#simply... enforces their legacy again

[vitreouspositive]

that moment in tfone. but shattered glass. whoever sold the idea of canonising alternate universes??? actual genius.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Qasim Rashid at Let's Address This:

I still recall running legal triage at airports when Trump enacted his first Muslim ban—a racist policy designed only to create fear and discord. Now, as Trump returns to the White House, he enacts a Muslim Ban 2.0, one that is even more sophisticated in its hate and fascism. That’s just one of the 200+ Executive Orders Trump has already signed. Most all of them are regressive, discriminatory, and harmful to the safety and security of Americans. None of them bring down the price of eggs. [...]

Repeal Joe Biden’s Executive Orders

Trump’s presidency began with a sweeping Executive Order to rescind every single one of Biden’s Executive Orders, with no consideration for their individual merit or the impact of their repeal. In this action, there was no assessment of whether these policies were beneficial or effective—only the presumption that they were inherently flawed simply because they bore Biden’s signature. This is not the mark of thoughtful governance or collaborative leadership; it is the act of someone wielding power unilaterally, a stark reminder that Trump’s presidency is not about serving as a leader for all but about imposing his will as an autocrat.

Muslim Ban 2.0

I’m an American Muslim, an immigrant, a person of color, and a human rights lawyer. I’m likely not Trump’s favorite person, and I’m also not sitting idle as he attempts to dismantle our Republic. Trump’s new Muslim Ban revives his original discriminatory policy with even greater reach. While this time it avoids naming specific countries, in a pathetic attempt to pretend it is neutral, it uses virtually the same language. Moreover, it is retroactive and targets potentially anyone who immigrated since January 2021. The order demands immigrants “assimilate” and respect a “unified American identity” but provides no definitions, granting the administration unchecked power to enforce a narrow, exclusionary view of American culture. This deliberate vagueness enables sweeping persecution, forcing marginalized communities to conform or face removal. This could mean labeling someone peacefully protesting for justice for Palestine as a terrorist, and slot them for removal. This is not about national security—it’s about control. By invoking these undefined standards, Trump’s administration has crafted a policy to target anyone it deems undesirable, providing a pretext for mass deportations and the suppression of immigrant communities. This is a blueprint for systemic persecution under the guise of national security and patriotism. [...]

Banning DEI and Trans People

Trump issued an executive order banning all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the White House, while simultaneously declaring that "there are only two genders." This action is not only a blatant rejection of established scientific understanding but also a cruel and targeted attack on the rights and dignity of the trans individuals. The order starkly contrasts with Trump's rhetoric of promoting "merit," as it makes no mention of addressing legacy admissions—a system that disproportionately benefits unqualified white applicants—as I’ve detailed before. This hypocrisy underscores an agenda less about fairness and more about perpetuating systemic inequalities while marginalizing already vulnerable communities. [...]

Pardoning Violent Insurrectionists

The only real reason a President would pardon hundreds of violent murderous insurrectionists—who killed numerous police officers, injured hundreds more, and tried to kill the second and third in line to the Presidency—is in case he needed them to act again while again claiming plausible deniability. And that’s exactly what Trump just did. In a deeply alarming display of authoritarian favoritism, Trump issued full pardons to all 1,500 white supremacist insurrectionists involved in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Among those pardoned were individuals convicted of heinous acts of violence, including the brutal assaults on law enforcement officers tasked with defending the heart of American democracy. These assaults led to at least six eventual deaths and left hundreds more injured, some with life-altering physical and psychological wounds. The pardons extend to those who wielded weapons, used flagpoles as spears, deployed chemical irritants against officers, and constructed makeshift gallows as they chanted threats of execution against elected leaders. They include individuals like the attacker who beat Officer Michael Fanone unconscious with a stun gun, and others who trampled fellow rioters in their frenzied attempt to breach the Capitol. By granting clemency to these violent extremists, Trump has not only undermined the rule of law but also sent a chilling message: that acts of domestic terrorism committed in allegiance to his cause will face no accountability. These pardons embolden future violence, erode trust in the justice system, and mark a dark chapter in the fight for equality and democratic governance.

Qasim Rashid, Esq. has a breakdown on Tyrant 47’s executive orders issued to harm America.

[vickillaman]

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

(non-native english speaker’s rumbling here, be warned) So far so many of the “critical“ takes of the viewers consist of pure emotion, misinformation and personal biases. Look, everyone has a tendency to fall victim to the lenses of their own belief system through which we perceive and assess the story and I’m no exception, but it’s extremely frustrating to see people choosing one side or another, highlighting certain traits and acts while downplaying and erasing others in a celebration of their own perspective, in a show that makes a heavy emphasis on a complexity and contradiction of human nature. “Silco had done bad things for a good goal”. The people that he wanted a better future for are addicts, forever scarred with effects of Shimmer. Children that he wanted a better future for were working in the factories to produce said shimmer. Moreover, he was willing to kill children of a woman to whom he promised a better future for. Does the end justify the means here? But, on the good side, Piltover was clearly afraid of Zaunites, the council and the citizens did view the undercity with contempt but, as Jayce stated, “enforcers are afraid to step foot in the Lanes”. Silco is a flawed character whose initial motive was building a better Zaun for future generations to come. He saw one of his closest friend’s body on the ground adding to a pile that are loved ones to Zaun and animals to Piltover. And the other friend, the one that was like a brother to Silco, enraged and lost his mind with unattainable loss for absolutely nothing in return, betrayed him and cruelly left him to die. And Silco decided to leave everything good that he believes made him weak and therefore needed to be left behind in order to win and achieve his ultimate goal. And that’s what made him willing to hurt and abuse vulnerable citizens that are already hurt and abused by the hands of the government that despises and looks down on them, and their own city desperate to fight for whatever little scraps of food and coins they are left with because he wanted to rise to power and for Zaun to become independent and feared. Silco firmly believed that base violence is necessary for change. And in pursuit of creating The Nation of Zaun he used that said nation as a stepping stone: preying on the vulnerable and elevating the powerful.

“Caitlyn poisoned the air with the Grey, innocents got hurt”. She used a factory smog as a chemical weapon to target specifically the chembarons and dismantle shimmer that crippled people for years. It’s not long-term and it dissipates. That is not an ideal solution, but it certainly serves as a much better alternative to the full-scale invasion. But I feel like the use of the Grey became a symbol of a new wave of hatred and a reinforced disdain. And honestly? This is the least concerning thing out of what she has done. The worst of all is a moment when she points a rifle at Jinx while a child clings to her. She’s so desperate to not miss the shot and hesitate again that she doesn’t even allow herself to think of what could happen if she missed (Caitlyn is an excellent shot, yes, but she also just got shaken by the hextech glitch and clearly missed when she aimed for Jinx) or what if she didn’t miss? That child would’ve been forced to live with a scarring memory of a cold-blooded murder of the person who protected her and gave her a sense of hope for her future. Caitlyn is a flawed character whose initial motive was to complete the investigation and get to the truth, to put it simply. But that motive is rooted in a desire to be seen for her own achievements and not an an extenstion of her family’s legacy, and to see the real world. She’s generally detached from Piltover and Zaun: she despises the council of and never felt like she belonged in the first, and was scared but intrigued by the latter. Her investigation that’s supported by the privileges of feeling untouchable and having limitless resources as a Kiramman and possessing an empathetic nature and a moral code paired with undeniably excellent skills as Caitlyn led her to realise that Piltover holds completely unjustified prejudice against Zaun and from there, she’s determined to do everything in her power to help. Her good heart and well placed intentions left her in a midst of guilt and grief and a new responsibility to earn and uphold her name’s legacy. She goes on committing a chain of questionable acts with a goal to erase potential threats to Piltover but, most importantly, a goal to get herself another shot. And when grief starts to subside bit by bit and the sharpness of emotions dulls with months passing by, she questions herself and everything around her: “Why is peace always the justification for violence?“ She sees a monster and a reason for everything that said monster has done right in front of her and she’s instanly brought back to her mother’s funeral, and understands that she is no better. And when the fog in her mind is finally cleared, with no one to reaffirm the worst intentions in her, she’s left with an immense amount of self-frustration and self-hatred. But Caitlyn is willing to do everything to make up for it even though she feels like it will never be enough.

If you make an entirely positive or entirely negative assessment of the character or their acts, your assessment is wrong.

Tell the full story. Say what happened. Recognize the character for who they are, recognize the actions for they are, don’t twist them and don’t erase them. Try to put your prejudices aside and understand. And you can argue that Arcane has many flaws but even so, it is still an incredibly rare piece of media and art that was crafted with outstanding care and respect to its audience. And one of the purposes of art is to teach you to see. To see all of it: the good, the bad and the ugly.

[memescomicswriting]

It's Nice to Have a Friend (Preview)

Summary: Fate is cruel on how it goes about obtaining its desires. It must be fate, because there is no other explanation for how perfectly molded Y/N and Helaena are to one another. They complement one another like opposite sides of a coin. Where Helaena is shy, Y/N is outgoing. Helaena has a photographic memory. Y/N has emotional inteligence. They have the right temperament to be the missing piece in one another’s lives. Ying and Yang. Then there are the boys. Love them or hate them, they’re there. Even the adults cannot escape the Targaryen chaos, and the fallout doesn’t spare the minors simply because they’re adolescents. Follow how Y/N and those around her carve out lives for themselves amongst the weight of the Targaryen legacy in a modern Westeros.

Pairings: Aegon x Y/N, Aemond xY/N, hints of Jace x Y/N, Platonic! Helaena x Y/N, Father Figure! Harwin x Y/N

Warnings: 18+ you’ve been warned

Lots of profanity, sexual innuendos, drug and alcohol use, boys being stupid jerks, infidelity, divorce, eventual smut

Series Masterlist

Here's a taste of what's to come:

Another night, another summer party Helaena didn’t want to attend. That was fine with Y/N. She hated seeing Helaena uncomfortable and Helaena’s absence didn’t mean she’d be alone. She had many friends, many more acquaintances. She wasn’t the kind of popular person that climbed their way up the social ladder by having the right clothes, posting the right things, or the viciousness to pull others beneath her. No, she just was. She was kind and good humored. It didn’t hurt that she had Valyrian money and beauty.

Helaena didn’t want to go. If she brought Jace and Rhaenyra or Harwin suspected anything, he’d cave into their questioning. Aemond wasn’t an avid party goer. And Aegon, Aegon was grounded, again. His mother had been harsher on him as of late. The stress of her failing marriage manifested in a need to tightly control her kids- despite her eldest going into college, two in high school, and the youngest in middle school. Better caught by Alicent who’d never assumed Y/N was up to no good than another episode of awkward parenting by Rhaenyra.

The party was across the lake from the patriarch Targaryen residence. It wasn’t a secret that the children of the elite enjoyed a party now and again in the woods that made estate borders indistinguishable. So long as they weren’t too loud or too rambunctious, no one went looking for them. However, someone, probably a Baratheon or Florent, didn’t realize that you couldn’t replace your parent’s two-hundred dollar bottle of imported vodka with water. It would freeze. So this go around, some estate security guards were dispatched to break up the party. After all, calling law enforcement could mean a charge of underage drinking. Either way, the partiers saw flashlights and scrammed in every direction like cockroaches when you turn on overhead lights.

The path to Y/N’s house took her right past the guards. The scenic route was too far and it was too late. She was also tipsy. Who’s residence happened to be a shoreline walk away? Conveniently, her best friend’s. She’d snuck into the Targaryen house countless times. She practically lived there throughout Rhaenyra and Laenor’s divorce. Rhaenyra’s half siblings were just as guilty for sneaking into her house. Early on an agreement was made. Only one household could be in turmoil at a time. The kids needed some place to escape.

So there she was, Y/N, once again using a column to climb to the roof of the porch. From the porch roof she could reach a lower balcony. Sometimes, she could sneak in that route. If it was a calm night and everyone was where she expected them to be, she could enter into the second floor den and sneak up the stairs to Helaena’s room. This wasn’t one of those nights. Light peered through the door blinds. Either Alicent or Viserys was up nursing a drink after yet another fight. Y/N had to quickly and quietly dart across that balcony to reach another. A great thing about being rich and owning gated property; you needn’t worry about how someone could scale your house and break in.

On the balcony roof, in one direction was Helaena’s room. In the other, Aegon’s. Normally, Y/N had no problem making it to her destination, However, tonight she had been drinking and her balance was off. The thought that she shouldn’t be climbing roofs had crossed her mind, but in her state, the cost benefit analysis seemed reasonable. Her foot shifted under a loose shingle and slipped down to catch on a gutter rail. She froze, eyes wide, wondering if the noise was loud enough to arouse suspicion. After all, a means of entrance was also a means of escape. That was more of Alicent’s priority. Quickly, at the realization that the music stopped, Y/N reached out an arm and hoisted herself up to the nearest window. It was unlocked, thank the gods, and she scurried in before the balcony doors could open.

She wasn’t exactly graceful. She was in a rush and intoxicated. She came tumbling into the room like a child at their first gymnastics lesson. She snorted laughter at her grand entrance. Her head threw back as her laughter grew. She’d definitely bruise, but that was a problem for later. Her laughter came to a sudden end when she was admonishingly hissed at.

“What the hells are you doing?” Aegon exclaimed as much as he could in a whisper. He was in bed, under the covers shirtless. His hair was in a wild state and his eyes were rimmed like he had just seen a ghost or had a heart attack. Y/N began giggling at the sight and situation. “My mother’s going to kill me thinking I’m trying to sneak out while grounded!”

“Don’t worry,” Y/N reassured while wiping tears of laughter. “There was music downstairs so it was probably Viserys. Alicent’s probably on the other end of the building sulking in her room.”

Aegon ran his hands down his face stretching his skin. “They’re fighting again.”

“I know.” She confirmed with a hum. There she was on the ground, legs out in front of her, back against the wall. She was a sight to behold in only her sandals and a barely covering bathing suit cover. A fantasy that definitely came across Aegon’s teenage male mind. No matter how much she got under his skin. Maybe because of it.

“Well go on then. You’ve gotten in, now get out.” He waved to the door.

Y/N tilted her head and examined him as he was. A Cheshire cat's smile beamed across her face. Under the covers, no shirt, hands sneaking back under the fabric. As if reading her mind, Aegon began to protest. “No, Y/n I swear to the gods!”

Too late. Y/N had hopped onto the bed like a predator would its prey. “Whatcha doing there, Aegon.” She hummed out with emphasis on his name. She tried to snatch the covers, but he beat her to it. Trying to catch the other compromised. A long running pastime for the pair.

“Praying.” He deadpanned.

“Bullshit.”

“Trying to sleep.”

“Nah, try again.”

“Would you just take your dumbass out of here?” He was getting pissy. She liked him pissy. If she wasn’t making him pissy then he was making her pissy.

She grinned that feline grin once more as she shook her head.

“You’re drunk, aren’t you?” He sounded exasperated by her presence.

“Nuh uh.” She shook her head fervently.

“Yeah huh.” He retorted.

“Fine,” She blew out an exhale. “I may have had a drink or two out by the lake.”

“The party Dane junior organized?”

“The very one you sadly missed.”

“That’s such bullshit.” He crossed his arms with a disagreeable pout. “I get grounded for taking the car out on a midnight snack run. Meanwhile, Harwin and Rhaenyra probably think you’re off in bed. Even if they catch you missing they’ll just assume you’re with Helaena.”

“Sucks to suck.” She said with a teasing shrug.

“Fuck you.” He scoffed back.

“That’s probably what you were just dreaming of.” There began another laugh of giggles.

“I fucking hate you.” He grumbled, very annoyed.

Y/N rolled her eyes dramatically. “Hate to love me. Love to hate me. Now come on.” With that, a bag of gummies magically appeared from between her breasts. How she hid them, he did not know but for sure wanted to find out.

“Get dressed and eat an edible with me.” She offered up the bag.

“How in the seven hells did a devil like you end up best friends with my Septa of a sister?” His gaze was wildly aggressive.

“Fine, fine. I’ll turn around and give you privacy.” She mocked.

Aegon took the opportunity and slipped his joggers back on. He knew if he protested she’d only retaliate and he’d be fighting her off.

“And your sister isn’t a Septa. She’s just not interested in being a whore like you. If you’d been there I’d be the only female you haven’t defiled in one form or another.”

He scooted up to the end of the bed next to her. “Huh, you’d be so lucky.” He plucked a gummy out of the bag and tossed it into his mouth. She might annoy him, but he wasn’t going to pass up free drugs.

“Where’d you get these anyway?”

“The Martell’s just got back from Lys.” She hummed.

“Of course they did. So I should’ve taken half.”

“I don’t know. Let’s find out.” With a shrug, she took one herself.

[soapoet]

PJO pick-a-card reading

Luke Castellan; A message from above

Soapy scribbles: I opted to format this topic as generally as possible since we all hold various different beliefs. Whether this message comes from your spirit guides, angels, higher self, God, any deity, ancestor or passed loved ones, or anything beyond my comprehension, is for you alone to know based on how it resonates with you. I am just the messenger and it is no business of mine who your particular sender is.

01.

Shufflemancy: Travelling by James Spiteri

You're coming out of a period of stagnation. Either delays entirely out of your control, or the sheer lack of motivation has kept you at a stalemate unable to proceed with your plans. You have found comfort in distractions aplenty. A seemingly never-ending cycle of avoiding the next step because it appears so very daunting, then being overcome with guilt and shame, which you again run from, chasing anything and everything which would put these feelings at bay. Now the first step looks less frightening, and you may feel more motivated to journey onwards.

Growing pains may feature, but you are able to handle them well. You may feel inclined to keep secrets, especially regarding your endeavours. This will prove beneficial as it reduces pressure, you now have nobody to hold yourself accountable but you, and you avoid the urge to run away should anybody dare inquire about your progress. Push yourself forward, as unnerving as it may be. You will quickly notice how light you are on your feet and the distance you can go when harnessing the dopamine from simply overcoming this fear.

Do not be too hard on yourself or expect to run a marathon. A little progress is better than none, but do not use busy work as yet another distraction. You have great gifts and plenty to share with the world, and you are destined to inspire others with your achievements and your accolades. As much as you detest routine, try to keep even a small one. Do a little bit every day to inch yourself closer to your dreams. To avoid feelings of uncertainty and your fears of failure, set aside time to sit with yourself in silence and ask yourself why you want this, where it will lead, and why that is where you want to be and what you hope to achieve, the life you wish to lead and what legacy you wish you leave. Remind yourself of the answers to these questions whenever motivation begins to evade you on your journey.

Sometimes a writer can only muster a sentence, perhaps one they will later entirely eliminate, yet they did something. And sometimes all this writer can do is stare at the manuscript before them and give of themselves nothing. Yet they did something. They got up to look at it rather than wince across the room and refuse to rise to the occasion at all. Celebrate even your smallest victories and allow yourself a cheer when you muster even the slightest effort. Do not expect perfection of yourself and know that many before you had to go through trial and error, and learn and adapt along the way. That is perfectly okay and you do not need a doctorate straight out of the womb to be good enough.

02.

Shufflemancy: Kiss the rain by Yiruma

You must cease this pattern of giving up your energy so easily to so many who are not deserving of your time. When bad news arrive, it is fine to feel whichever way you feel, but anchoring your emotions to this negativity will suck you dry of the life force that you need to shine. You are allowed to have boundaries and you are encouraged to enforce them and guard them closely. Those who would trespass should know punishment swiftly. Do not tolerate things you do not tolerate truly. Do not quietly hope unfortunate things go away and that people notice your discomfort and stop what they're doing that is harming you.

Stand up for yourself and make your thoughts and feelings heard. It is also not your duty or responsibility to translate a simple no or a stop to people wilfully ignorant and always finding a justification for their words and actions. No is a full sentence. Anybody who fails to internalize this fact and look in the mirror to reflect and to change any behaviour that's lead them to ignore this simple command is not a headache to take as yours. You should be unapologetic in your selfcare and demand space when you need it. Set aside your fears and shoo away any prowling feelings of shame and guilt. If you would be happier alone than in bad company, seek solitude and cut off what no longer serves you.

There are lessons some learn only upon a collapse. You may pray for a change of heart and hope for the sun to shine again, but you do not need to weather storms that are not yours to experience. You're not a bad person for stepping back and saying enough is enough in a situation that only causes you distress. Those who need help must want it and ask for it. You can promise to be there when they're ready and aid in their recovery, and still express to them the grief that they have caused you. Sometimes people need to be faced with the harsh truth. The pain and the agony and sleepless nights which they have brought upon you and others and be shown they could truly lose it all lest they stop and strive to do and be better.

If somebody truly needs help and you do not have the heart to abandon them, seek assistance. You need not be alone in a quest which requires more than you alone have to give. There are many sources of help and even more solutions once more hands are there to help, and you only have two and are allowed to seek extra pairs to aid you in this task. You are commended for your resilience and your kind heart. It may break and bleed often, and you must know that things will get better. These rough waters will calm soon enough and you will find peace.

03.

Shufflemancy: Ballerina by Yehezkel Raz

You don't need to run so fast. You have all the time in the world to make the changes that you want and need. Slow down and allow yourself to breathe. You have been much too hard on yourself and allowed everything outside of you to weigh you down. Shelf some burdens that were never yours to carry and make the choice to serve yourself for a change. Be gentle with yourself and listen to your own body and soul, and act according to that which is truly in your best interest. You are your own worst enemy when you let the beasts feed upon your negative self talk and your fixations on perceived failures.

Know that you have no more need for tips and tricks and new methods to your madness. You already have everything that you need, and no tool beyond your own consciousness is required. You could paint cathedral ceilings with just your imagination, so cease your struggle and let yourself be carried by the stream. Do not waver in your convictions, and do not let doubt lead you astray. Stick to what you know in your heart to be true and cast away every inkling of worry and fear.

You need to learn to let life happen to you rather than holding the reins so tightly you vitiate the opportunity to experience the present moment altogether. The present is all we really have, so try your best to cling neither to the past or the future. We all have regrets behind us, and wishes for the future, but it is the present moment which we truly have control over and get to experience.

Let go of any unhealthy dependencies you may have allowed to take root in your garden. Whether this is a person, a habit, or a situation, if it isn't doing you any good in the long-term, do your best to weed it out so that more energy may be received by the things you do wish to grow and nurture. If you feel unqualified to tackle some of this gardening, do not hesitate to ask for help and guidance from gentle people who will understand how delicate some situations may be. You do not need to tolerate fear mongering or unnecessary pressure, time constraints or misplaced ultimatums. Be direct with what you need and the tone and feel you wish to engage in so that you do not end up feeling cornered and threatened so much that you refuse any help at all in favour of protecting yourself from harsh criticism and judgement.

[ars-theurgia]

Anarchy & Apathy (things we should probably learn from Eurovision 2024)

(tl;dr – a review of the voting process is critical; Croatia should have won)

It’s a rare year that sees a consensual Eurovision winner. It is to be expected – the contest is not only a competition of musical taste, but also of musical identity. There is more than simply genre, melody or vocals at play, as these are often filtered through the lens of national sensibility. At face value, a stereotype of geopolitics; at a deeper level, the actual cultural wealth of each European region. 'Our neighbours', etc. To which of course, theatrics and gimmicks are added, in the hopes of standing out from the rest of the crowd.

This is what makes, or should make, watching Eurovision a positive experience. Which this year, failed spectacularly on all counts, leading to a problematic, underwhelming and polarising edition, derailed on Thursday night and crashing its way through apathy and anarchy all the way to the grand final.

Apathy, because it seemed to want to get away with being apolitical. Anarchy, because it failed to carry out apolitical acts.

And from each side, its worst attribute, resulting in what feels like a bland and uncomfortable watch.

This year, Eurovision attempted (and in my view, failed) to manage itself by allowing too many paradoxes to take place. Glaring inconsistencies, arbitrary exclusions, aloof silences, inability (or lack of desire) to address core issues and legacy accusations – a broken code. A program in error, glitching and ineffectual, all under the symbolic and literal guise of “neutrality” – which doesn’t stick. And worse, seems to negate the actual positive aspects of the show, this year neutralised themselves.

This isn’t to say Switzerland did or did not deserve the win – the voting conditions of both jury and public are clearly stated, and in theory were applied. The jury voted, the people voted, and the winner was chosen.

But unlike other years where a similar pattern of voting distribution could be considered ‘curious’, and where ‘the safer song’ wins over the public favourite – see Käärijä 2023 – this year’s jury results feel unjust not only to the runner-up, but to the vast majority of contestants. And by extension, the viewers.

Stage presentation was ignored (see UK for the extreme example, and Ireland for a less radical, visually incompatible result).

Vocal performance was ignored (see Norway’s Gunnhild/Gåte for the extreme example, along with Portugal’s Iolanda; Germany’s Isaak, possibly the strongest vocalist in the competition this year; Israel’s Eden Golan for the complete disregard of vocal ability over nationality).

Radio-friendly potential was ignored (see Luxembourg’s ‘Fighter’, Cyprus’ ‘Liar’, Italy’s ‘La Noia’, Austria’s ‘We Will Rave’ even).

Resulting once again, in a surprisingly cohesive jury vote that deems Switzerland’s ‘The Code’ as the winner, over the fifth place that the public attributed it.

Being neutral is not the same as being objective. And while objectivity is difficult to gauge in a contest where musical taste and national identity (not to mention global politics) are part of the formula, there is a case to be made for the fact that Eurovision and the EBU’s passivity and top-up decision making reflects poorly on the Eurovision experience.

Recurring discrepancies between jury and public voting should be addressed. Because a jury’s role (in Eurovision and elsewhere) should not be of neutrality, but of objective action.

In objective action, a contestant cannot be excluded without a proper justification, to date only explained through vague declarations and heavy speculation (see Netherlands).

In objective action, and in a self-identified democratic continent, the people’s paid vote should inform the winning result over a closed group of juries (see Croatia’s disproportionate second place).

In objective action, rules must be enforced equally to all contestants (see Ireland, who had to remove part of their presentation, vs. Portugal, who was allowed to show a message through nails).

And in objective action, microphones should not be silenced; contestants must be allowed the freedom to be judged by the people listening, and not on what the EBU determines should be judged.

Until that’s learned, processed, addressed, reformed – why watch for disappointment?

[melmedarda]

tell us more ur thoughts on marcus arcane? i can send more specific qs if that helps

thank you :)

hello anon! feel free to send any questions, because at this point, marcus arcane is my chew toy, and i mull over him likely the most after mel. i simply cannot be normal about him.

so i just reblogged the character motivation sheet for jayce, and i really believe that marcus is parallel to jayce. how so, gentle, you may wonder. i'm so glad you asked. what marcus wants most seems to be the ability to keep piltover safe, and to fill the shoes that grayson left behind. we see this in act one, where he follows her religiously, acts in ways for HER best interest because that is how much he loves and respects grayson. AND LET ME PAUSE HERE BECAUSE!!!! WHEN EVERYTHING GOES DOWN AND GRAYSON DIES IN FRONT OF HIM AND SILCO THROWS HIM THE MONEY... and he says this wasn't the deal. JUDAS ISCARIOT!!! iykyk (and if you don't know i will soon be making a set so you see. so you understand). also... the fact that he kept the coin that was encrusted with grayson's blood. as a reminder. marcus,,,,,, baby boy... anyways. let me continue.

I think it's also important to realize that this is likely when he becomes sheriff, seeing as he was grayson's protege. AND THIS IS ANOTHER THING. he and caitlyn were both proteges of grayson. and i believe part of him hates caitlyn, because he realized, in the end that he was a fool, just as grayson had said. that caitlyn was somehow bringing more change/peace than he could. and here's where i strongly believe that if grayson had been around longer, died later, marcus would have been completely passed over as sheriff and the job would have gone to caitlyn, if it had been up to grayson.

ANYWAYS. so then, timeline's a little fuzzy, but i think the year grayson died was the year marcus became a father. after the time skip, i estimate ren to be about 6-7 years old, which means that marcus' main motivation had switched from continuing grayson's legacy to keeping his daughter safe. again, how can we tell? during the funeral for the enforcers, where he's talking of the enforcers protecting mothers, fathers, sons. the camera zooms in to focus on marcus as he mentions daughters.

AND THEN. when he meets with silco, sees the bomb and envisions himself pulling the trigger, and killing both himself and silco. yeah, that scene lives in my head rent free. marcus has always been ready to be the marytr, and i believe, already he considers himself one. the only reason he does not, i think, because then his daughter, ren, would have no one else. i think silco sees he is losing marcus that day, and that is why he turns up to marcus' house, ren's room. and marcus' face when he sees her with him.... people died. (it's me, i am people). it breaks him because the only reason he has remained under silco's thumb, is his desire to protect this daughter, despite the fact that doing so corrupted him.

and then when he holds the gun at caitlyn, he cannot bring himself to pull the trigger. why? WHY can't he pull the trigger? perhaps because of grayson's memory? or perhaps does he think of his daughter in that moment. does he remember that she is someone's daughter too. like, marcus isn't a killer. it's not what he does. he had the opportunity to kill vi, but didn't. he could have killed cait, but again, he didn't. in any case, she does not end up dying, and it is marcus who dies instead.

WHAT ARE HIS LAST WORDS?????????? "Tell my daughter..." I love her. we never get to hear him say it, but we know. we know because after all, everything marcus has done is protect his daughter. to give her safety, and a home. she was his reason for living, and she becomes his undoing, too. he's just a man who was doomed by the narrative before he'd even begun. and in the end, he failed to protect his daughter. i really hope that next season, we get to see marcus' daughter, that caitlyn tells ren that her father loved her.

anyways. if you read this far, kudos to you. if you have any further questions about him feel free to drop them on me.

[the-starving-triptych]

name symbolism (or "the grand enemy called 'I'")

thea, named for one of the 12 titans (evident from her brother's name being hyperion), is not quite perfectly eponymously synonymous with theia, a titan in greek myth. notably, the i in theia is missing. by analyzing what the lack of an i--or, as we'll learn later on, the lack of a (Sense of?) self--means, we can learn a lot about several characters, including thea tian coeus, slavko i. ranovic, tyler VIII, pluto IX, and vash X.

thea's name is already notable. she shares a surname with her adoptive mother, esther coeus, and in fact, shares more than that--esther's full name is revealed to be thea esther coeus. with this, it's clear that thea's lack of an i is indicative of a lack of selfhood--she is inseparable from her mother in name, an enforcement to not stray from the legacy her mother projects upon her. additionally, while esther uses her middle name, thea's middle name is "unspeakable," with the saying of her full name causing the speaker to die--a curse placed on her by her mother, a direct denial of her selfhood.

inversely of thea's denied selfhood, we have slavko's forged selfhood. while originally merely slavko ranovic, he added his own middle name--or perhaps, middle names is the proper word. while slavko's middle name is represented simply by the initial i, we can see that the middle name changes each time it is mentioned, cycling through:

ishika (an arrow, or one who achieves) [hindi]

iishka (one who has no enemies) [hindi]

iishka (painter's brush) [bangla]

ishka (suffix to mean masculine) [russian]

iskra (spark) [russian]

all these names, though similar, share common names, and all originate from languages that slavko would have been taught in his childhood, particularly by his parents, both of whom lack names (almost certainly intentionally, at least on the part of █████). however, slavko also adds these middle names in defiance of his parents. it can be seen as a sort of synthetic defiance--by synthesizing the languages of his parents together but using them to find names that start with i (again, a notable symbol of selfhood), he escapes from having their legacies projected onto him while still acknowledging his history. additionally, before he gives himself his middle name, his initials would then be SR, the same abbreviation for the word "senior," showing that before his carving of a self and transition (though the two actions are essentially one and the same), his initials (or initial impressions) are just a way for his parents to vicariously live on through him. however, by adding the i, his initials become SIR, a title of respect (respect which slavko seeks to gain) and a masculine title (fitting with slavko, being a trans man). with this, he defies the destiny given to him by his parents and carves his own individuality, simply with the letter i.

on the topic of █████, inescapably a figure devoid of any selfhood, his only remaining shards left behind in the people he harmed, we can also examine tyler VIII and pluto IX, perhaps the most immediately obvious people to have i in their names, but perhaps the least immediately obvious people to dissect the meaning of. however, we can dissect what they mean by taking AWAY their i. for tyler, taking away his is means stripping away his layers of self--first, his billionaire playboy persona, then his genuine friend persona, and then finally his "i have to win" mentality. underneath all those layers, he is simply V. all the children and remnants of █████ have numbered surnames where their name would coincide with █████'s erased name, hence tyler and pluto's roman numeral surnames. the remnant that represents V is perhaps the closest thing to being the last remaining remnant of █████, meaning that without tyler's is--without his sense of self--he is just his father.

on the other hand, if one were to take away pluto's i, you'd find that she'd leave behind X, the roman numeral surname of vash, assigned that surname by pluto herself. vash is known to be associated with the destruction of █████, as well as the subconscious. thus, even if pluto's sense of self were to be stripped away, she would still leave behind her legacy as the destroyer of █████, as well as all the minds that she has amassed/housed within her body, by leaving behind X, or vash, as a proxy for her legacy. more can be said on the use of vash as a proxy for pluto, or the use of pluto as a proxy for vash, but that's for a different post.

although our analysis largely concludes there, there's a few more tidbits to analyze--with i being homophonous with eye, we can also have a look at the eyes of these characters. with her origins as a character inspired by makima from chainsaw man, thea is known to have bands of circles to show her pupils, with tracing lines in-between drawing to mind a spiral--with the spiral being a notable symbol of esther coeus. thus, even thea's eyes are to strike a resemblance to her mother. on the other hand, slavko lost one of his eyes as a child (to retinoblastoma, a notably hereditary affliction), implying a loss of identity linked to his heritage. however, when slavko later starts a band named "sir ranovic and the burning eyes," he essentially gains more eyes through calling his bandmates as such, forging his identity through community. in some pieces of artwork, tyler's eyes are depicted as reminiscent of a black hole, the signature symbol of V, indicative of his relation to it. pluto's eyes are also the subject of artistic depiction, bathed in shadow with only one piercing eye visible, the other shadowed as though not to let an onlooker take a peek into her mind (eyes are the window to the soul, after all.)

finally, with this large focus on i as a narrative device, as well as harvest ecliptic's frequent inspirations drawn from kill six billion demons, it's hard to escape the story of the giant and the ant in ksbd, wherein the god of the world, yisun, concludes with the statement "Destroy the grand enemy called 'I'. it's hard to escape the similarity, and with harvest ecliptic's borrowed proverb "reach heaven through violence," we can see that four of the characters discussed here are extraordinarily violent, each renowned or despised by the demiurges for their exceptional strength. however, slavko, while violent in his youth, and even ending up owning a gym, is fairly nonviolent in adulthood, forging his own community and selfhood at the same time, carving his own heaven in a way. indeed, the phrase "The Tyrant's Heaven" repeated throughout is indicative of the action of reaching heaven perhaps not being as good as it's made out to be.

[soulsuckcr]

HEY, i think i just saw THEODORE LÉMIEUX walking down the strip. stop by to catch up and you’ll learn the TWENTY-EIGHT YEAR OLD is working as a BLACK OPS ENFORCER FOR THE WEISS FAMILY (ALIAS: CRIMSON), & POKER DEALER AT THE RIVIERA CASINO & HOTEL and lives in MANOR SUITES. given they are METICULOUS but COLD, it’s likely that they ARE NOT a vampire. on the flipside, rumor has it that HIS FIANCÉ PUT A HIT ON HIM AND ENDED UP DEAD AT HIS HANDS WHICH THE FAMILY COVERED UP and it keeps them looking over their shoulder. i bet you can find them tearing up the dance floor to ACHILLES COME DOWN BY GANG OF YOUTHS and you’ll know why they’re called THE LOST LEGACY. ( cis man + he/him + homosexual + capricorn )

PINTEREST. STATS.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: addiction, death, drugs, mental illness, murder, suicide, implications of kidnapping and tr*fficking.

BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN YOUR MOUTH — sterling, antique, and engraved with legacy ... what more could one possibly want? they call him the perfect son. polished manners, bespoke tailoring; a walking trust fund with a jawline sharp enough to cut inheritance clauses. they call him disciplined. he calls it choreographed. every gesture premeditated, every step rehearsed, every smile a maneuver, every achievement a box ticked on someone else's blueprint. simply put, he never asked to live this life of nepotism and crime. and so, the trips to france always felt like a taste of freedom; it was there that he discovered his love for art. once, he dreamed of becoming an artist. he'd learned early on that perfection wasn't a goal, but something you wore. the praise came easily. so did the envy. so did the therapists, although none lasted more than a season. violin at four, fencing at six, and existential dread by eight. perfect etiquette. perfect posture. perfectly hollow. but really, who could tell? when your life is embroidered in gold thread and doused in champagne, even breakdowns can look like performance art. ONE MOMENT, THE GOLDEN BOY WITH A FUTURE sculpted for him in marble and gold. the next, a tragedy in progress: a handsome face on a missing persons poster, a name whispered in police reports. turns out perfect diction didn’t mean much the only thing that mattered was living to see the next sunrise. he could recite latin flawlessly, but when it came down to it, instinct spoke a much older language: run, bleed, hide. fast forward a few years, and he’s found bloodied, stumbling along some forgotten stretch of nevada highway, looking less like the boy who vanished, and more like something the world had tried, and failed, to kill. no, they didn’t kill him — he killed them. brutally. like, bite a guy’s ear off and stab him with the leg of a chair kind of crazy. his parents, bless their hearts, were quick to arrive, making a silent vow then and there: whatever he had done, whatever it cost, they wouldn’t lose him again. despite everything, the two men loved their kids. the string of bodies he left behind? never traced back to him.

SURVIVAL FIRST, MANNERS LAST. someone brushes up against him, and finds themselves on the ground, wheezing. the butler, loyal but foolish, tries to rouse him from a nightmare, and ends up with a blade kissing the skin of his throat. a socialite at a gala lays a hand on his shoulder, and leaves with a broken arm and a hefty settlement. it wasn’t rage. it wasn’t even choice. survival rewrote his reflexes. once, he’d been taught to maintain public appearance, to bow and kiss hands or whatever — now, he only knew how to break them. drugs became his way of dulling the unbearable weight. at twenty-two, he tried to take his own life. at twenty-three, he got sober for the first time. at twenty-five, he got engaged. the guy? just a gem of a person … if by “gem” you mean “the absolute worst”. how do we know? not only did he enable his addiction, he hired someone to fucking kill him. yeah. pretty solid marital material. makes you wonder how the wedding speech was supposed to go, huh? i promise to love, cherish, and eventually arrange your murder … well, survival first. the hitman ended up dead. the fiancé? also dead.

WHEN EVERYTHING YOU KNOW TURNS VIOLENT — when you lose yourself so thoroughly you can’t even remember who you were trying to be, where else would you go except into … the family’s black ops division? sure. if you’re already a weapon, might as well get paid for it. he could be useful. is useful. precision, brutality, survival — all those charming skills he picked up while scraping his life back together with bloody hands ( they never did come clean. spoiler alert: they never will ). it’s been about two years since the whole murderous fiancé thing, and he’s been sober for sixteen months. that therapist? still around. more than a season. progress! look, he’s a bit of an asshole, but he has a heart. somewhere. you know that meme — he was the best guy around! (what about the people he murdered?) what murdaaaaaAAahhhh!

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Stephen Knight

Published: Jan 8, 2025

In entirely unexpected, but welcome news, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has just announced that Facebook and Instagram will now prioritise free expression.

Rather than simply pay lip service to the idea, Zuckerberg has outlined—in rather emphatic fashion—just exactly what he intends to do. You can watch the video below:

Some key points:

📌 'Fact-checkers' are too politically biased and will be replaced by a community notes function, similar to ‘X’.

📌 They are going to get rid of "out of touch" restrictions on discussing topics like 'immigration' and 'gender'.

📌 Political content will no longer have its visibility reduced.

📌 The trust and safety team will be moved from California to Texas to combat perception of political bias.

📌 They will work with President Trump to pushback on any foreign Governments that attempt to pressure American companies to censor content.

📌 Europe is noted for having "laws, institutionalizing censorship and making it difficult to build anything innovative there".

I always retain no small amount of cynicism when a large corporate entity pivots in this manner. I suspect it's less likely a new found commitment to principle, but rather an adjustment based on what is now good for business.

It seems the general public does not like to be told what they can say or think about certain issues, with ‘gender’ and ‘immigration’ being singled out here. It's now interesting to hear Zuckerberg essentially admit that his platform has been censoring people for what he now understands to be ‘mainstream’ opinions.

Either way, it cannot be denied that this is a very welcome development.

--

By: Charles C. W. Cooke

Published: Jan 7, 2025

Today’s statement from Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram, among other things), is a remarkable cultural artifact. If Zuckerberg means even half of what he says in it, we may well be seeing a genuine shift in how Silicon Valley regards free speech, dissent, and pluralism.

As NBC notes:

Zuckerberg said that Meta will end its fact-checking program with trusted partners and replace it with a community-driven system similar to X’s Community Notes.

But it is how this is to be done that is so interesting. In his address, Zuckerberg announced that his moderation teams would be moved from California to Texas; he mentioned “immigration” and “gender” as two topics on which those who enforce Meta’s rules had proven to be out of touch with the American middle; he suggested that “the recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards, once again, prioritizing speech”; and he distinguished between “social media” and “legacy media.” Indirectly referencing Blackstone, he concluded by accepting that “we’re going to catch less bad stuff, but we’ll also reduce the number of innocent people’s posts and accounts that we accidentally take down.”

These are no weasel words. Nor can Zuckerberg wriggle out of them without his reversal being obvious. In essence, Zuckerberg just told his company and its peers that they are living in a censorious bubble, and that they are at serious risk of becoming exiles in the country they supposedly serve.

Certainly, some of what Zuckerberg said is the product of competition from Elon Musk’s X, and of a desire to stay on the right side of figures in both parties who would like to break up companies such as Meta. But that doesn’t change the fact that the pressure to which he’s responding is real, and nor does it make his description of his staff’s parochialism any less true. For more than a decade now, many people within both social media and “legacy media” have attempted to use their power to end debate on a host of important democratic issues. This has failed — and spectacularly so. Even if one regards Zuckerberg’s shift as a purely cynical surrender, performed by a malleable and amoral cipher, one ought to be pleased at the impetus that provoked it. Something is changing out there — and changing for the better.

[ Via: https://archive.today/yRfj4 ]

--

[desnayy]

For a while, the adults were able to protect their children. Hiding them away, only going out for school, or for very short walks around a neighborhood. And yet. Despite all this, the Federation still got their hands on the kids. Kidnapped during the school day, the law enforcement is no help when it's owned by the Federation.

It was an honor, the Federation told the public, to have the next set of heroes be the children, the legacies of the first set. And the public celebrated. How could they not? They didn't know the lengths the Federation went to get the kids. They didn't know what happens behind the pristine white walls.

Trumpet died first, less and less energetic by the day the longer he didn't transform, until one day he simply never woke up again, name forgotten by the Federation due to "neglect of his duties". Tilin died second, protecting their dearest friend, taking the monsters claws to their side as they pushed Juanaflippa away. Juanaflippa and Bobby would die in similar ways though months apart, protecting their loved ones, dying for their families.

The remaining seven live on the edge now. How long until they make a mistake, have to make a choice between their lives and the lives of the public? For these abilities and prestige they never wanted. The only solace within the program they have is Tubbo, the godfather and uncle of Chayanne and Tallulah. But they know not for long, that one more year and Tubbo will age out. If he survives, that is. And the way the Federation keeps sending him on more and more dangerous missions, his survival seems slim.

[digitalprophetsworld]

Hiii!!! Important info, but I'm actually working on something for legacy and for a meantime, I'ma share some headcanon I made from the past few days.

- Sometimes Legacy would pretend to play FNAF in real life by imagining all the guests & brawlers as animatronic and act like they're all about to get him and frequently switches camera around like a manic only to get bored afterwards and go back to his phone.

- Legacy would possibly be aware of how popular his brothers is alongside the fact he might know they're in a game or something. (In other words, he's one of the few people who can break the fourth wall)

- Much like R-T, Legacy does know a lot of info about all the Brawlers and their personal life but it's nothing special. It's more like he knows what they like & dislike and their relationships/beef with someone they know rather than knowing their deepest darkest secrets. In other words, he's kinda weird but he's not as scary R-T.

- One of his twin brothers would sometimes force him to leave the security room and make him do a nightly patrol walk around the theme park so he could at least be outside more. Despite Legacy's laziness and attitude he had with their decision, at least there aren't any people around at the theme park and could simply slack off. (Also, this is another way to hide the fact that he's a secret third option since he only goes out when no one is around.)

- Continuing with the night patrol walk hc, Legacy would also get an ordinary flashlight to use so he can spot someone at the dark (Basically giving him two lame items.) There was a time where he actually did find a group of troublemaker trespassing Starr Park, and considering the fact he's a security guard, he made little to no effort scaring them off by calling them out and they immediately ran away. But again, considering his laziness, he didn't bother to go after them and assume they left the theme park as a whole.

- Oddly enough, other people do take him seriously at first due to him being an officer. But what they don't know is that he's a complete pushover. So once they find out that the guy actually doesn't do shit, they just ignore him and continue to fuck around while Legacy stand there and watches as he pretty much lost control over them now.

- Legacy probably wouldn't be good when it comes to romantic relationship. In fact, it would be a mess and leave someone who dated him a sour taste & bitterness toward him. He may or may not care all that much honestly. (Also, I can see him just having the worst luck with girls. The guy probably got a lot of enemies and would spite him if given the chance.)

- Legacy would rarely look at the security monitor and watched over people mostly to entertain himself by doing voiceover and such. (He would also kinda pretend to head squish them through the screen with his finger as well.)

- Somehow, during night time on his patrol walk, people kinda confuse him for Larry until their eyes vision start to pick up and realize he was completely different and flinches upon realization. Legacy just glare at him with an annoyed expression before he scoffed at them and brushed it off.

- He's not friendly and can be standoffish. I can see him being a bit of a dick with an irritated attitude, so he just straight up ignored people who greeted him before being forced to reply back.

- He may not fight & enforce rules, but surprisingly enough, he can protect people and save them. (So I guess he's not that useless, but still.)

- I can imagine that even if Legacy did try to help out, he would have some difficulty or take him a long time to complete a task to the point where one of his siblings decided to take over; thus, making legacy go back inside his security room and do nothing while his brothers do his jobs for him.

- Speaking of which, maybe Legacy was secretly useful in some cases and actually did some work (for ex: he filed out a pack of paperwork. Yes, he was THAT bored to the point he.. actually does his job?!?! 😨😨😨 Anyway, one of his brothers could simply walk in and stand in his position only for R-T to notice them and praises & handshake them for their efforts even though they did nothing. They unintentionally took credits from legacy 😭😭😭)

Pretty long asks, but figure it should keep you waiting for a moment as I work on something for him. I really love this guy and he's so fuckin funny. Poor guy can't catch a break that even his own siblings would pick on him at times💀 (Then again, that's a typical behavior of having siblings.)

THESE ARE LITERALLY HIGHLIGHTS OF MY DAY RN DON'T FEEL BAD. ALSO IM NERVOUS WDYMMMM YOU'RE WORKING ON SOMETHING

I can DEFINITELY see a good chunk of these, especially the whole FNAF thing, and him just lowkey being a dick. He never really takes his job seriously. He tries to entertain himself through the whole FNAF thing, the voiceovers, maybe tryna guess what relationship two people he sees together on the cameras. He makes it a game in order to actually do his job, but of course, he just ends up back on his phone.

AND I WAS LITERALLY THINKING NOT THAT LONG AGO HE'D GET SO BORED HE'D DO SOMETHING RIGHT FOR ONCE 😭😭 Nothing on the cameras is interesting, he's scrolled practically all media by now, so what better thing to do then do some paperwork? And in all honesty, I think he'd TRY to make it look like it was his brother's doing. Not because he cares for them, but so R-T doesn't expect more from him LMAO

Also, he'd definitely be kinda useless in night shifts. Sure, he's scary because no one has ever seen him, but he wouldn't really do much. Just a shout and a wave of his baton, and usually people run. If they don't, he'll just let his brothers handle it. But trust he is DEFINITELY a protector at heart.

Although he doesn't have a tazer like Lawrie or a ticket gun like Larry, his baton can be damn near JUST as ruthless if he has to use it!

And yeah, he's definitely fumbled people. Bad. Especially girls, he cannot pick anyone up they have to come to him LMAOAOAO

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Matt Gertz at MMFA:

Fox News host Sean Hannity praised President Donald Trump on Monday for overseeing a mass purge of FBI agents. Hannity had previously stated — on dozens of occasions over years of monologues — that the overwhelming majority of FBI personnel are heroes who “keep us safe” and that only the “upper echelon” should be punished for their purported antagonism towards Trump. The Trump administration has “ordered the firing of at least eight senior FBI executives and a sweeping examination of the work of thousands of other bureau employees” that could include “potentially hundreds of FBI agents for possible termination,” The Washington Post reported Friday. Officials are seeking to identify agents who worked on special counsel Jack Smith’s Trump cases, as well as those assigned to investigate January 6 rioters for potential firing.

“A mass exodus is in the works inside the halls of the DOJ and FBI,” Fox correspondent David Spunt reported Monday. He quoted a current FBI agent saying of the prospective purge, “We took an oath to protect the American people and the Constitution and now we are being targeted for it.” But Hannity touted the administration’s actions during a monologue later that night.  “While President Trump is reasserting America's dominance on the world stage, he is harnessing DOGE right here at home, to drain the swamp, firing politicized bureaucrats, at both the DOJ, the FBI, those that weaponized and politicized their institutions is simply being escorted out of the building, as they should be,” he said. Hannity then mocked how “the state-run legacy media mob of the Democrats erupt into a predictable and entertaining fit of hysteria” before airing a clip of MSNBC host Joe Scarborough saying that the result of Trump “gutting the FBI” is a win for “our enemies, those people who seek to do harm to America and to kill American citizens.” The apparent glee of Fox’s resident Trump political operative at the potential dismantling of the FBI comes in stark contrast to how Hannity previously described his yearslong campaign targeting the bureau’s investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and other probes related to Trump. Over and over again, Hannity stressed to his viewers that his criticism was limited to a handful of decision-makers at the very top of the bureau. He frequently touted his respect for the FBI rank and file and called attention to the FBI pin he said he wore in solidarity with its agents. 

[...] This isn’t the first time Hannity has abandoned his defense of law enforcement in favor of his status as a Trump lickspittle. Hannity repeatedly told his viewers that Trump’s long-stated promise to pardon what he termed the “J6 hostages” would be limited only to nonviolent offenders who participated in storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. But after Trump pardoned or commuted to time served every person convicted in connection to their actions that day — including those who violently assaulted law enforcement and participated in seditious conspiracies — Hannity gave Trump a friendly platform to downplay the attacks.

Sean Hannity, who has repeatedly praised the “rank and file” of the FBI, celebrates Trump’s wholesale authoritarian purge of the agency.

[zerbietheslug]

Halloween 2024 PFP

(oh man I'm underutilizing this account)

It's October, guess I gotta make my profile picture spooky again!

LORE

UDF 104 : Generation 1 Results

Prior to the "STAFF ACT" outlawing the dispersal of artificially created life forms, our collective was free to play god with planets on a whim, to see (and control) the evolution of life itself. Subject UDF 104 (deemed simply as "slug") was one of many life forms we've created, and yet we've only done one run before the act passed. As time passes, we would periodically visit the next generation of slugs and collect a set of specimens to analyze their changes over time. UDF 104 was intended to have a purple-magenta color scheme, yet the conditions of the planet incentivizes the species to adorn a purely cyan/teal coloration. The purple pigmentation eventually was phased out by blue. In future generations, a beautiful combination of reds and greens would take over as well… Needless to say, the run ended in failure, as this new species often went through multiple "near death" moments throughout the lineage. The final nail in the coffin for them was when they managed to gain sentience, and entered a "loop" of dying, respawning, and dying once more from a rival tribe they unfortunately disturbed. As no evolutionary progress could be made at this state, the planet was extinguished. Pictured here is what staff has deemed "the zombie". For all intents and purposes, this first generation slug was deceased when we collected it years ago. However upon attempting to perform an autopsy, multiple parasitic entities instantaneously controlled the carcass, and it ran loose in the vicinity. Staff were able to neutralize the threat before it could cause any further damage. However for a time, due to the prescence of an alien fungus, the facility had to enter quarantine mode for months as the entity left behind a vast amount of fungal trails. It is not yet known if the fungus has been fully exterminated. Now that the STAFF ACT has been enforced for years, all that remains of its legacy here are the "backups" of our many life forms… UDF 104 is one of such backups.

[newsource21]

Obama’s legacy started early in his presidency. Not quite in office for six months, Obama showed his hand with his characterization that “The police acted stupidly” in reference to the arrest of Henry Louis Gates a professor at Harvard who, locked out of his house, broke in. A neighbor, not recognizing Gates, called 911. The police arrived, things didn’t go well, and Gates was arrested.

When asked about race and the incident a week later, Obama responded:

I don’t know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that. But I think it’s fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home, and, number three, what I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there’s a long history in this country of African Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately.

Without the facts, Obama stated the police acted stupidly and implied that racism might have played a role. Nothing, however, about Gates’ reported “loud and tumultuous behavior.” For Obama, it was just racism and police misbehavior. But this was just the beginning. After George Zimmerman was acquitted of criminally causing Trayvon Martin’s death, Obama said:

You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son...Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago. And when you think about why, in the African-American community at least, there’s a lot of pain around what happened here, I think it’s important to recognize that the African-American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn’t go away.

Again. All race, no facts.

In too many communities around the country, a gulf of mistrust exists between local residents and law enforcement… Too many young men of color feel targeted by law enforcement — guilty of walking while black or driving while black, judged by stereotypes that fuel fear and resentment and hopelessness.

About the jury failing to indict the NYPD officer involved in Eric Garner’s death, Obama said:

[T]hat we are going to take specific steps to improve the training and the work with state and local governments when it comes to policing in communities of color; that we are going to be scrupulous in investigating cases where we are concerned about the impartiality and accountability that’s taking place.

In these instances and more, Obama made it all about race when a black man was affected by a police action or killed by a non-black person. (George Zimmerman was called a “white Hispanic.”) It’s no surprise that the BLM movement began under Obama, nor that the fiction of “systemic racism” took hold, nor that the black victimization ideology became omnipresent.

That’s unfortunate.

As Rod Serling might have said, imagine if you will, if Obama had handled those incidents differently.

What if he had said about Gates: He should probably have remembered that the police were simply trying to protect his neighborhood after neighbors called them. Misunderstandings happen.

Or this about Brown: Michael Brown was killed after stealing from a store, attacking the proprietor, and attacking a policeman. Had Mr. Brown not done these things, he’d likely be alive.

What if he had responded to the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, after Brown’s death by taking to the airwaves and telling black Americans that the problem in their communities is not racist police, but criminal activity and fighting with police?

What if he had nationalized National Guard troops to restore peace in Baltimore or Ferguson, rather than standing by and later coercing police forces around the country into “consent decrees that invariably increase crime.

But he didn’t do any of those things. Instead, Barack Obama reinforced the notion that blacks are victims of systemic racism, that they cannot win on an even playing field, and that in any negative outcome, racism must be the cause.

It is that pervasive belief in black victimization that leads us to where we are today. The Internet is simply bulging with videos of blacks behaving badly. Black flash mobs robbing stores. Blacks punching random people on the street. Blacks pushing people in front of trains, running over bicyclists, attacking bus drivers, destroying merchandise in stores, rioting on cruise ships, attacking airline workers, and more. Sure, we must state the obligatory reality that other people commit crimes too, but the fact of the matter is, blacks do so at far higher rates.

Race relations are reaching a boiling point. To put this in perspective, in 2007, 75% of whites and 71% of blacks thought race relations in America were either good or very good. By 2021, those numbers were down to 43% and 42% respectively, and no doubt they’re lower today.

The reality of that dichotomy can be seen in two events from last month.

In April, Karmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old black high school student, knifed and killed fellow 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco, Texas. The family, claiming self-defense, has raised over $600,000 in support, with many of Anthony’s supporters posting explicitly anti-white racist comments.

Later that same month, Shiloh Hendrix a white woman in Rochester, New York was captured on video calling a black child a “nigger”—vile word for certain, but one frequently used by blacks, even as it’s arbitrarily off limits to whites. After claims of death threats and pleas for security, she raised over $700,000, with many of her supporters posting explicitly anti-black racist comments.

Combine all of that with the growing phenomenon called “Black fatigue,” as well as cities, states, and members of Congress calling for reparations, and you get an idea of where America’s temperature is on the scale of race relations.

And that’s where we are today. Obama had the opportunity to go down in history as one of America’s greatest presidents. He not only didn’t take it, but he made it worse.

For longer than I can remember, we’ve been told that America needs to have a Conversation about Race™. We did, for generations, but it was always about whites abusing or keeping blacks down. That is, or at least is now, the wrong conversation. The conversation America needs to have today is pretty much the opposite. Far too many blacks see the system, the police, whites, and society at large as racist, with the corollary that they see themselves as victims...but victims with a pass from law enforcement. (And no, there’s no way to square that pass with “systemic racism.”) Therefore, they feel like they can do anything without consequences. That’s a recipe for disaster, both for blacks and for America. And that’s Barack Obama’s legacy.

There may be a tiny sliver of hope, however. There are a growing number of black personalities and potential leaders who are pushing back on that victimization narrative. Guys like Jason Whitlock, Byron Donalds, Charles Payne, Jason Riley and others are regularly telling their millions of followers how to succeed in life sans the victimization narrative, sort of a wider version of what Chris Rock did with his spectacular video How not to get your ass kicked by the police!

With Donald Trump at the helm, Barack Obama’s legacy has the potential to be reversed as more Americans of all hues decide that the ‘everything is racist’ shibboleth and, more broadly, the cancer of DEI get the derision they so badly deserve.

Follow Vince on X at @ImperfectUSA

[ceekbee]

To find a stellar reason, among many, of why we don’t want to be the 51st U.S. state, consider Peter Marocco, a U.S. state appointed “official” who, according to media reports, told 1,000 employes of the U.S. Agency for International Development that they had “…lost the confidence of the president, and we need to fix it,” as reported by an attendee of the virtual meeting.

That is how the government functions in an authoritarian dictatorship, as President Trump so obviously wants for the U.S., in contrast to the reverse, the government, up to and including the leader, serving the will, and the interests, of the people. An elected politician is a servant, as are the bureaucrats, which is why they are called “public servants”. Both are honorable roles. The people fund the politicians and government agencies through payment of taxes that are investments in the country’s overall well-being.

Marocco also lectured the USAID workers, telling them that foreign aid would “deliver results for the American people”. The American people are not foreign; the “American people” require domestic aid delivered through various agencies that are also being dismantled, thus removing aid from the American people, and doing so with an abruptness that does not allow those people to adjust or make arrangements.

As David Tilford, of the Sierra Club, has pointed out, with only five percent of the world’s population the U.S., uses a third of the world’s paper, a quarter of the world’s oil, 23 percent of the coal, 27 percent of the aluminum, and 19 percent of the copper. “Our per capita use of energy, metals, minerals, forest products, fish, grains, meat, and even fresh water,” he reportedly said, “dwarfs that of people living in the developing world.”

But foreign aid – even if you consider it “giving back” to countries whose resources feed Americans’ unquenchable appetite for living and non-living “resources” – is less than two percent of the federal outlay, and much of that simply circulates from one set of American bank accounts, into others. The U.S. always puts itself first as a supplier, which is why American farmers will be financially hurt when their produce is not bought to feed undernourished kids in what President Trump calls shithole countries. The kids, of course, will die. Of course “foreign aid” also includes weaponry, again to the benefit of American businesses owned by the oligarchs now so supportive of Trump.

As reported in the American magazine, Scientific American, between 1900 and 1989 the U.S. population tripled while its use of raw materials increased by a factor of 17, and still the Musk-Trump presidency wants more. When you are the richest man in the world and your greed is not yet sated, what does it mean?

A lot of Americans don’t get that we have less poverty per capita in Canada than there is in the U.S., even though the latter is a much richer country. How come? Simple. The money is more fairly distributed in Canada than it is in the U.S., thus a larger percentage of Americans go hungry, or bankrupt, or lose their home, even though they live where there is, in fact, much more money than in countries, like ours, where citizens are better off.

I have had many problems with American hegemony through the years, but I was always heartened by the fact that most of the criticism of American abuse of power came from Americans themselves with the freedom to speak out and the urge to do better. As much as I detest the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment, I’ve been a huge fan of the First, and the freedom it gives Americans to speak out. But they are losing that freedom rapidly, and already the agencies that enforce laws are under control of the breakers of those laws. I guess when you elect a criminal as head of state, that is what happens. There are signs of mainstream, or legacy, media fighting back, finally…but wins in court don’t necessarily change things when enforcement of court rulings is controlled by those ruled against. We’ll have to wait and see.