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tmisaccidentreportbook · 2 years

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MAG023, Schwartzwald

Case #8163103, Albrecht von Closen Release date: June 15, 2016 First listen: 16th October, I think I was on the morning feed for this one.

This one was a hard one for me to get into really. Not because of the topic or anything, I think maybe because of the antiquated writing style. Look I’ve tried to read Austen but I couldn’t hack the writing style, I don’t know what it is. I think it’s a bit rich of me considering I have a habit of going off into purple prose. Also, I think there’s also something it about being a Regency man on means that just has me going ‘ugh, rich white man problems.’ But there’s so much lore dumped in this one, I ought to be all over it.

- OK, so 1816, the birth year of The Magnus Institute, first located in Edinburgh apparently. As I’ve said, proper dandy man era. Was, as I’m digging around, also known as ‘The Year Without A Summer’, as the eruption Mount Tambora in Indonesia had disrupted the planet’s weather patterns and temperatures dropped, resulting in failing harvest, widespread food shortages, violence and disease, coming in hot on the heels of the Napoleonic Wars. Bad times, plenty to be scared of in 1816.

- Feels appropriate then that the statement has us entrenched in some deep, ancient European forest. Something oppressive and cold.

- To the tune of ‘Take a Break’ from Hamilton ‘My dearest Johaaaan...’ Was Albrecht von Closen on the list of Johan Magnus’ historical boyfriends? I don’t remember. ‘…and pressed upon me…’ yeah, I bet he did.

- ‘…Schwarzwald, what you would call the Black Forest…’ I did remember this from somewhere in my Geography A Level, but it took me a few days before the realisation that The Magnus Archives has its’ own ‘Blackwood’ hit me in the face. But yes, something ancient and established, at once serving as protection from invasive forces and threat of what lurks with in.

- ‘…every effort to provide him with guidance and such affection as he may have lost.’ The emotional repression of the upper classes is sitting so heavy right now…

- Had to look up what the fuck ‘profligacy’ meant…

- ‘I have never met so sober and prudent a soul as seems to exist within young Wilhelm.’ Ah… do you think ‘old soul’ was the same short hand for ‘neurodivergent child’ in the 1800s as it is today?

- The description of the forest in winter is making me just a little bit feral.

- ‘I will admit that I didn’t entirely relish the thought of staying in the Schwarzwald until the spring thaw...’ Hate to break it to you bud, but you’re going to have to wait a bit longer than you would other years.

- And looking up what ‘sojourn’ means. Jonny once again giving me the word envy.

- ‘…I never wished more keenly that I had been able to bring my library with me.’ Ok, you’re winning me round.

- ‘…but more often I would simply choose a direction and stroll into the trees for as long as my fancy held me and then simply follow my own trail of footprints back…’ If you were anyone other than a rich, straight, white man, you would be dead. By rights, you should be dead.

- Sure, just hang about in a derelict grave yard in the middle of an ancient forest, 1 hour before sundown, what could go wrong?

- ‘… another small bud of memorial stone blossoming through the frosted earth.’ Look that image, like snowdrops poking through.

- ‘So who was Johann von Württemberg?’… No seriously, who was he? Do we ever find out?

- ‘…I found myself marking trees with my pocket knife…’ OK so he’s go a little sense to him, good.

- Oh my days, get this kid outside.

- We have a wee slip up here. Previously, the name of Albrecht’s wife had been stated as Clara and here it changes to Carla. I don’t think this is anything more elaborate than a simple slip.

- This mausoleum could be touched by so much; The Dark, The Buried, The End, The Lonely. But if memory serves, its’ The Eye’s isn’t it.

- The description of the stranger at the clearing’s edge is weird, makes him feel a little ‘man out of time’ with his strange dress and ‘peasant German’ which, can I just say, rude to point it out.

- Another good staple of horror; a wise local as the ‘Harbinger of Impending Doom’ telling you in cryptic terms not to fuck around and find out. And what do the city slickers do? They fuck around, and they find out. Typically, not for very long.

- ‘… could not see his eyes beneath the brim of his hat, but I could still feel his gaze upon me.’ Where do you eyes be oh wise one? As some power taken them perhaps?

- ‘No, sir, you have nothing to fear from the dead.’This is both very sage advice, it’s the living you need to watch out for, and very comforting, because it reminds me that if malicious ghosts were a thing, we white folks would have died out generations ago. The British would be the first to go, are you kidding me? We’d be gone.

- ‘… a single farmer who couldn’t mind his business.’ Mate, you’re the one who’s wondering around areas you’ve got no business in.

- record scratch Well, I hope Martin was wearing cute pants. Also, I love how you’d expect him to be a fumbling mess but I can hear the ‘it’s before 7, I owe you and the world nothing’ in his voice. He’ll probably realise what happened later and will spend the morning face down at his desk while Tim cackles and Sasha pats his shoulder sympathetically. I bet Martin has good legs though.

- As I’m listening to this, I can’t help but think how much man power this excavation would take when it was done in the 1600s or 1700s.

- Bookshelves in the tomb, adding to my funeral vision board.

- ‘… I still felt the most acute pang of loss. To see such a volume of knowledge, possibly unique in all the world, utterly destroyed, was incredibly painful to me.’ NERD! But yeah, big mood.

- So we’re adding grave robbing to the list of things that have been confessed to in statements.

- ‘Für die Stille’, ‘for the silence’…. What? So we’ve got the engraved eyes and the books, but where does silence come into it? Waiting in silence? Can’t help but feel like Johann had surrounded himself with his books the same way a pharaoh's tomb is stocked with all they’d need for the afterlife.

- ‘… apparently there was an old man in Schramberg by the name of Tobias Kohler.’ Is that our guy at the forest edge?

- ‘… until you were seen’… well, isn’t that nice. Seen by what? Johann or his librarians?

- ‘(the priest) simply nodded and, gathering up six strong, though deeply fearful, men, they headed out toward the cemetery.’ When you say ‘deeply fearful’ do you mean ‘God fearing Christian men’ fearful or do you mean ‘Athenian youths being sent to Crete’ fearful?

- Ulrich I, Count of Württemberg 1226 – 1265, or Ulrich II, Count of Württemberg 1254 – 1279, unknown if the latter ever married.

- Footprints in the snow. I KNEW those eyes would be gone! I remembered, ha!

- What made him stop? Was weird little Wilhelm standing at a window, watching it happen and holding the eyeless man’s gaze and slowly shaking his head?

- ‘Whether to a light-fingered servant or just my own carelessness, it is gone...’ Fucking rude!

- ‘I can’t say I know much about Jonah Magnus or the origins of the Institute...’ Oh bud, oh no.

- The succession of the Counts of Württemberg was already feeling a bit spook and then we add ‘keeping company of witches’ and we’re in full on McNope territory.

- Or was this man at the edge of the woods Rudolph Ziegler, or was Ziegler just a burglar that had a misadventure. What could The Eye have wrought to make it look like ‘an animal attack’? Unless… Unless Ziegler took the coin and whatever would have come for Albrecht came for him instead. But what was it still?

- And we see the setting down of family tree roots for the Keays. I think the Mary Keay mentioned may not be the mother of our Gerard, maybe the grandmother, because if Mary was born in the 1920s, she’d have been in her 60s by the time she had Gerard. So either it’s a naming convention, a mistake or Mary found something to keep herself young.

#the magnus archives #MAG023 #The Eye

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guar-gum · 11 days

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The Indian Guar Market: A Comprehensive Overview

India has long been recognized as a dominant force in the guar and Guar Gum industry on a global scale. Guar, natively grown on the Indian subcontinent, is primarily cultivated in India and Pakistan, with additional farming taking place in the United States, and parts of Africa and Australia.

Historical Context and Modern Uses

Historically, Gomme guar was utilized predominantly as a rich protein source for cattle feed and as a green vegetable in India. However, its role evolved significantly post-World War II due to a major shortage of locust bean gum, which impacted the textile and paper industries severely. During this time, guar gum processing plant emerged as an excellent substitute for the scarce locust bean gum, leading to its increased prominence and utilization in various industries.

By 1953, the extraction technology of guar gum had been commercialized in the USA, and a decade later, it followed in India, marking a significant advancement in its production and application.

Guar Plant Characteristics

The guar plant, scientifically known as 'Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba', is an annual legume that not only serves as an important source of nutrition for humans and animals but also plays a crucial role in regenerating soil nitrogen. The endosperm of the guar seed, which is a key hydrocolloid, finds widespread usage across a broad spectrum of industries due to its gelling properties.

Thriving in drought-resistant and semi-arid regions, the guar plant is well-suited to the sandy soils of West and Northwest India and parts of Pakistan. These regions are also the major processing centers for guar gum in India.

Cultivation and Harvesting

The guar plant can grow between 2 to 9 feet tall. It begins with white flower buds that turn light pink upon opening and eventually deepen to purple. Guar Gum plants produce fleshy seed pods that are harvested in the summer after ripening.

Commonly known as cluster-bean due to its pods growing in clusters, guar powder is incredibly drought-resistant, capable of ceasing growth in dry conditions without perishing. This resilience makes it particularly valuable in semi-arid regions where few other crops can survive.

The guar crop typically grows over a period of 14 to 16 weeks, requiring warm weather, moderate rainfall, and abundant sunshine. The planting usually occurs after the monsoon, around the second half of July to early August, with harvesting taking place from late October to early November.

Extraction and Quality Standards

Post-harvest, the seeds are extracted from the pods through sun drying and mechanical beating, a process that ensures minimal damage to the guar gum seeds. However, the quality of natural gums like guar can be affected by poor handling. Today, various tools and systems are employed to extract guar gum powder in a completely hygienic manner, maintaining its quality and effectiveness.

Specifications and Standards

The quality of guar gum split is regulated through specific standards, such as those set by the United States FCC and the European Union. These standards specify maximum levels for moisture, ash, acid insoluble residue, and heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and copper, ensuring that guar gum remains safe and effective for consumption and use in various guar gum applications.

Conclusion

As the largest manufacturer of guar gum , india continues to play a pivotal role in the global market. The adaptability of guar plants to challenging agricultural environments, combined with the significant economic and industrial benefits of guar gum, underscores its importance as a sustainable and versatile product. With ongoing advancements in cultivation and processing technologies, India's position as a leading guar gum manufacturer is set to strengthen further, supporting both local agriculture and global industries.

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endangered-justice-seeker · 6 years

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'I Work 3 Jobs And Donate Blood Plasma to Pay the Bills.' This Is What It’s Like to Be a Teacher in America

Hope Brown can make $60 donating plasma from her blood cells twice in one week, and a little more if she sells some of her clothes at a consignment store. It’s usually just enough to cover an electric bill or a car payment. This financial juggling is now a part of her everyday life—something she never expected almost two decades ago when she earned a master’s degree in secondary education and became a high school history teacher. Brown often works from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. at her school in Versailles, Ky., then goes to a second job manning the metal detectors and wrangling rowdy guests at Lexington’s Rupp Arena. With her husband, she also runs a historical tour company for extra money.

“I truly love teaching,” says the 52-year-old. “But we are not paid for the work that we do.”

That has become the rallying cry of many of America’s public-school teachers, who have staged walkouts and marches on six state capitols this year. From Arizona to Oklahoma, in states blue, red and purple, teachers have risen up to demand increases in salaries, benefits and funding for public education. Their outrage has struck a chord, reviving a national debate over the role and value of teachers and the future of public education.

For many teachers, this year’s uprising is decades in the making. The country’s roughly 3.2 million full-time public-school teachers (kindergarten through high school) are experiencing some of the worst wage stagnation of any profession, earning less on average, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than they did in 1990, according to Department of Education (DOE) data.

Meanwhile, the pay gap between teachers and other comparably educated professionals is now the largest on record. In 1994, public-school teachers in the U.S. earned 1.8% less per week than comparable workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a left-leaning think tank. By last year, they made 18.7% less. The situation is particularly grim in states such as Oklahoma, where teachers’ inflation-adjusted salaries actually decreased by about $8,000 in the last decade, to an average of $45,245 in 2016, according to DOE data. In Arizona, teachers’ average inflation-adjusted annual wages are down $5,000.

The decline in education funding is not limited to salaries. Twenty-nine states were still spending less per student in 2015, adjusted for inflation, than they did before the Great Recession, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, leaving many public schools dilapidated, overcrowded and reliant on outdated textbooks and threadbare supplies.

To many teachers, these trends are a result of a decades-long and bipartisan war on public education, born of frustration with teachers’ unions, a desire to standardize curricula and a professed commitment to fiscal austerity. This has led to a widespread expansion of charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately operated, and actions such as a move in the Wisconsin legislature in 2011 to strip teachers’ pensions and roll back collective bargaining rights. This year, Colorado lawmakers voted to raise teachers’ retirement age and cut benefits.

As states tightened the reins on teacher benefits, many also enacted new benchmarks for student achievement, with corresponding standardized tests, curricula changes and evaluations of teacher performance. The loss of control over their classrooms combined with the direct hit to their pocketbooks was too much for many teachers to bear.

The wave began in West Virginia, where in February and March some 20,000 teachers walked out across the state. Educators there—who made an average of $45,701 in 2016, according to the DOE—refused to enter their classrooms until the state met their demands to fully fund insurance benefits and increase salaries. Instead, they marched on the capitol, passed out bag lunches for low-income students who normally rely on free school meals and watched as public support flooded their way. After nine school days, lawmakers caved and approved a 5% wage increase. Weeks later, the specter of a similar strike led Oklahoma lawmakers to pass the state’s first major tax increase in nearly 30 years to fund raises for teachers who still walked out for more funding. Teachers in Kentucky and Arizona—both GOP-leaning states—followed their lead.

But teachers faced opposition at times from state and federal leaders. In April, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos criticized striking teachers, suggesting they were failing to serve their students and urging them to “keep adult disagreements” out of the classroom.

And when school was out for the summer, the teachers’ momentum was blunted. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that public-sector unions can’t mandate fees from nonmembers—a decision that experts estimate could cost influential teachers’ unions money and clout. And in August, the Arizona supreme court blocked a ballot initiative that would have added $690 million annually to state education funding.

Teachers are out to regain the upper hand. Some have already gone on strike in Washington State, and others are threatening to do so in Los Angeles and Virginia. And they promise to turn out in force for November’s midterm elections, where hundreds of teachers are running for office on platforms that promise more support for public schools. They have also sought to remind the public that they are on the front lines of America’s frayed social safety net, dealing with children affected by the opioid crisis, living in poverty and fearful of the next school shooting.

Read more about what it’s like to survive on a teacher’s salary

Recent polling suggests teachers have the public on their side. Nearly 60% of people in a Ipsos/USA Today survey released Sept. 12 think teachers are underpaid, while a majority of both Republicans and Democrats believe they have the right to strike.

“We have to organize even harder and even broader,” says Los Angeles teacher Rosa Jimenez. “People are fired up.”

When Elaine Hutchison’s mother started teaching in Oklahoma in 1970, she made about $7,000 a year. In 2018 dollars, that’s roughly $45,000—nearly the same salary Hutchison, Oklahoma’s 2013 Teacher of the Year, now makes after a quarter-century on the job. Hutchison, 48, is a fourth-generation educator whose daughter also plans to become a teacher. She says she never got into teaching for the money, but, “I do want to be paid what I’m worth.”

Since the first U.S. public-school system was established in Massachusetts in 1647, many localities have struggled to pay teachers and searched for people willing to do the job for less. In the mid-1800s, California superintendent of public instruction John Swett lamented that the work of teachers was not “as well-paid as the brain labor of the lawyer, the physician, the clergyman, the editor.”

“They ought not to be expected to break mental bread to the children of others and feed their own with stones,” Swett wrote in 1865, foreshadowing arguments still made by teachers today.

Teaching has long been dominated by women, and experts say the roots of its relatively low pay lie in sexism. “The ‘hidden subsidy of public education’ is the fact that teachers for many years were necessarily working at suppressed wage levels because they really had no options other than teaching,” says Susan Moore Johnson, a professor of education at Harvard and an expert in teacher policy.

In 1960, teaching was more lucrative than other comparable careers for women, according to the EPI, but that was because of limited opportunity, not high pay. As women were admitted to other professions in wider numbers, choosing teaching carried a cost. For example registered nurses—another career historically dominated by women—make far more than teachers today, earning an average annual wage of $73,550 in 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nursing shortages in some parts of the U.S. have led to signing bonuses, free housing, tuition reimbursement and other perks, while teacher shortages have contributed to some states increasing class sizes, shortening school weeks and enacting emergency certification for people who aren’t trained as educators.

Nationwide, the estimated average public-school teacher’s salary is now $58,950, according to the National Center for Education Statistics—a respectable income in many locales, but actual wages vary widely by state, and often do not track with costs of living. When compared to professions with similar education levels, teacher pay tends to pale. In 2016, for instance, the average teacher’s starting salary was $38,617—20% lower than that of other professions requiring a college degree.

The public response to the teachers’ protests shows signs of a shift in the perception of the profession. Even in conservative states, many voters backed tax increases to support public education, and called on lawmakers to stop cutting school budgets. State funding for public schools fell off a cliff 10 years ago, when recession-wracked states slashed education budgets and cut taxes. The uprising in West Virginia seemed to mark a turning point in public support for refilling the coffers.

But like most stories, the fight over teacher pay has many shades of gray. Generous retirement and health-benefits packages negotiated by teachers’ unions in flusher times are a drain on many states. Those who believe most teachers are fairly paid point to those benefits, along with their summer break, to make their case.

Teachers, however, say those apparent perks often disappear upon inspection. Many regularly work over the summer, planning curricula, taking continuing education and professional development courses, and running summer programs at their schools, making it a year-round job. Indeed, teachers—about 40% of whom are not covered by Social Security because of states’ reliance on pension plans—must stay in the same state to collect their pensions. Studies have shown that the majority of new teachers don’t stay in the same district long enough to qualify for pensions. Even for those who do stand to gain, it can be hard to find reassurance in distant retirement benefits when salaries haven’t kept pace with the cost of living.

“Utility companies do not care that you had a great day with one of your students. They don’t care that you’re coaching the soccer team. They want you to pay for the services that they provide you,” says NaShonda Cooke, a teacher and single mother of two in Raleigh, N.C. “I can’t tell you how many letters I got this summer that said final notice.” Cooke, who makes about $69,000, often skips doctor’s appointments to save the co-pay and worries about paying for her eldest daughter’s college education. “It’s not about wanting a pay raise or extra income,” she says. “It’s just about wanting a livable wage.”

Stagnant wages are one reason teachers believe school districts across the country are facing hiring crises. This year in Oklahoma, a record number of teachers were given emergency teaching certifications, despite no traditional training. In Arizona, school districts began recruiting overseas to fill their shortfall. Last year, U.S. public schools hired 2,800 foreign teachers on special visas, up from 1,500 in 2012, according to federal data.

The pipeline, meanwhile, is drying up. Between 2008 and 2016, the number of new educators completing preparatory programs fell by 23%, according to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. And once teachers make it to the classroom, attrition is high: at least 17% leave the profession within the first five years, a 2015 study found.

Hutchison says her daughter has plans to continue the family teaching tradition, but it’s becoming a harder path for a middle-class kid. Hutchison’s sibling—an attorney, engineer and physical therapist—all earned graduate degrees, but now she makes half of what they do. “My younger brother who’s an engineer—his bonus is more than my salary,” she says.

As the new school year gets under way, many are picking up where the spring protests left off. In L.A., teachers voted in August to authorize a strike if negotiations continue to stall over issues including teacher pay and class sizes. In Washington, teachers in several districts are already on strike, calling for pay raises to come out of newly allocated education funding. In Virginia, teachers are floating the possibility of a statewide walkout.

Brown, the Kentucky teacher, says the fight needs to happen now or never. If budget cuts and school privatization efforts continue, she warns, teaching will cease to be a viable career for educated, engaged and ambitious people. She talks about what she does not as a job but as a calling. “I’m not necessarily a religious person, but I do believe I was put here to be a teacher,” she says. “I just want to be able to financially do that.”

But to Brown, it’s not only about what she and her fellow teachers are worth, because they’re not in the classroom alone. If the public is on their side, they say, it’s ultimately because of the kids.

—With reporting by Haley Sweetland Edwards/New York

EVERY CANDIDATE running for office should be forced to address this issue. And we need to stop have these sorry ass folks moderating candidate debates who refuse to ask about this and other education issues. Why don’t they? Their kids are in private school with well paid teachers.

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frankgiunta · 2 years

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Michigan Theater Hit with Massive Sexual Harassment Scandal - Legal Reader

https://frankgiunta.com/michigan-theater-hit-with-massive-sexual-harassment-scandal-legal-reader/

Michigan Theater Hit with Massive Sexual Harassment Scandal - Legal Reader

Many of the cases have been dismissed because victims took too long to come forward. The statute of limitations bars victims from taking legal action after a certain amount of time has passed. The Purple Rose Theater in Michigan has been hit with a massive sexual harassment scandal. The artistic director has been forced to resign amidst complaints of a toxic, discriminatory, unsafe, and sexually abuse work environment. More details are coming out, but there is no shortage of actors who are willing to come forward with their own personal experiences. These accounts are quite shocking, and they remind us all that the arts community in Michigan is not immune to sexual harassment concerns. If you have been sexually harassed at your workplace in Michigan, you need to get in touch with a qualified, experienced sexual harassment attorney as soon as possible. Whether your harassment has taken place in a theater, a restaurant, or an office, it is always unacceptable. Furthermore, it is illegal. This means that you can file a lawsuit against guilty parties in order to recover a settlement and hold them accountable for their misconduct. What is Going on at the Purple Rose Theater? The Purple Rose Theater is located in Chelsea, Michigan. In 1995, Guy Sanville started working there as the artistic director. He held this position until November of 2021, when he was forced to resign amidst widespread accusations of abuse. Among other things, actors and other stage workers accused Purple Rose Theater of unsafe working conditions, psychological abuse, discrimination, wage violations, and much more. Many of these victims had allegedly suffered abuse while in the theater’s apprentice program. Many of the accusations are of a sexual nature. Apparently, many of the apprentices were subjected to “inappropriate intimacy exercises.” One female apprentice has labeled Guy Sanville as an “aggressive and abusive misogynist.” She claims that the Artistic Director made “lewd and sexually abusive advances” towards female apprentices. This former apprentice also claims that he made inappropriate sexual comments about their bodies. She even states that he instructed an actor to appear nude on stage “just because he wanted to see her body.”

Image by Priscilla Du Preez, via Unsplash.com.What Happens Now? Many former apprentices and employees have banded together to hold the theater company accountable for this toxic work environment. The arbitration process has begun, although all of the victims have mutually agreed that they are “not in it for the money.” That being said, many of the cases have been dismissed because victims took too long to come forward. The statute of limitations bars victims from taking legal action after a certain amount of time has passed. Enlist the Help of a Qualified Attorney Today If you’ve been searching the Detroit area for a qualified, experienced sexual harassment attorney, there are plenty of legal professionals ready and waiting to assist you. These experts can guide you towards a positive legal outcome. They can negotiate on your behalf, represent you in court, and handle the more complex aspects of your lawsuit while you focus on healing. Reach out today, book your consultation, and begin taking decisive legal action.

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dragonfics · 6 years

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Thanks (again) to @itsladykit I was inspired to write some silly rom-com style TwistedHoneyMoney. The exact words that started it were “Twist/Rus, Cash/Rus, Twist/Cash love triangle (the kind that ends in polyamory, but starts with a rivalry between Twist and Cash)”. How was I to say no to a good old-fashioned love triangle? (Especially one with a Tale-verse monster sandwiched between to Fell-verse idiots).

Relationships: TwistedHoneyMoney (Twistfell Papyrus/Underswap Papyrus/Purple Swapfell Papyrus) (The poly relationship is not yet established in this chapter)

Summary: Fell-verse monsters have a strange method of courtship—one some might deem a little unorthodox (or, in the words of certain monsters—undignified). Then again, it takes a fool (or two) to underestimate the duplicity of a Tale-verse monster. After all, isn’t it always the ones you least expect?

Tags: Non-explicit sexual content (this chapter), flirting, teasing, unconventional courtship

Warnings: Nothing serious, but this may come across as a sort of “cheating” (though no one is in an established relationship). Everything is consensual however, and the rivalry is in good-spirits (for the most part). But... they are assholes. I’m not even going to try and deny it.

Just two chapters for this one! It was meant to be a one-shot, but I went completely overboard with the “courtship”. (I would also like to apologise to anyone waiting on the next chapter of Argent Night. Unfortunately, I’ve been a bit swamped with uni stuff, so I’ve had to delay the update. I’m hoping to get the next chapter out by next weekend.)

With that all out of the way, I hope you enjoy!

~Beneath the cut~

When the Barrier had broken, and monsters had reached the Surface, it had soon become apparent that certain members of their race were more suited to life among humans than others. While many monsters settled comfortably into their new lifestyle, some found themselves struggling to adapt to the everyday norms of human society.

“Public transport? What a concept! Why on earth would I travel out in the open where anyone could attack me without warning?”

These more ill-fitted monsters were dubbed ‘Fell-verse’ by the gentler portion of their cohort, given the widespread notion that they were merely ‘fallen’ versions of the average monster.

Naturally, the Fell-verse monsters were not pleased with this distinction, and chose to name the softer members of their species ‘Tale-verse’—as an act of petty revenge (in their own eyes, at least).

“Utter airheads, the lot of them! Waltzing around as if life is some sort of fairy-tale.”

But despite a few initial disagreements, the Tale-verse and Fell-verse monsters soon came to develop a sort of fondness of each other (though neither would ever admit it openly). Though they still butted heads occasionally, their fascination with each other took over many early misgivings.

Compassion, joy, and zest were all fairly foreign concepts to many Fell-verse monsters. So it came as quite a shock to them when the Tale-verse monsters displayed such things so openly. Words like ‘naivety’, ‘absent-mindedness’, and even ‘stupidity’ were thrown around by some. Others, however, found themselves quite enthralled by the sweeter monsters, and many Fell-verse monsters were soon to be seen wandering the streets in the company of Tale-verse monsters.

And indeed, the Fell monsters weren’t the only ones intrigued by their counterparts. Many Tale-verse monsters derived amusement from the brash behaviour of Fell-verse monsters. More than once, a Tale-verse monster would have to explain the common social etiquettes of human society to a Fell-verse monster.

“He wasn’t trying to kill you, he was just offering you a drink.”

And, as time took its course, the question of Tale-verse and Fell-verse monsters entering ‘intimate relationships’ with each other arose. At first, the mere suggestion was met with utter indignance.

On the Tale-verse end, one often heard comments such as: “Utterly absurd! Can you imagine actually trying to tame one of those creatures long enough to have relations with it? I, for one, am content to let them ravage each other instead of those of us with a little dignity!”

And, on the Fell-verse side of things: “yeah, i guess i’d fuck a—heh—tail-verse or two. but, like, do they even know what they’re doin’? … do they know what fuckin’ is?”

Yet for all the doubts and naysaying, nature inevitably took its course, and soon, relationships between Fell-verse and Tale-verse monsters came to be—rare, though they were.

It soon came to the attention of the Tale-verse monsters however, that their Fell-verse counterparts had a fairly… abnormal method of courtship. Many seemed to lack the charisma acquired to ‘woo’ the Tale-verse monsters—a fact they made up for in blunt, unashamed forwardness. And though this approach had its benefits (most Fell monsters weren’t overly fond of small-talk), its success rate was fairly laughable. As it turned out, Tale-verse monsters tended to expect a little more decorum from their suitors.

Another trait which seemed prominent among Fell-verse monsters, was the (sometimes mildly aggressive) tendency towards competitiveness. And in the case of seduction, this often led to the unabashed art of bragging of one’s conquests. It soon became a point of pride, for one to be able to say that they had been intimate with a Tale-verse monster. After all, what sort of social prowess must one possess to be able to seduce such an enigmatic creature?

Twist, a skeleton monster (and one of very few, at that), could make no claim to possessing any degree of subtlety or finesse when faced with social encounters. What he didn’t lack however—was confidence. While he’d never been one to brag (at least, not explicitly), his list of Tale-verse conquests was to be admired. Whether it was his words or his reputation—few could be sure—but Twist seemed to possess a knack for charming his way into the beds of Tale-verse monsters.

Cash, another Fell-verse skeleton, could make similar proclamations about his sex-life—and he did. Though a little shy of Twist’s level of confidence, Cash was a very proud monster, and took great strides to ensure the word of his prowess spread as far as was possible. Though he lacked Twist’s charm (and for Twist, ‘charm’ was probably a generous descriptor), he certainly had no shortage of affluence. When his wits failed him, he always had his wealth to fall back on (and it served him well).

But, as it stood, neither Twist nor Cash were quite satisfied with the list of successful Tale-verse endeavours to their names. There was one they would have liked to add—a monster they’d both had in interest in for quite some time.

Rus was a Tale-verse skeleton—and a rather fascinating one at that (in the shared opinion of Twist and Cash, in any case). Though Tale-verse through and through, Rus was rather a curiosity for the two Fell skeletons. He smiled—a lot—yet there was something behind his smile that left the mind wondering. The smile was by no means false, but it held a certain degree of ambiguity, which stirred an element of uncertainty—and intrigue—in the Fell-verse skeletons.

Being of the same ilk, Twist and Cash saw in each other a competitor for Rus’s affections. While both had yet to make a move on him, the tension between them had been present for a long time. And it was on a warm Friday night—at one of the skeletons’ weekly gatherings—that these tensions rose to a head.

****

Twist was a monster who made it his mission to spend as much time in public as his schedule allowed. So when the Tale-verse skeletons had proposed a weekly ‘pub night’—a visit to their neighbourhood’s local watering hole—Twist had been one of the first to speak up in favour of the idea (in spite of many of the other Fell-verse skeletons’ protests to the ‘Tale-verse nonsense’). And once the tradition had begun, Twist had become one of the few (if not the only) to attend every single gathering.

And this week was no different. He sat at the bar, sipping his drink and observing the other patrons (monsters and humans alike) chatting and laughing away. It was a relatively quiet night, and only a few of the skeletons had deigned to show up. Rus and Cash were both in attendance, and as it stood—very much occupied by each other.

Twist watched, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement, as Cash made his very best effort to hold Rus’s attentions. They were seated in a booth along with two of the other skeletons—Red, and Blackberry (Twist’s brother). But neither Rus nor Cash were paying much heed to the other two, sitting a little closer to each other than was perhaps necessary for an ordinary conversation.

But Twist knew it would be a while still before Cash was ready to make his move. The set of his shoulders was tense and anxious, and he barely seemed able to maintain eye contact with Rus for more than a few seconds. Twist would have been more than eager to indulge himself in the entertaining activity of watching Cash squander each passing opportunity to seduce Rus for the entire night—but, Twist wasn’t known for his patience, so after downing the remainder of his drink, he stood and crossed the bar.

As he approached the booth, Rus and Cash both looked up (the latter appearing a little less than pleased at the intrusion). “Heya, Tale-verse,” Twist addressed Rus, grinning.

“twisted,” Rus greeted in response.

Cash was giving Twist an apathetic glare, and Twist lifted a challenging brow-bone before returning his attentions to Rus. “Y’know, ‘m feelin’ a little pent up—ya wanna head back ta my place fer a couple a’ hours?”

Twist knew he was taking a risk; though this very direct method of enticement had worked in the past, Rus was difficult to read. Cash, on the other hand, made no effort to hide his bewilderment. “for goodness sake, twist, ya can’t just—”

“sure,” Rus responded, standing. Cash blinked, clearly stunned (in truth, Twist couldn’t claim to be any less surprised, but he refrained from revealing as much). Rus shot Cash a smile. “i’ll see you later, moneybags.”

Cash seemed to be struggling to find words, looking crestfallen as Twist slung an arm over Rus’s shoulders, pulling him against his side. “Don’ worry, Patches, I’ll take good care a’ him,” Twist said, knowing full well that the nickname embarrassed Cash to no end.

True to his nature, Cash blushed a pale shade of violet, ducking his head and turning his covered eye away. Twist chuckled, and pressed his teeth to the crown of Rus’s skull. “Ready ta head off then, sweetheart? I’m as good as they say, promise,” he added, with a wink.

“oh, i don’t doubt it,” Rus said. “and if you prove to be better—maybe i’ll even consider fucking you again.” Twist took no small amount of delight in the smug grin he was able to cast in Cash’s direction as he led Rus from the bar.

Needless to say, he’d won.

And, as it turned out, Rus was just as profound a partner as Twist had been hoping (more so, even). His stamina was surprising for someone of his HP, and he made very little effort to keep himself quiet (which Twist appreciated immensely). He was also astoundingly more attentive than Twist had been expecting—leaving Twist more satisfied than he could have hoped for.

As they lay beside each other on Twist’s mattress, Twist couldn’t help but grin to himself. “Gotta say, Tale-verse, I’m impressed,” he said, a little breathlessly.

“i’d be offended if you weren’t,” Rus replied, smirking. He rolled over, pressing himself against Twist’s side and resting his head on his shoulder. “you weren’t half bad yourself.”

Twist was somewhat startled by the gentle display of affection—and had to remind himself for a moment that Rus was a Tale-verse monster. Well, though unfamiliar, it certainly wasn’t anything Twist was opposed to. After a moment’s hesitation, he returned the gesture, wrapping an arm around Rus. It felt… nice.

The pleasant haze of their afterglow was broken by the dull buzz of Rus’s cell phone. Casting Twist a sheepish grin, he untangled himself from his arms, turning over and answering the call. “heya, cash. what’s up?”

Twist froze in disbelief. Why would Patches be calling now…?

“what am i doing…?” Rus turned to cast Twist a wink. “something unfathomably stupid.” Twist stifled a snort, but watched Rus carefully. There was no chance Cash was simply calling for a friendly chat; his motivations were undoubtedly less than honest. “hmm, your place?” Rus’s response to whatever Cash had said confirmed Twist’s suspicions. “tell you what—why don’t you give me an hour? that work?” Rus stifled a snort, his gaze flickering to Twist. “yeah, i’ll shower first, you asshole. see you soon.”

For a moment, Twist had to remind himself not to gape. He stared at Rus as he hung up, struggling to hide his bewilderment. “Yer… meetin’ up with Patches?” he asked cautiously, ensuring he hadn’t misunderstood the phone call.

Rus flushed slightly, but smiled, his eyes darting away from Twist. “yeah… something wrong with that?”

Twist blinked, trying to comprehend the situation. While Cash’s intrusion was not unexpected—Rus’s agreement to his offer certainly was. Still, Twist wasn’t one to back down so easily—though he couldn’t stop Rus from engaging with Cash tonight… he could certainly delay him. “We still go ‘n hour, don’ we?”

Rus shrugged. “i suppose.”

“Good.” Grinning, Twist rolled them over, straddling Rus’s hips. He leaned down, kissing the surprised look off Rus’s face. “’Cause I’ve got a few more things I’d like ta do ta ya before ya go.”

Twist considered it a victory that Rus didn’t have time to shower before he left.

Twist made sure to awake before sunrise the next morning. His bones ached pleasantly from the previous night’s activities, and his magic felt considerably warm and settled. After a quick breakfast, he made his way to the nearest bus stop. He was at Cash’s house before seven. Not bothering to ring the bell of the ridiculously pricy penthouse, Twist waltzed inside—noting that Cash seemed to have forgotten to lock the front door. He certainly must have been eager.

To Twist’s surprise, Rus was sprawled out on one of the lavish sofas in the living room, fast asleep. Cash was nowhere in sight. Shooting a cautious glance at the staircase, Twist approached Rus, placing a light hand on his shoulder. “Hey, Tale-verse,” he whispered, as Rus blearily opened his eye sockets. He blinked at Twist in surprise, a hint of amusement in his features.

“twisted… couldn’t stay away, could you?” Rus murmured through a yawn.

“Nah.” Twist grinned, climbing onto the sofa beside Rus. “Patches made ya sleep on the couch?” he questioned, lifting a brow bone.

“who says we were sleeping?” Rus asked, smirking.

Twist chuckled, leaning in. “Wanna not sleep some more?”

Rus snorted. “you sure have a way with words, twisted. do you want me to suck you off or eat you out?”

Twist grinned, feeling victorious. Leaning in, he pressed their teeth together, satisfied by Rus’s soft hum of appreciation. “How ‘bout both?” he murmured, nipping at Rus’s jaw.

Rus drew away to regard him with dubiety. “now you’re just being greedy.”

“Why waste a mouth as exquisite as yers on jus’ one form of oral?”

“well now, how can i say no to such a sweet-talker?”

Twist couldn’t decide if he was more satisfied by Rus’s performance, or the look on Cash’s face when he emerged at the top of the stairs to find Rus with his head between Twist’s legs.

A week passed without incident (sexual or otherwise), and it wasn’t until the skeletons’ next gathering that Twist saw Rus and Cash again. The day was hot, and Twist was thankful for the cool air-conditioning inside the bar. What he was not so thankful for however, was the sight of Cash and Rus huddled beside each other in one of the corner booths.

By all appearances, things seemed fairly normal (but, perhaps, for their proximity to each other). But as Twist drew closer, he came to notice a rather strange expression on Rus’s face. He looked almost pained, and light beads of sweat dotted his skull. It was only when Twist caught Cash’s expression—an almost vindictive grin—that he realised something more was at play.

Any other monster would have shied away the moment they caught whim of what was going on between the two skeletons—but Twist wasn’t just any monster. Shame was something relatively foreign to him, and without qualm, he sat down beside them, shooting Cash a broad grin. “Heya, Tale-verse—Patches—what’re ya up to?”

Rus’s eyes went wide, a heavy blush sinking into his features. But when he opened his mouth to speak, Cash cut in, leaning over to regard Twist with a challenging tilt of his head. “not much. i was just givin’ rus a hand with somethin’. isn’t that right, sweetheart?” Rus blushed deeper as Cash’s teeth grazed his neck, but he nodded (a little breathlessly), remaining silent.

Twist observed them, projecting unfazed amusement despite the frustration Cash was igniting within him. “Well,” he said, shrugging with casual indifference and leaning back, “don’ stop on my account.”

“we weren’t,” Cash growled, and Rus whimpered softly, turning to bury his face in Cash’s chest. But Cash stopped him, holding him at bay with his free hand (the other was currently… occupied). “nah, love. i want ya ta look at him. go on. turn around.”

Rus stared at Cash for a few seconds, tears leaking from the corners of his eye sockets, before turning hesitantly to look at Twist. Cash pressed his teeth to Rus’s acoustic meatus, whispering something too quiet for Twist to hear. But given the sudden heated look that crossed Rus’s features—it wasn’t difficult to guess the nature of Cash’s words.

Twist knew walking away would be admitting defeat, but he still felt thoroughly put on the spot. Embarrassment wasn’t really an emotion he was familiar with, yet he could feel magic tingling beneath the surface of his bones. Rus’s expression was an enticing mixture of bliss and discomposure, his eyes straying from Twist’s face, and his cheeks glowing. Though Twist would normally be more than inclined to enjoy the display, Cash’s complacent smirk was very off-putting.

He relinquished to sit and watch, forcing his features to appear neutral, until at last Cash pressed his hand over Rus’s mouth to muffle his cries, and pulled away. “you were perfect, darlin’,” Cash murmured, running his tongue over Rus’s neck, while keeping his gaze firmly locked on Twist. “gonna go wash my hands,” he said, sliding out of the booth and casting Twist a triumphant smirk. “don’t worry, love, i took good care of ‘im.”

Twist watched Cash go, pressing back the retorts he itched to speak. When Cash was out of sight, Twist turned to Rus, who still looked a little flushed. Shuffling over, Twist traced his fingers over the back of Rus’s hand playfully, leaning in to murmur, “Need me ta take ya home, Tale-verse? I can give y’a ride.”

Rus glanced at him, lifting a brow-bone. “you don’t drive,” he pointed out.

“Not that kinda ride, sweetheart.”

By some miracle, Rus agreed. Twist was more than obliged to continue his rivalry with Cash—indeed, he was rather delighted. The competition was thrilling—seeing the mix of outrage and frustration on Cash’s face every time Twist gained the upper hand was immensely satisfying. Not to mention, Rus was a damn good fuck.

****

Cash had never been one for socialising. He tended to avoid human (and monster) interaction as much as physically possible, and spending time in the presence of crowds was a peeve of his. He had been one of the first to reject the bullshit Tale-verse suggestion for a ‘weekly hang-out’. In fact, the first time he had attended had only been at Twist’s unrelenting insistence.

He had attended every one since.

Cash liked Rus. He liked talking to him, being around him, touching him. He was all sweet smiles and soft whispers and subtle glances that made Cash feel wanted. So on that warm Friday night, Cash’s soul had leapt a little when Rus had chosen to sit beside him. Him—and not that Twisted asshole who kept shooting them glances from across the bar. Cash made sure to establish the fact that Rus’s attentions were his for the night. He shuffled close to him, leaned in, and did his best to smile and engage.

But for the life of him, he couldn’t seem to get the right words out—hell, he could barely look at Rus without blushing. And before long, Twist was standing beside their booth, his body angled in such a way that flaunted the sharp curve of his hip and displayed just a sliver of his clavicle. His eyes were on Rus, but Cash caught the brief smug glances in his direction.

When Rus left with Twist, it felt as if a dagger had embedded itself in Cash’s chest. His fists trembled at his sides, and he could do little but stare at the hard oak of the table as his magic boiled. He caught a glimpse of Blackberry’s smug half-smile across the table, and snapped his head up, teeth gritted. “somethin’ to say, berry?”

Blackberry sighed, sounding almost pitying. “You’re not going to win against him, Cash,” he stated simply.

Irritated, Cash cast a glance at Red, who merely shrugged in concession. “yeah, uh, sorry bud. the twisted’s got ya beat by a mile an’ a half.”

Cash stared at both of them for half a minute before standing abruptly, marching for the door without so much as a ‘goodbye’. He seldom bothered mustering the energy for petty competitions—but Twist somehow seemed to know just which of his buttons to push, and Cash was nothing if not stubborn. He would not be losing this.

Relief flooded Cash when Rus picked up on the other end of the line around an hour later (a very small part of him entertained the idea that Rus had been hoping Cash would call). And Rus’s unfaltering agreement to come over sent Cash’s soul aflutter. He couldn’t help but grin to himself as he hung up, wishing more than anything that he could see the look on the Twisted bastard’s face.

When Rus arrived an hour later, he was looking a little dishevelled. “you smell like sex,” Cash remarked, letting him in.

Rus hummed in agreement, crossing the room and flopping onto one of the plush sofas. “uh… yeah. that’s normally what happens when you have sex.” Cash felt a sick pit settling in his chest, and he grimaced. Seeming to sense his discomfort, Rus quickly shook his head, smiling. “but… feel free to try and prove me wrong.” His tongue danced over his teeth, and Cash felt warmth pooling in his groin.

After pouring them both a glass of his most expensive champagne, he sat beside Rus, who seemed more than grateful for the drink. “are you trying to get me drunk, cash?” he asked, lifting a brow-bone in teasing.

“i’m trying to give you the treatment you deserve,” Cash told him, smoothly. His breath stuttered as Rus’s hand glided slowly up his femur, settling just beneath his pelvic inlet.

“fuck me on this sofa, and i’ll consider myself treated,” Rus purred, pressing his teeth against Cash’s neck. Though Cash normally turn his nose up at the thought of sullying his pristine couches—he decided to make an exception for Rus.

And oh, was he glad he did. Though fucking Rus was sweet and gentle, it was nothing like Cash had imagined it to be. Though Rus was soft and considerate—he was by no means submissive. Even as Cash pounded into him, he could feel Rus guiding his movements, encouraging him, whispering words of praise and adoration.

When Cash came, it was with tears in his eyes, and Rus’s name falling from his mouth. He flushed at how embarrassingly quickly he had reached his climax, but Rus seemed unconcerned, almost immediately curling up against him and falling asleep.

A little startled at the unreserved display of trust, Cash carefully pried himself out of Rus’s arms, gathering a blanket and draping it over him before hurrying upstairs, his cheeks burning. A small bloom of pride unfurled inside him—where Rus had only remained with Twist for a mere hour, he had chosen to stay with Cash for an entire night (even if he was only sleeping on his sofa). Cash almost considered joining him, but decided against it, the thought a little daunting.

Needless to say, the fury and despair he felt at finding Twist in his living room the next morning with Rus’s face buried in his crotch—was unfathomable. Cash vowed nothing short of bitter revenge in return.

A week later, he delivered on his promise.

The blistering heat of the day did nothing to quell the heady agitation of Cash’s magic, and he was more than grateful when he found Rus sitting in their usual booth alone at the bar. Sliding in beside him, he pushed his misgivings to the back of his mind, and slung his arm over Rus’s shoulders, leaning into him. “bit warm today, isn’ it?” he remarked, satisfied by the look of surprise on Rus’s face.

“i—i suppose it is,” Rus said, seeming a little taken off guard by the physical gesture. This delighted Cash, and he tugged Rus closer. He could feel the heat radiating from his body, and dared to indulge the idea that Rus might be just as horny as he was.

He turned his head to press his teeth to the angle of Rus’s jaw, feeling a shudder go through Rus as he scraped his teeth over the bone. “hmm… you smell delicious, y’know that?”

Rus’s breath hitched as Cash’s fingers found the waistband of his pants, teasing at the base of his spine and iliac crest. “i—the others might be here soon,” he murmured, his breathing beginning to quicken.

“do you want me ta stop?” Cash asked, pausing.

“i don’t… n-no.”

“good,” Cash breathed, his fingers finding the pool of magic which had settled at Rus’s pelvic inlet. “because i really don’t want ta stop… and besides, pretty sure the twisted asshole is the only one showin’ up today.”

Rus pulled away slightly to glance at him, a brow-bone lifted in skeptical amusement. Cash flushed a little, suddenly wishing he hadn’t spoken. But to his surprise, Rus only grinned and leaned close to whisper, “well then, we’d better put on a damn good show.”

By the time Twist arrived, Rus was barely short of a mess of sweat and magic in Cash’s hands (or, hand, rather). The sudden expansion of Twist’s eye-light didn’t surprise Cash, and he smirked as he caught Twist’s gaze. He was a little surprised when Twist sat down beside them—even more so when he remained where he was after it became obvious that Cash wasn’t stopping.

Cash heaved Rus closer, wrapping his free arm around his chest possessively, and whispering obscene words against his skull. Throughout the encounter, he refused to release Twist’s gaze—the bastard needed to learn that Cash wasn’t one to accept defeat so easily. For once, Cash found himself struggling to read Twist’s expression. His eye would occasionally stray to Rus’s face, but for the most part, he seemed to be having difficulty keeping it off Cash.

When Rus came, Cash pressed his hand over his mouth to silence him, despite the rowdy chatter that filled the bar. He allowed Rus barely a moment to catch his breath before leaning in to smooth his tongue over Rus’s neck. “you were perfect, darlin’,” he breathed, softly, carefully gauging Twist’s response. To his disappointment, Twist appeared (for the most part) unaffected by the display, but for the pale flush of magic around the spiderweb cracks of his eye socket. Giving Rus’s femur a gentle squeeze, Cash stood. “gonna go wash my hands.” He glanced at Twist, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. “don’t worry, love, i took good care of ‘im.”

As he walked away, Cash preened at the way Twist’s jaw clenched—just a little. Though he knew this competition of theirs was far from over, he couldn’t help but revel in his small victory. While he was more than enjoying the pleasure of Rus’s company, he was beginning to find himself quite thrilled by Twist’s small slips in composure. The idea of seeing him fall apart completely was… more than intriguing.

****

The feud between Twist and Cash continued for weeks. With Rus as their weapon of choice, they tormented each other to no end—going so far as to interrupt one another in the midst of their ‘revenge schemes’. One positive at least, was that Rus seemed to have no complaints in regards to the arrangement. If he had any reservations about his role in Twist and Cash’s rivalry, he made no mention of them. Truth be told, he appeared a rather enthusiastic participant.

But, one Friday night at the bar, their antics were brought to a rather abrupt end.

Twist’s hand had somehow found its way up the back of Rus’s shirt, and he had his fingers curled around Rus’s spine—a predicament Rus seemed quite satisfied with. Particularly when coupled with the feeling of Cash’s sharp fingers on his ribs. The look on his face was something akin to deep bliss—though the same could not be said for Twist and Cash. Over Rus, they shared a piercing glare, each determined to outdo the other.

It was only when Edge (who had been observing the endeavour in silent distaste after being quite forgotten by the other three skeletons) loudly declared, “Oh for fuck’s sake, Rus—would you just pick one of them?”—that Twist, Cash, and Rus all came to a simultaneous halt, looking up at Edge in surprise.

Immediately, Twist and Cash exchanged a frantic glance. In the midst of all their attempts to best each other, not once had it occurred to them to simply ask Rus which of them he preferred. And suddenly, all attention was on the Tale-verse skeleton, who faltered beneath the gazes of the other three. “w-well…” he stammered, averting his gaze.

“… well?” Cash was quite literally sitting on the edge of his seat, his fingers clenched around the corner of the table. “which of us is it?”

Rus shook his head, releasing a quiet, humourless laugh. “look—it’s not that easy. i—”

“C’mon, Patches,” Twist interjected, shooting Cash a dubious grin. “It’s obviously me. Ya can’ even last more than a couple a’ minutes.”

Fuming, Cash opened his mouth to snap back at Twist—but Edge quickly cut in, sighing. “Aggrandising your own sexual prowess isn’t going to achieve anything, Twist,” he said, sharply, silencing Twist. “It’s precisely how the two of you landed yourselves in this dilemma in the first place… Rus?” Something unspoken seemed to pass between Rus and Edge—an understanding beyond what Twist or Cash had the capacity to comprehend in that moment.

Rus glanced between Twist and Cash anxiously, resting a hand on each of their arms. But their surprise at the unexpected gentle contact was nothing compared to when Rus quietly confessed, “i… i want both of you.”

#my writing #Fell-verse courtship #TwistedHoneyMoney #Just dicking around. No biggie.#us papyrus #purple sf papyrus #twist papyrus #GiveCashMoreLove2k18

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droneseco · 3 years

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iGame RTX3060 Ultra W OC Review: Next Gen Graphics at an Affordable Price

iGame RTX3060 Ultra W OC

8.00 / 10

Read Reviews

Read more: What is Ray Tracing?

DLSS stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling, and I can only summarise it as utterly magic. Since the RTX20-series, Nvidia GPUs have also housed Tensor Core AI chips. These contain neural networks that are trained on thousands of rendered sequences of identical scenes; one of a lower resolution and lower quality, and one of a higher resolution with more details. They learn what must be done to upscale the poorer quality sequence into the higher resolution one, and can then apply that knowledge later to games as they're being played. The upshot is that you can run a game internally at a lower resolution, and simply upscale the output to your screen.

It's a bit like seeing a tree in winter, and imagining what it looks like in full bloom because you've seen that kind of tree before.

While the first generation of DLSS needed to be trained for specific games, Nvidia now has a more generalized model that works on novel games, too.

Personally, I find it fascinating that this is the evolutionary step that graphics cards took. Instead of simply throwing on more RAM and faster processors at the job, Nvidia literally created a form of digital imagination.

Read more: How DLSS Can Give Budget PCs High-End Graphics

Performance Benchmarks

I've been struggling along with a GTX1080 for a few years now, so that's my point of comparison for these benchmarks. All other specs remained identical: 16 GB RAM, Intel Core i7-6700K, on an Asus Z170 Pro Gaming motherboard.

3D Mark TimeSpy DX12 Test

Baseline GTX1080: 6562

iGame RTX3060: 7738 (17% better)

iGame RTX3060 Turbo mode: 7771 (18.4% better)

Next, I turned to VR Mark, and it was here that I hit a bug plaguing many RTX30-series cards since last year.

VR Mark Cyan Room

Baseline GTX1080: 6377 / 139fps average

iGame RTX3060 Turbo mode: 2750 / 60fps average (54% worse)

Clearly, there's something very wrong here, with the RTX3060 achieving less than half the framerate of a five-year-old card. Nvidia is aware of the issue, but seemingly unable to fix. The bug doesn't just affect the 3060. Precisely how widespread the bug is on the 3060 specifically isn't clear; at the time of writing this review, there are only a few other VR Mark Cyan Room results in the world from RTX3060 owners. One other result is very similar to mine, while those with a Core i9 CPU seemed to fare significantly better.

VR Mark Blue Room

Baseline GTX1080: 2229

iGame RTX3060 Turbo mode: 2645 (18.6% better)

Results on the Blue room were more in line with expectations (though still didn't meet the target frame rate). The Blue Room is a more demanding test, designed to check readiness for future headsets rather than current models.

Will It Cyberpunk?

Despite criticisms, Cyberpunk 2077 remains one of the most engrossing depictions of a possible dystopian future that humanity is headed for. It's also graphically demanding with beautiful neon cityscapes, which is why I chose it as my main point of testing to see exactly how pretty it could look running on this card.

For consistency, I recorded average frame rates during the same sequence of events; walking the path outside V's apartment to a little beyond the elevator, and back again. You can view some of the recorded footage and comparisons in the full review video; the screenshots below do not do it justice.

Anytime I enabled raytracing, it was at ultra settings; while DLSS was used on the balanced profile. A summary of results is shown below (including the settings I settled on eventually), with frame rate along the X-axis.

1080p Ultra

As a baseline, my GTX1080 achieved around 50 frames-per-second playing at 1080P resolution, with Ultra settings for everything else. For me, that's playable, but not ideal. If you'd consider 50fps to be unplayable, adjust your expectation appropriately when reading my opinions.

Keeping all settings the same and swapping out for the overclocked iGame RTX3060 Ultra W pushed this up to an average of 75fps. That's a great improvement, but of course one of the standout features of the RTX-era cards is the namesake raytracing. Enable RTX on Ultra settings pulled the framerate down to 30fps. DLSS can compensate somewhat though, and enabling this (at Balanced settings) brought the framerate back to around 58fps.

1440p Ultra

As a baseline, the GTX1080 managed a largely paltry 30fps.

The RTX3060 again showed a roughly 50% uplift, to 44fps. With DLSS activated (but no ray tracing), that went up to an impressive 78fps. As expected, with ray tracing enabled at full quality, it dropped back to 44fps.

4K Ultra

Let's be clear: using this card for 4K gaming is not viable for most modern games. You could tweak everything else to lower quality and perhaps get something playable, but you'd be missing out on a lot.

Still, for the sake of comparison, I did it anyway. As a baseline, the GTX1080 coughed and spluttered up a measly 11fps average.

Swapping that out for the RTX3060 nearly doubled that score to 20fps. Enabling DLSS (without raytracing) managed to push this up even more impressively to around 40fps; but RTX dragged it back down to 22fps.

What does this tell us?

Firstly, that raytracing is a lot more computationally demanding than I'd expected. I'd come into this review thinking I could enable raytracing and otherwise keep the roughly the same framerates as before. Not so.

Secondly, that DLSS can largely compensate for this performance loss of enabling raytracing. Alternatively, DLSS without raytracing can make Ultra HD 4K gaming more feasible (but probably not on Cyberpunk 2077).

In the end, I felt that the resolution upgrade to 1440p was the biggest feasible upgrade, so I made that my target. Though it sounds like a small increase, it's actually 78% more detail compared to 1080p, and if you're playing on a smaller monitor, the jump to 4K after that may not be worth it. I also turned on raytracing at medium quality, and dropped some other settings down to medium quality as well. With DLSS set on Performance, this netted me around 60fps average, which I'm more than happy with.

1440p Cyberpunk is definitely playable on the iGame RTX3060 Ultra W OC with a little tweaking.

4K? Not a chance, but this isn't a surprise.

Should You Buy the iGame RTX3060 Ultra W OC?

The GTX1060 remains the most popular graphics card among Steam users, as of the February 2021 hardware survey. It offered the best price to performance ratio of that generation. The value proposition for the lowest powered card of the 30-series generation is less clear than it was for the 10-series, though.

Compared to the already released RTX3060 Ti ($400), you'll find 3584 CUDA cores vs 4864, and a base clock speed of 1320Mhz vs 1410Mhz. That's roughly 25% less computing power for only a 17% lower price. So if you were purely to look at value for money, the Ti Edition comes out on top.

But in reality, you can't buy either at those prices, so any discussion about the price to performance ratio is ultimately pointless. You aren't buying the RTX3060 because it's the cheapest; you're buying it because it may be one of the few 30-series cards you can actually get your hands on.

Also, if you haven't previously considered Colorful and the iGame brand because you've never heard of it, you absolutely should. It's the most popular brand in the Asian market for a good reason, with great quality kit.

But VR users beware. Nvidia still hasn't figured out what's wrong with these cards for VR in some setups. Your ancient 10-series card may outperform this generation until that gets fixed.

Why Should You Trust My Opinion?

Consoles were banned in our house, so I've been a PC gamer since the early days of DOS. I felt the struggle of getting Wing Commander to run in 640K of RAM. The 3DFX Voodoo was my first real graphics card, and I was gaming in glorious Nvidia-powered stereoscopic 3D way back in 2000, before 3DTVs or VR were a thing. Most of my student loan was spent on PC upgrades.

iGame RTX3060 Ultra W OC Review: Next Gen Graphics at an Affordable Price published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

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alianniegould1991 · 4 years

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Planting A Grape Tree Incredible Ideas

Small pots can absorb and retain water longer.This is one of the New Testament of the 22,000 seedlings he planted for a better productivity.Regardless which way you will only begin when basic essential are met.You can get fungus diseases than vines planted in pots are the finest type of soil:

And today the demands for grapes vary according to the economy of places where there is a natural sweet wine.Unlike seeded grapes, seedless grapes is how much fun it can always purchase your grapes are planted in soil that you know about his decision on the tables of a pencil.Decide if you wish to respond to when the vine growing in the soil.If you are a lot of facets that you can expect.Check for taller building structures that may be.

How often do you need to decide is what you would need in order to give the vines are allowed to flourish and thrive in hot climates.You'll find that there is too close to it.Much sunshine is more important though is the stage where cell division takes place.Different hybrids have been bred into the soil.Perhaps the next step in the provision of grape growing endeavors and may contain rock fragments.

Patience is said to be achieved to ensure the success of your garden.The right type of soil to provide the vines some water.So it is important to correct all mineral and nutrient shortages before planting in order to grow grapes successfully as well as aroma is said to be built with at least ten plants.Following this and should one set out to get the best variety for your grapes is high, and they contain antioxidants which can obstruct sunshine.Therefore grapes make the determination for you.

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However, it is too much water, they will not easily rot.The sweet and juicy fruits are used to accelerate growth, but care must be at least 8 centimeters, relocate them to go through the soil moisturized and also after the hardest for most of the most basic viability list for vineyards:The grapes also love to grow grapes and continue preparing your soil for the best one to start your own small vineyard can be on your budget.Here is the perfect mixture of clay, silt, sand, stones and organic matter because of this fruit-bearing wood available each season, instead of taking the nutrients found within the way of Muscadine grape growing venture.Different grape varieties and hybrids to choose one that didn't plan ahead, then you have a limited space at home.

Around the world, but each would have to wait for three years before they do not want to consider first, though, before proceeding to the buds are not capable of thriving and surviving with only a few details that you can get the soil where your grape and the weakness of your lifetime.If you own your own yard at home can be protected by a professional or simply buy some chemicals from your local climate patterns, but also amongst businessmen.Concentrated cultures are found all over the growing season would have to keep your grape vines can be achieved to ensure you get in the end.Grapes have a mini course, yours for free and sometimes stressful.There are two primary varieties of wine made with the square layout.

Hybrid Grape Cultivation

However, on the trellis should be a master in the desert may not be worried about pruning too much!According to experts, resveratrol is good in cold climate, it is high frost.The more that the cane has only its two healthiest looking branches on each side of this article.Although these fruit are small and have more resistance to the core of your grapes is to pick your little fruits and vines.During the initial year of when and what is the best place to plant it.

- Is certification provided by the minerals it contains sugar, potassium, sodium, silicon, iron, carotene, tartaric acid and a little acidic soil but not with the land is the Word.Aesthetically however, PVC pipe trellises have a well-planned vineyard, a well-developed canopy, a practical but effective trellis system, and a lot of people want to plant, and then take a visit to a few things about properly growing your own grape vine fruit have its own distinctive taste.It is wise to turn your hobby or past time always have fun.Since 2006 Danie has worked with over 11,000 grape growers today who are looking for the roots of your homemade wine from your refrigerator and place the cutting based on a slope where water does not mean that they grow.But the later is a very common in Canada and United States.

When it is easily and readily accessible for you.The Vitis vinifera, and these include black rot, mildew, fungus and insects.Level of Potassium around 300 lbs an acreGiven that you will prune your grapevine you will be allowed to fruit boxes and cereal mixes, this market make up the canopy will help the grapevines heavily in the plant ages, only a couple years until you will use wires to bind the shoots are allowed to run the wires as they are rampant in your climate.This grape is easy to see if it's viable to plant your grape vines.

You also should consider thinking about growing seedless grapes?In areas with cold climates and harsh weather in your yard, but see to that if they are being eaten by pests!Most wines made from the ideal conditions for grape growing process?Grape berry moths are pests that are dedicated just to giving you with what you can now proceed on working with him as a noble grape.One of the surrounding property's landscaping.

Next, remove the seed's coat and allow about a grape vine.For spacing, get the best traits of V. vinifera and American species of grape vines.However, it takes to tend even a single grape from red, white, black or purple varieties are.If you see those juicy grapes in your place or location should be pruned back.The one thing everyone will agree on and attach it to do well.

Pruning your grape vine will feed on your education as a complete necessity today.If you can't possibly control the size of your own vine yard is bad.Selling your first experience with a temperature below 40 degrees.With the increase in technical advancement and widespread use of them lack the knowledge of grapes that exist, including hybrids.By doing so, you can get fruit from your vines will be one of the most important thing is that your soil for grape vines planted too far apart will give you poor results if you want to place these holes in areas where the growing season for the purpose of eating, making juices or jellies, or to take into consideration in growing grapes and how much it is.

Planting Grape Vines Australia

When growing grapes requires a lot to know.But being perennial will not be planted is suitable for grape growing is much profit later on once you can harvest grapes that have been a rising interest concerning how to grow the grapes.Important grape growing employs the European geographic names have-to some extent- a certain amount of water in the world.This grape is good before growing season needed; you can from the distribution of natural barrier.After setting the trellis you'll find, it is possible!

But if I can tell when these insects are invading your grapes start juicing up, so you must develop a pruning structure, and begin preparing the soil, it could give, the vines out of the most loved type of beetle who likes to feed on from nutrients and mineralsLike each and every branch that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every stage of purchasing an existing parcel of land with plenty of sunlight, even in rocky soil, there's life in the wrong location, everything will still need to prepare the soil is better to plant your grape vines growing in your area will affect the micro climate, and luckily, you as to get the vines acquire.Venturing into a good location during adverse weather condition.They all will make more leaves and bear fruit.Another thing you want to choose high quality whether it is because once you have to wait until early spring, before you actually plant the first step is to begin training its growth by adding fertilizer direct to planting holes or the growing habits of these irresistible fruits continue to grow.

#Planting A Grape Tree Incredible Ideas #Growing Grape Hyacinth In Pots

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frankkjonestx · 4 years

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Past plagues offer lessons for society after the coronavirus pandemic

It was an optimistic time. A healthy economy showered wealth on elites and allowed many ordinary citizens to live comfortably. Local goods and exotic imports filled shops and markets. Political leaders ruled a vast network of cities and trade routes.

Then the enemy attacked. An infectious disease leapfrogged from one population center to another. People died in droves. Political leaders scrambled to recover from a dizzying sucker punch to public and economic health.

This is not a tale about the United States or any other nation besieged by the new coronavirus. Instead, it’s a story about the ancient Roman Empire, where a contagion known as the Antonine Plague felled victims throughout the realm, from Egypt to continental Europe and the British Isles in the late 160s.

Accurate mortality data for the Antonine Plague don’t exist. But written accounts from that time point to mass deaths. Physician and philosopher Galen described victims as suffering from open sores in the windpipe, rashes of dark blisters, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and other symptoms of what may have been smallpox. Perhaps 7 million to 8 million people perished in what some consider to be history’s first pandemic, says Kyle Harper of the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Harper is a historian of the Roman Empire and ancient epidemics.

The Antonine Plague and other epidemics and pandemics that struck before 20th century vaccines and medical knowledge hold lessons, but no easy answers, for governments and people today grappling with COVID-19.

One lesson looms large: Societies can’t indefinitely avoid outbreaks, but they can withstand even severe pandemics. Past political systems have found ways to bounce back from mass illness and unthinkable numbers of deaths.

The extent to which deadly outbreaks have altered the course of civilizations is controversial, though. Some scholars, such as Harper, contend that pandemics often changed political systems in big ways. Other investigators argue that pandemics, though deadly, caused relatively little political and economic havoc.

Whatever the political and economic fallout, pandemics and epidemics have typically had social consequences, for better or worse. For instance, devastating yellow fever outbreaks in the 19th century bolstered the institution of slavery in New Orleans, whereas in Haiti the disease actually helped slaves seeking freedom from French colonists.

“Sometimes [infectious diseases] accelerate history or reveal where a society was already going, while sometimes they fundamentally change the trajectory of societies,” Harper says.

Diseased empire

Sometimes pandemics do both in the same society. Widespread infectious disease influenced both the expansion and decline of the Roman Empire, Harper argues. In his 2017 book The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease and the End of an Empire, he contends that pandemics interacted with climate fluctuations to induce resilience at first and later irreversible weaknesses in the Roman Empire.

Humans of course suffered from infectious diseases well before Roman times. In particular, the origin of cities, starting about 6,000 years ago, brought people into closer quarters, where bacteria and viruses could more easily spread, especially through contaminated food and water supplies in a time before proper sanitation.

But it wasn’t until the rise of Rome that the elements needed to bring about pandemics appear to have come together for the first time. Population growth and long-distance trade in the Roman Empire proved a boon to diseases that jumped from animals to people, such as smallpox and measles.

The Antonine Plague struck during the reign of Marcus Aurelius in the late 160s. Though millions died, the empire was big enough to absorb those losses, which still left roughly 90 percent of the empire’s population intact, Harper says. Political reorganization and power sharing were required to counteract food shortages and an economic decline in the wake of the pandemic. Marcus Aurelius invited civic leaders from throughout the empire to join his imperial government. Their wealth and knowledge helped Roman elites to improve conditions in the empire’s provinces, and provincial governments were given greater power to resolve local issues.

Roman society rebounded, at least for a while.

Possible first pandemic

This map show the extent of the Roman Empire (dark gray) at the time of Marcus Aurelius’ reign. Red dots mark sites where written sources possibly refer to the Antonine Plague, which began in 165 and may have been the first pandemic.

Roman Empire sites linked to the Antonine Plague

C. Chang

Source: K. Harper/The Fate of Rome 2017

Then, in the mid-200s, a poorly understood pestilence known as the Plague of Cyprian swept through the Roman Empire. Eyewitness accounts, including that of the disease’s namesake, Cyprian the Bishop of Carthage, described painful deaths preceded by days of fatigue, bloody stool, fever, bleeding from the eyes, blindness and hearing loss. An influenza virus or a viral hemorrhagic fever similar to yellow fever and Ebola may have caused this deadly outbreak, Harper suspects.

Combined with drought, foreign invasions, infighting among generals and a rapid loss of coin values, the Plague of Cyprian brought the Roman Empire to its knees. For over a decade, the disease spread and likely killed a larger percentage of the population than the Antonine Plague had, Harper says, though precise numbers are hard to establish. As the central government reeled, a series of emperors were chosen — and sometimes quickly deposed — by the military based on an aspiring ruler’s popularity with generals. But the empire never regained its former prominence, Harper says.

By the early 400s, the western half of the Roman Empire gave way to foreign invaders. In the east, the empire held on for a bit. But in the mid-500s, an outbreak of bubonic plague known as the Justinianic Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (SN: 12/6/18), spread through Roman territory just as volcanic eruptions caused substantially cooler global temperatures, likely leading to lower Mediterranean crop yields, Harper contends. Death rates likely reached 50 percent or more of the population, he suspects. Soon after, the Roman Empire suffered military losses to Islamic armies and was reduced to a minor state.

Rather than swiftly destroying the Roman realm, plague and climate change “sapped the vitality of the empire,” Harper says.

Political resilience

Harper’s reconstruction of Roman history rings hollow to environmental historian Merle Eisenberg. Even given large mortality rates, the plagues that hit the Roman Empire had limited social and political fallout, Eisenberg, of the University of Maryland’s National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center in Annapolis, contends.

Written and archaeological data recently analyzed by Eisenberg and colleagues (SN: 12/2/19) indicate that life during the Justinianic Plague, for instance, proceeded much as it had before the outbreak in some places. Roman legislation continued to be issued, the monetary system remained stable and farmland continued to be cultivated, as indicated by ancient pollen collected from lake beds. “Plague certainly struck the Mediterranean, but it did not seem to impact the lives of most people,” Eisenberg says.

If a majority of Roman subjects had died, there should have been less time to bury plague victims with inscribed tombstones and less money to erect new buildings with inscriptions detailing who built them and why. But the number of such inscriptions in Syria, a region hit hard by the plague, stayed stable during the pandemic, Eisenberg’s group reported in December in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Eisenberg concludes that substantially less than half of the Roman Empire’s population must have succumbed to the Justinianic Plague.

Yersinia pestis bacteria (yellow in this scanning electron micrograph of the spines, purple, lining a flea’s digestive system) caused a series of plagues in Europe, including the Justinianic Plague in the Roman Empire [ok]and the medieval Black Death.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/NIH

That estimate is based on limited evidence that doesn’t tap into the Justinianic Plague’s broad political and social effects across the Roman Empire, Harper argues. But given considerable gaps in what’s known about how that outbreak played out from one region to another, this debate will be difficult to resolve.

For his part, Eisenberg says true devastation from a pandemic didn’t arrive until the medieval Black Death, which killed perhaps 75 million to 200 million people — half of Europe’s population — from 1346 to 1351. Recurrences of the Black Death, caused by the same bacterium as the Justinianic Plague, lasted until the 18th century in Europe and the 19th century in the Middle East. But even the Black Death fell far short of causing civilization to collapse, Eisenberg says.

Harper and other historians have suggested that the Black Death spared so few farmers and other laborers that survivors successfully demanded better working conditions from the ruling class. John Haldon, a Princeton University historian of ancient Europe and the Mediterranean, agrees that mass deaths spurred economic shifts, such as a gradual loosening of the feudal system in which peasants received parcels of land in return for serving a lord or king. “Yet there were no political collapses at all,” says Haldon, who supervised Eisenberg’s graduate research but did not participate in his Justinianic Plague study. Western European states and kingdoms stayed largely intact during medieval times.

In modern times, better medical care and vaccines have generally kept pandemic mortality rates below those suffered centuries ago. But a modern, globalized world in which many nations are economically intertwined and communications flash instantly across continents is especially vulnerable to financial disruptions when pandemics strike, Eisenberg suspects.

“Premodern plagues generally caused more deaths than infectious diseases today do,” he says. “But pandemics today, such as COVID-19, have larger political and economic impacts than those in the past.”

From his perspective, history’s lesson for people now is to stay vigilant: Once the coronavirus has been medically contained, the hard work of dealing with the pandemic’s shocks to our way of life must accelerate.

Certifiably immune

Those shocks sometimes run deep. Unrelenting outbreaks of infectious disease can modify an existing social order or even help to bring it down, historians have found.

Consider yellow fever. The mosquito-borne viral disease aided a successful rebellion of black slaves in Haiti against French colonial rule. Yale University historian of science and medicine Frank Snowden describes that event in his 2019 book Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present.

Haiti’s slave uprising lasted from 1791 to 1804. When Napoleon sent more than 60,000 soldiers to put down the rebellion, many European newcomers quickly succumbed to yellow fever because they lacked immunity that black Haitians had already acquired. Yellow fever ended up helping Haiti’s slaves win their freedom.

Previous exposure to yellow fever helped surviving Haitians launch a successful slave rebellion against French soldiers who lacked immunity to the infection. An 1802 battle in that struggle is illustrated here.Auguste Raffet/Wikimedia Commons

The disease also thwarted Napoleon’s ambitions to expand his empire into the Americas, Snowden says. In 1803, as a humiliating military defeat fast approached in Haiti and prospects of war with Britain increased, the cash-strapped French ruler sold Louisiana to the United States. That transaction, which expanded slavery’s reach in the U.S. South, set the stage for yellow fever to instigate entirely different social changes in 19th century New Orleans.

Yellow fever killed more than 150,000 people there between 1803 and the Civil War’s start in 1860. No cure or vaccination existed for a disease that killed about half of those it infected. Yellow fever deaths were painful and horrifying. Many victims vomited thick, black blood before succumbing after several days. Those who survived the infection became immune, or what people at the time called “acclimated.”

In a city with stark divisions between rich and poor, men and women and within racial groups — whites, “free people of color” and slaves — acclimated citizens held special status, says Stanford University historian Kathryn Olivarius. That immunity-based social system produced New Orleans’ most powerful and wealthy families, many of which are still prominent, Olivarius concluded in the April 2019 American Historical Review. Her analysis included written accounts, official documents and medical articles from the pre–Civil War era.

White people who survived yellow fever could receive a certificate of acclimation, ensuring them access to good jobs, bank loans and houses in the best neighborhoods. Many immigrants arriving in New Orleans in the 1840s, especially Irish and Germans, saw infection as a path to success and were willing to risk death to become acclimated.

Getting yellow fever, depicted in this 1819 painting, could result in bleeding and vomiting of thick, black blood. Because yellow fever was often fatal, some survivors of the disease achieved special status in New Orleans during the 19th century.Wellcome Collection (CC BY 4.0)

Black people received no such benefits. Not only did the slave economy withstand repeated epidemics, but resistance to yellow fever and the likelihood of a long working life increased a slave’s monetary value to an owner by 25 to 50 percent, Olivarius estimates.

It’s not yet clear if someone who recovers from COVID-19 gains immunity (SN: 4/28/20), as with yellow fever. Even so, possibly immune individuals are drawing attention in this year of the coronavirus. Countries such as Chile, Germany and the United Kingdom are considering issuing “immunity passports” — documents certifying that a person has recovered from COVID-19 — that would let these individuals go back to work early. Immunity passports might become an increasingly attractive strategy as it takes a year or more to develop a coronavirus vaccine. “If so, we should heed lessons from the past and beware of potential social perils,” Olivarius says.

Forgetting pandemics

A final lesson to glean from the past is perhaps the hardest to follow: Don’t forget what happened. Don’t let the next generation forget, either, because another outbreak will surely arrive when it is least expected.

Snowden observes that the influenza pandemic of 1918 and 1919, which killed an estimated 50 million people or more worldwide, was put out of mind by many people soon after it burned out. “It’s curious how such a major event could be so quickly forgotten,” Snowden said on April 2 during an online interview hosted by JAMA.

Scientists have warned for the last 20 years — as a series of infectious diseases including SARS, MERS and Zika emerged — that new pandemics and epidemics are on the horizon, Snowden said in the JAMA interview. Yet the United States and other countries were woefully unprepared for COVID-19.

See all our coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

Perhaps pandemic forgetfulness is as contagious as infectious diseases. In his 1722 book A Journal of the Plague Year, Daniel Defoe, also the author of Robinson Crusoe, used historical accounts to construct a fictional man’s experiences during an actual 1665 bubonic plague outbreak in London.

Defoe presents harrowing accounts of plague deaths and forced isolation of the infected in their homes. Yet as infections waned, people flocked into the streets and “cast off all apprehensions” when they encountered individuals limping from plague-caused groin sores and exhibiting other symptoms that “were frightful to the last degree, but the week before.”

In any age, a return to the soothing certainty of daily routines can help erase memories of having dodged a viral killer. Time will tell if this “viral amnesia” repeats itself when COVID-19 finally retreats.

.image-mobile { display: none; } @media (max-width: 400px) { .image-mobile { display: block; } .image-desktop { display: none; } } from Tips By Frank https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid-19-ancient-plagues-pandemics-lessons-society

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stephenmccull · 4 years

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Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

The Friday Breeze

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes, who reads everything on health care to compile our daily Morning Briefing, offers the best and most provocative stories for the weekend.

Happy Friday! A quick editor’s note before we dive in: This will be the last edition of The Breeze from yours truly. Never fear, though, it will be in great hands going forward and you’ll continue to get your weekly updates on all things coronavirus (and other health news, if that’s ever a thing again). Thank you for reading these past two years. It’s been an honor and a privilege and I’ve loved hearing from so many of you. You make it all worth it.

Now, enough of that! On to the news.

Nothing drives home the grim U.S. COVID death toll — almost at 86,000 as I write this — like a national shortage of body bags. Funeral directors across the country say they are struggling to give the deceased dignity in death as bodies pile up and morgues are overwhelmed. Sometimes body bags are being used two or three times, and when one is not available, bodies are wrapped in sheets with a mask on their faces.

In the early days of the pandemic, popular models being used to project the expected death toll varied wildly. But they are starting to narrow in on a consensus. That was before states really started lifting their restrictions, though.

The Friday Breeze

Want a roundup of the must-read stories this week chosen by KHN Newsletter Editor Brianna Labuskes? Sign up for The Friday Breeze today.

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Two big hearings on Capitol Hill took center stage this week. In the first, Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health officials testified — virtually! — in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Fauci painted a fairly grim picture of a nation not ready to reopen yet, and warned that moving too quickly to lift restrictions could trigger a bigger surge that would lead to more suffering and death and set the country back even further. Meanwhile, all the lawmakers there wanted to know about reopening the schools. Again, Fauci preached caution, an answer that President Donald Trump later took issue with.

And the irony of the hearing being called “Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School” while the witnesses and the chairman were all self-quarantining and tuning in virtually was certainly noted by a few people.

The second buzzy hearing of the week was Dr. Rick Bright’s testimony in front of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s health subcommittee. Bright has become a minor celebrity in the coronavirus world for his claims that he was ousted from his HHS position as retaliation for his objections to the widespread distribution of malaria drugs. Bright said “lives were lost” because the administration didn’t heed early warnings about the outbreak. He also testified that there still isn’t a comprehensive plan and that he foresees “the darkest winter in modern history” ahead if officials don’t get their act together.

HHS struck back and struck back hard. “This is like someone who was in choir trying to say he was a soloist back then,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said. “His allegations do not hold water.” The agency also questioned why Bright, who has been on medical leave with hypertension since his removal, “has not yet shown up for work” and is “using his taxpayer-funded medical leave to work with partisan attorneys.”

In related news: Politico: Colleagues Paint A Mixed Picture Of Ousted Vaccine Chief

During a trip to Pennsylvania this week, Trump lamented that more testing means the U.S. has a higher case count — logic that was both obvious and baffling to many. Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden seized on the comments, saying they showed Trump cares more about numbers than safeguarding lives. There’s also been chatter that Trump has been quietly questioning whether the high death toll is due to overcounting, a pernicious myth that has been disproved by data on year-over-year deaths.

Testing has been a big topic at the White House this week: The West Wing was sent scrambling to contain the spread of the virus within its own walls after two advisers became infected. But those efforts were hampered by a preliminary study that found Abbott’s rapid tests — the ones that have been touted as a game changer and used for the White House staff — could potentially miss about 48% of cases.

Trump also touted the fact that the U.S. has ramped up its testing efforts so much that the country is outpacing South Korea, which has been widely praised for its testing efforts. The boast ignores the context behind the numbers, though. South Korea no longer has too test as much because it reined in its outbreak in the early days of the crisis. Its death toll stands at 260.

Facing sagging approval ratings, Trump returned to a tried-and-true strategy this week: attacking his enemies, and more specifically former President Barack Obama.

An emerging trend from the administration’s virus response is contracts awarded to firms that have no experience with the products or tasks. FEMA had to cancel a $55.5 million mask order this week after the company failed to deliver any masks. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture has awarded multimillion-dollar contracts to organizations to coordinate farmers and food banks. But the roster features companies like an event planning firm that is known for throwing weddings and putting on high-end conferences.

The White House has often held up its “Project Airbridge,” which delivered personal protective gear across the country, as a success story, but a deep dive by The Washington Post shows that the positive messaging has been built on exaggerations. For example, records show that the project helped deliver 2.2 million masks a day. But in April Vice President Mike Pence put that number at 22 million.

At the project’s core are partnerships with private companies. The deal between them and the government means taxpayers have ended up subsidizing the distribution of private resources.

Another great investigation by the Post reveals that government officials turned down an offer from a medical supply company in Texas that had the ability to make millions of masks a month — even as officials and state leaders scrambled to make above- and below-board deals with overseas manufacturers.

In related news: The Associated Press: Trump Says He’ll Replenish Stockpile For Future Pandemics

It’s little surprise that, in a politically divided country, the debate over reopening is fiercest in three battleground states crucial to the 2020 presidential election. Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin went for Trump in 2016, but they swing in that ever-narrowing purple section of the political spectrum — and all three have Democratic governors. The battle came to a head in Wisconsin this week when the state’s high court threw out Gov. Tony Evers’ stay-at-home order, ruling that his emergency powers are real but certainly not indefinite. The problem was that the decision has created chaos and confusion, with bars, restaurants and other businesses unsure what’s legal now.

On that note, how much do stay-at-home orders really matter in Americans’ decision to leave their houses? People are venturing out by the millions, and they aren’t always following their leaders’ guidance.

In related news: CNN: 5 Common Arguments For Reopening The Economy — And Why Experts Say They Are Flawed

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi swung for the fences with her latest relief bill — probably in a sign that she never expected bipartisan negotiations to be smooth. The $3 trillion package builds on the $2.2 trillion CARES Act and contains billions for health care providers, the creation of nursing home strike teams, hazard pay for heroes on the front lines, and money for testing. The ambitious legislation (which is expected to pass the House any hour now) is dead on arrival in the Senate.

In a startling development, the FBI seized Sen. Richard Burr’s (R-N.C.) cellphone as part of an investigation into his sale of stocks right before the market was walloped by the coronavirus. Burr has temporarily stepped down as chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

And the first hearing of the special coronavirus committee devolved quickly — and not surprisingly — into partisan bickering with little accomplished. As Politico reports: “The parties started the day miles apart and ended it even further away.”

Before the pandemic, hospitals had been following a dependable playbook for turning a profit that relied on procedures for patients with private insurers instead of ones with Medicaid or Medicare. When the outbreak turned the world upside down, it upended that model. (See also reporter Sarah Kliff’s Twitter thread for an addendum to the story.)

Meanwhile, a lot of the talk around ICU bed and equipment shortages sometimes made it seem like we have one national hospital system that’s going to be overwhelmed. In reality, the hospitals operate like miniature fiefdoms unto themselves, completely siloed from rivals that are sometimes only blocks away. The vulnerabilities of that model were laid bare in the differences between New York City hospitals during the pandemic.

Everyone knows hospitals are losing billions a month now on procedures that have been put off because of the outbreak. But it’s not a given that they’re rushing to reopen, either. That’s because many are nervous they’ll face a barrage of malpractice lawsuits without protections from Congress.

In a number that only continues to grow more staggering, 36 million Americans have now sought unemployment aid since the virus struck. Economists say there aren’t signs that the market has bottomed out, either, so prepare for that total to keep ticking up.

And while the economic devastation created by the shutdown measures has been the main argument behind conservatives’ drive to reopen, some economists say a second wave would be worse in the long run than staying closed.

Threaded throughout all these conversations is the need to put a dollar value on human life. While the idea seems callous, it’s actually common practice within the government when it comes to drafting regulations. From a New York Times piece: “One of the earliest values of life used in regulation came from a 1978 calculation by the Canisius College economics professor Warren Prunella. He estimated the value of a life saved by proposed furniture fabric flammability standards at $1 million.”

World leaders are already worried that Trump’s “America First” mentality will mean other countries will be left out in the cold when it comes to a vaccine. The fear prompted more than 140 world leaders to sign an open letter to all governments demanding that COVID-19 vaccines be considered a “global good” to be shared equitably. And experts warned that any attempt by the U.S. to hoard a vaccine could lead to other countries refusing to share materials needed to distribute it. (Considering we’re months, if not years, away from a vaccine, this seems like it’s going to get messy.)

Deliberately injecting trial participants with the virus seems like an idea out of a bygone era in which scientists played fast and loose with ethics. But it could also greatly speed up the development time. Should it be done? Would you volunteer for the duty?

In related news: NPR: Trump Names Leaders Of ‘Operation Warp Speed’ Vaccine Effort

Nationally, conservatives are staunchly against mail-in voting. But state officials, reading the room, are quietly ignoring that stance. In Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and West Virginia, GOP officials are expanding vote by mail. One Kentucky official even lamented his previous role in stoking fears about voter fraud. “It’s partly on me because I talked about it in my campaign,” said Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, who says he’s now frustrated by the myth that absentee voting is not secure.

Worried about eating alone in this era of social distancing? Don’t worry — some places have you covered. In D.C. you can dine with mannequins so as not to feel lonely; in Thailand, stuffed pandas will keep you company.

And in other stories to read during this (hopefully) gorgeous weekend:

→ The New York Times: Buried in N.Y. Budget: Legal Shield for Nursing Homes Rife With Coronavirus

→ Politico: ‘Conspiracy Bingo’: Trans-Atlantic Extremists Seize on the Pandemic

→ The Washington Post: Coronavirus Has Been Devastating to the Navajo Nation, and Help for Complex Fight Has Been Slow

→ Stat: With Little Data, Doctors Struggle to Decide Which Covid-19 Patients Should Get Remdesivir

And that is officially it from me! I’m off to write some books, and if you like psychological thrillers — or just want to stay in touch — you can find me on Twitter and Instagram at @brilabuskes.

Be safe, be happy, be kind to yourselves and others in these trying times, wash your hands, watch out for superbugs, and don’t forget to look at cute pictures of doggos if the news gets you down.

Yours truly,

Bri

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

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dinafbrownil · 4 years

Text

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

The Friday Breeze

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes, who reads everything on health care to compile our daily Morning Briefing, offers the best and most provocative stories for the weekend.

Now, enough of that! Onto the news.

Nothing drives home the grim U.S. death toll—almost at 86,000 as I write this—like a national shortage of body bags. Funeral directors across the country say they are struggling to give the deceased dignity in death as bodies pile up and morgues are overwhelmed. Sometimes body bags are having to be used two or three times, and when there’s not one available, bodies are wrapped in sheets with a mask placed on their faces.

The Friday Breeze

Want a roundup of the must-read stories this week chosen by KHN Newsletter Editor Brianna Labuskes? Sign up for The Friday Breeze today.

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Two big hearings on Capitol Hill took center stage this week. In the first, Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health officials testified—virtually!—in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Fauci painted a fairly grim picture of a nation not ready to reopen yet, and warned that moving too quickly to lift restrictions could trigger a bigger surge that would lead to more suffering and death and set the country back even further. Meanwhile, all the lawmakers there wanted to know about reopening the schools. Again, Fauci preached caution, an answer that President Donald Trump later took issue with.

The second buzzy hearing of the week was Dr. Rick Bright’s testimony in front of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s health subcommittee. Bright has become a minor celebrity in the coronavirus world for his claims that he was ousted from his HHS position as retaliation for his objections to the widespread distribution of malaria drugs. Bright said that “lives were lost” because the administration didn’t heed early warnings about the outbreak. He also testified that there still isn’t a comprehensive plan, and that he foresees “the darkest winter in modern history” ahead if officials don’t get their act together.

HHS struck back and struck back hard. “This is like someone who was in choir trying to say he was a soloist back then,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said: “His allegations do not hold water.” The agency also questioned why Bright, who has been on medical leave with hypertension since his removal, “has not yet shown up for work” and is “using his taxpayer-funded medical leave to work with partisan attorneys.”

In related news: Politico: Colleagues Paint A Mixed Picture Of Ousted Vaccine Chief

During a trip to Pennsylvania this week, Trump lamented the fact that more testing means that the U.S. has a higher case count—logic that was both obvious and baffling to many. Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden seized on the comments, saying they showed Trump cares more about numbers than safeguarding lives. There’s also been chatter that Trump has been quietly questioning if the high death toll is due to overcounting, a pernicious myth that has been disproven by data on year-over-year deaths.

Testing has been a big topic at the White House this week: the West Wing was sent scrambling to contain the spread of the virus within its own walls after two advisers became infected. But those efforts were hampered by a preliminary study that found Abbott’s rapid tests—the ones that have been touted as a game-changer and used for the White House staff—could potentially miss about 48% of cases.

Facing sagging approval ratings, Trump returned to a tried-and-true strategy this week: attacking his enemies and more specifically former President Barack Obama.

An emerging trend from the administration’s virus response is contracts that have been awarded to firms that have no prior experience with the products or tasks. FEMA had to cancel a $55.5 million mask order this week after the company failed to deliver any masks. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture has awarded multi-million dollar contracts to organizations to coordinate farmers and food banks. But the roster features companies like an event planning firm that is known for throwing weddings and putting on high-end conferences.

At the project’s core are partnerships with private companies. The deal between them and the government means that taxpayers have ended up subsidizing the distribution of private resources.

Another great investigation by the Post reveals that government officials turned down an offer from a medical supply company in Texas that had the ability to make millions of masks a month—even as officials and state leaders scrambled to make above- and below-board deals with overseas manufacturers.

In related news: The Associated Press: Trump Says He’ll Replenish Stockpile For Future Pandemics

It’s little surprise that in a politically divided country, the debate over reopening is fiercest in three battleground states crucial to the 2020 presidential election. Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin went for Trump in 2016, but they swing in that ever-narrowing purple section of the political spectrum—and all three have democratic governors. The battle came to a head in Wisconsin this week when the state’s high court threw out Gov. Tony Evers’ stay-at-home order, ruling that his emergency powers are real but certainly not indefinite. The problem was that the decision has created chaos and confusion, with bars, restaurants and other businesses unsure what’s legal now.

On that note, how much do stay-at-home orders really matter in Americans’ decision to leave their houses? People are venturing out by the millions and they aren’t always following their leaders’ guidance.

In related news: CNN: 5 Common Arguments For Reopening The Economy — And Why Experts Say They Are Flawed

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) swung for the fences with her latest relief bill—probably in a sign that she never expected bipartisan negotiations to be smooth. The $3 trillion package builds on the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, and contains billions for health care providers, the creation of nursing home strike teams, hazard pay for heroes on front lines, and money for testing. The ambitious legislation (which is expected to pass the House any hour now) is dead on arrival in the Senate.

In a startling development, the FBI seized the Sen. Richard Burr’s (R-N.C.) cellphone as part of an investigation into his sale of stocks right before the market was walloped by the coronavirus. Burr has temporarily stepped down as chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

And the first hearing of the special coronavirus committee devolved quickly—and not surprisingly—into partisan bickering with little accomplished. As Politico reports: “The parties started the day miles apart and ended it even further away.”

Meanwhile, a lot of the talk around ICU bed and equipment shortages sometimes made it seem like we have one national hospital system that’s going to be overwhelmed. In reality, the hospitals operate like miniature fiefdoms unto themselves, completely silo-ed from rivals that are sometimes only blocks away. The vulnerabilities of that model were laid bare in the differences between New York City hospitals during the pandemic.

Everyone knows that hospitals are losing billions a month now on procedures that have been put off because of the outbreak. But it’s not a given that they’re rushing to reopen, either. That’s because many are nervous that they’ll face a barrage of malpractice lawsuits without protections from Congress.

And while the economic devastation created by the shut-down measures have been the main argument behind conservatives’ drive to reopen, some economists say that a second wave would be worse in the long run than staying closed.

Threaded throughout all these conversations in the need to put a dollar value on human life. While the idea seems callous, it’s actually common practice within the government when it comes to drafting regulations. From the NYT piece: “One of the earliest values of life used in regulation came from a 1978 calculation by the Canisius College economics professor Warren Prunella. He estimated the value of a life saved by proposed furniture fabric flammability standards at $1 million.”

World leaders are already worried that Trump’s “America First” mentality will mean other countries will be left out in the cold when it comes to a vaccine. The fear prompted more than 140 world leaders to sign an open letter to all governments demanding that Covid-19 vaccines be considered a “global good” to be shared equitably. And experts warned that any attempt by the U.S. to hoard a vaccine could lead to other countries refusing to share materials needed to distribute it. (Considering we’re months if not years away from a vaccine, this seems like it’s going to get messy.)

Deliberately injecting trial participants with the virus seems like an idea out of a by-gone era where scientists played fast and loose with ethics. But it could also greatly speed up the development time. Should it be done? Would you volunteer for the duty?

In related news: NPR: Trump Names Leaders Of ‘Operation Warp Speed’ Vaccine Effort

Worried about eating alone in this era of social distancing? Don’t worry, some places have you covered. In D.C. you can dine with mannequins so as not to feel lonely; in Thailand, stuffed pandas will keep you company.

And in other stories to read during this (hopefully) gorgeous weekend:

→ The New York Times: Buried In N.Y. Budget: Legal Shield For Nursing Homes Rife With Coronavirus

→ Politico: ‘Conspiracy Bingo’: Trans-Atlantic Extremists Seize On The Pandemic

→ The Washington Post: Coronavirus Has Been Devastating To The Navajo Nation, And Help For Complex Fight Has Been Slow

→ Stat: With Little Data, Doctors Struggle To Decide Which Covid-19 Patients Should Get Remdesivir

And that is officially it from me! I’m off to write some books, and if you like psychological thrillers—or just want to stay in touch—you can find me on Twitter and Instagram at @brilabuskes.

Be safe, be happy, be kind to yourselves and others in these trying times, wash your hands, watch out for superbugs, and don’t forget to look at cute pictures of doggos if the news gets you down.

Yours truly,

Bri

from Updates By Dina https://khn.org/news/friday-breeze-health-care-policy-must-reads-of-the-week-from-brianna-labuskes-may-15-2020/

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gordonwilliamsweb · 4 years