#this is not an endorsement--children do NOT join the military !!

[wombywoo]

fresh blood 👶

[texasobserver]

“Will Texas Cities Stay Silent on Gaza?” by Gus Bova, from the Texas Observer:

Last Thursday, a stream of Austinites poured into their city hall and packed the council meeting chamber—some carrying signs, some with hands painted red, and many sporting black-and-white keffiyehs, headscarves that serve as international symbols of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.

The activists were there to push the city council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. But since no such item was on the agenda that day, they’d simply booked all the slots in an open public comment period to make their case. 

“I am a Jewish mother; I am also the descendant of survivors of the Holocaust in Germany and the pogroms in Russia. I have been devastated every day watching this genocide unfold,” said Abigail Mallick, one of a series of Jewish speakers who addressed the council that day to oppose Israel’s recent military actions. “We must pass a ceasefire resolution. … We must join the growing chorus of voices saying ‘never again’—‘never again’ for anyone.” 

The testimony was part of a monthslong effort in Austin and other cities across Texas and the country to get local governments to weigh in on the tragedy unfolding across the world in Gaza, the 140-square-mile slice of Palestinian territory that abuts the Egyptian border and the Mediterranean Sea. Since October 7, when Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs Gaza, executed a horrific attack in southern Israel that left 1,200 dead and more than 200 kidnapped, Israel has retaliated by unleashing Hell on Earth for 2.2 million Gazans. As of late January, about 25,000 Palestinians have been killed with the majority being women and children, per the Gaza Health Ministry. A quarter of Gazans are starving, and nearly the entire population is displaced. 

South Africa has brought claims of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice; Israel denies the charges. Many scholars have warned for months of a possible genocide unfolding, though Israel’s defenders including the U.S. State Department dispute the claim.

Both Arab and Palestinian Americans are undercounted by the U.S. Census, according to the Arab American Institute, but Texas ranks among the top five states for both communities. The state’s biggest urban areas, especially Harris County and the Metroplex, all boast significant populations. 

The Texas Democratic Party was the first among all states to officially call for a ceasefire in Gaza; five of 13 Lone Star Dems in the U.S. House have also done so, in addition to the AFL-CIO central labor councils in San Antonio and Austin. Massive protests have been held across Texas cities, including one in November that was likely the largest demonstration at the state Capitol since the 2017 Women’s March. Nationwide, at least a couple dozen cities have passed ceasefire resolutions, including San Francisco, Atlanta, and Detroit. But, so far, Texas activists are running into brick walls with their municipal representatives as council members either stay silent or argue that endorsing a ceasefire would inflame divisions in their cities or that the issue is simply not a local matter.

At the Austin meeting last week, Council member Chito Vela told the pro-Palestine crowd that he personally supported a ceasefire and had signed an open letter to that effect. “However, I do not want this council to become embroiled in foreign policy matters,” he clarified. “These are far beyond our purview as a local government, and we have too many critical local issues that demand our attention.”

In November, Austin’s Human Rights Commission urged the city council to call for a ceasefire. Three council members issued a joint statement in December expressing their support, and activists believe these three would back a formal resolution. With a fourth member, they could force a vote, but—even in Texas’ most left-wing city—sufficient support remains elusive.

“Our city always was known for standing for human rights and for progressive values,” said Hatem Natsheh, a member of the recently formed Austin for Palestine Coalition and longtime local activist who was born in Palestine’s West Bank. “We need our leaders to stand with us and [against] these horrific crimes that happen to our community.”

Natsheh noted that the council has weighed in on foreign policy before with resolutions condemning ex-President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban and the 2003 Iraq invasion. He also observed that Mayor Kirk Watson, whose office did not respond to a request for comment, spoke at a pro-Israel event shortly after the October 7 attack. “We know that the City of Austin has no power over international issues, but we are not asking because of that,” Natsheh said. “We’re asking them to take a moral stand for humanity.”

Just down I-35, in San Antonio, pro-Palestine activists nearly secured a ceasefire vote earlier this month before a council member reversed course.

With three members supporting, which is enough to convene a special meeting in San Antonio, the Alamo City council was set to vote on a ceasefire resolution in either January or February. But earlier this month, Council Member Manny Pelaez withdrew his support, saying, “It became evident that this was causing more pain and anxiety than was originally intended.” Another council member, Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, called Pelaez’s decision “one of the weakest moves I’ve ever seen from any councilmember ever.” 

In late December, a group of Jewish leaders in San Antonio had written city council arguing that the resolution, “while well-intentioned, is morally wrong and will further endanger members of the local Jewish community.” Following Pelaez’s reversal, Mayor Ron Nirenberg penned a memo stating the special meeting was scrapped. In it, Nirenberg suggested the vote would have “exacerbate[d] trauma,” adding that “Wading into a complex and volatile international environment with an incomplete understanding could prove to be reckless.”

The ceasefire push has been led in part by San Antonio for Justice in Palestine (SAJP), a Palestinian-led group that existed prior to October 7 but has been revitalized in the last few months. The group works alongside others including the local chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, which has coalesced pro-Palestine Jews across the country. “The call is coming straight from Gaza, straight from Palestine … that we need to do everything within our power to make calls for a ceasefire,” said Sara Masoud, a Palestinian SAJP core member and health science professor with family in the West Bank. She noted that the council in 2022 passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine and also contradicted Nirenberg, saying a “call for a ceasefire actually reduces trauma because it speaks on behalf of peace.” 

Masoud said her group and allies will keep working to find a third supporter to replace Pelaez.

In Dallas, council members approved a resolution on October 11 stating that the city “stands with Israel in its fight against Hamas.” Since then, as the death toll in Gaza has soared, Dallasites have repeatedly turned out to push the body to consider a ceasefire resolution. “It’s a city issue in that countless Palestinians here in Dallas have been affected by it, have lost family members,” said Sumayyah El-Heet, a Palestinian organizer with the Dallas chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM). El-Heet said she knew of Dallasites who are mourning dozens of family members killed in Gaza. 

Dallas Council member Adam Bazaldua has authored a ceasefire resolution. Depending on the procedure used, Bazaldua told the Texas Observer, he needs either two or four additional supporters to trigger a vote. He said he has little patience for the argument that the matter is not a local issue or that it would distract from municipal business.

“I personally cannot stand that pushback on any particular item,” Bazaldua said, “because if we were elected and not expected to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, then I don’t know why the hell we were elected.”

Down I-45, Houston has seen months of large pro-Palestine demonstrations and other events. The Bayou City has one of the largest Arab-American populations in the nation. While some council members have voiced support for a ceasefire, ex-Mayor Sylvester Turner—who left office at the beginning of this month—has said Houston City Council simply does not do resolutions of this sort. In an email, spokesperson Mary Benton told the Observer that Houston “does not have a history of issuing resolutions regarding global conflicts” or other issues beyond city administrative business, though she said she hadn’t yet discussed the matter with now-Mayor John Whitmire.

“Houston holds one of the largest Palestinian and Arab communities in the country right now; we have Houstonians who were trapped in Gaza for months,” said Fouad Salah, an organizer with the Houston chapter of PYM, which has been pushing city council unsuccessfully to take a stand on the issue. “We have Houstonians—I mean, myself, I have family, God rest their souls—who have been murdered in Gaza. … To be clear, a lack of calling for a ceasefire is an endorsement of the genocide of our people.”

[adelle-ein]

god knows there's a lot of antisemitic microaggressions from "friends" that i'm willing to let slide. genuinely my standards aren't that high. which is obvious based on the people i was friends with pre-oct 7th lol. but like i do have limits and those limits have been crossed by

expressing a desire to join hamas/the houthis

expressing open support for hamas and oct 7th

referring to oct 7th as "legitimate resistance/oppressed rising up/revolution/freedom fighting"

denying oct 7th happened at all

insisting shani louk is alive (she is not, while her family had hope at first they have since found pieces of her she could not have survived losing)

joking about october 7th

joking about the holocaust

saying jews didn't "learn their lesson" from the holocaust

denying the holocaust

denying other jewish genocides

mocking the hostages and their families

wishing death on the hostages

using "zio"

saying israelis need to go back to brooklyn/florida/poland/etc

saying jews were and have always been well-treated in MENA regions

openly fetishizing and lying about mizrahi/sephardic jews

saying antisemitism doesn't exist/is over

saying ashkenazism don't face antisemitism

saying judaism is a dominant world religion

saying zionists/AIPAC/israel are controlling companies/the government/biden/trump/US military/US police/hollywood

mocking hebrew and jewish culture

mocking jewish holidays

treating jewish holidays as inherently evil

saying that israeli government crimes are being done in "our [jews'] names" and we bear the guilt for it

saying "happy [jewish holiday/memorial day] now stop doing genocide!!!"

saying diaspora jews are okay but not israeli ones

saying all israelis need to die/deserve to die/are settlers who therefore deserve to die

saying jews have no culture/stole all culture from muslims/arabs/christians

open insane blood libel conspiracies about (for example) israelis kidnapping blonde palestinian children or digging up graves for organ/skin theft

referring to israeli "blood money"

spreading and endorsing neo-nazis

spreading and endorsing holocaust deniers and other bigots ie norman finkelstein

spreading and endorsing avowed tankies, NK/russia supporters, and deniers of the ukrainian/uyghur/armenian/syrian/etc genocides

spreading rhetoric from other hate groups ie neturei karta

sharing cartoons of octopi, big-nosed evil men, netanyahu and co eating babies, etc

spreading conspiracy theories about spotify or tumblr or what the fuck ever being controlled by """zionist""" CEOs (and even explicitly stating they're jewish when they often aren't)

belittling ANY anti-antisemitism movement as anti-palestinian

using terms like "zionist rats/pigs/filth"

"all zionists should die/kill themselves/aren't human/should be gassed"

"the zionist entity/zionist state"

"hitler loved israel/was a zionist"

"[x] is worse than the holocaust"/"the holocaust is the only genocide that's taken seriously bc it's a genocide of white people"/"get over the holocaust"

being creepy and ogling about the token good jews that meet your insane standards

weighing in on deeply personal intracommunity jewish discussions in horrible ways

telling Good Jews that you’re so sorry about how isolated they’re being by the majority of jews, which are Bad Jews

saying not to donate to palestinian aid groups bc it could make israel money bc israel controls all the aid groups apparently bc they're just so greedy and want so much money

did i mention je-isra-zionists really love money

movements against "zionism in medicine" and other witch hunts against "zionist" (jewish) people in professions

participating in mass harassment movements and callouts against random jews online asking people to stop being antisemitic

openly calling for violence against jews and/or israelis

claims of dual loyalty against diaspora jews

support the american south bc they're victims of their government too (true) but kill all the israelis bc they definitely support every action taken by their government (hm)

jokes and memes. the fucking memes. you're monsters

"but lace, this is hyperbole, surely nobody is actually saying these things " -- these are all literally, exactly, personally things my "friends" and mutuals have said and reblogged/retweeted since october 7th. if you're reading this now there is a 99% chance you are one of them.

and yes i fucking hate the israeli government. what is happening in palestine is evil. i'm a nonzionist jew.

but i know that's not enough. unless you're a token in "jewish" voice for """peace""" willing to say "kill every single israeli and the holocaust wasn't a big deal and 10/7 didn't happen and antisemitism isn't real and i have never been afraid as a jew in my life" you're one of Them. Being pro palestine or even antizionist isn't enough, you have to want your whole family dead and you can't say a fucking word about the way you're treated by your lovely leftist "allies". oh and you better post about it! constantly! 24/7!!!! or you're secretly a zionist who loves dead palestinian babies! probably personally killing them yourself! you filthy ki- er, zionist rat!

so, yeah, if you think i'm one of Them, that's fine. feel free to block me, i'd much prefer if you did. and let me be clear that jews are not exempt from this either. it's reprehensible regardless

i am not your fucking good jew. If you have ever thought of me as one, fuck you. You are not my good goy, either. Fuck your bugs bunny "i wish all my jewish mutuals a happy rosh hashanah." Fuck your "pictures of African Jews worshipping" tokenism and "jews fighting god" memes. Fuck your nazi punches and your Anne Frank headcanons. Fuck all your disgusting pats on the back and keep my fucking name out of your mouth. If you can't stop reblogging blood libel then I don't want to see another goddamn WORD of it.

[topguncortez]

how can you actively support the military when the united states ‘s obsession with oil literally destroyed every semblance of peace in the middle east and endorses weapons and just destroys everything around it. Bin Laden and 9/11 happened because The USA literally created him. Also, you keep attacking people for not minding their own business but isn’t that what The USA Millitary does?

I’ve gotten asked quite a lot over the years as to why I joined the military and I don’t know the answer.

School benefits, the sense of belonging, being part of a bigger picture, returning the selfless favor that my family has given, carrying on the legacy of those who have come before me and lost their lives.

I know, trust me, I know how corrupt the military can be. I have seen O-3 serial rapist walk around our ranks without a damn care in the fucking world. I have seen E-6s be physically abusive to children overseas. I have seen some fucked shit both here in the US and overseas.

I do not support everything the military does, I don’t. I do not agree with how we pulled out of Afghanistan and left thousands of refugees. I do not agree with how we have torn through towns and destroyed thousands of dollars. I do not agree with how we let rapists get away with things in our ranks. I do not agree with the fact that women officers get paid less than the males.

But at the end of the day, I chose to serve for a wide variety of reasons and one of them being, I want a future generation to see a world of peace. It’s not going to be easy, and it’s not going to happen without a fight.

[thesleepykuma]

Please do not fearmonger people into not getting an autism diagnosis.

It is not true that an autism diagnosis will not get you useful therapy. I got very useful occupational therapy that insurance paid for because I have an autism diagnosis. I also had access to a therapist that had autistic children as a specialty.

It is not always true that an autism diagnosis bars you from joining the military. At least in the US you can get a waiver if you are capable of handling the expectations of the military. Talk to a recruiter.*

An autism diagnosis should not be used to put you in special ed if you are perfectly capable of being in a general classroom and especially not if you were doing just fine in general ed before getting the diagnosis. You are entitled to be in the least restrictive classroom environment possible.

If you have an autism diagnosis you are legally entitled to school and workplace accommodations. If you are not diagnosed you are not and probably will not receive them**

If you’re an adult or teenager who has yet to be diagnosed you will probably be exempt from many of the ‘bad consequences’ of a diagnosis such discriminations in organ diagnosis and travel to other countries because this kind discrimination most often targets the intellectually disabled and people who have significant trouble with independent living skills.

While it is true that an autism diagnosis is not required to be part of autism communities you should not be rely exclusively on these communities for advice about your condition because in my experience the advice can often be unhelpful at best and harmful at worst. An example being the post I made this one about.

*this post is not an endorsement of the US military or any military, I don’t like wars.

**Yes, it will be harder to enforce access to your legal entitlements without money, but it will also be harder for you to get the diagnosis in the first place without money. This post is in response to a post attempting to scare people who do have the resources to get a diagnosis out of getting one.

[crossdreamers]

It Looks Like the Biden Presidency Will Be a Force for Good for Transgender People World Wide

he Joe Biden administration may actually make a huge difference for transgender people, not only in America, but all over the world.

2014 was the transgender tipping point, with unprecedented trans visibility and acceptance. Then came the backlash.

The anti-trans backlash

In Europe we have seen extremist governments in Hungary and Poland attack  the LGBTQA community. In Britain some so called “radical feminists” have joined forces with right wing transphobes in a media blitz against trans and nonbinary people. In the US the Trump administration has done its best to undo several years of transgender progress.

Transgender people has  become the focal point for extremists who fear gender diversity, much in the same way as lesbian and gay people were used as scapegoats in the 20th century. 

This is not primarily about trans people. It is about political power and the desire to turn the clock back some 100 years, back to a time with traditional gender roles and a world run by conservative white men. 

As we can see, they are using racism, homophobia and transphobia to achieve their objectives.

The effects of transphobic policies

The various anti-trans policies affect trans people negatively for several reasons: 

Firstly, obviously, they harm trans people because they are denying  them the chance to live a normal life. 

Secondly they hurt transgender people by creating an atmosphere of fear.

This is why the Biden administration may be of help to transgender people all over the world, and not only in the US. 

The Capitol terrorist attack has shown the world what kind of evil we are dealing with here, and having  a sane president supporting transgender people will be seen as a clear signal for change in the right direction all over the world.

What has Biden said and done about trans people so far?

According to the Washington Post  Biden has called the trans struggle the “civil rights issue of our time.”

In 2017, he endorsed Danica Roem, the first openly trans person to be elected to a state legislature in U.S. history.

Biden  asked transgender veteran Shawn Skelly to be part of his presidential transition team at the Department of Defense.

The Post reports that when he left the vice presidency, Biden partnered with other advocates to start the As You Are campaign to advocate for families’ acceptance of their transgender children.

What are Biden and Harris going to do?

Biden has promised to overturn every Trump administration rule that limits transgender rights, including tossing out its near-total ban on transgender troops serving in the military. 

He will also reinstate the Obama-era guidance for protecting transgender students that the Trump administration took away.

Biden has said he will protect the rights of anyone who qualifies to adopt, regardless of religion or family composition.

Legal experts expect that  Biden’s Department of Education will switch sides in two legal battles regarding transgender athletes — one in Connecticut and  one  in Idaho.

Furthermore, the Biden administration will  provide anti-bias training for federal employees and offer incentives for states that adopt programs that help prepare transgender people for the workplace.

Keep in mind that Biden will also try to get the Equality Act passed by Congress. This  law will add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing federal civil rights laws, banning discrimination against LGBTQA people in housing, public accommodations, credit and more. Since the Democratic Party now controls the Senate, there is a  chance that the law will go through.

In support of Black trans people

The Washington post writes:

During a town hall meeting with voters, Biden surprised even longtime LGBTQ advocates when he addressed the killing of transgender women — largely of color. At least 43 transgender or gender-nonconforming people were killed in the United States in 2020, according to the Human Rights Campaign. 

Advocates praised Biden for bringing the issue to the national stage and vowing to direct federal resources to prevent and prosecute such homicides.

“There’s an opportunity here for a national discussion on transgender people of color who are often just left out of the national conversation,” said David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization dedicated to the Black LGBTQ community. 

“Even though the transgender community may have more visibility in TV shows like ‘Pose,’ the vitriol at the policy level that exists within the system leaves no promise of justice.”

Johns said he hopes to see more LGBTQ leaders of color appointed in Biden’s administration.

Under the Obama administration American embassies world wide were decorated in rainbow colors. I expect that to happen again, and that would be a clear message to homophobes and transphobes all over the world that America is again on the side of justice.

Not all of these changes will happen over night, though. LGBTQ Nation reports that Biden’s landmark LGBTQA rights legislation could take more than 100 days to pass. The Corona virus and the Trump impeachment will obviously have an effect. 

Photo: Reuters

[primasveraas-writing]

Finnpoe Modern AU- Single Dad!Poe- PART 2

Lmao so Part 2 was supposed to be focused on Finn and Poe’s relationship but that didn’t happen as planned so. yknow. Now there’s a Part 3 on the way where more things actually happen, Finnpoe-wise, and that should explain more about their relationship. It is also very possible that a Part 4 may happen, but all of this is for after finals end next week ANYWAY

Thank you again to Eliane, who had the original idea for this headcanon!

Part One l Part Two l Part Three

XXX

BB makes it through preschool and starts kindergarten the next year

He's nearly a year older than his classmates, but Poe is still terrified on the first day of school

He's less scared than the first first day, and now BB is comfortable enough to stick his tongue out at his dad when he catches Poe wiping tears out of the corner of his eye

But BB still allows a hug, long and tight, when it's time to say goodbye

He signs goodbye! with ease, and pride and bittersweet sorrow swell in Poe's chest

BB has a group of friends by the end of the week

BB has a lot to say, Poe hears from their parents, and Poe chuckles to himself at that

By now, Poe feels more secure in being a single parent, but he remembers Shara's fire and how that was balanced so readily but Kes's calm demeanor

It seems that BB is inheriting all of Poe's sass and spirit, totally untempered

(He doesn't mind in the slightest, though he fears the day BB realizes he can out-sarcasm his father)

Sometimes, BB complains that his Deaf friends can sign better than him, and Poe feels a pang of guilt. They've been learning together, and after a year, they've come a long way, but there are still hurdles

On top of his other classes, BB spends his afternoons in the special education classroom

They find a sense of community there; children and parents who have had similar experiences

It's easier then, better than the year before. The father and son have settled in somewhat, even though Poe dreads the end of the year- BB will switch buildings and teachers and everything will be new again

Despite the impending change, BB thrives. He can write a few shaky words and he's nearly entirely fluent in ASL by the time kindergarten ends

The summer flies by: BB is six already, losing teeth, joining the soccer team

He plays #8 on the team. He's fiercely into it, which isn't entirely helped by Poe screaming his support on the sidelines

Jess, Karé, and Snap all yell too; Kes is the only one who shows his enthusiasm at normal volumes, although Poe can never quite forget the game when BB got fouled and Kes sulked about it the entire night

They meet BB's new teachers in August, a couple of weeks before the start of school

Poe's prepared for this now. He knows what to advocate for, how to navigate the reactions to BB and the calm, placating smiles from people who look lost when they first meet his son

BB's teachers are kind, at the very least. Poe had been a public school kid, but with some financial help from Kes, he'd managed to get BB into a slightly more controlled environment- it's a private school, still a relatively big one, but Poe chose it for its positive reputation and special needs programs

His boss, Leia, had endorsed the decision- her twin brother worked in the district, and if nothing else, Poe trusts Leia’s judgment

But most of all, BB was happy there in both preschool and kindergarten, and that’s all that truly matters

They end up at the special education classroom last on the tour of the new building- Poe nods at a few familiar faces before an older-looking man introduces himself as Luke. He shakes Poe's hand firmly and signs hello back at BB, who's staring up at him, unabashed

I'm Luke, he signs, and doesn't even raise an eyebrow when BB tells him to call me BB

“I work with your sister, I think- Leia Organa,” Poe says because Luke seems all-too-familiar, and Luke nods quickly

“My little sister, yes. She’s mentioned you. She says she reminds you of her husband when he was younger.” Luke raises an eyebrow. “You’re not a troublemaker, are you?”

“No,” Poe says automatically, at the same time BB signs yes!

You’re a troublemaker, too, Poe reminds the boy, ruffling BB’s hair. His son snorts, shaking his head, and peers around Luke to see the rest of the room

“Leia likes troublemakers. She’s the best one of all,” Luke says matter-of-factly, then grins. "But- you'll want to meet the rest of our staff," Luke says, signing as he speaks and peering around the room

"There's Mr. C, and there's Finn. He's new this year, too"

Poe's stomach twists at the words- he's all for giving the benefit of the doubt, but he'd hoped for someone with a little more experience

That's his first impression of Finn- the second is that Finn is-

-well, Finn is hot. Nicely fitting jeans and a gratuitous v-neck, accompanied by a winning smile that flashes before the two men's eyes meet

Finn's eyes are warm and brown and it melts Poe on the spot

BB has already abandoned him, tearing across the room and offering his hand to Finn. Poe blinks, trying to get his thoughts in order, and introduces himself to Finn

The young man is right out of grad school (he came highly recommended, and they had to fight to get him, Luke chimes in, while Finn studies his feet), but he's always wanted to teach, even if he had a brief military stint that ended poorly

My abuela was Air Force, BB supplies

She must have been talented, Finn answers. I think I'd get scared all the way up there

I wouldn't! BB replies at lightning speed, and oh no, Finn's laugh is just as delightful as every other aspect of him

They talk for a few minutes more before Finn is stolen away by other parents and Poe decides to talk to other teachers

(I’ll be seeing you, Finn,” Poe says, and Finn just smiles back, but Poe can’t help but sneak glances at the other man, even with distance now between them

Finn catches him just once, and grins at Poe widely)

Poe doesn’t see BB’s teachers too often- there are stories from his son, occasional phone calls, and parent-teacher conferences, but he runs into Finn fairly often outside of BB-related happenings

The younger man has an apartment within a mile of Poe’s, and Luke and Leia seem somewhat determined to drag their protégés out once in a while

Dinners on a few occasions is one thing, but Poe also discovers that he and Finn frequent the same bars

(Frequent, Poe thinks, is a liberal term for a teacher and a single dad, but he does to find a free night once in a blue moon)

(It makes sense, Poe also realizes, that he would run into a man who wears sensible v-necks at the only gay bar in town)

Poe is nursing a whisky, scanning the room for anyone as tired and old as he is, when he spots Finn half hiding in a booth near the back of the room, a young brunette woman slumped next to him

They look slightly out of place, and Poe is debating if he should go say hi or not when the woman looks up at him, her gaze piercing. Poe looks away, the tips of his ears burning, but he can see her whispering to Finn out of the corner of his eye

Poe is staring determinedly at the melting ice in his drink when he hears slight scuffling behind him, then a voice says “Hi Poe, good to see you.”

Finn’s tone is somewhere between the one he uses on conference night and a clearly forced effort to sound casual, so Poe musters his best smile

“Hey Finn,” he says, friendly, then his mind goes blank

“I didn’t realize I would see you here,” Finn blurts, and his eyes go wide. His companion gives a huffy sigh before nudging Finn’s side with her elbow and retreating back to their booth

“I didn’t know you were- that you go to-” Poe is just as flustered, and neither he nor Finn can meet the other’s eyes. “-that you go to gay bars,” he finishes lamely

“I do,” Finn says, voice soft as he stares at the ground. “Well, not too often but Rey-” he jerks his head back to indicate the woman conspicuously watching them from her seat- “has been stressed lately and I wanted her to have a good night.”

Poe takes a sip of his drink. “She your girlfriend?”

There’s no hope of any sort of recovery now- Poe is vaguely tipsy, a lightweight after his son changed all his evening plans for the past two years, and Finn seems beyond flustered, but this conversation started badly, anyways

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Finn says firmly. “We’re gay- I mean she’s gay- well, I’m bi, but she’s gay- a lesbian. We only kissed once and it was real bad. We’re both single and not dating each other.”

“Good to know.” Poe says mildly, at risk of embarrassing Finn even more. Then:

“Can I buy you a drink?”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

February 4, 2021

Heather Cox Richardson

Today Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) proposed giving at least $3000 annually per child to American families. This suggestion is coming from a man who, when he ran as the Republican candidate for president in 2012, famously echoed what was then Republican orthodoxy. He was caught on tape saying that “there are 47 percent of the people who… are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it.”

Romney’s proposal indicates the political tide has turned away from the Republicans. Since the 1980s, they have insisted that the government must be starved, dismissing as “socialism” Democrats’ conviction that the government has a role to play in stabilizing the economy and society.

And yet, that idea, which is in line with traditional conservatism, was part of the founding ideology of the Republican Party in the 1850s. It was also the governing ideology of Romney’s father, George Romney, who served as governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969, where he oversaw the state’s first income tax, and as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Richard Nixon, where he tried to increase housing for the poor and desegregate the suburbs. It was also at the heart of Romney’s own record in Massachusetts, where as governor from 2003 to 2007, he ushered in the near-universal health care system on which the Affordable Care Act was based.

But in the 1990s, Republican leadership purged from the party any lawmakers who embraced traditional Republicanism, demanding absolutely loyalty to the idea of cutting taxes and government to free up individual enterprise. By 2012, Romney had to run from his record, including his major health care victory in Massachusetts. Now, just a decade later, he has returned to the ideas behind it.

Why?

First, and most important, President Joe Biden has hit the ground running, establishing a momentum that looks much like that of Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933. Roosevelt had behind him stronger majorities than Biden’s, but both took office facing economic crises—and, in Biden’s case, a pandemic as well, along with the climate crisis--and set out immediately to address them.

Like FDR, Biden has established the direction of his administration through executive actions: he is just behind FDR’s cracking pace. Biden arrived in the Oval Office with a sheaf of carefully crafted executive actions that put in place policies that voters wanted: spurring job creation, feeding children, rejoining the World Health Organization, pursuing tax cheats, ending the transgender ban in the military, and reestablishing ties to the nation’s traditional allies. Once Biden had a Democratic Senate as well as a House—those two Georgia Senate seats were huge—he was free to ask for a big relief package for those suffering in the pandemic, and now even Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), who had expressed concern about the package, seems to be on board.

FDR’s momentum increased in part because the Republicans were discredited after the collapse of the economy and as Republican leaders turned up as corrupt. Biden’s momentum, too, is likely gathering steam as the Republicans are increasingly tainted by their association with the January 6 insurrection and the attack on the Capitol, along with the behavior of those who continue to support the former president.

The former president’s own behavior is not helping to polish his image. In their response to the House impeachment brief, Trump’s lawyers made the mistake of focusing not on whether the Senate can try a former president but on what Trump did and did not do. That, of course, makes Trump a witness, and today Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the lead impeachment manager, asked him to testify.

Trumps’ lawyers promptly refused but, evidently anticipating his refusal, Raskin had noted in the invitation that “[i]f you decline this invitation, we reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions (and inaction) on January 6, 2021.” In other words: “Despite his lawyers’ rhetoric, any official accused of inciting armed violence against the government of the United States should welcome the chance to testify openly and honestly—that is, if the official had a defense."

The lack of defense seems to be mounting. This morning, Jason Stanley of Just Security called attention to the film shown at the January 6 rally just after Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani spoke. Stanley explained how it was an explicitly fascist film, designed to show the former president as a strong fascist leader promising to protect Americans against those who are undermining the country: the Jews. Stanley also pointed out that, according to the New York Times, the rally was “a White House production” and that Trump was deeply involved with the details.

Trump’s supporters are not cutting a good figure, either. Today, by a vote of 230-199, the House of Representatives voted to strip new Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) of her assignments to the Budget Committee and the Education and Labor Committee. It did so after reviewing social media posts in which she embraced political violence and conspiracy theories. This leaves Greene with little to do but to continue to try to gin up media attention and to raise money.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had declined to take action against Greene—although in 2019 he stripped assignments from Steve King (R-IA) for racist comments-- and only eleven Republicans joined the majority. The Republican Party is increasingly associated with the Trump wing, and that association will undoubtedly grow as Democrats press it in advertisements, as they have already begun to do.

McConnell has called for the party’s extremists to be purged out of concern that voters are turning away from the party. Still, the struggle between the two factions might be hard to keep out of the news as the Senate turns to confirmation hearings for Biden’s nominee to head the Department of Justice, Merrick Garland.

Going forward, the attorney general will be responsible for overseeing any prosecutions that come from the attempt to overturn the election, and the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will question Garland, has on it three Republican senators involved in that attempt. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has been accused by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger of calling before Trump did to get him to alter the state’s vote count. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) both joined in challenging the counting of the electoral votes.

It is hard to imagine the other senators at the hearing will not bring the three compromised senators into the discussion. The Republicans have so far refused to schedule Garland’s hearing, although now that the Senate is organized under the Democrats, it will happen soon.

Trump Republicans are betting the former president’s endorsement will win them office in the future. But with social media platforms cracking down on his disinformation, his ability to reach voters is not at all what it used to be, making it easier for members of the other faction to jump ship.

In addition, those echoing Trump’s lies are getting hit in their wallets. Today, the voting systems company Smartmatic sued the Fox News Channel and its personalities Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs, and Jeanine Pirro, along with Giuliani and Trump’s legal advisor Sidney Powell, for at least $2.7 billion in damages for lying about Smartmatic machines in their attempt to overturn the election results.

Republicans rejecting the Trump takeover of the party are increasingly outspoken. Not only has Romney called for a measure that echoes Biden’s emphasis on supporting children and families, but also Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) today released a video attacking the leaders of his state’s Republican Party after hearing that they planned to censure him for speaking out against the former president.

“If that president were a Democrat, we both know how you’d respond. But, because he had ‘Republican’ behind his name, you’re defending him,” Sasse said. “Something has definitely changed over the last four years … but it’s not me.”

—-

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[fieldofcain]

OC Companion Meme!

(thanks to  @yesjejunus​ and @socksual-innuendos​ for giving me the template and telling me to do this! :D)

General

Name: Cain Braun

Location: Wandering in and around Freeside during the day, in his room or the lobby of The Caldera Motel at night

How to obtain: The player walks up and interacts with Cain and has an option to help with a quest to regain lost cargo from raiders and ends up uncovering a lot more than he bargained for.

Companion Wheel

I think we should travel together:

“Alright, lead the way.”

“Sure, what’s our destination, Courier?”

Use Melee:

“Rough and tumble, let’s do it.”

“Finishing ‘em off? Sure, let’s go.”

Use Ranged:

“They’ll be ashes.”

“One shot is all I need.”

Open Inventory:

“Take what you like, just don’t get greedy.”

“Okay, life is a give and take, right?”

Stay Close:

“I’ll cover you.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”

Keep Distance:

“Sure, I’ll let you breathe.”

“I’ll scope it out.”

Stealth:

“Getting the jump on ‘em, I like it.”

“Right, I’ll be quiet.”

Back Up:

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“I’ll get out of your way, sorry.”

Be Passive:

“Sure, but if they go for their weapon, I’ll toast ‘em.”

“Negotiation was never a strong suit of mine, go get ‘em.”

Be Aggressive:

“Time to burn some cells!”

“Taking the fight to them, let’s go!”

Use Stimpack:

“Ah, much better, thank you.”

“Nice, thanks.”

Wait Here:

“Okay, give me a signal if things go south.”

“Sure, I’ll keep watch here.”

Follow Me:

“Getting back to it? Sounds good.”

“Sure.”

Send to the Lucky 38:

“Okay, you can find me up top.”

“Fun, back to the Strip. See you later.”

Send Home: (can be found where?)

“Sure, I’ll be at the Caldera when you need me again.”

“Okay, just be safe out there.”

Injured:

“Ah, shit. I’m gonna need a stimpak here, quickly!”

“This is getting a little to hot for my tastes, I’m getting fried!”

Death:

“Give…my mother…letter…guhhh.”

“I’m…I’m sorry…”

 Aggression: aggressive/not aggressive/very aggressive/frenzied

Confidence: cowardly/cautious/average/brave/foolhardy

Assistance: helps nobody/helps allies/helps friends and allies

Karma: very evil/evil/neutral/good/very good

Perks

“Care-avan Guard”: Cain and the Courier get a 2% hp/sec passive health regen out of combat

“Practiced Hand”: Energy Weapons and Rifle weapons gain a 50% increase to reload and aim speed for Cain and the Courier

(This perk is achieved by getting the ‘Good’ result from Cain’s personal quest)

“Raising Cain”: Cain gains invulnerability from damage for 2 seconds after killing an enemy

(This perk is achieved by getting the ‘Bad’ result from Cain’s personal quest)

 Drops

“The Caldera”:

Legendary Laser Rifle, 50% faster reload and aim speed with fire damage

(3) Stimpaks

Cain’s Leathers:

AV 14 medium armor, WT 4

 Quests and Recruitment

Recruitment:

The Courier finds Cain in Freeside and simply approaches him at either the Caldera Motel or the street. They must be on good terms with the Gun Runners and not have joined the Legion. Upon talking to him, Cain asks the Courier for some help if they are willing to give it. He has been contracted to retrieve some confiscated caravan goods from raiders for a client. His partner has mysteriously disappeared and asks the Courier to be another gun.

Upon acceptance of the quest, Cain will make his way to his room in The Caldera (or if he’s there already) and start gearing up. All loot in this room is a [Steal] prompt. You can either follow him or meet him outside Freeside. Upon arrival at the start site, Cain makes conversation briefly about who The Courier is and who he is before setting out. The player follows him to a location where raiders have set up camp in a cave. After clearing them out, Cain finds his friend’s body with a scribbled note on top. It reads:

“They found me, the fuckers. They’re leaving me for dead. Gecks will get me, or the nightstalkers…damn. Saw some bandits around here earlier, I’m sure they’ll come for the caravan once they see the smoke. Shit, Cain, I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ll make it to the bar tonight. Tell the Runners that…”

The rest is smudged, as if the man was surprised. Cain is sad and says a few words over his friend’s body before turning to the Courier and heading back to Freeside after a brief conversation. He then offers to tag along since they worked well together, but he asks for five hundred caps. Merc’s fee, you know?

Personal Quest:

         Upon gaining enough positive rep with Cain through various means (Includes positive interactions with NCR, kindness to children, mercenary work, etc.) and rep with the NCR, Cain approaches the Courier and asks for a favor. It deals with the caravan mystery that he had come across in the recruitment quest, and he seems to have a lead. One of the caravan hands that traveled with him on his first journey to the Sierra Nevadas was behind the attack on the caravan. Once accepted, Cain is visibly relieved and tells the Courier that he’s happy he has an ally for this one. The old associate is camped out in a parking garage just south of Primm, and upon reaching the destination, Cain asks the Courier to stay their hand if they find the man, at least for a little bit. They are met with raiders guarding the garage. Upon clearing them out, a small office is left, and the door unlocks. Out walks a man, who proceeds to try to hug Cain, who refuses. If the Courier is aggressive and angry in response, it will get Cain angry as well, and after some dialogue, Cain will shoot the man on the spot. If taking the softer approach, Cain gains through information that the man was forced by his employer to do the act…the very same employer who employed Cain. He explains that he must have wanted to hold the mercs in contempt and collect the fee for failure. Cain can also gain this information by reading the terminal in the office if he kills his friend.

Either way, the next stop is New Vegas, in an old office building outside the city. It seems this is where the businessman is based. You can go in guns blazing or take a stealthy approach. Either way, Cain will confront the man about the death of his friend and the man’s greed. The man is not remorseful in the slightest, and even if you convince Cain not to kill him, he will attack, and Cain will kill him in self-defense.

If you let the old associate live and kill the businessman, you will receive the “Practiced Hands” perk.

If you killed both of the men, you will receive the “Raising Cain” perk.

  Ending Slides

Personal Quest Unfinished: Cain continued working for various employers (regardless of their credibility) until a stray bullet ended up hitting his leg, which he eventually had to have amputated. Unable to work, Cain turned to drinking and became a regular at Freeside’s seedier establishments.

 If the Courier sides with Legion and…

Completion ending 1: Cain never did understand why the Courier showed such kindness then sided with such monsters as the Legion. Overcome with a kind of sad resoluteness, he enlisted in the NCR Military, in the hopes that he would one day meet the Courier on the filed of battle and ask why. And if need be, put them down.

Completion ending 2: Cain was furious that the person that had helped him kill his enemies joined with the Legion to kill his friends. He immediately joined the NCR Military and would distinguish himself as a crack shot and a ruthless soldier. If he met the Courier in a firefight, that bastard would be dead before they could say ‘Traitor’.

 If the Courier sides with NCR and…

Completion ending 1: Cain fully endorsed the Courier’s decision and would council them to keep trading relatively free to operate as usual. He knew all too well the dangers of bureaucracy. Whenever the Courier had a meeting to go to the NCR leadership, Cain was always there, giving helpful advice and keeping his friend safe.

Completion ending 2: Cain was all too happy to smoke some Legionnaires, and happily followed the Courier into every firefight. Every time there was a mission to infiltrate and secure camps or even hunt down patrols, Cain was the first to volunteer. He would eventually be known among the NCR troops as “Hurricane” Braun, laser-merc of the Mojave.

If the Courier sides with House and…

·        Completion ending 1: Cain knew that House was a big player in the Mojave, but when he saw what he was, the greed of House put a sour taste in his mouth. He would visit the Courier every now and then to talk and catch up, but he returned to guard-work and did quite well for himself.

·        Completion ending 2: Cain thought the Courier had been had but being a lackey for a lackey was nothing new to him. He continued his duty of guarding the Courier, and while he planned and plotted to kill the skeletal man in the tower for his greed, he never could.  

If the Courier makes New Vegas independent and…

Completion ending 1: Cain knew that the NCR’s grip on New Vegas was weak, so when the Courier booted up the bots and seized control of New Vegas, he wasn’t all that surprised. Maybe a free New Vegas was good? And good it was. Trade blossomed, and Cain found himself on the elite council of guards and caravan masters who could usher in this new era of prosperity.

Completion ending 2: Cain wasn’t too thrilled about the bots taking over New Vegas, but he trusted the Courier with his life, so he stayed. Turns out a free city makes for crime, and while the bots could get most of it, Cain found himself in a position to be security detail for the Courier’s most personal assignments. It is said that a man in leather stalks the streets at night, looking for trouble…

[quietduckpond]

2020, January-July in Review

If you'd have told me what 2020 was gonna be last year I woulda been like what??? The hell kind of drugs are you on??? This stuff is so far out that it'd be considered a completely unrealistic plot for a tv show or book or anything, really. Like, especially recently, it’s almost (but not quite) comical. 

I thought I’d just start listing stuff I knew about, but then I did some research, and, well . . . Sources are at the bottom :) . I’ve tried to keep it to the weird or just plain cool stuff that’s happened, because most of what I hear about is the bad stuff, but I may have gone a liiiiiiitle overboard. Anyway, here's a list of stuff that's happened this year (feel free to add to it, as I couldn’t possibly include everything in a single post).

First off, we have January. Looooooot of stuff went down in January. And we thought that that’d be the worst of it. Ha! Anyway, here it is:

Australia was, like, on fire, with tens of millions of acres burned. (Last source has a visual guide for this. Australia is roughly the same size of the US, for those unaware)

WWIII threatened to break out when Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was killed on orders from Trump

Iran's retaliation strike involved the launch of missiles at two American military bases (further WWIII fears)

Ukrainian plane carrying 176 civilians was shot down by Iran, after mistaking it as a threat

Covid-19's outbreak in China being officially reported to the WHO (despite being reported to Chinese officials as early as Nov. 2019)

China records the first death due to Coronavirus

Wuhan, China, goes under lockdown, impacting 11 million people in terms of travel restrictions, with food shortages ensuing.

Trump's impeachment trial begins

UK withdraws from the European Union (tbh I don't fully understand the deal with this as I don't live in Europe, but oh well)

Next, we have February. Not too much happened in February tbh:

Trump is acquitted by the Senate on both articles of impeachment

Antarctica reaches a record high of 18.2 °C (64.9 °F) as recorded by an Argentinian research station (Global Warming!!!!)

India grants equal rights to women (but only within the armed forces)

Then we get to March:

Italy implements a country-wide lockdown, and is the first nation to do so

COVID-19 is officially declared a world-wide pandemic, after cases were recorded in more than 100 countries

Summer Olympics postponed until 2021

Trump declares a national emergency, freeing up $50 billion to help with the Covid-19

And April:

New York alone receives the highest number of COVID cases than any country in the world.

By this stage there are now more than 1 million COVID-19 cases world-wide

Bernie Sanders endorses former rival Joe Biden for US President

Trump freezes WHO funding

Canada experiences its worst modern mass-shooting, with 18 people dead, leads to ban of 1500 types of assault-style weapons (technically the banning happened in May, but anyway)

Trump suggests to injecting disinfectant or UV light (honestly, how would that even work??? Glow sticks? Swallowing torches???) into the body. (But seriously, DO NOT DO THIS!!!!!!!!!)

Trump claims that COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan Laboratory. (This is not supported by ANY facts, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence even said that the virus wasn’t man-made)

Green house gas emissions drop by a massive 17% world-wide, relating to the COVID-19 pandemic

And May:

World leaders pledge $8 billion to fund COVID-19 vaccination research. The US and Russia choose not to contribute.

11-year-old Brazilian skateboarder, Gui Khury, becomes holds the world record for the 1st 1080° turn on a vertical ramp (tbh I only included this one because I thought it was cool, and I needed something happy to write about)

George Floyd is killed by police in the US, sparks international racial protests and a resurgence of BLM marches

Twitter adds a warning label about the inaccuracies of Trumps tweets

USA surpasses 100,000 deaths due to COVID-19

National guard is brought into Minnesota to quell George Floyd and BLM protests, as well as a curfew

Further protests ensue, well into July, both in the US and internationally.

But wait! There’s more in June! A lot more:

Locusts swarm the Horn of Africa, damaging crops and spreading disease. BILLIONS of locusts

Trump threatens to use Military force against civilians in order to quell protests sparked by George Floyd’s death

Trump orders the tear-gassing and dispersal of peaceful protesters using riot gear and rubber bullets, without warning, for a photo-op outside St John’s Episcopal Church. This was without permission of the bishop, Reverend Mariann Budde. She has said she was "outraged” and that the church was used, “as a backdrop . . . without permission”, and that members of the clergy had even joined the protests the day before.

UK COVID-19 death toll surpasses 50,000

3 Former Police Officers charged with second-degree murder over George Floyd’s death

Former defence secretary speaks out against Trump saying,  "Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us."

First major breakthrough in treating coronavirus COVID-19 using steroid dexamethasone announced by Oxford University

US Supreme Court rules the Obama-era Dreamers Program (DACA), enabling undocumented migrant children ability to study and work, can stay (Yay!!!!!!)

Trump holds his first re-election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before being COMPLETELY derailed by TikTok users and K-Pop stars to purposefully orchestrate a low turn-out by reserving seats and then not attending (Honestly, this was so on-brand for Gen Z, absolutely brilliant!!!)

US government data shows African Americans four times more likely than white Americans to be hospitalized due to COVID-19, highlighting racial disparities during the pandemic

The WHO declares the Ebola outbreak in the Congo over, which killed 2,280 people over 2 years

New York Times says Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked forces to kill US and coalition troops in Afghanistan, meanwhile Trump did nothing

Locust invasion labelled 'Swarmageddon' by The Times of India as it reaches Delhi (Yup, the very same one form before, now in India)

Global death toll due to COVID-19 passes 500,000, more than doubling in less than two months.

Arizona reports 20% of tests returning as positive

And finally, July. This has been an absolute trip so far, but here we go:

Australian state Victoria re-imposes coronavirus lockdown on 36 Melbourne (which is in Victoria) suburbs, affecting 300,000 people

The US confirms more than 50,000 new COVID cases in one day

Texas Governor Greg Abbott makes wearing face masks mandatory as cases of coronavirus soar in the state 

Over 160 people die after a landslide at a jade mine in northern Hpakant area of Myanmar

The US officially begins withdrawing from the WHO

Trump Administration issues directive that more than 1 million international students will be stripped of their visas if their courses are entirely online

Kanye West has said he’s now running as an independent for President???? Like, what???

So. Rappers are running for president amid a world-wide pandemic. There was an almost-revolution, a locust plague, the UK just decided to just quit Europe, and TikTok partially derailed a presidential campaign.

This has been a (just-over) half-year review. Might do another one at the end of the year, we’ll see. Sorry for the long post, but I hope you can appreciate with me just how bonkers this year has been so far.

Source, Source, Source, Source, Source, Source

[krinsbez]

GI Joe: Remixed, Grootslang

Grootslang (named after a monstrous serpent from South African folklore) is Cobra Commander’s elite personal goon squad. While technically members of the Crimson Guard, in reality. they answer only to CC and Croc Master (whom we have made CC’s chief of security, and one day I hope to do a post about him)

It comprises (note, everything that follows was created by Night_stalker, I am just porting it to tumblr)...

Name: Alexander Popov Codename: Apep DOB: August 12, 1987 Former Affiliation: Russian Spetsnaz, 45th Guards Independent Reconnaissance Battalion Specialty: Long Range Threat Neutralization Orientation: Hetero. Bio: Originally studying to be an art student, he joined the Army after times got rather tough, financially. Discovering a talent for sniping, he was slotted into Spetsnaz soon after joining. However, Popov was discharged after an op in Ukraine went South, involving considerable amounts of property damage and civilian casualties. More worrying for the Russians was the fact that apparently, some news crews caught the incident on TV, which is what really caused the tea cups to rattle in Moscow. As the highest ranked survivor of the incident, he was given a inquest, blamed, shown the door, and told to not come back. Intel suggests that the verdict was contested, heavily so, behind closed doors. Dissatisifed with the world, and lacking any family or friends, he wandered the globe, utilizing his sharpshooting skills to pay the bar tabs he racked up along the way. While passing through Eastern Europe, he was hired on for security at a party where The Baroness was attending. Apparently, she stormed off to one of the art galleries to distract herself, and they got to chatting about art. She offered him a spot in Cobra, and his skills, combined with her endorsement earned him a spot in the best of the best. Hobbies: Sharpshooting, Art collection/appreciation, Painting (Models and oil paintings).

Name: Carol Spencer Codename: Crotalus DOB: December 2, 1987 Former Affiliation: Central Intelligence Agency Special Activities Center, Special Operations Group Specialty: Counterintelligence Orientation: Bisexual Bio: Born as a Army brat bouncing around internationally, Carol picked up quite a few things. A knack for languages, a inability to take shit from anyone, friends all over the place, and most of all, a searing hatred for her abusive father. So naturally, on her 18th birthday, her idea of celebrating was a punch to his nose and a quick trip over to the Marine recruiter's office. Couple tours of duty later, Carol was all but ready to retire from being a jarhead, or at least ready to take some leave. Alas, a spook from the State Department disagreed, and naturally, pressed the matter. Shockingly, she fit right in there, a fact which shocked both her and her superiors. After awhile though, she started having ethical qualms about what they were doing. Too much red in her ledger, she felt. She wanted out, and was willing to go to the press over the matter. Alas, hindsight says you probably should sweep your house for bugs before making appointments with a reporter. She walked into that cafe a decorated hero, a scion of a long military family. She ran out of there a wanted criminal, with her former co-workers in hot pursuit. Shockingly, when you burn someone, they tend to want revenge. In this case, it meant Cobra. She'd only heard whispers about them, but that was reason enough for her to seek them out. Trading some of her evidence for a job, she parlayed her honed talents into a rapid ascension up the ranks. Hobbies: Learning new languages, Ham radio, Photography, Geocaching, and Acting.

Name: Eline Luiten Codename: Echinda DOB: January 14, 1983 Former Affiliation: Penose Specialty: Demolitions Orientation: Lesbian. Bio: Born into a family of criminals, Eline grew up not wishing to follow in her parents footsteps. Instead, she was interested in becoming a chemical engineer, and going straight. However, after she got her degree, the Recession happened, and being a recent hire, was let go. Desperate to pay off student loans, she went right back to her family, and was welcomed in with open arms. Turning her talents to more lucractive lines of work, she soon fell back into her old ways, manufacturing drugs and on occasion more exotic materials. Soon, her talents shifted from making ectasy and heroin into making RDX and other substances. This tied in nicely with her changing politics, leading her into more radical steps. This was a rather bad idea, as the Dutch police were closing in on her, and the family wasn't going to stick their necks out for a radical. So she was forced to flee, literally barely making it out the window of her workspace before a team of BSB operatives kicked down her front door. Now on the run with little to lose and a burning hatred of the government, she drifted, until Cobra gave her a chance at revenge. Hobbies: Political commentary, Urban Exploration, Parkour, and Debating.

Name: Lily Shen Codename: Lamia DOB: Redacted Former Affiliation: Section G, Division 4, Hong Kong Police Department Specialty: Close Protection Orientation: Hetero. Bio: Born to British ExPats in Hong Kong, Lily grew up in a orderly household. So naturally, she joined the police force as soon as she got old enough. There, she developed a hobby for martial arts, which suited her fiery temperament just fine, and helped earn her a transfer into the VIP Protection unit. People were whispering that she was on the fast track to being a captain, if not higher. However, those plans were derailed. A corruption scandal occurred, and some of her political opponents used it to force her out of the department. The fact that her attitude was rather fiery at best didn't help matters anyway. Left without a job, and feeling betrayed by the organization she'd worked at for years, she remembered a old contact she'd made over in Japan, and gave him a call. Storm Shadow was rather surprised to get a contact from Shen, but agreed to put her in contact with a recruiter, seeing the value in having a former police officer on the payroll. From there, she was rapidly promoted to the Crimson Guard, where she fit right on in. Hobbies: Meditation, Martial arts, Blackjack (Chinese and conventional), and Parkour.

Name: Filip Tadych Codename: Perun DOB: June 19th, 1983 Former Affiliation: JW GROM Specialty: General Combat Orientation: Het Bio: Filip was born back in the final days of the Polish People's Republic, which caused considerable gaps in his records to emerge. The first concrete records that Cobra has access to suggests he joined the Polish Army at the age of 18, and after a couple of years, was transferred into GROM where he excelled in the high stress environment. However, he soon wound up being shown the door, when some rather unsettling political ties were uncovered, mostly through friends and some distant family members. While he himself didn't actually express any of them, he was still asked to leave the army. Furious, he became a solider of fortune, wherein he made a few contacts, the most important of which was one Apep, who he wound up in a bar brawl with in Tunisa. Once the local police arrived though, they promptly joined up and proceeded to smack down the cops and flee. The resulting 9 hour drive to the border did actually make them fairly solid friends. Hobbies: Tennis, Baking, dart throwing, and rock stacking.

Name: Karena LesProux Codename: Orleans DOB: February 18th, 1979 Former Affiliation: 11th Parachute Brigade, French Army Specialty: Tactics Orientation: Formerly Het (Married, 2 children), currently Bi, dating Nina of Crimson Guard Bio: Karena had it all, a loving husband, a solid army career, and two wonderful children. However, that was all a sham, as her husband was an artist as he called himself, while Karena called him a drunken slob, as well as other, more insulting terms. This was usually about the time he attacked her, so as one can imagine, their relationship was not very solid. Karena endured it for two solid reasons. The first being that, as her drunken asshat of a husband was the son of a prominent politician, she would be subjected to quite a bit of harassment from him and his ilk. The second reason was her children, who she loved very much. So she endured the fists and occasional rolling pin thrown her way, bottling up her rage deep inside. One night, that all changed. Instead of going after her, he made a move towards the kids room, while still holding a rolling pin. According to her, she saw red, and next thing she knew, her husband was lying on the ground, dead, with a steak knife sticking out of his throat. While her first instinct was to call the police, something stopped her. Namely, that she was likely going to be convicted of murder, and sent away to prison, as well as separated from her beloved children. So instead, she made a call to a former coworker she had run into while serving in the French Army. Meanwhile, in a Terror-Dome near the Med, Turul's ringtone went off, as luck would have it, in the middle of a rather boring meeting. One rapid conversation later, he was booking a flight out to his homeland, and she was packing up the kids to go visit "Uncle Francois" in Nice for a few days. Surprisingly, she fit right in with Cobra, while her kids were off in a nice high quality daycare, she was in a environment she loved dearly. In fact, if anything, she loved it more, knowing she wasn't going to have to hold herself back in the field any more. Hobbies: Wine tasting, Clay Sculpting, The Werewolves of Millers Hollow, and Knitting.

(These were the first sets of OCs Night_stalker created for us, though the last two were edited in later, which is why they don’t quite fit and mention other OCs)

[thetaizuru]

“Jerusalem Prize” Remarks:

Always On The Side Of Egg Haruki Murakami

I have come to Jerusalem today as a novelist, which is to say as a professional spinner of lies.

Of course, novelists are not the only ones who tell lies. Politicians do it, too, as we all know. Diplomats and military men tell their own kinds of lies on occasion, as do used car salesmen, butchers and builders. The lies of novelists differ from others, however, in that no one criticizes the novelist as immoral for telling them. Indeed, the bigger and better his lies and the more ingeniously he creates them, the more he is likely to be praised by the public and the critics. Why should that be?

My answer would be this: Namely, that by telling skillful lies - which is to say, by making up fictions that appear to be true - the novelist can bring a truth out to a new location and shine a new light on it. In most cases, it is virtually impossible to grasp a truth in its original form and depict it accurately. This is why we try to grab its tail by luring the truth from its hiding place, transferring it to a fictional location, and replacing it with a fictional form. In order to accomplish this, however, we first have to clarify where the truth lies within us. This is an important qualification for making up good lies.

Today, however, I have no intention of lying. I will try to be as honest as I can. There are a few days in the year when I do not engage in telling lies, and today happens to be one of them.

So let me tell you the truth. A fair number of people advised me not to come here to accept the Jerusalem Prize. Some even warned me they would instigate a boycott of my books if I came.

The reason for this, of course, was the fierce battle that was raging in Gaza. The UN reported that more than a thousand people had lost their lives in the blockaded Gaza City, many of them unarmed citizens - children and old people.  

Any number of times after receiving notice of the award, I asked myself whether traveling to Israel at a time like this and accepting a literary prize was the proper thing to do, whether this would create the impression that I supported one side in the conflict, that I endorsed the policies of a nation that chose to unleash its overwhelming military power. This is an impression, of course, that I would not wish to give. I do not approve of any war, and I do not support any nation. Neither, of course, do I wish to see my books subjected to a boycott.

Finally, however, after careful consideration, I made up my mind to come here. One reason for my decision was that all too many people advised me not to do it. Perhaps, like many other novelists, I tend to do the exact opposite of what I am told. If people are telling me - and especially if they are warning me - "don't go there," "don't do that," I tend to want to "go there" and "do that." It's in my nature, you might say, as a novelist. Novelists are a special breed. They cannot genuinely trust anything they have not seen with their own eyes or touched with their own hands.

And that is why I am here. I chose to come here rather than stay away. I chose to see for myself rather than not to see. I chose to speak to you rather than to say nothing.

This is not to say that I am here to deliver a political message. To make judgments about right and wrong is one of the novelist's most important duties, of course.

It is left to each writer, however, to decide upon the form in which he or she will convey those judgments to others. I myself prefer to transform them into stories - stories that tend toward the surreal. Which is why I do not intend to stand before you today delivering a direct political message.

Please do, however, allow me to deliver one very personal message. It is something that I always keep in mind while I am writing fiction. I have never gone so far as to write it on a piece of paper and paste it to the wall: Rather, it is carved into the wall of my mind, and it goes something like this: 

"Between a high, solid wall and an egg that breaks against it, I will always stand on the side of the egg."

Yes, no matter how right the wall may be and how wrong the egg, I will stand with the egg. Someone else will have to decide what is right and what is wrong; perhaps time or history will decide. If there were a novelist who, for whatever reason, wrote works standing with the wall, of what value would such works be?

What is the meaning of this metaphor? In some cases, it is all too simple and clear. Bombers and tanks and rockets and white phosphorus shells are that high, solid wall. The eggs are the unarmed civilians who are crushed and burned and shot by them. This is one meaning of the metaphor.

This is not all, though. It carries a deeper meaning. Think of it this way. Each of us is, more or less, an egg. Each of us is a unique, irreplaceable soul enclosed in a fragile shell. This is true of me, and it is true of each of you. And each of us, to a greater or lesser degree, is confronting a high, solid wall. The wall has a name: It is The System. The System is supposed to protect us, but sometimes it takes on a life of its own, and then it begins to kill us and cause us to kill others - coldly, efficiently, systematically.

I have only one reason to write novels, and that is to bring the dignity of the individual soul to the surface and shine a light upon it. The purpose of a story is to sound an alarm, to keep a light trained on The System in order to prevent it from tangling our souls in its web and demeaning them. I fully believe it is the novelist's job to keep trying to clarify the uniqueness of each individual soul by writing stories - stories of life and death, stories of love, stories that make people cry and quake with fear and shake with laughter. This is why we go on, day after day, concocting fictions with utter seriousness.

My father died last year at the age of 90. He was a retired teacher and a part-time Buddhist priest. When he was in graduate school, he was drafted into the army and sent to fight in China. As a child born after the war, I used to see him every morning before breakfast offering up long, deeply-felt prayers at the Buddhist altar in our house. One time I asked him why he did this, and he told me he was praying for the people who had died in the war.

He was praying for all the people who died, he said, both ally and enemy alike. Staring at his back as he knelt at the altar, I seemed to feel the shadow of death hovering around him.

My father died, and with him he took his memories, memories that I can never know. But the presence of death that lurked about him remains in my own memory. It is one of the few things I carry on from him, and one of the most important.

I have only one thing I hope to convey to you today. We are all human beings, individuals transcending nationality and race and religion, fragile eggs faced with a solid wall called The System. To all appearances, we have no hope of winning. The wall is too high, too strong - and too cold. If we have any hope of victory at all, it will have to come from our believing in the utter uniqueness and irreplaceability of our own and others' souls and from the warmth we gain by joining souls together.

Take a moment to think about this. Each of us possesses a tangible, living soul. The System has no such thing. We must not allow The System to exploit us. We must not allow The System to take on a life of its own. The System did not make us: We made The System.

That is all I have to say to you.

I am grateful to have been awarded the Jerusalem Prize. I am grateful that my books are being read by people in many parts of the world. And I am glad to have had the opportunity to speak to you here today.

(17.02.2009 HAARETZ https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/1.5076881)

---

2009年2月15日 イスラエルで行われた「エルサレム賞」受賞式での村上春樹氏のスピーチ:

常に卵の側に 村上 春樹

私は今日ここエルサレムに小説家として、つまり噓の紡ぎ手のプロとしてやってきました。

もちろん嘘をつくのは小説家だけではありません。ご存知の通り、政治家だって嘘をつきます。外交官や軍人も、あるいは中古車のセールスマンや肉屋や大工であろうと、それぞれの場に応じた嘘をつくものです。しかし、小説家の嘘は他の職業と決定的に異なる点があります。小説家の嘘が道義に欠けるといって批判する人は誰もいません。むしろ小説家は、紡ぎだす嘘がより大きく巧妙であればあるほど、評論家や世間から賞賛されるものなのです。なぜでしょうか。

私の答えはこうです: すなわち、巧みな嘘をつくことで -つまり、真実のように見えるフィクションを作り上げることによって- 小説家は真実を新しい場所へもたらし、そこに新しい光を当てることができるのです。ほとんどの場合、真実を元の形のまま把握し、正確に描写することは事実上不可能です。だからこそ私たちは、隠された場所から真実を誘い出し、架空の場所に移し、架空の形式に置き換えることで、その尻尾をつかもうと試みているのです。しかし、これを達成するためには、まず私たちの中のどこに真実があるのかを明らかにしなければなりません。これはよい嘘をでっち上げるのに重要な資質なのです。

しかしながら、今日は嘘をつくつもりはありません。できる限り正直であろうと思っています。嘘をつかない日は年にほんの数日しかないのですが、今日がちょうどその日に当たったようです。

そんなわけで、本当のことを話させてください。かなりの数の人々から、このエルサレム賞を受賞するためにここに来ないように忠告されました。もしここに来れば私の本の不買運動を起こすと警告してくる人さえいました。

その理由はもちろん、ガザ地区での激しい戦闘のためでした。国連の報告では、封鎖されたガザ市で1000人以上が命を落とし、多くは非武装の市民- 子どもやお年寄りであったとのことです。

受賞の知らせを受けた後、私は何度も自問自答しました。このような時期にイスラエルへ来て、文学賞を受賞することがはたして適切なのだろうか、授賞式に出席することが戦闘している一方だけを支持しているという印象を与えないか、圧倒的な軍事力の行使を行った国家の政策を是認することになるのではないかと。私はもちろん、そのような印象を与えたくありません。私はいかなる戦争も認めませんし、いかなる国家も支援しません。もちろん、私の本がボイコットされるのも見たくはありません。

しかし、悩みぬいた末、最終的に私はこの地に来ることにしました。決断した理由の一つは、あまりに多くの人がこの地にこないほうが良いと私に言ってきたからです。おそらく他の多くの小説家と同様、私は自分に言われることと全く反対のことをする傾向があります。「そこに行くな」「そんなことはするな」と言われると、ましてや警告なんてされようものなら、私は「そこに行きたくなる」し、「それをしたくなる」のです。これはいうなれば小説家としての私の特性です。小説家というのは特殊な人種です。自分の目で見たり、あるいは手で触れたりした感覚無しには、何も信じることができないのです。

それが、私がここにいる理由です。来ないよりは、ここに来る事にしました。見ないよりは、自分で見ることにしました。何も言わないより、みなさんと話すことを選びました。

これは、私が政治的なメッセージを伝えるためにここにいるということではありません。もちろん、善悪について判断することも、小説家の最も重要な務めの一つではありますが。

しかしながら、それらの判断をどのような形式で伝えるかは、それぞれの書き手に委ねられています。私自身は、それらを物語に変えることを好みます-シュールに向かう傾向がありますが。今日みなさんに政治的なメッセージを伝えるつもりがないというのは、そうした理由からです。

きわめて個人的なメッセージを述べさせてください。これは私がフィクションを書いている間、いつも心に留めていることです。紙に書いて壁に貼り付けているといったものではなく: むしろ、私の心の壁に刻まれているもので、こういうものです:

「高くて硬い壁があり、それにぶつかって割れる卵があるとしたら、私は常に卵の側に立つ」

そう、その壁がどんなに正しかろうとも、その卵がどんなに間違っていようとも、私は卵の側に立ちます。何が正しくて何が間違っているか、それを決めなければならないとしても; おそらく時間や歴史が決めるでしょう。どんな理由があるにせよ、もし壁の側に立って書く小説家がいたとしたら、その作品にどんな価値があるというのでしょう。

この比喩は何を意味するでしょうか。場合によっては、単純明確です。爆撃機と戦車とロケット弾と白リン弾は、高くて硬い壁です。これらによって押しつぶされ、燃やされ、撃たれた非武装の市民が卵で��。これがこの比喩の意味するところの一つです。

ただし、これだけではありません。もっと深い意味もあるのです。こう考えてみてください。私たち一人一人は、程度の差はあっても、卵なのです。私たち一人一人が、壊れやすい殻に包まれた、たった一つのかけがえのない魂なのです。私もそうですし、皆さんもそうなのです。そして私たち一人一人が、程度の差はあれ、高くて硬い壁に直面しています。その壁には名前があります: 「システム」です。「システム」は私たちを守ってくれるものですが、しかし時にそれ自身が命を帯びて、私たちを殺し始め、さらに私たちに他者を殺させ始めるのです- 冷静に、効率的に、体系的に。

私が小説を書く理由はただ一つです。それは個々の魂の尊厳を表面に引き出し、それに光を当てることです。物語の目的は、警報を鳴らし、「システム」に光を当て、その網の目に私たちの魂がからめ捕られ、傷つけられることを防ぐことです。生と死の物語、愛の物語、人々を泣かせ、恐れおののかせ、笑い転げさせる物語- 物語を書くことで、個々の精神の独自性を明確にすることが小説家の仕事であると、私は心から信じています。だからこそ、私たちは日々、フィクションを真剣に紡ぎ続けているのです。

私の父は昨年90歳で亡くなりました。父は引退した教師で、パートタイムのお坊さんでした。彼は学生だった時に、陸軍に招集され中国の戦場に送られました。戦後生まれの私は、毎朝、朝食前、家の仏壇の前で父が長く深い祈りを捧げているのを見ていました。あるとき私は父に、なぜそんなことをするのかと尋ねました。父は私に、あの戦争で亡くなった人のためにお祈りしているのだと言いました。

敵も味方も関係なく、亡くなった全ての人のために祈っているのだと、彼は言いました。仏壇の前で正座している父の背中をじっと見ていると、私は父の周りに死の影が漂っているように感じました。

父は亡くなり、私が決して知り得ない記憶も一緒に持っていってしまいました。しかし、父の周りに潜んでいた死の存在は私の記憶に残っています。これが、私が彼から引き継いだ数少ないものの一つであり、最も重要なものの一つです。

今日お伝えしたいことは一つだけです。私たちは皆人間であり、国籍、人種、宗教を超越した個人であり、「システム」と呼ばれる硬い壁に直面している割れやすい卵です。どう見ても、勝ち目はありません。壁はあまりにも高く、あまりにも強く- そしてあまりにも冷たい。もし勝てる望みがあるとしたら、それは、私たち自身と他者の魂が、たった一つのかけがえのないものであると信じること、そして魂をつなぎ合わせることによって得られる温もりによってもたらされるはずです。

考えてみてください。私たちはそれぞれが、実体を持った、生きた魂です。「システム」にはそのようなものはありません。「システム」が私たちを悪用することを許してはなりません。「システム」がそれ自身の命を帯びることを許してはなりません。「システム」が私たちを作ったのではありません: 私たちが「システム」を作ったのです。

以上が、お話ししたいすべてです。

エルサレム賞の受賞について、感謝申し上げます。私の本が世界の多くの地域の人々に読まれていることに感謝しています。そして今日、ここでお話しする機会を与えてくださったことに感謝します。

[theswordofpens]

Political Views (From a regular guy in America)

Hey folks! I know some of us don’t like talking about politics on here, but I thought I’d share my thoughts on a few political topics in the spirit of you guys learning to get to know me. So, without further ado, here we go!

What are your thoughts on Racism in our country? I think Racism is by far the DUMBEST social construct we’ve made. There’s literally zero amount of difference between two different people of two different skin pigmentations and ethnic backgrounds. I believe Racism should be abolished in this country and I think both Nazis and White Supremacists should have to register as a “Public Offender” like sex offenders have to. Why? I can’t begin to tell you how many pictures I’ve seen of hundreds of thousands of different people being murdered in cold blood - all for the sake of saying that a stupid ideology should be the law of the land. In the almost 243 years our country has been in existence, the issue of Racism still plagues us to this day. I think that’s beyond ridiculous. What are your thoughts on Women’s rights and Feminism? This is a very similar problem when it comes to the Racism subject. The only difference is that it’s Sex and Gender Elitism instead of Racial Supremacy. To think that one sex is better than the other (ie Men are superior to Women, vice versa) is foolish and is a dangerous thought process. That kind of thinking has led to the great social division that hinders our country today. Women deserve equal pay for equal jobs and equal hours. Women deserve equality in the hiring process for ANY job or career they wish to pursue. Women deserve paid maternity leave, and it should be illegal for ANY company to fire them while they’re on said maternity leave. And last but certainly not least, WOMEN DESERVE THE RIGHT TO ABORTIONS. PERIOD.

What are your thoughts on Immigration? I think Immigration is what’s built our country today. It’s safe to say that 90% of people who currently live in the US can trace their lineage to somewhere outside of the US. Immigrants should be welcomed with open arms, not concrete walls, chain link fences, barb wire and assault rifles. If anyone comes to our country as an immigrant and wishes to help make our country a better place, I say we should let them. We should help them to find jobs and affordable housing, good education for their children, and ultimately a good life for them to live within our country. We should give immigrants the same treatment we give to ourselves, because really, they’ve become one of us. What are your thoughts on Religion in our country? I don’t believe that any one religion is better than the other and I fully believe in Separation of Church & State. Politics are NOT the proper place for your own personal beliefs, and Religion is NOT the proper place for your own personal agenda. I’ll scream that from the rooftops, if I have to. Politics should be a place of non-biased people with the goal in mind to work together to make our country better. No one religion should get special treatment, and no one of different religious beliefs should be discriminated against. Enough said.

What are your thoughts on Gun Rights & Gun Control? I fully believe in the second amendment right for American Citizens to own and possess firearms. THAT SAID! I also believe in reason, perhaps more so than I do in the second amendment. Former felons shouldn’t have the right to possess or own firearms (unless they go through a rigorous rehabilitation and reconciliation course designed to help and reintegrate former felons back into society). I believe sex offenders and the “public offenders” that I mentioned above should also not have the right to possess firearms. I believe that Americans should NEVER possess weapons that can be considered “tactical.” Tactical weapons belong in the hands of those qualified to operate that kind of equipment in tactical situations (ie SWAT, Police, Military forces, FBI, Secret Service). I think there should be “switch” program where Americans can trade in their tactical weapons to the Federal Government for similar, non-tactical versions of that weapon OR for cash reimbursement. I also think that Firearm owning age should be 21, the same age as drinking.

What are your thoughts on LGBTQIA+ community and their rights? I think they’re just as much human and deserving of the same rights as we are. What, just because somebody isn’t straight or they don’t view themselves within the confines on gender or sex that makes them less than human? The LGBTQIA+ community, and anyone who falls into that category, should have the rights of equal employment, equal hours, equal pay, equal rights, equal abilities to marry, equal rights to medical operations, equal ability to adopt, and equal treatment. Period, end of discussion. What are your thoughts on Stem Cell Research and Possible Cloning? I believe in the medical benefits of Stem Cell Research and how it could vastly improve the lives of many Americans who are suffering without it. I think that Stem Cell Research should not only be made legal, but also that it should receive government funding and that access to Stem Cell therapy should be made open to the common folk. In regards to the Cloning issue, I don’t believe that full-fledged, human cloning should be legal. HAVING SAID THAT: I do, however, believe in the medical benefits of partial human cloning in regards to damaged limbs and organs, and that such treatment and therapy should be available for the general public.

What are your thoughts on political parties? Political parties have their uses, but I don’t think they should have nearly the full endorsement they have today. Political parties and those affiliated with them should be kept at an arm’s length away from American Politics, in a sense. What a person identifies in regards to political parties shouldn’t be as important as what they want to do in order to benefit this country and how they wish to do so. Political parties shouldn’t receive federal funding, as they should be funded by independent sources. Not only that, people who wish to run for an elected office need to pass a written and a multiple choice test in order to prove that they have the proper knowledge and critical thinking skills needed in order to properly lead in the position they wish to be elected for.

What are your thoughts on education? I believe that every American deserves to have quality education from schools in which they attend. I also believe the whole “let's make our students pay thousands of dollars in order for them to take a nose dive into debt and then we won't hire them because they got a degree in something we don't like” is BS. We can't take credit in degrees in this country anymore because it's no longer about how hard you work, but rather, how much did you pay to get the degree? While free college may not be realistic in this country (unfortunately) I do think we should greatly lower the cost of a higher education. Any university you go to should only cost two times of what city or community college costs. That way, instead of driving ourselves into a debt that we can't pay, we can pay off a more reasonable amount and we wouldn't be in the same debt we’re in today.

What are your thoughts on Medical care in this country? Okay, this is a no brainer. Medical care should be free for all Americans. And this, I think, is and should be possible. One of the biggest medical insurers in our country is freaking GoFundMe.Com. (Are you kidding me?) I mean, what more do I need to say? Our medical care system is a joke. They're only interested in squeezing every last dime out of the American people while they're on their way to death. Meanwhile, other countries are living healthy and beautifully. We need a serious overhaul on the medical care system as a whole, and one that mutually benefits the American people.

What are your thoughts on the Drug and Homeless crisis within many cities in our country? Homeless people are still PEOPLE. People addicted to drugs are still PEOPLE. As such, they need our help. They need our help to become better people, or to find a home and a job. They need us to help them to get back on their feet, even if they won't openly admit it. There should be a social program that helps to rehabilitate, house, and educate drug abusers and homeless people. It'll help them to get a diploma or a GED, and it'll help them to find jobs and affordable housing within our country.

What are your thoughts on the prison system? We of our biggest problems is the number of incarcerated people per capita. There is a vast amount of people serving hard time in prison for crimes that shouldn't require them to. A shoplifters shouldn't spend the same time that a man convicted of grand arson should. People convicted of lesser crimes should have a choice of either going into a social program similar to that of the Drug and Homeless rehabilitation program or they could join the military to serve for their time in there and to be released on a simple discharge basis.

What are your thoughts on the Environment? The Earth is our home, whether we wish to recognize that or not. Therefore, we need to treat our home with respect and begin to undo the extensive damage that the Human race has brought onto our planet. We should have a similar trade in system as we should have for tactical weapons, only for the environment we should do so with cars instead of guns. Fossil fuel usage should ultimately be banned within a 5 year plan that will allow Americans to trade in their petrolium-powered cars for green energy vehicles. We can either reimburse them for their cars OR we can give them new green cars in exchange for their old ones. Every single building in the US should be either ran off of solar, wind, or hydroelectricity. Every time we cut down a tree, two more should be planted in its place. Old properties should be buldozed to the ground and made into “green parks,” or places where we can plant trees and flowers to make various communities greener. Any energy source that’s dangerous for our planet should be banned.

What are your thoughts on Foreign Policy? We need to work together in order to not only make our country to be better, but to also make our world a better place. We need to focus on COOPERATION, rather than competition. Competing is for sports; Cooperating is for everything else. The US should be one of the leading example of cooperation and leadership within the world. We should work together to feed some of the less fortunate countries. We should grant independence to our overseas territories that wish to be independent, and we should help to establish their governments and economies to be successful. The former thought of the US being “the best country” is a complete and total lie and we need to get that thought out of our heads. We need to recognize that there are other countries that are better in a lot of other aspects than we are.

What are your thoughts on the Military within our country? Our soldiers are cherished in our country, and rightfully so. They fight hard and give up their lives so that we can live comfortable lives. But sometimes, they are the unintentional pawns in a geopolitical game by self-ran politicians within their own agendas. I can’t tell you how many times I see homeless veterans rolling around a run-down wheelchair with only one leg. There are quite literally thousands of former soldiers within our system that are homeless and are in need of help. We should have a system designed to help our veterans to find jobs immediately after they’re released from the military. We spend more money on our military than the next 26 nations COMBINED, so the way we treat our veterans is not only wrong - it’s atrocious.

What are your thoughts about the economy? Capitalism is said to be one of the leading reasons why the health of our Earth is declining. We focus more on a “every man for himself” kind of ideology when it comes to our economy. We take all the money we can get from the people, and we play game of corperate juggernaut against other companies. This drives prices through the roof, which makes many Americans angry. On top of that, you add in taxes and fees of all sorts and what was once a gallon of milk for $2.50 just jumped up to almost 4 bucks. This doesn’t just affect the costs of grocery, either. Gas prices, textile costs, medicine and medical items - you name it! All of it is charged at ridiculous prices all because the companies at the helm of this economic fashion are money hungry and want to squeeze every last dime out of the American people. To top it all off, the American dollar isn’t worth nearly as much as it used to be, so we keep having to print out more and more. Which lowers the amount even more, and this contributes to a broken system. We need a serious overhaul of how our economy is going to work, and how we can make it fairer for both small companies AND for the American people as a whole.

What are your thoughts about the Social programs we have today? I believe that their intentions are great and the basic idea behind them is good, but they need to be overhauled and reevaluated. There are people who genuinely need financial help (be it for health, domestic, or whatever the reason may be. Medical care should be universal and free. If Americans fall under the poverty line, they should be entitled to some kind of federal help per month that aleviates the cost of their basic necessities. We need to help our country’s poor to have a better chance at succeeding in life. However, we can’t just give out free money and not expect for some people to abuse that financial help. Along with a stronger system of Social Services, we need a system of accountability for each and every case they take on. This kind of overhaul will mutually benefit both the destitute and the more well-off in our society.

Look, these are just my opinions. You don’t have to agree with them. But as someone who’s been a witness to this America, I’ve thought long and hard about what should change within our country. If you don’t agree with me, or if I offended any of you for saying this, then I’m sorry but this is how I feel about it. If you don’t like it, you’re welcome to block me or unfollow me at any time. Thank you all for your time.

[ldarchive]

oc interview meme~

The rules: Answer the following questions as your OC of choice.

I chose Ari. The thing is, Ari hates talking to reporters -- if you hit on the right topic you might get an impassioned rant out of him (see: that scene in ME2 where Shepard starts listing all the ships that went down at the battle of the Citadel), but generally he’s pretty tight-lipped and brusquely Professional. So for this meme I sorta imagined him in like a semi-formal environment where he’d be more comfortable, like maybe if one of his friends was interviewing him or something... I’ve put too much thought into this, whatever!!

1. What’s your name?

Ari Shepard.

2. Do you know why you are called that?

I never got the opportunity to ask.

3. Are you single or taken?

Pretty sure it’s common knowledge that I’m married. The krogan guests at the wedding wanted to eat the reporters, but my husband said no.

4. Have any abilities or powers?

I used to run into stuff really hard for a living. Not sure how much of a talent that counts as, but they keep putting me in the news vids anyway.

5. Stop being a Mary Sue.

Hey, Kaidan told me about that while we were watching Star Trek once! Really not sure I count, though. I’m just some guy. And not fictional.

6. What’s your eye color?

Blue.

7. How about your hair color?

Blond. Well, black. Usually somewhere in-between that.

8. Have any family members?

Sure, lots. My semi-successful diplomacy career did very little to prepare me for family reunions at the Alenko commune.

9. Oh? How about any pets?

We have a dog. Laika. Her adoption papers told me she’s the goodest girl in the whole galaxy. She’s a purebreed, I--we needed a dog with a certain temperament, you know, they’re very carefully vetted. But she’s not spoiled. OK, I can feel my husband rolling his eyes at me: she’s spoiled. But only because she’s earned it. Kaidan named her.

I have a lot of fish, too. They’re more high-maintenance than the dog, believe it or not. 

10. That’s cool, I guess. Now tell me something you don’t like.

Uh, sitcoms. People on public transit who look at me funny. Reporters, especially if they try to bug me when I’m with my kids. Seriously, cut that [redacted] out. Distance. Uh, politicians--heh. I could go on. 

11. Do you have any activities/hobbies that you like to do?

You know, I’m an alright cook. I make a mean pot of soup. Yukagejang is a big comfort food in my house--it’s an old recipe. I usually make a big pot for the kids if Kaidan has to go away on business, but then he’s sad because he doesn’t get to have any. Heh. I grow a lot of the vegetables myself, too.

I have a music collection, too. Physical media. Very old-fashioned, but I lost a lot of my files some years back, and some of that stuff I was never able to find again! That haunts me. There was this one Batarian band... anyway, I’ve been hesitant to add more to it because our home is slowly being overrun by a frankly unsustainable number of kids.

(Editor’s note: Commander Shepard and General Alenko have two children.)

12. Have you hurt anyone in any way before?

I beat Garrus at a sniping contest once. I don’t think he’s ever forgiven me for that.

13. Ever… killed anyone before?

I feel like answering this would violate some sort of military doctrine or Council non-disclosure clause. I really don’t need the Spectres after me - I’m married to one, and that’s bad enough. 

14. What kind of animal are you?

Well, my name means “lion.” I’ve never given that one much thought, but the recruitment posters got a lot of mileage out of it.

Something I heard a lot during the Reaper War, and the aftermath, was that people felt like caged rats. Or their culture’s equivalent. That the Reapers were treating us like filthy little vermin to experiment on and then exterminate. But, you know, I’m from New York, so I’ve always known that rats are mean little [redacted] and that they can absolutely bite back. 

15. Name your worst habits?

...I’ve been a smoker most of my life, so I guess my worst habit is that I’m too damn persistent to give up on anything.

16. Do you look up to anyone at all?

Well, my husband is the only human Spectre. Pretty cool gig, right? Very inspiring of him.

...I think Captain Anderson was the first person whose respect I honestly wanted to earn. That was near twenty years ago, and... that hasn’t changed.

17. Are you gay, straight or bisexual?

I’m gay. If you’re trying to ask me out, formal inquires can be sent to General Kaidan Alenko, c/o the Garneau Academy of Biotics, Vancouver-- 

Kiddos, if you’re reading this ten years from now, that was a joke. Also, don’t you have anything better to do than read old interviews about your dad? Finish your homework.

18. Do you go to school?

I’m self-taught with most things. That sounds more respectable than a straight “no,” doesn’t it? I guess this is where I would I say I went to the school of hard knocks, if I was someone who wasn’t funny. Got some pretty remedial tutoring when I joined the Alliance, but that’s about it, unless you count ICT -- which, actually, yeah, I think ICT should count. 

19. Ever want to marry and have any kids one day?

I already did. Didn’t think I would, honestly, but here I am. Life takes you weirder places than you’re even capable of imagining.

20. Do you have any fangirls/fanboys?

There’ve been a few. I appreciate the sentiment, but... heh, actually, no, I don’t.

21. What are you most afraid of?

I think the benefit of having survived a major war is that we have the option to not let fear run our lives anymore. That being said, I’m afraid of the usual mundane stuff. I don’t think it’s very interesting to hash out.

22. What do you usually wear?

I think I dress pretty practically. Durable clothing is great if you’re in the military or are just being assaulted by two toddlers daily. And if you buy everything in monochrome it always matches... Kaidan’s mom really hates that.

23. What one food tempts you?

Anything spicy. Spicy noodles. There’s this great noodle stand on the Citadel we still eat at, but they’re not paying me for an endorsement and I don’t want people crowding me out, so you can figure out the name yourself. It’s the ultimate hangover cure. Not that I would know.

24. Am I annoying you?

Yes, but luckily I’m too polite to say anything.

25. Well, it’s still not over!

I’ve got a hungry dog at home, you know. And two children.

26. What class are you (low/middle/high)?

I spent the first part of my life totally penniless, so it’s weird to say I’m towards the higher end now. It is something I try to be mindful and make good use of... it’s just nice not to have to worry about feeding or clothing my kids. Beyond that, a lot of it goes to various charitable causes. And, well, my husband’s hair gel budget.

27. How many friends do you have?

Too damn many, honestly. You ever tried hosting a party for dozens of people with dextro/levo options, biotic-proof furniture, and enough room for multiple krogan? It’s not easy!

28. What are your thoughts on pie?

You haven’t lived until you’ve tried Mom’s--Kaidan’s mom’s--apple pie. But luckily I married her son and not you.

29. Favourite drink?

Coffee and red wine. Water. Whiskey isn’t bad either.

30. What’s your favorite place?

I’m boring now, so I’ve come to appreciate quiet places and being alone. Well, alone with my family, but they don’t count.

31. Are you interested in anyone?

I would not voluntarily wear a three-piece tuxedo and invite a bunch of people to gawk at me telling a guy I love him unless I was really, really interested.

32. That was a stupid question…

Just a bit, yeah.

33. Would you rather swim in the lake or the ocean?

There’s something about lakes that still kind of skeeve me out. I’m a city boy, so I always feel like I’m going to step on a leech or something. The ocean is nice, though, I grew up on the water. You couldn’t swim in it unless you wanted radiation poisoning, of course, but it was nice to look at. The beaches here on the west coast are pretty fun and not majorly toxic as far as I’m aware.

34. What’s your type?

I guess I’ve always dug the tall dark and handsome thing. Don’t tell Kaidan that, he’s obnoxious enough already.

35. Any fetishes?

Nothing I could talk about in an article my kids might read one day while avoiding their homework.

36. Camping indoors or outdoors?

I don’t think camping “indoors” is really a thing. That’s just staying in a house. Come on, don’t say you’re going camping if you’re going to be a lazy [redacted] about it.

[admiralbell]

LET FREEDOM RING: VOTE BELL IN 2020

Welcome to the campaign to elect William Bell in 2020! 

With your help, we’ll build a stronger, more united America that’s rooted in traditional values. 

Click below to learn more about the issues and how you can join the fight!

* Disclaimer: Use of Admiral Bell’s military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.

— A list of issues/proposals

Abortion. Pro-life, with exceptions in cases of rape or incest. No government funds to organizations that support or perform abortion.

Death penalty. Supports the death penalty as punishment for violent crimes such as murder.

Education. Aims to support America’s K-12 schools and teachers, with particular focus on helping schools attended by children of middle-class and low-income families. Against the provision of free college tuition.

Employment. Vows to keep American jobs in America and reduce the movement of jobs overseas. Supports drug testing for recipients of welfare and stricter monitoring of welfare abuse. Supports raising the federal minimum wage.

Energy. Against Wright’s energy reforms, believing they will harm hardworking families in the coal and oil industries. Supports expansion of American oil drilling. 

Families. Reluctant supporter of same-sex couples being allowed to adopt, but stresses the importance of a mother and a father in a household. Supports paid family and medical leave.

Gun Rights. Believes in supporting the Second Amendment and is vocally opposed to Berkeley’s Disarmament Act. Claims gun ownership in all forms is a right and crucial to self-defense.

Healthcare. Believes in an open market for healthcare and supports repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Against single-payer healthcare. Supports marijuana use for medical purposes only.

Immigration. Encourages a strong crackdown on illegal immigration into America, including increased screening measures and border security. Against the premise of sanctuary cities.

National security. In favor of the increase of use of military force, citing national defense, particularly against terrorist groups such as the Islamic State. 

Taxation. Supports increasing taxation of the wealthy in order to better meet the needs of the American people. Promises a tax break for working Americans.

Veterans. Pro-reform of the healthcare system for veterans and families. Supports better funding for veteran’s groups and benefits.

— Please specify their target voter audience [age, ethnicity, region, income, etc]

Bell’s target audience includes a focus on middle and working class families - his father was a factory worker, and this is something he never fails to bring to attention when trying to make himself more relatable to the people and assure them he has their interests at heart. His supporters at the current moment are like Baby Boomers, particularly white Boomers, but he targets conservatives across the spectrum of age and race. He also makes a special note to focus his appeals to the heartland (citing his Milwaukee upbringing) and veterans across the board.

— What do their supporters love and believe in when it comes to their persona and campaign? AKA. What’s people’s reasoning for voting for your character?

William Bell is the tried and true model of the white male conservative that has been the stalwart of American politics for generations. He places real focus on the issues that affect "real” (read: white, middle-class) Americans, and most importantly to both Bell and the people that would support him: he isn’t a career politician like almost all of the opposing candidates. With over 25 years of service in the Navy, Bell’s supporters believe he has America’s best interests at heart, and that he can maintain that without being part of the corrupt political system that has placed in America in its current, divided position. He has strong leadership potential, as seen from his current position at the head of the Navy, and a blunt, no-nonsense attitude that has an appeal to those tired of political wheeling and dealing.

— What does the opposition hate when it comes to their persona and campaign? AKA. What points are brought up when trying to convince others your character isn’t a good choice for the seat?

Where to start? It’s been said already - Bell isn’t exactly the most personable of the candidates. At best, he’s charmless; at worst, he comes off as downright cold. The exact same position that makes him marketable as “not a career politician” means he has very little experience in politics outside of his position on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which is only a fraction of the work required to run the country. He also comes across, at the very least, as outdated on social issues and many of his other positions, and even if he’s not stupid enough to say it in certain terms, there’s no denying he’s bigoted when it comes to issues that affect people of color and immigrants. For most outside his target audience, he’s far from being even a palatable candidate.

[lbunny426]

Fantasy RP

In the Kingdom of Mythril, things have not been well.

Laying on the continent of Arodma, The kingdom soon grew bountiful after its founding in year 275. Allegedly, the kingdom was given its name by the Goddess Sàcredae herself, who saved the Kingdom from its destruction on The 12th Moon of Year 275, which is when the Kingdom was founded by those who witnessed the events. The King and Queen are said to have witnessed the events, while the nobles are apparently the descendants of those who did.

Nobles rule over different areas, 3 to be exact, but all answer to Queen Patrifica and King Dulahan. The capital of Entrica lies to the Cold North of the continent.

The King and Queen bare no known Children, and therefore have never developed a bloodline. They are instead stated to hold the power of the Goddess herself- Which is why there is said to be no soldier alive brave enough to face them in combat.

Meanwhile, the “Witness 3” do hold bloodlines. The “Witness Three” were once Ruled by Lords who were said to have witnessed The Goddess’s actions from a distance, so they and their followers were gifted smaller amounts of power than the King and Queen themselves. These became known as the Bloodlines of the Dog, Beast, and Siren.

House Loyella is favored by the King, as apparently its once Lord, Kalkutta, was the closest of the Witnesses to the event. It lies on the center of the continent, and holds the Mythril Military academy. Its people are mainly Nobles, living lives of luxury and dedication to the Goddess. It’s bloodline is powerful, being known as the Bloodline of the Dog. They favor Knighthood and Lances.

To the East, House Dragonia Lies in a forested hunting land. Its Lord was once Lady Vernal, who was supposedly the farthest from the event. The people there are fast, and favor Bows, as well as brawling skills, and ride Wyverns. They also have a Village of Dragon Tamers to their southern end, but it is often neglected as the people their learn Dragonese before Mythrilian. Their bloodline carries the Blood of the Beast.

To the beautiful and lake-heavy west Lies House Aquatica.Their Lord was once Lord Acrystella. Their people are known for their swordsmanship , as well as Axe Proficiency. They also ride Pegasi. They are a farming and hardworking people, and are the main Food Supply to Loyella and the Capital. Those who live on the beachfront of Aquatica have developed some fish-like features, especially ridged ears. Their bloodline is the bloodline of the Siren.

Talesman are not followers of the Goddess. At first, they lived in peace on an Island barely connected to the Dragon Villages of Dragonia. Their people worshipped many Gods. They had pointed ears and tattoos, making them obviously different from the people of Mythril. Instead of one main government, they mostly lived in small villages, studying Light and Dark magic. The type of Magic studied depended on the God Worshipped by the villagers.

When they began trading with the people of Dragonia, word of their Religion soon spread to the Capitol. The King and Queen saw the people as a threat, and ordered all the adults killed, and the children captured. Such was done, and soon, any Talesman under 18 became a slave, bought and sold on the streets at auctions run by the Royal Guard.

This system was viable for about 7 years. The Talesman were unhappy, but with no education in physical combat, they were easily controlled by their noble masters and the royal guard. This would come to change in 467, when during the 5th moon, 3 Slaves rose up and on the same night, killed all three Witness Lords. An attempt was made on the King and Queen on the same night, but was apparently thwarted by the Royal Guard on duty that night. All 12 slaves known to have involvement were publicly put to death in the Capital the next week, and the night became known as the “Murder of Lords” night.

The Murder of Lords Night has left Mythril in somewhat Ruin. Loyella is the only House with a clear choice for Lord, being Ellis Baustia, who is even endorsed by the King and Queen. Other than that, the Houses have been left debatably leaderless, with only Capital Representatives there to Lead the People of areas they’ve never been to.

The King and Queen came up with a Plan. The Military Academy had always accepted students simply by payment; This was going to change. Instead, a test would be put in place for anyone- Including Slaves nominated by their masters. It would be a test of strength against members of the Royal Guard.

Those who passed would receive entrance to the Academy for completely no charge. Those who performed best would even become Leaders for their fellow house members while at the academy. They would stay for four years, and students of the Witness Three who were chosen as the best in their classes and take the places of the Lords, with the attending Talesman either becoming their personal Guards or Joining the Military.

—

Writing Prompts:

You (Your OC) is taking the exam. The royal guard are nights with armor and Lances. The exam takes place in a forest, with 20 guards to defeat by the end of an hour time limit. How does your extraordinary student pass? Please use detail in your response. You will be given one chance at feedback from the mods. Please give us time to review your application.

OR

Your OC passed their exam. Who do they tell, what is their reaction, and what do they pack for the academy. Please use detail in your response.

Your responses should be more than a paragraph long. Feel free to use NPCs (non-(role)player characters, such as parents, childhood friends, teachers, ect), ask a mod questions, or request 1 new prompt.

You may NOT:

Include an OC that is not your own in your response

Request more than 1 new prompt

Submit a response less than 6 sentences in length

Submit More than one response at a time

Bug the mods for your results

Become angry with a mod for not accepting your application.

Submit a response with obvious Spelling, Grammatical, and Capitalization Errors.

As stated, the Mods WILL give you feedback the first time you submit an application. If the server is full, we will let you know ASAP. Keep in mind there are only four of us, and some of us have work, school, ect. So please be patient with us.

Thank You for considering RP MYTHRIL. We look forward to reading your apps.