#i dont have enough facts buts its piling up

[leona-florianova]

Some wild drama happening at my old art high school... New headmaster kicked out three teachers because they liked satirical post on instagram, which made very deserved fun of her. 

She brought it up to police because she thinks liking such posts is participating and enabling bullying and that it paints the school in bad light..  

Meanwhile she is bullying the whole student body along with the teachers/professors..makes Insane rules and  does weird monologues, straight up Umbridge behaviour.. The fact that she hates art and artists and before becoming the headmaster she taught czech... like I remember how she used to berate n ridicule anyone who made even the smallest mistakes...how she made homophobic coments (at liberal left leaning school where at least half of the students are some type of queer)... AND just few hours ago I learned that she got the position she shouldnt have gotten in the first place, because her relative works at the office of our local county representative....while also her, the relative and the county representative are all  KDU-ČSL...Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party..a centrist conservative party that manages to swing from left to right and right to left depending on need, but always keeps its traditional values - sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia etc. etc... which is just f*cking abysmal.. 

I am no longer a student at the school.. havent been for years.. but damn as an alumni I feel so fragging bad for everyone who has to deal with her and her regime now... 

[pocket-clown]

A Place in your Home; A Place in your Heart | Arthur Fleck x reader 

// original request: Hi! I love your writings 💖 and I shyly wanted to request something. ^^ I wonder if you could write about Reader that has a difficult situation and has to find a new place to live, but doesnt have enough money? Arthur wants to help her and offers her that she can live with him. They've not dated for long but it's serious and the're much in love. She wants to move in with him, but she's afraid it wouldn not work out for many reasons, but eventually she agrees and Arthur is immensely happy. ^^

// A/N: This originally was going to be a longer fic, but I’ve been struggling with writing yet again, so I figured breaking it down into headcanons was easier than taking eons longer to write something more detailed.

thanks for the request, @dont-be-alarmed

It had been nearly three weeks since you were given the news, the words barely making their way over the fuzzy phone lines, voice as uncaring as ever.

Due to a better suited tenant making an offer, your lease was not going to be renewed, and you needed to be out by the end of the month - no if, ands, or buts about it.

Your lifestyle was a hand to mouth one; paycheck to paycheck, your weekly earnings were just enough to cover rent and basic necessities with little left over to save, splurges on luxuries being an occasional, very rare treat.

With your rainy day savings, your actual savings, and the total accumulation of the profit you made from selling various items that you could, you barely had enough to cover even a deposit on any of the nearby apartments - let alone deposit, and the first month’s rent. 

In short, you were screwed.

You were screwed, and it was eating at you. Day and night, the thought loomed over you like the piles of trash that littered the city, threatening to topple over on passersby at any moment. 

Had you been given a much more reasonably timed heads up, it wouldn’t have been even half an issue, yet you were left to do nothing but lay in bed, eyes burning as you stared at the television, seeing but not really watching the program on it. You’d been pulled from your restless sleep by the sound of a glass bottle dropping and shattering somewhere outside, and given that it was nearly four in the morning, you were about to give up on sleep. 

Even in your sleepy haze, did the weight of the situation hit you like a truck, your stomach tightening with anxiety, the churning twist of panic, worry, and hopelessness making your eyes blur with tears as you shifted your gaze to the ceiling.

You couldn’t help but almost pitifully chuckle at that - soon, there wouldn’t even be a ceiling for you to cry over.

December was nearly on its last legs with Christmas just around the corner; the days of autumn bleeding into those of winter as you found yourself growing more and more grateful each day that your boyfriend’s apartment was one of the few that had a functioning heating system. Temperatures dipped below freezing more often than not, and you often had to take a moment to brace yourself before you stepped outside as the air’s freeze physically hurt sometimes - your eyes, nose, and fingers on the days you forgot your gloves stinging from the wind, while any exposed skin reddened from the nip of the wind. 

It was thoughts of days like those that made you brief a sigh of relief and sink back into the couch of Arthur’s living room, one of his softest blankets fluffed and draped around your body as you curled your legs under yourself, warm and safe from the harsh weather outside, and the even harsher population of the city.

It was also thoughts of days like those that reminded you that this wasn’t going to last. 

“Love, what’s on your mind?”

As in tune with your emotions as ever, Arthur noticed that you were particularly quiet that evening, lost in your thoughts as you didn’t even pay any mind to the television - set to the weekly airing of The Murray Franklin Show.

You hadn’t even told Arthur what was going on, the fear of stressing your already overworked boyfriend out keeping you from opening your mouth. 

“Huh? Oh - nothing,” You blinked, turning your attention from the carpet to the television. “I’m just tired.” You spoke, fingertips picking at the frayed hem of the blanket currently wrapped around your body.

Another hint for Arthur: no Art, no Artie tacked on the end to your reply. From the corner of your eye could you see him through the passthrough, eyeing you from his spot at the kitchen counter where he was taking the utmost care to not spill the mug of hot chocolate he was making you as he stirred it.

Even though your relationship was hardly out of its infancy, you both knew each other well enough to tell when something was wrong. Arthur was already so very in tune with your emotions, so you knew he wasn’t just going to let your morose mood go without a question or two, and you knew yourself enough to know that something about Arthur’s concern hit a soft spot in your heart, rendering you unable to keep much from him once he managed to get into your head. 

He seemed almost sad as he now stood in the entrance to the living room, his lips settled into a thin line as he kept his eyes trained on you. You felt yourself shrink under his gaze, the guilt from keeping something so major from him eating at you, but the uncertainty and apprehension of not only how you’d bring it up with Arthur, but how he’d react.

One of your worst fears was Arthur jumping on the opportunity to have you live with him. Not because you didn’t want to, not because you didn’t trust him or anything of the sort - but Arthur had a habit of putting the needs of others, especially your own, miles above his own. Money was much tighter for him than it was for you, and hell you had no idea if even combining incomes would be much help. No doubt that it would be some, but whether it would be enough, especially given the uncertain job climate of Gotham, left you scratching your head. 

Arthur took a seat next to you, the drink he brought you placed on the coffee table, and with a deep breath, you let it spill out faster than you really meant for it to.

Your lease was ending in just over a week. Your landlord had no intent of renewing it because someone else was moving in, and you had no money to move elsewhere yet, even after your best efforts at earning enough. You had no where to go, nothing to do, no way to remedy the situation - and time was running out.

Hell, you had no idea if at this point you even could do anything beyond accepting the inevitable.

“Why... don’t you stay here?” 

Arthur’s meek, yet hopeful voice raising such a suggestion made your ears perk up. You hadn’t even thought about that - but immediately did you know that it wouldn’t work. At least not yet.

“Art - I can’t do that, you know I can’t.” You couldn’t look at him as you spoke, the thought of being able to live in with him making your heart skip a beat, but the knowledge that it almost most definitely was not realistic at the moment making it hard to swallow.

“Why can’t you?”

“It won’t work - it’s not going to work.”

Though instantly you regret speaking those words, wincing once you realized what they implied. You knew Arthur and his anxieties well enough to know that it wasn’t improbable that he took “it won’t work” as meaning, you didn’t have enough faith in your relationship for it to work.

“ - Not like that,” You were quick to correct yourself, hoping to save the situation before it became more angst ridden. “I mean, living together. At least right now. Money is already tight for you, isn’t it? And I mean, it’s not like my own job is the most stable right now.”

“Y/N, do you really think that matters?” Arthur looked almost angry as he spoke, as if the fact that you were concerned about finances was ridiculous in such a situation. You knew Arthur enough to know he wasn’t actually mad, at least not at you, but still on edge at the threat of your loss of shelter. “You’ll be homeless, and - and who knows what could happen to you out there -” The hitch in Arthur’s breath as he spoke, coupled with the way his left hand gripped at the fabric of his trousers clued you in that this was something extremely distressing for him. 

You could feel tears welling up in your eyes, yet you refused to let them fall as you blinked them away. “Arthur -”

“Please,” Arthur’s hand shot out for your own, his warm from holding the hot drink previously as he held your hand tight in his own. “Y/N, please.. Don’t worry about money, we’ll figure it out - but it’s dangerous, it’s awful out there and I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you -” 

Had you not stopped him midsentence with a gentle “Hey -”, you’d no doubt Arthur would’ve either succumbed to a fit of laughter, tears, or both.

“ - Arthur, hey,” Your free hand that wasn’t kept in his own reached for his shoulder, tugging gently on the fabric of that brown cardigan you so loved, pulling him closer to you. His forehead came to rest on your shoulder, his breath just barely noticeable against the fabric of your chest. “I dont... I don’t know what I’d do, either - Arthur I just don’t want to add more to your plate, you’re already so overworked, I shouldn’t have even mentioned it.”

You could feel Arthur shake his head at your words, but he didn’t speak - not that you blamed him.

With your lips now pressed to the top of his head, you took a deep breath, breathing in his scent. That comforting scent you’ve come to love and seek out within the few months you’ve been with him - the scent you, really, wouldn’t mind being surrounded by all of the time. 

“We’ll try,” You said finally, not missing how Arthur seemed to tense up at your words. “Arthur I... would love to stay here - I would, love to live with you. It’s going to take some time to adjust - never mind actually making the move - but... I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

You could’ve laughed at how Arthur shot up at this, his eyes wide as he seemed full of disbelief for a moment before your own reassuring smile sparked a growing grin on his face. “Do you really mean it, Y/N?”

“Waking up with, going to bed next to, coming home to you doesn’t sound all too bad, the more I think about it,” You whispered, your body finding its way to Arthur’s as his arms pulled you close. 

Maybe this home wouldn’t be so bad. 

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[shadyacademicposts]

One in preparedness, One as a community

04 December – My NSTP class required me to contextualize all my learnings from my e-read lectures and discussions of DRRM lessons by turning it into a personal learning adventure. The visit itself taxed me minimally since the community I visited was literally one block away from my apartment. Overall, it was truly a learning experience and I am glad to have met the wonderful and warm people of Barangay 459, Sampaloc, Manila.

Kagawad Anthony M. Reyes was the one kind enough to answer all our questions about his little community. Barangay 459, was a minuscule barangay compared to the ones surrounding it, only covering streets from MF Jhocson up to Moret Street. Found along Espana Boulevard, across University of Santo Tomas. The Barangay hall itself is located under the overpass, right infront of The ONE Torre De Santo Tomas.

It is best to emphasize that this is really a small community, located in a commercial area in the university belt, it hardly suffers any disasters that most barangays in the provinces unfortunately go through. With that being said, that doesn’t mean they totally don’t experience any diasters at all, it just that they’re really minimal. As thomasians, we have all experienced those hazardous floods caused by torrential rains, along espanya most especially. However, floods aren’t that much of a problem now compared to how bad they were before. Flooding is still very much a possibility but the situation has improved. The local government and the Metro Manila Mayor’s office has been working hand in hand to fix the drainage issues along UST.

Aside from this, the most issues they have faced are the stubborn people from the older generation. The barangay itself has implemented a lot community projects for the improvement of the community like the Mon-Fri daycare center that is free for use for single parents in the community. But these goals can be obstructed if the people in the community don’t cooperate so teamwork is a must.

That being said, the barangay officials are still trying their very best to address possible needs the community might need in the face of disasters. As we went along with our interview, I noticed a pattern in the way Mr. Anthony Reyes answered my questions about how they deal with issues in the community during tough times. He always spoke about cooperation and working as a team. Which I think is one of their best qualities. They have this mentality of not leaving anyone behind in the face of danger. When asked if there was one specific task assigned per person in their community, he said formally there are services that each person is asked to provide. However, in real life, they do the best that they can to help each other no matter the formalities. Team work makes the dream work as they often say.

Unfortunately, despite their very righteous and bayanihan mindset, it was quite disappointing to hear that they do not have a detailed document at hand about what to do during disasters and a hazard map to identify the problem areas of their community. This is due to the fact that since Mayor Isko Moreno’s election in the office, most barangays had to revamp old plan of actions in order to accommodate the passing of times. Barangay 459 still has not finalized their most current plan of actions or DRRM plans in times of calamity. Another problem I have identified is that they don’t have a formal go-to evacuation center in times of an earthquake. Kagawad Reyes answered that this is because they are a small community. So there was not really a need for it, if there came a time that an earthquake will struck the place he said that the LGU and the Mayor’s office will help them in relocating the residents near the Municipal hall of Manila. Therefore, there really is no convenient safe space in their tiny barangay, an open area to rush to in times of a dangerous event. Lastly, another issue is that since Kagawad Reyes was unable to provide concrete documents I doubt they have trained their citizens on the dos and dont’s during a calamity which is a very important thins to do.

After a short 11-minute interview with Kagawad Reyes, we proceeded to walk around the streets of MF Jhocson until Moret Street in order to identify hazard places and their best practices in the community.

These are the identified vulnerable elements that may put people at risk in times of calamities. Most of the buildings surrounding the barangay are made out of stronger materials and are built to withstand strong earthquakes. However, since this is still a residential area before it was even commercialized as we see it today, there are old houses that needs to be renovated with smarter materials. Kagawad Reyes explained that these are the places they keep monitoring as these are the parts of the community most people are vulnerable when danger might strike.

Local eateries and street vendors fill the place along with houses and dorms. The barangay itself is kept in very good shape considering how populated Sampaloc is and how many people pass through here even though they don’t live here. The barangay’s best practices involve the recycling of their wastes. This is very important as it can help in the drainage issue they experience during floods.

However, there are still a few bad seeds mixed with the mostly good ones of the community. Some still don’t follow the regulations posted around the place. Like the No Smoking sign found in the picture above. If you zoom in, you’d find little cigarette buts along the sign itself. Then we found the one place in the community where you can see a bit of trash piling up. These may be done by those who are passing through the community and not those who actually live there.

Overall Reflection and Learning

Overall the activity itself helped me learn a lot, reading DRRM and disasters from my e-reads is vastly different from walking along the community and talking about the possibilities of a disaster. It made me be more observant in my surroundings, what places to avoid and what places should be improved. Barangay 459 itself is a very strong community, characterized by the discipline exemplified by its citizens, the teamwork that can be seen through its barangay officials, the general welcoming atmosphere that can be felt when you talk to the people living there, the alertness and genuine care to the community I observed while I was talking to Kagawad Reyes was hard to come by especially coming from a government official.

The attributes I mentioned should be embodied by all the people here in our country, the alertness and willingness to help should be a no brainer already. Climate change is upon us, we are currently experiencing its harshness little by little. It’s not the time to stand by and belittle what being prepared for future calamities can benefit us. Geographically, the Philippines is very much susceptible to disasters and calamities alike since we are in the pacific ring of fire. Volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, earthquakes are something that should be prepared for in every community and should be taken with the utmost seriousness it deserves. To acknowledge and address the impending environmental issues we may or may not experience is paramount to saving thousands or millions of Filipino lives.

As a member of this community and nation, the vulnerabilities I have seen and observed in Barangay 459 is very common around the urban poor areas and the provinces. Structurally sound houses should be a priority, of course this could only be addressed properly if all people had the means to maintain a house with a good structural framework. However, considering our economy this is simply not possible without financial aid from the government. People in destitute areas are very much vulnerable when danger strikes, so their survival must be prioritized over those who has the privilege to save themselves. In correspondence to this, awareness, seminars/orientations on what to do when something bad happens should be made normal and implemented all over the country. Knowledge is power as they say, it can make or break one person’s possibility of survival.