#geolocation tracking

[odinsblog]

How automakers make use of data collected by connected cars is coming under scrutiny in California. On Monday, the California Privacy Protection Agency announced that it will review the data privacy practices of connected vehicle manufacturers. The agency is empowered to do so thanks to a 2018 state law, the California Consumer Privacy Act.

"Modern vehicles are effectively connected computers on wheels. They're able to collect a wealth of information via built-in apps, sensors, and cameras, which can monitor people both inside and near the vehicle," said Ashkan Soltani, CPPA's executive director.

"Our Enforcement Division is making inquiries into the connected vehicle space to understand how these companies are complying with California law when they collect and use consumers' data," he said in a statement.

Connected cars are fast becoming ubiquitous—it may well be impossible to buy a new car, truck, or SUV in 2023 that doesn't have at least one embedded modem in it. In the mid-2010s, many OEMs saw dollar signs at the prospect of monetizing data collected by their deployed vehicle fleets, and unlike with cellphones, it can be hard or impossible to disable location tracking in one's car.

"Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, geolocation is considered personal information. People have the right to say no to being tracked in their cars, but it is unclear if car companies are providing this right," said Justin Kloczko, a privacy advocate at Consumer Watchdog. "These companies know more about us than we know about ourselves, and they’re the ones in control of our personal information, not us," Kloczko said.

(continue reading)

[padworks]

The Power Of Billboards: Measuring Impact In a Digital Age

In today’s digital age, where online advertising dominates, the power of billboards remains undeniable. As a key element of outdoor advertising, billboards have evolved, integrating modern technology while preserving their exceptional capacity to engage viewers. At Providence Adworks, the effect of billboard advertising is always carefully evaluated to ensure totals meet marketing goals efficiently.

The Enduring Appeal of Billboards

Billboards are an essential tool for brand visibility. With their strategic positions at the center of highways, busy streets, and high-traffic areas, they reach a diverse audience. Billboards are particularly popular because they effectively and briefly put across brand messages visually, and they can also be used for both local and national campaigns. In fact, studies show that billboard advertising can increase brand awareness by up to 80%!

Integrating Technology for Measurement

As technology advances, so does the ability to measure the effectiveness of billboard advertising. Traditional metrics like reach and impressions are now supplemented by digital tools that provide deeper insights. Here are some modern methods for measuring billboard impact:

Traffic Data Analysis

The usage of traffic flow information assists the advertisers to determine the flow of traffic in the billboard location. By analyzing this data, brands are able to predict potential impressions and adjust the overall message.

Geolocation Tracking

Including geolocation technology that allows advertisers to track how many  individuals view their billboards. This technology can provide insights to the consumer about how many people visited a store after seeing the billboard.

Social Media Engagement

Monitoring social media interactions related to billboard campaigns offers valuable feedback. Consumers can use hashtags, mentions, and shares to indicate whether they like a brand’s campaign or not.

QR Codes and AR Experiences

Including QR codes or augmented reality (AR) enables engagement of the consumers in billboards themselves. In this way, headings or experiences with AR components help in analyzing how effective uses of billboards are and collect valuable data for future strategies.

The Benefits of Data-Driven Insights

Using data to measure billboard impact provides numerous benefits for brands. These insights help advertisers:

Optimize Campaigns: By understanding which particular message is preferred with the audiences can help the brand refine their campaigns for better performance.

Allocate Budget Wisely: Understanding audience demographics and behaviors enables creative teams to develop more targeted and relevant messaging.

Enhance Creativity: Knowledge of audience demographics and their behaviors is crucial to crafting better, more relevant messages for creative people to consider.

Conclusion

In a world dominated by digital advertising, the power of billboards remains a potent force in the marketing landscape. In the current world, technology and data are used effectively in the measurement of billboard campaigns by brands. At Providence Adworks, we envision assisting organizations to execute effective outdoor advertising campaigns and achieve maximum impressions. Embrace the power of billboards, and let’s drive your brand forward in the digital age!

FacebookTwitterEmailShare

[wandering-wolf23]

For legal purposes, I'm discussing tactics criminals use to evade cops in my upcoming novel Traitor's Angel.

If a character is doing something something illegal, they should cover their face and hair, wear gloves (and not those cheap latex ones, either), turn off their phone and leave it at home, and DON'T FUCKING ADVERTISE IT!!

Now is a good time to learn how digital and physical forensics work. Characters shouldn't say anything to the cops WITHOUT a lawyer present or take any water or food offfered - they want DNA without the effort of getting a warrant. Keeping your hands to yourself as much as possible is another strategy. Characters should NEVER consent to ANYTHING without a lawyer present. They should use a password for their phone instead of facial or fingerprint recognition.

[codersfort]

Route Map of Partners in Odoo | Odoo Partners Route Map | Routes Map in Odoo | Odoo Google Map Integration | Partnet Google Map Integration With Odoo | Odoo Google Map Integration Download :

Our Odoo Google Maps Integration Module is a powerful tool designed to simplify your navigation and travel planning directly within the Odoo platform. This feature-rich solution enables seamless access to Google Maps from the form view, providing essential geolocation services to optimize your business operations. Key Features of the Odoo Google Map Integration Module Quick Google Maps Access Open Google Maps directly from the Odoo form view with a single click. Easily navigate to specific locations with integrated geolocation capabilities. Real-Time Latitude and Longitude Identification Identify exact coordinates for accurate location tracking. Enhance data precision for logistics, deliveries, or meetings. Efficient Travel Route Planning Select one or multiple partners from the list view to plan your visits effectively. Trigger a pop-up menu to view detailed travel routes to all selected partners. Pop-Up Window for Location Insights Visualize all selected partner locations in a convenient pop-up window. Streamline planning and coordination for optimized travel schedules. Benefits of Using the Odoo Google Map Integration Module Improved Efficiency: Eliminate guesswork with accurate route planning and geolocation insights. Enhanced Productivity: Save time by visualizing all partner locations in one place. Seamless Integration: Leverage Google Maps functionality directly within your Odoo environment. Business Growth Support: Optimize delivery routes, sales visits, or customer meetings for better client relationships. Ideal for Businesses Across Industries Whether you’re managing a fleet, coordinating sales visits, or optimizing delivery schedules, the Odoo Google Maps Integration Module is your go-to solution. It’s perfect for businesses looking to enhance logistics, improve route accuracy, and boost operational efficiency.

[argumate]

The researchers “use de-identified smartphone geolocation data for a sample of US phones from January 2019 to February 2020,” obtained “from an online data vendor that provides data commercially to businesses, governments, and researchers” and “works with numerous mobile application providers that track ‘pings’ of the location of a phone while the application is either currently in use or is running in the background.” Then they use the addresses of SEC offices and corporate headquarters, and then match the smartphone pings to the buildings. A smartphone is assumed to belong to an SEC employee if it “pinged for at least 20 unique workday hours within one SEC location during the month” and “the accumulated time in that SEC building [is] greater than in any other buildings in the respective month.” And then they go measure which companies those SEC employees visited.

Matt Levine casually mentioning this in an aside like it's normal

[kick-a-long]

I am not Jewish this is good faith feel free not to give me emotional labor etc but do you have advice on how to determine if a "Jewish" org is actually Jewish or if the source is good? I'm finding a lot of sources on jumblr that folks I follow say are reporting the actual news are Israeli and therefore predominantly in Hebrew, while big English speaking sources like nyt are consistently called antisemitic. Before I would have said oh nyt has some liberal lean but is fairly reliable. Now I am questioning everything I know in terms of reliability. Any advice on how to know if it will be biased or not if it's in English?

this is a great question because I'm still finding out the answer. The short, upsettingly accurate, answer is that it's fair to assume that non-israeli/non jewish coverage of i/p and antisemitism will be dogshit and blame jews for being targeted. I don't like that tho because that's how you end up in an echo chamber and racist and delulu on conspiracy stuff so... the adult long answer is it's important to cross reference.

it's hard because you can't take a news org at face value or as all good or all evil. An antisemitic source will seem like it is addressing antisemitism and getting better in a way that makes you think they will report accurate and fair news but then they turn around and report Gaza health ministry/UNRWA reports without even citing that it's from hamas and contradicting witnesses and geolocation data on video. (looking at you CNN you filthy animals.) It's like... it can get tin foil hat very quickly...

the truth is you have to look at what type of info is being reported and where it's coming from not just the people or org reporting it. NPR is a good example. they often have wildly antisemitic writers who frame jews as the problem behind everything from immigration, racism, all world conflict and bullshit like that, but they also have writers on staff who report pretty fairly. the easiest way to know the difference is to look for actual facts that can be cross-referenced. Look at what they say and fact check it with another source most likely to disagree and then weigh what the info is and where the papers identify that they got it.

for example: If a paper says "one million people exploded by new israel invisible bomb yesterday," ask some questions.

1: be skeptical and realistic: "well... that number and description seems totally unbelievable but let's check if israel did anything to anyone yesterday."

2: who is saying this?: look at who else is reporting the events: "that should be the front page story in every paper. oh a bunch of liberal media is reporting that?! wow, they aren't using a lot of specifics or saying where they got this info... that's pretty fucked..."

3: look for counter evidence: "ok, let's look at an israeli paper since they are most likely to give exonerating details. they say it's all made up? they said there was gun fire yesterday but no bombing in the area and they say there are no such things as invisible bombs. well now it's he said she said. maybe the western media means hard to track bombs and a few people died and they are sensationalizing?"

4: look at what the facts reported are and where is the info coming from: "well everyone agrees the reports are coming from the gaza health ministry but the israeli paper is saying that hamas made up the numbers and devices because hamas set off an explosion in a crowd accidentally. is there anyone not from israel saying this? oh a jewish paper in america has proof that hamas set the explosion and that it wasn't when and where the american media said it was???

5: give it a minute: "wow 24 hours later a witness came forward to say they saw a random dude blow up stuff and that the IDF wasn't involved?!"

My example seems crazy but there are times when it's important to keep checking because there has been some real bullshit slung and some fiction non-sense done.

Did I immediately believe that israel exploded every single hezbollah pager all at once? fuck no. That sounds like cartoon bullshit. turned out to be true.

Did/would israel starve 14 thousand babies in 48 hours? Why is every paper saying this is 100% absolutely true? how the fuck would you a. be able to come up with that number b. how would it be that high? and c. why are there no sources for it? turned out to be cartoonish bullshit. and extra evil because kids in a war zone shouldn't be lied about. don't cry wolf and then be surprised when no one believes the real wolf is here.

the most important part is to try and see all people as people. the human race is like 40/60 evil horrible fuckers to people doing their best.

Anyway, thanks for the question, (no emotional labor is too much for me. i am the emotional Sampson of ranting.) sorry i couldn't edit it down into a smaller list. <3

[koiiiji]

i want to yapp that i fall from my bike and hurt my nose, chin and both knees, everything totally teared to meat, but i will take advantage of it and write you headcanons🫡🎗️

sorry i wrote it too fast so it’s not proofed at all

you can insert your favorite wb boy here🤕

so imagine you were on your way to your favorite boy to meet him and went on bike ride date, but you accidentally fell, catching a rail from the tram tracks with your wheel at speed. the most annoying thing is that you almost reached his street and you were only a few hundred meters away from turning to his house.

a moment later, as you quickly got up and grabbed the bike, crawling off the roadway, you limped to the nearest shop and in a slight shock recorded a video showing that you were injured.

the second he opened the message from you, he immediately called you in a rage, saying that you were a little fool, and demanding that you send him your geolocation and a detailed answer about exactly what and how you hurt yourself

a couple of minutes later, your boyfriend appeared in front of you with first aid in the form of napkins and water. squatting down in front of you, he carefully treated your knees, muttering under his breath that he would no longer allow you to ride somewhere other than the park. when it came to the nose and chin, he rose to his full height while you were sitting on the bench. You looked down at him with tearful eyes and hugged him tightly in tears, thanking him for his care. Taken aback, he hugged you back, stroking your head, and you sat there for a few more minutes until he barked that actually you still need to treat the wounds on your face.

ride on his back to his place was provided for you

[aro-of-argentum]

Red Dahlia- Chapter 5

WC: 5,353

Notes: We're starting to get into the longer chapters now, Reader gets a new present, more Marcy content, Alfred is a good grandpa, Motorcycle date, no major warnings, spooky suspense right at the end

Beta'd by: @teaspacebar

Previous Chapter, Masterlist, Next Chapter

Chapter 5:

It had only taken two days for Alfred to get his request together.

“Master Jason,” Alfred addressed the younger man as he strode into the kitchen.

“Hey, Alfred, are they ready?”

He nodded in response as he handed over the box, “Two identical geolocation bracelets with proximity indicators, not tracked by any of the computers in the cave.”

The smile on Jason’s face only grew as he opened the small case.

“I’ve taken the liberty of having them adorned with your symbol,” Alfred continued. “They’re themed in your colors, and both recharge with body heat, so as long as they are being worn, they will not die.”

“Excellent. And-”

“And no one knows they exist but you and I.”

Jason nodded, appreciation woven into his features. “Thank you, Alfred.”

“Of course, Master Jason.” The man began moving around the kitchen, collecting supplies to make tea. “Am I allowed to ask who these belong to?”

“Well, one of them is mine,” Jason answered, clearly trying to avoid the question.

“Yes, of course,” he responded, tone neutral as ever. “And the other?”

“A friend.”

Alfred watched as Jason’s stare lingered on the bracelets, a smile just beginning to pull at the corners of his mouth. The young man was clearly lost in thought about something that made him truly happy.

“The same friend who now owns the Red Hood mug you purchased last week?”

Jason’s head popped back up, eyes wide like a child who’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. His cheeks faintly blushed. He hesitated slightly before giving his answer, “Yes…”

“And does this person know of your hobbies?”

“She only knows about my hobbies.”

Alfred nodded. “Very well. I’m glad you like them, Master Jason.”

-

“Please, can we just go for one drink?”

“Marce, I’m exhausted. I do not want to get dressed up and go back outside.” You had worked a 10-hour day, and Marcy, the wonderful scrub nurse that she was, had picked up someone else’s shift, and worked a 14. “How are you even still standing?”

“Far too much caffeine.” Her tone was matter-of-fact as she stood up straight and made a mocking expression of pride. She deflated a bit before continuing, “Can we do a movie night or something at least? I feel like we haven’t hung out in forever.”

“Sure, that sounds like fun. But!” You jumped to smother her loud and immediate excitement. “I need to go home and get different clothes, shower too. I smell like work.”

She waved you off as the pair of you continued toward the staff lounge your lockers were in. “Oh, that’s fine. Do you want me to drive you?”

“No, I can walk like I always do. Why don’t you do a food run and then come get me?” You offered, needing your walk home to decompress.

“You think my snack run is going to take that much time?” She questioned.

You squinted, turning toward her as you pushed through the door of the staff lounge. “Doesn’t it always by the time you’ve picked the perfect ‘on-theme’ dinner, snacks, and wine?”

She gasped. “I’ve been perceived in a way I don’t like. But I suppose you’re right.” She grabbed her bag from her locker as you opened yours. “I’ll come pick you up when I’m done. And it’s not too late so you should be fine walking, yeah?”

Your attention was drawn to the little envelope you found in your locker with your name written on it in a familiar script. You did your best to respond like you had been paying attention, “Yeah, that’s fine…” You reached for the capsule and found it had some weight to it. You didn’t notice Marcy had continued speaking.

“…listening? I asked what kind of-” Her sentence died in her throat as her gaze landed on you. “What’s that?”

“Oh! Um,” You startled.

An even bigger gasp left her. “You were having a moment! Is that from a secret boyfriend of something?” She said casually, entirely dismissing the idea to herself as soon as it came out of her mouth.

“Shh! Marcy!” You yelled in a hush.

She let out another dramatic gasp, though quieter this time. “Oh my god, it is!” An excited smile crossed her face as she insisted, “Well, open it!”

“Okay, okay, give me second,” Your nerves spiked at what could possibly be in here, and the fact that you were about to open it with an audience. You pulled apart the seal of the envelope and turned it over with your other hand beneath the opening. Out slid a bracelet made of black chord, with two blood red metal beads on each side of the center disc. Your jaw dropped slightly in surprise at the gift as you examined it further. Flipping it over revealed a line-work dahlia flower in the face of the gun metal circle. Is this what he meant the other night?

“It looks like one of those companion bracelets, here.” She reached toward the disc and pressed on the face of it. It lit up with a soft glow for a couple of seconds before fading. “Now wait,” She instructed, clearly excited to see the result of her experiment.

You hadn’t expected anything until you saw it light back up, neither of you having touched it. Your shock was still written all over your expression when the other woman spoke up again.

“Aw!” Marcy’s hands flew to her face in adored excitement. “He’s thinking about you too!” She reached for your hands, grabbing the bracelet from you, and when you flinched and reached for it, she was quick to calm you. “Relax, which wrist?” She offered the bracelet, opened now, back out to you.

“Oh, here,” You presented your left wrist and Marcy slid the chord around your hand before tightening it to a comfortable degree.

“It’s adorable, and he clearly he’s been paying attention enough to know your favorite flower.”

“Yeah,” a smile replaced your shock, the heat of a blush creeping up the back of your neck at the thought that the Red Hood had at some point figured out you preferred dahlias.

Marcy scooched in close to you and smiled conspiratorially at you, wagging her eyebrows. “Are you going to tell me about him or what?”

You huffed a laugh. “Absolutely not.”

“Fine. Have your secrets, but I’ll find out eventually.” She turned away from you in time to miss the bracelet glow again briefly. “Let’s get going. It’s early enough we could probably watch two movies if we want. Maybe start a series. You’ll tell me more when you’re tired.”

You shook your head good-naturedly. “I won’t, but okay.” It only took a moment for you to grab the rest of your things before the two of you were headed toward the front doors of the hospital. You looked down to your wrist again and noticed the glow pulse again, though for a shorter time than before. As you continued to walk, you and your friend kept your heads down, knowing that if anyone saw you, they’d stop you for something. While your gaze was on the floor, you couldn’t help but notice that your bracelet’s light was pulsing faster, each time maintaining the soft brightness, but showing for shorter times, with shorter breaks. Worried it would catch someone’s attention, you turned it inward and jammed your hands into your pockets. Once you were outside, Marcy pulled you to the side.

“Okay, so the plan is for me to go get food and wine, while you go home and get cleaned up. Then, I’ll come get you and take us back to mine for movies, yeah?”

“Yep, sounds good.” You nodded as you spoke.

“Excellent, see you soon!” And she bounded away.

The moment she was gone, you pulled your hand from your pocket and looked to the inside of your wrist where the light was now rapidly blinking. “What?” You whispered to yourself, barely audible. Just when you were about to try tapping again to see if something was wrong, you saw the white light disappear, and in its place, still a soft glow, was Red Hood’s blood red insignia. No sooner than you’d seen it, you looked up to the rooftops, and found him, for just a moment, looking down at you. You smiled, and in a blink, he was out of sight, but the glowing symbol on your wrist told you he was there for your entire walk home.

-

The routine became standard procedure for Jason. He volunteered to be out on patrol more often, and if the bracelet (tucked under the edge of his glove for safekeeping) lit up, he was at the hospital in minutes. Sometimes it was near the beginning of his shift, sometimes it was later, but anytime you walked home after dark, he was there, and now you had proof of that. There were even nights that you would put a headphone in and rant, trying to make it look like you were on the phone, as you talked into thin air about your day. He always listened. It didn’t interfere with his regular patrols as long as he didn’t stick around once you’d made it inside your apartment, so no one noticed anything had changed.

It was the nights that he wasn’t supposed to be on patrol, but went out anyway, that drew attention.

“Master Jason,” Alfred announced himself by calling after the younger man.

Jason froze, half dressed in his uniform, one foot in the air as he was tying the laces on his boot. “Yes, Alfred.”

“I apologize, I thought you had the evening off.” Alfred gave him a knowing look. “Was there a last-minute substitution?”

No, and Alfred knows that. “Uh…” He hesitated and turned toward the doorway the older man stood in, setting his foot down. “No.”

Alfred nodded. “Mhmm. So where is it that you plan to go in your costume this evening?”

“I have to go make sure a friend gets home from work.”

“Your normal patrol route is well covered by masters Tim and Cassandra.”

It’s not the same. “I just-” Jason’s thought was cut off by the glow from his wrist in an otherwise dark room.

“Ah. That friend.” Alfred’s smirk was almost perfectly professional, but there was a hint of victory in it.

“Alfred, I need to go.” He was almost pleading. “And no one-”

“I am aware you do not wish to share your activities with the others. What I care about is your safety.” Alfred remained firmly planted in the door as Jason approached, the younger man’s clear advantage in size doing nothing to deter him.

Jason relented with a sigh. “I am being careful, and safe, I promise. I just-” Jason’s face and hands clenched as he struggled to come up with the words. But how could he possibly explain it? To any normal person, none of what he felt would make sense. “Alfred, she’s waiting for me.” The flashing light on his wrist seemed to assert itself as part of the conversation again, just to help Jason with his point.

“Very well,” Alfred side-stepped out of the doorway as he spoke. “Master Bruce plans to be home early this evening, if that should be factored into your plans.”

A small smile crept onto Jason’s face as he listened. “Thank you, Alfred.” He slid past the other man and made his way toward the garage, far faster than was appropriate indoors, but not quite a run. Once there, he zipped his jacket to cover the symbol on his chest, and pulled his motorcycle helmet on. He still wore the domino mask beneath the visor, but his Red Hood helmet was stashed in the bag on his back along with an extra set of riding gear. He grabbed a second helmet, one he was fairly certain would fit you, and left the garage. “I’m on my way,” he said out loud though he knew you couldn’t hear him.

He had noticed over the last 3 weeks that you’d grown more sure-footed on your journey home each night. Ever since the bracelet, you’d been visibly less scared of walking down the street, so sure that he would step in and protect you if you needed it. He’d also noticed that you always waited for him if he said he was coming. There had been times (only twice so far) that he’d been in the middle of a fight and unable to answer, that you’d walked home alone, but he always went to check on you later, and always found you safe at home. The rest of the time though, if he switched the bracelet to flash for proximity so you knew he was coming, you stayed at the hospital until he was there. It’s her safest option, the cynicism in him entered his thoughts. Why would she walk alone if she could have a guard dog following her. But there was something in him that hoped you felt differently.

-

You were concerned at first by how long the light indicated he was coming, but that he hadn’t started moving. The slow pulse of the light hadn’t sped up at all, and indicated he was still far away. A frown crossed your face. Normally he’s moving by now.

 “What’s the matter?” Marcy asked. She was on break as you were clocking out, and you’d decided to spend the time with her. She was going back in soon though, which is why you’d activated the bracelet.

“Oh, it’s nothing, I’m just-”

Marcy caught you glance down to your wrist. “Oh, babes, has he not responded? I’m sure everything’s okay, he’s probably just busy.”

“Yeah. No, I know.” You looked down again and noticed the light pulsing significantly faster, he’d gotten a lot closer, and he’d done it quickly. “Okay, he’s coming.” The phrase was whispered on a breath of relief, not meant for anyone to hear, but the other woman caught it anyway.

“What!?” Marcy shrieked. “He’s coming here? Now?”

“No!” Shit. How were you going to explain this away. No, he wasn’t coming here, at least not in a way that would satisfy Marcy’s need for proof he was real. ���No, Marcy that’s not-” but your sentence was cut off by the sound of an engine rumbling down the street.

It was a motorcycle, and when you looked at the rider, you saw him pull one hand from the bars to tap his other wrist, and the light on your bracelet went red. Your eyes went wide at the sight, and you crammed your hands into your pockets to hide the glowing Red Hood symbol on your wrist from the woman standing next to you, now almost bouncing with excitement.

“Is that him?” She had a death grip on your arm as she looked to you, just as shocked as you felt.

“Yeah, I uh,” You shrugged and gave an apologetic cringe as you spoke, “I didn’t think you’d still be out here when he got here.”

“Hey sweetheart,” The man spoke from under his helmet as he stopped in front of the two of you, “Sorry I’m late, I got caught up at the house.”

You huffed a laugh, so the plan was to act as normal as possible, okay. “It’s fine. I’m happy to see you.”

“Here,” he said as he pulled his backpack off and unzipped it, pulling out a second helmet, a pair of riding pants, a leather jacket, and gloves. “Get dressed.” He handed you the pants and jacket, both a little big, which you quickly pulled on over your scrubs. As you reached for the helmet, you heard Marcy’s throat clear behind you.

“Um, hi?”

“Right!” You turned, an anxiety covering your features in embarrassment of almost having forgotten she was standing there. “So, this is-”

“Marcy, right?” He interrupted you and reached his gloved hand out to shake hers. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

“Oh, thanks,” She squinted at him skeptically. “Y/n hasn’t told me much about you.”

He laughed and nodded his head a little, “Yeah, that’s on me, I’m a pretty private person.” When he turned to you, your cheeks heated as you realized you’d been staring. He didn’t turn away from you, even as he continued speaking. “We actually have something to get to, so we need to get going.” He slid the helmet over your head and tilted your chin up to fasten the strap. “Feel okay?” He asked, his hand still on the bottom of your helmet by your jaw. You nodded and he turned back to Marcy. “It was nice to meet you.” There was a charm in his voice that you could tell wasn’t something he used regularly as Red Hood.

“Yeah, you too I guess.” She looked at you with wide eyes, seemingly impressed. “I’ll see you later?”

You pulled the gloves on, then took the backpack the man handed you and threw it over your shoulders, sliding onto the bike behind him before you looked back to Marcy. “Of course. Bye, Marce.” You gave her a little wave and watched as your friend returned inside, her break well over. You began to reach for the sides of the seat outside your legs, but your wrist was caught.

“Here,” he said, sliding your arm around his waist and waiting for you to do the same with the other. He squeezed his hand over both of yours before reaching back to the bar. “It’ll be easier for you to hold on like that. You ready?”

You heard his voice clear as day through the helmet and could only assume there was some kind of comm system in them. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

He took off slowly at first, to allow you time to get used to how it felt, and you squeezed your arms around him a bit tighter as the bike sped up once you were out of the hospital’s parking lot.

A comfortable silence stretched for a moment before you spoke. “You really laid it on thick back there.”

He tensed under your grasp. “Too much? I didn’t want your friend to think you were just getting on a bike with some stranger…” He hesitated slightly, “Though I guess you kind of did.”

“No, it was fine, I just would have participated more if I’d been prepared.” You flattened one of your hands out against the bottom of his sternum, “And I don’t think we’re strangers.”

He let out a light-hearted scoff. “Oh, and you know me so well.”

“I know you’d never hurt me.”

Jason’s breath caught in his throat. “Never,” the word came out just above a whisper, but he knew you’d hear it. He met your hand on his chest with his own and for a moment he laced his fingers through yours but quickly pulled them away. He cleared his throat, trying to clear his mind, and found himself silently tankful for the helmet that would stop him from kissing your knuckles if he tried. “Do you want me to take you home, or do you want to go for a ride?”

He felt your head cock to the side against his back. “You’re not on patrol tonight?”

“No.”

“Then I’d love to go for a ride.”

Jason could hear the smile in your voice, and one quickly covered his face to match. “Yes ma’am.” When your apartment building came into view, it just as quickly passed, and he got onto the freeway to get out of the central part of the city. There was hardly any traffic at this time of night and an idea popped into Jason’s mind. “Hold tight, okay?”

“Okay?” You drew out the word, clearly nervous, and tightened your grip on him a bit.

“You ready?”

“Sure?”

Jason gunned it, and heard you yelp just before your entire torso crushed into his back, your arms like a vice around him. He leaned forward a bit himself as he wove around the occasional car, going far faster than he should have been. He even thought he heard you laughing a little as he sped down the road.

“Doing okay?” he asked, eyes still affixed to the road.

“I’m amazing!” You shouted back, laughter still embedded in your voice.

Jason could feel how you’d relaxed against him, though your grip was still tight, and he gradually slowed to the normal speed of traffic. He dropped his hand to cover yours where it sat against his abdomen and drew small patterns with his thumb over the back of your hand. “You okay to make a stop?”

“You’re driving, Red, I’ll go wherever.” And you meant it. You knew he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you, which meant you felt safe wherever he wanted to go.

It only took a few minutes for the two of you to get to the edge of the city, and you watched as the lights faded into the background. It was a little while longer before he eventually pulled the bike onto a side road and finally stopped in a small parking lot. It was an unlit lookout on the road that you suspected was meant to show off the water just over the cliffs during daylight hours.

“Can you see the water this late?” You asked, bringing your leg over the seat to stand on the ground.

He also dismounted and when you turned to look at him, he brought his hand to your chin again. “Not what we’re here for.” He titled your head up to direct your eyes to the sky. He quickly undid the strap of your helmet, and let you pull it off yourself to continue looking up.

“Wow,” you breathed the word, seeing stars for the first time in a long time with no light pollution to interfere. “It’s beautiful.”

Jason’s gaze stayed firmly on you as you stared up. “Yeah.”

“It’s been years since I’ve seen stars like this.”

“Don’t get out of the city often?”

You shook your head, “Never. And even when I lived in Star City, I didn’t… It always seemed like more trouble than it was worth.”

“I’m glad I got to bring you out here then.” He smiled, and you could hear it in his tone, though he hadn’t removed his helmet.

“Me too.” A smile stretched your face once more and you found yourself wondering how long it had been since you’d smiled this much. “Oh, hey,” A thought dawned on you as your gaze fell to your hands for a moment. “I have a couple questions for you.”

“Sure,” He leaned back slightly against the motorcycle as he responded, “go for it.”

You lifted your wrist so your bracelet was more in line of sight. “I think I have this figured out. I tap it and it lights up, you tap yours and it starts flashing, the flashes get faster the closer you are, and then when you’re nearby you tap it again and mine turns red.”

He listened intently and nodded along as you spoke. “All true, what’s your question?”

“Is there anything else I should know?”

He bobbed his head to the side and back before fully turning toward you. “Well, for one, it works both ways.” He brought his wrist up to be level with yours, and you noticed that it was identical to yours, including the engraved dahlia on the face. He tapped the disc on his and you saw both bracelets light up with the soft white glow. “Now if you tap to acknowledge it, they’ll start flashing for proximity,” the bracelets did exactly as he said they would when you tapped yours; they both were flashing rapidly in sync. “And again?” You did as he asked and watched them both light up with his symbol.

Jason saw your smile when you noticed the bracelets matched in appearance and function, and his heart skipped in his chest. He’d make you smile like that forever if he could. “Oh, and,” He started, remembering the other function he’d yet to show you. “Turn the face of the disc clockwise,” He waited until you’d done it and a basic map appeared in hologram just above the disc, a single red dot displayed just off the road. “That’s us.” He pointed vaguely toward the small projection. “It’ll show up as two separate marks when we aren’t together.”

Your smile dropped slightly as your expression turned to one of pestering with a single cocked eyebrow. “So, you can see my location whenever then?”

“No, no, no,” The repeated words came out so fast they almost blended together. “They only show up when the bracelets are activated. So, unless you call for me, no, I can’t see where you are.”

“But if yours is active, then I can see where you are too?” A mischievous grin crossed your features. “Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of having a secret vigilante base?”

“I am trusting that this isn’t going to come back and bite me in the ass.” Jason’s tone softened slightly as he saw your smile return to something more genuine and you nodded. “And besides, the tracker would only pick up so far as the entrances, anything further in gets its signal blocked.”

“There it is.” You chuckled to yourself. “That sounds more like the broody gang of Gotham’s heroes.”

He snorted and shook his head. “Always with the “hero” thing.”

“When you decide to retire from saving people just because you can, then we’ll talk.”

He’s not a hero. “You do know I’ve killed people, right?”

You turned your entire body to face him. “Innocent people?”

“No…”

“Then it doesn’t change anything.”

He sighed, truly not knowing what to say. He wasn’t a good person. He hadn’t been for a long time. So, what would happen when you figured that out and didn’t want anything to do with him anymore?

“So, do vigilantes have a curfew when they aren’t on patrol?” You chose to avoid the word “hero” since it had seemed to strike a nerve.

Jason pulled himself from his thoughts to answer, “Not those of us that are adults.” He looked down at his watch and found it read after 1 am. If Batman was calling it an early night, then he’d be home any time now, and Jason needed to beat him there if he wanted to avoid any questions. “We do probably need to head back though.”

You nodded as you reached for your helmet where it sat on the back of the bike. “Right, it’s easy to forget sometimes that the Robins have all been kids.” You shook your head before sliding the helmet on. “I feel like there should be rules against that. No ten-year-old needs to be out all night throwing themselves into the line of fire for a grown man, just to get up and go to school the next morning.”

He only watched you struggle with the strap of your helmet for a moment before he reached to fix it for you. “Well, the current robin is more than capable, but I’m sure I could let him know how you feel if you’d like.”

“Hey, Red?”

“Hm?” He tilted your head back down to look at him.

“Do you like working with Batman?” You asked cautiously.

You heard him exhale through the helmet as he considered the question. “There is a long and very complicated answer to that, which I would love to give you after I’ve had more time to think about it.”

You nodded, accepting the answer as being what he could give you right now.

“You ready to go?”

“Almost,” you responded. “I just have one more question. What’s in the bag?” You used your thumb to point to the backpack still on your shoulders.

“My other helmet.”

“Ah.” You nodded a little. “Always have to be prepared, huh?”

He let out a dry chuckle. “Always.”

The ride home was comfortable, and mostly quiet. You clung tightly to Red Hood for the entire drive, even in slower areas where it wasn’t as necessary. He spent almost the entire time driving one-handed, as his other hand rested over the top of yours, always tracing patterns with his thumb. It made your heart race, and you were worried that he might have been able to feel it through the back of his jacket, but he made no mention of it either way. You couldn’t explain how you’d grown to trust the man so much, but you knew somewhere deep down that nothing bad could happen to you if he was around. You wanted nothing more in the world than to find a way to show him the same. That if he needed you, or even just wanted you to be around, to care for him or anything else, you would.

The drive back to your apartment was over far too soon, and you were stopped outside the building’s front door. You peeled yourself away and off the bike and began to fumble once again with the strap of the helmet.

Jason huffed at you, “Comere,” he made the “gimme” motion with his hands and once you were close enough, he undid the strap and let go of you. “You’re gonna have to learn to do this on your own at some point, Sweetheart.”

“Not if I always have you around to do it for me.” You shocked yourself with the comment that slipped out before you could stop it. He hummed appreciatively, and you were desperate for a change of subject as your face heated up. “Did you want me to put all of this back in your bag?” You asked, already pulling the gloves off.

“Sure,” he said with a soft nod. “I’ll keep it set aside for you. If you want this to be a regular thing though, we’re going to have to get something figured out that fits you a little better.” The comment was directed mostly at the pants, which you had sinched in as far as they’d go to get them to stay. It only took a moment for you to be back in just your normal clothes, riding gear handed off and put back in the backpack now in his hands.

“Agreed. But we can figure that out later.” You waited for him to sling the backpack onto his shoulders before you moved to hug him. The angle was a little awkward because he was still on the bike, but you didn’t let it break down the courage it had taken to do it. Your grip on him only tightened when you felt his arms wrap around you too. “Thank you, Red.” You knew your voice was muffled slightly by his jacket, but you hoped he’d hear you anyway.

“Of course,” His response was breathed on a sigh of relief as he held you.

When the hug broke, you brought a hand up to the side of his riding helmet briefly, bidding him goodnight before you turned to go inside.

Jason found himself stuck for a moment. He waited until you were in the elevator before he made any attempt to right himself and get moving again. He was right. He had proof now, that you liked him as a person, not just a guard dog, and that you enjoyed his company. He couldn’t help the happiness and relief that washed over him, and he released a sigh that was half laughter and he hung his head for a moment to collect himself. You’d hugged him so tight, and on the drive you’d clung to him, you had tried to comfort him. You cared for him; you’d even flirted. He smirked to himself and picked his head back up, straightening himself out before starting the bike again and rolling out.

Jason had been so distracted that he failed to notice the silhouette of another vigilante watching the entire encounter from the rooftop across the street.

Tag List: @4rachn3, @lettucel0ver

[rapeculturerealities]

(5) Idaho's first 'abortion trafficking' arrest

Last week, an Idaho teenager and his mother were arrested for bringing the teen’s girlfriend out-of-state for an abortion. The pair were charged with multiple felonies, including second degree kidnapping, for taking a minor under 16 years-old “with the intent to keep or conceal [her] from her custodial parent...by transporting the child out of the state for the purpose of obtaining an abortion.”

The 15 year-old, identified in court records as K.B., was living in Pocatello with her 18 year-old boyfriend Kaydn* and his mother, Rachael, when she became pregnant. In May, they brought her to Oregon, where K.B. received abortion medication. Idaho’s ‘abortion trafficking’ law went into effect that same month.

The investigation into the mother and son began shortly after K.B.’s mother reported to police that her daughter had been sexually assaulted. Though K.B. became sexually active when Kaydn was 17 years-old, he turned 18 during the course of their relationship; so in addition to the kidnapping charge, court documents show that he’s also been charged with rape and sexual exploitation of a child.

During this conversation with law enforcement, K.B.’s mother also reported that her daughter had been taken to Oregon for an abortion without parental permission. This sparked a far-reaching investigation that included accessing geolocation data to place the teenager at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Bend, and tracking her movement with Kaydn and Rachael from Idaho to Oregon. (A search warrant, for example, shows that law enforcement accessed the phones of all three, and found that they were pinging cell towers in the area of the clinic.)

[zoobus]

God I am so grateful I was an adult by the time geolocation tracking became normal. Prayers out to minors dealing with guardians who think they need your global coordinates at all times. I would dump someone immediately for even suggesting we start sharing our locations. You'll never get me

[odinsblog]

Modern cars do more than get you from Point A to Point B. With sophisticated, internet-enabled onboard computers, they provide vehicle manufacturers with a truckload (pun intended) of data on where you’re driving, what you’re buying, demographic data and more. So what are they doing with all this information? That’s what the newly created California Privacy Protection Agency would like to know, and so it has launched a review of the auto industry’s data privacy practices.

“Modern vehicles are effectively connected computers on wheels. They’re able to collect a wealth of information via built-in apps, sensors, and cameras, which can monitor people both inside and near the vehicle,” said CPPA Executive Director Ashkan Soltani in a statement.

With more than 35 million vehicles on the road in the Golden State, that is a lot of data for these car-makers to scoop up. [And sell!]

The announcement was hailed by advocacy group Consumer Watchdog’s Justin Kloczko, who said in a statement, “These companies know more about us than we know about ourselves, and they’re the ones in control of our personal information, not us.”

(continue reading)

[tilliwhore]

I want to send my geolocation to the old pervert so that he can track me down, kidnap me into slavery and breed me like a breeding bitch.

[marcusrobertobaq]

Rupert and Simon deviation dates theory

⚠️I ain't here to change canon, but like i did with Hank's timeline backstory i'd like to make some observations about these 2 dates in particular.

So, as people may know both Rupert and Simon, according to the game's date, are basically one of the oldest deviants we know of, being from the 2036 wave. We know it's a probable deviancy-related date cuz when androids deviate 'em tracker stops working, meaning no one is able to track 'em down using geolocation anymore.

But have in mind that by "reported" shouldn't really mean it's the exact time/date they deviated, it's the date they were reported missing by the owner - meaning they maybe deviated hrs or even days before.

So we have:

Rupert being gone by 11th October 2036

Simon being gone by 16th February 2036.

If you've been around DBH for quite some time, u must have noticed a couple of papers unused and used inside the game reference the year 2036 (and maybe 2035), such as these ones:

Even how we had a whole presidential elections during the game's events:

(be aware that dbh was always 20 yrs in the future since it's based on Kara's tech demo, so while 2056 would make more sense in how the tech is advanced it was never really 2056, just a concept)

That's cuz the game was originally set in 2036

And makes sense since the first glimpse of the game we see is in the E3 2016 (and DBH setting is always 20yrs in the future, it's the reason why Kara's model release date is in 2032, a reference to Kara 2012), with Connor's The Hostage trailer and the interview with David Cage. It's likely in that period (2016) no one knew if the game would be released in 2018 or not (meaning 2038 setting).

The thing is, when changing the game to 2038 (since the game released in 2018) some small objects still date 2036 cuz it's really not that relevant for the overall context of the story, and that's why I think some dates also remained unchanged when the game was changed to be set in 2038.

"But Marcus, wtf does it gotta do with Rupert and Simon deviation dates?"

Have u ever noticed we know absolutely nothing about 2036 deviants? Not a single mention? But we hear about 2037 ones:

But let's pretend this is set in 2036, it'd mean some cases happened in (probably late) 2035 - another year mentioned by the game in some objects and it makes sense since the game was also in dev during 2015.

Also noticed how Rupert only removes his LED 2 yrs later? U would think deviants eventually remove the LED not much time after deviation so they don't become targets.

"Ah, but maybe Rupert always used his cap to hide the LED"

And he curiously only had issue with people seeing his LED 2 yrs later, in the same day we're investigating?

And Simon? We know absolutely a bunch of nothings about him even tho he's supposed to be one of the oldest. But maybe he's indeed one of the oldest we actually meet:

-> Imagine instead of 2036, we have 2038 as both Rupert and Simon's "reported missing" dates

Now we have:

Rupert being gone by 11th October 2038

Simon being gone by 16th February 2038.

It makes the timeline shorter for Rupert, makes this "empty" timeline from 2 yrs to around a month instead - and would make sense an android would try hiding like this without removing the LED but eventually the plan going to shit. Same thing with Simon: it also makes this entire empty timeline shorter, but he'd still be one of the oldest of the Jericho crew we meet in November.

⚠️I'm disconsidering the possibility DBH's timeline was different in the "month" sense, such as not being November but early/later or in a span of different months maybe even going back to early 203X

Let's also remember about 2 important factors:

Daniel's deviation is supposed to be a big deal in the timeline. Ofc there are rumors that his case happened in September or October instead. Judging by the cut dialogues from Partners where people react to the events while watching TV, the Hostage situation and the Bar scene were supposed to be closer in timeline. No matter if Daniel's deviation was originally in October or September, there's still the possibility it was what showed deviancy cases were happening more frequently in this period, or maybe even what encouraged more androids to deviate somehow, it was live on TV.

Deviancy cases started becoming frequently reported in early 2038, and even more frequent with time (let's set a pointer here), spreading all across the country. Most cases we analyze as Connor are androids that deviated "recently", and it's mostly the months September and October (with androids such as North, for example).

"But if were the case we'd see at least Rupert's "reported missing" file since it's from October"

Yes, but since they didn't change the date, it's likely Rupert (and Simon) remained a 2036 thing, meaning we won't see as Connor here cuz the game only shows recent reports.

OR

Another thing that may be an issue is Rupert's his case was 50% cut. We were supposed to track him in a pet shop homicide, and that's how we'd somehow end up at this apartment, and explains why there's a lot of thirium in the apartment's sink - he was damaged. So since this was always one of the main cases we'd have in the story it'd explain why we don't see the report in the terminal.

"Ah, but Rupert and Simon are just reported missing, doesn't mean they considered it was deviancy case back in 2036"

If that were the case, we wouldn't have this specific dialogue:

It means that all reports related to androids weird things (no matter if suspected deviancy or not) date back 9 months, meaning first half of February. If the relevant sus cases were only the ones after Daniel, we wouldn't have reports from before August on Hank's desk. But wanna know what android deviated in February? Simon, IF his disappearance was reported in 2038 instead of 2036.

And let's be honest: for some reason all the "Reported missing" cases probably ends up in Hank's desk even tho they could be just stolen cases, but they found it suspicious enough to give it to Hank, considering what happened few months before. Ofc the ones after Daniel's case would make things more suspicious, but disapperance cases seem to be the most common type of android report and such cases were likely in Connor's "first dates back nine months". Daniel's case just made everything in general sus enough to end up in Hank's desk, even cases that were reported earlier that year or even 2037.

U would think a report from 2036 would be there too, and it'd maybe even give Connor a context that deviancy was already a thing more than 2 yrs before the investigation - and he'd ofc comment on that.

"But Marcus, Rose said she had a deviant with her in 2037 and we don't see any mention in the reports. It means Connor doesn't mention before-2038 cases, what could justify why we have no 2036 mentions, meaning Rupert and Simon could've indeed deviated in 2036"

Like i said in the beginning of the post: i ain't trynna change canon or even affirm it's a timeline error in a game with timeline inconsistencies. In the game Rupert and Simon deviated in 2036: fact, period. What i'm showing is a possibility that maybe it could've been 2038 instead cuz the game was originally set in 2036.

"But Marcus, what if they put 2036 for the 2038 version, meaning the 2036 version would be 2034?"

Then i really don't know, but there ain't no mentions to "2034 & androids deviating" at all in the game. I ain't saying it didn't happen, i'm saying that the dates being 2036 matches with the game's original 2036 year, and these ones seem unchanged, different from other date texts they probably changed to 2038 in late dev.

[darkmaga-returns]

Google agreed to pay $1.375 billion—the largest U.S. state privacy settlement—to resolve lawsuits accusing it of deceptive data practices, including tracking geolocation, biometrics and Incognito mode activity without proper consent.

Google allegedly misled users by tracking location data even when settings were disabled; collecting voiceprints and facial geometry (e.g., via Google Photos) without explicit consent; and retaining search/location data in "Incognito mode" despite marketing it as private.

While a financial win for Texas, critics argue the settlement lacks enforceable reforms. Google claims it has already updated policies, but privacy advocates warn fines alone won’t stop systemic abuses.

The case reflects conservative-led state efforts (e.g., Texas’ 2023 Data Privacy Act) to challenge Big Tech’s power, framing privacy as a bipartisan issue of individual rights vs. corporate overreach.

The settlement signals states’ growing role in holding tech giants accountable, but without federal legislation, gaps in user protection remain. Critics question whether monetary penalties deter repeat violations.

[thoughtlessarse]

President Trump and his former star advisor, Elon Musk, have accelerated the deployment of a vast technological infrastructure that monitors the lives of millions of people. The system is focusing on immigrants — for now Massive unauthorized scanning of social media. Analysis of biometric, income, health, and Social Security data. Interception of telephone communications. Geolocation via mobile devices. Tracking of car journeys using license plate readers. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, the U.S. government has been using these and other tools based on artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor and persecute thousands of people without judicial authorization — mostly immigrants, foreigners passing through, or students. In the last four months, Trump and his former star advisor, the tech tycoon Elon Musk, have, along with the private sector, accelerated the deployment of a massive techno-surveillance state. And for the first time in history, Washington is boasting about it rather than denying its existence. “Surveillance in the U.S. didn’t begin with Trump, nor will it end when he leaves the White House. The foundations for the current state of techno-surveillance were laid over decades, with bipartisan support for policies that normalized invasive practices in law enforcement, the military, and border control,” says the Bahraini civil rights activist Esra’a Al Shafei, who has been studying this issue for years, in a conversation with EL PAÍS. “This system is fueled by large budgets allocated to intelligence agencies, as well as private providers, all under the pretext of national security and crime prevention.” Companies like Palantir, Anduril, and GEO Group are providing Washington with digital tools to build this entire surveillance infrastructure. Trump continues to add layers to this system. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed in April that it is using a tool called Babel X to collect social media information about travelers who may be subject to increased surveillance, according to the agency itself. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for its part, has acknowledged using another program, SocialNet, which aggregates data from more than 200 sources, including Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and dating apps.

continue reading

[cowgremlin11]

*grabs you by the throat (/j)* give me as many Wild West facts physically possible, and also if you know any good websites/videos on The Wild West possibly pretty please blinks eyes 🥺🥺👉👈

this is gonna be a doozy welcome to my autism.

my area of expertise relates to southeastern wyoming btw kisses. this is going to be very long. starts out rambly and then i busted out my actual notes that ive been compiling. if you have specific areas you wanna know about feel free to ask i love using my major for this stuff :D

before the cut im gonna include my fav websites i reference (i dont do much video research sorry, im the bitch with a bookshelf full of heavily annotated books and a fat google doc file)

for fashion: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?geolocation=North+and+Central+America&era=A.D.+1800-1900&material=Costume&showOnly=withImage

for navajo info (you can look at my comic if you wanna know why i focused on this tribe specifically): https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/

for dialogue/slang: https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~poindexterfamily/genealogy/OldWestSlang.html

OK TIME TO RELEASE THE AUTISM

so there were reservations right. wanna know the events leading up to the battle of little bighorn? basically in the 1850s the sioux tribe, crow tribe, and northern arapaho tribe (roughly speaking, these are the tribes most mentioned from this time) were all forced to live in the same range of territory spanning northern wyoming, around the little bighorn river. there was the fort laramie treaty which ensured that the tribes in this area would be provided help for 30 years and that nonnative settlement wouldnt be allowed. well they found gold in the black hills about 20 years later and that went out the window. miners rushed the area for gold and forced the natives to move again. tensions rose, the treaty was ignored by all parties and only mentioned when convenient, and then the battle of little bighorn happened

TRAINS!!!!! TRAINSTRAINSTRAINS. fun fact train robberies were actually very common in the 1800s! jesse james (yes that one) committed the first one in iowa in 1873.

bank robberies were very rare! cus when you think about it, yeah ofc thats gonna be hard. its in the middle of town, its one entrance, and theres safes you gotta either crack in 10 seconds or blow with dynamite, risking the cash inside.

most other crimes include larceny, burglary, home robberies, horse robberies, stage coach robberies, cons, etc.

buffalo :( they were hunted for many reasons. 30 million to less than 100 in the span of about 30 years. they were hunted to piss off the native tribes, since buffalo were sacred to many and when the government had them killed theyd take the skin, the tongue, and leave the carcass to rot before retrieving the bones to ship back to the east for production of stuff like glue. but also, they would be hunted due to the way the buffalo impacted the railroad industry. theyd damage the rails, and in lines going through mountains theyd actually huddle up on the track because its instinctively the safest place to be. this would cause days long backups

last names had some cool stuff happening! after the civil war when slaves were freed, a great deal chose their own names. some chose names after national heros, some would take their parents name, and some would take the name of their old masters as a very intentional way to make sure they could never wipe their hands clean of the cruelty they committed to the enslaved. so yeah thats metal as hell. on a related note, “Historians estimate that 20–25% of cowboys in the American West were African American. They worked as ropers, trail cooks, wranglers, and bronco busters. African Americans learned the cowboy way of life from Mexican or Spanish cowboys, Native American cattle handlers, or their former slave masters. African Americans also contributed to the West as miners, homesteaders, town builders, and entrepreneurs.”

BRIEF ART HISTORY TIME. AKA MY FUCKING MAJOR.

In 1886, American art was influenced by French Impressionism, and American artists began to experiment with the style

Impressionism reflected a modern reality that could be troubling

Impressionist artists expertly depicted the alienation that this new Paris proffered. An unfortunate symptom of such modernity was the loss of an intimate, knowable community; now citizens were strangers in an anonymous crowd.

During the mid-1880s, as French Impressionism lost its radical edge, American collectors began to value the style, and more American artists began to experiment with it after absorbing academic fundamentals.

and now, for some stuff im pasting over from my fat google doc

Country Witchcraft, Wisdom, and Lore

“you can sleep with a skeleton key under your pillow to increase your chances of flight during sleep. you can wrap a horseshoe in white cloth and place it under your pillow to speak with the devil’s wife during your sleep. you can leave a glass of water out and ask your ancestors for visions during your sleep.” (Oberon, 15)

“folkloric witches don't use circles the way most wiccan folks do. circles do pop up in folklore but not too often. circles appear almost always when something is being conjured.” (oberon, 16)

“it was a brass screw in a gun that prevents a witch from placing a curse on the gun” (oberon, 18.)

“piss in a mason jar, throw in broken glass, mirrors, barbed wire, sulfer, and bullets. bury it somewhere on your property. if a spirit or spell comes looking for you they will mistake the urine for you and get caught in the bottle.” (oberon, 19)

fashion

the Victorian tradition of wearing mementos in honor of deceased loved ones. Many of these items included ashes placed into rings or necklaces made out of human hair. However, over time mourning jewelry evolved and became more of a fashion statement, even though most jewelry wearers lived on and continued to struggle with their grief.

the items weren’t just mementos to wear around one’s neck, but were something that you carried with you 24/7, no matter how much you may have hated it.

https://gemgeneve.com/the-necklace-from-antiquity-to-the-present/

Precursor of the Bulgari ones by far, one of the most typical examples is the serpent necklace paved with turquoise. In the 19th century, turquoise stands for “forget me not”, and the colour of the Forget Me Not flower is, precisely, turquoise. Therefore, the stone itself means “don’t forget me”. With the snake biting its tail being the symbol of eternity, this necklace is actually a love jewel. The message of these serpents is not at all about evil, but it is a love message: “Don’t forget me. Love me forever”. As the symbolism of forms and stones is deeper, wearers in the 19th century are much more aware of this particular message.

The necklace remains at the base of the neck, but what changes are the motifs and the materials. In the 1860s and 70s there comes to be a craze for archaeological revival jewellery and women go to wear ancient-looking jewellery. Archaeological revival necklaces were copies of genuine ancient pieces. Jewellers like Castellani try to reproduce not only the design but also the materials, and the techniques. Sometimes, these necklaces are close replicas. Some other times they are pastiches: they look like antique in style but are an invention of the late 19th century jewellers, as no such necklace would ever have been created in ancient times.

Materials become unusual: from little shells to tiger claws, for example: this was a consequence of improved travel, of tourism, and people going travelling and acquiring souvenir jewellery in exotic locations and bringing them back to Europe.

Dances/musicians

https://www.learn2dance4fun.com/dance-classes/country-dance-lessons/western-waltz-dance-lessons/

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/babel-a-o

“In the Houston city directory of 1881 he went by the name Alexander O. Babel and continued to be the musical attraction at the Solo Saloon. The Galveston Daily News later commented in 1885: “Whether he played by note or not, he tossed from the keys of the grand piano that stood on a stage at the side of the large hall every variety and shade of music from the most delicate to the most sonorous tones.” Babel also gave concerts in other towns and church festivals in Texas.”

From playing piano in texas to mining in new mexico. Played in chicago, then new york, 

Lots of papers making him into a myth. Writer from texas saw this and disproved it. 

“Despite the disparaging remarks from some Texas periodicals, Babel created a sensation across the United States to the delight of audiences in Milwaukee, St. Louis, Atchison, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Chicago, New York, and Bangor. He was hailed as a piano master who played more than 1,200 songs and even performed at times with a cloth over the keys. The “Texas Wonder” played at dime museums, concert halls, theaters, and other venues and sometimes gave hourly recitals.”

“By 1887 advertisements included mention of his musical partner, Mattie Babel, dubbed the “cowgirl cornetist.” Most accounts called her Babel’s wife (though at least one newspaper referred to her as his sister). Given that no one named Mattie appeared among the Babel household in early censuses, Mattie Babel was probably A. O. Babel’s wife and possibly the same Emma Rumpel mentioned as the spouse of O. A. Babel in Houston.”

Babel and his wife Mattie continued to give performances well into the 1890s and toured Canada and Europe.

research i did for a specific character whos gonna show up in chapter 4:

Freed people established all-Black towns, such as Bookertee, Clearview, Lima, and Pleasant Valley. These towns provided a market for African-American farmers and a sense of community.

The discovery of gold in 1867 at South Pass drew many immigrants to western Wyoming.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery_in_Oklahoma#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20slavery%20in,state%2C%20with%20prominent%20racial%20issues. 

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203496756/slavery-cherokee-nation-patrick-neal-minges 

the Indian Removal Act was the reason for the movement of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole to Oklahoma (not yet called that. With these nations moving to the west, they brought with them black people, including slaves. This was the beginning of slavery in the land of Oklahoma. 

When the Cherokees were relocating it was estimated that 10-15% of the nation were African Americans. This nation in particular brought not slaves, but freed blacks. This was one of the main reasons that they were forced out of their previous land. The nation had become a safe space for slaves to run away to and slave owners wanted to diminish that possibility for slaves in the south.

By 1866, the Cherokee Nation, once so proud, had been reduced to ruins

With the forced removal of the five nations into the land of Oklahoma throughout the course of time, slavery began and progressed in the Indian territory. Specifically, in the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, slavery and the ownership of black people became common.

https://www.lib.utk.edu/cherokee/EvolutionCherokeePersonalNames.pdf

research i did for the chinese characters

1848: The California gold rush brought more Asians to the United States, especially Chinese people from the Guangdong region

The discovery of gold in 1867 at South Pass drew many immigrants to western Wyoming.

The Union Pacific Railroad's construction in the late 1860s brought settlers to Wyoming. The railroad created towns like Cheyenne, Laramie, and Rock Springs, and attracted cowboys and cattle drives.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 Many Americans on the West Coast attributed declining wages and economic ills to the Chinese workers who were only 0.002% of the population, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act to placate worker demands and assuage concerns about maintaining white "racial purity." Repealed on December 17, 1943 

https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/565882.shtml 

During the 1850s, the first revolt of the Taiping Rebellion by the Hakka people took place in Guangdong. Because of direct contact with the West, Guangdong was the center of anti-Manchu and anti-imperialist activity. 

https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/asian-american-timeline 

https://www.history.com/topics/asian-history/taiping-rebellion 

In 1856, a second Opium War broke out with the west, continuing until 1861.

https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/chinese-exclusion-act-1882

stuff for solveig

“The huge population growth between 1800 and 1900 led to overcrowding within the social structure of the day and was one contributing factor to the wave of emigrants leaving Norway for North-America.” 

“During the next centuries, much of the farmland was sold off to the previous leaseholders and became private property for the many. Owning your own land has been – and still is – an important part of the Norwegian identity.”

https://evergreenpost.eu/the-old-norwegian-farm-its-land-and-surroundings/ 

AND THATS ALL I CAN POSSIBLY THINK OF THAT I HAVE ACCESS TOO RIGHT NOW.... IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR WANNA KNOW ABT SPECIFIC STUFF TELL ME AND I CAN EASILY ANSWER THEM AND PROVIDE A GOOD DEAL OF INFO