#security administrator and engineer

[liberalsarecool]

THE ERA OF VANISHING HAS BEGUN

They are not arresting people. They are vanishing them.

Rumeysa Ozturk wasn’t read her rights. She wasn’t told why she was being detained. She was walking to break her fast in Somerville, Massachusetts when masked men in an unmarked SUV pulled up, took her phone, slapped on handcuffs, and dragged her into a vehicle like she was some kind of national security threat.

She’s a doctoral student. A Fulbright scholar. A trauma researcher. But in Donald Trump’s America, she fit the profile: Muslim, foreign-born, sympathetic to Palestinians.

Now she’s locked in a for-profit detention center in Louisiana, hundreds of miles from her lawyer, after a federal judge specifically said she wasn’t to be moved.

They moved her anyway. Because rules no longer apply to those with badges — real or fake.

A MOVEMENT BUILT ON CHAINS AND COWARDS

Alireza Doroudi is gone too.

He’s a doctoral student at the University of Alabama, born in Iran, studying mechanical engineering. No criminal record. No warning. Just scooped off the grid.

ICE refuses to say where he’s being held. No public charge has been announced. His only crime appears to be existing in the wrong body, from the wrong country, in the wrong era.

Mahmoud Khalil was next — a Columbia student, arrested for leading pro-Palestinian protests. Trump labeled him a “radical foreign Hamas sympathizer” on Truth Social. Days later, he was gone.

Jeanette Vizguerra was taken from her Target shift in Colorado, chained at the waist.

Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez, a farmworker organizer, was dragged from his car at dawn in Washington. His window was smashed by federal agents. His voice silenced.

These aren’t isolated incidents. These are deliberate acts of political intimidation.

They are testing the system — testing us — to see how many people they can disappear before we stop calling it democracy.

WHEN ICE IS A BADGE — AND A COSTUME

While the real ICE disappears scholars, organizers, and mothers, the fakes are circling like vultures.

In South Carolina, Sean-Michael Johnson posed as an ICE officer. He pulled over a van of Latino men, screamed slurs, jiggled their keys, and knocked a phone out of someone’s hand. “You’re going back to Mexico!” he shouted. He wasn’t an agent — but he played one with conviction.

In North Carolina, Carl Thomas Bennett used a fake badge to sexually assault a woman at a motel. He told her if she didn’t comply, he’d have her deported. He held up a counterfeit ID and pretended to be the state.

And in Philadelphia, a Temple University student in an “ICE” shirt tried to storm a dorm building with two accomplices. They were dressed for the part, intoxicated by the illusion of authority, emboldened by the climate.

This is what happens when the state makes cruelty a brand. When a badge becomes a fetish object. When the line between enforcement and cosplay disappears altogether.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS THE CRIME

Let’s stop pretending this is a coincidence.

This is a unified strategy. The Trump administration is using ICE like a personal strike force — targeting international students, protest leaders, organizers, and mothers with surgical precision.

They invoke secret designations. They bypass due process. They manufacture pretexts out of thin air and rely on the fog of bureaucracy to hide the blood on the floor.

The point isn’t law enforcement. The point is deterrence. Spectacle. Control.

This is what political cleansing looks like when it’s dressed up in the language of national security.

They’re showing the world that resistance has a cost — and the cost is your freedom, your voice, your visibility, your future.

SILENCE IS CONSENT. AND WE ARE LOUD.

There is no middle ground here. No fence to sit on. No neutral position when people are being kidnapped in the name of the state.

ICE doesn’t need your applause. It needs your silence. Every time a student vanishes and the media shrugs, every time a woman is cuffed and the public looks away, the machine gets stronger.

They are daring us to ignore it. They are counting on our numbness. They are betting that we’ll keep scrolling.

We cannot let them win.

This is not border policy. This is not visa enforcement. This is not safety.This is authoritarianism with a PowerPoint presentation.This is fascism disguised as formality.

This is the state stripping people from the land and pretending it’s order.

Let the record show:

They took people.

And we did not look away.

We saw it.

We named it.

We raised hell.

And we did not stop.

(I didn’t write this. Credit goes to Fear and Loathing: Closer to the Edge)

[ourjobagency]

How to Advance Your Career with AWS Certifications

In the fast-paced world of cloud computing, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has established itself as a leader in providing scalable, reliable, and cost-effective cloud solutions. As organizations increasingly migrate their workloads to the cloud, the demand for skilled AWS professionals has surged. If you're looking to advance your career in the IT industry, AWS certifications can be your ticket to success. We'll explore how AWS certifications can propel your career forward and provide a step-by-step guide to achieving them.

The Power of AWS Certifications

AWS certifications are widely recognized in the IT industry and are considered a valuable asset for both newcomers and seasoned professionals. Here are some key reasons why AWS certifications can supercharge your career:

1. Industry Recognition

AWS is a trusted name in cloud computing, and their certifications are well-respected by employers worldwide. Holding an AWS certification demonstrates your expertise and commitment to staying current in a rapidly evolving field.

2. Career Advancement

AWS certifications can open doors to new job opportunities and promotions. Many organizations prefer to hire certified professionals because they are seen as more capable and knowledgeable in AWS technologies.

3. Increased Earning Potential

Certified AWS professionals often command higher salaries than their non-certified counterparts. According to a survey by Global Knowledge, AWS-certified individuals earn an average salary that is significantly above the industry average.

4. Skill Validation

Obtaining an AWS certification validates your skills and knowledge in specific AWS services and technologies. It serves as concrete evidence of your expertise in the eyes of potential employers.

Choosing the Right AWS Certification

AWS offers a wide range of certifications, catering to various roles and skill levels. Before you embark on your certification journey, it's essential to choose the one that aligns with your career goals and current experience. Here are a few popular AWS certifications:

1. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Designed for individuals with little or no cloud experience, this entry-level certification provides a broad overview of AWS services, cloud concepts, and basic architectural best practices.

2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect

This certification is ideal for those interested in designing distributed systems on AWS. It covers topics like architectural best practices, security, and scalability.

3. AWS Certified SysOps Administrator

Focused on system operations and management, this certification is suitable for individuals responsible for deploying, managing, and operating systems on AWS.

4. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer

For those interested in automation, this certification validates skills related to continuous delivery, automation, and managing infrastructure as code.

5. AWS Certified Security - Specialty

For security professionals, this certification focuses on securing AWS workloads and implementing advanced security measures.

Steps to AWS Certification Success

Now that you've decided on the right certification, here are the steps to help you achieve your goal:

1. Set Clear Goals

Define your career goals and how AWS certifications align with them. Having a clear vision will keep you motivated throughout your certification journey.

2. Choose Relevant Training Resources

AWS provides extensive documentation and training resources, including online courses, practice exams, and official study guides. Consider enrolling in AWS Certified training courses, which are designed to help you prepare for the exams.

3. Hands-On Experience

Practice is key to mastering AWS. Create your AWS account and experiment with the services covered in your chosen certification. Hands-on experience will deepen your understanding and boost your confidence.

4. Study and Prepare

Devote time to study and review the certification's objectives. Use study guides, practice exams, and community forums to reinforce your knowledge.

5. Take Practice Exams

Practice exams are invaluable for gauging your readiness. They help you identify areas where you need to improve and build your test-taking skills.

6. Schedule and Take the Exam

Once you feel confident in your knowledge, schedule your exam. AWS offers both online and in-person testing options to accommodate your preferences.

7. Stay Informed

AWS constantly updates its services and certifications. Stay informed about changes and consider pursuing additional certifications to continue growing in your career.

Conclusion

AWS certifications have become a gold standard in the IT industry, and they offer an excellent opportunity to advance your career. Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to level up your skills, there's a certification tailored to your needs. Remember that certification is a journey, not a destination. Keep learning, stay updated, and embrace the dynamic world of AWS to unlock the full potential of your cloud computing career. With dedication and the right certifications, you can be on your way to a brighter and more rewarding future in the world of cloud computing.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Ideas: Castles

Castles, fortresses, and fortified mansions can be military and administrative headquarters for medieval feudal overlords, romantic ruins in a nineteenth century Count's estate, or haunts for ghosts… They hold our imagination, they show up in historical fiction and fantasy alike.

Types of Castles by Location

City castle. Found in the historical centre of a medieval city, and often as the core part of a larger fortification called a citadel, the urban castle houses the ruler of said city, city-state or realm of which this city is a capital.

Rural castle. Built as a standalone structure, this type of castle was more widespread than the urban castle in Western Europe. Often castles planned as standalone structures attracted folks from nearby villages and grew towns around them, eventually becoming city castles and citadels.

Types of Castles by Construction

Motte and bailey. The most primitive kind of castle, the motte and bailey is barely above a pre-medieval hill fort. It is usually just a tower or a fortified manor standing on a hill, which may be a natural hill dug over with artificial trenches and berms or a wholly manmade mound (the motte). The motte was also outfitted with extra defences such as a wooden stockade (the bailey). Often the bailey was located sideways of the motte and did not encapsulate it; the steep slopes of the motte made walls unnecessary. Note that not all castles built on mottes are motte and bailey castles: the central section of the famous Windsor Castle, which is far from being "just a tower", has a large motte under it.

Keep and curtain wall. To improve the ability of a motte and bailey castle to withstand sieges, medieval engineers went for the most obvious decision: build a solid wall instead of a wooden stockade around the motte. They built massive walls, high enough to be unscalable without proper siege ladders, and later augmented those walls with towers. The towers provided defenders a vantage point for raining arrows onto the attackers. The tower also became more fortified and turned into a keep, or donjon - the main tower or fort of the castle, a smaller fortress inside it. Even when enemies breached or otherwise surmounted the curtain wall of the castle, the keep was able to fend them off for a while, hopefully until the relief or backup forces arrives.

Moat. To add another layer of impenetrability to the curtain wall, medieval engineers augmented it with a deep ditch, or moat, around it. The purpose of the moat was to stop the attackers from breaking castle walls with battering rams and make it harder to use siege ladders. The moat was also often filled with water to stop undermining (digging under walls to make them collapse). A drawbridge or a permanent bridge could be used to cross the moat and reach the gate.

Gatehouse. Because of the moat, the castle gate became the prime target for attempts to breach the walls and break in. So the gate naturally became more fortified, built into a large, wide tower: the gatehouse. A typical gatehouse contained a lot of security measures to make battering the gate harder: corridors, portcullises, arrow slits overlooking the bridge.

Barbican. A barbican is another fortification built to protect the gate: a second, smaller gatehouse in front of it, connected to the main one with a pair of walls.

Enceinte. An enceinte is the motte, Mk.II, now made of stone! It's an inner solid stone wall surrounding the keep, making it a castle within a castle.

Concentric castle. Combining all of the above defensive measures resulted in a complex, many-layered castle with two or more sets of curtain walls and a keep surrounded with an enceinte. Such castles were built during the Late Middle Ages.

Quadrangular castle. A late development in castle building, this style does away with the keep and turns the curtain wall into a large rectangular building with a courtyard. In essence, the curtain wall is used as the outer wall of the building.

After gunpowder artillery became the main weapon of sieges, castle architecture entered into decline.

Low-profile and complex structures with thick earth walls were needed to resist artillery bombardments, and castles made way for bastions, star forts and similar fortified structures.

However, during the period of Romanticism and Gothic literature in the XIX century, interest in castles renewed.

These "revival castles" served no defensive function and were just stylized stately homes for Blue Blood elites; the most famous example of such a castle is Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Germany.

In the 19th and 20th century, the romantic allure of castles even inspired some non-royals with deep pockets to build them as fantasy getaways.

Source ⚜ More: Notes ⚜ Parts & Types of Castles ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[hungwy]

Musk appeared to soften his stance on the men being identified later Monday, writing it was “time to confess” that the “media reports saying that @DOGE has some of world’s best software engineers are in fact true.” But he was wrong—not all the group are even “software engineers.” Three do not even have degrees. And one who does is trying to cash in on his new job by charging people to read his Substack entry which boasts, “Why DOGE: Why I gave up a seven-figure salary to save America.” (...) The group’s relative lack of experience—especially no previous positions in government work—has Democrats crying foul they were granted access to sensitive records while remaining largely in the shadows, away from public scrutiny. (...) “Remember when Wired was focused on cutting-edge technology and how young college dropout founders could change the world?” [DOGE "volunteer" Cole Killian] posted to X. “Not anymore. Now, they’re doxxing DOGE employees and whining that they are too “young” and ‘inexperienced’ to reform America’s government.America’s experienced expert class have led this country to ruin. Young geniuses with a startup mentality could save it.” The U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. threw his support behind Musk on the matter, writing to him Monday he would “pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people.” (...) DOGE has seemingly grown in power by the day. The department, created via an executive order on day one of Trump 2.0, was recently granted access to restricted parts of the General Services Administration buildings and access to IT systems which houses sensitive information like addresses, contact info, and even social security numbers.

[laylahluvsasians]

𝐒𝐄𝐗𝐘 | 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍!𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐘𝐔𝐍 𝐉𝐀𝐄 𝐗 𝐅𝐄𝐌!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 - you are a scientist that got chosen alongside other scientists and astronauts to complete a mission to the moon to find samples of lunar water. you and the captain have a bit of tension but thats never stopped you from going after what you want.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 - sexual innuendos, smut, p in v, fingering.

𝐚/𝐧 - for all of you who wanted the han yun-jae oneshot, also i added an co-captain oc because i felt like it.

you are an american forensic psychologist who was transferred to south koreas science and space administration.

you spoke fluent korean so none of the korean scientists and astronauts looked down on you, in fact you were very well respected.

you were chosen to complete a mission to the moon to retrieve samples of lunar water from an abandoned research station.

the other astronauts who are going on this mission are Dr. Song Ji-an, an astrobiologist. Kim young the co-captain. Captain Han Yun-jae. Lieutenant Ryu Tae-seok, the head engineer. Dr. Hong Ga-young the team’s medical officer. Gong Soo-hyuk, the head of security. Lastly, Kim Sun leads the pilot team.

the captain han yun-jae was a strict man who didn’t like to lack his job. he was fairly young, around mid 30s. he has an daughter back on earth who is his main priority.

the co-captain kim young was much nicer to everybody. she is an astronaut and one of the most respected people in the lab.

the entire team is currently in the conference room with high executive mr.choi going over the mission.

mr choi stands in front of everyone with a stern face and hands behind his back. he begins to talk to the team.“you have done well to be apart of this team, we chose you because you are one of the very best from this entire organization.” mr choi eyes everyone before his eyes lands on you, you give him a small smile.

“this mission isn’t going to be an easy one.” his stern face not cracking a smile like usual. “captain han, choose ur partner”

captain han and the co-captain give each other a look and a slight nod before turning their attention to mr choi. “i’d like the co-captain kim young to be my partner, sir.”

Mr choi nodded. “very well. Dr.hong, choose ur partner”

Dr.hong’s eyes landed on you and she replied. “I’d like dr. y/n to be my partner. i could always use a forensics person with me.”

mr choi makes eye contact with you and smiles at you softly before continuing on to the rest of the crew.

after everyone chooses their partners mr.choi releases everyone so that you could all handle whatever you have to before ur boosted into space.

the next day.

everyone enters, some seem more tense then others. once everyone has entered the shuttle, the doors are shut and all of them make their way to their seat. the captain, co-captain, and the engineers take their place at their seats.

the engines begin to power up as everyone buckles their seatbelts. the shuttle starts moving and then, it lifts off from the ground.

the shuttle rockets into space and you can look through the glass windows at the planet earth. it becomes smaller and smaller the farther you are from it.

some people seem a little afraid to be up in space, but others seem fine. you can see how beautiful it is all the way the up here. the co-captain looks over at you, before giving you a small reassuring smile.

“we will be entering the moon’s orbit soon. so buckle your seatbelts, the gravity will be different when we enter the moon.” the captain speaks through the intercom.

as soon as the words leave the captain’s mouth, the people who seemed a little frighten before seemed even more frighten. the co-captain lets out a small sigh before her intercom comes online. “listen to the captain, if you wish to survive this trip and not float through the shuttle, i recommend you to buckle your seatbelt, the gravity with change soon.”

you then feel the shuttle entering the moon’s gravity. everyone gets a little lighter feeling as the gravity changes. the co-captain, captain, and all the engineers are hard at work piloting the ship.

but just then red lights began flashing and the ship began to malfunction causing the pilot to issue an emergency landing which worked but also didn’t.

the shuttle crashed into the moons surface hard, and barley steadied on the edge of the moon, tipping off.

people are dazed and confused after the hard landing. the lights in the shuttle flicker before losing power. a few people groan as they take off their seatbelt.

the captain is the first to get up and out of his seat. he helps the co-captain get up from her seat before he speaks. “is everyone okay?”

everyone seems to be a little confused and dizzy, but none of them seem seriously hurt. the co-captain manages to get the intercom to turn on and she speaks. “everyone seems fine, captain. just a little bit dazed from the hit.”

“we need to get out before the shuttle falls” you add into the conversation.

people stumble around, trying to get off the shuttle. the captain and co-captain help and make sure everyone is out before they move away from the shuttle.

everyone huddles around each other, and looks at the damage of the shuttle. one of the engines is blown up, a few others are smoking, and the side of the shuttle has dents all over it.

everyone steps back as the shuttle falls to the ground. the captain curses under his breath as everyone watches the shuttle fall.

“well, we can’t go back. so we need to find the research station.” the captain states as he starts walking away as the team follows him.

the team walks through the endless craters and dust all over the surface of the moon with little to no oxygen. they walk for miles, until they see a building in the distance. it slowly comes into view as they walk closer.

they finally arrive at the research base. the team takes a minute to look up at the building, it was in good shape, just looked unused.

the team is in awe at how big the building seems to be. the captain and the co-captain seem the most impressed. "it's definitely bigger than what was in the reports."

the captain and the co-captain give each other a look, before starting to walk towards the door. "let's go."

the team follows the captain as he enters the building. it looks much cleaner on the inside. the rooms seem very empty, but the equipment is still in tact.

the team wanders around the building, seeing the empty rooms and equipment still there. the equipment is still on. this building looks like everyone just left in a hurry without shutting anything off.

the captain starts lecturing everybody and the co-captain starts co-signing, it was almost annoying.

you lean over and whispered to the lieutenant. “of course she’s dickriding him”

the lieutenant hides his laugh with a fake cough when the captain looks at you both, causing you to wave at him innocently.

the captain eyes you both suspiciously before returning to his lecturing. the lieutenant let’s out a stifled laugh as the co-captain shoots both of you a look.

"stay close to each other. we know nothing about what happened down here at this base.” the entire team goes silent at the captain's stern words. they all share looks before nodding in agreement

the team begins to explore the research station. they move with caution and are very careful. the captain and the co-captain take the lead, while the others move in the middle and ur partner dr. hong and you at the back.

“the captain’s lucky he’s sexy or i would’ve quit” you whisper to dr.hong.

the lieutenant almost snorts out loud and stifles a laugh in his hand when you whisper to the doctor. the doctors face turns a light shade of pink from embarrassment. “will you shut up, he could hear you.”

you shrug and reply with no shame. “good, id let him hit.”

the lieutenant lets out a few stifled chuckles when you say that. doctor hong whips her head and gives you a look. “oh my god, do you have no filter?”

the lieutenant can barely hold his laugh in anymore as he covers his face with his arm.

she gives you another look as she crosses her arms. “i swear you’re ridiculous.”

the lieutenant can’t hold it in anymore and he starts to laugh out loud. the attention of everybody goes to you two. the captain turns around with a raised eyebrow.

doctor hong immediately tries to hide her embarrassment as the captain eyes the two of you with annoyance. the co-captain seems amused by the situation, and the rest just watch with a mix of confusion and amusement.

the co-captain struggles to hide her smile and the lieutenant is still recovering from his previous laughing fit. the captain sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, clearly unamused. the doctor hides her face in her hands.

"can you two please be serious. we have work to do here." he says through a clenched jaw.

the lieutenant and you sheepishly nod, trying to stifle your laughs. doctor hong takes a deep breath before peeking through her fingers at the captain.

the captain gives you both a look before turning his attention back to the team. "we will spilt up and search through this entire base. you have a hour to find anything interesting. understood."

everyone voices in agreement before splitting up into smaller groups to look around the base. the team disperses into small clusters of twos and threes in different rooms and areas of the base.

as you begin to walk away, you hear the captain call out to you. “dr. y/n, come here for a moment.”

you halt your movements and turn around to see the captain staring at you. you walk over to him before he grabs your arm and pulls you aside.

he leans down to your ear, making sure no one else can hear him. "I need to speak to you privately for a moment. just us”

you blink a few times at his words before nodding in understanding. a bit curious as to why he wants to speak with just you, you follow him to a secluded corner of the room.

he stops when you’re in a small corner where no one can see you both. he leans back on the wall, and crosses his arms as he stares at you with a blank gaze.

you put ur hand on ur hip and smirk slightly, feeling a bit cocky. “like what you see?”

he doesn’t speak or respond for a few seconds as he keeps his gaze on you. a ghost of a smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth before he speaks. "I wouldn’t mind staring longer, but we have a mission to complain.”

he pushes himself off the wall and stands in front of you, towering over you as the corner of his mouth twitches into a smirk again.

he leans closer so your faces are only inches apart. your heart races a little bit as you stand there, pinned in between him and the wall. he looks down at you with a hint of amusement in his eyes before he speaks again. "did you think I wouldn’t hear what you were saying to the doctor earlier?"

you tilt ur head slightly. “i was hoping you heard it actually.”

his smirk widens a little as he raises an eyebrow at your words. "oh really? and why would you want me to hear it?"

you lean in closer towards him. “so you could take my suggestion.”

now you got his full attention. he leans in even closer, his face only centimeters from yours. he lowers his voice, so only you could hear him. "and what exactly is this 'suggestion'."

“that you fuck me.” you respond with no hesitation.

he lets out a low chuckle when you say that. he puts his hand on the wall behind you, completely trapping you in between him and the wall. "is that so? you want me to fuck you? right here in this station."

you smirk proudly. “yep.”

he lets out an amused laugh as he stares into your eyes. he brings his face closer to yours. "you're ridiculous, you know that. i could get in a lot of trouble if anyone heard you say that."

you lean against the wall and cross ur arms. “awh, how so?”

he raises an eyebrow at you.

he looks at you like you grew two heads. "how so? are you serious? i’m the captain, and you’re a member of the team. we’re on a mission to collect a important research sample. it’s highly inappropriate for me to do that with a member of my team. let alone do it in the middle of this research station."

“nobody has to know.” you put on ur best seduction tone and leaned against him.

he looks at you with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. “oh really? and how would we keep this a secret? this place echoes, you know that right?”

“bold of you to assume im loud.” you reply sassily.

he gives another amused smirk at your words, bringing his face closer to yours again. “oh i can guarantee you’ll be screaming my name by the time i’m done with you.”

he presses his body against yours, pinning you up against the wall. he leans down so your faces are only a few centimeters apart. your heart pounds wildly in your chest as he moves his mouth your ear. “let’s see if you can keep quiet.”

he brings one of his hands up and cups your chin, forcing you to look up at him. his face is still blank, but his eyes are filled with amusement as his thumb rubs your bottom lip.

“keep quiet and i’ll let you scream all you want after this” he whispers as his thumb moves from your lip to your chin, gently lifting it up so your mouth is aligned with his.

he doesn’t waste any time as he closes the small gap between you, capturing your mouth in a kiss. his hand grabs the back of your neck, pressing you further into his body as he kisses you deeply.

he pushes his tongue into your mouth, tasting you, as he presses his body harder against you. his lips move against yours, hungry and needy for you.

his free hand grabs your waist, his grip tight around it as he presses your body even closer against his. his thumb rubs soothing circles on your hip as his tongue continues to explore your mouth.

a moan escapes from your mouth as his lips move down to your neck, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin there. his hand moves from your chin to the back of your head, tangling his fingers in your hair.

he lets out a low moan against your neck as he continues to kiss down your collarbone. you can feel his breath against your skin, hot and needy as he pushes his body even harder into yours.

he lifts you up, making ur legs wrap around his waist. he carry’s you to the control center and sits you down on the desk.

“are you wet for me?” he whispers into your ear, his voice filled with need and desire. his touch is firm and possessive, as if he’s laying claim to every inch of your body. “shall we see?”

you’re too lost in the moment, words have failed you. all you can do is nod, giving him the permission he craves.

his words send a shiver down your spine, and you can feel the anticipation building within you. his lips begin to trail down your neck, his hands gently teasing the hem of your jeans.

he undoes the button on ur jeans, carefully removing them while he continues to kiss and nip at your skin. he can sense how desperate you are for more, and his own desire matches yours.

his fingers lightly brush against the waistband of ur underwear, teasing you further as your breathing becomes uneven.

you can feel his gaze on you, as he looks up at your face, wanting to see your reaction to his touch.

his hands slide beneath the fabric of your underwear, his fingertips gently tracing along your sensitive skin, getting closer to where you wanted him the most.

his lips capture yours in a heated kiss, his tongue exploring your mouth.

your body is practically pleading for his touch, and he finally grants your silent wish. his fingers trail along ur core, gently stroking at first, before applying more pressure

he can hear the moan escape your lips, and he can feel just how much you want him, how much you need him.

he continues to move his fingers, bringing you closer and closer to the edge, wanting to drive you absolutely insane.

he watches your face, how you’re biting your lip, trying to hold back your moans. he loves how you look like this, how you’re completely at his mercy.

his name escapes your lips, barely more than a whisper, and he can tell how close you are. he leans to your ear, his hot breath causing your entire body to shudder.

“let me hear you” his other hand grabs you by the chin, making you look right at him as he continued to touch you in all the right ways

the look in his eyes, his words, and his touch all combine into one overwhelming feeling, and you can feel yourself getting closer and closer to the edge.

your body is completely overwhelmed, and you’re barely able to form a sentence. “please..”

he smirks, loving how desperate you sound, how you’re practically begging him, but he knows you can take more, and he’s determined to bring you to absolute ecstasy.

he slips a finger into you, stretching you out.

your body tensed up at the sudden sensation, waves of pleasure coursing through you.

he watches you closely, his eyes dark with desire, as he begins to move his finger inside you, each motion sending shockwaves through your body.

you can barely form a thought, the room is spinning and all you can focus on is his touch, his eyes, and the overwhelming pleasure that he was causing you.

he knows he is in full control of your body and you can barely move yourself.

he adds another finger, his pace quickening, knowing exactly how to get you to the edge. “you’re so damn beautiful like this” his voice is ragged with desire, and every bit of self control he has is being used to resist the urge to just take you right then and there.

he could see how close you were and he wanted to make sure you were completely undone before he gave you the release you needed so desperately.

your body clenches around his fingers, desperate for more, and you can hardly breathe from the intense sensations coursing through you.

he curls his fingers in just the right spot, hitting a nerve that makes you see stars. you cry out his name, completely lost in the sensations he’s creating within you.

he leans in, his lips brushing against your ear, his words barely audible. “let go for me, sweet girl.”

his words send you over the edge, waves of pure ecstasy crashing over you as you come undone beneath his touch.

you’re trembling violently, completely undone by the overwhelming sensations, and he continues to watch you with a mixture of awe and desire. he can’t get enough of you like this, vulnerable and completely his.

his grip on you tightens, not ready to let you go just yet.

he quickly unzips his pants, and he pulls you forward, your bodies now almost touching, and leans in to kiss you desperately. the taste of your lips only makes him want you more, and he presses himself against you, his hardness already obvious.

his hands roam over your body, unable to resist the urge to touch you everywhere he could reach, to feel the heat of your skin against his own.

he breaks the kiss, leaning his forehead against yours, his breathing ragged as he tries to control his desire. “i need to be in you.”

the words send a shiver of excitement through you, and you can hardly believe this is finally happening.

he positions himself between your thighs, his hands on your hips.

he looks into your eyes, the intensity of his gaze almost overwhelming. “last chance to back out”

you quickly shake ur head and look into his eyes. “i want this.”

he can see the desire in your eyes and his own desire takes over completely.

he lines himself up, the tip of his cock gently pressing against your entrance. he wants to savor this moment, but he’s already so close to the edge he knows he can’t hold back.

he wants to hold back, to go slow, but he's completely overtaken by his desire for you, by how much he wants you.

he takes a deep breath and thrusts into you slowly, trying to be gentle even as his body is on autopilot, wanting nothing more than to claim you.

his mouth finds your neck, his teeth grazing your skin, his breath hot against your ear as he whispers how beautiful you look, how much he wants you.

he can barely hold back, but he doesn't want to be any rougher than he has to be.

he looks into your eyes, checking if he was hurting you, and when he sees that you're just as lost in the moment as he is, he loses the last bit of his self-control.

he begins to move faster, each thrust harder than the last, his grip on your hips tight, almost bruising.

he's completely possessed by the pleasure of being inside you, by the way you feel surrounding him.

he can't think, he can't speak, he can only feel, and all he can think about is how much he wants you, how much he needs you, how all he wants is to make you his. forever.

he reaches down, slipping a hand between your bodies to tease your sensitive clit, wanting to bring you the same amount of pleasure he’s experiencing.

he wants to give you everything you need, to please you in ways you didn’t know were possible, to take you to heights you’ve never reached before.

his fingers move deftly, finding all the right spots, his lips finding yours again, desperate and eager to taste you.

he swallows up your moans as he deepens the kiss, completely consumed by you. he can tell how close you are to the edge, and he wants to feel the moment you completely let go.

he moves his hand as well as his body in every way he knows you love, determined to bring you to the peak of pleasure that he was experiencing himself.

he whispers against your lips, the heat of his breath, and the sound of his voice sending shivers down your spine.“let me see you come apart for me, love” he moves ur leg ontop of his shoulder creating a new angle.

your body is completely overcome with sensation, and you’re barely able to form a thought other than the overwhelming, all encompassing sense of pleasure that is coursing through your every nerve.

the way his body feels against yours, the way he touches you, the way he looks at you as he takes you to the peak of pleasure, is all too much for you to bear.

he can see the moment you completely let go, your body clenching around him as you find your release. he holds you tightly as you ride out the waves of pleasure, his grip on you unrelenting, yet gentle at the same time.

he stares at you completely enamored by the beauty of you in your most vulnerable state.

he gently lifts you up, still not letting you go, and kisses you tenderly, the intensity between you now replaced with affection. he wraps his arms around you, gently stroking your back as he whispers sweet nothings into your ear.

he finally comes down from the high and rests his head on your shoulder, his breath ragged, completely spent. he holds you close, as if he can't bear to let you go, as if by holding you close, he cant help himself from whispering dirty things into your ear.

“when we get back to earth, we aren’t stopping.”

[delaneydiaries]

10th House Careers

—Aries in the 10th House

Career Fields: Entrepreneur, athlete, firefighter, military, startup founder, stunt performer, motivational speaker

Vibe: Bold leader. Known for trailblazing, risk-taking, and charging ahead before the rest even have a plan

—Taurus in the 10th House

Career Fields: Finance, real estate, interior design, art dealing, luxury sales, farming, architecture

Vibe: Steady, success-built brick by brick. They create lasting legacies, often in beauty or security.

—Gemini in the 10th House

Career Fields: Writing, journalism, teaching, marketing, social media, podcasting, public relations

Vibe: Talks the talk and walks it too. A chameleon in the professional world.

—Cancer in the 10th House

Career Fields: Social work, therapy, childcare, nursing, hospitality, real estate, psychology, education

Vibe: The caretaker turned boss. Soft leadership with emotional intelligence.

—Leo in the 10th House

Career Fields: Entertainment, performing arts, politics, fashion, leadership, motivational speaking

Vibe: Center stage CEO. Craves recognition and knows how to shine in the public eye.

—Virgo in the 10th House

Career Fields: Healthcare, editing, data analysis, nutrition, teaching, research, administrative work

Vibe: The quiet expert. Precision and service-oriented excellence.

—Libra in the 10th House

Career Fields: Law, design, fashion, diplomacy, HR, beauty industry, art, public relations

Vibe: Polished professionalism. Brings harmony and aesthetics to high places.

—Scorpio in the 10th House

Career Fields: Psychology, investigation, forensics, finance, medicine, occult work, crisis intervention

Vibe: Power behind the curtain. Strategic, intense, and unafraid of the underworld.

—Sagittarius in the 10th House

Career Fields: Travel industry, higher education, publishing, philosophy, law, coaching, politics

Vibe: Globe-trotting guru. Wants to inspire through ideas, experience, and vision.

—Capricorn in the 10th House

Career Fields: Corporate leadership, finance, law, engineering, government, business ownership

Vibe: Born for the boardroom. Ambition + discipline = unstoppable climb.

—Aquarius in the 10th House

Career Fields: Tech, innovation, activism, science, astrology, nonprofit, entertainment, aviation

Vibe: Future-focused rebel. Breaks the mold to build a better one.

—Pisces in the 10th House

Career Fields: Art, film, music, healing arts, spiritual work, therapy, photography, ocean-related work

Vibe: The mystic in a suit. Creative, compassionate, and often guided by a dream or cause.

[lonniemachin]

Haneen reached out to me on Twitter to share her fundraiser. She’s trying to raise €30,000 to help evacuate her family from Gaza to Egypt. She’s only made €1,543 of her goal as of today, April 2nd 2024. This is urgent!

Please donate if you can, and share if you can’t.

From Haneen’s GFM page:

My name is Haneen, a Palestinian with permanent residency in Belgium... With great sadness, I'm reaching out to you today for help getting my family members out of Gaza to Egypt. My family lost our home when the neighborhood was bombed and destroyed. There are five members of my family in Gaza, including my father, mother and three sisters. My family lost everything in this war, including our businesses and homes. During the war, my family was evacuated from north to south, became homeless and evacuating more than five times. They are now living on the streets, and they do not have anywhere to live. They are now living in the most difficult conditions. Besides my mother, who suffering from health problems. She left intensive care weeks before the war and needs health care, and my father, for whom we cannot find medication, as well as lack of access to clean water and food. My family members are highly educated and come from different backgrounds. My father is a lawyer, my mother is a housewife, and my first three sisters are an engineer, the second is a lawyer, and the other is an administrator, but now they have lost everything and all their sources of income. However, they were unable to receive any financial or food assistance for the displaced and this meant that my family would be responsible for all expenses As a result, I am their only hope of leaving Gaza for Egypt and I am responsible for all costs. Please help me collect travel costs for five people. In order to facilitate the evacuation of my family from Gaza, where the situation is catastrophic and very dangerous. I'm setting up a GoFundMe campaign to raise $30,000, here's the breakdown of the money: $30,000: A total amount of US$25,000 has been allocated to cover expenses associated with obtaining permits to leave Gaza, in addition to transit fees at Rafah, on the Egypt-Gaza border, with US$5,000 being the departure expense for each member of my family. It is estimated that the amount will be US$5,000. Enough to cover the basic needs of my family in Egypt for 3 months , including housing, food, treatment, and other necessities. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a significant difference to my family's safety. The funds raised will be used transparently and efficiently to ensure that every dollar is spent on ensuring their safety. My family and I are deeply grateful for your support, and I am deeply grateful for any assistance you may be able to provide during this difficult time. Please share this campaign with your friends, family, and colleagues so that we can reach our goal and provide safety for my family Please accept my sincere thanks for your kindness and support, as well as your willingness to stand with us in solidarity, as together, we can make a difference and help my family find safety and security. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Haneen

[saywhat-politics]

Elon Musk has repeatedly claimed that his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project had uncovered massive government fraud when it alleged that 150-year-olds were claiming Social Security benefits.

But Musk has provided no evidence to back up his claims, and experts quickly pointed out that this is very likely just a quirk of the decades-old coding language that underpins the government payment systems.

Musk first made the claims during his Oval Office press conference last week, when he claimed that a “cursory examination of Social Security, and we got people in there that are 150 years old. Now, do you know anyone that's 150? I don't know. They should be in the Guinness Book of World Records … So that's a case where I think they're probably dead.”

While no evidence was produced to back up this claim, it was picked up by the right-wing commentators online, primarily on Musk’s own X platform, as well as being reported credibly by pro-Trump media outlets.

Computer programmers quickly claimed that the 150 figure was not evidence of fraud, but rather the result of a weird quirk of the Social Security Administration’s benefits system, which was largely written in COBOL, a 60-year-old programming language that undergirds SSA’s databases as well as systems from many other US government agencies.

COBOL is rarely used today, and as such, Musk’s cadre of young engineers may well be unfamiliar with it.

Because COBOL does not have a date type, some implementations rely instead on a system whereby all dates are coded to a reference point. The most commonly used is May 20, 1875, as this was the date of an international standards-setting conference held in Paris, known as the "Convention du Mètre."

These systems default to the reference point when a birth date is missing or incomplete, meaning all of those entries in 2025 would show an age of 150.

That’s just one possible explanation for what DOGE allegedly found. Musk could also have simply looked up the SSA’s own website, which explains that since September 2015 the agency has automatically stopped benefit payments when anyone reaches the age of 115.

However, on Monday morning Musk doubled down, posting a screenshot of what he claims were figures from “the Social Security database” to X, writing that “the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!”

[contemplatingoutlander]

They are not good at this

Nearly five months into Trump’s new reign of error, his administration’s mistakes are multiplying.

The Washington Post | Opinion | Dana Milbank | June 6, 2025

Dana Milbank provides a humorous take on the many ways the Trump administration is just not good at governing. This is a gift 🎁 link, so there is no paywall.

It's like the Keystone Cops are running the country.🤦🏻‍♀️

There is no sanctuary from Trump administration buffoonery.

On May 29, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem released a “comprehensive list of sanctuary jurisdictions.” She was “exposing these sanctuary politicians” because they are “endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens.”

But it immediately became clear that the list of more than 500 states, counties and cities was riddled with errors: misspellings, cities and counties mistaken for each other, and places that don’t exist. Cincinnati became “Cincinnatti,” Campbell County (Kentucky) became “Cambell” County, Greeley County (Nebraska) became “Greenley” County, Takoma Park (Maryland) became “Tacoma” Park, while “Martinsville County” (Virginia) was invented. And so on.

Worse, scores of the “sanctuary politicians” she called out turned out to be leaders of MAGA counties and towns with no sanctuary policies on their books. Complaints poured in from Trump allies across the country. “You don’t have that many mistakes on such an important federal document,” said Pat Burns, the Trump-backing mayor of the right-wing stronghold of Huntington Beach, California, mislabeled as a sanctuary city. He told the Associated Press that “somebody’s got to answer” for this “negligent” behavior.

Good luck with that. The only answer was to disappear the list this week, leaving behind a “Page Not Found” error.

Such a massive screwup hadn’t happened since … well, the previous week, when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went to the White House and released his ballyhooed “Make America Healthy Again” report full of citations of studies that don’t exist, the product of AI hallucinations.

This, in turn, was reminiscent of President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff rollout, which targeted an island full of penguins and other unpopulated or sparsely populated corners of the globe — and raised taxes on most of the world based on a math error. [...] But Trump gets his intelligence from other sources. This week he reposted a message on Truth Social asserting that Biden was “executed in 2020” and replaced by “robotic engineered soulless mindless entities”; Trump later ordered an investigation into the “conspiracy” of Biden’s “cognitive decline.” He also shared a post about a House bill that would rename the D.C.-area transit system from WMATA to WMAGA and its Metrorail to the “Trump Train.”

It’s a great idea. Qatar will donate the subway cars, which will be powered by coal. Passengers will pay for fares with cryptocurrency after first showing proof of citizenship. And the trains will reverse themselves regularly and without warning — never quite reaching their original destination.

[emphasis added]

[dostoyevsky-official]

A 25-Year-Old With Elon Musk Ties Has Direct Access to the Federal Payment System

A 25-year-old engineer named Marko Elez, who previously worked for two Elon Musk companies, has direct access to Treasury Department systems responsible for nearly all payments made by the US government, three sources tell WIRED. Two of those sources say that Elez’s privileges include the ability not just to read but to write code on two of the most sensitive systems in the US government: The Payment Automation Manager (PAM) and Secure Payment System (SPS) at the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS). Housed on a top-secret mainframe, these systems control, on a granular level, government payments that in their totality amount to more than a fifth of the US economy. Despite reporting that suggests that Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force has access to these Treasury systems on a “read-only” level, sources say Elez, who has visited a Kansas City office housing BFS systems, has many administrator-level privileges. Typically, those admin privileges could give someone the power to log into servers through secure shell access, navigate the entire file system, change user permissions, and delete or modify critical files. That could allow someone to bypass the security measures of, and potentially cause irreversible changes to, the very systems they have access to. “You could do anything with these privileges,” says one source with knowledge of the system, who adds that they cannot conceive of a reason that anyone would need them for purposes of simply hunting down fraudulent payments or analyzing disbursement flow. "Technically I don't see why this couldn't happen," a federal IT worker tells WIRED in a phone call late on Monday night, referring to the possibility of a DOGE employee being granted elevated access to a government server. "If you would have asked me a week ago, I'd have told you that this kind of thing would never in a million years happen. But now, who the fuck knows." A source says they are concerned that data could be passed from secure systems to DOGE operatives within the General Services Administration (GSA). WIRED reporting has shown that Elon Musk’s associates—including Nicole Hollander, who slept in Twitter’s offices as Musk acquired the company, and Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla engineer who now runs a GSA agency, along with a host of extremely young and inexperienced engineers—have infiltrated the GSA, and have attempted to use White House security credentials to gain access to GSA tech, something experts have said is highly unusual and poses a huge security risk.

[coven-of-genesis]

The Midheaven explained; Astrology

The Midheaven (MC) in astrology represents your career, reputation, and public life. It’s the highest point in your birth chart, showing your aspirations and the legacy you wish to leave. Here’s a breakdown of each Midheaven sign and what they might thrive in:

Aries Midheaven

• Traits: Bold, independent, pioneering, competitive.

• Ideal Career Paths: Leadership roles, entrepreneurship, sports, military, or any field that values initiative and action.

• Advice: Pursue careers where you can take charge and innovate. Avoid environments that feel stagnant or overly restrictive.

Taurus Midheaven

• Traits: Practical, patient, reliable, focused on beauty and stability.

• Ideal Career Paths: Finance, agriculture, fashion, design, real estate, or anything involving tangible results.

• Advice: Build a career that offers financial security and aligns with your aesthetic values. Success will come through persistence.

Gemini Midheaven

• Traits: Communicative, curious, versatile, loves learning.

• Ideal Career Paths: Journalism, teaching, writing, media, marketing, or technology.

• Advice: Choose a career where you can use your communication skills and adapt to various roles. Keep it dynamic to avoid boredom.

Cancer Midheaven

• Traits: Nurturing, empathetic, intuitive, protective.

• Ideal Career Paths: Healthcare, social work, hospitality, psychology, or home-based businesses.

• Advice: Work in fields where you can care for others or create a comforting environment. Emotional connection to your work is key.

Leo Midheaven

• Traits: Charismatic, creative, confident, loves recognition.

• Ideal Career Paths: Entertainment, acting, management, public relations, or entrepreneurship.

• Advice: Aim for roles that let you shine and showcase your talents. Recognition and leadership will motivate you.

Virgo Midheaven

• Traits: Detail-oriented, analytical, service-oriented, perfectionist.

• Ideal Career Paths: Healthcare, research, editing, administration, or anything requiring precision.

• Advice: Pursue careers where your organizational and problem-solving skills are valued. Avoid overworking to the point of burnout.

Libra Midheaven

• Traits: Diplomatic, harmonious, artistic, people-focused.

• Ideal Career Paths: Law, counseling, art, fashion, public relations, or event planning.

• Advice: Work in environments that value collaboration and aesthetics. Building relationships will help you climb the ladder.

Scorpio Midheaven

• Traits: Intense, transformative, secretive, driven.

• Ideal Career Paths: Psychology, investigative journalism, research, finance, or anything involving transformation and depth.

• Advice: Seek a career where you can uncover truths or create meaningful change. Embrace roles that allow you to work behind the scenes or with powerful resources.

Sagittarius Midheaven

• Traits: Adventurous, optimistic, philosophical, loves freedom.

• Ideal Career Paths: Travel, education, publishing, spirituality, or anything with global reach.

• Advice: Pursue careers that let you explore and inspire others. Avoid routine or limiting environments.

Capricorn Midheaven

• Traits: Ambitious, disciplined, responsible, status-driven.

• Ideal Career Paths: Business, politics, management, engineering, or anything requiring long-term dedication.

• Advice: Set clear goals and work steadily towards them. Success comes from hard work and perseverance.

Aquarius Midheaven

• Traits: Innovative, humanitarian, unconventional, tech-savvy.

• Ideal Career Paths: Science, technology, activism, social work, or unique entrepreneurial ventures.

• Advice: Choose careers where you can push boundaries and create positive change. Embrace your originality.

Pisces Midheaven

• Traits: Dreamy, empathetic, artistic, intuitive.

• Ideal Career Paths: Art, music, film, spirituality, or healing professions like therapy or alternative medicine.

• Advice: Follow a path that allows creative or emotional expression. Avoid overly rigid careers; go where you can flow.

[nazrigar]

The Main Human Cast of my Transformers: All-Sparks AU

Shifting from the Cybertronian perspective of things, humans are also a vital part of my All-Sparks setting, especially once the conflict reaches Earth.

The AU takes place mostly in Jasper, Nevada. It's a little bigger than in TFP canon, but still tight knit. The story centers around two families, the O'Haras and the Darbys, all the while being observed by some friendly local secret agents supervised by the literal most powerful man on planet Earth.

The O'Haras

Shana, AKA Scarlett. The legendary former G.I.Joe herself, is a single mother doing her best to raise her only daughter, Sierra. She's powering through her own personal demons and working as a baseball coach in Memorial High School. For all her emotional baggage, she is still a formidable athlete and fighter. Haunted by nightmares of a "Silver Demon".

Sierra meanwhile, is an upbeat and assertive young woman who's the captain of her local cheer team. She has a strong interest in chemistry and engineering, and a enormous love of cars, especially how they tick. She does her best to be as supportive of her mom just as she is for her.

The Darbys

Jack Darby is a mostly directionless young man who works in KO Burger, and had his soul thoroughly sucked out of him via the horrors of the fast food history. It does mean whatever insults are thrown at him, he just doesn't care and shrugs. Sierra's boyfriend, and suprisingly affectionate when he can be. When push comes to shove, he is perceptive and resourceful.

June Darby is a doctor, and might just be a bit overworked but so long as she can help save lives and provide for her son and herself, it's all worth it. She is kind, patient but also firm and outspoken. She's a woman that's seen a lot in an emergency room, and has a resolve stronger than steel.

The Local Federal Agents

Agent William Fowler is a heavy set man with a strong sense of professionalism, but if he finds something off or a plan is stupid or dangerous, he'll cut to the chase and call it outright. His job is that as an inter-department liaison for multiple agencies and sections of government. A former Army Ranger with an additional skill in manned flight, in another life he would've been prime G.I. Joe material, but ultimately didn't make the cut.

Agent Seymour Simmons, representing that most secretive of departments, Sector 7, and a man with some very "interesting" ideas on the potential troubles man will be facing off in the future. After all, the long-deceased Cobra Commander was himself part snake-person. Anything can happen at this point, and Sector 7's is always on the case! One man, not-yet betrayed by the country he loves, but WILL step up as its last hope in its hour of need… eventually.

Joseph B. Colton, the Most Powerful Man on the Planet

The Legend. The First G.I. Joe. The Unbreakable Joe Colton, valor and courage incarnate. The man that crushed Cobra once and for all… and the real power within the United States government and the mastermind of security measures around the world. No administration was able to muscle him out of power, too beloved by the people, and just too damned good at his job. He commands the loyalty of servicemen active and retired, to the point many are loyal not to the President or Constitution, but to him. Joe Colton is a man that puts service, sacrifice and doing what must be done for the good of all above all else, having sacrificed so much for the good of his nation and the world… and has been witness to seeing his veterans, even former G.I.Joes, be "welcomed" to a nation that either doesn't care about them or offered mealy mouthed "thanks" for their service.

Years of administrating the U.S. government has made him a jaded man, and he has come to increasingly view civilians as greedy, ungrateful and never satisfied, voting against their best interests while always demanding more from him and his servicemen, without ever knowing what they actually want. Sometimes he wonders maybe… JUST maybe… this country, no, the world needs a massive overhaul… but hopefully it doesn't come to that…

When the Autobots eventually awaken on Earth, it is Joe Colton they'll have to work with... a heavy dose of caution.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Matt Gertz at MMFA:

President Donald Trump appears to be careening toward a U.S. military strike on Iran as current and former Fox News figures — from posts on the network’s airwaves, elsewhere in the right-wing media ecosystem, and within his administration — fight to influence his decision. For years, Trump's obsession with the Fox universe has driven policy decisions, administration staffing, and countless stream-of-consciousness social media posts. Now, the network will have an outsized role in determining America's potential involvement in a spiraling regional military conflict. The George W. Bush administration spent months “following a meticulously planned strategy to persuade the public, the Congress and the allies of the need to confront the threat from Saddam Hussein” before finally launching that war in March 2003. That strategy — based on cooked intelligence about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction dishonestly sold to American people — resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 U.S. service members and more than 200,000 Iraqi civilians as well as a massive financial cost.

Two decades later, Trump seems poised to join Israel's attack on Iran, with the stated goal of preventing that country from acquiring nuclear weapons that the U.S. intelligence community says it is not seeking. The president on Tuesday threatened to assassinate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, bragged that the U.S. is involved in securing the airspace over that country, and called for “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,” all while the U.S. military is marshalling forces in the region. And that push has come with little effort to convince the public, which overwhelmingly opposes U.S. military involvement in Iran, of the necessity of such a course. The Fox propaganda engine is driving this chaotic process. Trump reportedly became more interested in U.S. military action because he saw favorable Fox coverage of Israel’s initial attacks on Iran, while more recent segments have stressed the importance of U.S. involvement. Fox host Mark Levin and his former colleague Tucker Carlson are waging a scorched-earth battle for Trump’s ear, with Levin apparently gaining the advantage. And top administration officials with roles in a potential conflict — including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — are in their positions in the first place because Trump approved of their previous work at the network. It remains unclear what the president will decide to do and how any of it will play out for the country and the world. What seems likely, however, is that the Trump administration will undertake its Iran policy with the same inconsistency that characterized his tariff policy; the same low quality of staff work that got a reporter added to a text chain where top officials shared info about a forthcoming U.S. strike; the same lack of care for the lives of foreigners that has already killed hundreds of thousands of people; and the same disinterest in following the law on display in his deportation plan. 

The Fox-Trump feedback loop is powering Iran policy

A June 17 New York Times story detailing how Trump had shifted from trying to restrain an Israeli attack on Iran while overseeing negotiations with its leaders to supporting Israel’s strike and considering U.S. involvement highlights the role of a key player: Fox.  “When he woke on Friday morning, his favorite TV channel, Fox News, was broadcasting wall-to-wall imagery of what it was portraying as Israel’s military genius,” the Times reported.  “And Mr. Trump could not resist claiming some credit for himself.” Under typical circumstances, a U.S. president shifting the nation’s military posture based on a few cable news segments would sound fantastical. But under Trump, major aspects of federal policy regularly turn on what he is hearing from his favored TV personalities. Fox hosts understand their influence and regularly seek to influence Trump’s decisions, both through their programs and in private conversations with the president.  Fox’s hosts thus wield incredible power over Trump’s actions. And in recent days, those figures have been using their platforms to tell the president that U.S. strikes on Iran are both important and likely to succeed with little cost. They know which buttons to push and are banging on them as hard as they can. “Trump's favorite TV network has staked out the pro-war position – and it isn't making as much room for debate,” CNN’s Brian Stelter reported on June 18. “Guest after guest on Fox has played to Trump's ego — simultaneously praising the president and pushing for US intervention through his television screen.” 

Donald Trump’s obsession with Fox hosts is a key factor in US policy regarding whether or not to join in the war against Iran.

See Also:

Daily Kos: MAGA fight! Watch Ted Cruz and Tucker Carlson spar over Iran

Wonkette: Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, Tulsi, And Ted Cruz Fighting To The Death Over Bombing Iran

The New Republic: Trump Is Suddenly Raging at Tucker Carlson—and MAGA Is Deeply Rattled

[kyova]

From Alt National Park Service in n FB:

tl;dr:

DOGE accessed all those systems - IRS, Social Security, DHS, every office in the U.S. - not to promote “efficiency”, but to gather and control our electronic lives so they can ruin us if we step out of line in any way. Or if they just feel like it.

Alt National Park Service:

“DOGE has quietly transformed into something far more sinister — not a system for streamlining government, but one designed for surveillance, control, and targeting. And no one’s talking about it. So we’re going to spill the tea.

From the beginning, DOGE’s true mission has been about data — collecting massive amounts of personal information on Americans. Now, that data is being turned against immigrants.

At the center of this effort is Antonio Gracias, a longtime Elon Musk confidante. Though he holds no official government position, Gracias is leading a specialized DOGE task force focused on immigration. His team has embedded engineers and staff across nearly every corner of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

But it doesn’t stop there.

DOGE operatives have also been quietly placed inside other federal agencies like the Social Security Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services — agencies that store some of the most sensitive personal data in the country, including on immigrants.

DOGE engineers now working inside DHS include Kyle Schutt, Edward Coristine (nicknamed “Big Balls”), Mark Elez, Aram Moghaddassi, and Payton Rehling. They’ve built the technical foundation behind a sweeping plan to revoke, cancel visas, and rewire the entire asylum process.

One of the most disturbing aspects of this plan? Flagging immigrants as “deceased” in the Social Security system — effectively canceling their SSNs. Without a valid Social Security number, it becomes nearly impossible to open a bank account, get a job, or even apply for a loan. The goal? Make life so difficult that people “self-deport.”

And if you’re marked as dead in the Social Security system, good luck fixing it. There’s virtually no path back — it’s a bureaucratic black hole.

You might ask: why do immigrants, asylum seekers, or refugees even have Social Security numbers? Because anyone authorized to work in the U.S. legally is issued one. It’s not just for citizens. It’s essential for participating in modern life — jobs, housing, banking, taxes. Without it, you’re locked out of society.

Last week, this plan was finalized in a high-level White House meeting that included DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Antonio Gracias, senior DOGE operatives, and top administration officials.

In recent weeks, the administration has moved aggressively to strip legal protections from hundreds of thousands of immigrants and international students — many of whom have been living and working in the U.S. legally for years.

At the core of this crackdown? Data.

DOGE has access to your SSN, your income, your political donations — and more. What was once sold as a tool for “government efficiency” has become something else entirely: a weaponized surveillance machine.

And if you think this ends with immigrants, think again.

Antonio Gracias has already used DOGE’s access to Social Security and state-level data to push voter fraud narratives during past elections. The system is in place. The precedent has been set. And average Americans should be concerned.”

[sayruq]

Hello , I hope you’re doing well 🫶🏻

Me and my family need your help to survive from genocide in gaza,here our goFundMe link just read our story and help us if you can or just share it, we appreciated everything you would do.

https://gofund.me/38cab03b

Hello, I'm Khader Abu Sha'ban, and I'm 20 years old, I have a twin brother his name is Ragheb, and we are from Gaza City, We started the second year of our degree (designing and programming mobile applications). We live with a family of 9 members, they are all educated and have university degrees in the fields of engineering, programming, information security, administration, and law, We are the youngest in the family and we are the only ones who are still learning and we didn't end our degree yet.

Don't forget our beautiful cat - Kelwa – whom we consider a family member and we adopted him during the war when he was homeless in the street, however, he filled our lives with joy.

Before October 7th, Our life was full of goals, ambitions, and hope. and because we are identical twins I and my brother share everything in life and we have the same hobbies, actually we have the same life So we practice sports such as football, table tennis, and basketball and we are professionals in video games. we spend our time learning English next to our university education in the field where we found our passion which is Programming, and we have a small online store (Candles Store) to sell candles that we manually made. We have a goal to finish our university life as fast as we can to join the labor market of IT and open our startup company for techniques and applications with the great passion that we already have. this dream is growing day by day, but because of the war and the current circumstances, the dream started to fade, during the war educational institutions and Universities were destroyed in Gaza and the study was arrested. during the previous 8 months we have been unable to complete our education and estimates indicate that restoration of university status in Gaza will take time and may exceed years. The war came and destroyed our lives, our dreams, and our souls, My family did not decide to displacement to the south, despite all the suffering we had passed during this period and we decided to stay at home and not leave the beautiful memories, the idea of displacement to south and go to an unknown place that we don't have any relatives there was the most difficult for us to leave everything and not return back, so the decision was steadfast, non-displacement and patience on the suffering, but the war has been partially damaged our house because of targeting the house next to us, and damaged our beautiful memories and become ineffective to live, but thank God no one of my family has been hurt. The house went and we lost a lot of our beloveds (14 members of my cousins) and witnessed a lot of suffering in Gaza we were forced to internally-displacement east and west more than 5 times and it was very difficult to escape under the shelling at night and under The voices of aircraft and bombing and moving from a non-safe place to another non-safe place and don't forget the starvation that we still live in northern Gaza and dumping bombs, rockets and insecure until life became black for us. We won't forget the night of December 18th, when we lived the most terrifying night in our lives when we woke up at night to the voices of bombs and shells of nearby tanks and the glass and shrapnel on us, and I do not forget the voices of crying and the sounds of the SOS and we are unable to move even unable to breathe because of the hole of the smoke bombs that have thrown on us, I swear the horror of this night will accompany me to the last day My life. The horror of this night is repeated daily and there is no end and life has already black for us, after all this suffering we have reached a plan to rebuild the rest of our lives again elsewhere after we lost our house and members of my family as well as we lost the source income of my family this led us to seek help through this campaign, the raised funds will cover travel expenses for 9 people outside Gaza (where the travel coordination costing $ 5,000 per person) and $ 5,000 for addition costs for initial stability Abroad and $ 5000 initial amount to complete the study abroad for me and my brother. If the situation improves in Gaza we will use funds to restore our house and complete our education in Gaza or abroad, according to appropriate conditions.

These brothers have been raising funds since May and they've only received €678 so far. Please share and donate. Help save lives !!!!!!!

[mariacallous]

The Trump administration’s Federal Trade Commission has removed four years’ worth of business guidance blogs as of Tuesday morning, including important consumer protection information related to artificial intelligence and the agency’s landmark privacy lawsuits under former chair Lina Khan against companies like Amazon and Microsoft. More than 300 blogs were removed.

On the FTC’s website, the page hosting all of the agency’s business-related blogs and guidance no longer includes any information published during former president Joe Biden’s administration, current and former FTC employees, who spoke under anonymity for fear of retaliation, tell WIRED. These blogs contained advice from the FTC on how big tech companies could avoid violating consumer protection laws.

One now deleted blog, titled “Hey, Alexa! What are you doing with my data?” explains how, according to two FTC complaints, Amazon and its Ring security camera products allegedly leveraged sensitive consumer data to train the ecommerce giant’s algorithms. (Amazon disagreed with the FTC’s claims.) It also provided guidance for companies operating similar products and services. Another post titled “$20 million FTC settlement addresses Microsoft Xbox illegal collection of kids’ data: A game changer for COPPA compliance” instructs tech companies on how to abide by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by using the 2023 Microsoft settlement as an example. The settlement followed allegations by the FTC that Microsoft obtained data from children using Xbox systems without the consent of their parents or guardians.

“In terms of the message to industry on what our compliance expectations were, which is in some ways the most important part of enforcement action, they are trying to just erase those from history,” a source familiar tells WIRED.

Another removed FTC blog titled “The Luring Test: AI and the engineering of consumer trust” outlines how businesses could avoid creating chatbots that violate the FTC Act’s rules against unfair or deceptive products. This blog won an award in 2023 for “excellent descriptions of artificial intelligence.”

The Trump administration has received broad support from the tech industry. Big tech companies like Amazon and Meta, as well as tech entrepreneurs like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, all donated to Trump’s inauguration fund. Other Silicon Valley leaders, like Elon Musk and David Sacks, are officially advising the administration. Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employs technologists sourced from Musk’s tech companies. And already, federal agencies like the General Services Administration have started to roll out AI products like GSAi, a general-purpose government chatbot.

The FTC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from WIRED.

Removing blogs raises serious compliance concerns under the Federal Records Act and the Open Government Data Act, one former FTC official tells WIRED. During the Biden administration, FTC leadership would place “warning” labels above previous administrations’ public decisions it no longer agreed with, the source said, fearing that removal would violate the law.

Since President Donald Trump designated Andrew Ferguson to replace Khan as FTC chair in January, the Republican regulator has vowed to leverage his authority to go after big tech companies. Unlike Khan, however, Ferguson’s criticisms center around the Republican party’s long-standing allegations that social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, censor conservative speech online. Before being selected as chair, Ferguson told Trump that his vision for the agency also included rolling back Biden-era regulations on artificial intelligence and tougher merger standards, The New York Times reported in December.

In an interview with CNBC last week, Ferguson argued that content moderation could equate to an antitrust violation. “If companies are degrading their product quality by kicking people off because they hold particular views, that could be an indication that there's a competition problem,” he said.

Sources speaking with WIRED on Tuesday claimed that tech companies are the only groups who benefit from the removal of these blogs.

“They are talking a big game on censorship. But at the end of the day, the thing that really hits these companies’ bottom line is what data they can collect, how they can use that data, whether they can train their AI models on that data, and if this administration is planning to take the foot off the gas there while stepping up its work on censorship,” the source familiar alleges. “I think that's a change big tech would be very happy with.”