#dg talks politics

[dgcatanisiri]

So, uh... Is anything interesting happening today?

*chuckles nervously*

In all seriousness, I honestly do have more confidence in Kamala Harris running and acting as president than Biden, because, yet again, you have to vote for who will advance your goals the most, cause the least harm, and in a matchup against fascism, you could do far worse than the current Vice President taking the stage.

My issue with Biden hadn't been directly his age - it was on the list, sure, but my issue had centered on the fact that he was projecting an image of not recognizing that the issue went beyond Trump, that the issue was fascism being given the stage by the Republican party at large, that this was a movement that needed to be stopped and not just an individual. I don't know yet if Kamala Harris will have a better grasp of it, but I do think that, her having been in the Senate during the Trump presidency, she has a better sense that the fight is not just centered on one man.

Really, though. Can I please stop living in unprecedented times? Please?

[holyschnitzel]

I haven’t understood one thing about Damon.

Is he actually flirty or just shy? Cause to me he looks like nerve wrecked and awkward but I don’t see him as clumsy as shadowman.

Thoughts? :3

Damon can be flirty, yeah. It's just that he's testing the waters first ^^

As you know, he doesn't handle rejection very well. When talking to strangers, he tries hard to be polite and friendly. But sometimes he's so focused with appearing harmless/ non-creepy that he comes across as a bit shy and awkward.

He's different when he is with DG or in a relationship with MC 😊

[redwolfxx]

Memories

next

James/DG x reader

tags: angst

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                                "Diego"

You had grown up together, inseparable. You would study together, you would train together. You would watch shows together and be little delinquents together. You would skip class to watch Diego (Dora's, in your opinion, much cooler cousin) and snack on whatever you raided out of the kitchen. You practically lived together with how often you hung out together. You were best friends, almost siblings, but you couldn't be.

After all, you can't look at a sibling the way you saw him.

He was always there for you. Late nights when you would be stressing over homework he would sneak in and bring you food. He would then help you with your schoolwork and then hangout with you before leaving for the night. Your parents loved him, he was so kind and polite to them.

You, like him were an amazing fighter. You would spar together, the score was often left uncounted due to the closeness of each match.

He knew you so well and you knew him like the back of your hands. You could just look at each other and know exactly what the other was thinking. Two peas in a pod. Nothing would get between you

Except everything did.

High school. Although you went to the high school you were both so different. Your grades were above average but they weren't like his, you weren't as good as him in school. But, you weren't complaining, especially if your struggle meant more time with him after school.

Popularity wise, you were different. You were both known for your looks, however you both had very different personalities in school.

You would sit in the back by the window, daydreaming of all the things you would rather be doing than listening to the teacher ramble about his wife who left him because he was, and I quote "too ugly to even be in the same room with." Which, was sadly an accurate statement. Your popularity was more of the "mysterious" (girl/guy/etc) at the back of the room that people would talk to if they weren't afraid.

James on the other hand was popular, girls loved him, guys wanted to be him. He was the school's golden child. Perfect grades. Fast track times. Amazing charisma. And a heart of gold.

At least that was during school hours. After school though, you were both very different.

You were the kind (girl/guy/etc) who the grandmothers loved and asked if you had a significant other. You would feed stray cats, you would play with neighborhood kids. But more importantly you were the reason why thugs avoided your neighborhood.

James was the kind of guy who did his homework during class, or occasionally asked others to do it for him (after all who wouldn't want to do his homework, who can say no to that smile?). He would hang out behind buildings with other friends (read: wannabes) who would smoke and basically act like gangsters. After an hour or two he would go meet up with Charles Choi and discuss plans for the future. When he wasn't doing any of that he was starting fights with other crews for extra sparing practice. He loved fighting, but his fights consumed his life. He started seeing you less.

When he did have free time he would spend it with his girlfriend if the week from his school making out in the hallway bathrooms.

Some wondered why the two of you never were a thing, especially with how close you were - used to be.

----

It was a New Years Eve Party, it was at one of your "friend's" houses. She was nice, rich, and probably thought that being nice to you meant James would like her more. Anyway, it had been a few hours since you had arrived and the balcony started feeling like a good idea to get away from all the noise, sex, and smells.

You walked out and took in the nice warm air, a cooler breeze running through your hair every now and then. As you watched the streets of people below the penthouse you didn't notice the presence next to you. With a flick of a lighter and the smell of smoke, your concentration was broken bringing you to focus on the new presence beside you. James.

"Hey, haven't seen you much." You say, breaking the silence.

"Yeah well you seem to avoid me these days" He responds carelessly.

"It's not you I'm avoiding, but that crowd you surround yourself with. Anyway, when did you start smoking?" You ask.

"When did you care so much?" He snaps back, returning the two of you to a silent tension.

The silence enveloped the two of you as you looked into each others eyes, the sounds of the city below you and the party behind you two.

"I've missed you." You finally breathe out.

"Yeah, me too." He says, his warm eyes giving you a once over.

You both return your gazes to the city below watching the city lights go dark as the buildings all light up with the same numbers.

"The year is already over and I haven't even  completed my New Years Resolution from earlier this year." He says, sneaking a glance over at you.

"Well you still have 5 seconds left it seems." You say, still glancing at the city below.

Before you know it he's turned you so your facing him. Eyes looking deep into one another's. Without warning he drops his cigarette crushing it beneath his foot and grabs your waist pulling you into him.

Surprised you gasp, your gasp is met with a passionate kiss as the city breaks into noise announcing the New Year. Fireworks burst to your side announcing the arrival of the New Year.

You break for air and ask, "Why?"

"I always complete my resolutions." He smirks back.

Your face blushes a deep red as you avoid his sharp gaze. He grabs your face and pulls you to look at him.

"Do you want to know what my resolution for last year was?" He asks softly.

"What?"

"To kiss you."

This time his ears turn a soft pink shade.

You laugh at his sudden embarrassment and lean into him. Your head on his chest and arms around his neck with his arms around your waist. His head rests on your head as you watch the fireworks.

"Will you go out with me?"

"No."

"What?" He pulls away slightly, surprised.

"I'm not a one week fling, I'm not two week fling. I have feelings and a heart and I can't bear to be with you if you leave at the drop of a hat." You say, pulling away.

"No, no. I would never do that to you. Do you understand how much I love you. I've loved you for years. I promise I'd never hurt you. Never"

"Promise?"

"Promise. Will you go out with me forever?"

You laugh at his rewording, "Yes."

----

It had been almost a year since he had asked that. You'd been dating for a while now. It was almost the same as the friendship you had before with the exception of you seeing him more often and the physical contact.

Each night, however, he would start coming home later and later. Mumbling about a plan and leaving. Being the middle of the night you forget by the morning to ask him. After all he promised he would never leave. So what did you have to worry about?

You had been on countless dates. Amusement parks, fancy restaurants, and more. He was so kind to you, so good to you. He would buy you gifts and would never accept any gift you gave in return saying he was buying your love an affection and not to spend money on someone like him. You would always reassure him that nothing was wrong with him.

Over time he would start developing your habits and you would correct his. Always replacing his cigarettes with lollipops. Although he grumbled about it aloud, he always felt warm inside at the sight.

You both loved each other so much. You believed nothing would ever stop a relationship this amazing.

One day he disappeared. No note, no message, no call, no goodbye. He just left.

No one knew where he was, he was gone. As if he never existed to begin with. The only records of him were the photos on your wall and the pain in your heart.

And with that, he was gone. He left your heart shattered. He left you alone, with no trace of him to love.

He left you broken, destroyed, abandoned. Your heart filled with sadness which developed into anger. Over the following years you would love again, but never the same, no one was him. No one loved you like him.

Your anguish would fade and you would distract yourself with work, and when you weren't working you would watch videos of kpop idols. Although one in particular stood out to you, familiar almost, but with no reason as to why. It would never be him, he always complained of the color pink, "it's blinding" he would whine as he would cover his eyes as you laughed at him.

Pink hair must be popular, there is always a pink haired customer who arrives before your shift and leaves around the same time you get off everyday, his eyes a familiar brown. But still distant.

One day he would give you his number asking you to call him one day. You never saw his face and you were cautious of strangers so you thanked him and threw it out after his back had turned.

You would later discover a new message in your phone from a"Diego."

"Can we talk?"

[raymondshields]

❤: Which character do you think is the most egregiously mischaracterized by the fandom?

There's quite a few! Kazuma obviously, because people love to take his anger at face value (which pisses me off because I also don't generally get sad when I'm hurt, I also get angry), and refuse to see him in 2-4/5 as a man literally shattering and finally admitting how incredibly not okay he's been for sixteen years.

Raymond Shields and Godot both get hit with fandom racism and people taking their facades at face value - Ray being a walking trauma wound (he's very much like Kaz in that regard, except he is never given the chance to lose his shit on everyone) and Godot actually having a very similar arc to Kazuma, just not haunting the whole game the same way.

But honestly? The most egregiously mischaracterized character? This is a molotov and I know it, but all my DGS friends haven't seen this take yet, so I get to throw it again: Mia Fey.

Mia Fey was not a character I expected to have so much depth to her, but then I started RPing her after her death and really got into her head, and then I had to deal with the fact that she is the single angriest person that anyone has seen, and the only reason no one knows is because she has utterly cultivated an image of not pulling a Kazuma. (I am very weak to Kazuma types, as we can clearly see lmao.)

She was abandoned by her mother when she was ten, she immediately took over parenting for her two-year-old sister, she was abused the whole time by her aunt who quite literally wanted her dead, she had to deal with all of the politics of being the next Master, she had to keep up with her training, she had to be the perfect daughter, and she had to do it all knowing that her only actual value was in protecting her sister, and that not a single person actually cared about her.

Her getting out and becoming a lawyer was honestly the most selfish thing she'd ever done, and if you look at the timing, it's pretty likely she got out right at 18, which... is the same year Pearl was born. She saw Morgan get pregnant and probably realized if she didn't get out, she was going to get murdered, so she ran.

It also explains why Diego acted the way he did about killing Misty: he knew Mia would probably forgive him for that one, because after all, Misty left Mia pretty much for dead in Morgan's hands. Misty could've taken her daughters with her and she didn't, and Mia would have known that. She sheltered Maya, but no one was protecting Mia but herself.

She emphasized trusting people to Phoenix a lot, for someone who only ever trusted one person (Diego), and when she did, he got poisoned. And she never trusted again, not even to Maya.

People really don't see through Mia's facade, because you have to actually look to see through it, because she died before she got a chance to show us who she actually was. Which is funny, because Beanix as a character very much parallels her. We just get to see more of his anger, where we never got to see hers.

No one understands Mia Fey like I do, and I don't talk about her so much, but she means a lot to me.

[ask link here]

[konahrics]

I once made a post about the DG dlc and how it didn't live up to its potential, but every time i read it i feel like it's just a wall of disjointed text lmao so here's a better version for those interested:

- Harkon should have been more insane. His personality is fine, he should just be more obviously bonkers while being a haughty power-hungry mf, and it would come into play later for the radiant quests

- I wish the Volkihar members were more interesting. I haven't really counted how many npcs have backstories/unique lines in the Dawnguard vs the Volkihar so i won't talk numbers, but the Dawnguard npcs are just more memorable overall imo.

- Serana should lead the Volkihar at the end if you side with the vamps, not the pc. I know every questline in Skyrim ends up making the pc the leader of their faction, with the Dawnguard being an exception, but Serana just fits the bill better: she's a pure-blood while the pc is a half-blood, she's much more experienced in vampire politics and she's Harkon's daughter.

- For players who actually want to lead, it could be an option once you've done a lot of radiant quests, like how you restore the Ratway to its former glory in the Thieves' Guild questline, except instead Serana goes "hey yknow what? I don't even want to lead and you've been doing a lot. Here's your new crown."

- THE RADIANT QUESTS. Omg the potential. For the Volkihar: that's the part where Harkon having become obsessed with the prophecy would play a role. He's been neglecting his territory, other clans are encroaching and he either didn't even notice or didn't care. Now it's your problem. Also, you need to cull vamp numbers in the province so people don't make Dawnguard 2: electric boogaloo, both because of vampires invading from other provinces to take you territory and because of newly-formed covens, and you need to recruit more actual Volkihar by turning people (i like the quests that are already there for turning npcs tbh). For the Dawnguard: oh shit turns out the Volkihar were keeping other clans at bay and culling their own numbers, and now that they're gone, it's your job ig. The in-game quests are already pretty good, but introducing foreign clans would add to the world, essentially.

- Why does it feel so much like a good vs evil plotline? The Dawnguard admittedly has some nuance to it (they're good people who want to protect others from the vampire menace, but their leader has a torture chamber next to his bedroom...), but the Volkihar literally live in a castle whose floors are splattered with blood and have human cattle in the basement. I wish at least once Harkon is defeated, if you were on the vamps' side, you could choose how to run the faction. Maybe the "cattle" could be volunteers only and not kept in cages, or something, my point being that it should be left up to the player. Ngl, every time i side with the Volkihar, i feel bad about it.

- While the Dawnguard are making moves and recruiting in preparation for their fight against the Volkihar, the vamps are kinda just sitting there. There could be an internal struggle between those who are loyal to Harkon and those who believe he isn't fit to rule anymore (instead of the Vingalmo vs Orthjolf feud being about which of them can lick boots better, they could each represent the pro- and anti-Harkon sides), the result being that they're still not really reacting to the Dawnguard threat, but now there's a reason; they're too busy plotting against each other. And once Harkon's dead, the surviving vampires can work together and be less likely to stab each other in the back, which in turn sounds less exhausting for whoever ends up leading them.

Tbh the whole reason behind this rant (i guess "these rants" now...) is that some custom followers don't trust or react badly to a vampire pc, and with the game as it is, it makes total sense, so i wish Skyrim vampires weren't mustache-twirling villains. Also maybe i'm planning a fanfic with this Volkihar headcanon and wanted something to reference so people wouldn't think i'm misremembering the hell out of this game lol

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

Okay. Let's talk about Kay in The Forgotten Turnabout.

I've mentioned in a post before how I think Kay doesn't have a purpose in AAI2 (as in, AAI was all about the Yatagarasu which is her story, but AAI2 generally has nothing to do with her, and you can see this change just by looking at how she's positioned in the promotional material for the two games:

[left AAI; right AAI2.] In the left poster, while she's at Edgeworth's back, it's clear that they're both the main focus. In the right, though, she's on par with Gumshoe).

And I think the result of her slight lack of direction in the game culminates in what happens to her and her character in Forgotten.

From the beginning of AAI2, you can kind of tell that Kay was written to a bit different from how she was in AAI. She's still fairly consistent with how she was there, but the game kind of bounces between her original characterisation and her newer one, where she's slightly denser (see her calling the laser pointer a mole in Target, when she should definitely have known what it was; and them explaining to her what a prison is in Imprisoned like she wouldn't know??) and less concerned with maintaining formality around Edgeworth, although they haven't interacted since the end of AAI (see her partner opening line changing from "Yes?" to "Yeah, what's up?"). She also seems more eager for his approval (there are a few times when she questions/asserts her effectiveness as an assistant when I don't remember her ever doing that in AAI), and, overall just a little more like Maya.

In Imprisoned, when she freaks out, Kay hits Ray, which is notable because we've only seen her resort to violence before on purpose and as a child (whereas Mia/Maya have both hit people out of emotion). I'm not going to go through the whole game, but I bring it up because there's an argument to be made that they're trying to replicate the Phoenix-Maya dynamic and push the Dadworth interpretation in AAI2 -- probably because they realised it'd be popular with the fans -- and this comes to the forefront in Forgotten.

First, just a note about AA's amnesia cases. The thing about these cases is that they're usually done to explore some formerly unseen aspect of a character (as is with Phoenix and the one in DGS), BUT they're always true to the nature of the character (as is most clearly observed with Thalassa). This is... not so in Forgotten.

The parts about Kay that appear to remain in Forgotten are her politeness and sense of honour, both of which get dialed up to 11 and both of which we already know she possess. Everything else about her personality, though, is altered and has always reminded me of Iris (if you made a parody of Iris's soft and seemingly delicate nature). That's mostly because (1) they have similar sprites

and (2) because they're rehashing Edgeworth's mini arc in T&T (which I don't mind because T&T did leave room for that concept to be explored further) where he acts as the defence for, you guessed it, Iris. Looking at it more closely, though, I can definitely see bits of Maya mixed in, too.

The most obvious parallel to Maya, and by extension Phoenix, here is that you act as a... not-prosecutor who defends their assistant from murder charges that even they think they might be guilty of (Reunion, and Turnabout, anyone?). Just like Reunion Maya, Forgotten Kay has poor self-esteem (albeit to a greater, comedic degree), thinks of herself as weak and useless, and becomes reliant on Edgeworth for both her emotional and situational needs (this is not a dig at Maya; she was in jail after having her first big channeling session result in death. Her reaction was natural).

Another less serious but obvious alteration made to make Kay seem more like Maya here is her relationship with food -- which I know sounds ridiculous but!! It's really what tipped me off to her Maya-fication to begin with!!!

You see, in Forgotten, there's a point where Kay talks about hamburgers:

Kay: Umm... OK. I remember a faint scent... It was a wonderful smell coming from the counter of a food stall... I followed the fragrance, only to find a perfectly sculpted burger, resting on two golden buns... The tender and juicy patty made my taste buds sing with joy... Yes, I can remember what I thought at that moment! ...I want seconds!

The thing about this that stands out to me is that you never get a line about food like this from Kay in AAI; and I know this, because not only is the only time Kay ever brings up food in AAI with regards to Swiss rolls (which are notably her favourite treats), you have the option of presenting food to her, which gives you this dialogue:

Kay: It's a box of Samurai Dogs, right? Ah, but see, I'm a Jammin' Ninja fan! So, while I would love to have one... I'm going to be strong and resist the urge!

She would have one but she'll refrain. It blatantly goes against how she acts in Forgotten, and it's so obvious that they only did that to make her more like Maya!!! They even use burgers!!!!

So why am I even getting all uppity about this? There's nothing wrong with being like Maya is there? She's a great character. And, yeah, she is, but the point of Kay is that she's meant to be a foil to Maya... and Edgeworth.

Both Maya and Edgeworth lost their parents at a very young age. So did Kay. But, unlike Maya and Edgeworth, Kay was specifically written to have had the emotional support and strength she needed to move on from her father's death. Her character was created in a way that shows how you can still love and respect a dead family member (and choose to continue their legacy) without being held back by grief and trauma the way Edgeworth largely is. By making amnesiac Kay behave in a way that is so self-deprecating and reliant on other people for her emotional needs, you are implying that this has been who she is deep inside all along and diluting that message of being able to move forwards while still holding onto your love for the people you've lost. It undermines the resilience that has been a part of Kay's core as a character from her conception, and basically flattens everything that makes her... Kay.

Now, this is obviously not great, but what really gets to me about this is that they didn't need to do this for the case to still work. They could have given Kay a milder form of amnesia, where she has a gap in her memory regarding why she was up on that roof and what happened, and the story would have largely functioned the same way. The only reason I can think of for why they do a complete 180 on her personality is because they wanted to use her to develop Edgeworth's character.

Because think about it: we've seen Kay put in a position where she's been accused of murder before, and that didn't affect our or Edgeworth's desire to save her. That drama and the feelings invoked by placing Kay at such risk would still exist; the only thing that would change is Kay's reaction to it. We know from Ablaze that she wouldn't just fold and rely on Edgeworth's help; she would fight back. Her behaviour in Forgotten just doesn't quite align with her usual character (aside from being extremely honourable and polite), which makes me wonder why they did it. And the only answer I can find is that it gives Edgeworth someone to 'save' in the greatest sense of that word (because, remember, she's also extremely emotionally vulnerable and dependent on him here) and furthers his development as a character.

You remember at the beginning when I said Kay didn't have a purpose in this game? I think the developers felt that, too, and they decided that her purpose would be to make Edgeworth a better person and strengthen his arc by giving him someone to protect, without really considering what this would do to her character. This case was never about Kay; it was always about Edgeworth. And, honestly, that should have been obvious from the very moment you realise that Kay is being granted an amnesia plotline, because that whole thing about amnesia in AA being used to reveal parts of a character previously unseen? Yeah, that was never going to work with Kay. Because Kay doesn't wear a mask. She is who she is... until she isn't.

Honestly, I've said pretty much everything I wanted to say about Forgotten and Kay, so thank you if you've read this far. I really appreciate it 💝💖💕 The rest of this is me basically talking about how this change affects my feelings on the game and this interpretation of the Kay-Edgeworth dynamic, so you can stop reading now if that doesn't interest you and still get the basic point of this post.

I suppose I'll start by reiterating that I do like AAI2 despite what it may seem. The characters it introduces are some of my favourites in the franchise, and, in fact, the actual plot of Forgotten with the PIC is my favourite part of the entire game. I thought it was brilliant, but I just needed to get this out because... I don't know, it was bothering me for some reason hskdhdj Like, AA has some amazing female characters, but I know better than to go into it expecting some kind of boundary-pushing piece of new feminist media, believe me; it doesn't surprise me that they used Kay to push Edgeworth's character forwards. It is his game, after all. But I guess it's just a little frustrating to see after they genuinely achieved something great with her characterisation in AAI only to... there's no less inflammatory way to put it, infantilise her? a little? for the sake of developing a male character?

(Especially when I don't think Edgeworth even needed it?? Like, I'm pretty sure he would have been just as adamant about saving her if she had been her normal self so mmm???? It was likely just done to make him seem liked he'd be a good father and up his popularity a bit more, honestly. As if he needed it).

Again, I have no issues with anyone who enjoys the father-daughter (or brother-sister) dynamics pushed by this case; it's literally in the text, I can't say you're wrong for it and like. My opinion shouldn't matter to you anyway! It's fandom, do what makes you happy. But I personally can't get past what is actually being suggested when the game, or fanworks, echo the traits grafted onto Kay in this case within them. Like what it means when she's essentially made to take a few steps back so she's less as at peace with her father's death than she was when we first met her, or less independent and self-assured than she usually is -- especially when this is done only for an older male character (most likely Edgeworth but it could be anyone) to come in and either see themselves in her, thus coming to a conclusion that helps them better themselves in some way, or take on a "fatherly" position that lets them comfort her back to a level of confidence she would usually be at anyway, while simultaneously coming across as being such a good person (which is usually the focus/point of these kinds of things).

And, like, if you don't see a problem with Kay's characterisation in this version of their relationship, that's perfectly fine! If you think I'm reaching and do enjoy the Dadworth dynamic for what it is, then please don't let me rain on your parade. My main thing is that I want better for Kay, and this case just didn't satisfy my need for that.

Anyway, yeah! That's pretty much it. Thank you so much for everyone who read all of this, and I hope you got some amusement out of it if nothing else. Feel free to tell me your thoughts, too!

[international-writing]

Hi sorry if this is a bother but i really loved (and needed) that most about MI6, do you think you can make one about MI5 too? I've been trying to find stuff about it but can't find any information as in depth as your post :)

I’m really glad the MI6 post was helpful! And it's no bother! I'll do it gladly!

Ready to jump back into the murky world of intelligence?

Alright, so we've talked about MI6 and how it gathers intelligence to aid the UK in its decision-making, but what about MI5?

Let's start with the basics.

Intelligence agencies 101: MI5

1.- What even?

Whereas MI6 is in charge of gathering intelligence overseas in order to support the government's security, defense, foreign and economic policies, according to the 1989 Security Service Act, MI5 is tasked with "the protection of national security and in particular its protection against threats such as terrorism, espionage and sabotage, the activities of agents of foreign powers, and from actions intended to overthrow or undermine parliamentary democracy by political, industrial or violent means". Such threats may come from abroad or from within.

MI5’s headquarters are found at Thames House, a Grade II (of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve it) building close to the Houses of Parliament in London. In addition to this, there are 8 regional offices in Luton, Wales, Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham, as well as another headquarters in Northern Ireland.

2.- Who is who?

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no M or C here.

The agency is under the authority of the Home Secretary, even though it does not form part of the Home Office.

The Director General (or DG) is the head of MI5, and is responsible for overseeing its operations and efficiency, reporting back to the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister, as well as ensuring the agency remains politically impartial.

There are 10 branches in MI5, and several entities that support its work, like the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA: providing organizations with security advice) and the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC: handles intelligence relating to international terrorism).

It is worth mentioning that in 2011, His Majesty, King Charles III became the Royal Patron of the Intelligence Services (including MI5, SIS and GCHQ). This means that he receives regular security briefings, as well as a daily ‘red box’ which includes intelligence reports, Cabinet papers, and confidential reports from Commonwealth countries.

There are over 5,000 employees in the organization and their roles include, investigations, technology, languages, surveillance, communications, information, protective security, administrations, building services and catering. As in MI6, all employees must be British, over the age of 18, and UK residents. They aren't allowed to discuss their application or job either.

3.- Operational Areas

MI5 mainly focuses on 4 areas: Terrorism, Espionage, Cyber Threats and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Counter-Terrorism

The agency focuses on different types of terrorism:

International terrorism: Groups such as ISIL and Al Qaeda.

Northern Ireland related: Dissident republican groups.

Right Wing Terrorism (RWT)/ Left, Anarchist and Single-Issue Terrorism (LASIT): This issue took primacy in 2020 and are handled just like international terrorism.

Counter-Espionage

Seeks to stop foreign intelligence agents from obtaining information and provides security advice to companies and organizations while working closely with MI6, GCHQ, Scotland Yard, as well as security and intelligence organizations abroad.

Cyber

Focuses on hostile actors, such as criminals, "hacktivist" groups, terrorists and foreign states, which are generally well equipped for cyber espionage and computer network attacks. These actors can target the government, the military, businesses, individuals and large volumes of sensitive data.

Cyber Espionage is called Computer Network Exploitation (CNS), while the use of malicious software against cyber infrastructure is denominated Computer Network Attack (CNA).

Counter-Proliferation

The UK is obliged by several international treaties and conventions to work against the threat that weapons of mass destruction pose. MI5 focuses on regimes and states that pursue clandestine weaponization programmes. To do this, the agency works with both private institutions and government agencies such as: The Department for Business, the Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Ministry of Defence (MOD), His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Home Office and the National Crime Agency (NCA).

4.- Tale as old as time...

We have talked about the “armed peace” period and how crazy the world was getting back in 1909, basically racing towards THE war everyone thought would put an end to all wars. It was back then that, fearing the German imperialistic ambitions, Great Britain established the Secret Service Bureau through Prime Minister Asquith’s Committee of Imperial Defence. 

Initially, this agency handled both national and foreign affairs, under the leadership of 50 year-old Royal Navy Commander Mansfield Cumming and 36 year-old Army captain Vernon Kell.

However, down the road, our dear Commander Cumming advocated for the splitting of these branches and thus, the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Security Service (MI5) were born. 

Right off the bat MI5 was tasked with dealing with a massive German espionage network that, according to “official” reports, had infiltrated Britain, causing widespread paranoia. The agency barely had 16 employees back then, but that, along with Churchill’s support (Home Secretary back then) was enough to find out about the existence of a German Naval Intelligence spy network. By the end of WWI, more than half the spies sent to Britain were caught by MI5.

However, the agency barely made it through the post-war cuts, not to mention its rivalry with Scotland Yard’s Special Branch and MI6 (the line between espionage and counter-espionage was REEEEEEAAAALLY thin and they were stepping on each other's toes).

Thankfully, the Soviet Union came to save the day when one of MI5’s surveillance operations revealed that Scotland Yard had been infiltrated by Soviet intelligence. By 1931, MI5 was completely in charge of counter-subversion operations, a responsibility that the agency would continue to hold until 1991.

In the 1970s, terrorism became a priority for MI5, especially those threats coming from Northern Ireland and Qadhafi's Libya, and after the 9/11 attacks, the agency changed its modus operandi entirely.

As you can see, the agency has had a very long history, however, its existence was only officially acknowledged in 1992.

5-. A rose by any other name...

The agency, just like MI6, has taken on many names throughout the years, starting with the Home Section of the Secret Service Bureau in 1909, the Directorate of Military Operations section 5 “MO5(g)” in 1914, Military Intelligence section 5 (MI5) in 1916, the Defence Security Service in 1929, and finally, the Security Service in 1931. And although the latter has remained its official name, the agency is most commonly referred to as MI5, even by those in it.

6.- Technicalities

As it turns out, MI5 shares its funding with MI6 and the GCHQ (no wonder they’re rivals...). According to a report from the 2018/19 period, MI5 used 67% of its budget for international counter-terrorism, 20% for Northern Ireland-related terrorism, and 13% for counter-espionage, counter-proliferation and protective security. 

Also worth mentioning, while MI5 agents have plenty of powers, they are not authorized to make arrests, and that is why they work with the Metropolitan Police AKA Scotland Yard, providing them with the necessary intelligence.

Recently, reforms have been made within the agency, and people now have the right to find out the kind of information that MI5 has on them, as well as ask if a deceased relative used to work for the agency. If the relative is still alive, however, MI5 definitely won’t spill the beans. So uhm... you might want to wait a little before trying to find out what that weird uncle does.

7.- Intelligence

MI5 makes use of several techniques to gather intelligence, such as:

Covert Human Intelligence Sources: Also known as “agents”, these people provide secret information during investigations and are NOT MI5 employees.

Directed surveillance: Following and/or observing targets.

Interception of communications: Monitoring emails or phone calls.

Bulk personal data: information about a large number of people used to identify a subject of interest.

Intrusive surveillance: Eavesdropping devices in homes or cars.

Equipment interference: Covertly accessing computers or other devices.

And in case you were wondering, yep, these are all legal because guess what? Individual rights can often be voided when it comes to national security.

Well...

That was all on my behalf. I hope this turned out to be useful for you, and if you happen to have any more doubts on this or any other related topic, my ask is always open!

Yours truly,

-The Internationalist

[astros-draws]

Doomguy in sky. Form the pov of my sky kid

I'm open to criticism.

Also doom guy is gona get referred whit they them pronouns because the ski kids don't know the pronouns and want to be polite.

________________

Bleu and I where in the island having a walk after the geyser, till they trip on something.

"You okay there?"-I asked concernedly.

"Yes, what even is that?"

We get closer to the thing half buried in sand, and i try to pick it up. "Heavy"

Bleu gets up "You are a little moth, im sure thats why you cant lift that," before trying and failing to pick up the thing. "Oh..."

"Are your old man bones too weak to lift it?"

"Shut! Im not old, i still don't have 2 years!" They scof.

"I know, i know, I'm just mesing whit you"

"Oh, maybe theres more things like this around?"

"Right! lets look, maybe it is a secret season." "Nah i doubt it, but lets look."

We fly a bit foward and...

"Is that a spirit? Or a tall Sky kid?"

"Its... huh, i actually don't know. It looks like neither" we land a bit far from them, "I have never seen that type of clothing"

"Do we say hi? It seems they haven't noticed us. Maybe the thingi was theirs?" "Yea lets go"

"Hey!" I honk

The big dude turns fast to look at us, like very fast, like terrifyingly so.

I wave my hand, this is not a sky kid, bleu turs and points in the direction of the thingi, while i continue to honk.

We got the big dude to follow us, and we had to walk, and we got to the thingi, bleu and I stand near it, and they pick it up without struggles, as if it weighted nothing.

"Dude is strong!" Bleu exclaimed

"Yea, im sure they could yeet a krill!"

The green armored one looked at us, and seemed somewhat relaxed, and Bleu and I got a frienly head pat.

"Can you understand us?" I try to comunicate, the only answer i got was a smal head tilt.

"Well, this makes things harder." bleu ponders for a second. "What about we go home?"

"Right! Maybe someone knows about em!" ..."But how do we take them there?"

"Right... I didn't think of that, maybe we could fly?" Bleu says.

"Do you think we would be able to carry them? Are you really sure?" I recive a no for an answer.

The sky slowly turns red.

"A sard event? Shouldn't it be tomorrow?" I ask, Less of a question and more of concern.

"It sould... - bleu doesn't finish, interrupting himself - WHAT IN EDEN IS THAT??!!"

It was a horrofiying creature, oh no, this is more horrifying than the deep krill, It didn't get time to aproach before the Armored fella jumps in front of us and.... does something with the thingi, i saw some light, it did something to the creature, it stopped moving.

Bleu and I tried to get a peek, but before we saw anything the Armored dude bloked our vision.

Bleu tries again, but fails.

"Maybe we shouldn't? I saw something red, so i dunno" i stated

"You are maybe right, with them in the way it will be impossible" bleu sighs defeated.

We are gently pused away from the weird creature, we near a camp fire and the Armored fella picks up one of the sticks, and gestures us to stay there, before going back.

"Huh, well that was weird... now we wait"

"Yea" Bleu thinks for a sec "We need to know how to call em, it will make easier getting information"

"Oh, right. I dunno"

We brainstorm some nicknames, awful ones but hey we are trying.

In frustration i started looking around in the beach to see if we find something,

"Another thing!" I exclaimed, getting bleus attention.

"Whats that? That is a weird tablet, huh, its looks broken, what are those symbols??" Bleu talks.

"I dont...... Whats that writen there?" I ask

"I only understand the first simbols of those words??? DG?" He says.

"Well, we have a nickname now, DG." I like it, simple :3.

"Thats not a bad one, yea, we are using that" Bleu proudly states.

DG is back, we honk to show that we did listen, and starts to gesture... i don't know what that... oh asking us to go away, for a bit?

"We should take our leave now" bleu says "Gota go to grandma's" before returning home.

I bow and wave at DG before going home too, i saw them turning around and gripping harsly the thingi, before being teleported home.

Gues I should go later, the sky was very weird there.

--------------

Welp, thats that, i will (probably) write more, and remember this is written from the pov of a Sky kid making them lack much knowledge.

[longsightmyth]

[Sylas' sister] took the parcel and walked over to the table. “For me?”

“Yes. And I want you to know that I’m trying to preemptively set at least part of my household. I’d happily have you in it, but I’m going to need some time with Delia Grace before I can convince her of your many virtues. I hope you won’t mind waiting until I can talk her into being a bit more . . . open-minded.”

She looked at me over her shoulder. “I mean this in the nicest possible way, but I don’t see Delia Grace ever being open-minded.”

I chuckled. For how little time she’d spent with her, Scarlet already understood Delia Grace better than most.

I'm sorry, am I supposed to be taking Hollis the Hypocrite seriously here? She insults foreign dignitaries to their faces about their entire culture and nation and people in public. She insults refugees to their faces in public. She - actually I can't recall what else Hollis does in relation to this, because Hollis doesn't do much? She thinks unprovoked attacks on her borders where her citizens died are boring and throws very public parties in the queen's rooms she should not yet be in (the inhabitation of which is admittedly not her fault) after claiming to be ill so she doesn't have to eat with a foreign monarch, she has never MET any foreigners somehow despite living her entire life in the residence of the king, she won't learn ANYTHING her longsuffering best friend tries to teach her about politics and foreign relations, and she, not even the king's fiancee, decides to take PRECEDENCE over a foreign queen IN PUBLIC.

Anyway DG has been trying to teach this girl about foreign policy and Hollis couldn't be bothered to learn anything until there was a cute boy involved. Maybe we should lay off the insults to DG.

Did y'all know KCass majored in history? How?

[silverstonesainz-archive]

i love the idea so here are my additions to the driver and sorority discourse. warning; this is on the longer side 🫶🏼

100% agree with pierre being a pi phi. they definitely recruit on looks, their chapters tend to do well, and they have a good sisterhood. their angel symbol and branding is PERFECT for pierre. a match made in heaven (pun intended).

esteban is totally a tri delta. tri delt has a good history and reputation, cloae sisterhood, and an amazing philanthropy. a great bunch of girls! some of their chapters haven’t been doing so well due to their nationals - similar to otmar and how he runs alpine lol.

spot on with carlos and lance with kkg. kappa’s chapters do really well and are often considered the top house. they’re exclusive and sometimes elitist (since they often recruit based on connections), popular, and have a very long list of famous alum. they support their sisters and philanthropy endlessly. love them!

mick is definitely a delta gamma. dg stands for do good and i feel like that fits mick to a t! elle woods’ sorority was based on dg and scenes were filmed in their usc house. mick gives me strong elle woods energy. they’re super fun, their sisterhood is very tight, have a great philanthropy, and their chapters do really well. i think he would be more of a dg than a theta. love the thetas i know and their philanthropy is great, but they’re going more towards an edgy vibe recently and some chapters are known to haze.

if lewis HAD to be in a panhel sorority, i think it would be kappa alpha theta. lewis would be a theta for the reason why mick wouldn’t (minus the hazing part, i’ll talk about it). theta is consistently a top house with really cool sisters, a super strong sisterhood, noteable alumni, and are going towards more of an edgy image (especially at their top chapters). their philanthropy would be a perfect fit for lewis. although some chapters do haze, their nationals have been quick to take action. they disestablished the smu chapter last year due to hazing and have done the same with others like umich.

logan gives me alpha phi or kappa delta vibes. don’t get me wrong, the aphi’s i’ve met are super lovely & sweet (many sisters have spoken out against nationals), but their rep as an org isn’t great. nationals has had countless racism scandals, problems with dirty rushing + hazing, and push their chapters to recruit those who fit their desired image of being thin, blonde, and white. logan could also be a kd. kd is VERY popular and strong in the south (but not so much elsewhere) and is a bit more on the conservative & traditional side. amy coney barrett was a kd too. he’s a trump supporter with family involved with trump’s indictment so it could be a toss up between the two.

i wouldn’t say alex is an aphi based on the reasons above, but i don’t know where he would go either. he could easily be in alpha chi o or gamma phi.

lewis & mick in theta, and lewis being his big? i think its a lore i can get behind. mick to merc might be the beginning of his "edgy" era, and i think we're gonna see even more of michael in him which i think would even push the narrative of him being theta. but mick is just a versatile kinda guy i see him in both haha. he'd be a target pnm for SURE.

logan definitely gives kd vibes too. though i will say i try not to touch the political side of things because to be fair, depending on the school, any chapter can be pretty "trumpy."

and i couldnt in the right mind give alex gphi only because of the rep they have on my campus. maybe achi-o. he'd rush with charles hahah

i love the sorority discussion heheh i love my phc sisters 🫶🏼

[aditijainportfolio]

Discrimination Against LGBTQ Teachers in the USA Assignment

Aditi Jain

Discrimination towards LGBTQ Teachers in the United States

11/12/23

While significant strides have been made in recent years to protect the LGBTQ community, discrimination and bias continue to shape the experiences of many LGBTQ teachers. The legal landscape has evolved considerably in favor of LGBTQ rights in the United States in recent years; however, legal protections for LGBTQ teachers vary across states, and disparities still exist. Federal protections remain limited, leaving many educators vulnerable to discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. This year alone, 417 anti-LGBTQ bills have been proposed (Choi). Due to this, there has been a rise in an environment of “audacity” and “lack of respect” towards LGBTQ teachers, according to a public school teacher named Dafne Cruz (Andrew). Many LGBTQ teachers such as Cruz grapple with subtle forms of discrimination, such as microaggressions and implicit bias. These can manifest in comments, attitudes, or behaviors that, while seemingly harmless, create an unwelcome and hostile environment. Cruz shared their experience in which the student’s parents had explicitly stated that they didn’t want to speak to “the gay one,” (Andrew) [one] referring to Cruz.

Discrimination has also taken more violent forms such as death threats. One teacher received such threats after being given a mug that said “ask me my pronouns” (Andrew). The picture of this mug spread through social media and goaded conservative groups to target the teacher. With the rise of social media, LGBTQ teachers’ privacy has been more at risk than ever. As such, it’s understandable why teachers refuse to come out to their students for fear of unintended consequences. 

In conclusion, LGBTQ teachers in the USA navigate a complex landscape where legal progress coexists with continuous social aggression. As educators continue to push for inclusivity and recognition, acknowledging and addressing discrimination is crucial for fostering an environment where all teachers can thrive. By understanding the unique experiences of LGBTQ educators, the educational system can work towards dismantling discriminatory practices and building a more equitable and supportive future for all.

Works Cited

Andrew, S. (2023, June 12). “I don’t want to talk to the gay one”: LGBTQ teachers say they are fighting erasure in their own classrooms. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/12/us/lgbtq-teachers-intolerance-classrooms-cec/index.html

Choi, A. (2023, April 6). Record number of anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced this year | CNN politics. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/06/politics/anti-lgbtq-plus-state-bill-rights-dg/index.html 

[dgcatanisiri]

Well, maybe now the Republicans will want to do something about gun violence...

Of course, considering the target, I am not ruling the possibility of this being planned out at all.

Anyway...

[neverendingcomplaints]

Just finished

watching FD's latest video essay and reading the comments, and I love the idea of restorative justice for coons. But

Let's not pretend that it's just white people that made people like TP and even the Dancing Gorilla dude. They are definitely the reason why these people become juggernauts BUT there are huge swaths of black people who enjoy their content. Do they also get the Coon label? I know it's just my own Former Coon talking a little bit but honestly, what's the line because it's fuzzy to me?

Should we be mad at DG or mad that that's still what white people want to promote after all this time? Should we be mad at TP or try to be real about investigating why OUR people enjoy his work so much and would rather watch Madea than ever look at Bamboozled? And why are we mad/enraged at DG but praising WAP and twerk team when those also uphold and promote stereotypes of black people (women)? There is so much stereotypical content that pops up out there and it's confusing and weird sometimes where some people decide "this is coonery" vs. "this is praiseworthy, freeing, END RESPECTABILITY POLITICS!!!!"

I would really love for someone to explain to me how Tyler Perry, Madea and his empire, or this Dancing Gorilla guy, are any different than Cardi B and her entire shtick? I think Tyler Perry's thing is just as authentic to him as Cardi B's is to her, so why is he every online black person's whipping boy but Cardi B was celebrated so hard (even tho I would say she's not even black like that)?

Amazing video as always but it just reminds me again how being black is exhausting, interracially and intraracially.

[justpottytime]

dg anon again, hellooooo :3

i’ve been thinking recently and we do not talk about michelle enough on here (sorry michelle)

i imagine that she would be very defensive and irritable when someone asks her if she has to go (most likely james)

like he’d be so polite and go “do you maybe need the toilet?” and she’d just be so mad and go “no fuck off omg”

and then she realised that maybe she does have to go… but now she can’t say anything… and she’s just gonna have to stay there until either someone asks if she has to go again, or even worse, she wets herself.

if james happens to ask her again (definitely not because he saw her bouncing and crossing her legs) she’d just sadly go “yeah :(“ and he’d just take her because he’s just such a sweetheart

but… if she did end up wetting herself, she’d maybe even cry a little bit (but she’d never admit that), she’d be so upset and take out her anger on poor james who was only trying to help!

omg i love her so much

Hi again! Awwwwwww, yep! Michelle tries so hard to be tough and cool, so of course she's gonna get defensive when someone asks if she has to do something embarrassing like pee, and she'll immediately deny it... But luckily James is smart enough to see the truth, and kind enough to help if she finally admits to it! Oh dear, if Michelle snapped at James after an accident, something tells me it'd end with them BOTH in tears... Poor things!

Thanks for the ask!

[wamuzimedia]

DG shifts blame to director of procurement over Sh1.12m chair.

William Oduol, the besieged Siaya Deputy Governor, fought valiantly to get out of the County Assembly's four grounds for impeaching him. Oduol took the witness stand to counter the allegations, claiming that they were scandalous and baseless and requesting that the Senate Special Committee dismiss them. Yesterday, at the same time, Oduol told the committee that was led by Elgeyo Marakwet lawmaker William Kisang that he was surprised that his County Executive could get a seat that cost Sh1.12 million and asked for a thorough investigation into the purchase. Kisang is in charge of the committee. Oduol, on the other hand, wants to know how the County spent Sh1.1 million on a standard chair from the Senate or other authorities. The fact that we spent Sh1 million on such a chair has left me speechless and shocked. The chair was purchased by County Offices without my coercion. Rather than being orthopedic, as claimed, I believe the chair is ergonomic. Purchase, valuation, and procurement did not involve me. Oduol stated, "I requested the invoice, but it was not provided." However, he assigned the procurement responsibility to the county's accounting officer and director of procurement. "If indeed and as has been alleged here, that Sh18 million was used to renovate my office without the same being budgeted for, then it is the head of procurement and accounting officer to take responsibility," he continued. Oduol urged the Senate committee to dismiss the allegations, claiming that the grounds for impeachment have not met the threshold, despite accusing his political foe, the County Assembly, of being the accuser, prosecutor, and jury during his trial at the Assembly. The grounds presented here do not meet the impeachment threshold. Oduol stated, "They are scandalous and frivolous." In his defense, Oduol told the committee that after the County Assembly set up a special committee to investigate his claims that funds were being misappropriated at the County Executive, a plan was hatched to remove him from office. After the Deputy Governor began complaining about what he referred to as "maladministration" by county officials, he claimed that his enhanced security was taken away. Security was strengthened "I didn't want to be accused of corruption. When I started talking to the public about the corruption in Siaya County, my extra security was taken away, he said. Oduol failed to explain how the local arrangement to strengthen his security affected him when he was criticized by Assembly legal counsel Willis Otieno. Oduol asserted that the Area Gathering has been undermined by the Chief, adding that the Individuals from the Region Get together (MCAs) have been drawing enormous recompenses from the province cash safes. Oduol described himself as a hunter who became the hunter because he alerted the County of Siaya to the ways in which the County Executive was stealing funds. At the county assembly level, my impeachment was narrow, ill-informed, limited, misguided, and choreographed to favor high-crime abettors. I have been targeted for my opposition to improper administration, for challenging the status quo, and for insisting on strict internal controls. Oduol declared, "I am the proverbial hunter who has become the hunted." He continued, " The impeachment motion against me is informed and strengthened by the tracing of political lines. The prosecution and my subsequent impeachment at the county assembly have not ignited the passions of the entire community, not even among Siaya sons and daughters living away from home. According to Orengo's principal assistant, his impeachment was carried out in an impartial, biased, and ill-informed manner. Double jeopardy: I was the one who broke the news. A decision was made by the oversight committee of the county. I'm in double trouble. "They will rob, steal, and expropriate your money only on my deathbed." I will continue to carry out our nine-point manifesto. However, even as we deliver this, fundamental principles that guided our rise to power must and will always be adhered to.... Rule of law, transparency, and accountability, as well as active public participation, are all aspects of good governance. Remain tuned throughout the following two days, as we unload the Siaya and the initiative that you ought to never choose," he promised. Oduol vowed to be the sacrificial lamb to save the county and insisted that Siaya had become ill as a result of the alleged theft of public funds. Read the full article

[addnoral]

I will never join politics: ex-ISI DG Faiz Hameed

I will never join politics: ex-ISI DG Faiz Hameed

Former ISI DG Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed has said that he will never join politics. Talking to The News on Thursday, the retired general said that all speculations about his joining politics or leading the PTI were totally false. “I will not join politics after two-year bar nor afterwards,” he categorically said. The retired general, who in the recent past had been widely discussed in the…