroad betrayal.

“Julie and her staff have been working tirelessly, not putting out press releases or coming on TV. They are talking with both sides to keep this progress moving,” Seroka continued, adding, “From the secretary of labor’s seat, this continues to be a top priority.”

While he claimed not to know the exact details, Seroka confirmed that the major conflicts in the contract remain pay and “robotics.” Seroka noted that during the pandemic, “Dockworkers were out on the job six days a week.” The ILWU has confirmed that at least 43 members died of COVID-19, no doubt a significant undercount.

While dockworkers were risking infection and death to move cargo, the companies have pulled in record profits. Shipping giant Maersk, one of several companies represented by the PMA, posted $30.9 billion in profit in 2022. And while shipping rates have declined from their 2021 highs, last month Maesrk still reported a first-quarter profit just under $4 billion.

In interviews with WSWS reporters on Thursday, Los Angeles area dockworkers reflected on the precarious and dangerous character of their work, the hated tier system, which was negotiated in by former ILWU President Harry Bridges in the 1960 Mechanization and Modernization agreement, and the need for dockworkers to unite as a class against the major corporations.

A casual worker said that she has been “a casual for 19 years. I need four more years to make it to Class A. It’s been a long, long time, and we don’t have any rights. My brother is an A man, we were always taught in our family to get union jobs, but things are very tough these days. It’s stressful. I had an accident last month because I had a seizure, which was caused because I was so angry with my boss.”

Commenting on the anti-Asian sentiment that has been whipped up by both big business parties as part of the war drive against China, the dockworker said she was “against all this anti-Asian violence and hate. They are trying to blame Asian people for all the problems, trying to pit worker against worker. We are all facing the same problems.”

A longshoreman who has been a Class A man for 15 years noted that the ILWU along the West Coast had yet to conduct a strike authorization vote nearly a year after the contract expired. “The Canadian longshoremen are having strike authorization votes [Thursday] and Friday. That’s important because the PMA was trying to use the Canadian access from their ports to railways to Chicago and back East to reroute shipping since West Coast longshore have been carrying out job actions here.”

Commenting on the miserly $1.56 raise, a pay cut in real terms, given that inflation in California is over 7 percent, he said, “For us here, I wasn’t happy about that tiny raise the PMA is offering us.”

In a message to other dockworkers, Andy warned about the ongoing conspiracy between Biden, the ILWU and the PMA. “They are all just oligarchs. Biden is doing the same thing Trump would do. The same thing George Bush would do.”

“It really is an international struggle,” he added, “That’s why the internationalism is so important. I mean if me, and all the other dockworkers in the world, got together and decided we weren’t going to move cargo until our demands were met? That would be amazing.”

The fight to link up workers in a joint struggle against the major international carriers requires the development of rank-and-file committees, controlled by the workers and independent of the ILWU union bureaucracy.

Workers cannot let the initiative remain in the hands of the ruling class and its state! It is urgent that workers begin communicating among themselves and coordinating actions to counter the conspiracy between the companies and the Biden administration, assisted by the union apparatus.

[magz]

(Tumblr Post from July 15, 2024)

Affinity suite is 50% off in sale until August 15, 2024 and has extended free trial to be 6 months (previously 1 month).

Free trial includes Affinity Designer 2, Affinity Photo 2, and Affinity Publisher 2.

The "all software license" bundle (including iPad versions) can be purchased for $82.99usd on sale.

During the sale the PC/Mac apps individually cost $34.99, and iPad apps individually cost $9.29 (Affinity Pricing Page)

Each main version of Affinity software is so far just a 1-time purchase. Affinity suite is a competitor of Adobe suite, and was acquired by Canva. 

Compatible with MacOS, Windows, and IpadOS. (Though some have Affinity apps working Unofficially on GNU/Linux using "Wine" and "Bottles").

For context:

The sale and extended free trial for Affinity 2 Suite is happening at same time of Adobe's recent controversies. So this is likely taking advantage of the influx of former Adobe Suite users quitting Adobe products.

Adobe controversies include: (1) exorbitant hidden subscription cancellation fees, and difficulty in cancelling. (2) previous Terms of Service scrutinized for implying Adobe planned to collect and sell Adobe cloud suite users’ files and user data; as well as use their users' content (including NDA content) for image generation training with no opt-out option, creating further legal scrutiny.

The U.S. government and different organizations are suing Adobe for anti-consumer practices.

[bizarrequazar]

GJ and ZZH Updates — August 13-19

previous week || all posts || following week

This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.

This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)

[Glossary of names and terms] [Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]

08-13 → Second anniversary of 813.

→ Fox Factory posted a bonus clip from their interview with Gong Jun. [subbed video]

08-14 → Hogan posted four photos from their Qixi commercial featuring Gong Jun that was released the previous week. (1129 kadian)

08-15 → The clothing brand GXG posted then quickly deleted a photo ad of Gong Jun, announcing a livestream for 08-29 at 16:40 (kadian!). It's assumed that this was a mistake, as no endorsement with them has been publicly announced yet.

08-16 → The Instagram posted six photos of "Zhang Zhehan" in his native habitat (airports).

→ HZ Baobao, one of the scam's million brands (the one with the ugly leopard mascot), posted an ad announcing sunglasses made in partnership with Zeiss, a high end lens company. Within a few hours, Zeiss responded to a post on Weibo made by a Zhang Zhehan anti, denying involvement and saying they would be taking action against the unauthorized use of their name. HZ Baobao hid the listing for the glasses shortly after, then reposted it with the references to Zeiss removed. Whalers proceeded to harass Zeiss on social media.

→ Gong Jun allegedly sued 100 antis including 34 whalers, with one of the whalers having made posts insinuating that Gong Jun had involvement in 813. The lawsuits are unconfirmed at the time of this post.

08-17 → Gong Jun posted a commercial he did for Hogan. (1129 kadian) This was reposted by Hogan.

→ Hogan posted four photo ads featuring Gong Jun. (1129 kadian)

→ Gong Jun's studio posted six behind the scenes photos of him from the Hogan shoot. Caption: "Seasons go by, and inspiration is throbbing. @ Gong Jun Simon moves with his heart, releasing the free and easy autumn."

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a douyin of behind the scenes footage from the Hogan shoot. Caption: "Ready for... @ Gong Jun Simon autumn!" BGM is Why Mona's cover of Wannabe.

→ QuelleVous posted a Twitter thread about Yajing (a livestream host who worked with Zhang Zhehan and Gong Jun a number of times in 2021), explaining connections she has to Songcheng and the scam. In July 2022, Yajing posted a photo of herself wearing slippers from the EHz.Z brand only to delete it shortly afterwards when fans mass-unfollowed her, later telling marketing accounts that she was attacked by Gong Jun's fans. QuelleVous' findings suggest that Yajing was involved with the scam early on but likely backed out because of this. Follow ups: [1] [2]

08-18 → Flora began translating an article about money laundering in the Hong Kong entertainment industry. On a similar note, a family from Mainland China were arrested this week for involvement a billion dollar money laundering scam. If you want to know why all of this is relevant, refer to the roughly twenty companies registered by the scam gang within the last year.

→ The Instagram posted eight photos of "Zhang Zhehan".

→ Gong Jun posted nine scenery photos. Caption: "Chasing the sky. ☁️" (in English) He also posted ten photos to his Instagram with the same caption, including four that were not included in the Weibo post. The photographer Sheng Sheng left a comment on the Weibo post complimenting his photography, which he replied to, and his studio reposted the post with the added caption: "The handsome photographer awakening the Chinese bloodline @ Gong Jun Simon is on the line" Fan Observations: - The Instagram post was made at 14:43, the same time that Gong Jun made a post on that date in 2020. The date was the anniversary of the BAZAAR joint photoshoot; it is not known if the time has a specific significance. - One of the photos (below) is of a streetlight at sunrise, recalling the line from Zhang Zhehan's unreleased song Running To Meet You, "hurry to see you before the streetlights go out." 🥺

08-19 → Hogan posted four photo ads featuring Gong Jun. (1129 kadian)

Additional Reading: → N/A

previous week || all posts || following week

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Efforts to advance mental health in Brazil must continue

After a prolonged period of dismantling, the principles of psychiatric health reform appear to be resurging at the forefront of policies in Brazil. However, there is a substantial amount of work ahead to undo the setbacks that have occurred, writes Outra Saúde

On July 3, during the 17th National Health Conference, Brazilian Minister of Health Nísia Trindade announced and signed a decree to resume funding for Therapeutic Residential Services and Centers for Psycho-social Attention. These are the cornerstones of promoting mental health in the Unified Health System (SUS). The announcement took place in the presence of other secretaries of the Ministry of Health, including Sonia Barros, head of the newly created Department of Mental Health, in a strong show of the commitment to improve the right to mental health through better public policies.

However, according to Fernanda Magano, psychologist and member of the National Health Council, there is still much to build and confront. The field of mental health has been strongly affected by the advance of conservatism in Brazil. Ideological and religious groups often use their anti-drug moral discourse to mask specific economic interests, as seen in the so-called Therapeutic Communities. Besides the announcements made during the National Health Conference, this year will be marked by the 5th National Mental Health Conference, which could be a turning point in the production of public policies related to mental health.

“The Conference will be an important moment to reaffirm all the public policies that we defend, including care in freedom, without imprisonment. At the same time, some issues are being processed in the National Justice Council (Conselho Nacional de Justiça, CNJ), specifically those related to ending custodial hospitals and penitentiary treatment, with prisoners to be transferred to the health network. This will remain a hot point in the debate,” Magano said to Outra Saúde.

Read the full interview below.

Continue reading.

[usafphantom2]

Russia reduces Su-75 'Checkmate' costs to win the sale of the fighter in India

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 02/07/2024 - 21:05in Military

Russia's effort to improve the fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-75 'Checkmate' single-engine combat aircraft program is facing some obstacles. The project cannot move forward with state funding alone. Last year, potential partnership discussions with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were started. Now, the opportunity to become a partner of India has come to the table.

ROSTEC reported substantial cost reductions in the Su-75 project, attributing them to certain "technical changes". These changes were influenced by the "feedback from a potential buyer" that led to decreased costs. Without any official confirmation, some sources suggest that India could be this potential buyer, as the Hindustan Times said.

Retired Indian Marshal Anil Khosla, in a recent interaction with the media, raised some significant points. He mentions caution, requiring that a detailed cost-benefit analysis be made by New Delhi before making any commitments. He also adds that it is essential for India to strategically assess whether a mutual pact can extract more benefits for India. Any decision must produce favorable results for both parties involved.

Interestingly, India is currently working on its own advanced jet fighter. The ambitious fifth generation combat aircraft (FGFA) project is already underway and New Delhi is heavily invested in its success. From the perspective of Indian defense and industry, can a potential alliance with Russia, a complex geopolitical partner, compromise India's local project?

Unmanned version of the Su-75.

However, this did not dissuade Russia. They are committed to seeking help for the Su-75 Checkmate project. Although India remains on the list of potential partners, Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade, says that Moscow is also keeping an eye on other foreign customers. The update of the aircraft's layout, control and weapon systems based on customer feedback has led to certain modifications.

It is worth remembering that ROSTEC recently presented the Su-75 at the World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a way to attract the interest of potential partners or customers in the region. Russia has continuously expressed the importance of the Middle East in the development and trade of its armaments.

Sukhoi (United Aviation Corporation, UAC) is currently working on the first functional prototype of the Su-75 Checkmate. The plan is to be ready later this year, with tests scheduled from next year. They plan to offer the Su-75 Checkmate in three variants: a single-seat, two-seater and unmanned aircraft. All versions were patented in July 2023.

According to the UAC, improvements are being made to a new anti-radar coating paint scheme that aims to increase the aircraft's stealth performance. They made an announcement earlier this year, revealing that they had obtained a patent for the scheme. The vision, according to Russian UAC engineers, is to camouflage the aircraft so well that not only does it become difficult for radars to detect it, but also for the human eye, under cloudy weather conditions, has difficulty detecting it.

Sukhoi Aircraft Company, part of United Aircraft Corporation at ROSTEC, revealed the Light Tactical Fighter Checkmate at the international air show MAKS-2021, held in Zhukovsky, near Moscow. The foreign launch of this new model took place at the Dubai Airshow 2021, in the United Arab Emirates. Essentially a derivative of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter, the new warplane is developed in an innovative way by the state-owned technology giant, Rostec.

Tags: Military AviationCheckmateIAF - Indian Air Force/Air Force of IndiaROSTECSu-75sukhoi

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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