#The Center for Indian Country Development

[reasoningdaily]

The Navajo Nation has received a $55 million grant to help Navajo homeowners with mortgage payments and home repairs.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said as many as 901 homeowners should qualify for the funds.

The money comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, which provides nearly $10 billion to support homeowners throughout the country who face financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program is open to Navajo homeowners of all income levels within the Four Corner states who live on both tribal lands and in urban areas.

The funds must be used within three years.

PHOENIX — Urban Navajos who own homes off the Navajo Nation will soon receive some unexpected help they’ll want but didn’t need to ask for.

On Sept. 11, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren told 250 Phoenix metro area Navajo homeowners that the Nation received a $55 million federal grant to provide financial assistance to Navajo homeowners under various Homeowner Assistance Fund programs.

This includes mortgage payments and home repair assistance.

As many as 901 Navajo homeowners should qualify for the money for their homes, he said.

“Make sure we tell everybody,” Nygren told an overflow crowd in the shade outside the historic Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center, one of the remaining buildings from the 100-year-old Indian boarding school.

They were outside because a capacity crowd was already indoors awaiting the same announcement, and Nygren wanted to address those in the 105-degree F heat first.

The Homeowner Assistance Fund was authorized through the American Rescue Plan Act to provide $9.9 billion nationwide to support homeowners who face financial hardships associated with COVID-19, the Nygren said yesterday.

The funds were distributed to states, U.S. territories, and tribes. The Navajo Nation was awarded $55,420,097.

Most federally funded programs are restricted to low- and very-low-income households.

This program allows higher-income Navajo homeowners to receive financial relief from the economic effects of COVID-19, as well.

“Tell your relatives,” Nygren said. “Say the $55 million that came from our government was specifically for Navajo people who are homeowners.”

To launch the process, Nygren signed an agreement with Native Community Capital. The group is a Native-led and operated non-profit corporation that was selected as the sub-recipient to administer the Homeowner Assistance Fund Project activities on behalf of the Navajo Nation.

Native Community Capital is certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as a Native Community Development Financial Institution and is a licensed mortgage lender in Arizona and New Mexico.

The program is designed for both higher-income and medium-income homeowners, Native Community Capital CFO Todd Francis said.

As an example, a family of four in Maricopa County in Arizona earning as much as $132,450 a year may be eligible for the tax-free, non-repayable funds to pay their mortgage or repair their homes, he said.

The program will benefit Navajo relatives and their families who reside in both rural remote locations and those in the urban areas of Phoenix, Albuquerque, Denver, Salt Lake City, surrounding smaller cities and towns, and wherever Navajo homeowners live off-reservation, said NCC CEO Dave Castillo.

A significant lack of investment in tribal communities compared to non-Indian communities has resulted in a critical absence of homeownership on tribal lands, particularly for higher-income Native households, he said.

As a result, Navajos with higher incomes tend to purchase or build homes off the Navajo Nation where they can qualify for loans and mortgages to build equity and wealth.

The Center for Indian Country Development reports that 78% of Native people live outside of tribal trust land in counties surrounding their homelands. It is these families the HAF Project will seek to support, Castillo said.

Nygren said the Navajo HAF Project will provide financial assistance to 901 eligible Navajo homeowners to use for qualified expenses in five activities for the next 36 months.

The program will provide financial assistance to eligible Navajo homeowners in the four-state region of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado.

Each eligible applicant could receive a maximum amount of $125,000 of combined assistance under various programs.

These include:

Monthly mortgage payment assistance to a maximum assistance level of $72,000 per participant. This is for Navajo homeowners who are delinquent in mortgage payments or at risk of foreclosure due to a loss of household income.

Mortgage reinstatement assistance would give a maximum assistance of $50,000 per participant to those who are in active forbearance, delinquency default status, or are at risk of losing a home.

Mortgage principal reduction assistance that would assist up to $100,000 for those who find the fair market value of their home is now less than the price they paid for it and now may result in a loss when it is sold.

Home repair assistance that would give $100,000 to those who need significant home repairs.

Clear title assistance of up to $30,000 for grant assistance to receive a clear title of their primary residence.

In his 2022 presidential campaign, Nygren committed to helping urban Navajos who have said for years that they felt underserved by the tribal government. He said this grant addresses that.

He said one of his administration’s next goals is to buy or construct a building owned by the Navajo Nation in the metro area to serve urban Navajo Phoenicians.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we used the entire $55 million this year?” Nygren asked. “I know you committed to live here and to take care of your family. I see a lot of familiar faces and I understand this is where your jobs are. We want you to have access to resources.”

Castillo urged applicants to be sure their applications were complete and submitted early.

“One thing we want to emphasize is to be ready when the information is being requested on the checklist,” he said. “Make sure you have your documents prepared and you get it to our licensed professionals that will be working with you. If you do not, the application will expire in 30 days.”

He said the program has just three years to deploy the $55 million.

“It seems like we could do that quickly but we can only do it quickly if you help us, if you’re ready, and if you submit the information that’s necessary.”

Debbie Nez-Manuel, executive director of the Navajo Nation Division of Human Resources, said visits to other urban areas will be planned, scheduled, and announced by Native Community Capital.

The funds must be used within three years.

So does any of this money go to the Black Indians Tribes? @militantinremission

maybe y'all should start asking for your cut right now cause they got it

#Navajo #Navajo Nation #First Nation #Chief Buu Nygren #Nygren reveals $55 mil for Diné homeowners #HAF #The Center for Indian Country Development #Navajo Nation has received a $55 million grant to help Navajo homeowners with mortgage payments and home repair #@MilitantinRemission

[cutiepieloves131]

𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝟎𝟎°𝟎𝟎’ - 𝟏𝟑°𝟐𝟎’

The animal of this nakshatra is a male wolf or a male dog.

A dog is the most fascinating creature on this planet.

It can love to a point that it will give its life for you or it can bite and throttle someone’s bone if they cross their territory.

They are needy, emotional, and pack animals. They always want to be with you and feel abandoned when you go to work.

Dogs are not directly connected with wolf’s lineage as many think, rather a different species of wolf, which lived 30,000 years ago but there are few similarities.

Wolves on the other hand are wild, sharp, smart and know how to pack hunt.

Wolves are some of the smartest hunters in the wild.

The most distant feature of the wolf is their howling during full moon nights or when the member of the pack dies.

Mula individuals gets attached very quickly and don't want to let go, just like a dog, which is the animal symbol of the nakshatra.

Mula is the root, the male dog develops deep roots not only in their master’s heart but also with other family members.

Mula natives are attached with their family, spouse, children or friends.

Once they are your friends, they are your friends regardless.

A male dog is more playful most of the time vs. female dog.

Mula natives are quite playful but their playfulness can be painful just like the sharp paws of the puppy or dog.

They can play rough and they don’t realize they have hurt the other person.

The symbol of Mula nakshatra is the roots, roots of a tree, plant or even our own roots.

Roots grow underground hence, invisible.

We only see what is in front of us growing above the ground.

Mula natives are the embodiment of their roots, their past; their ancestors.

They love to be detectives, search the past, like an archaeologist or paleontologist.

The roots can be completely uprooted especially when taking out a dead plant or removing trees to clear out a land.

Native who have clusters of Mula in their chart will always have the tendency of uprooting their life without a hint.

Even if everything is fine in a relationship, career or some idea, they just completely bulldoze and clear it out to pave a way for something new.

Mula natives may love studying the roots of plants and trees.

Sometimes, the basic meaning of things would be the biggest karma of a person, like a Ashwini native would be training horses for a living.

Mula natives would also love eating things which are buried under ground like potatoes, beats, ginger, garlic, onion; some even have a fascination with cemeteries and graveyards.

The deity of Moola nakshatra is Nirriti, the goddess of destruction.

She is the goddess who brings new creation, after destruction.

She is described as having golden locks, dark, and connected with the underworld.

She is very much similar to goddess Kali.

Goddess Nirriti rules the South West direction and is supposed to have come from the anus of Brahma in the creation myth.

There are variations of Daksha’s yagna story in which goddess Nirriti is supposed to have accompanied Rudra to destroy Daksha’s yagna.

Kali is the fierce form of goddess Durga, who stopped her destruction only after Shiva himself surrendered to her feet.

Nirriti is also connected with goddess Dhumavati, one of the ten Mahavidyas as well as goddess Alakshmi, also called as Jyeshtha, the goddess of poverty, is the elder sister of Lakshmi.

Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity is supposed to visit Jyeshtha, her elder sister on every Saturday on the Pipal tree.

Lakshmiji follows and visit their home, who pay respect to the Pipal tree on Saturday.

Kali is connected to the black hole that is driving the center of the Milky Way, and her connection with Shiva is pointing to the Ardra-Moola nakshatra axis, with a black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

After reading the mythology the first impression we have for Mula natives is that they are followers of Kali, especially in Indian culture.

Someone in a foreign country from Celtic culture may worship a dark goddess like Carawin or Erzulie Dantor in Voodoo, which is a white magic to heal and protect people.

Laxmiji blesses a person who worships the Pipal tree where Jyeshtha resides and shows great love and admiration of her elder sibling.

Mula natives will protect their siblings and when someone does well for their siblings they would bow and protect them like their own sibling.

Just like the fierce goddess Kali these natives are fierce too.

They will challenge, stand up to anyone and take out the roots of beliefs and tradition in an instant.

Like their yoni animal, they can become Pit Bulls.

The position of Mula in the sky points towards the supermassive blackhole region of the galaxy.

So far we know nothing about inside a black hole, no one has been near it, inside it, and most are theoretical observations of scientific models.

Mula natives are as mysterious as the black hole; they can suddenly be comedians and then quickly turn into a killer like “The Joker”.

They are quite unpredictable with chaotic energy around them.

We do know via science that light doesn’t escape the black hole and it tends to suck everything around it; for this reason a Mula person must redirect their energy into a positive spiritual path because they will see how quickly they start sucking the energy of other people towards them and others would enjoy sinking into their spiritual hole.

However, the general population is not spiritual and neither desire to walk on that path.

A Mula person can be quite intense to be around, where you may feel they suck your energy.

A black hole crushes everything that comes near it hence, the Mula native also love to crush things, for example if they drink a can of coke they will crush it and throw it away, or someone who loves to see cars and other materials be crushed and destroyed by monster trucks or tanks.

#Mula #mula nakshatra #ultimate astrologer #all about mula #vedic astro notes #astrology notes #nakshatras #vedic astrology

[ultfreakme]

Freeing Palestine is India's fight

I've seen lots of posts about how Western countries and their populations should be concerned for stopping the genocide in Palestine but Indians are involved in this as well.

India has a HUGE Islamophobia problem, from the day India became what it is, this country exists the way it does through conflict regarding religious majorities and it is a problem we must acknowledge.

Collective punishment has often been carried out indiscriminately against Muslims in India- Muslim people's houses in Madhya Pradesh have been demolished without warning. This has also happened in Uttar Pradesh and in 2023, Haryana(300 businesses and homes). These were all normal innocent civilians who had proper legal paperwork showing their purchase and ownership of their home and land, but the police did not care. In many of these instances the police stood by and were involved in demolition and all of these were under BJP-majority and ruled areas. The recent Ram Mandir was built on the demolished land of Babri Masjid(it was built in the 14th century before India as it was even a THING, its destruction & demolition on the claim that it was Ram's birth place is unfair). Hate crimes against Muslims run amok and there are multiple cases of violence against Muslims in India.

PM Modi of the BJP party has been consistent in maintaining positive relations with Benjamin Netanyahu and the occupying force of Israel. A majority of the military equipment for India comes from Israel, and India has constantly been neutral in UN council meetings when decisions regarding Israel are brought up. A spyware called Pegasus, developed by the occupying force of Israel was used to surveil politicians, journalists, activists etc severely breaching right to privacy and threatening freedom of speech.

Worse; India has been using the Israeli strategy of colonizing Palestine with Kashmir. Jammu & Kashmir is a union territory which basically means they are allowed to function independently on most fronts but India has been seeking to integrate J&K into itself and has been extremely hostile to its Muslim citizens and are currently intensifying their occupation efforts. There have been consistent internet and communication blackouts since 2018 and it is STILL ongoing.

India invited Israeli officials to Kashmir to open 'Centers of Excellence' which are supposedly for agricultural innovation but everyone in J&K are concerned and see it as India taking an opportunity to intensify its occupation with Israeli help.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, several Kashmiris told Middle East Eye the Israeli agriculture hubs would deepen India's occupation in the region and accelerate its settler-colonial project. "Earlier, we would draw the parallels between Kashmir and Palestine or India's intimate alliance with Israel. But now they are bringing Israel to the Valley in the form of these institutions - which will be "agro-oriented" in name - but we all know that Israel will physically help India in Kashmir to turn it into a proper Palestine," a Kashmiri academic based in Istanbul told Middle East Eye.

In 2016 Coalition of Civil Society said there are more than 8000 'disappearances' of people in J&K. There are mass graves with over 2000 bodies being found with these unlawful activities being attributed to the Indian Security Forces. That's just scratching the surface of decades of violence and human rights violations enacted by India.

BJP is not shy about its ties to the RSS and promotes Hindutva(I've seen people citing the literal meaning of the word as evidence that it is harmless but the word is a label given to an embraced by extreme right-wing groups who are open about their Islamaphobia. Meaning of the word becomes pointless when actions speak otherwise).

India is an occupying force on J&K, it's suppressing Muslims, demonizing them and further marginalizing them in the name of 'Hinduism'. It buys from Israel and endorses them. As Indians, it is key that we do whatever we can to stop the genocide because we are unwittingly being used to fuel this and are being radicalized to hate on our neighbors, the people we share our land and history with.

Even outside of the ways in which the current government is shamelessly supporting Israel, India's history is rife with colonization. The British had occupied us, forced us into fighting each other, into prioritizing meaningless differences to suppress each other. We were once starved by occupying forces, violated, killed. Our land is also covered in blood shed by colonization.

What are we doing if we don't speak up? If we don't stop this? Do not follow the propaganda conflating extreme right-wing ideologies with the identity of being Indian. Don't buy into the idea that India is "for Hindus", we are so ridiculously diverse, there are 100s of languages and religions in this country.

Free Jammu & Kashmir, free Palestine, stop Islamophobia.

#palestine #free gaza #desiblr #desi tumblr #gaza strip #free palestine #islamphobia #I have no special patriotism for my country but if that's the identity i'm forced into i'm going to stand up for Palestine #I am aware that Kashmiri Hindus have also experienced multiple hate crimes and were forced out and it had been classified as ethnic cleansi #but the fact that happened should only fuel you more to STOP the occupation & violence against muslims in J&K #absolutely nothing justifies genocide- nothing

[ophiespeaks]

On worldbuilding for drs:

I don’t want to claim to be an expert. However, I have taken a semester of specifically worldbuilding-oriented english writing, on top of being a literal english major. Needless to say, I think I know a *few* things on worldbuilding when it comes to fictional works. But drs are different beasts entirely.

When you’re writing, it’s easy to say “oh this is 20 miles from this” and leave it at that. But when you’re mapping/planning out new locations in a dr, for example, a post-dystopia where society is restarting at around the middle age- it’s important to be very aware of actual societal patterns and the WHY people would settle there. Understanding the fundamentals of human behavior is important for understanding worldbuilding as a whole.

Your world can look however. A remodeled United States, such as I have in my The 100 DR, won’t have the exact same lines for nations/communities. However, some nation/state lines exist for a reason. Most commonly, bodies of water. Large rivers or lakes in geography affect how people settle those areas. In the United States (which I’m using, because I have the most knowledge of the country and purely for that reason), the great lake area is incredibly fertile and has mild enough weather to be hospitable for all kinds of plants and livestock to survive year round. You can even weave this into land disputes- early english settlers to the ohio river valley fought a war with the indigenous tribes of the area for basically one reason- Beaver pelt. It was extremely valuable and actually they hunted beaver in the area to near extinction during and after the war. One people wanting certain land for purely agricultural and hunting reasons is a thing that has happened historically, and can be used as conflict points in a dr.

Language is also an interesting point. Sure, you can make up a language. That works fine. But also, knowing linguistics and incorporating aspects of cr language into your dr can make it more “realistic” and easier to learn and understand. Most languages stem from ancient languages- things like Latin and ancient Sumerian have stemmed into modern day English, Spanish, German, and even various Indian and broadly Asian languages. Using a post-dystopian US-centered example, you can take English and modify it to realistically have changed with times and cultures. Sticking with my 100 dr, there’s an existing language called Trigedasleng.

It’s derivative english. “Kom” in Trigeda is derived from “Come” in English, which ends up actually translating to something like “From” or “Of (the)” in English. “Kru” is directly derived from “Crew” on english, which means “people” in actual translation. “Heda” directly translates to “Leader” or “Commander,” but is derived from the English word “Head.” The head is in charge of the body, the Heda is in charge of the people. Trigedasleng is actually a “full” language developed by the writers of the TV show and even has an online translator. However, for my DR, I’m working on a lot more actual changes in the two languages, Trigedasleng and English. Only certain words have changed in canon, and I’m making a significant number of words actually change from their English counterparts.

Language also constitutes culture and societal differences. Does your dr society speak only one language, are multiple languages used? If they are post-dystopia, is the language entirely new, or derived? Again, in my dr, English is still used and spoken- but only specifically by Grounder warriors. Merchants, farmers, metalworkers, etc. only speak Trigedasleng. English is a language that has survived, but not thrived, during the rebuilding of society. Language can also be used to express class and status. Is knowing English a tell of formal education? Is speaking a “slang” version of a language used as a way to express lower classes or poverty? Take a look at American AAVE, used predominantly in poorer black communities. It’s English- with slight adjustments.

Take into account topography as well. If there is a mountain on one side, there may be a desert on the others. Take the Rockies for example, most of the land on the opposite side is desert because the mountains shield the brunt of the weather. If a society lives by the ocean or a big lake, the chances are that society has developed boats and use fishing techniques. If they live in snow areas, chances are they hunt rather than depending too heavily on agriculture yield. Valleys deep enough may have different weather than even just a few miles up in flatlands. Bogs, swamps, and other still water sources pose dangers to humans because of the species who live there, such as mosquitoes carrying malaria or aquatic reptiles such as alligators and crocodiles, or poisonous snakes. Therefore, it’s unlikely for a society to suddenly desire to live in the middle of the swamp, especially if they only have rudimentary technology.

Illnesses are also important to consider. For worldbuilding, it’s as much about the people and cultures as it is the physical map. Does one group have an immunity to one illnesses where another doesn’t, such as the real life application with the English bringing smallpox to the Americas? Would one group avoid another because they think they’re “sick,” whether literally or religiously? Religions are also a huge aspect of culture. We see it present even today in conflicts, and it also changes where people want to settle. Is there a “holy land” that the devout make pilgrimages to? Is there a blessed area that people believe if they can live there, they will prosper? Including the actual gods or deities in your dr is an entire other choice- but even if those religions are false or contradict other religions, people will still believe. It’s human nature to seek divine explanations when practical ones fall short.

If anyone has further questions, my asks *should* be open! I could rant about worldbuilding for hours.

Also, for reference, here are two (very rudimentary lmao) maps for my The 100 dr *some locations are changed from canon*:

#ophie speaks #shut up ophie #desired reality #reality shifting #shifting #shifting realities #shiftblr #shifttok #worldbuilding #drworld #dr scripting #shifting theory #the 100 #the100dr #on worldbuilding

[fatehbaz]

Yes, it is critical to acknowledge the centrality of Britain to the world economy in order to understand how Chinese and Indian tea fitted into it. [...] Asian tea relied on forms of employment [...] such as independent family farms in China and indentured ‘coolies’ in India. [...] It would be very difficult to explain how and why Asian tea became driven by the modern dynamics of accumulation then, unless we connect China and India to the broader global division of labor, centered on the most cutting-edge industrial sectors in the north Atlantic. [...] But I also wish to reframe the idea of British capital as “protagonist,” because when we think about capital, agency is a weird thing. [...] Nothing about accumulation is inherently loyal to this or that region, though it has been concentrated in certain sites, such as nineteenth-century Britain or twentieth-century US, and it has been territorialized by nationalist institutions. Thus, although British firms drove the Asian tea trade at first, by the twentieth century Indian and Chinese nationalists alike protested British capital [...].

Most economic histories were focused on whether other countries could ever develop into nineteenth-century England. For labor historians, Mike Davis recently wrote, the “classical proletariat” was the working classes of the North Atlantic from 1838-1921. These modular assumptions jump out when you flip through the classics of Asian economic and labor history, almost always focused on some sort of textile industry (silk, cotton, jute) and in cities such as Shanghai, Osaka, Bombay, Calcutta. By contrast, I was really inspired by a field pioneered by South Asia scholars known as “global labor history” — especially the work of Jairus Banaji — which has been critical of the centrality of urban industry in economic history. Instead, these scholars reconsider labor in light of our current world of late capitalism, including transportation workers, agrarian families, servants, and unfree and coerced labor. These activities have enabled global capitalism to function smoothly for centuries but were overlooked because they did not share the spectacular novelty of the steam-powered factories of urban Europe, US, and Japan.

As far as how tea production worked: in simple terms, Chinese tea was a segmented trade and Indian tea was centralized in plantations known as ‘tea gardens.’ The Chinese trade relied on independent family farms, workshops in market towns, and porters ferrying tea to the coastal ports: Guangzhou (Canton) then later Fuzhou and Shanghai. By contrast, British officials and planters built Indian tea from scratch in Assam, which had not been nearly as commercialized as coastal China or Bengal. They first tried to replicate the ‘natural’ Chinese model of local agriculture and trade, but frustrated British planters ultimately decided to undertake all of the tasks themselves, from clearing the land to packaging the finished leaves. [...] Indian tea was championed as futuristic and mechanized. [...]

In India [...] the tea industry’s penal labor contract became one of the original cause célèbres of the nationalist movement in the 1880s. The plantations later became a site for strikes and hartals, the most famous occurring in the Chargola Valley in 1921. But even though tea workers chanted, “Gandhi Maharaj ki jai” at the time, Gandhi himself had allegedly visited Assam and declined to see the workers, meeting instead with British planters to assure them they were safe. While Indian nationalists had politicized indenture in Assam tea, their main complaint was the racialized split between British capital and Indian labor. Their remedy was not to liquidate the tea gardens but to diversify ownership over them. The cause of labor was subordinated to the nationalist struggle.

---

Words of Andrew B. Liu. As interviewed by Mark Frazier. Transcript published as “Andrew B. Liu - Tea War: A History of Capitalism in China and India.” Published online by India China Institute. 23 March 2020. [Some paragraph breaks and contractions added by me.]

[linisiane]

Been thinking about a Modern!Babel AU centered around colleges aimed around Silicon Valley

Immigrant kids being funneled into CS because it’s the field where the money is (linguistics? Where’s the money in that? You want to starve?).

International students coming to America because all the Big Programming Languages and their documentation are in English, because translations of documentation is to err and to betray, because English is the programming lingua franca, because if you don’t know English then you’ll be “trailing edge.” Source

“As an American and native English-speaker myself, I have previously been reluctant to suggest this, lest it be taken as a sort of cultural imperialism. But several native speakers of other languages have urged me to point out that English is the working language of the hacker culture and the Internet, and that you will need to know it to function in the hacker community.” Source

So they come to America to improve their English because you have to be fluent to be taken seriously. Or maybe they’re born in America and can feel the rot of their native tongue as they grow up, even as they learn more and more programming languages.

Java, C++, Ruby, XML, Python, Swift, PHP, etc.

It’s funny, but programmers, even as they’ve decided on English as the one true language, they create more and more programming languages to suit their needs/problem solving efficiency:

Source

[ID: XKCD comic that is titled "How Standards Proliferate (See: A/C chargers, character encodings, instant messaging, etc.)" It reads,

Situation: There are 14 competing standards. Cueball (stick figure): 14?! Ridiculous! We need to develop one universal standard that covers everyone's use cases. Ponytail (other stick figure): Yeah! Soon: Situation: There are 15 competing standards.

End ID]

(transcript taken from the ExplainXKCD wiki)

And of course, the students from countries on the Indian subcontinent are acutely aware of the unbalanced nature of the work they do, the way they’re expected to do export IT work, despite the digital divide in India, Bengal, Pakistan, etc. Especially since it’s a sign of being well-educated (wealthy) to speak English fluently thanks to the history of British Imperialism on the subcontinent.

Chinese IT students sink or swim thanks Mandarin monolinguism making it difficult to learn English. Americans programmers struggle not to link choppy English with choppy code, even while being monolingual themselves!

Not to mention the heavy sexism in the IT field! Female programmers taking on nicknames on emails and resumes to pretend to be men, so they’ll be taken seriously. Despite the history of women like Ada Lovelace being foundational to computers.

And of course we gotta bring up the ethics of AI, how it’s a march towards the inevitable that only Luddites would oppose. Despite the millions who’d lose their jobs once implemented into the workplace.

Commercial transportation sector lost to self-driving cars.

Digital artists lost to DALL-E.

Manufacturers automated.

But can’t they tell that progress is inevitable? That this is the future and to try to stop it is foolish?

As Anand Giridharadas put it in Winners Take All:

“In [Silicon] Valley, prediction has become a popular way of fighting for a particular future while claiming merely to be describing what has yet to occur”

Elon Musk is a genius. Bill Gates is so charitable. Bezos is customer obsessed, and they’re the future, don’t you see? Infinite growth forever and ever.

Tower of Babel? Valley of Silicon.

Unfortunately I suck at STEM, and I’m an uncultured Asian American, so I don’t know programming languages well, nor do I know enough about other cultures to do Ramy, Victoire, Robin, or Letty justice. Just the bare bones to see the structure of this AU and put it out in the world to see if anybody would like to play with it or add on.

#babel or the necessity of violence #babel #babel an arcane history #babel rf kuang #my thoughts #infinite growth is the silver #or maybe crypto as silver lol #Silicon Valley is babel #tech progress is our version of the inevitable empire #okay now this is the part in my notes where I ramble #Silicon Valley shined so bright but I feel like we’re reaching the point where it’s bloating everything #not everything can be solved by programming #AHEM NFTs are a nonsense solution made by tech bros to scam money under the illusion of useful technology #bc we want that infinite growth baby #I don’t hate AI but I do think the way it’s being implemented right now is unethical #and that said unethical-ness is being buried under the idea of ‘pragmatism’ or ‘progress’ #the way a certain type STEM major considers feelings to be ‘irrational’ and therefore to be ignored #honestly that gives me repressed Robin vibes #I don’t actually think there’s anything wrong with there necessarily being a lingua franca for STEM fields #I get that it’s useful for international communication #but also it’s like a colonialist elephant in the room that could be explored through creative liberties

[mitchipedia]

Cory Doctorow: Companies like Tesla, Amazon and Cruise that claim to have replaced human workers with AI are often outright lying. Often, they’re instead replacing local employees with remote workers paid peanuts in India and other developing countries.

So much AI turns out to be low-waged people in a call center in the Global South pretending to be robots that Indian techies have a joke about it: “AI stands for ‘absent Indian.’”

Sometimes the remote workers aren’t low-paid—they’re engineers making a lot of money and replacing low-wage workers. That works too; the scam allows technology companies to boost their stock prices while failing to deliver on their promises, Cory says.

Journalists and other critics who attack tech companies for stealing jobs aren’t doing the companies any harm. They’re supporting the companies’ inflated claims and elevating stock prices.

[coochiequeens]

You mean a country that makes it harder for women to access birth control, access maternal healthcare, has maternal care deserts, has no mandated maternal leave as an increase in infant mortality?

The infant mortality rate in the U.S. rose last year for the first time in 20 years, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with significant increases observed in two of the top causes of death.

Between 2021 and 2022, infant deaths in the U.S. rose by 3 percent. or 5.6 fatalities per 1,000 live births. The mortality rate for newborns also increased by 3 percent, while the mortality rate for non-newborn infants rose by 4 percent. The CDC noted this goes against a nearly 20-year trend.

“The infant mortality rate for the United States rose 3% from 2021 to 2022, the first year-to-year increase in the rate since 2001 to 2002,” the agency’s report stated. “From 2002 to 2021, the infant mortality rate declined 22%.”

The mortality rate among infants born to American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic and White non-Hispanic mothers rose significantly more than the overall change, the CDC noted in its report. The changes in mortality rates observed among infants born to Black; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; Hispanic; and Asian mothers were not statistically significant.

Four states were observed as having seen significantly increased infant mortality rates — Georgia, Iowa, Missouri and Texas — while Nevada was the single state to see significant drops in mortality in 2022.

Across different age groups of mothers, the infant mortality rate was only observed to rise among women between the ages of 25 and 29 between 2021 and 2022. Mortality rates also rose for all preterm infants, those born before 37 weeks of gestation, as well as male infants.

Among the top 10 leading causes of infant death, two rose significantly last year: maternal complications of pregnancy and bacterial sepsis of newborns. The top cause of infant mortality in 2022 was congenital malformations.

The agency noted the dataset is provisional and has yet to undergo a more comprehensive review so the final numbers may be slightly different.

The U.S. has a higher infant mortality rate compared to other developed countries. According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, America’s infant mortality rate is one the top 10 highest among its 38 member states, ranking higher than Canada, the U.K., Australia, South Korea and Japan.

Many countries have infant mortality rates that are drastically higher, with India and South Africa reporting more than 25 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births.

I couldn't get a the whole map to download but i think this still makes the point

#usa #infant mortality #the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) #Georgia #Iowa #Missouri #Texas #Good news for mothers and newborns in Nevada

[usafphantom2]

India informs France of its decision to acquire 26 Rafale Marine jets

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 01/11/2023 - 09:00 in Military

India formally communicated to France its decision to acquire 26 naval variants of the Rafale fighter for the Indian Navy, starting the acquisition process under an intergovernmental structure, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

In July, the Ministry of Defense approved the purchase of Rafale Marine jets from France, mainly for deployment on board the locally built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

The issue of the acquisition of the Rafale Marine jets figured during the recent visit of the Minister of Defense, Rajnath Singh, to Paris.

India sent a letter of requisition to the French government, formally communicating its decision to acquire Dassault Aviation jets under the government-to-government structure.

Negotiations on prices and other details are expected to take place after the Ministry of Defense receives a response from the French side, people familiar with the matter said.

Earlier this month, the president and CEO of Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier, visited New Delhi and discussed various aspects of the proposed acquisition by India.

The Ministry of Defense said in July that the acquisition of the jets along with associated auxiliary equipment, including weapons systems and spare parts, would be based on an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) and that the price and other terms of purchase will be negotiated with the French government after taking into account all relevant aspects.

The Indian Air Force bought 36 aircraft in flight conditions. There is an opinion in the IAF that it should opt for at least two more Rafale jet squadrons.

Defense and strategic ties between India and France have increased in recent years.

In July, India and France announced a series of innovative defense cooperation projects, including the joint development of jet engines and helicopters and the construction of three Scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy.

The two strategic partners also expressed a commitment to cooperate in the co-development and co-production of advanced defense technologies, including for the benefit of third countries.

Source: PTI

Tags: Military AviationDassault AviationDassault Rafale MIndian Navy

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[mybeingthere]

Keith BraveHeart 

"There is No Lakota Word for Art. I am only doing what I was born to do."

BraveHeart was one of 28 Lakota artists from around the country to be selected as part of an exhibit at the Journey Museum & Learning Center in Rapid City in March. Hosted by the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies (CAIRNS), the exhibition will show works about the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre.

BraveHeart grew up in the small town of Kyle, South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of the Oglala Lakota. He developed a passion for art in high school. From there, he went to the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he received his bachelor’s degree. He finished his master’s of fine arts in painting at University of South Dakota (USD).

https://www.keithbraveheart.com/artist

[emirates23]

Exploring Nursing Opportunities Abroad: Top Countries for Indian Nurses

Nursing is one of the most in-demand jobs inside and outside India. A profession that is in most demand in GCC countries for Indians is the nursing job. For Indian nurses, who are looking to broaden their horizons, many countries are waiting with promising career opportunities. If you are a skilled nurse and have multilingual capabilities then wide opportunities will be there. The overseas opportunities will give you high pay as well as a high-standard working environment. The respect for nurses outside India is much higher than inside India. Nurses are being recruited through top nursing consultancy in Kerala and here is a list of the top countries that offer promising careers.  

Five top countries that offer promising nursing career

United Arab Emirates: Dubai which is an opulent city right due to cultural and development richness hires nurses from India. A large part of nurses who work in Dubai are Indian and they a decent pay but not much higher than European and American countries. But the most attractive feature of Dubai is that the nurses can take their entire income to their homeland since there are no taxes. In Dubai, there are many world-class hospitals, medical centers, and clinics that offer good employment prospects for Indian and other nationalities. 

Saudi Arabia: In Saudi Arabia, there are a plethora of job opportunities for nurses in both the private and Government sectors. They offer good pay, accommodation facilities and also travel allowances. Saudi Arabia is one of the largest nations in GCC countries and also the pilgrimage place for Muslims, the demand for medical facilities is very high. The demand for trained professionals especially from India is of high demand in Saudi. However, finding the right opportunity is a bit challenging since there is a high scam in the field of recruitment. 

Canada: Canada is a country that offers a healthcare system with the highest standard. This country is facing staff shortages and is now actively recruiting nurses worldwide. The high-quality life and the welcoming stances towards immigrants make Canada an excellent choice for nurses. The medical facilities and education are completely free for immigrants. 

Australia: Australia's flourishing healthcare industry and stunning landscapes attract nurses worldwide. With modern facilities and advanced technology, nurses can work efficiently. During leisure time, they can explore the country's picturesque natural environment. Competitive salaries and excellent benefits make it a lucrative career option. To work as a nurse in Australia, one must register with the AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) and pass English language proficiency tests.

United States of America (USA): The USA boasts a robust healthcare system with a significant demand for skilled nurses across various specialties. Indian nurses aspiring to work in the USA can pursue opportunities through programs like the H-1B visa for skilled workers or the EB-3 visa for professionals with tertiary education. Opportunities exist in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and community health settings throughout the country.

United Kingdom (UK): With its National Health Service (NHS), the UK offers extensive opportunities for Indian nurses to work in both public and private healthcare sectors. The UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) oversees the registration process for international nurses, which includes passing the Occupational English Test (OET) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and meeting other requirements. Work settings range from hospitals and nursing homes to community healthcare centers.

Conclusion

If you are planning for an overseas nursing job, first research the rules and regulations for immigrants. Based on it decide which country is most suitable for you. There will be medical tests, mandatory examinations, and other verifications for each country. It is better to connect with any nursing consultancy in Kerala before you plan to move, they will guide you through the process and also provide you with data regarding the recruitment.

#top nursing consultancy in kerala #nursing consultancy in kerala

[everything-is-crab]

See this is why even though I respect and listen to woc from all over the world I have most solidarity with ones specifically from the global south.

I didn't believe in American privilege either because I thought countries with most white people are all the same.

But when you educate yourself more about how the US maintains it's global position compared to any other country you just can't look at Americans and their ignorance the same way.

Even tho I am Indian and my ancestors were colonized by the Brits I have more bitter feelings towards USA because 90% of my problems caused due to imperialism is because of USA's global position and whatever effects UK introduced was in the past. The US dollar is literally the standard currency everywhere especially in the oil industry even though US dollar is not the most valuable currency.

American people don't realize how powerful media is because they're the center of international media and politics .Your country is anti-socialist and will do anything to use its economic and military power to turn people against Marxism.

And American citizens do nothing but learn this US propaganda and pass it on. It doesn't matter if you're from a rich country with free education and better health care. So much of Russia's history and accomplishments has been wiped out by the US and manipulated despite it being one of the most powerful countries in the world and invading another country from the global north.

Lots of countries in the global south have those things. Countries like Japan are technically more developed than America and yet everybody understands how USA has more power it.

If you're using those arguments to prove American privilege doesn't exist then you also do not understand how greatly different countries in the global south are and not all of us come from poor underdeveloped places. Seriously if you think people from global south are oppressed only because we're poorer you don't understand our oppression enough.

Privilege on an individual level goes beyond money and your personal quality of life.

White people use the same arguments of poverty and other stuff to show how there is apparently no privilege. If people understand how deeply wrong it is then why is it so hard for people to grasp what I am talking about?

Even when it comes to people of color, although there is huge effort from conservatives to stop leftists from talking about racism, the racism American people of color face still receives most attention compared to aboriginals of Australia or native people of Canada.

And speech is very important in activism. I shouldn't have to explain that.

I am not saying your life as an American under your mostly right wing government is great. You have talked enough to let us know the American dream isn't real. But privilege is more complicated than that. You're doing the same thing white people do.

"I'm gay and poor so how am I more privileged than the rich straight black woman?"

That's not how it works. Sorry

#this is the last post I am making about this topic

[priyadharshinigamer]

Fascinating Facts About the Ludo Game

Ludo is not just a game; it's a cultural phenomenon that spans generations and continents. This board game, beloved by both children and adults alike, offers a delightful mix of luck and strategy. As we explore Ludo’s historical roots, its evolution, and its current global significance, we will uncover the unique mechanics and rules that define the game. Further, we'll delve into the psychological and social benefits it imparts and how it has transitioned seamlessly into the digital age. Finally, we’ll share some fun trivia and lesser-known facts about Ludo, celebrating its rich history and widespread appeal.

Historical Origins

Originating from the ancient Indian game Pachisi, Ludo was transformed into the game we know today by the British in the late 19th century. The original Pachisi was a complex game involving cloth boards, cowrie shells, and intricate rules, played by Indian royalty. This game was adapted to the simpler, dice-based Ludo, patented in England in 1896, which aimed to be accessible to a broader audience. Through this transformation, Ludo retained the core concept of moving pieces based on dice rolls but introduced a simplified board layout and rules that appealed to families, especially in the Western world.

Global Appeal

Ludo has become a household staple across the globe, thanks to its straightforward gameplay that requires minimal setup and can be understood by players of all ages. Different countries and cultures have adapted Ludo, incorporating local elements and rules to create regional variations. For example, in some Caribbean nations, Ludo boards are beautifully hand-painted with vibrant colors, reflecting local artistic styles. These variations not only demonstrate Ludo’s adaptability but also its ability to integrate into and celebrate diverse cultures.

Game Mechanics and Rules

Ludo is played on a square board divided into a grid, with a distinct path leading from each player’s base to the center home triangle. Ludo Players take turns rolling a single die, moving their four pawns out of their home base and around the board to the finish line, while also attempting to capture and send back opponents' pawns. The requirement to roll a six to start, combined with the strategic decisions involved in capturing others and safeguarding one’s own pawns, adds depth to what seems like a simple race. This balance of luck and strategy makes Ludo endlessly replayable and engaging.

Psychological and Social Benefits

Ludo is more than entertainment; it's a tool for cognitive development and social interaction. The game requires players to think ahead, predict opponents' moves, and strategically plan their journey across the board, sharpening decision-making and problem-solving skills. Socially, Ludo encourages family bonding and friendship over competitive yet friendly gameplay. It fosters communication and team-building skills, as players often team up in pairs for a more collaborative experience.

Digital Transformation of Ludo

The rise of the internet and mobile gaming platforms has given traditional board games like Ludo a new lease on life. Online platforms allow players from different geographical locations to compete against each other, bringing the community closer together. Digital versions of Ludo, such as those offered by platforms like Zupee, maintain the essence of traditional Ludo while introducing new elements like online leaderboards, multiplayer options, and virtual Ludo tournaments. These platforms provide a space where Ludo enthusiasts can compete at a higher level and engage with a global community.

Fun Trivia and Lesser-Known Facts

Ludo has been part of some intriguing historical anecdotes. For instance, during World War I, British soldiers played Ludo to pass the time in the trenches, modifying the board to be foldable and pocket-sized. Additionally, despite its reputation as a children's game, Ludo has seen competitive play among adults with organized tournaments that showcase the game's strategic depth.

Conclusion

Ludo's enduring appeal lies in its simplicity and the deep connection it fosters among players. From its royal Indian roots to its modern digital form, Ludo has evolved while still retaining its core characteristics that appeal to human psychology and social interaction. Whether played on a physical board with family or through an online platform with strangers, Ludo continues to be a source of joy, learning, and connection. This timeless game is a testament to the simple pleasures that can bring people together, encouraging more individuals to explore and enjoy the myriad benefits that Ludo has to offer.

#ludo facts #ludo game facts #Fun Facts About Ludo #Ludo Gaming

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

A new bill headed to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk would require that Native American history be taught in Illinois schools.

“The Native American history is in our DNA,” said the bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford). “It’s our obligation to truly know our history as a state.”

The new law will be the latest in a string of school history curriculum laws that require social studies and history classes to teach Asian American history, Black history, and the contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.

“Gov. Pritzker believes that history should be taught in a way that conveys the story of our country and state as it actually happened,” a spokesperson for the Governor’s office said, according to The Center Square. “Including Native American history in the classroom … ensures students are given the tools to understand and empathize with one another.”

The curriculum will be developed in consultation with the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative.

Younger students will learn about Native American contributions to art and politics, and older students will learn about the “genocide and discrimination against Native Americans.”

Illinois is one of 14 states that does not have an American Indian reservation.

#us politics #news #my state line #illinois #gov. j.b. pritzker #Maurice West #Democrats #progressivism #progressives #progressive politics #native americans #native american history #The Center Square #Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative #education reform #education system

[mariacallous]

Once dominated by vast empires, the world is now divided into close to 200 independent countries with laws and constitutions proclaiming human rights—a transformation that suggests that nations and human rights inevitably developed together. But the reality is far more problematic, as Eric Weitz shows in this compelling global history of the fate of human rights in a world of nation-states.

Through vivid histories drawn from virtually every continent, A World Divided describes how, since the eighteenth century, nationalists have struggled to establish their own states that grant human rights to some people. At the same time, they have excluded others through forced assimilation, ethnic cleansing, or even genocide. From Greek rebels, American settlers, and Brazilian abolitionists in the nineteenth century to anticolonial Africans and Zionists in the twentieth, nationalists have confronted a crucial question: Who has the “right to have rights?” A World Divided tells these stories in colorful accounts focusing on people who were at the center of events. And it shows that rights are dynamic. Proclaimed originally for propertied white men, rights were quickly demanded by others, including women, American Indians, and black slaves.

A World Divided also explains the origins of many of today’s crises, from the existence of more than 65 million refugees and migrants worldwide to the growth of right-wing nationalism. The book argues that only the continual advance of international human rights will move us beyond the quandary of a world divided between those who have rights and those who don’t.

[dailyhistoryposts]

Une Tortue Se Rappelle by Antoine Abel

TITLE: Une Tortue Se Rappelle (A Tortoise Remembers)

AUTHOR: Antoine Abel

DATE: 1977

COUNTRY, REGION, OR PEOPLE: Seychelles, Africa

TYPE: poem

BACKGROUND: Antoine Abel, the father of Seychelles literature, was first a mason and then a teacher. The Republic of Seychelles is an archipelagic nation in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa and north of Madagascar. Abel was born in 1934, so he grew up during a time of political change. Worker’s unions like the League of Coloured Peoples were being developed in response to the powerful, largely White plantocracy.

In The 1960s and 1970s, Seychelles independence movements took center stage. This decolonization process was a democratic one--it was through meetings and elections that Seychelles became an independent republic with a President and Prime Minister. However, they remain a part of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Antoine Abel wrote prolifically throughout his life, poetry, short stories, novels, essays, comics, and more. He wrote in French, English, and Creole, drawing on traditional knowledge and the connection with nature.

SYNOPSIS: Moulapa, an old tortoise, narrates the history of Seychelles and offers an outsider’s insight into human nature. The tortoises are the first people who live on Seychelles, intelligent and wise, who spend their long lifetimes studying the universe and passing on their knowledge.

When the humans arrive (Seychelles was first inhabited in the mid-18th century), the tortoises watch as they destroy the environment for short-sighted gain and mistreat their fellow humans. 

THEMES: nature, colonization, power, Seychelles history

Main post for the World Literature series

#history #world history #literature #africa #african literature #seychelles #Antoine Abel #black history