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qqueenofhades · 7 months

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Hwy dod we even need to send more money to Ukraine tho like we’ve already supported them plenty! But let Europe pull their weight and we can go back to spending that money on American policies

Do you read like, any news outside Tumblr, any Ukrainian perspectives, any basic analyses of the conflict, any rationale from Democrats or Congress, or anything? Because, in brief:

Ukrainians are currently facing a full-scale genocide. It has been going on for over a year and Russian military leadership has every plan to continue until fruition. If they stop resisting, there will be no more Ukraine or Ukrainians. So all the "appeasers" or "realists" insisting that Ukraine should "give up land for peace" (which notably worked so well with Czechoslovakia and Hitler in 1938) are basically deciding that it's fine to let the genocide be carried out, if it's even minorly inconvenient for us. Putin and cronies have repeatedly stated that if they are successful in taking Ukraine, they will go further. This is the exact scenario that leads to the "escalation" and/or WWIII that various people keep wringing their hands over. It is far more just and safe for Ukraine to be supported now and to stop that before it gets even worse.

America is not actually giving over buckets of black cash, regardless of what various bad-faith takes claim. They are handing over weapons valued at various amounts of money, along with some financial and budgetary aid. A lot of these weapons are older and would cost more to decommission than they cost to give to a sovereign democracy fighting for its life against an imperialist autocratic neighbor. This is some tiny amount like 5% (if that) of America's bloated military budget. And again: it's actual weapons valued at a certain dollar amount. These cannot be spent on American domestic policies.

The idea that helping Ukraine is directly coming out of our own pockets or preventing us from spending as needed on our own needs is propaganda. It is not good to repeat it.

I wrote this post the other day about why Putin is trying so hard to break American/Western support for Ukraine, and why the hard-right MAGA has enabled him in it. Putin's Russia is the motivating nexus, coordination, and funding center for Russian/European/American far-right theocratic fascism. This whole "America Only" is the exact rationale that appeals to said far-right domestic fascists and gives Putin and other imperial expansionist kleptocrats the justification to just throw away post-WWII international order and declare that any larger and more powerful state can systematically eradicate any neighboring country, claim its territory, destroy its government, kill its people, and get away with it. Because why would they stop, if there aren't any consequences and they are rewarded for it?

Putin has repeatedly interfered in American elections to help Trump and the Republicans. That should tell you something about who he sees as most favorable to his interests and what he would do again if allowed to emerge victorious.

Europe IS actually pulling its weight! They just brought all 27 defense ministers to Kyiv, they have been working on Ukraine's accession talks, they have committed all types of weapons (including the long-range missiles that the US still won't clearly authorize), they've committed a new tranche of 5 billion euros in long-term assistance, etc. But the whole "we should pull out of NATO and leave Europe to fend for itself" was a key isolationist and xenophobic Trump idea. We can see what that led to.

American aid is vital to Ukraine's continued existence as a sovereign country, period, and it is in American interests to continue to provide it as agreed upon. Not least because such an egregious betrayal of a democratic ally would empower the fascists of the world, both Russian and American, and because as noted, if this conflict was not stopped and got bigger, it would then involve American troops. It is a moral, democratic, political, and ethical imperative. This is not a difficult call or a complicated situation, regardless of what the Online Leftist tankies and the MAGA-world nutcases (because horseshoe theory) want you to think.

Слава Україні.

The end.

#anonymous #ask #russia ukraine war

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soon-palestine · 10 days

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The conflict over Columbia U's Gaza Solidarity Encampment pits an Egyptian-born school president against a student movement largely led by Arabs and Muslims protesting Israel's genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip. Goaded by Republican members of Congress and the Israel lobby, Columbia President Manouche Shafik has sicced the NYPD on the protesters, triggering mass arrests and suspensions of students for supposedly "trespassing" on their own campus.

Like so many contemporary Ivy League presidents, Shafik is not a scholar or academic. She currently serves on the board of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, providing a patina of diversity to a supranational global governing entity guided by a single uber-billionaire. Prior to that, Shafik acted as deputy governor of the Bank of England, the UK bank that confiscated Venezuela's gold reserves under orders from the US government in 2019. She has also served in top roles at the IMF and World Bank, where global south debt becomes a point of leverage for Washington and London. Her own journey to the US began as a young child when Egypt's populist President Gamal Abdel-Nasser seized land from her wealthy father.

Shafik owes her entire career to the trans-Atlantic oligarchy, and has no space in which to defy it. She was not appointed as president of Columbia to instill values like critical thinking or academic freedom. She's there to raise hundreds of millions from her wealthy benefactors. Her leadership not only exemplifies the elite corruption of US universities, it exposes the sham of neoliberal diversity politics.

#palestine #gaza #free palestine #columiba #shafik

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rjzimmerman · 11 days

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Excerpt from this Op-Ed from the New York Times:

At first glance, Xi Jinping seems to have lost the plot.

China’s president appears to be smothering the entrepreneurial dynamism that allowed his country to crawl out of poverty and become the factory of the world. He has brushed aside Deng Xiaoping’s maxim “To get rich is glorious” in favor of centralized planning and Communist-sounding slogans like “ecological civilization” and “new, quality productive forces,” which have prompted predictions of the end of China’s economic miracle.

But Mr. Xi is, in fact, making a decades-long bet that China can dominate the global transition to green energy, with his one-party state acting as the driving force in a way that free markets cannot or will not. His ultimate goal is not just to address one of humanity’s most urgent problems — climate change — but also to position China as the global savior in the process.

It has already begun. In recent years, the transition away from fossil fuels has become Mr. Xi’s mantra and the common thread in China’s industrial policies. It’s yielding results: China is now the world’s leading manufacturer of climate-friendly technologies, such as solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles. Last year the energy transition was China’s single biggest driver of overall investment and economic growth, making it the first large economy to achieve that.

This raises an important question for the United States and all of humanity: Is Mr. Xi right? Is a state-directed system like China’s better positioned to solve a generational crisis like climate change, or is a decentralized market approach — i.e., the American way — the answer?

How this plays out could have serious implications for American power and influence.

Look at what happened in the early 20th century, when fascism posed a global threat. America entered the fight late, but with its industrial power — the arsenal of democracy — it emerged on top. Whoever unlocks the door inherits the kingdom, and the United States set about building a new architecture of trade and international relations. The era of American dominance began.

Climate change is, similarly, a global problem, one that threatens our species and the world’s biodiversity. Where do Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia and other large developing nations that are already grappling with the effects of climate change find their solutions? It will be in technologies that offer an affordable path to decarbonization, and so far, it’s China that is providing most of the solar panels, electric cars and more. China’s exports, increasingly led by green technology, are booming, and much of the growth involves exports to developing countries.

From the American neoliberal economic viewpoint, a state-led push like this might seem illegitimate or even unfair. The state, with its subsidies and political directives, is making decisions that are better left to the markets, the thinking goes.

But China’s leaders have their own calculations, which prioritize stability decades from now over shareholder returns today. Chinese history is littered with dynasties that fell because of famines, floods or failures to adapt to new realities. The Chinese Communist Party’s centrally planned system values constant struggle for its own sake, and today’s struggle is against climate change. China received a frightening reminder of this in 2022, when vast areas of the country baked for weeks under a record heat wave that dried up rivers, withered crops and was blamed for several heatstroke deaths.

#China #climate change #renewable energy

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mostlysignssomeportents · 7 months

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Stellantis wants to make scabbing woke

I'm coming to Minneapolis! Oct 15: Presenting The Internet Con at Moon Palace Books. Oct 16: Keynoting the 26th ACM Conference On Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing.

I know, I know, it's weird when the worst people you know are right, even when they're right for the wrong reasons: like, the "Intelligence Community" is genuinely terrible, pharma companies are murderous crooks, and Big Tech really does have a dangerous grip on public debate. The swivel-eyed loons have a point, is what I'm saying:

https://locusmag.com/2023/05/commentary-cory-doctorow-the-swivel-eyed-loons-have-a-point/

When conspiratorialists and reactionaries holler about how the FBI are dirty-tricking creeps who are framing Trump, it's tempting to say, "well, if Trumpists hate the FBI, then I will love the FBI. Who cares about COINTELPRO and what they did to Martin Luther King?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI%E2%80%93King_suicide_letter

It's a process called "schizmogenesis": forming new group identity beliefs based on saying the opposite of what your enemies say, and as tempting as that is, it's extraordinarily foolish and dangerous:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/12/18/schizmogenesis/

It means that canny reactionaries like Steve Bannon can trick you into taking any position merely by taking the opposite one. Bannon's followers are even more easily led, so it's easy for him to convince them that we have always been at war with Oceania. The right has created an entire mirror world of "I know you are but what am I?" politics.

Anti-vax co-opts "bodily autonomy." Climate denial becomes environmentalism ("wind turbines kill birds"). Transphobia becomes feminism ("keep women-only spaces for real women"). Support for strongmen becomes anti-imperialism ("don't feed the war machine in Ukraine"). These are the doppelgangers Naomi Klein warns us against:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/05/not-that-naomi/#if-the-naomi-be-klein-youre-doing-just-fine

The far right has even managed to co-opt anti-corporate rhetoric. Culture warriors rail against "woke capitalism," insisting that when big businesses take socially progressive positions, it's just empty "virtue signalling." And you know what? They've got a point. Partially.

As with all mirror-world politics, the anti-woke-capitalism shuck is designed to convince low-information right-wing pismires into buying "anti-woke pillows" and demanding the right to pay junk fees to "own the libs":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/04/owning-the-libs/#swiper-no-swiping

But woke capitalism is bullshit. Corporations – profit-maximizing immortal transhuman colony organisms that view workers and customers as inconvenient gut-flora – do not care about social justice. They don't care about anything, except for minimizing compensation for workers while maximizing the risk those workers bear; and locking in and gouging customers for products that are as low-quality as can be profitably sold.

Take DEI, a favored target of the right. It's undoubtably true that diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives have made some inroads on correcting bias in hiring decisions, with the result that companies get better employees who would have been excluded without this explicit corrective.

However, corporations don't value DEI because they abhor their history of hiring bias. Instead, DEI is how corporate management demonstrates to workers that their grievances are best addressed by trusting corporate leadership to correct their error of their ways – and not by forming a union.

Before the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, corporations would create fake "Company Unions" whose leadership were beholden to the company executives. These were decoy unions: they looked and sounded like unions, but when they negotiated with management, they were actually working for the bosses, not the workers.

This is more mirror-world tactics. They're the labor equivalent of the "crisis pregnancy centers" that masquerade as abortion clinics in order to fool pregnant people and trap them with endless delays until it's too late to terminate their pregnancies. Company unions get workers to trust in negotiators who are secretly working for the bosses, who emerge from the bargaining table with one-sided, abusive contracts and insist that this is the best deal workers can hope for.

Company unions were outlawed 90 years ago, and for decades, labor had a seat at the table, with wages tracking productivity gains and workers getting protection for discrimination, unsafe labor conditions, and wage-theft. Then came the neoliberal turn, and 40 years of wage stagnation, increased inequality, and corporate rule.

Anything that can't go on forever will eventually stop. Finally, finally, we have reached a turning point in labor, with public approval for unions at levels not seen since the Carter administration and thousands of strikes and protests breaking out across the country:

https://striketracker.ilr.cornell.edu/

It's not just the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA, either. For the first time in history, the UAW is striking against all the major automakers, and they are winning:

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/10/striking-uaw-workers-win-key-battery-plant-concession-from-general-motors/

The automakers are getting desperate. Stellantis – Chrysler's latest alias, reflecting the company's absorbtion into corporate-human-centipede of global carmakers – has mobilized its DEI programs, trying to get marginalized people to believe that scabbing is a liberatory activity:

https://theintercept.com/2023/10/10/uaw-auto-strike-stellantis/

Stellantis calls each of its DEI silos a "Business Resource Group" (BRG): there's a "Working Parents Network," an "African Ancestry Network," "Asians Connected Together," a "DiverseAbilities Network," a "Gay & Lesbian Alliance" and more:

https://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com/2021/07/20/business-resource-groups-drive-inclusion-and-diversity/

The corporate managers who lead these BRGs have established a scab rotation for each subgroup, calling on members to cross a UAW picket-line at a Michigan Parts Distribution Center run by Stellantis subsidiary Mopar:

Each BRG will pick a specific day of the week/weekend to volunteer as a team. Help continue to be the RESOURCE the BUSINESS can count on! Stellantis needs your help in running the Parts Distribution Centers (PDC) to ensure a steady supply of parts to our customers while negotiations continue. Working Parents Network has identified Friday, October 13 as WPN’s BRG Day at the PDCs!"

Now, these BRGs weren't invented by marginalized workers facing discrimination in the workplace. They come from literal union-busting playbooks produced by giant "union avoidance" firms that charge bosses millions for advice on skirting – or breaking – the law to keep workplace democracy at bay. All the biggest anti-union consultancies love BRGs, from Littler Mendelson to Jackson Lewis. IRI Strategies touts BRGs as a way to "union-proof" a business by absorbing workers' grievances in a decoy committee that will let them feel listened to.

BRGs, in other words, are the Crisis Pregnancy Centers of workplace discrimination. They're a Big Store Con, a company union dressed up as corporate social responsibility.

Now, let's not pretend that unions have a sterling record on race and gender issues. Giant labor organizations like the AFL had to be dragged into racial integration, and trade unions have sometimes been on the wrong side of anti-immigration panics:

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1997/summer/american-labor-movement.html

But unions have also been the most reliable way for people of color and women to win better workplace treatment. The struggle for racial and gender justice was fought through labor organizing. Remember that MLK's "I've Been To the Mountaintop" speech was given in support of striking sanitation workers in Memphis:

https://www.afscme.org/about/history/mlk/mountaintop

Black organizers have always been militant labor organizers. Labor Day commemorates the victory of the long, hard-fought Pullman strike, where Black workers brought one of the most powerful companies in America to its knees:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullman_Strike

And women have always fought for gender justice through the labor movement: the New York shirtwaist strike is the Ur-example, when women-led unions fought thugs and scabs on icy New York streets:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_shirtwaist_strike_of_1909

It's no surprise that labor activism, anti-racism and feminism go together. Since the earliest days, the labor justice struggle was also a social justice struggle. To learn more check out Kim Kelly's Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Fight-Like-Hell/Kim-Kelly/9781982171063

The most exploited, underpaid, and abused workers in America are also the most marginalized (duh).

From nurses:

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/kaiser-healthcare-union-says-week-long-strike-possible-early-next-month-2023-10-09/

To teachers:

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-04-18/l-a-teachers-win-21-wage-increase-in-new-lausd-contract

To Amazon warehouse workers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Labor_Union

To publishing assistants:

https://apnews.com/article/harpercollins-union-strike-ends-0a94238718879066d9b21af6266be526

To baristas:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/29/business/starbucks-union-wages/index.html

To fast-food workers:

https://www.ufcw.org/about/

The vanguard of today's labor surge is Black, brown, female and queer. Without a union, workers who face discrimination are on their own, hoping that their bosses will voluntarily do something about it. Black workers in Tesla's rabidly anti-union shops face vicious racism, from slurs to threats to violence. Without a union, they have to rely on the shifting whims of an Apartheid emerald mine space-Karen for relief, or hope for help from the NLRB or a class-action lawyer:

https://apnews.com/article/tesla-racism-black-lawsuit-class-action-21c88bddf60eca702560be58429495de

The far right isn't wrong when they holler that woke capitalism is bullshit. As with so many of their mirror-world causes, they've got a point, but only a limited one. The problem with woke capitalism is that it's no substitute for a union. The problem with relying on Business Resource Groups to fight racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia is that these struggles are all class struggles, and a BRG is never going to fight against the company that created it.

To understand how bankrupt woke capitalism is, conside this: Stellantis is calling on its "Working Parents Network" to scab this Friday. Stellantis is also being sanctioned by the Department Of Labor for discriminating against nursing mothers – the same "working parents" that the BRG is meant to protect:

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/02/08/investigation-finds-stellantis-violated-rights-of-nursing-mothers-at-sterling-heights-plant/

Woke capitalism is just another kind of "predatory inclusion," like Intuit's campaign defending its "Free File" tax-prep scam, where they're claiming that ending this ripoff is racist because it denies Black families the right to be tricked into paying for something they are entitled to get for free:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/27/predatory-inclusion/#equal-opportunity-scammers

When I learned about Intuit's wokewashing, I thought I'd found woke capitalism's rock bottom, but I was wrong. Stellantis's call for woke scabbing is a new low.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/11/equal-opportunity-class-war/#inclusive-scabbing

My next novel is The Lost Cause, a hopeful novel of the climate emergency. Amazon won't sell the audiobook, so I made my own and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter!

#pluralistic #race #gender #uaw #stellantis #gm #general motors #woke capitalism #wokewashing #strikes #labor #liberalism #company unions

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the-strength-of-the-wolffe · 4 months

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Looking at “Rising Malevolence” and “Mercy Mission” together, you can see how much Wolffe and Sinker evolve over the course of four seasons. What’s fascinating to me is that their character arcs move in opposite directions.

"Rising Malevolence" brings them face-to-face with death for the first time; they couldn’t be in a worse situation. Of the four survivors, Wolffe is the most vulnerable and the least useful. Nevertheless, he stands fast. His strong spirit enables him to put forth his best conduct: he’s steady, trusting, even good-humored. Sinker is not. His spirit has been depressed for a long time already, so he can’t help succumbing to negativity in the heat of the moment.

The massacre roots a new fear in both of them: fear of loss. It’s their responsibility to keep their men alive, and yet they both failed. What’s to stop it from happening again? They have no control over who survives and who doesn’t, when and where and how their troopers will die, whether it’ll be a few casualties or an entire battalion.

Amidst this fear, both of them are confronted by Plo Koon. A general who vows to share that responsibility with them. Who, through actions and not just words, commits to the kind of leadership that not only values their men’s survival but also their wellbeing.

This is the crossroads where their arcs diverge.

Sinker, against all his instincts, vices, and traumas, decides to trust General Plo. It doesn’t come easily, or all at once, but, as the Jedi continues to make good on his promise, he learns to ease up. Gradually, his spirit heals and grows stronger. By “Mercy Mission,” he’s noticeably more lighthearted, invested, and confident: a man transformed for the better.

Wolffe, however, can’t let go of his fear. It’s proportionally greater than Sinker’s; he has lost, and stands to lose, much more. He does trust General Plo, deeply, but he also harbors the disturbing knowledge that the Jedi isn’t invincible. For all his power, General Plo can still die—and that can’t happen. The 104th would go adrift without him, so he must be protected at all costs. Wolffe takes up this extra burden in secret. He becomes vigilant, overprotective, strained, insular. He won't acknowledge it, but his spirit is staggering under the weight. “Mercy Mission” shows us a glimpse of this transformation: a man who’s bone-weary and so preoccupied with the status of his absent comrades that he has no patience or sympathy for the Aleena.

Maybe it was never in the cards for him, to be healthy and flourishing and secure. Maybe his path would've always led down a darker road than Sinker's despite experiencing the same profound kindness. It's such a shame, for if any clone needed a little hope, it's him. I'm halfway through his story now, the beginning of the end, and he's about to enter the darkest valley of his life.

#the clone wars #commander wolffe #sinker #wolfpack #wolfpack headcanons #wolffe's story #clones #season 4 #rising malevolence #mercy mission #ignore me just crying a little #i've been dreading this #the pain he's about to go through #everyone he's going to lose #truly his valley of the shadow of death

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transformers-synergize · 8 months

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Poll results in y'all wanna hear me rant about some funky plane birds, so let goo

Starscream leader of the Decepticon air forces and the Elite Trine, a top ranking Decepticon equal to few, only out ranked by megatron himself. Armed with his null ray which has the ability to nullify any other cybertronian abilities for short periods of time and a super fast self repair system, he is a force to be reckoned with

Starscream from the day of his creation had an interest in the sciences and how the world worked. He was determined, smart, and knew what he wanted from life, and fought through the barriers that society put up trying to keep him in his function as a soldier. Through this, he ends up meeting a kind shuttle named Skyfire, who was going through a similar struggle. Through Starscreams' relentless determination and sly charm, He helped both of them break through Cybertronian society barriers and be able to study the sciences.

Things were going well for Starscream for a while, but It just took one mishap for him to lose everything. He and Skyfire were sent out to scout out a small organic planet to determine if it would be a viable colony world for producing energon. with Skyfire knowledge on organics and Starscream knowledge or energon production they were the perfect team for the job. While flying in the planet's lower atmosphere, Skyfire wanted to take a look at some interesting organics flying low right when a Sudden storm hit separating him from Starscream. Starscream spent countless cycles searching for him but never found him.

After returning to Cybertron, he was accused of murder but managed to get the charges dropped. Still, the title of murderer stuck to him and many others in the Scientific Community saw him now more than ever as just a violent war built. After the incident, he had no real other option but to leave Science and find work Elsewhere, which led him to the Cybertronian military, working the function he was designed for at the start. But as conflict grew across Cybertron, Starscream saw a chance with a new rising military group, the Decepticons, to rise back up in the world.

Starscream doesn't particularly care about megatron ideals or the values the Decepticons are fighting for. He has his own ideas in mind when he takes over the Decepticons.

At one point in Starscream's life, he'd fight the fact he was just a war built seeker, that he could be more than just the function he was built for. but now he uses it as a badge of honor. he is a soldier, the best soldier, the best fighter, the best flyers, and surely the best at war should lead the Decepticon army. he is a being built to kill and conquer, that is his function and that is what he will do.

In Starcreams mind, everyone leaves, so it's not worth getting close to anyone because it's just gonna lead to you getting your spark broken. Starscream both sees himself as better than others and unlovable with his only way of gaining the respect that he craves climbing the ranks till he is in charge and bots have to respect him. But even being a top-ranking Decepticon seems to earn him little the respect and adoration he desired. His equals often disregard him, those he out ranks often respect other high-ranking officers much more than him. And the only bot who out ranks him, leaving him with more dents than any kind of praise.

Now stranded on earth the same planet he lost skyfire on, with a small group of Decepticon, and Soundwave, one the few bots with a similar rank as him. He is put in the leadership position without Megatron's oversight he has desired for so long. The only problem is that he has to share that role with Soundwave, who has a very different idea on how things should be run. Soundwave wants to stay as close to megatrons' ideas and systems as possible until they can regain contact with Cybertron and take Megatron's orders again. While starcreams want to try something new and run the Decepticons his way and not stick to what he sees as megatrons' failures and idiotic rules.

Skywarp is not that clever, but he thinks he is an expert schemer like his superior Starscream. He is a suck up to higher ranking bots while disrespecting those of equal or lower rank, especially messing with smaller bots like minis targeting both the Decepticon minis and autobot minis alike. Skywarp is one to pick fights, but he only picks ones he knows he can win. He wants to rise the ranks and think putting others down and getting close to those higher up will increase his rank, thinking he has been successful with this in the past, not realizing that the main reason for his high-ranking position among the Decepticons is mostly due to his rare teleportation ability and not his skills or smarts. He thinks he's a good planner and just as smart as starscream, he is not, not even close, almost every plan he has come up with has failed and without the guidance of others he often ends up getting himself into stupid situations, with his often Short attention span making things even worse. Skywarp is very skilled in battle as long as he is following someone else's orders. He is all in for the Decepticons' cause, even if he doesn't fully know what it is. He often talks about how he can't wait for their inevitable victory and glory to follow.

Thundercracker is younger than the other two created during the war. All he's ever known is the Decepticon and the Decepticon army. He was able to rise up the ranks fast due to his powerful sonic boom ability and natural skill in combat. He tries to live up to the prefect idea of what a Decepticon should be but often fails. He secretly has his doubts about the Decepticons, but what other choice does he have. the Decepticon may be bad, but the Autobots are evil, So to him he's working for the lesser of two evils. He has interest outside of fighting or things that would make him a good seeker warrior and is actually quite artistic, but he keeps that to himself, not wanting to look weak. He really likes earth and all the little cool things it has but wouldn't admit it to anyone. hiding cool lil earth things he collects in his quarters, and connecting to human broadcasts to watch earth movies or listen to earth music.

He looks down on non flyers both in a literal sense and a figurative sense. He was taught from his first day of being online that since he was a flying bot and especially a seeker, that makes him better than other bots. especially standard grounders, and even if he can't fully believe in the Decepticons' cause, maybe he can believe in that. Some of the stuff they taught him has to be true, right? Right???

These three are all part of a tactical trine called the Elite Trine, less built on the fact they work well together or even like each other that much, but the fact all 3 have powerful abilities that in tandem makes them a terrifying force in combat. Since They are the elite trine, the face of the Decepticon air force, in front of others they try to keep up an air of professionalism. but when not under the public eye you can often find the three of them bickering like human children over the pettiest little things. Starscream tends to keep his distance from the other two, only working with them when he needs to, while it’s not uncommon to find Skywarp and Thundercracker spending time together outside of work. either just hanging out or skywarp dragging thundercracker into one of his stupid ideas.

no background version of art bellow

#starscream #thundercracker #skywarp #transformers #transformers synergize #tfs #art post #text post #redesign #Skywarp is a mini hater thundercracker is a grounder hater starscream is just a hater #I have arcs in mind for starscream and thundercracker #skywarp just gets to stay chaotic freak #maccadam

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bfpnola · 6 months

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Updated version! ID written by @swosheep (it won't let me tag you oof)

ID 1: All images are of an Instagram post by letstalkpalestine2. The first one is titled "Lets Talk. What is Hamas? Answering the basic questions".

ID 2: the second image is titled "What Are Its Origins?". the body text reads: "Hamas is a Palestinian political party and armed resistance movement based in the besieged Gaza Strip. It emerged in 1987, at the start of the First Intifada, as a reaction to intensifying israeli violence and as a religious alternative to the secular Palestinian parties that dominated the scene at the time. Hamas was originally a branch of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood but later cut ties with it and became an independent group. In 1992, Hamas formed a military wing called the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades to resist the israeli occupation. The Brigades carried out several significant operations against Israel during the Second Intifada, which established Hamas as a leading force in the Palestinian resistance."

ID 3: the third image is titled "Who Are Its Leaders?". The body text reads: "Hamas is composed of a political wing and a military wing. They each perform different functions but operate under the same leadership structure." There is a grid with four sections. The first section is titled "Political Bureau", and reads: "- Headed by Ismail Haniyeh from exile - Sets general policy". The second section is titled: "Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades" and reads: "- Commanded by Marwan Issa and Mohammed Deif - Conducts military operations". The third section is titled: "Shura Council" and reads: "- Led by Saleh al-Arouri in the West Bank and Yahya Sinwar in Gaza - Handles affairs in Gaza, the West Bank, diaspora, and israeli prisons". The fourth section is titled: "Gaza Government" and reads: "- Headed by Prime Minister Issam al-Da'alis - Enacts policies and provides social services to people in Gaza".

ID 4: The fourth image is titled: "What Does Hamas Want?" The body text reads: "Its 2017 charter states that its current political program is to: - Implement the right of return for all Palestinian refugees; - Establish a temporary Palestinian state along the 1967 borders (the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip) and arrange a long-term truce with israel. Hamas considers the establishment of a Palestinian state on the '67 borders as a temporary step. It refuses to recognize israel's legitimacy and advocates for the 'full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea.' Hamas's 2017 charter states that its struggle is against the israeli state and the Zionist movement due to their occupation of Palestine, not Jewish people, and criticizes israel for associating its actions with Jewish values. Hamas's stated goals for its current operation are to - Free the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by israel, - End the Gaza blockade, - End the status quo where Israel continues its occupation without cost".

ID 5: the fifth image is titled: "Does Hamas Control Gaza?". The body text reads: "Not really. Hamas administers local affairs, while israel controls much of Gaza from the outside through its blockade. israel forcibly controls: - Airspace, - Sea access, - Movement of all goods and people in and out, - Telecoms networks, - Electromagnetic sphere, - Tax distribution, - Population registry, - Water, - Electricity and fuel. Hamas began governing Gaza in 2007, and has since managed: - Healthcare, - Education, - Infrastructure, - Social welfare, - Law enforcement, - Public employment. Hamas is not a sovereign government. israel's blockade prevents Palestinians from independently exercising sovereignty over Gaza's population, development, and economy."

ID 6: The sixth image is titled "Does Hamas Represent Palestine?" The body text reads: "Hamas is one of many Palestinian political parties. On the one hand, Hamas was democratically elected by voters in 2006, garnering a plurality of West Bank and Gaza votes (44%) for its social services and resistance efforts. Today. Fatah and Hamas, the two largest parties, are roughly tied, each enjoying the support of a third of the public. On the other hand, many Palestinians strongly criticize Hamas's political wing due to its corruption and repressive policies, and the last elections were in 2006. 43% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza believe that no party represents Palestine. The other polled Palestinians were split between parties, with no clear winner. We have no statistics for Palestinians in the heartland ("israel") or diaspora. However, Hamas is currently the only major group that pursues armed resistance, which is widely supported. So while most Palestinians might not support Hamas as a party, the overwhelming majority support acts of resistance in general, whether by Hamas or others."

ID 7: the seventh image is titled "Is Hamas a Proxy of Iran?". The body text reads: "No. Hamas is an independent group with a political program and military strategy distinct from Iran. Hamas and Iran are strategic allies, meaning that while Iran provides Hamas with significant financial, military, and political support, Hamas does not act or operate on behalf of Iran. It makes decisions based on its own interests, and independently manages relations with countries like Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt. For example: In 2012, Hamas cut ties with Syria because it opposed the Assad regime's violent crackdown on protesters. It took this decision despite angering Iran, a close ally of Assad. Regarding Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, even israeli officials admit there is no evidence that Iran was in any way involved. Iran was actually surprised by it. Hamas independently coordinated and launched the operation to achieve its own goals."

ID 8: The eighth image is titled "Does Hamas Negotiate with Israel?". The body text reads: "Hamas views armed struggle as only one of several tools to end apartheid & occupation, such as diplomacy. In 2006, in an op-ed for The Guardian, Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh revealed that israel refused Hamas's proposal for a truce. In 2008, former Hamas chief Khaled Meshal offered a 10-year truce in exchange for a sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital." israel rejected the proposal. In 2016, Hamas offered a long-term truce in exchange for simply ending the Gaza Blockade. israel rejected it. In 2018, Haniyeh revived this offer by sending a handwritten letter in Hebrew to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. But israel rejected it again. israel repeatedly rejected Hamas's diplomatic initiatives because israel saw no reason to end the oppressive status quo, which it believed gave it power & privileges over Palestinians with minimal downsides. israel's benefits outweighed the costs. Hamas is trying to change that."

ID 9: the ninth image is titled "Is Hamas Risking Palestinian Lives?". The body text reads: "Westerners often accuse Hamas of risking Palestinian lives by fighting apartheid and thus inviting a deadly israeli crackdown. But the reality is that israel's blockade is slowly killing everyone in Gaza. [quote] 'We have paid a high cost in lives in this conflict. But if that's the price for long-term changes - breaking the siege and obtaining freedom - it's one many of us feel we have no choice but to swallow.' [unquote] -Haytham Besalso, civil engineer from Gaza, 2014. [quote] 'We are bleeding here, anyway [..] The Gaza Blockade crushes any opportunity for peace.' [unquote] -Ismail, anonymous journalist from Gaza, 2021. The argument that Hamas is responsible for israel's killing of Palestinians is malicious. It blames the victims for resisting apartheid and absolves the oppressors of responsibility, treating the mass killing of children as a 'normal' israeli response."

ID 10: the tenth image says: "You don't need to support Hamas as a political party to support Palestine. Most Palestinians don't support it as a party. But Hamas is an effective political player in the struggle against apartheid, oppression, and colonization. It has achieved remarkable success in preventing israeli violence in Jerusalem and freeing Palestinian hostages abducted by israel. Hamas has institutions, ministries, student movements, and women's movements, and employs thousands of doctors, teachers, judges, and aid workers. It is part of the fabric of Palestinian society. So while you don't need to support Hamas to support Palestine, you cannot oppose oppression without supporting the resistance to it. You cannot support freedom while supporting israeli efforts to wipe out those who fight for that freedom, including Hamas, to leave Palestinians defenc Pales". End ID.

the original caption states that @/LetsTalkPalestine2 does not endorse any specific party, including Hamas, and that the last word on the last slide should be *defenseless.

#resources #reaux speaks #bipoc #free palestine #palestine #free gaza #gaza #west bank #genocide #ethnic cleansing #israel #ceasefire #hamas #instagram

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whencyclopedia · 8 days

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Sitting Bull

Sitting Bull (Tatanka Iyotanka, l. c. 1837-1890) was a Hunkpapa Sioux holy man, warrior, leader, and symbol of traditional Sioux values and resistance to the United States' expansionist policies. He is among the best-known Native American chiefs of the 19th century and remains as famous today as he was when he led his people.

He is widely known for his part in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876 and his later celebrity as a performer in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, but, for the Sioux, Sitting Bull is celebrated as the embodiment of the four cardinal virtues of his people: courage, fortitude, generosity, and wisdom. He is also recognized for his refusal to abandon the traditions of his people and his efforts to preserve their culture. Although famous as a holy man, prophet, war chief, and hunter, Sitting Bull was also a poet and composer, as well-known among his people for his rapport with wild animals and herbal knowledge as for his leadership.

He was killed while resisting arrest at the Standing Rock Agency Reservation in South Dakota on 15 December 1890 and was buried at Fort Yates in North Dakota. His remains were exhumed by family members in the 1950s and interred at Mobridge, South Dakota, near where he was thought to have been born. Debate continues over whether these remains are those of Sitting Bull, and historians also offer differing views on his legacy. His reputation as a great leader of his people, however, is unchallenged as he continues to be recognized as a symbol of Native American pride, honor, and traditional values, as well as for his stand against injustice.

Youth & Name

Little is known of Sitting Bull's life before the age of 14. His date of birth, given as 1831, 1832, 1834, or 1837, is debated, as was his birthplace until fairly recently. He is now understood to have been born on the Yellowstone River (known to the Sioux as Elk River) in modern-day Montana and was named Jumping Badger (Hoka Psice). He quickly earned the nickname Slow (Hunkesni), owing, according to scholar Robert. M. Utley, to "his willful and deliberate ways" (6). His father was Chief Sitting Bull of the Hunkpapa Sioux, and his mother was Her-Holy-Door from a respectable Hunkpapa family. He had two sisters and a half-brother but would later adopt others as his brothers, and these are sometimes mistakenly referenced as biological siblings.

Chief Sitting Bull taught his son to ride, hunt, and shoot expertly before the boy was ten years old. Young Slow was an excellent shot with bow and arrow and became so closely associated with horses that his peers joked how he even walked as though he were on horseback. When he was 14, he joined a war party against the Crow and "counted coup" against a Crow warrior, knocking him from his horse where he was then killed by another of the party. For this act of courage – defeating an enemy without killing him – Chief Sitting Bull gave his name to his son and assumed the name Jumping Bull. "Sitting Bull" – Tatanka Iyotanka (literally "Buffalo Who Sits Down") – fit the youth's personality as, "according to fellow tribesmen, suggested an animal possessed of great endurance, his build much admired by the people, and when brought to bay, planted immovably on his haunches to fight on to the death" (Utley, 15).

Later acquaintances and writers would claim the name was given him due to his stubbornness or, according to Sioux writer and physician Charles A. Eastman, that he was given the name after forcing a buffalo calf to sit down. The name was actually given in accordance with the tradition whereby a father passed his own name to his son when the boy was recognized as attaining manhood.

Between the ages of 14 and 20, Sitting Bull led his own war parties, and his name became famous among his enemies as a formidable warrior. Utley describes him at around the age of 20:

A heavy, muscular frame, a big chest, and a large head, he impressed people as short and stocky, although he stood only two inches under six feet. His dark hair, often braided on one side with otter fur and allowed to hang loose on the other, reached his shoulders. A severe part over the center of the scalp glistened with a heavy streak of crimson paint. A low forehead surmounted piercing eyes, a flat nose, and thin lips. Although dexterous afoot and superbly agile mounted, he appeared to some as awkward and even clumsy. (19-20)

Around 1857, in a clash with an Assiniboine band, Sitting Bull spared a 13-year-old boy whom he later adopted as a younger brother. When Sitting Bull's father was killed in battle with the Crow in 1859, the boy took the name Jumping Bull and would remain by Sitting Bull's side for the rest of his life.

#History #SittingBull #Sioux

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astrologged · 1 year

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Psyche in the signs

Psyche (16) represents the soul and its journey of evolution, growth, and healing. It is associated with past lives and the karmic lessons that we carry with us from one lifetime to another. The placement of Psyche can reveal our deepest wounds and the areas where we need to heal and grow.

Psyche in Aries: You have a strong desire for independence and self-expression. You are a self-starter and often take the initiative in relationships and projects. In a past life, you may have been impulsive and prone to taking risks without considering the consequences. You likely had to learn how to control your anger and channel your energy in a constructive way. You may have also been involved in physical or athletic pursuits, or leadership roles that required courage and confidence. Overall, your soul's journey may involve learning how to balance your assertiveness with sensitivity to others' needs.

Psyche in Taurus: In a past life, you had to learn about the value of material possessions and the importance of financial security. You may have been involved in some form of artistic expression or had a talent for music, painting, or sculpture. You had to learn how to appreciate the beauty of the physical world and find stability in it. You may have also struggled with being possessive or overly attached to material things, and had to learn how to let go of attachments and find inner peace. In this life, you may have a strong desire for financial stability and a comfortable home environment. You also have a talent for creating beauty in the physical world and appreciate the finer things in life.

Psyche in Gemini: Your soul's journey involves learning how to communicate effectively and express yourself clearly. You have a natural curiosity and a love for learning, and you’re drawn to fields such as teaching, writing, or public speaking. In a past life, you may have been a messenger or a diplomat, and you had to learn how to use your words wisely and avoid misunderstandings. Your challenge in this lifetime may involve developing the ability to focus and pay attention to details, as you tend to get distracted easily or scatter your energy. You also need to learn how to listen more effectively and be present in your interactions with others, rather than constantly thinking about what to say next. By developing your communication skills and learning how to express your thoughts clearly and concisely, you can fulfill your soul's purpose and contribute to the world in a meaningful way.

Psyche in Cancer: The soul's journey involves emotional healing and nurturing. In past lives, you may have experienced deep emotional pain or trauma, which has led to a need for emotional security and protection in this lifetime. You have a strong desire to care for and protect others, and you are highly sensitive to the emotional needs of those around you. You may have had a past life as a caregiver, healer, or in some form of nurturing role. You have a natural ability to connect with others on a deep emotional level and may be drawn to work in fields such as psychology or counseling. However, you also have a tendency to take on the emotional burdens of others and struggle with setting healthy boundaries. Learning to care for yourself as well as others is an important lesson for you in this lifetime. By working on your own emotional healing, you can become a source of comfort and support for those around you.

Psyche in Leo: The soul's journey involves learning how to express oneself creatively and confidently. You have a strong desire to be recognized and appreciated for your talents and unique qualities. However, in a past life, you may have struggled with being too focused on yourself and your own ego. You may have been involved in leadership roles, the arts, or entertainment in your past life. Your challenge is to find a healthy balance between expressing your creativity and shining your light while also being mindful of others' needs and emotions. You may also need to learn to receive praise and recognition gracefully and without becoming too attached to it. Overall, with Psyche in Leo, your soul's journey involves learning to express your true self in a confident and authentic way while also recognizing and honoring the worth and value of others.

Psyche in Virgo: in your natal chart, it suggests that in a past life, you had to learn how to be of service to others and pay attention to the details. You may have had a strong urge to help and heal others, and they were likely involved in some form of service work. You may have also been very analytical and detail-oriented, and you had to learn how to balance this with their desire to help others. You were probably a perfectionist and had to learn how to accept imperfections in yourself and others. In this lifetime, they you feel fulfilled by working in fields such as healthcare, counseling, or education where you can use your skills to help others. You also find inner fulfillment through practicing self-care and maintaining a healthy routine.

Psyche in Libra: Your soul's journey is focused on finding balance and harmony in your relationships with others. You have a deep desire for fairness and justice, and you strive to create harmonious relationships with those around you. In a past life, you may have been involved in law or diplomacy, where you had to negotiate and mediate between different parties. You may also have been involved in artistic pursuits, as Libra is associated with beauty and aesthetics. Your soul's journey may involve learning to make decisions based on your own needs, rather than constantly seeking the approval of others. You also need to work on setting healthy boundaries and standing up for yourself when necessary, while still maintaining harmony and balance in your relationships. Overall, Psyche in Libra indicates a strong focus on relationships and creating harmony in your interactions with others, both in this life and in past lives.

Psyche in Scorpio: Your soul's journey of evolution and growth involves facing your deepest fears and desires and transforming your shadow self. You may have intense emotional experiences and may be drawn to the mysterious and occult. You may have a deep interest in sexuality and the unconscious mind. In a past life, you may have been involved in deep spiritual or healing practices, or you may have had experiences that led you to confront your shadow side. Your soul may have chosen to incarnate with Psyche in Scorpio to continue this journey of transformation and evolution. You may also have a strong psychic or intuitive ability, and you may be able to sense things that are hidden or not easily visible to others. You have a tendency towards being secretive or keeping things hidden, but you also have a powerful urge to bring what is hidden into the light. You also have a deep desire to merge with others on a soul level, but you need to learn healthy boundaries and discernment in relationships.

Psyche in Sagittarius: Your soul's journey involves seeking higher truths and expanding your horizons. You have a deep desire to explore the world and gain knowledge through experiences. In a past life, you may have been involved in philosophy, religion, or travel, and you have a natural affinity for these areas in your current life as well. You are optimistic and idealistic, and you have a strong sense of faith in the universe and its workings. Your soul's purpose is to find meaning in life and to inspire others to do the same. However, you also struggle with restlessness and a tendency to wander, and you need to learn how to focus your energy and commit to a path that aligns with your true purpose.

Psyche in Capricorn: You may have a strong sense of responsibility and a desire for success and achievement. In a past life, you may have learned the importance of discipline, hard work, and perseverance. You may have had to overcome obstacles and challenges to achieve your goals. You also have a strong desire to be respected and admired by others. However, there may also be a tendency to take on too much responsibility and to be overly self-critical. Youneed to learn to balance your desire for achievement with self-care and relaxation. You also need to work on developing healthy boundaries and learning to delegate tasks to others. On a deeper level, it may indicate a past life where you were involved in business or government, and you had to learn about the importance of responsibility, authority, and leadership. You may have had to overcome challenges and setbacks to achieve your goals, but you ultimately learned important lessons about hard work and perseverance.

Psyche in Aquarius: You have a strong desire to be part of something bigger than yourself and to contribute to society in a meaningful way. You are attracted to social causes and are passionate about bringing about positive change in the world. You are highly idealistic and may have a vision for the future that is ahead of its time. In a past life, you may have been involved in some form of activism or social work. You were likely ahead of your time in terms of your ideas and may have faced opposition or persecution for your beliefs. You may have been involved in progressive movements or been part of a group or community that was pushing for change. You have a unique and innovative approach to problem-solving, and you are not afraid to think outside the box. You value freedom and independence and may have a rebellious streak. However, you also have a strong sense of social responsibility and may feel a sense of duty to use your talents and abilities to make a positive impact on the world.

Psyche in Pisces: Your soul journey involves exploring the deeper spiritual and emotional realms. You have a strong intuition and a natural connection to the collective unconscious. You may have past life experiences of being involved in spiritual practices or healing, and may feel a strong sense of compassion and empathy towards others. However, you may also struggle with boundaries and may need to learn how to protect yourself from becoming overwhelmed by other people's emotions. Your soul's purpose in this life may involve exploring your own spirituality and helping others to connect with their spiritual selves. You may also need to learn how to balance your sensitivity with practicality in order to achieve your goals.

#psyche #in #aries #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #sagittarius #capricorn #aquarius #pisces #astrology #past life #past lives #karmic

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jobsbuster · 2 months

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reinnette · 9 days

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thinking about the canucks being led by huggy and millsy:

I know people were thinking about jt when the captaincy hadnt been announced, but it eventually went to quinn, which makes sense ! this is a fairly young team being led by a young guy ! but quinn always said hes continuously learning how to be a leader and him having the C doesnt diminish jt’s own leadership.

now we’re at the start of our playoffs run its becoming apparent how effective the sharing of leadership is between these two !! along with rick and management, theyve created a hell of a team.

jt miller is undoubtedly the heart of the canucks he keeps the team pumping and they keep pushing but quinn has always been the team’s soul; they wouldnt be able to push as hard as they have without quinn leading the way in values, habits, mindset. it helps that these two guys have their heart on their sleeve and the skill to back it up, with leadership like that you gotta strive ‼️

with the team in the hands of these two, i have full confidence for a deep run yaknow 🤝

also theyre constantly yapping even in game and i love that for them :DD

#canucks #quinn hughes #jt miller #nhl #marcie rants hockey

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leveloneandup · 2 months

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📸: womenswayphilly

https://womensway.org/news-events/womens-way-46th-annual-celebration/

LUCRETIA MOTT HONOREES: TOBIN HEATH AND CHRISTEN PRESS

2X WORLD CUP WINNERS, PAY EQUITY TRAILBLAZERS, CO-FOUNDERS OF RE-INC

*While their soccer season commitments prevent in-person attendance, we are excited to hear from them in an exclusive virtual acceptance speech to learn more about their inspiring lives and work.

Tobin Heath is a 2x World Cup Champion for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team, an equal pay pioneer, and the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of RE—INC. She is a 4x Olympian, with two gold medals and a bronze medal. She is known as one of the most skillful and entertaining players in the game. Throughout her club career, Heath has played for PSG, the Portland Thorns, Manchester United, and Arsenal. Tobin brings her vision, leadership, and creativity as a Co-CEO of RE—INC, a values-led brand that exists to reimagine the way women are seen and experienced in sports. This summer, RE—INC launched a media division with a critically acclaimed show: The RE—CAP Show World Cup Edition, hosted by Tobin.

Christen Press is a 2x World Cup Champion for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team, an equal pay pioneer, and the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of RE—INC. She is one of the top 10 goalscorers ever on the USWNT and holds the scoring record at Stanford. Christen currently plays for Angel City FC. Christen led the USWNT’s historic achievement of Equal Pay and served as the leader of the USWNT Player’s Associate for 2 years. For four years, Christen has been the CEO, and now Co-CEO of RE—INC, a values-led brand that exists to reimagine the way women are seen and experienced in sports. She is a 2-year Board Member of Grassroots Soccer, a non-profit organization that uses the power of soccer to provide mentors, information, and health services to at-risk youth in Africa.

#tobin heath #christen press #lucretia mott honorees

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hardwriterdeluxe · 10 months

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BuildTech

Emily, a determined and hardworking college student, found herself in a constant struggle to make ends meet. With mounting bills and the pressure of rent looming over her, she embarked on a relentless job search to secure a source of income.

One day, as she scrolled through countless job listings online, a particular advertisement caught her attention. It read, "Exciting Opportunity at BuildTech: Join our Dynamic Team!" Intrigued by the promise of excitement, Emily clicked on the ad to learn more.

The BuildTech website showcased a vibrant and innovative company, known for its groundbreaking projects and commitment to excellence. As Emily delved deeper into the company's mission and values, she couldn't help but feel drawn towards the company and this empty position. Emily decided to take a chance and submit her application. She carefully crafted her cover letter and updated her resume to highlight her skills like her leadership or strong mind and determination. With a glimmer of hope, she pressed the "Submit" button, eagerly anticipating a response.

Days turned into weeks, and Emily's anticipation grew with each passing moment. Doubts and worries began to creep into her mind, questioning whether she was qualified or if she would ever find a job that could alleviate her financial burdens.

Just as she was starting to lose hope, an email notification appeared in her inbox. Her heart raced as she clicked on the message, revealing an invitation for an interview at BuildTech. The excitement and relief she felt were palpable.

Emily meticulously prepared for the interview, researching the company's projects and familiarizing herself with the construction industry. Dressed in her best professional attire, she arrived at the impressive office building that housed BuildTech, her determination unwavering.

As she stepped into the sleek and modern reception area, the ambiance exuded an air of professionalism and ambition. The receptionist, Sarah, greeted her warmly and directed her to the interview room. Emily couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation and nervous energy as she entered the room.

Sitting across from Mike, the manager of BuildTech, Emily was immediately struck by his friendly demeanor and genuine interest in her. The interview commenced, with Mike delving into her background, skills, and aspirations. He sought to understand her motivations and determine if she would be a good fit for the company's dynamic team.

Throughout the interview, Emily's passion and dedication shone through. She expressed her desire to contribute to meaningful projects and make a difference in the world. Mike, impressed by her enthusiasm and genuine nature, saw great potential in her.

As the interview came to a close, Mike leaned forward with a smile on his face. He extended his hand and offered Emily the position at BuildTech, citing her determination and alignment with the company's values. Emily's heart swelled with gratitude and excitement. Finally, a breakthrough had come her way.

If she only knew that the company just hired men…

Ecstatic about her new job at BuildTech, Emily eagerly awaited her first day of work.

The day arrived, and Emily arrived at the BuildTech headquarters with a mix of nerves and anticipation. She was greeted by Sarah, the friendly receptionist she had met during her interview. Sarah handed her a set of documents to fill out and explained the basics of the company's policies and procedures. Emily, so caught up in small talk, didn't even realize she signed the documents confirming her work profile to be updated as male and her work position being a construction worker not a second assistant.

After completing the paperwork, Sarah led Emily down a long corridor towards the employee facilities. As they walked, Emily couldn't help but notice that everyone she passed in the corridor was male. It seemed odd to her, but she brushed it off, assuming it was just a coincidence.

Sarah stopped in front of a door labeled "Employee Dressing Room." She explained that Emily would find her uniform inside and instructed her to change into it before joining the rest of the team on the construction site. Emily thought to herself “wait wasn't my position second assistant, why do i need a construction uniform.” but she brushed it off again as a small misunderstanding. Emily stepped inside the dressing room.

To her surprise, the dressing room was unlike any she had ever seen. It was a sleek, futuristic space with walls adorned by mirrors and high-tech displays. Emily's reflection stared back at her, a mix of excitement and curiosity in her eyes.

In the center of the room, there was a platform illuminated by soft, glowing lights. A voice echoed from the speakers, its tone soothing yet authoritative. "Welcome, Emily, to BuildTech's Gender-Conforming Dressing Room. Please step onto the platform for scanning and outfit customization."

Curiosity overcoming her, Emily complied and positioned herself on the platform. As she stood there, the room's lights brightened, casting a gentle glow around her. A series of scanning beams enveloped her body, analyzing her physical features and detecting any inconsistencies.

To her shock the bright lights turned red, the AI system detected that Emily's assigned gender did not match her work profile. The robotic arms in the room sprang into action, undressing her. Emily felt a mix of confusion and vulnerability as the arms swiftly removed her clothing.

The next moment, the robotic arms approached her and grabbed her so they could correct her. they began spraying Emily in a thin clear coating, each movement molding the spray to her body. Emily felt a tingling sensation, almost as if her very essence was being reshaped.

First up was her legs as the skin-like suit adheard to her bones and molded them her calves grew pushing her from her ordinary 5’6 to a a 5’7. Her legs continued to mold and gained muscle mass on top of muscle mass and next up was her feet, her feet grew so much that she looked out of proportion, she now sported real man's feet and it continued with her thighs giving her juicy big thighs matching her now changed legs and feet. Before the transformation moved forward it blessed her legs and feet with a generous amount of hair and also gave her bad boy feet a rank stench so powerful she needed to cover them up daily. The molding continued and moved upwards the changes barely touched her bouncy butt, the spray just molded her feminine curves into the strong masculine side making her butt fuller and firmer.

The magic of the spray went on to continue and gave her torso a great gift. Her torso fat melted into string and hard abs and her female gender became male with the dick growing hard and big, to complete her downstairs or well his downstairs the changes gave him a full treasure line with hair his once female breasts flattened into some rock hard pecs adorned with yet again sweaty musky body hair.

His arms ballooned giving his once small biceps muscles. The arms extended and filled with arm hair and veins giving a strong and yet inviting look. His hands grew from a delicate soft hand into hands that could hold any dick or tool easily, these new hands were calloused and dirty from hard work and experience. Next was the armpits which grew to match the muscles and became hairy and wet sporting the same foul smell.

His physical appearance transformed before his eyes. The contours of his face shifted, becoming more angular and masculine giving him a perfect jawline and the perfect nose. His voice deepened, resonating with a newfound confidence and authority but also masculinity and toughness.

As the transformation progressed, Emily's mind underwent a parallel change. Memories of his past life as Emily faded into the background, replaced by a new sense of self. He no longer identified as Emily but embraced his new identity as Alex, a strong and capable construction worker.

The spray completed the transformation by stretching Alex from 5’7 to 5’11. The robotic arms dressed Alex in a pair of white socks or by the looks of it almost yellow, the socks had the same smell as Alex feet explaining the odor. Next the arms dressed him in sturdy work boots that were well worn and were made of sturdy leather. Alex got put in rugged pants adorned with stains and mud and some tools, Alex also got a durable work shirt with a vest. The robot arms placed a construction worker's hard hat atop his head, symbolizing his new role within the company and sealing his new identity, and with that the world only knew Alex.

Stepping out of the dressing room, Alex felt a surge of confidence coursing through his veins. The world around him seemed to shift, as if acknowledging his new identity. Colleagues who once knew Emily now saw him as Alex, a skilled and respected member of the construction team.

As he walked among his new coworkers, Alex couldn't help but notice the subtle nods of approval and respect. He had earned his place in this traditionally male-dominated industry and was now another worker in the crowd.

#hivis #workie #workies #tradie #worker #musk #chav lads #jockification #shiny gear #male tf #tf story #female to male #leather boots #hi vis workwear

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spotty-is-slumberous · 5 months

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Thinking about one of my older WC aus again… I’ve finally got a name for it: the Kinless Leaders au

In which I realized that it makes way more sense for the leaders in Warriors to be put under the “cannot have mates or kits” rule rather than healers…

Leaders are far more ingrained in politics and diplomacy than healers are. They’re the only non-healer, as well, who are known to have steady contact with StarClan, and have recieved a grand gift (nine lives) from their ancestors. Literally touched by the stars. They’d need to be “pure”, and completely unhindered by emotional or physical attachments (that being: immediate family, romantic attachments, and kits) that could cloud their judgement when it comes to the good of the whole Clan.

They’re allowed friends — to a degree. Deputies, and successors, would be chosen only if they have no immediate family to speak of, and can prove throughout their assisting reign to have the fortitude to not become a mate or parent. If a leader does have kits, they are to be immediately deposed, for they have lost their Clan’s trust, their connection to StarClan + their ancestor’s trust, and broken their vows. They are more likely now to jump to defend their kin in the face of political unrest, as well.

It would just make more sense, thematically, if this were the case… And provide way more drama. Like, so much more.

Thistleclaw could still have courted Snowfur and sired Whitestorm, but would have broken her heart and requested she invoke Queen’s Rights and not name a father — which could have led to Bluefur’s distaste for him, because of course her sister would have confided in her.

Bluefur could have been pregnant at the time Goosefeather told her of the prophecy, and warned her of Thistleclaw’s bloodthirsty intentions. By that time, Snowfur would have been dead, and we could just kill off Stormtail a bit earlier. Hence why she had to give up her kits, albeit far earlier, to secure her place as leader.

Tigerclaw wouldn’t have sired Goldenflower or Sasha’s kits. But kittens raised without an obvious father, especially when Sasha was a kittypet and Goldenflower’s first mate for her first litter was rumored to be a loner, would be far more easy to manipulate and guide under one’s wing. He could have offered Tawnypelt a place in ShadowClan under him for the same reasons as canon, and could have coaxed both Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost into the Dark Forest after his death regardless.

Crookedstar’s life now becomes ever-sadder, as he fell in love with Willowbreeze, who reciprocated, but could only be with her in secret. Then she and most of their kits die, leading him to believe it is a sign, and offer his only surviving kit to his estranged brother to take into his own mysteriously-born litter.

No more “Half of ThunderClan being direct Firestar descendants”, because Firestar now cannot have kits. Perhaps Squirrelflight and Leafpool were still his, however… Perhaps ThunderClan’s bright brand of fire isn’t as perfect as many believe.

Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight were mates and raised a family, however the argument of “they’re not really yours, so is it alright to step into leadership?” could be made in a society that values their leader’s purity…

Idk. Much angst. Many intrigue. It’s a personal favorite au of mine ^^

#warrior cats #warriors au #warrior cats au #the kinless leaders au #thistleclaw #bluestar #tigerstar i #tigerstar #crookedstar #firestar #brambleclaw #squirrelflight

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