#but the news about what's happening in florida and also like. other red states and anti-trans legislation

[aurosoulart]

one of the things I wasn't prepared for as a trans person in a big industry was the absolutely OVERWHELMING emotions around being accepted for who I am. ;__; some highlights from the past couple months:

a prominent speaker at a UK media company showing my work to his son, casually saying: "Do you like this picture? Ewan drew it." I've never spoken to this man, but he respects me enough to not only show my work to his child - but to future students as well. these kids are going to grow up knowing the work of a publicly trans artist, and with any luck it will be normal to them.

Tilt Five publicly replying to my TDOV post with THIS, from their official corporate account.

Tilt Five also featuring me in a blog post on their website, and using they/them pronouns!!!!

and even more Tilt Five positivity: being INVITED TO DEMO IN-PERSON AT GDC FOR HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. I'm in this picture but you can barely see me because of the crowd. again, I'm visibly trans here - long hair, stubble, voice deepened by testosterone... and it was a non-issue.

and lastly: not only being able to publicly fundraise for LGBTQ+ causes like the Club Q healing fund without fear, but actually receiving support & donations from my employer while I do so. technically, I get PAID to fundraise as long as I use Figmin XR, like with Cover The World With Flowers!

and that's just a handful of examples!!! there was also the whole getting accepted into AR House thing (where I'm one of MULTIPLE trans people in the community), and then PERFORMING LIVE at the Marriott HQ, and then my art making it onto Adam Savage's youtube channel???!?!

I keep saying this, but I legitimately don't have words for the level of gratitude I feel. I've had other trans folks reach out and say that my visibility gives them courage, which makes me want to fight even harder to show that trans joy is REAL and POSSIBLE and that there is still so much love, despite everything.

I don't want to take for granted that it is still very much radical to just exist publicly as a trans person - and even more radical to exist publicly as a HAPPY trans person. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared being in this position, but at least I know I'm not alone. there are still so many good people fighting for us.

[seokjinsonlyone]

so i saw @jknoah talking about what states bts would be from if they were korean american and these kinds of topics are my bread and butter so i 100% had to weigh in

i agree that yoongi would be from queens like it just makes sense for him he'd be living his quiet little yoongi life stopping at the bodega on the corner for some snacks before checking in at school like an hour late bc he really does not care for it and end up leaving early to go work on some music or something he'd be really good at ducking truancy officers he’d probably end up getting a job at some underground speakeasy when he’s like 15 bc he’s so fire at piano and make a lot of odd friends but all those connections would be key to him ending up a producer

i also agree that jungkook would be from california but i see him being from long beach specifically there’s definitely a summer from his childhood where he remembers being at disney more than at home so it’s not even all the fun for him anymore but he has a cousin that works there so goes to hangout more than anything the beach is right there so he knows how to surf but he’d end up being in skate scene it starts off as long-boarding along the boardwalk but the more friends he gains the more he gets into the more intense trick driven skateboarding and that’s what he’s known for not necessarily for his skateboarding tho but for the videos he directs of others skating and that’s what he ends up getting famous for doing bigger projects maybe a movie or something and he soaks up that scene for a while but ends up going back to long-boarding in long beach

idk what it is about jin but he just reeks of old money??? but he’s also jin so i can see him being from like jacksonville florida his family got a big ole house down there and all the kids in school would love coming over but he doesn’t really care for the house so much as the backyard in the backyard is where he can be free and do and be whatever he wants it’s also where he and his friends stumble across a gator when they’re like 11-12 and instead of calling an adult to do something about it they come up with all kinds of insane things to get it out and almost get eaten this happens every time he finds a gator in his backyard while he doesn’t necessarily bask in the money all the time he does SOMEtime namely when they visit their vacation home in connecticut bc he loves him some winter sports he also likes the weekends he spends there where he and his ski friends go to the into the city and go wild (re: go to an arcade and eat pizza)

joon would 100% be from the dmv and i put that on everything like he belongs heeerreeee like if he wasn't from sk he would def be from like fairfax or arlington somewhere up near dc and he'd always always always be doing something bc everyone i know from the dc area is always doing something or going somewhere and if they not doing something or going somewhere it's just bc they just got back from somewhere or doing something and joon just has those vibes like a very active social life always with plans bc there's just so much to do and see a little bougie bc he's living the good life but not far removed from anyone by any means has all kinds of friends absolutely everywhere

tae would be from new york too i think but like yonkers and he'd be one of those annoying people who's entire personality would be the fact that they're from new york like he'd be going around in black forces and a red puffer coat thinking he's that guy i can't tell you why but he gives the vibes that all his friends would be dark skinned and he'd be like the token asian in the group his parents would own a hair store and whenever he had to go there for whatever reason whether his parents were making him work a shift or he had to drop something off or he just wanted to talk to his mommy whatever it is he'd most def hit on all the girls who shop there throw in some free edge control with they purchases or sumn 😭

hobi would be from houston and i cannot give you a good reason why like he just really seems like he'd have his own dance troupe in houston and he'd be living a nice little life that's like veiled from reality bc that is texas and like he got the vibes that all his friends would be latino and he'd just live everyday dancing and hanging out and would only be at best vaguely aware of global happenings but anyway his dance troupe would end up going viral on youtube and he'd get invited to be on the ellen show and then would end up moving to LA and would get with some dancers he meets there and apply to be on world of dance he'd place second and would eventually become a famous choreographer

so sorry to jimin but he really just seems like he would be from some hick town in the midwest that nobody knows nor wants to be in like i can see him being from wisconsin or like freaking nebraska he'd be the only asian kid until he's in high school where he would be 1 of 3 and would grow up having an ongoing identity crises bc of the lack of culture i can also see him in some sort of glee/hsm situation where he has to choose between being popular or doing something he loves like i'm sure it'd end up being a whole arc in his life and you'd hear about it on msnbc during his interview after winning the silver medal for the male freestyle in figure skating

[caramelakaramel]

"Country-humans?"

According to the Oxford dictionary, a country is defined as "a nation with its own government, occupying a particular territory." But what happens when countries are humanized by a bunch of ignorant preteens who failed world history?

Some of the countries are supposed to be the children of their colonizers. I guess that means the countryhumans reproduce with each other like real humans, which prompts too many logistical errors.

The fandom headcannons that the United States is the child of Britain and France, because those are the two countries who played the largest role in colonizing the US. New Netherland, founded by the Dutch, later became New York after the British assumed control in 1664. Spain didn't cede Florida until the Adams-Onis treaty of 1819. So, did Britian have an affair with Spain and the Netherlands or some shit? And then France discovered he was keeping side hoes and that's what started the French and Indian war, or something?

What about the territory the United States acquired from Mexico in the Mexican-American war? I guess the US just forcefully amputated one of Mexico's limbs. Russia sold his arm (Alaska) in 1867. Or maybe, since "state-humans" also exist, it was human (anthropomorphic state??) trafficking.

What's the deal with countries splitting? Czechoslovakia ripped himself (herself? itself?? No idea how they decide the genders.) in half to form Czechia and Slovakia?

What happens when one country isn't universally recognized because of land disputes? Ex. Israel considers itself a country. Some other countries consider Israel a country. Some countries don't. Does Israel just not exist to some of the countryhumans? Do they give him the silent treatment?

Why do people treat the Third Reich and Germany like two separate countries when they're just Germany in different time periods under different systems of government? Same thing with the Soviet Union and Russia. Did all the former Soviet satellite states morph into Russia during Soviet occupation?

The Red Cross is an international aid organization. Not a country. NATO is an alliance. Not a country. The European Union is a... European Union. Not a country. Why do they have sentience?

Then there are the ships. Lord God Almighty, have mercy on our souls. Ukraine x Russia. Israel x the Third Reich. The Third Reich x Poland x the Soviet Union. Enemies to lovers should not include a country who has fallen victim to crimes against humanity at the other's hands.

This is my life now. Stating things that should be obvious in Tumblr posts. Yesterday, it was "adults who engage in sexually inappropriate behavior around children are bad." Today, it is to not ship the victims of the Holocaust with Nazi Germany.

[kellyvela]

Hello! I didn't fully understand what was going on, but one thing is for sure, I hate joe. As far as I understood, on January 11, they completed the custody case, but the divorce was suspended and was supposed to resume when the guardianship was completed, this did not happen, and that is why Sophie's lawyers are now asking for the reopening of the divorce. Is it that joe is deliberately delaying the divorce? And will we learn the details of custody? Although it is so obvious that a larger percentage of Sophie and her children live with her in England, still wanted to know this for sure. And interesting article:

https://www.etonline.com/sophie-turner-and-joe-jonas-divorce-case-reopened-in-miami-a-timeline-of-their-split-211872 I didn't know some things before that.

joe is so horrible, he cheated on her twice, first when he refused to move to UK, and the second time with some 20 year old girl. And I also like that Sophie and her lawyers have documents and letters and everything has dates and facts, while joe has only empty words. And there is also confirmation that the children lived with Sophie in UK and only at the end of July they decided that the children would go with joe, which again confirms the position of Sophie, not joe. I hope you can explain more about their affairs to me now. And I'm glad that soon all the horror with joe will end and Sophie will live peacefully with her children in England. And I hope that justice and karma will punish joe and even his fans will see what a piece of shit and a rat he is.

Hello, anon!

What I really hated was the shady and misleading tmz headline, they implied that Sophie said that the negotiation collapses so she requested the Miami judge to rule the divorce and decide the custody. But I think this is wrong.

I believe the rat was thinking about filling divorce for a long time, that's why he convinced Sophie to let the girls come back to US with him while she was very busy filming Joan.

So, having the girls with him in the US, the first days of September, the rat leaked rumors that he was looking for divorce lawyers in LA (California) area, but few days later he filled divorce in Miami (Florida). In the end, despite leaking LA rumors, he chose Miami, a red state, that favored fathers in custody battles, this is what a lot of people told me so far. So, this was an evident legal strategy, designed by lawyers, to take advantage over the other part.

And at that point, the PR strategy also started, with him implying Sophie was a bad mother, always patying and drinking while he was basically a single dad caring for the girls alone all the time. And this is the reason why I call him a 🐀

But it was evident that the rat lied to the Miami court by saying the girls and him were Miami residents for the past six months, because the girls were living in England most of the year. Sophie was very detailed when she filled her lawsuit to the New York Federal court.

Indeed, Sophie was right when she filled an international lawsuit to the New York Federal court, claiming that the girls main residence was England, so the custody should be determined or approved by a UK court. The New York Federal court then ordered the Miami State court to stop the case regarding the custody of the girls.

The New York court also ordered the parties to start mediation and during the mediation they stablished a temporary custody agreement and decided to bring the case (custody) to a UK court.

So, since the custody was out of its jurisdiction, the Miami court approved an abatement, which is basically a suspension of the divorce case, until they reached a permanent custody agreement.

So, I think they already reached a permanent custody agreement in the UK court, which was approved on January 11, 2024, and that's why Sophie dropped the international lawsuit at the New York court, and requested to the Miami court to "reactivate" the divorce case on January 14, 2024, but this was only recently made public.

We don't know the details of the permanent custody agreement. But I hope she has primary custody, and the rat has visitation rights.

Things are really coming to an end, anon. I bet there are basically just a few details left to be determined, or at least I hope I'm right.

This is what I think is happening. But the press love the click bait . . . .

Again, I hope I'm right!

[runwayrunway]

I was recently surprised to see this livery while boarding, and snapped a pic. Apparently enough people asked the crew questions to the effect of "Why is the plane yellow?" as we were boarding that the captain explained it during his take off announcements. Turns out we were on 'New Mexico One' (N8655D).

Maybe they were worried they accidentally got on a Spirit flight. Happens to the best of us. (Also, knowing pilots I think there's a legitimate chance he was excited about it himself and would have brought it up no matter what.)

This is your girl! This is actually New Mexico 1.2.0 - the New Mexico One livery is the fifth Southwest state livery, and one of the first special liveries they had full stop.

Southwest Airlines has had a lot of special liveries. The documentation is incomplete, but they have a timeline for them up to 2013 publicly available. It turns out there were at least three Shamu jets (unfortunately I cannot find the purported pictures of Herb Kelleher in a penguin suit), and that my guess was right - their first state-themed livery was a Texas one to commemorate their origin as an intrastate carrier.

Since then, they've released quite a few more in honor of some of their more-served or milestone states. The states with special liveries are Arizona; California; Colorado; Florida; Hawai'i; Illinois; Louisiana; Maryland; Missouri; Nevada; New Mexico; Tennessee; and of course Texas. These really vary in level of detail and inspiration, and I definitely have no desire or plans to do a massive joint post on them all. That is thirteen liveries. But there's one or two that have been hanging out on the distant fringes of my interest and one (Colorado One) has already been requested, so if anyone particularly wants to see any of them covered just know I am treating them as full, separate, self-contained liveries even though they're technically sort of a set. It just doesn't make any sense to do it any other way.

(I never want to see a Massachusetts One. The concept is actively repellant to me.)

Most of Southwest's special liveries have 'one' at the end, like Air Force One, you know, it's the famous plane, Air Force One, they made a film about it with Harrison Ford in. I do think hypothetically the implication of 'New Mexico One' would be a plane transporting the governor of New Mexico, but, well, that's their name scheme.

image: Southwest Airlines

This is the original New Mexico One, N781WN. Thanks to the information Southwest provides on its website for once I know the exact date a livery was debuted - 18th September, 2000. I'm not sure how to feel about the fact that this picture is younger than me, because it looks incredibly crunchy and vintage, like it couldn't have been taken later than 1985. I have a Polaroid SX-70 that was kept in working condition by a relative and it takes cleaner-looking pictures. It must have been taken very early on in the livery's lifetime because when Canyon Blue was introduced the tailfin was updated to match. As with all Southwest's special liveries - the tailfins remain untouched from the default.

image: Eddie Maloney

The initial iteration with the mustard-yellow and red tail looks very nice, seamless with the main body. Although the placement of the name on the fin is quite subdued and against the ethos of the low-cost carrier it is in the case of special liveries useful, making the interaction of the wordmark with the main design a non-issue. Part of me really wishes that they'd kept the old colors for longer or maybe even done custom schemes for the stripes on each of their special liveries, because the blue looks pretty out-of-place on the New Mexico livery. I'll be completely honest, I also think the older, more angular shape of the stripes suits the similarly geometric bulk of the design while the modern incarnation - the haphazardly placed little wordmark with no natural home on the tail, the fin which looks like it was removed from a wholly different plane - is just sort of generally worse than the original state. The use of a minimally-altered tailfin with a crammed-on wordmark does seem to be something about which Southwest is unwilling to negotiate, though, and I guess that's what I'm going to have to live with.

(...generally, I do have to live with all the liveries I discuss here, until the magical day that someone at a massive company decides that the opinions of a blog with under 1,000 followers are something they want to capitulate to.)

The basis of the livery is extremely straightforward. It's...the flag of New Mexico. This is a fantastic starting point. The New Mexico flag is my favorite of the US states' - though, to be fair, that's damning by faint praise in the extreme. Just based on the sorts of people I've met I feel like at least a few followers of this blog will have particularly vivid opinions about vexillology, but it doesn't take someone with the level of investment I have in liveries to know that most US state flags are just absurdly poorly designed. New Mexico's flag is not just acceptable but good.

Yellow and red aren't uncommon colors in flags, but the complete absence of very popular choices like blue and white definitely is striking. Unlike many US state flags, which are morasses of complex and jumbled iconography, it contains only one image - the sun symbol of the indigenous Zia (Tsi’ya) Pueblo group. Unfortunately, not only was the design not suggested by Zia individuals but it was used without the group's knowledge or consent, and there has been an ongoing discussion about this being properly acknowledged by the state - a good summary, albeit from 2012, is this El Palacio article written by the Zia Pueblo administrator.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Southwest actually did consult the Zia, including administrator and author of the above article Peter Pino. A contemporary news release from Southwest even discusses Zia children performing a Crow Dance as part of the ceremony. I was able to find a photograph of this in a blog post by a Southwest employee.

So safe to say people were pretty excited about this livery! Southwest's state liveries tend to be pretty beloved by the people from said state, as far as I can tell.

N781WN was retired earlier this year and sometime in the late summer the livery was repainted onto N8655D. The livery is largely unchanged except for the fact that it's on a longer plane now.

Anyway, I like New Mexico One. Not terribly much happens here in the way of detail so there's not much to say about it but I like the way it's placed at a sort of angle instead of just smacked in the middle of the plane directly above the wings or something. The fact that there's some yellow and red in the tail prevents it from looking as bad as it could (and definitely does on other state liveries) even though I kind of really genuinely dislike the wordmark placement like a lot. I'm not sure how they could have done it better. I just think if you're making it that small and out-of-the-way you could honestly just go without. Not like there's even one other plane flying around with this livery.

Why is the inside of the winglets totally bare? I can't be the only one that thinks that's strange, can I?

I'll give her a C+. I think there's a pretty low ceiling on how good a livery that's just the flag of New Mexico can be, and Southwest did a job I would call 'correct' - they didn't really mess anything up and they didn't have some sort of brain explosion that let them create a design more captivating than putting a good flag onto an airplane but leaving the tail Southwest colors. This is a good special livery and it seems like a nice little tribute to New Mexico, and it's always nice to see a beloved old livery be preserved on a new airframe. Congratulations to the people of New Mexico, particularly the Zia, on a pretty neat commemorative livery.

[spot-the-antisemitism]

Might not be the right place to ask, but with the way things are going, how would you feel about a Jewish/Roma defensive pact?

Any time in recent history where the Jews are getting persecuted, the Roma persecution soon follows or is accompanied by it.

I propose the Jewish and Romani communities band together for strength in numbers.

Yes, I realize I'm on anon, still sort of in the closet about being Roma, but I want to get some thoughts going on whether or not it'd be viable and whether or not it'd be a good idea. I've got some logistics worked out for the US. But it involves heading somewhere hotter than where most Jewish folks are, specifically any constitutional carry red state.

I only support this idea for defensive fighting, no offensive use of violence intended or allowed, but we can't let the Holocaust happen again, and as per usual, we're the only people that will step up for us.

I'm not going to think you a coward for saying no, but I do hope some Jews think it's a decent idea. Get us out of blue states that hate us in favor of red ones that won't give a shit and let us defend ourselves.

Florida is the top state I'd recommend since the Florida police want people to defend themselves.

Dear anon,

Listen I don't tell most people my ethnicity unless they ask what the thing around my neck means or what part black I am (becuase Jewish featured on a light skinned person must mean mixed race black in America I suppose). I can't imagine the racism you experience simply because I am very much gadjo.

I really do want to tell you that I have no political standing whatsoever (besides Russia wanting to kill my family if that's anything)

That said I DO live in red state in the south and I think your best bet is actually a small southern town that sees you as a neighbor first and your race second. Other than Florida is pretty bigoted even if they support carrying arms so not sure if it's that much safer.

That said your plan to establish a Jewish-Roma based militia in Florida would scare Ron Desantis and for that alone I approve. I can see him decrying us in horrifically antiromanyist and antisemitic terms just for trying it.

I think most of the like minded Jews also moved southeast if you catch my drift and the rest will not move from New York or wherever they live to save their life (sometimes literally).

so I don't think this would actually work anon but I see where you're going with this

there SHOULD be more Jewish Roma solidarity instead of derision and bigotry thrown by both groups at each other often because those stereotypes are often the exact same

yours,

Cecil

[icestarphoenix]

Only in Ohio

With Ohio being the state that is currently put in the meme culture spotlight, it certainly changed/brought out some new perceptions about the place. These changes in view would affect our Buckeye State as well.

This is similar to what happened to Florida. The Florida Man exposure gradually turned him into a more chaotic being. However, instead of chaos, Ohio has been becoming more and more of a cryptid over time. He doesn't seem to be very aware of this.

In darkly-lit places, he can appear very unsettling. Ohio's silhouette in the dark just doesn't look right, and the only thing you can really see is the red glow in his eyes from his Spirit. It can be quite scary when the states are out at night, but at least it drives away malicious people.

He often appears and disappears in the corner of one's vision. You think you saw him, but you turn your eyes and he's gone. Ohio can now also just appear and often scare people like Alaska does, but he doesn't make his presence known. New York's in the kitchen all alone getting his morning coffee, and then he turns around and sees Ohio silently standing mere inches behind him. Ohio almost gets punched out of shock, but he was just waiting to get coffee too.

During the middle of the night, you may find Ohio scurrying around the house at high speeds in a trance-like state. Other states jokingly call this new phenomenon his “zoomies,” but they do need to actively avoid Ohio when leaving their rooms at night and to keep their doors locked. He will start chasing if he spots a target. Ohio’s back to normal in the morning, but he doesn’t remember any of this happening.

Now that these memes are going around, I might change Ohio's Spirit form from the swallowtail cape into something else. Don't know what yet, but I'm thinking about it.

[mur-art]

TexaCali HCs

Continuing @halcyonlauren‘s ask, here’s some TexaCali. 

Slight TW for some mentions of unhealthy/disordered eating behavior. 

“Texacali

pre-relationship: 3, 4

general: 3, 9

love: 8, 11

domestic life: 9, 10″

I will start by saying that I don’t really personally ship them (although I enjoy it when other do, and I appreciate their dynamic) but I’ll answer these the best I can.

Did any of their friends or family want them to get together?

Florida canonically (?) writes fanfiction about them, so he totally ships it if only for the chaos potential. I feel like many of the other states are also like, “JUST [CENSORED] KISS ALREADY AND SAVE US THE AGGREVATION!”

Who felt romantic feelings first?

Okay, so they’re both total hopeless romantics at heart, but Cali is slightly more in-touch with his feelings so he would definitely be the first to notice something. Texas would forever deny DENY DENY.

What was their first kiss like?

I feel like it would be cliché but super on-brand if it was accidental somehow. I have no idea how it would happen, but somehow they end up kissing and Texas likes it and can’t stop thinking about it but refuses to admit it. And Cali is a little shit and gloats about how flustered Texas gets when he thinks about it. He would keep bringing it up just to see how red Texas’ face gets.

Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear?

Cali, because as previously noted, he is a little shit. He’s always trying to make Texas as flustered as possible. He knows exactly what to say to get a reaction out of him. It’s a bit of an ego trip for him to have that kind of power over him because IMO it’s literally impossible for Cali to do anything without bringing his ego into it. And vice versa.

Who’s better at comforting the other?

They both have their moments. In times of real, genuine trouble (like in that *one* Table News, you know the one) they instantly enter Supportive Partner Mode. Cali might go a little bit overboard with “therapist talk” sometimes, trying to psychoanalyze Texas’ every negative emotion and try to find a solution to every problem, when all Texas needs is a shoulder to cry on and someone to listen to him rant. Likewise, Texas doesn’t always know how to deal with Cali when he’s upset because he’s not the best at the whole “emotional expression” thing, and Cali sometimes has all of the emotions, all at the same time. But they try their best to understand each other.

What songs apply to their relationship?

Honestly I need to work on this a bit more; I definitely don’t have as many songs as I should, but here’s few that remind me of them for some reason:

“Origin of Love” by MIKA

“Hate That You Know Me” by Bleachers

“Say My Name” by David Guetta

Lots of old outlaw country-type songs, but especially “Born and Raised in Black and White” by the Highwaymen (there are two characters in this song: I’ll leave it up to interpretation which one is which.)

“My Girl Don’t Like My Cowboy Hat” by Hank Williams, Jr. (This is kind of a joke song but it just fits.)

Who’s more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

I HC Cali as an obnoxious morning person (like even despite the time zone differences he’s up earlier than everyone else and hyped up on several cups of coffee and terrifyingly intense about his morning routine). So Texas is always trying to convince him to come back and just chill out for a bit.

Who’s the better cook?

It depends on what they’re making! Texas knows what all of Cali’s “guilty pleasures” are and he loves baking sweet treats. He’s always the one doing the BBQ-ing and making super dense comfort foods. He also makes a lot of Tex-Mex type stuff. He tends to stick with the same kinds of foods that he’s familiar with and knows he’s good at making. He rarely branches out to different recipes. Cali, on the other hand, is the experimental chef. He will try literally anything and doesn’t always succeed. Sometimes Texas has to step in to keep him from burning down the kitchen while trying to blow torch a crème brulee or something. Cali is prone to fad diets (which can be super unhealthy) and so Texas has to deal with his constant experimenting with substitutions and workarounds for ingredients he “can’t” have. And then when Cali’s “experiments” end up tasting awful, he bakes cookies and they cuddle and watch movies on the couch.

[tigerdrachin]

sooooo, I have been rewatching a few table skits because the last days were shitty and I needed to laugh

I maybe have come up with a theory about New York (It probably has already been noticed, but I didn’t do a deep dive into the unstable canon of this fandom for nothing, ok)

So in the ‘DC statehood’ skit we see New York (State) and NYC

NYC with the normal red beanie we know and love

NY State with a bills (I think. I’m not big on football) beanie

we have seen both beanies multiple times after (and I think before it switched too sometimes) but the red is much more prominent

So. are we looking at NYC most of the time? Representing how NYC dominates the states image?

 (also another piece to support this theory is that in ‘Weekly News Recap 6/5′ NY ask why the military is walking on HIS streets not NYC streets HIS streets, he is speaking in first person about NYC when he is constantly insisted that NY (not him, but NY) is more than just the city (I could be wrong on that as I don't know what happened beyond what's said in the sketch so feel free to correct))

Edit after rewatching more vids:

(found another thing ‘Night Before Christmas in NYC’ AND I QUOTE: “This has been ‘The night before Christmas in NYC’ by ME NYC” he's wearing the coat he has the beanie he said it himself what more evidence do you need)

Do they have a Texas/Austin or California/beach cal or Florida/Miami (from Cal and Flo we can also learn that states can change outfits when switching personalities) thing going on, just with the City being in control most of the time?

What would their relationship be like?

(I’m just gonna refer to them as State and City from here on, as this is annoying)

In the episode (D.C. wants to be a state) State would like to get City out of the state but gets shut down by City

State seems much nicer and happier than City does (still not nice, but nicer)

Would they have a sibling like relationship, City being the overprotective older brother (my research said NYC is older, correct me if I’m wrong) taking all the attention on him, as he always has, while State just wants to be seen independent of NYC?

Do they get along when nobody's locking?

Does City ask State when something that's not the city is brought up?

Because City clearly cares about States feelings, with his stubborn telling everyone that NY is more than just a city, even tho (If we go by beanie logic) said city is in control.

And if we spin this over analyzation further, NY outfit isn't consistent at all, but all reappear from time to time, different from all other states that changed outfits, so does that mean that other cities also can take control?

Also, are the other States aware of it because they all refer to him (NYC, NY and other) as only New York.

Like we got (I have evidence for NYC, NY (state), Albany and Buffalo but I’m not through with my digging, so maybe Rochester will be added when I find an outfit that I can’t sort to anybody else)

Red beanie, coat, gray hoodie (only in the early eps) Bills shirt - NYC there is so much evidence I'm not listing here (ask if you want more insight to my research), it’s also the most seen one by a lot (I counted) so it supports my theory that NYC is mostly the one in control (He shares this one with buffalo tho as NYC said in one of the early skits that buffalo like jumping through fold tables Bc football or smth, and in the Holiday special (The one where NY Buffalo smiled) he said in this outfit that he already did jump through tables, I don't think buffalo comes out much tho beyond football which is why he doesn’t have his own outfit

Red Beanie, no coat, bills shirt - That's Albany, but the hints to that are very subtle. The first time that outfit was seen was in the episode that started with tear gas in different states (NY included) Albany was the only city (important enough for me to consider here) that used tear gas (There is a little more but explaining that would take too long)

Red beanie, no coat, New York shirt - also New York City (Just his warm wetter outfit lol) Same personality just different shirt, try telling me otherwise I will pull out the loads of evidence I have for this. I’m just too lazy to write it all out, rn. (beside NYC so has more than one outfit to wear, he’s NYC after all)

UPDATE AFTER MORE DIGGING: this ^ is shared between NY and NYC I will explain: In the bosten tea party video is ny in this outfit agreeing with mass which means it can't be NYC as he stood against what mass did back then so either NY just took over because he represented the popular opinion in the state (making it a austin/texas kinda situation where the more popular has more representation) or back then they were still one person and split up later when NYC became the face of NY (would explain why not even the northeastern states are aware of it as NY didn't have multiple personalities back then) and albany appeared when it became capital and buffalo just showed up some day (I do not know the history of buffalo so when I get into research for his part in this (he shows up the least so he is the last one I will look into), his place in the timeline I'm establishing here could change)

There is another version of this one just with a different Shirt which only appears in ‘DC statehood’ and is explicitly said to be NYC

Bills beanie, no coat bills shirt - NY (state) as far as I’m right now with the episodes it has appeared in DC Statehood with the exact label NY as the state and In the drunk NY scene in ‘Table News: Two Tickets to Martha’s’ and in both he's adorable, fight me.

But all are just called New York for some reason (somebody write a fic about the other states after moving in being confused as all hell at NY different personalities. It. would. Be. Hilarious. or good angst (duh) or hurt/comfort (The system supporting each other) or just Texas and New York bonding over it)

Everybody can use this, go nuts, this fandom can sure as hell use more NY fluff/Angst fellas!

If this interested anyone, just ask for more info if you want it, I have done so much digging for this (Do not recommend) so that you don’t have too and I’m happy to share everything I found, just this is already pretty long so yeah.

If ya want more info I have a few sites written full of details I noticed by going through all of NY episodes for this (Most also have episodes it appeared in referenced so you could check yourself if you want)

just differentiate if you only want things I found in the skits or if head canons mixed in would be ok (It would be marked with HC tho)

This took three hours and it’s not even half of all I found out and I’m not even through all of NY appearances but I don't wanna do more digging rn.

[yanderemontgomerygator]

headcnanon/fanficitition: motngoemry yator is yanderge for glamrock fredy but trans rigjts are activelgy being striped away across the unitd states an transphobia is rampant acros all comunities

start

glakroco freddy: helo motngoemry gator whhat is going on

motngoemry gator: republicans hav been spewing out an endless stream of anti-trans propoganda, threats and legislaition throighout the U.S, to th point wher republicans are able to build an entire cult folowing and even win positions of polticical power by basig the majority of their entire campaign off of mockig and threatening the transgender comunity. ther are laws in several U.S stats right now trying to strip the trans community - especialy trans youth - of what litle rights they already have by restrictig access to gender affirmig healthcare, tryig to keep trans people oujt of sports, FORCIBLY detransitionig trans people, banning changes in ID, and a LOT mor. some states are even tryig to take trans children awya from their families and charge their guardians as CRIMINALS for givig their children HEALTHCARE. this is literaly a governmenr-approved genocide, as restricting access to gender affirmation WILL result in th deaths of an innumerable amount of trans people in all states that pass such legislaton. ontop of this, education of all LGBT identities (especially gender identites) ar beig banned from education on the basis of "grooming", which is an increeibly dangerous an obviously false rhetoric to b spreading. this same lack of education of lgbt identities is what has alowed transphobia to ge tto the point it is currently at. the worst of the laws are hapening in red states lik texas, florida and alabama, but therg are only less than 10 states in al of the U.S that are speculated to remain safe for transgeder peple on a legislative level within an election cycle. but thats JUST on a legislative level. societaly, trans peple ar at the most risk of homelessness, harrassment, assault and murder out of any other LGBT identity, and thats just the results frm trans people who reported having these things happen to them, whic alot of trans people do not feel safe doing due to rampant societal and systemic transphobia present in most helplines an law enforcement. some of the biggest things causing all of this transphobia right now are right wing reactionary influencers along with news outlets like New York Times, Washington Post, BBC, Fox News and mor, who hav been publishing a fuckton of propoganda as of late. these posts further lead the normalzation of transphobia across the country, and you hav pribably heard the result of this transphobia just living your everyday life thanks to the popularity of the dangerous lies they have spread, such as trans people being 'dangerous', biological advangtages in sports, drag events that allow the atendance of children being grooming events, and a lot more [all of whch are factually proven to be bull shit]. these outlets are also spreadig false information about transgende people that has lead cis people to feel comfortable ommitting trans pepole from conversations and spaces that their participation is crucial in such as human rights, LGBT issues, topics related to healthcare, etc. this ommission is incrediby dangerous as it favors the comfort of cis people ovr the inclusion of trans people in situations that can, at worst, be life or death for them. transgender people need and deserve a voice in al facets of society.

motngoenry agtor: obviously the main groups to blame for transphobia and transphobic laws are cis people and the GOP, but demicrats, progressives an the LGB comunities have all faild the transgende r community on every posible level as well. not only are the large majority refusing to do even tje bare minimum to help out the trans community, but many lefitsts actively help the GOP in pushing anti-trans rhetoric. this iz especially shameful from the LGB community, as trans people played a HUGE role in progresing protections for mariage equality, protections for LGB comminities as minority groups, and for societal acceptanc of queer identities. in return, the LGB comunities have done next to nothing to do the same for trans people. sinc republicans are not goig to elt up at all, more HAS to be don by leftists and LGB folks, ESPECIALLY those in power, to protject the trans community. the curent state of trans rights in the country right now should be seen as a masive failure by all left leanig people. it is completly unacceptable. the left is not doig enough for transgender people. leftist voters need to show up t the polls an look into who an what they are votig for. anti trans laws are being drafted acros the country as we speak. it is crucial rigjt now tht the left speaks out and does mor against the onslaught of anti trans legislation going around right now. the isues transgender people face in the U.S go MUCH further beyond what i have stated here.

flamrock fredt: wow

motngomery gator: yeha also neopronouns an xenogenders ar cool fuck all of you.

end.

sory for inactivity i hav been sleepig. i wil be back. Some dajy.

[[ALS. i wold just like to add since i mentiond drag that i am aware that drag and being trans is not th same. unfortunstely drag is a big talking point from transphobes rigjt now so it does end up beig relevant in conversations about transphobia.]]

[whatsonmedia]

Ex-President Trump Arrested on Multiple Charges

Former US President Donald Trump was arrested earlier today on multiple charges related to his time in office. The charges include conspiracy to commit election fraud, obstruction of justice, and incitement of insurrection. Former US President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, after his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury. How it started Donald Trump came back to his hometown in New York with his family on Monday. He flew in on his blue and red plane with his name on it and landed at LaGuardia airport. Then, he went to his home at Trump Towers in Manhattan in a car with other cars around him. There were a lot of people there, including supporters, people who don't like him, and reporters, but he didn't talk to them. He just waved and went inside quickly. What happened in the court? On Tuesday, Donald Trump went to a court in Manhattan. He arrived in a motorcade with eight cars from his home, which was about 6 kilometers away. He went inside the court and got his fingerprints taken. He was wearing a blue suit and a red tie. After more than an hour, he went to the courtroom on the 15th floor. He spoke six times in the court and said that he was not guilty of 34 crimes. He also said that he knew his rights. He left the court about an hour later. The arrest came as a shock to many Americans, who had been following the ongoing investigations into Trump's actions while in office. The charges against Trump are the culmination of months of investigation by federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies. According to sources close to the investigation, Trump's arrest was the result of evidence that he conspired with members of his administration to commit election fraud during the 2020 presidential election. The evidence reportedly includes phone calls, emails, and other communications between Trump and his advisors, in which they discussed ways to overturn the election results in key swing states. Charges against Trump In addition to the election fraud charges, Trump is also facing charges of obstruction of justice related to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The charges allege that Trump attempted to obstruct the investigation by firing FBI Director James Comey and pressuring other members of his administration to interfere with the investigation. Finally, Trump is facing charges of incitement of insurrection in connection with the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. The charges allege that Trump's rhetoric and actions leading up to the attack contributed to the violence that occurred that day. Trump's arrest has sent shockwaves throughout the political world. With many of his supporters expressing outrage and disbelief at the charges against him. However, many others have welcomed the news, calling it a long-overdue reckoning for a president. Who they say repeatedly violated the law and undermined the democratic process. Trump’s stance After appearing in court, Trump went to his Florida home and spoke to a group of people who support him. During his 25-minute speech, Trump said he didn't do anything wrong and that he treated unfairly by people on the political left who disagree with him. He also said negative things about the judge overseeing his case, Judge Juan Merchan. He claiming that the judge doesn't like him and that his family doesn't like him either. Trump also mentioned that the judge's daughter worked for Kamala Harris. The judge had previously advised Trump to be careful about what he says in public. As it could lead to more conflict and problems. What next At this time, it is unclear what the next steps in the legal process will be for Trump. However, legal experts say that the charges against him are serious and carry the potential for significant prison time if he convicted. Trump has yet to comment on the charges against him or his arrest. Regardless of one's political views, the arrest of a former president is a significant moment in American history. It remains to be seen how this will impact the political landscape moving forward, but it is clear that the repercussions of Trump's actions during his presidency will be felt for years to come. Read the full article

[the-active-news]

Aaron Judge Brother: Will Judge Outfit Have A Captain On It?

The New York Yankees’ (2016-) professional baseball player Aaron Judge, full name Aaron James Judge, was born on April 26, 1992. In 2022, he broke the American League mark for the most home runs hit in a season. His 62 home runs surpassed Roger Maris, a former Yankee, who had held the mark for 61 years. He signed a nine-year, $360 million contract to remain with the New York Yankees in December 2022. The judge was raised in Linden, California, after being adopted by teachers Patty and Wayne Judge the day after his birth. When Aaron Judge noticed he didn’t look much like his parents and started to ask questions, he was around 10 or 11 years old. Judge is multiracial, 6 feet 7 inches tall (2.01 meters), and weighs 282 pounds (128 kg). John Judge, his older brother, had also been adopted.

Aaron Judge Brother

Aaron Judge Brother The day after his birth, instructors Patty and Wayne Judge adopted Judge, who was raised in Linden, California. When Aaron Judge recognized he didn’t look like his parents and started to ask questions, he was probably 10 or 11 years old. Judge is multiracial, 6 feet 7 inches tall (2.01 meters), and weighs 282 pounds (128 kg). John Judge, his older brother, had also been adopted. I grew in my mother’s heart; some children grow in their mother’s stomachs. Since I was a young child, she has always treated me with love and concern. I’ve never had to question anything or think in a different way.” You also like it:- - Alex Haley Net Worth: Is He Still Alive Or Not? - Kenneth Copeland Net Worth: How Much Money Does He Make In a Year?

Will Judge Outfit Have A Captain On It?

The pitchers and catchers for the New York Yankees will report to Spring Training in Tampa, Florida, in less than 30 days. It’s a new year, so it’s time to take a closer look at the Yankees Inbox to see what questions you, the fans, have: The quick response is no. On the day of his news conference, I pointed at the Nike swoosh on Judge’s right chest and said, “No C?” when he entered the room to meet with the print media. “No, we don’t do that here,” he chuckled. And it’s true: neither Don Mattingly, Thurman Munson, nor any of the prior Yankees captains wore a “C,” and neither did Derek Jeter. In general, though it has happened a few times in baseball, it has been more of a label for other sports. I also remember Jason Varitek wearing the letter with the Red Sox from 2005 through 2011, and John Franco choosing to wear one when he was named the Mets’ captain in 2001. https://twitter.com/BRWalkoff/status/1613560674277363712 I also came across this comment that Jeter once provided me with when researching this: “I’m no different than everybody else in the club,” he stated in 2008. “I am aware that I have that position. I’m not suggesting that everybody who wears it is doing it wrong, but for me, it’s never been a problem.” Yes. In December, general manager Brian Cashman reaffirmed that Donaldson will “absolutely” start at the hot corner in 2023. The 37-year-offensive old’s production, which the Yanks are counting on to improve, saw him hit.222/.308/.374 with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs in 132 games (94 OPS+). It looks like Donaldson will have more opportunities to influence the Yankees’ lineup since both Cashman and manager Aaron Boone feel that the third baseman should have been heavily involved in the Gold Glove discussion.

Aaron Judge Supporters Hope For Another Spectacular Campaign From Him

Aaron Judge’s tremendous season with the New York Yankees in 2022 completely spoils the fans. A player from the American League or anybody else without at least the appearance of a steroid scandal has never hit 62 home runs. But it would be a little ridiculous to anticipate Judge to have a similar season. Expectations were dampened by Michael Kay, who both hosts Yankees games on YES Network and produces a radio show about them. https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/1594868828525441024 Although not historically accurate, Kay’s projections could be sufficient for a second MVP campaign: Despite Judge’s remarkable season, there is no reason to believe that he won’t once again perform at an All-Star or even MVP level this year. He has consistently performed at that level while healthy, so there is no reason to anticipate a significant decline in 2023. For more information visit  theactivenews.com Read the full article

[atheisticsnail]

On Despair

I’ve been watching alot of my online friends and acquaintances fall into despair over the last several months. I’ve watched them become more and more afraid. I’ve watched them be pushed further and further. I’ve seen it in myself. And I want to offer some hope to them and myself that I think we have forgotten. We are winning. I know it ABSOLUTELY does not feel like it. That it FEELS like the unempathetic immoral bigots are winning, but they are not.

How do I know that? Because the facts our on our side. There should have been a huge Red wave at the mid Term election this month. That did not appear. We kept the Senate, we won a HUGE number of state run battles. And we did that in the face of enormous voter suppression and gerrymandering. Think about that. Our side fought so hard that we overcame huge handicaps to save the people we love and care about. Because I doubt hardly anyone fighting for Trans Rights, for Abortion Rights, For Voting Rights, for Equality is doing it just for themselves. History shows that humans almost always fight harder when they have loved ones to protect. And all the people I know? They are fighting because they are terrified for their loved ones, and that is so powerful.

What else shows we are winning? How about the fact that in Kansas, an undeniable red state Voters OVERWHELMINGLY opposed a constitutional amendment that would have removed bodily autonomy. Voters in Kentucky and Montana (also red states) also voted to restrict abortion rights. Voters in California, Michigan,and Vermot voted to protect abortion rights.

Trans Rights are massively under attack in the United States. I will not deny that. BUT we are still winning there. 64% of Americans favor laws and policies that would protect transgender people from discrimination in jobs, house, and public spaces. 20 years ago most Americans barely knew transgender people existed. And I won’t lie, the public is deeply divided about education about Trans people in school, and sports and other areas. BUT we are making progress. Yes it is a battle that it shouldn’t be, BUT there is hope. The American Psychiatric Association supports Trans Rights. Research into improving medical and psychiatric care for Trans people has been amazingly done in the last 20 years and continues. Numerous support groups exist to help Trans people exist and hopefully thrive.

How about some other hope? The Courts. Despite all of the rights attempts to complete fuck up the United States Court system, in many ways they are failing. Alex Jones owes almost a Billion dollars to the Sandy Hook Parents who’s lives he tried to destroy. He has managed to silence himself and hang himself with a debt he will drag forever like Sisyphus and his bolder.

A Judge in Flordia told Desantis to fuck himself by blocking his law attempting to silence workers at Florida Colleges. Marc E. Elias and the Democracy Now group is winning cases all across the United States defending our voting rights. And they have been doing this for the last several years.

Drumpf’s Business’s in New York I likely going to either be shut down or take a ginormous financial hit thanks to the Criminal and Civil Fraud Case.

For all the rights screaming about the January 6th Hearings and their attempts to get people not to watch it, the watch numbers of it have been insane. And while it is not shaking those who have bought the big lie. It is helping provide information to those of us who didn’t. Because Facts matter. Getting the Truth out matters

I look at where I was in 2004, having never heard the work Asexual and now thanks to the wonder of the connected world knowing who I am. And finding my footing. And I look at all the GRSM people I know and I take so much joy in the fact that we live in a world where we can reach out and care for each other. Even when others try to stop us. When they spread hate and vitriol.

Because that is what the side of empathy has more than those that hate. We care about what is happening to others. And I get that watching the damage that is happening, the lives that are being damaged and in some cases ruined can lead to despair. And that is totally fair, but don’t give into it. Do not let them make you into them. That is the thing I fear the most. That if we look into the abyss that is the hate, bigotry, and fear that we will start to reflect them.

The answer to their hate, bigotry and fear is not to return like with like. Many of the bigots are starting to spread Stochastic terrorism and use language about Civil wars. And that is absolutely terrifying. It is. But I would say we need to look at their fear and not take it into ourselves. The ability of those speakers, Walsh, Tucker, Jenna Ellis, Libs Of TikToc, Rittenhouse to cause an actual Civil War is almost zero. They can radicalize individuals and their words will cause deaths like those that happened at Club Q, but they don’t have the power to set the states fighting each other. All they can do is radicalize the mob.

And that is a terrifying power. But that power comes from fear, and if we feed back their fear to them they win. They want us afraid of them. They want us to behave like they have more power than they do. That they have more support than they do. They are talking heads representing about 29% of the population. So how do I suggest we fight them? With our empathy. With Knowledge, and with our willingness to stand for each other.

What do I mean by that? Call them out, but remember they are human at the same time. They are sad broken people who have so much fear of the world that they are lashing out at people who have no ability to hurt them. Tucker Carlson is an angry lying bigot who is such an idiot that his own lawyers say no one should believe him about anything. Would you really want to be him?

Kyle Rittenhouse is not even 21 years old and he will have to live his entire life knowing he killed 2 people, and while he might justify it to himself that is all his life is about now. That is all he has. Look at him. Really look at how pathetic his life is. Hes a mascot with no education, who is being slowly mentally poisoned even more than he already was by the people around him. That is not a life I would wish on almost anyone. The odds on him escaping that thinking are small, and he will have to live in that terrifying place. He is a child puppet for bigots. I’m not excusing his words or his behavior. He absolutely should be called out for that. But I won’t do what he did. I won’t other him. He is responsible for his words and actions, but he is a human as well.

I would rather be me. I would rather make a difference by showing empathy. I’ve heard people I know say they don’t think they have made a difference. To you, you are wrong. Even if you haven’t seen it you have made a difference. The small fanfiction writer who posted a Johnlock story about an Asexual Sherlock will never know that they helped me find AVEN and changed my life because I was not able to find that story again and thank them. But that small story changed my life. The hope you put into the world by sharing your stories helps. Even if you never see it. Just as the evil you put out their can damage, hope can help. Empathy can help. Care can help.

So share the stories. Support each other. If you want a more active role, find somewhere to volunteer. Examples:

The Trevor Project has a volunteer program that teaches you how to help talk to and become a crisis support counselor. (Be aware they have a wait list for people to take applicants, but if you are interested get on the list)

Want to help with politics? The Warnock Run off in Georgia needs volunteers to Make Calls, Knock on Doors, and Protect the Vote. I’ve made calls for elections. You can do it from home. Its weird and uncomfortable but it can and does help.

Volunteer at a local food pantry. If your city has a homeless shelter volunteer there. Volunteer at a local animal shelter. Make a Sign and put it up in your yard or window supporting Trans Rights, or Abortion Rights, or your personal group.

Because just because you don’t see people seeing your support. Someone does. Someone takes hope because there are people out there who see them as human.

See humanity. Please show the world that you care.

[taylorscottbarnett]

In state elections, Democrats had two goals: keep Republicans from breaking up or delaying Republicans getting trifectas in state governments.

As of 2021, Republicans dominated with 21 trifectas, that is control over the Governorship, State House and State Senate. Republicans have had a dominance in trifectas since after 2010, when Democrats went from having 16 trifectas, a +8 spread to 11, while Republicans went from having only 8 trifectas, a low not seen since before 1994's election to a whopping 21. A +10 spread.

The big stakes for Democrats: stopping Republican trifectas in: Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. As well as not being defeated in Colorado, Maine, and Minnesota.

Democrats Governors won major victories over election deniers in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

They flipped the entire state legislature in Michigan from red to blue for the first time in decades.

Democrats won a trifecta in Minnesota.

Held both chambers of state government in Colorado, Maine, Nevada, and Oregon.

Kept Republicans from Supermajorities in the North Carolina House and the Wisconsin State Assembly and every single "Stop the Steel" candidate running for Secretary of State looks to have lost their race in battlegrounds.

Republicans were so sure of a red wave they'd targeted blue bastions of power like Nevada, Maine, Oregon, and Washington to the target list, confident a red-tide would lift them to victory.

What happened? Liberal outside spending groups countered them at every turn, swamping the states with ads at a pace not seen in politics before from left-aligned groups.

Not a SINLGE state legeslative chamber flipped from Democrats to Republicans, the first time about incumbent party has had thst result since 1934.

In Arizona Democrat Adrian Fontes beat Republican Mark Finchem for Secretary of State and Katie Hobbs fought back far-right Republican Kari Lake for the Governorship.

Democrat Kris Mayes is in a battle for Arizona's Attorney General with a 0.02% lead atm.

Kansas Gov - Democrat-hold

Maine Gov - Democrat-hold

Michigan Gov - Democrat-hold

New Mexico Gov - Democrat-hold

Nevada Gov - ? Democrat-likely hold

New York Gov - Democrat-hold

Oregon Gov - ? but dems have held this for 36-years soooo

Pennsylvania Gov - Democrat-hold

Wisconson Gov - Democrat-hold

Senate:

Pennsylvania- Democrat-flip.

Nevada- Democrat-hold.

Arizona - Democrat-hold.

But it's looking like a lot like a 51-49 Senate.

OH did I mention Nebraska passed a $15/hr minimum wage increase?

But wait, there's more!

In Connecticut a measure to allow in-person early voting passed.

My home state of Kentucky saw voters reject a constitutional amendment denying a right to abortion, three other states enshrined the right to an abortion in their constitutions.

Michigan saw voters pass a measure opening polls early, making it easier to vote in the state, voters also passed an amendment creating a right to reproductive freedom, providing a bulwark for both conception and abortion access in the state.

Republican Mayra Flores, a who gained fame within the party by winning a special election in a Democratic district in the Rio Grande Valley this year lost his race on Tuesday.

Voters in Tennessee and Vermont supported ballot measures by wide-margins that remove language allowing slavery as punishment from their state constitutions.

And in one of the weirder results: Texas re-elected a criminally-indicated and Trump supported Attorney General to a third term? What the fuck Texas?

Oh and Gen-z secured their first US House seat with the election of 25-year old Florida Democrat.

Periods have heavier flow than this "red wave".

[oppositionresearch]

We now know which parties will control which chambers of Congress until the 2024 elections. Despite significant economic troubles, and centuries of precedent showing that the president's party virtually always loses big during midterm cycles, we were able to push back Republicans to a razor-thin majority in the House, and we might actually gain in the Senate depending on the outcome of a runoff election in Georgia. What happened? Two main things: First and foremost, young voters turned out.

Young voters (defined as voters between ages 18 and 29) voted more this year than almost any other midterm year in the past 30 years-- the only time we turned out at a higher rate was in 2018.

On top of that, young voters are overwhelmingly progressive. Voters younger than 44 trend towards voting Democratic, but voters younger than 29 are almost twice as likely to vote for a Democrat than a Republican.

[image description: a series of four graphs from the Tufts University Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. The graphs show partisan preference among voters, broken down into four different age groups. Both voters aged 18-29 and voters aged 30-44 favor Democrats, with 63% of voters aged 18-29 preferring Democrats.] I think this is important to note not just because it was a huge factor in our great results this election, but because the main way a lot of people our age engage with institutions regarding civic engagement is being shamed for not voting. And we historically haven't been good about voting! But in years like 2018, 2020, and now 2022, when we do turn out, we've made a big difference in the outcomes of those elections. And our influence will only grow as more and more young people come of voting age, and we keep up the energy. We've taken the blame for so long. Now we get to take the credit. We did this. Secondly, Republicans inadvertently depressed their own turnout. If you've been paying any attention at all to Republicans over the last couple years, you know they've been trying to undermine the results of the 2020 election, sometimes through massive acts of violence. Many Republicans running this year denied, or cast doubt on, the 2020 election without evidence. Some, in very red states and districts, won their races. But virtually every election-denying candidate in a remotely competitive race lost, and frequently did worse than other Republicans on the same ballot. Not only did people buying the lie stay home (why vote if the election is rigged, right?), but Republican voters who DID turn out withheld their votes from candidates who pushed the lie. What happens now? Because Democrats held the Senate, and possibly even improved their margins in it, federal judicial nominees will stay confirmable. We've yanked the gavel out of Mitch McConnell's hands- he will not be able to prevent President Biden from placing qualified judges on the bench like he did with Obama in his last years. Ditto for every Senate-confirmable appointment for the next two years. "Partisan gridlock" is going to be a big term once again. Because Republicans will control the House of Representatives, one of the two chambers bills must pass through to become law, new laws will become much harder to pass. But because the GOP majority in the House is so narrow, we will not need to pull as many votes from Republicans as we otherwise would to get essential legislation through. And Republicans will need to defect occasionally to save themselves from defeat in 2022, because: Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump are fighting for control over the Republican party, and right now DeSantis is winning. DeSantis is scary because he is one of the loudest homophobic, transphobic, racist voices in the Republican party right now, and he won re-election in a landslide this year while Trump-backed candidates tended to lose. He does all of the awful, evil things Trump does, except he is also extremely competent, and can point to his success in Florida as a model for what Republicans should be doing nationwide. I don't know if DeSantis will run for president, but if he does, he will have to beat Trump in the primaries first. I don't know who would win between them, but either would obviously be bad. There is no semi-moderate Republican who looks to be seriously considering a run. That's the bad news. The GOOD news is that serious primary fights in the modern era against a president seeking re-election have always always ended with the winner getting destroyed in the general. It's hard to see where Trump and DeSantis would fit in this, but if they have to face off against each other it very easily could turn voters off of both. If that happens, the Republicans best suited to stay in Congress would be those in "safe" seats, and those who could point to legislative successes over the next two years-- successes they will only get if they cooperate with Democrats.

Make sure take some time to feel proud of what we've done the last couple years. The fight isn't over by a long shot, but we've seen that we have a strategy that works-- and if he keep voting, we will keep winning.

[page150]

Not A Friend - (Sister to Oscar "Spooky" and César Díaz)

Request: "i was wondering if u could do a fic where oscar and cesar have a teen sister and she’s sexually assaulted and tells oscar??"

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 3181

Warnings: Sexual Assault, Guns, Cursing

A/N: I usually don't do a author's note before the imagine, but this is a sensitive topic so if this might be triggering please click away.

Y/N - Your Name f/c - favorite color

Y/N sat quietly in her room, reading a book, illuminated by a white lamp sitting on her dresser.

Outside her brother, Oscar laughed with some men and her other brother, César had left a while ago on another adventure with his friends, leaving Y/N by herself in her room. Placing the book down, she moved the curtains away from her window. She looked at the gathering of Santos socializing in the backyard. Red solo cups in hand, dancing and eating. She remembered how Oscar had let her help decorate the backyard for the party only to be later excluded from it. Looking at him laughing with a with his arm around someone she betted that he had forgotten that she was inside.

She had gotten used to being forgotten and treated differently by people. Ever since she was born her brothers didn’t know what to do with her. Oscar had never expected to have to raise a brother by himself and especially not a sister. Even though she was only a year younger than César, Oscar's idea of keeping her safe was keeping her hidden.

She was only allowed to go straight to school then straight home, never alone either. If César or Monse weren’t going to a place neither was Y/N and that’s how it always was. She was especially not allowed to hang out with any of Oscar's friends, making life extremely lonely.

Glancing at a photo that was taped next to the window, she smiled at herself situated between Jasmine and Monse with Jamal, Ruby and César in the back. César’s friends were nice, but they were his friends not hers. He was the one invited to all their parties. He was the one they had tried to save, not her.

This left school to be the only place Y/N could socialize, but no one wanted to be friends with a girl from a gang. She was labeled dangerous before anything else, leaving her by herself. Always forgotten, and always alone.

That night she went to sleep feeling sorry for herself and woke up the same way. It continued the next few days until one day when while sitting in her algebra class, a new student was introduced. He was placed next to her and, ignoring the strange looks the class gave to him, he introduced himself.

“I’m Luke. Can I sit here?”

Y/N looked up at the blond haired boy. Her table partner had moved schools a few months ago and no one bothered to sit with her since. He looked nice, he had a nice smile and it made her want to lower her guard slightly, “Yeah, you can sit here.”

Luke sat next to her and immediately tried to start a conversation. He talked about how he moved from Florida. She noticed, as they talked more, how similar they were. They both had interesting families. He had two brothers, she had two brothers and they both lived near each other.

Y/N found herself laughing more than usual at his jokes. This led to the teacher having to stop class multiple times to scold them. Y/N never had a connection to someone like this, especially not on the first day. At lunch Luke went to sit with with her and -

“Who’s this?” César asked, suddenly sitting down at the lunch table next to his sister and wrapping an arm around her. Jamal, Ruby, and Monse also sat down. The table that previously consisted of two people quickly turned to six. Other kids nearby, eyed the two “dangerous” siblings sitting together.

Y/N rolled her eyes at the unexpected attention that was now forming. “This is Luke, he’s new.”

“Lukeee,” César trailed, “I’m Y/N’s older brother-”

“By a few months,” Y/N butted in.

“Whatever, I’m César, these are my friends Jamal, Ruby and my girl Monse.”

Monse laughed, “I’m not your girl.”

“Not yet,” César winked.

Y/N sighed and threw César’s arm off her. She turned to Elliot and apologized.

“Sorry for them.”

“No they’re cool,” Luke grinned. “Any friend of mine is my friend as well.”

Y/N raised her eyebrows, “We’re friends now? It’s only been a day.”

“Of course, you’re cool.”

With the compliment Y/N cheeks turned red. As childish as it was, having an established friendship with someone made her feel nice.

“This must be how César and Oscar feel all the time.” She thought.

“I don’t know if Oscar will like you having a friend that is a boy.” Ruby remarked. “No offense, Luke.”

“None taken.”

“Oscar doesn’t like anyone anyways.” Monse muttered, taking a bite into her sandwich.

“Don’t worry” Luke smiled, “I’m one of the good guys.”

“That’s what they all say,” Jamal said suspiciously. He leaned in close to Luke’s face and gave him some crazy faces.

“Okay, great talk guys,” Y/N said sarcastically, “I would love to chat with you more but lunch is about to end and I have to show Luke where his next class is. I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah I have to go, but it was nice meeting you guys.” Luke stated, before he was dragged away by Y/N.

The next few weeks Y/N spent all her time with Luke. He sat next to her in the classes they shared, they talked at lunch and while walking home after school. They even stayed up at night so they could talk on the phone. She found herself smiling every time he talked to her. Every time he offered to carry her books. He was just so nice.

One Friday afternoon, Luke came running up to Y/N, putting her items in her backpack after her last class. He put his hands around her eyes, trying to hold back his laughter.

“Guess who?”

“Mrs. Kurt, I told you we can't see each other here.” Y/N whispered.

Luke removed his hands and his face went white. Y/N turned around and started crying with laughter. She had to sit down, her face turning bright red as she continued to laugh, gasping for air.

“I don’t even want to think about you dating my mom.” He trembled, before returning to his cheerful self. “Stop laughing, I have important news. There’s a party tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me.”

Y/N stopped laughing and thought about it before responding. “I don’t know. I don’t think Oscar would want me to. You know how he is about stuff like that.”

Luke smiled and picked her backpack off the floor. He then put out his hand and helped Y/N to her feet.

“Which is why César and his friends already said they are coming too. Oscar doesn’t have to know you're going as my date.”

“Your date?”

“If you want to be. I want you to be my date.”

Y/N smiled, a pink blush covering her cheeks. “I can be your date.”

“Great,” He took her hand and began to lead her out of the classroom. “It’s going to be amazing, don't worry.”

That night Y/N drank water out of a red solo cup, while sitting on the couch of a kid she had never met before. This time she was the one laughing and partying. Colors flashed around the room as more and more kids came into the house. The air was foggy with smoke and smelt like a mash of perfumes and colognes. Y/N nodded her head to the music enjoying the energy in the room.

To her surprise Luke pulled her up to dance with him. She giggled feeling his hands go around her waist. She put her arms around his neck just like she saw in the movies. Rap was blasting out of speakers placed on the ground. Somewhere someone joked about getting a noise compliment to which the crowd began shouting the rap lyrics louder. Taunting the idea, almost hoping for it so the party could gain extra excitement. Y/N shouted along with them in bliss. Ignoring the past fear she had felt once she noticed César had left. Ignoring the looks she had gotten when she first walked in the party. Ignoring how Luke had moved his hands past the dip in her back...

When she felt his hands squeeze her butt she whispered for him to stop which he did, but she still felt weird. A sinking feeling sat in her gut that this was a mistake. Suddenly the small action made the party feel like too much now. She could smell the stink of alcohol on Luke’s breath and weirdly on herself as well. How did she get drunk?

Y/N moved from Luke to where she had placed her cup. Now she could see scribbled on with a black sharpie, someone else’s name. She must have grabbed the wrong cup sometime during the party. Swaying slightly, she moved back toward Luke.

“I need to go home,” She hiccuped. “I drank someone's drink.”

In the darkness she didn’t see Luke’s small smile. “Wow, I’m sorry. Let’s get you home.”

The two exited the party and began to walk home. Y/N felt more tipsy as she walked, eventually having to lean on the blond boy. She didn’t feel really drunk, she could still tell what was happening, it was just her body felt a little out of balance. Luke seemed the same way, but before they reached Y/N house he grabbed her hips. The sudden movement left her in shock.

“You looked really nice tonight, babe.” He said, pulling her into a kiss as he ran his hands on her back, slowly moving lower onto her butt, then up to her breasts.

Immediately Y/N pushed Luke off of her, moving to wrap her arms around herself. “What the hell? I’m a Santo, pull that shit again and it's over” She yelled, backing away from Luke.

“Like you would, I’m the only one who cares enough to pay attention to you. Do you really think anyone else wants to be around you? I’ll do whatever I want. You would be an idiot to lose me.” He fumed.

Y/N froze. Luke had never acted like that before. He couldn’t truly mean what he was saying. She ran into her house and locked the door behind her. She waited a few minutes to check that he had left, which he did.

After her shower she convinced herself that Luke must have been really drunk. That’s why he acted that way, but on Monday he proved that that was not the case.

At the beginning of algebra it started off okay. Luke kept his eyes on the board and focused on his work. It was okay up to the point where he started rubbing on Y/N's leg. She told him to stop but he ignored her. First rubbing small circles on her knee. Then moving up to her thigh moving closer and closer upwards. No matter how many times she moved his hand he kept putting it back. Eventually she had to stay quiet out of fear of distracting the class, but he kept going. She begged silently for it to stop. Suddenly feeling powerless as he continued to do as he pleased for more days.

At lunch even though Luke continued to joke with César she started to go silent. It was a constant internal battle. If she pushed Luke away more, it would cause her to lose her only friend. If she didn’t she would continue to feel uncomfortable. She told herself it would stop eventually, that things would go back to normal, but they didn’t.

As more days went by Luke tried to do more things. The more he tried to do the quieter Y/N got. But luckily César began to notice. He noticed that Y/N wanted him to sit between her and Luke more. How she stopped laughing at his jokes and how Luke changed his tone when talking to her. It wasn’t always playful like it used to be.

Even though César wasn’t really close to his sister he acknowledged that they had to look out for each other. Y/N had been the one to get Oscar to let him back in the house many times. She looked out for him, and he had to look out for her.

Which is why when César and Monse accidentally walked in on Luke kissing her in an empty classroom while she tried to push him off, he freaked out.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He shouted, pulling Luke off of her and close to his face by the collar of his shirt. “I'm Lil’ Spooky I’ll have your face in the dirt if you do that shit again.”

“César, stop what are you doing here. You’re going to hurt him.” Y/N yelled. Monse gently pulled her away from Luke, but she pushed Monse back.

César punched Luke in the eye and he fell down, crumbling into a fetal position. César continued to kick him in the stomach until Y/N pulled him away.

“You’re hurting him! You can’t do this here! César stop please!”

César turned and grabbed Y/N's arm. He led her out of the classroom and out of the school with Monse trailing after them. Y/N’s items in hand.

“I can’t believe he was on you like that. Shit, Y/N. Wait, don't cry, don’t cry, it's okay.”

Y/N hadn’t realized she was crying until he said that. Tears were falling rapidly down her cheeks. She choked back sobs, trying to keep herself somewhat together.

She was thankful for César stopping it, but afraid for what would happen next. Once they reached their house César guided her up the stairs and inside where Oscar was smoking a cigarette at the dinner table. Hearing the door burst open and crying he instantly got up. He reached for his gun, but seeing that it was his siblings he stopped.

“Shit, what the hell happened César. Why is she crying?”

“Tell him,” César said softly. Monse ran in and went to Y/N’s side pulling her into a hug.

“Tell me what. Why are you crying?”

“He 's not mad at you hermana. Él va a ayudar.”

Y/N sniffled and buried herself into Monse’s shoulder. Trying to hide her embarrassment she whispered, “My friend at school was touching me in a weird way, Oscar. He wouldn’t stop. I told him to stop, though. I did. Please, don’t be mad at me.”

“We’re not mad at you and he’s not a friend anymore, Y/N. That should’ve never happened to you.” Monse murmured.

The room went silent. Monse still slowly rubbed Y/N’s back and César stood tense. Oscar looked from César to Y/N.

“César, do you think he left school yet?”

“Uh yeah, school ended right after I pulled her out.”

“Come on,” Oscar grabbed his gun and began to walk out the door, César following after. Y/N ran after Oscar begging for him to stop.

“Don’t Oscar, don’t hurt hm. He’s my only friend. He’s a kid, it was just a mistake.”

“No no!” He shouted. Oscar turned and placed his hands on Y/N’s shoulder’s. Looking into her teary eyes.

“It’s not your fault. It’s never your fault hermana. My job is to keep you safe. I've failed at a lot of things, but I refuse to fail at that again. Get in the house and rest. He just needs to be taught a lesson. Stay with Monse. Te amo como una hija bebé espeluznante.”

He left with César, leaving Y/N on the lawn. Monse guided her back into the house. She remembered what her dad did whenever she was going through a lot. She treated Y/N the same way. Reassuring her that it will be okay. That it wasn’t her fault.

César and Oscar didn’t come back until later that night.

“We got you this,” Oscar muttered, walking into the house and tossing a stuffed bear to Y/N. “We saw the idea online.” It was a f/c bear with a heart on it that said ‘Te Quiero’ with little messages César and Oscar wrote on the back. There weren't a lot, but the few ones there were were heartfelt.

“Thank you, I love it” Y/N smiled, holding the bear close. Her eyes were still slightly red from crying.

“And pizza,” César quietly cheered. On his face was a bandage, but he moved his face so Y/N couldn’t see it. “Monse do you want to spend the night?”

Monse looked at Y/N, “Yeah I already have clothes here so I’ll stay,”

She picked up a slice of pizza. “Soo, what did you guys do?”

“We took care of it,” Oscar said, sitting on the couch next to Y/N. “He won’t mess with you again. If I didn’t have a reputation I would’ve reported it.” He lowered his voice. “You can always go to us Y/N, we’re going to protect you. If that cabrón messes with you again I’m coming for him. ”

“I know,” Y/N mumbled. “I just wanted a friend, how dumb is that.”

“You can always hang out with us,” Monse added, “We’re your friends. We love having you around.”

Y/N sighed, “I mean my own friend. I love you guys too, but it gets so lonely. No one at school wants to be near me. Soy un marginado.”

The room went silent again. Before Monse spoke up, “You know you’re really smart Y/N. There’s a school in BrentWood that might offer you a scholarship to go there. I know you could pass the entrance exam. ”

“I could get a job for the tuition,” César added, rising from his seat at the dinner table. “Oscar what do you think? You’ve been making more money lately. It would keep her safe. She is really smart.”

Oscar looked at the ceiling, a good sign that he was thinking about the idea. Y/N kept her mouth shut, trying not to get too excited.

“How would she get there?”

“It’s a long bus ride,” Monse remarked, “But it’s safe. Only a bunch of rich kids. Most of them will be nice to you, Y/N. You’re smart, you’re funny, and you’re strong. Not a lot of them are like that there. No one will know who you're related to. I can get my mom to help get you in.”

César, Monse, and Y/N looked at Oscar. He took a deep breath and released it. Pulling a cigarette out his pocket, he lit it. Breathing deep he puffed out the smoke.

“I failed you today as a hermano, if I can keep you safe I will. I’ll work on getting you there.”

Y/N smiled and hugged Oscar, feeling César join as well.

“Thank you Oscar. Thank you Cesar. Thank you Monse. I love you.”

“Yeah, yeah” Oscar grinned. “Get off me I’m going to bed. I think I’ll go to the beach tomorrow. Want to come?”

“Yes!”

Author's Note: My DMs are always open to anyone who needs it. I am also on twitter to anyone who wants to talk @/thepage150. Requests are open. You are important. You are valued. You are loved. Have a wonderful day ~c'k