#you can get free masks through your local mask bloc

[yamameta-inc]

The Swiss Cheese Model of Covid Prevention

An edited version of the swiss cheese model tailored towards the measures that you as an individual can take to minimize your risk of infection. Public health is ultimately what its name implies, public, but that doesn't mean you're powerless.

Covid prevention is not all-or-nothing. Think of it as risk reduction, rather than a binary.

Let's go through these step by step.

VACCINES

The current vaccines are meant primarily to reduce chances of severe illness, hospitalization, and death. They will reduce your chance of infection a bit--but not nearly as much as you might think. You should still get your boosters regularly, because avoiding severe illness is of course worth doing.

If you haven't gotten the updated monovalent vaccine yet, go get it. It is not a booster. Think of it as a new vaccine. It's targeted towards the XBB lineages, which are now the most common variants. Your last boosters were likely of the bivalent type, aimed at both the original Covid strain from 2020 and Omicron. The new vaccine is monovalent, meaning it targets one family in particular.

Some studies suggest that the Novavax vaccine, which is a more traditional protein-based vaccine, is more effective and safer than mRNA vaccines, and offers better protection against future variants. Of course, the data we have so far isn't 100% conclusive (the last paper I linked is a preprint). Make of these findings what you will, just something to keep in mind. The new Novavax vaccine's availability is still limited, especially outside of the US.

MASKS

Masking is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself. While it is true that masking and reducing Covid transmission protects those around you, the idea that masks can't protect the wearer is outdated information from the early days of the pandemic when medical authorities refused to acknowledge that Covid is airborne.

The key to protecting yourself is to wear a well-fitting respirator. You want to minimize any gaps where air might leak out. If your glasses get fogged up, that's a sign that air is leaking.

Headbands will always have a tighter fit than earloop masks (and therefore provide better protection). However, you can use earloop extenders to improve the fit of earloop masks. You can find these online. Your comfort in wearing a mask is important, but there are options for compromise.

The above graphic doesn't include elastomeric respirators. While some (like the Flo Mask) are expensive, they can be much more affordable than buying disposables--look for P100 respirators at your local hardware store, but make sure it fits your face well.

For more general information, see this FAQ. For mask recommendations (NA-centric, sorry!), see my list here or Mask Nerd's YouTube channel.

For situations where you need to hydrate but don't want to take your mask off, consider the SIP valve.

Not even N95s are foolproof (N95 means it filters at least 95% of particles--with the other 5% potentially reaching you). Most people will likely not have a perfect fit. There will be situations where you'll have to take your mask off. The key is risk reduction, and that's why the Swiss cheese model is crucial.

If you can't afford high-quality masks, look for a local mask bloc or other organization that gives out free masks. Project N95 has unfortunately shut down. In Canada, there's donatemask.ca.

AVOID CROWDED INDOOR SPACES

This is rather self-explanatory. Indoor transmission is much, much, much more likely than outdoor transmission. If it's possible to move an activity outdoors instead, consider doing so.

If possible, try going to places like stores or the post office during less busy hours.

Viral particles can stay in the air for a considerable amount of time even after the person who expelled them has left. Do not take off your mask just because no one is currently present, if you know that it was previously crowded.

A CO2 monitor is a decent proxy for how many viral particles may have accumulated in the air around you. The gold standard is the Aranet4, but it's expensive, so here are some more affordable alternatives.

VENTILATION AND AIR FILTERS

Ventilation is effective for the same reason that outdoors is safer than indoors. If it's warm enough, keep windows open whenever possible. If it's cold, even cracking them open occasionally is better than nothing. Try to open windows or doors on different sides of a room to maximize airflow.

HEPA air filters can significantly reduce viral transmission indoors. Make sure to find one suitable for the room size, and replace the filters regularly. You want to look for devices with HEPA-13 filters.

You can use websites like these to calculate how long it takes for a device to change all the air in a room. Remember what I said about viral particles being able to hang around even after people have left? If an air purifier provides 2 air changes per hour, that means that after 30 minutes, any potential viral particles should be gone.

If you can't afford a commercial air filter, here's a useful DIY filter you can make with relatively simple materials. The filtration capacity is great--but due to being built with duct tape, replacing filters will be a challenge.

If you have to hold meetings or meet with people at work, having a smaller filter on the desk between you will also reduce chances of infection.

As a bonus, HEPA filters will also filter out other things like dust and allergens!

REDUCE LENGTH OF EXPOSURE IF EXPOSURE IS UNAVOIDABLE

Viral load refers to the amount of virus in a person's blood. If you've been exposed to someone with Covid, how much you've been exposed matters.

You might escape infection if the viral load you've been exposed to is very small. Or, even if you get infected, there will be less virus in you overall, leading to milder illness--and crucially, a lower chance of the virus penetrating deep into your body, creating reservoirs in your organs and wreaking long-term havoc.

A low viral load is also less contagious.

This is the same reason that wearing your mask most of the time, but having to take it off for eating, is still much better than not wearing your mask at all.

RECHARGEABLE PORTABLE AIR FILTERS

You might attract some odd looks. But if you're at high risk or just want to be as protected as possible, small portable air filters can help. Try to find models small enough to take with you on public transportation, to school, or while traveling.

These devices will be far too small to clean the air in the whole room. The goal is to have it filter air in your immediate vicinity. Be sure to angle the device so that the air is blowing in your face.

Unfortunately, rechargeable devices are much rarer and harder to find than normal air filters, and many are also expensive.

The best option at the moment, apart from DIY (which is possible, but you need to know what you're doing), seems to be the SmartAir QT3. The size and shape are a bit clunky, but it fits in a backpack. Its battery life isn't long, but it can be supplemented with a power bank.

NASAL SPRAYS

There's some research that suggests that some nasal sprays may be effective in reducing risk of infection by interfering with viruses' ability to bind to your cells.

These sprays are generally affordable, easy to find, and safe. The key ingredient is carrageenan, which is extracted from seaweed. So there are no potential risks or side effects.

Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging carefully. Here's a video on how to properly use nasal sprays if you've never used them before.

Covixyl is another type of nasal spray that uses a different key ingredient, ethyl lauroyl arginate HCI. It also aims to disrupt viruses' ability to bind to cell walls. Unfortunately, I think it's difficult to obtain outside of the US.

CONCLUSION

None of the methods listed here are foolproof on their own. But by layering them, you can drastically reduce your chances of infection.

The most important layers, by far, are masking and air quality. But you should also stay conscientious when engaging with those layers. Don't let yourself become complacent with rules of thumb, and allow yourself to assess risk and make thought out decisions when situations arise where you might have to take off your mask or enter a high-risk indoor area, such as a hospital.

Remember that the goal is risk reduction. It's impossible to live risk-free, because we live among countless other people. But you can use knowledge and tools to keep yourself as safe as possible.

[whileyoureinschoolidothisallday]

OKAY it has been a day of being sad and panicky. Time to move.

Yesterday, I made a post detailing the cdc announcement that there will no longer be an isolation requirement for covid. If you are one of the thousands of people rightfully raging in my notes, here's some steps to focus on.

We're not gonna give up. I've seen quite a few comments with things like 'what's the point', 'why should I even try anymore' etc etc and what we're not gonna do is give them what they want! It helps the eugenics cause to be apathetic and listless. We've made it this far, we will continue to make it. I know it's hard, but I am at least right here with you. Give yourself whatever time you need to grieve, and then I need you to get up.

If you have stopped masking for any reason, or you haven't upgraded to a respirator style mask, now is the time to change or start. From now on, we will be living in a country where you could assume there are multiple covid positive people in the room with you at all times. Surgical masks will not handle that load, and cloth masks will be even less effective at that point. Obviously, this is an unprecedented situation we're putting these masks in, and I'm not gonna sit here and pretend to be an expert that can tell you with certainty that even respirators will hold up with this amount of viral load for a long period of time, but it's the best and strongest tool we have. I'm considering using my p100 more, so that's always something to consider as well (and they make you look like a cool raver when you wear them!!!). You can buy all sorts of masks here, there's more links in the comments of my original post, and most states have their own mask blocs. To find them, go to Instagram and type "[your state] mask bloc". Here is a google doc of verified advocacy groups and mask blocs all across the country here is a diy fit test kit you can buy for $30 (unfortunately they are sold out right now. shocker.) PLEASE remember to take a layered response in these times. Masks are not the only tool in our arsenal. PLEASE for the love of God keep up with your vaccinations. Make a corsi-rosenthal box or buy a high quality air purifier if you can afford it--at the very least our homes can be safe havens (you can even put a hepa filter on your furnace!!!! And in your car too!!!!!). Use CPC Mouthwash, nasal irrigation, and nasal sprays like this one. Make it a routine: you come home, you shower, you brush your teeth, you rinse your nose, you change your clothes. And, like I said in another one of my posts, DO NOT TAKE OFF THE MASK.

3. If you would like an outlet for your rage and you're into calling your reps, feel free to calmly but firmly let the cdc have it at these numbers!!!!!

[alt text: a tweet by user silly_paulie that reads:

"Disdain for the CDC unites us all. Call today and demand isolation policies be returned to 10 days, and reducing it further to 1 day would be criminally dangerous. Call both:

404-639-7000 (press 8)

800-232-4636"

end text.]

4. If you need more outlets for your rage, I STRONGLY encourage you to get involved with your local union. Moreso than calling the CDC, tbh. I've seen multiple comments telling people just to lie about your symptoms to get more sick time off, but since there's no legal precedent to allow employees sick time for covid, all that's gonna do is get people fired. I truly believe in my lefty heart that the ONLY way we're getting anything close to mitigation is through labor rights. Even the standard for the fucking flu is 3 days, and that's nowhere near as contagious or disabling as covid. I say this as a high risk person with a neuromuscular disability: covid is an intersectional issue, but where we have the most leverage to get what we need is through labor rights.

It is NOT safe for workers to be working while ill with a Level 3 Biohazard (same as TB and the FUCKING PLAGUE. Seriously we have more regulations around fucking lice)

It is NOT safe to willfully EXPOSE your employees to a Level 3 Biohazard

It is NECESSARY for all employees to be allowed up to 10 days to recover fully from Covid-19, in order to avoid possible further injury from or hospitalization

You will NOT die or be disabled for the sake of the wealthy!!!!!

(and while you're at it, ask for better air filtration too!!!! At least 5 air changes an hour, MERV-13 air filters!! Then we won't have to constantly worry about virus bs and policy changes in the first place!!!!)

5. Closing statements. Nothing has changed with covid, this is just policy. Covid still isn't magic, she still has to get in you before she can do damage--mask up, arm your home with clean air, and don't let her. It's always worse toward the end. This is not the time to give up, it's time to dig in your heels and get to work. There are so many good things happening with covid. They are finding encouraging treatments for long covid. Finally, after years of nothing, a new prophylactic for the high risk was submitted for emergency use to the FDA, and it looks like this time it's built to last against new mutations. Covid is here to stay for the rest of our lives, but the real science hasn't given up on taking the worst of its teeth out. We WILL get to the point where the extreme fear of catching covid is nothing but a bad memory for EVERYONE. All I need you to do is commit to the belief that you're gonna survive long enough to be in that moment with the rest of us.

Now stay safe, and give em hell!!!!!

[tartagilicious]

[CN] Flower Language (Victor)

yall that have been waiting for this date may not find this as funny as I do but 😭 I went to finish what I thought was this translation and the video i had been using somehow closed, but when i found what i assumed was the same one again, i was confused because the content was different 😀 i translated most of a completely random date and i have no idea which it was LMAO

It would be great if Victor were here. I was standing in the garden where the warm wind was lingering, and I suddenly thought so.

A week ago, I came to this small European city in order to get material for a show, and participate in their traditional festival, a “carnival”. Although the celebration is coming to an end, the enthusiasm of the people and the festive atmosphere are not diminished.

I looked at the people gathered under the tree and heard their laughter. Somehow, I suddenly wanted to share everything in front of me with Victor. So, I took out my phone and subconsciously dialed his number.

MC: Hello, Victor, are you busy?

Victor: No. Is something happening?

MC: Nothing. I just wanted to tell you that I’m standing in a very beautiful garden right now. Probably because of the festival, the surroundings are crowded with people, and there are others singing -- can you hear it?

I took the phone and circled it in the air, and when i put it back to my ear, there was not a sound in the receiver.

Victor: I can hear.

MC: Did you know that there is a very special wooden sign hanging on the tree in this garden? It has something to do with “flower language”.

I looked up at the wooden signs swaying on the branches, they made a clear and pleasant sound in the wind.

MC: People can choose the wooden sign painted with the flower language they want, remove it from the branch, and write their name to save it. There are many kinds of flower languages, from wealth, love, to health, career, and so on.

I was babbling, listening to the even breathing in my ears. Victor didn’t speak until I finished speaking, and there was a slight smile peeking out of his lazy voice.

Victor: You hung one up?

MC: Not yet.

Even though I knew he couldn’t see me on the other side of the phone, I shook my head.

MC: There are many things I want, and I haven’t been able to make up my mind for a while.

Victor: Such as?

MC: Such as…

If only you could stand here with me now. I said this silently in my heart.

There was silence in the earpiece for a few seconds, and we seem to have not spoken tacitly, just quietly listening to each other’s breathing. After a long while, I wanted to relax the atmosphere, so I just smiled.

MC: I can’t remember it right now, but my party has to-- actually, rather than using this method, it might be better to tell the omnipotent “Victor Li” directly what I want.

Victor: I will be there on saturday.

MC: Eh?

Victor: Recently, LFG accepted a multinational cooperation project, and I will be coming to Europe tomorrow.

I was stunned. I reacted slowly, my heartbeat speeding up a few beats rapidly.

MC: And so…?

On the other end of the phone, Victor seems to smile slowly.

Victor: And so, what you want, you can think about it before saturday.

On saturday, I arrived at the place scheduled by Victor on time. As soon as I walked up to the street, I saw a familiar figure. I took out the funny mask that I had prepared, and crept close to him from behind, intending to give him a “surprise” after having not seen him for so long.

Victor: I haven’t seen you in a while, but your way of greeting hasn’t improved.

MC: !

The mask on my face was taken off without hesitation or fear. I was stunned and met Victor’s teasing gaze.

MC: ...How can you tell so easily every time?!

Victor: Someone who tries to be sneaky every time is too eye-catching.

Victor walked to my side and took my hand naturally. After sweeping around his eyes, his brows furrowed slightly.

Victor: Are there any events here?

I followed his sight and found that the streets were full of ribbons and balloons, and many people in strange costumes walked slowly through the streets with the parades of floats. The carnival atmosphere permeates the whole city, and my vision is full of bright and gorgeous colours.

MC: Well, today is the last day of the carnival, so it is extremely lively. Many locals and tourists will dress up specially to participate in the celebrations to be held next.

Victor: It turned out to be so.

He nodded thoughtfully.

MC: what’s wrong?

Victor: It’s nothing. It’s just that I passed by a store where there are many clothes to buy and more… it was strange.

MC: What, are you talking about props such as an inflatable dinosaur costume and retro tricycle?

Seeing a stunned look flash across Victor’s face, I couldn’t help but laugh.

MC: Haha, don’t you think this event is particularly creative?~

He let go of my hand, bending his finger and tapped my forehead.

Victor: I just think that this kind of activity will indeed be a subject of interest to dummies.

The familiar and long-lost action made my heart jump. I looked at Victor’s face close at hand and suddenly broke.

MC: Victor, do you remember that on the phone before, you asked me to tell you what I wanted?

He stood in a daze, but seemed to remember it.

Victor: What do you think?

I shook my head and gave him a quick smile.

MC: I have nothing I want, except… do you remember the garden I mentioned to you on the phone? I would love to take a look at the scenery with you.

After getting Victor’s consent, I looked at him and walked to the main road of the small town. As the crowd gradually increased, I saw wide streets slowly appearing in front of me, but before we passed by, I stopped at the stagnant crowd.

MC: What happened?

Victor: Let me ask.

After exchanging a few words with a staff member, Victor walked back.

Victor: They said that it’s for traffic safety, and only people participating in the event can pass through here.

MC: Only people in the event…

The original joyful mood was instantly wiped out like being doused by cold water. Probably because I was too obvious, Victor raised his eyebrows slightly.

Victor: Disappointed?

I nodded honestly, but after half a second, I shook my head again.

MC: Although the place i want to go is on the main road, since we can’t get there, let’s forget it.

Seeing my forced smile, Victor’s face tensed.

Victor: Your frown is almost drooping to the ground.

He looked at me for a moment and just sighed helplessly.

Victor: Wait for me here. Don’t run around.

After speaking, before I could react, he walked away and passed through the crowds. The number of people stuck in the street gradually increased, and many people who had chosen to participate in the celebrations flocked to the main street.

Although I wanted to stay where I was, I was squeezed to the edge of the road and drowned in the endless sea of people. I looked at the surging crowd, and I was a little worried that when Victor came back, he wouldn’t be able to find me so easily.

Just at that moment, a sound of horseshoes suddenly came from the side, so I turned my head to look-- The first thing that catches my eye is a gorgeously dressed dark horse, sporting an arrogant posture and dark eyes.

Gradually looking upward, the man on horseback was dressed equally as gorgeously, with an extraordinary presence, most of which was bathed in golden light.

The man’s eyes drooped slightly and his gaze was casted towards me. I tried to slightly bloc the dazzling light with my hand, and gradually, the face in front of my eyes also became clearer.

MC: …! Victor?

There was also a hit of surprise in Victor’s eyes when he looked at me. The daylight broke free of the dense leaves and fell on the tips of his hair, giving off a faint flowery scent and softening the look of his visage. Against the backdrop of the surrounding background, he looks like a gentleman and aristocrat from a television drama.

Just when I was about to pass by, Victor pulled the reins abruptly and stopped. I stared at him in a daze, and for a while I couldn’t tell if this was reality or an illusion.

Victor: Why are you here?

With a “click” i accidentally pressed my phone to take a photo.

MC: Me... I was pushed over here by the crowd. There are more and more people, I was worried you wouldn’t find me, so I planned to take a photo to get your attention.

I put the phone back into my pocket as I said this, worried that he would make me hand over the photo I just captured. However, Victor just looked at me for a long while, showing a helpless expression.

Victor: Dummy.

The horse took a few steps to my spot, and he leaned down slightly to reach out his hand towards me.

Victor: Come up.

I looked at Victor, and being beyond my usual cognition, I didn’t react for a while.

MC: Victor… why are you dressed like this?

Seeing my stunned gaze, Victor turned his face away unnaturally.

Victor: I borrowed it from the shop I just passed by. If it seems like i’m attending the celebration, we can easily follow the main street.

MC: I thought you would feel naive doing this…

Victor: well...

He replied very quickly, subsequently, he slighted slightly.

Victor: But since I have promised you that we’ll go out o the garden, I will not feel naive. Besides, are the naive things I’ve done with you far and few?

The horseshoe stepped on the stone road with a clattering sound. The calm wood scent wrapped me and I leaned my back against a generous and warm chest. Although I rarely ride horses, I feel very at ease at this moment.

A beautiful garden appeared in front of us, and I happily said to Victor,

MC: We’ve arrived!

Victor: Slow down.

With the help of Victor, I got off the horse. Maybe it’s because most people have gone to the celebration, but there are not many people here. Sunlight sprinkled from gaps between branches and fell onto a sea of flowers. The wooden sign hanging on the branch made a pleasant sound in the breeze.

Victor walked behind me with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

MC: Isn’t it beautiful?

I put my hands behind my back and looked at him with a smile.

MC: When I came here for the first time, I don’t know why, but I thought of the “sky garden”. So i have this inexplicable sense of intimacy with this place, and I wanted you to see the scenery here.

Victor quietly looked at the scenery in front of him, and after a short while, a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

Victor: Well, it is beautiful. In contrast, there’s a bit more natural beauty.

He looked up again at the wooden sign dancing in the wind on the branch.

Victor: This is the “flower language” you mentioned to me on the phone that day?

MC: Yes, there are some unique types of flower language here, which is quite interesting.

As I said this, I reached out and touched the pattern on the board.

MC: For example, the flower language of Paphiopedilum is “thrifty and frugal” and the flower language of asparagus flowers is “I want to win”...

Victor listened with good interest and teased me as if in a good mood.

Victor: So, you can’t make up your mind between these two things?

MC: Certainly not! Although I really want these things… But this is my final decision!

As soon as I finished speaking, I handed a wooden sign without a name and a pen to Victor.

Victor: What kind of flower is this?

MC: This is a red geranium. Just write your name on it!

Victor: ...It seems that you arranged this for me a long time ago.

He took the wooden sign and asked faintly,

Victor: What is its meaning in the flower language?

MC: This one, haha… I’ll wait for you to find out by yourself.

Victor glanced at me.

Victor: Dummy.

Even so, he still picked up the pen and wrote his name on the wooden sign stroke by stroke. Seeing Victor’s serious expression, a trace of warmth ran across my heart.

I suddenly thought of the meaning behind red geraniums that I found with my mobile phone in this same place a few days ago. At this moment, I seem to understand the meaning better --

“My happiness exists because of you”.

The sunset quietly dyed the sky red. When we were about to walk out of the garden, I suddenly saw a staff member not far away waving colorful flags at us, and I couldn’t help but look towards them.

MC: Are we so lucky that we won big prizes?

Victor: In terms of probability, it is unlikely.

MC: People should always be optimistic!

Victor: Let’s go and have a look.

Victor chuckled lightly, took my hand, and walked forward with me. When we talked to the staff member, we found that we didn’t win any prizes, he just wanted to help us take a photo together. Although it was not the expected outcome, when taking a photo with Victor, my face burst into a smile involuntarily.

Victor: Why are you smiling? It’s not like it’s a grand prize. Are you happy about the reward?

MC: For me, it’s like winning the jackpot!

I looked at us closely in the photo -- Although Victor’s expression is the same as usual, only a slight smile can be seen at the corner of his mouth, but his hand that hangs beside him is firmly gripping mine.

Behind us is the same beautiful sea of flowers.

Victor: You said that your wish is to let me come here with you. Why?

Victor looked at the photo and suddenly after he said this, he pondered for a moment.

MC: Well... It’s because it’s very beautiful here, and I wanted you to see it too.

Victor: Is it just that?

When I met Victor’s deep eyes, I suddenly felt as if all my careful thoughts had nowhere t hide in front of him. Seeing that I didn’t have a way to get around this, I had to decide to confess.

MC: I was standing here, thinking about you for a little bit.

I lifted my eyes secretly and peeked at Victor, wanting to look carefully at his expression. There was no emotion on his face, only those dark eyes watching me seriously.

MC: Although I only miss you a little bit, this kind of little thought often comes up.

It seems that the more this lively and joyous atmosphere grew, the more people can’t help but miss a certain someone. For a moment, I even wanted to go home and return to the place where I knew he was.

MC: Even though I’d already seen the scenery, with you, it somehow seems to be different. It becomes--

Victor: It becomes special.

Victor whispers. He puts a hand on my waist, and soft emotion flows from his dark eyes.

Victor: Isn’t that right?

Looking at my slightly widened eyes, a faint smile crossed the corner of his mouth.

Victor: When did you get such a bad habit of saying half of what you mean and keeping the rest to yourself? If you want to see me, you can speak directly.

I realised that he was talking about when I called him the other day, and I bit my lip.

MC: These words, you know even if I don’t voice them.

Victor: I know, but this is not enough.

I looked at his defatigable eyes and couldn’t help but sigh lightly.

MC: I’m (not) worried that this will interfere with you. Moreover, I also want to establish the image of a “strong and independent woman” in front of you.

I was speaking from the heart, but Victor was amused by my serious expression.

Victor: You actually set such a goal?

The breath that was close at hand intertwined with mine, and I quietly looked at his hanging gaze.

Victor: In contrast, I have no such ambitions.

He stretched his hands over my shoulders, and as he approached slowly, the familiar scent surrounded me. Just when the atmosphere was right, a “pop” sounded untimely something falling from my pocket and onto the ground.

I reacted immediately.

MC: It’s my flower sign!

I was about to pick it up, but Victor was one step ahead of me and picked it up. He looked at the red geranium pattern on the sign and there was a slight curve to his lips.

MC: Uh, this is a flower card I took before, because I thought it looked good…

With some guilty conscience, I wanted to avoid Victor’s gaze. He spread out my hand and placed the wooden sign in my palm.

Victor: It seems that you already have what you want.

He covered my hand with his palm and slowly closed it so I could feel the weight of the wooden sign in my palm.

MC: …!

I looked at Victor’s face in surprise, reminding me of the scene when he was asked to write on the wooden sign just now. A faint colour couldn't help but climb up on my cheeks -- this person really knows everything!

Victor looked at me with interest, and there was a faint smile on his face.

Victor: Why is your face red?

MC:...It’s just the setting sun!

Victor smiled, but didn’t break contact with me, just holding my hand tighter.

Victor: Well, today’s sunset is very nice.

The sun dyed his eyes, but reflected in the depths was me alone. Someone not far away happily sang a local ballad. Although I don’t understand the meaning, I no longer feel the loneliness of being in a foreign land.

Because the person I cherish the most is by my side right now.

[caribouv]

32 days of May.

It's called the Cool Zone. Shit that is super interesting to learn about but terrible to live through. How anyone is not glued to twitter and live feeds right now is beyond me. This will be in history books as the riots during the 2020 covid pandemic. So many takes, and in no particular order:

Mad about looting? Can't wait to teach you about Wall Street. Mad about ANTIFA? Can't wait to teach you about WWIII. Sorry WWII vets, memorial day was literally last week but you're all terrorists now. Oh and if you think looting or ANTIFA are bad, let me remind you more people die of the flu every year.

The looting? I don't know how I feel about it and I don't care to think much more about it. Frankly, I don't care about small businesses or anything. I drastically and without conversation always prefer tactical destruction of property, but I'm not going to bemoan expropriation of wealth by the working class.

The idiots who come to clean up the next day? Boot licking isn't the right word for it, but it is so fucking pathetic. Could you imagine providing your free labor to clean off CHASE bank or some $50 million high rise as they are literally and actively pillaging everything about your life? If it was 2011 I would 100% be there actively blocking clean up efforts of certain targets and/or heckling/viciously harassing these idiot proles. I would literally dress up like a king and go encourage my peasants to scrub harder.

The shit about ANTIFA is hilariously fucking stupid. It's an idea, not an organization. It is copy/paste the same shit they pulled with OCCUPY and "black bloc" tactics, opps I mean the criminal organization known as Black Bloc. And literally, these are Black Lives Matter protests, not ANTIFA protests.

People and protesters alike equating property destruction with violence is and continues to be frightening. It de-legitimizes the outrage of people and cuts off property destruction as a valid tactic. It's pretty fucking concerning. Imagine targeted destruction of the District Attorney's office, District Attorney cars, local jails, local police department office, corrupt politician cars / offices, police labor union lawyers' offices, etc. Now imagine if they couldn’t stop it.

These idiot protesters literally keep seeing cops taking a knee and think it’s a sign of solidarity. No you fuckers he is putting his gas mask on because the tear gas is coming. I literally watched it happen in Sacramento the other night, texted my friend the tear gas is coming the cops are gonna cause a riot - sure enough I am Nostradamus.

If I woke up tomorrow and my boss told me that today at my job I had to shoot rubber bullets and throw tear gas at people protesting racism because one of my coworkers killed someone in cold blood, I would simply quit that job and do something useful like stock grocery shelves.

My new thing is dead baby jokes repackaged as dead cop jokes. What's the difference between a truck full of bowling balls and a truck full of dead cops? You can't unload a truck full of bowling balls with a pitchfork. HHAHAHAHA man someone get me a mic.

Bunker bitch president. Literally went to go hide in a bunker as protesters got within 10 yards of the White House lawn.

A gang of 25 chubby white dudes walking around with clubs and baseball bats that I can only describe as brown shirts in philly. White supremacist boogaloo types have repeatedly been trying to infiltrate as medics to spread covid and/or beat the shit/kill protestors.

The police killed a protester in Kentucky. And it was literally a sweet old BBQ man. I think he's the 8th death now? It's just so so so so important to protect property above human life. Sarcasm obviously, and this is why exactly why tactical property destruction needs to be on the table.

Covid is still going on. I'm 100% down and always down for the protests, but shit these protesters gotta take way more precautions and take covid / sucking coughs way more seriously.

Sacramento curfew at 8pm tonight. FUCK YOU STEINBERG YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHEN TO GO TO BED.

[luckylq25-blog]

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[republicstandard]

The Un-Making of the West, Vol. VI Demography and Destiny

“While animals are not allowed to migrate illegally, or disrupt the preordained ‘natural’ order – liberal central planners encourage non-indigenous peoples to mess with the social habitat of historic, host populations. Provided those populations are Caucasian. If you’re a rainforest pygmy, liberals will fight for your survival.”-Ilana Mercer

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One colored student at Scripps College, discussing a coloreds-only pool party sponsored by “Cafe con Leche,” stated that, “Sometimes it’s nice to have a time to be with people who identify in the same or similar way that you do. And that’s also why no one is forced to come.” Oh Lord, the irony. To quote Enoch Powell:

Have you ever wondered, perhaps, why opinions which the majority of people quite naturally hold are, if anyone dares express them publicly, denounced as ‘controversial,’ ‘extremist,’ ‘explosive,’ ‘disgraceful,’ and overwhelmed with a violence and venom quite unknown to debate on mere political issues? It is because the whole power of the aggressor depends upon preventing people from seeing what is happening and from saying what they see.

When political strategists talk about “getting the black vote” or “getting the Hispanic vote,” they are unconsciously allowing the mask of multiculturalism to slip—they are, in effect, saying that this racial group has a commonality of interest and though it is not a monolithic bloc, the “community” in question is often found in concentrated pockets where like meets like. The interests of blacks in America, or Hispanics in America, or Jews in America, may not necessarily align with the interest of America—that is, the Historic American Nation, or (predominantly) White America. In differentiating these groups, pundits once again are acknowledging the implicit truth that America is a white country, and that minority interests do not always conform to the best interests of America itself.

For example, over 80% of legal gun owners are white. A recent report by the Pew Research Center found that 75% of Democrats favor stricter gun control laws and 76% of blacks favored gun control over gun rights. Per the Pew Research Center, 62% of whites in the United States support smaller or limited government as opposed to 32% of blacks and 26% of Hispanics/mestizos. 80% of immigrants vote Democrat. Just 8% of the black electorate voted for Donald Trump, who was actually more popular with the LGBTQ-AEIOU Team at 14%. 29% of both Hispanics and Asians voted for President Trump. As Lothrop Stoddard wrote in The Revolt Against Civilization:

Civilization always depends upon the qualities of the people who are the bearers of it. All these vast accumulations of instruments and ideas, massed and welded into marvelous structures rising harmoniously in glittering majesty, rest upon living foundations—upon the men and women who create and sustain them. So long as those men and women are able to support it, the structure rises, broad-based and serene; but let the living foundations prove unequal to their task, and the mightiest civilization sags, cracks, and at last crashes down into chaotic ruin. Civilization thus depends absolutely upon the quality of its human supporters. Mere numbers mean nothing…Let us not deceive ourselves by prating about “government,” “education,” and “democracy”: our laws, our constitutions, our very sacred books, are in the last analysis mere paper barriers, which will hold only so long as there stand behind them men and women with the intelligence to understand and the character to maintain them. Yet this life-line of civilization is not only thin but is wearing thinner with a rapidity which appalls those fully aware of the facts.

The perversity of the whole enterprise is what truly galls me. As the indispensable Will Westcott wrote on Twitter regarding Alfie Evans: “When the Syrian boy was killed by the reckless actions of his parents, it was used as a pretext for Europe opening her borders to migrants. Two years later and the UK is outright killing toddlers” and in the most indirect and cowardly way possible, I might add. The NHS pays £23 million per year on translating information into 128 languages including Arabic, Bengali, Punjabi, and Urdu, but refused to accept a more or less cost-free option to allow little Alfie Evans to be treated in Italy (the Italians even granted him citizenship to expedite the process), instead choosing to deploy a wall of police officers to the hospital he was effectively sentenced to death in—though of course the powers-that-be didn’t have the balls to actually sentence him to death, they just yanked the life support and let the child struggle to survive for five days.

This is the baked-in compassion of the modern Left—autistically screeching to allow the huddled brown masses of Africa and the Orient to pour un-checked into the Occident in the name of compassion, but watching one of their own number die in the most inhumane fashion is not only official policy, but the Merseyside Police Chief Inspector Chris Gibson released a statement that critical social media posts would be investigated by the authorities. 3,300 people were arrested and detained for violations of the Communications Act and the other assorted hate speech and de facto blasphemy laws in the UK in 2017, and yet London Mayor Sadiq Khan has the gall to celebrate the exercise of “free speech” on his Twitter account. To quote Cicero:

A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.

In the United Kingdom, 521,000 whites die per year with the annual death toll expected to rise to 627,000 by 2037; this is compounded by an aggregate of at least 600,000 immigrants, “migrants,” and refugees a year (50,000 per annum was enough to impel Enoch Powell to make his “Rivers of Blood” speech), with over 400,000 non-white births (and rising) annually, a great number of white Britons becoming expatriates (one source I read put the number at 300,000), an average age of 40.5 years old, and a pitiful birth rate of 1.8 live births per woman, which is surely lower if you remove the non-whites.

And who are these “migrants” and “refugees” mostly? A recent survey of Greece’s largest refugee camp, the Moria camp on Lesbos, found that there were 162 unaccompanied children and 216 women out of a total population of 5,206. That means that 92.8% of the camp’s inhabitants are men (Statistics of Iefimerida). What the hell is going on here?

It costs on average one-twelfth as much to relocate a refugee within the Middle East, for example, than to relocate them in the West (where in the West varies the cost). On average, it costs $15,900 per year per refugee to resettle each refugee in America, which translates to, quoting from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) website:

For what it costs to resettle one Middle Eastern refugee in the United States for five years, about 12 refugees can be helped in the Middle East for five years, or 61 refugees can be helped if they remain in a safe neighboring country such as Turkey, Jordan, or Lebanon for one year. At present, the UN reports a $2.5 billion funding gap between what it needs to care for some four million Syrian refugees in the Middle East and what it has received from donor nations. This is equal to the five-year costs of resettling just 39,000 Middle Eastern refugees in the United States. Wealthy countries like the United States that have costly refugee resettlement programs face a choice: They can help a relatively tiny number of refugees who in effect win what might be called the “migration lottery” and are resettled here, or they can devote the limited resources available to helping many more refugees in the region for the same amount of money. If the goal is to help as many people as possible, then assisting Middle Eastern refugees in their home region gives a far greater return on public money.

CIS also notes, “Very heavy use of welfare programs by Middle Eastern refugees, and the fact that they have only 10.5 years of education on average, makes it likely that it will be many years, if ever, before this population will cease to be a net fiscal drain on public coffers — using more in public services than they pay in taxes.” Diversity has proven itself to be a rather costly business for Western citizens. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR):

In 2016, the State Department spent nearly $545 million to process and resettle refugees, including $140,389,177 on transportation costs. Of the $1.8 billion in resettlement costs, $867 billion was spent on welfare alone. In their first five years, approximately 54 percent of all refugees will hold jobs that pay less than $11 an hour. $71 million will be spent to educate refugees and asylum-seekers, a majority of which will be paid by state and local governments. Over five years, an estimated 15.7 percent of all refugees will need housing assistance, which is roughly $7,600 per household in 2014 dollars.

The steep financial cost is of course in addition to the corrosive and, if left un-checked, nation-dissolving character of mass immigration. Per Pew Research:

As of 2015, the United Nations estimates that 46.6 million people living in the United States were not born there. This means that about one-in-five international migrants (19%) live in the U.S. (my note: the U.S. has just 4.4% of the world’s population). The U.S. immigrant population is nearly four times that of the world’s next largest immigrant destination – Germany, with about 12 million immigrants… By way of comparison, about one-in-five people in Canada (22%) are foreign born. In Australia, it’s nearly three-in-ten people (28%)… Denmark and the UK have some of the highest immigrant diversity scores (both 97), followed by Canada at 96.

This creates an environment of extreme distrust, as, also per Pew Research, only 18% of Americans, for example, trust in the government to do what is right. To quote another Twitter fixture, Alfred Albion: “Mass immigration in a democracy is illegitimate without a vote from the existing majority. It’s fraud, it’s gerrymandering, it’s a breach of contract, and we don’t need to accept it or the people who have come here due to it.” As Paul “RamZPaul” Ramsey notes, “When a country is mostly homogeneous, there is no need for identity politics. Once you demographically fragment a country, you will always have identity politics. Identity politics is based on human nature.” It is a survival mechanism, plain and simple, against what many are viewing as demographic warfare. According to the Black African Defense League in Europe:

Don’t have three, but five children. We are going to be the colonizers, if we don’t have the right in Africa as Emmanuel Macron explains because we don’t have the resources to support their needs well let’s do it here only. You are the future!

And they whine about whites in Africa, going so far as to execute them and steal their land as penance for being born in the wrong place and the wrong time. Our very existence excites their envy. To quote Lothrop Stoddard, “The innate differences between members of a low-grade savage tribe are as nothing compared with the abyss sundering the idiot and the genius who coexist in a high grade civilization.” And of course when you invite not the village idiot but entire villages of idiots from the Third World, the chasm grows ever-wider, and the false doctrines of equality grow still more appealing. Continuing with Stoddard, from The Revolt Against Civilization (1922):

Fear and wounded vanity thus inspire the individual to resent unfavorable status, and this resentment tends to take the form of protest against “injustice.” Injustice of what? Of “fate,” “nature,” “circumstances,” perhaps; yet, more often, injustice of persons—individually or collectively (ie-“society”). But (argues the discontented ego), since all this is unjust, those better-placed persons have no “right” to succeed where he fails…Either he should be up with them—or they should be down with him. “We are all men. We are all equal!” Such, in a nutshell, is the train of thought—or rather of feeling—underlying the idea of “natural equality.”…Being basically emotional, it is impervious to reason, and when confronted by hard facts it takes refuge in mystic faith. All levelling doctrines (including, of course, the various brands of modern Socialism) are, in the last analysis, not intellectual concepts, but religious cults.

The superstitions of equality and burnt offerings of diversity are necessarily given to totalitarianism as their apparent falsity can only grow—the greatest enemy of diversity is exposure to it. For the people at the very top of society perhaps the world is essentially borderless (I wouldn’t know, I don’t run in those circles), but the people in the Central Valley in California, for example, are getting far more acquainted with the people of Oaxaca than they’d ever care to, just as the folks in Minneapolis-St. Paul are getting to experience the wonders of Mogadishu over any and all objection. And the kicker is this smorgasbord isn’t even really “diverse”; it is self-segregated and self-perpetuates the dysfunction from whence they came. Immigrants tend to cluster in certain areas and re-create the conditions of home. This is about as far from “diverse” as you can get, and what’s more, lottery or no, if it really were about “diversity,” then why do 27% of our legal immigrants come from just one country, Mexico (57% of whom have less than a high school education; additionally, half of all illegal aliens come from Mexico), and only 13.5% come from the entire continent of Europe plus Canada? Ilana Mercer writes:

Declining birthrates have long been the excuse advanced by immigration central-planners for sticking with mass immigration policies. The aging white population is not replacing itself, say proponents of doomsday demographics. Young, Third-World immigrants are essential to shore-up the welfare state. However, the now-waning West became great not because it was more populated than the rest of the world and outbred it. The West was great because of its human capital—innovation, exploration, science, philosophy; because of superior ideas, and the willingness to defend such a civilization.

The low birth-rates of the West today would not be quite so pronounced an issue if there weren’t alien populations within our borders rapidly out-reproducing us; that said, we still need to find a way to at least replace ourselves, otherwise the demographic free-fall would be absolute. You can’t have a nation without people. No one is proposing we go “full Niger,” but two or three children per couple is manageable and, indeed, ideal so as to not cause severe environmental strain. There are genuine concerns that populations at “lowest-low” birth rates like Japan seldom ever recover, typically either going extinct in relative isolation, or in a non-isolated population getting swallowed up by (an)other group(s).

The crushing burden of wealth re-distributing taxation is artificially depressing white birth-rates, roughly at a lifetime cost of what it would be to raise one child. Without this burden, the relentless propaganda of hedonistic abandon, and the general feeling of loss and hopelessness driven by the auctioning off of their nations, whites might be more inclined to reproduce at replacement level. The general feeling of hopelessness and negativity continues to pervade the former Eastern Bloc and does much to explain the pitifully low birth-rates there. Regarding the United States specifically, though you could apply this to pretty much any country in the West adversely affected by the noxious brew of communism and/or mass immigration, as Mercer states, “America doesn’t need more people; it needs to allow its own people to recover.” We don’t need to have twelve children, but we need to at least reproduce enough not to die off. Given medical advancements and quality of life measures and inventions, we should be aiming for at least replacement-level, settling in at a nice stasis. I think that concerns about overpopulation are warranted, but this is a conversation for African peoples, rather than the Western ones. Per Pew Research:

Sub-Saharan African nations account for eight of the 10 fastest growing international migrant populations since 2010. The number of migrants from each of these sub-Saharan countries grew by 50% or more between 2010 and 2017, significantly more than the 17% worldwide average over the same period. At least a million sub-Saharan Africans have moved to Europe since 2010.

Quoting Thomas Lehn, their increased presence in the West should yield more of such treasures:

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In Africa you are drowning in garbage. For about 80%, there are no toilets…School is just rote learning with the result that most Africans develop no feel for logical thinking. They have no interest in it. They don’t plan. They live for today. You’re often speechless when you see it, even among the ones with university education…The 1.1 billion inhabitants will be 5 billion by the end of this century. 60% are already younger than 15, but there are no jobs or schools for them. This means that every project is wasted, even feasibility studies for desalination plants that allow drinking water to be recovered. But they would never work because the power stations have rotted away and the power supply doesn’t exist. Ultimately, it means there’s going to be a huge migration of peoples – compared to that, what we’re seeing in the Mediterranean every day now is mere child’s play.

Play time, indeed, is over.

from Republic Standard | Conservative Thought & Culture Magazine https://ift.tt/2NuGwkZ via IFTTT

[robertkstone]

2018 Audi A4 Ultra Premium vs. 2018 Honda Accord 2.0T Touring: Blurred Lines

With mainstream automakers offering luxury-laden trims while prestige car brands attempt to democratize luxury, we organized four comparison tests to see who does posh better for a capped price of $40,000.

Luxury, like pornography, can be hard to define. In the case of automobiles, luxury is not as much about demographics or data as it is about the holistic feeling a premium vehicle gives you. Superior driving dynamics might be a major portion of the luxury car experience, but design, build quality, and interior materials also are  significant factors. Although luxury used to be defined solely by high levels of craftsmanship, nowadays technology—chiefly infotainment and driver-assist hardware—is increasingly important, too.

But in the past decade or so, there’s been a wrinkle in the continuum of automotive luxury. Mainstream automakers have added high-zoot trim packages to their volume models to earn a bit more profit and amortize costs across broad volumes; meanwhile, luxury automakers have moved downmarket, producing cheaper models to increase market share. Things have become especially heated in the market for a family sedan priced in the neighborhood of 40 grand, where the two segments collide.

Sedan buyers should be pretty familiar with the Honda Accord as a practical family hauler and work commuter. After all, it’s been the best-selling car to individual buyers (not counting rental fleets) for years. And Honda has made its midsize package even more impressive with the 10th generation.

Case in point: the new top-spec 2018 Honda Accord 2.0T Touring. It comes loaded with all the things luxury buyers expect, such as leather and amazingly lifelike imitation wood inside, Honda Sense driver-assist technology, and a hot-rodded engine under the hood—all for $36,690 out the door. It’s a far sight more expensive than the base Accord 1.5T LX, which is no slouch, either, at a starting price of $24,460.

On the luxury end of the spectrum is the 2018 Audi A4. With luxury sedan sales taking a nosedive and fuel economy regulations tightening, Audi introduced the more affordable and efficient A4 Ultra when the fifth-gen model made its debut in 2017. Starting at $36,975, the A4 Ultra is one of the most inexpensive ways to get a luxury-brand family sedan in your garage.

The A4 Ultra’s starting price covers the luxury basics, with LED lights, a sunroof, and leather seats. However, most models on showroom floors are typically specced up like the zero-miles loaner we borrowed from a helpful local Audi dealership. Our tester added options such as gray paint for $575 (black or white paint are the only free colors) and the Convenience package, which adds keyless entry, a color instrument cluster display, and a few other features for $1,000. A handful of other goodies brought the as-tested price for our A4 to $39,110. That makes the two competing cars’ monthly payments within $40 of each other. Forgo a couple pour-overs a week, and you can upgrade to an Audi.

The two cars are closer mechanically than you’d think. Both have an identical wheelbase and weigh about the same. Under the hood of each car sits a 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 that drives the front wheels.

With a lower cost of entry and improved fuel economy being the reasons for the A4 Ultra’s existence, its engine makes less power than it does in other A4 trims, producing 190 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque (compared to 252 and 273 for the 2.0T Quattro lineup). Power is routed through a seven-speed twin-clutch automatic to the front wheels—Audi’s famous Quattro all-wheel drive system having been omitted on the A4 Ultra for fuel economy reasons. The trade-off would appear to be worth it, as it achieves an impressive EPA rating of 27/37/31 mpg city/highway/combined on premium gasoline.

Honda takes a traditional luxury car approach with the Accord Touring 2.0T’s engine—overpowered and understressed. The Accord Touring 2.0T’s powerplant, a detuned version of the Civic Type R’s 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4, produces 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque and is paired with a 10-speed automatic. The combo is good for 22/32/26 mpg on regular gas. This is the upgraded engine from the base 192-hp 1.5-liter turbo I-4 paired with a CVT—a combo also available on the Accord Touring. The difference is impressive.

One of the worst things that can happen to a luxury car buyer, particularly one shopping on the lower end of the spectrum, is the obvious revelation to both you and others that you got “the cheap one.” Although some base luxury family sedans have some pretty obvious tells, the A4 Ultra hides its relatively affordable sticker price well. The A4 Ultra’s trim looks sharp, even with its slightly smaller wheels and Eastern Bloc apartment gray paint. From its LED signature headlights, down its sharply creased flanks, to its sequential taillights, everything about the A4 screams, “I’ve made it!”

Inside, the A4 makes a good first impression. “The design vibe is a smartphone on wheels,” executive editor Mark Rechtin said. Slip into the interior, and you’re greeted with real leather seats (though they are on the grainy and thin side), neat metallic-looking trim along the dashboard, and Audi’s MMI infotainment system mounted front and center atop the dash. The plastic switchgear feels soft and satiny to the touch, and the metallic-tipped HVAC controls and MMI knob feel cool to the touch and look pricey. The knobs turn and buttons press with a satisfyingly damped click.

“Audi does a superb job of using the interior design to mask the material selection,” associate editor Scott Evans said. “The design is hypermodern and looks premium, and the textured silver plastic stands in well for fake wood.”

But dig a bit deeper, and there is some disappointing decontenting to hit the price point—starting with the fancy tech Audi is most known for. With the cheaper trim package, the game-changing Virtual Cockpit is missing, as is any driver-assist technology. (Honda Sensing is standard on even the cheapest Accord.) . MMI is at least friendly with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which lessens the blow.

Some of the material choices are disappointing in a tactile sense. The armrests aren’t leather, and neither is the dash topper, which is a sort of squishy rubber. There’s also a lot of hard, unsatisfying plastics hiding below your beltline.

The material choices are pretty easy to overlook considering this A4’s sticker price, but the back seat isn’t. The lack of legroom means taller passengers will find themselves with their legs pressed up against a hard plastic seat back instead of softer surfaces found on higher-spec A4s. Cupholders are also conspicuously absent in back, though there are at least bottle holders in either door pocket. The Audi claws back a few points by offering up HVAC controls to rear-seat passengers.

As for the Accord, if a mainstream automaker is to put up a credible alternative to a luxury car, it can’t just beat the luxury maker on price and value. And Honda appears to be taking the challenge seriously. The Accord Touring oozes curb appeal, with a Mercedes CLS-esque stance and wheel arches filled by attractive 19-inch wheels.

“Get inside, and the effect is familiar Honda yet futuristic,” Rechtin said. The leather-lined cabin is anchored by comfy seats, rich-looking LCD digital displays on the instrument panel and on top of the dash, and both “wood” and satin metallic trim. Honda sweat the details, too. Its infotainment system has a larger screen than the A4, and it’s more user-friendly, too, with big icons and an easily navigated user interface. Even its HVAC controls are nice, its knurled metal knobs spinning with a satisfying click, and, as an added bonus, the knobs are backlit either blue or red, depending on whether you’re cranking the heat or A/C.

“The buttons and stalks all have that tactile detent cushioning, a little hint of elegance that makes you think Honda spent the extra hour of overtime to get the product just right,” Rechtin said. The feature-rich cabin is rounded out by heated seats front and rear, a limolike back seat, and USB outlets spread throughout the cabin. The loaded infotainment system works with CarPlay, as well.

For all the extra attention to detail, the Accord’s cabin does have a few minor flaws. The wood trim, although it looks nice, doesn’t feel like And as Evans puts it, the light gray leather seats “highlight how plasticky some of the dash and door parts are, particularly in the corners where the dash and door meet, where there appears to be a sheen and color difference between the two neighboring panels.”

Those nitpicks can be easily forgiven once you hit the road. The Honda Accord is a sweetheart to drive. “This drivetrain is a winning combination,” Evans said. Honda’s 2.0-liter engine and 10-speed automatic are a fine pairing, the former seemingly always in its powerband and the latter shifting seamlessly. The engine purrs under gentle throttle but responds with a satisfying snarl when you ask more of it. “Shift quality is whisper smooth; even downshifts are handled without much of a jolt from the transmission,” Rechtin said.

The Accord is an elegant handler with one of the most refined front-drive suspensions on the market. “It goes around a corner really well for a midsize family sedan,” Evans said. “It doesn’t roll much, and steering is accurate and precise.” The Accord rides nicely over poor pavement, too, isolating the cabin from all but the harshest bumps. However, the cabin could be considered on the noisier side under hard acceleration, registering at 38.7 sones with our test gear due to the engine’s pleasing growl, but it quiets down to a reasonable 16.9 sones while cruising at 65 mph.

Our test data would seem to back up what we learned on the road. Here are the highlights: The Accord is properly quick from 0 to 60 mph, needing just 5.8 seconds, and thanks to its fast-shifting transmission, it also doesn’t suffer from noticeable turbo lag, needing only 2.8 seconds to complete a 45–65-mph pass.

[paranoidsbible]

So You Want to be an Activist: An Intro

===So You Want to be an Activist: An Intro=== Non-profit and free for redistribution Written on May 27th | 2017 Published on May 29th | 2017 For entertainment and research purposes only

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===DISCLAIMER=== The Paranoid's Bible and its writers hold no responsibility for the acts of others. The Paranoid’s Bible is for research and entertainment purposes only. Please visit our blog for more PDFs and information: http://www.paranoidsbible.tumblr.com/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Preface=== Consider this guide the introduction to a series of guides aimed at helping activists and protestors with security, keeping their privacy, using anonymity, and generally how to sway the public toward the goals that they wish society would work toward. The main purpose of this guide, however, is to act as a stepping stone for anyone who wishes to get into activism. The second purpose is to also encourage anyone participating in activism or protests to lessen their chances of being targeted by lowering their digital footprint and practicing day-to-day activism before taking on larger missions or goals. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Prevent Embarrassing Mishaps === With the West’s need to worship rebels, underdogs and revolutionaries (especially in the U.S.), there has always been an uptick of people protesting, proclaiming to be activists and taking up random causes because they believe it to be the right thing to do or just good for the nation. However, unlike the past, we have the internet now which means at any given moment someone can come along and use your embarrassing and edgy posts from your teenage years against you and outright wreck anything you want to do or any good you may have committed, ergo you’re up the creek without a paddle if you don’t take the proper precautionary steps before you begin your journey as an activist.  First and foremost, you’ll want to bookmark https://paranoidsbible.tumblr.com/library and https://pastebin.com/u/paranoidsbible to ensure you always have access to up-to-date guides and any newer ones we’ve posted. The reason for this is that, if you’re truly dedicated to being an activist for whatever, you’ll want to ensure you can always protect yourself from anything imaginable, like being doxed. You’ll want to read these below guides in the recommended order that we’re putting them in below: • The Paranoid's Bible 2.0 – anti-dox information + ways to further lessen your digital footprint. • OPSEC – Supplementary guide for the one mentioned above. • Meta Data and You – Prevent images and other items from leaking your information. • Host Files and You – The lazy way to edit your host file and block Ads and malicious content. • Peerblock and You – Block connections from accessing your network and computer. • Day-to-Day Invasions of Privacy – Learn ways your information can be leaked in a daily manner. • Uncle-Daddy’s Big Book of Deception – Simple ways to hinder people trying to find your info. • An Internet Primer – A simple way to strengthen your browser while being functional. • What to do if Doxed – Incase of being doxed. • The Internet Detox – Learn not to rely so heavily on the internet. The reason for the above is quite simple: By cleaning up your digital past and lessening your footprint, you prevent potential kerfuffles from happening in the future. Think of what would happen if someone who wanted to cause you and your mission harm by bringing up edgy, teenage angst filled posts or other adolescent stupidity. The second thing you’ll want to do is work toward isolating your personal and private life from your public life. You’ll want to ensure you can keep your own idiocy to yourself and away from the view of the public. So opt-out of having a smartphone and go for a dummy-phone on a pay-as-you-go contract. Basically you purchase (in cash) a phone that can only send and receive calls and texts. Nothing else, at all—you don’t need a camera or internet connection. The less functions a phone has, the less it can be used to track you or record you. Third, you’ll want to get yourself a roll of black tape, be it duct tape or electrical tape. Put a piece over the camera lenses and microphones of your tech and devices. The reason for this is, once you start becoming a common face in certain circles, people will begin to take notice. They’ll try to either gain some sort of dirt on you or work toward black mailing you, especially if you excel at your chosen mission and become an activist that is seen as being the face or voice of a certain movement. Take the precautions now so you don’t have to worry about them later. Fourth and finally, less smart appliances mean less worry. Governments and corporations don’t always agree with activists and will look into ways of silencing them, even it means through some thug hired specifically for wet work (E.G: assassination). It might be a good idea to look into the Paranoid’s Bible guides on home security and landline security just to be on the safe side of things. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Do Research First, React Later=== Before you even begin dipping your toes in the pool of activism, you need to start doing some digging. Doing things like brushing up on the laws of your area (city, state, country…etc) and what groups are currently active in said area are a good start. Another good start is to figure what the local government aligns with (party wise) and what individual entities exist in that local government. From there, you’ll have already excelled past most of these weekend warriors and +1 Facebook surfing Soccer Moms. You want to basically put yourself ahead of the game by studying it before participating. One of the biggest successes in activism is knowing the who, what and where. Getting the full story before you trust anyone or anything, because there are many people who make their living off of activism, be it self proclaimed victims or so-called charities. Everyone wants a slice of the sympathy pie, as it’s easier than ever to funnel money for yourself VIA a tear jerker of a story. Go Fund Me, Patreon, Kickstarter… there are services that are only growing larger and becoming the main source of income for a whole legion of scammers and con artists. As many of you will get upset, GamerGate did make a good call when they pushed forth with the mantra of “Trust but Verify”. Trust someone but verify their story and don’t take their anecdotal evidence as truth and law. So, yes, before doing any form of activism, dig in and do your research. Check all sources, not only those that align with your own personal beliefs or ideology but also those against them. The truth is always somewhere in the middle, not on the left or right of some political compass. Corporations, governments and entities yet to be properly labeled all have their hands in activism in order to steer the directions the citizens head toward. Don’t become another cow/bull for the slaughter, do your homework. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Don’t Become a Useful Idiot=== The term, Useful Idiot, is political jargon meant to portray that a useful idiot is a person that is perceived as a propagandist that’s ultimately an unwilling puppet used by a cause or movement’s leaders. These people aren’t fully aware of the end goal or what the whole things truly about. The problem with useful idiots is that they’re totally unaware and will continue to sing mantras and tote party lines without question because to them it’s the right thing to do and they’re one of the good guys. This is where the West’s hero worship of rebels, revolutionists and underdogs comes back to bite them, especially in the US. The current climate is polluted with good-guy analogies that range from popular pop culture icons and references to celebrities and internet attention seekers. People believe that someone’s public notoriety and/or large arbitrary numbers on social media somehow equate to knowledge, intelligence and overall understanding of the world. Do not fall for this trap as it’s currently being employed by not only the media but also corporations and the government. Continuous feed spam on social media talking about Dumbledore’s army or Katniss or some other popular pop icon has led people to participate in the annoying trend of virtue signaling where they try to seek society’s approval by showing how good they are by repeating the pre-approved sentiments and opinions of the group that they’re participating in and trying to use as a means to climb further up the social ladder. This is reality; you’re not in a fictional world of some black and white duality of good and evil. We’re all some form of gray, some lighter than others. Enjoy this sage advice as no one will wear a white hat or black face mask to designate who they are or what they support. With the rise of social media, virtue signaling has become a plague to the internet and the offline realm. Used by weekend warriors and meta-activists in order to appear as being good or an ally to a movement, the sentiments they spew forth are empty and superficial. Their support and any help they claim to be doing are usually done so to further their own goals and not that of the movement or cause. This is also usually employed by those looking to hawk some wares or service that they’re pushing for as some great deed or useful tool for the movement or cause and its participants. To prevent yourself from falling into this trap, you must first work toward being selfless and dealing with the fact that you’ll not always get a cookie or an award or a pat on the back. Activism is and always will be thankless work. Don’t strive for the Nobel Prize, strive for a better world. ___References:___ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtue_signalling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_idiot +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Start Small, Build Experience=== A lot of people bite off more than they can chew when it comes to activism. They think they can adopt some Black Bloc tactics and stage a demonstration without any interference from opponents and/or the police. The truth is, you can’t just go out there and do something without gaining some experience first and learning the ins and outs of life, how society works and how people react. This is why we’re constantly saying to do your research and come to your own conclusions and not to take everything at face value. So, in order to help you further your own goals as an activist and help the world in whatever ways you see fit we believe you need to start small and work your way up toward tackling bigger problems. The first thing you should do is analyze your own lifestyle and look at how you can improve your own health, financial situation, and cut back on your own waste, therefore to further help you along your quest we’ll include a series of day-to-day things you can do to help the world just a little bit. These won’t be in any real order as they’ll touch upon several missions and causes. • Lessen your own consumption of resources To do this, look into: - Installing aerators on your faucets . - Replacing light bulbs with new LEDs. - Starting a compost pile for all organic (no meat or processed foods) matter. - Unplugging devices not in use and shutting things off when you leave or go to sleep. - Sweeping and/or raking instead of using a blower or hose to clean your property. - Walk or ride a bicycle to stores and places within walking distance. - Recycle. • Vote with your wallet. To do this, look into: - Supporting local businesses and markets. - Blocking Ads and only unblocking them for companies you trust and believe in. - Purchasing video games and digital content from groups and people that you wish to support. - Using sales to your advantage in order to both save money and prove a point of pricing. - Donate to charities and causes you trust and believe in. - Buying the product of a competitor of a company you don’t like or trust. • Educate others. To do this, look into: - Advance yourself by perusing higher learning. - Taking up a degree and job in STEM fields. - Taking up a degree and job in teaching. - Donating and volunteering within local schools. - Provide reading materials and other educational material to schools and libraries. • Help your community. To do this, look into: - Picking up trash and waste when and where you can. - Report any and all crimes you see (to an extent, smaller infractions can be ignored). - Help your neighbors, especially those that are disabled and/or elderly. - Help start beautification efforts to improve both quality and aesthetic of your community. - Volunteer. - Start a “Take What You Need” garden composed of herbs, fruits and vegetables. • Take privacy and security seriously. To do this, look into: - https://paranoidsbible.tumblr.com/ - https://pastebin.com/u/paranoidsbible - https://stallman.org/ - https://prism-break.org/en/ - https://privacytoolsio.github.io/privacytools.io/ - https://www.eff.org/ - Educate others and pass on this information. ___References:___ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science,_technology,_engineering,_and_mathematics http://eartheasy.com/grow_compost.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Afterword=== This is just the bare necessities, hence it being an intro into activism. Think of this as a stepping stone into activism and what it will entail, like dedication, research, digging and questioning the narrative. As of now, take your time, digest what you’ve read and work on improving your own life and your community before tackling the world’s problems. When you feel you’re ready, checkout the second part of this series.

[crimethinc]

Five Principles of Direct Action : What We Can Learn from the 2001 Inauguration Protests

On January 20, 2001, anarchists nearly stopped the inauguration of George W. Bush. Although there was considerable anger about Bush winning the election while losing the popular vote, the Washington, DC police hoped it would be easy to confine protesters to "free speech" zones. In contrast, anarchists had decided to "disrupt" the inauguration by attempting actively to block Bush's motorcade from the Capitol to the White House. Passive protest groups complied with police orders, leaving the anarchists out in the cold. An anarchist black bloc a few hundred strong had formed, but most people had no idea how to get through the police barricades between the protesters in "free speech zones" and the bleachers of those who had paid to cheer Bush into the presidency.

However, one affinity group had a bright idea. Out of nowhere, four black-masked anarchists—clad in the Carhartt clothing popular among train-hopping traveler kids of the time—appeared at the edge of the bloc. Clearly, they had scouted the area beforehand. The affinity group seized a rolling dumpster from a nearby construction site and asked the assorted anarchists to pile in whatever construction supplies were nearby—chiefly poles and other garbage.

“One, two, three—go!” the affinity group shouted, with more than a hundred somewhat surprised anarchists behind them. In an almost superhuman effort, they pushed the dumpster straight at the line of police checking IDs to enter the free-speech zone. The police maintaining the checkpoint fled in horror and the relatively fragile barrier separating the free-speech zone from the black bloc was smashed. Anarchists in black masks penetrated the zone right next to the bleachers and the parade route without the police succeeding in checking their identities. In a moment of insane courage, the affinity group continued to rush forward pushing the dumpster, releasing it straight into the parade route. However, one quick-witted police officer drove his car straight into the dumpster’s path, blocking it.

The affinity group scattered, melting back into the crowd. Although Bush's inauguration itself was not disrupted, the free-speech zone and area near the route descended into chaos at that moment, and Bush's motorcade was quite nearly interrupted.

CrimethInc. operatives carried out a few other creative direct actions based in affinity groups. One group set up a pirate radio station to broadcast an anarchist critique of democracy, while others throughout DC encouraged residents to get out into the streets, distributing thousands of fliers urging people to tune to the pirate radio station for an “emergency message.”

What can we learn from 2001? Let’s revisit a few fundamental principles of successful direct action from the mass mobilizations against capitalist globalization and the Iraq War.

0. The most important thing is to play your position.

Before we get into the principles, let’s take a look at the protagonists of these mobilizations. The participants in these actions can be divided broadly into the organizers from the host city and the people coming from out of town. It is essential that those arriving from out of town already be organized in affinity groups, so they are prepared to make decisions and act autonomously throughout the events.

The local organizers are the people who, by lucky chance of living in a city like Washington, DC during Trump's inauguration, have been given the honor of doing a lot of organizational work to make the direct action a success. Often, this is an overwhelming task, and it is generally appreciated if people from out of town arrive early to help. As local organizers are the ones most likely to have their houses raided after the protest, they may delegate some of the action-oriented work to people from out of town who can more easily evade detection and escape local police.

1. The first principle is that the protest should have a clear goal.

Is it simply a media stunt? Or is it a direct action with a specific objective?

Even rioting is often more or less a media action. Often the lines are blurred: blocking people from attending the inauguration or otherwise disrupting it—for example, by getting into the parade route itself—is definitely direct action, but it is also spectacular if it is aimed at the media. While getting beat up by Trump-supporting fascists might be a tactical disaster and set a terrible precedent, in front of the media it could also convey that anarchists are the front line fighting the nascent fascism around Trump. In short—any combination of media actions, direct actions, and covert actions is possible, but it's important that all the participants are clear what their concrete goal is.

An abstract goal of “disrupting” the inauguration may not be concrete enough to produce solid results. More specific goals could include “stop Trump's car” or “tear down the so-called ‘free speech’ zones,” as in the above story, or a variety of other objectives. There will always be arguments over what goals are most appropriate for anarchists, but it is crucial to make at least some attempt to formulate and achieve a concrete goal.

2. The second principle of successful direct action is that the organizers should publicize a plan...

...that will create the conditions in which to accomplish their goal, while preparing at least one secret plan that will enable them to achieve it. Ideally, there should be one sensible public plan, one secret backup plan, and a backup for the backup plan. Secret plans should be shared only with trusted affinity groups, but it is essential to be able to articulate them rapidly to others in the streets. It’s important to preserve the element of surprise, but once you are putting your plan into action it is equally important to be able to get other people on board with it. Because…

3. The third principle is to combine forces...

...creating a situation in which it is impossible to isolate a militant minority from the rest of the population. Unless they expect to be the majority of the participants, anarchists should not isolate themselves from everyone else. At the least, they should seek crowd cover from liberal protesters, so it is more difficult for police to attack or arrest them without broader repercussions; at best, anarchists should aim to create a situation in which confrontational action spreads far beyond their ranks.

If anarchists march alone, it is much easier for the police to isolate them, surround them, and arrest them en mass. This happened to the black bloc at the Climate Change summit in Copenhagen in 2009; Washington, DC police did the same thing to tamer protesters in the "Democracy Spring" demonstration in 2016. By contrast, in the successful protests at the Seattle WTO demonstrations in 1999, where the Teamsters infamously joined anarchists fighting in the streets, as well as at the anti-FTAA demonstrations in Quebec in 2001, anarchists enabled black bloc tactics to proliferate throughout a large crowd.

This lesson has not been lost on liberals. Reformists like Gloria Steinem are holding the Women's March on Saturday, when Trump will have left and downtown DC will be completely empty. Steinem and her friends might as well work for Trump (just as she worked for the CIA): encouraging a purely symbolic march a day after the actual Trump inauguration will discourage people from concentrating their energies on resisting the inauguration itself. It would be more effective for everyone to participate in a single day of direct action, in a framework affirming autonomy and a diversity of tactics.

<figure> <img src="https://cloudfront.crimethinc.com/assets/articles/2017/01/17/2001-quebec-black-block-1.jpg" /> <img src="https://cloudfront.crimethinc.com/assets/articles/2017/01/17/2001-quebec-black-block-2.jpg" />

<figcaption>Demonstrators utilizing black bloc tactics during anti-FTAA demonstrations in Quebec in 2001.</figcaption> </figure>

4. The fourth principle is that it is a mistake to count on decentralized actions by affinity groups.

Realistically, affinity groups may pull off some banner drops or isolated vandalism; if they’re lucky, they might even glean a bit of media coverage. However, such actions are rarely effective by themselves and cannot, by the nature of their size, possibly take the place of large and well-organized street demonstrations. The truth is that there has never been a protest in which decentralized affinity group actions by themselves were the deciding factor. More often than not, calls for decentralized actions produce nothing at all.

Furthermore, closed affinity groups actions rarely create a situation in which people who are not already sure of their politics can get involved and have radicalizing experiences. Short of bank robbery and arson, decentralized actions are almost always ignored. Hoping that other people will carry out decentralized actions is often a coping mechanism used by anarchists to avoid doing any real organizing work themselves. Successful decentralized actions are most likely to come about in the wake of an organized mass action opening a rift in the fabric of order, as at the Seattle WTO demonstrations or the Quebec FTAA protests.

5. The fifth and final principle is that it is crucial to have a working communications infrastructure.

Knowing when and where the police (and others) are attacking protesters is crucial.

Formerly, at anti-globalization and anti-war protests before Trump, the main issue was getting the mainstream media to pay attention to protests in the first place. This is why sites like Indymedia (which still exists in DC) were established in the first place. The Indymedia model of user-provided content was later commodified to produce the likes of Facebook.

However, lack of mainstream media attention is unlikely to be an issue for the Trump inauguration. The more important question will be how to remain apprised of developments throughout downtown. Historically, anarchists have helped trail-blaze the use of mobile technologies to keep the crowd informed of police movements—from TxtMob at the Republican National Convention in 2004 to Twitter in 2008. It usually helps to have bike scouts to verify rumors of police movements, as well. In 2016, the most useful technologies are probably Twitter and encrypted messaging applications like Signal.

It’s worth going the extra mile today to be secure. During the 2008 Republican National Convention, the communications headquarters was raided after police followed the organizers back to it from a spokescouncil meeting. The same problem led to the raid of the “secret” headquarters for the Twitter feed during the actions against the 2009 G20 Summit in Pittsburgh. There should be some separation between any communication center and in-person meetings. Likewise, any group coordinating communications should probably use Tor between their connection and Twitter, and communicate via Jabber over Tor.

Of course, groups involved in possibly illegal decentralized actions should not carry mobile phones or use this sort of infrastructure at all. The likelihood of being tracked is just too high. However, for the rest of the crowd—and for anarchist contingents in particular—a solid communications infrastructure is a vital component of a successful action.

These are just a few of the many conclusions that we could pass on from the era of the 2001 inauguration protests. Those who are preparing to act against the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2017 are part of a lineage of revolt stretching back generations—a lineage older than the United States itself. Let’s learn from the past to sharpen our wits for the future. Good luck out there, comrades.