#we were spreading the agenda over on instagram

[brbuttons]

me, checking Tumblr wondering where all the LumiCogs went... only to realise its ship name changed in the decade we were off our bullshit.

Back on it now though so have a win for the gays.

#lumiworth #honestly i don't even know if lumicogs was common this was pre-tumblr deviantart days it was a different time #we were spreading the agenda over on instagram #145 people saw it #it was just the screenshot of them kissing with “look at this” /hj #seriously though closeted uppity gay clock oblivious to his bisexual-at-least partner who deeply loves him #and is absolutely in denial that he loves him back #tale as old as time #beauty and the beast #🍰 atticus #illustration

[mariacallous]

Nicolae Fratea is on a mission to purge his Facebook timeline of weird political adverts. Every couple of days, he’s presented with accounts that, on the surface, look innocent—they often share the same innocuous profile picture of a cathedral in Chisinau, Moldova. But when he scrolls past, these pages present him with what he describes as “soft propaganda,” trying to entice him to join anti-government protests.

The ads echo the political messages of Ilan Shor, a sanctioned politician and businessman with deep links to the Kremlin, who has been accused by the US government of trying to destabilize Moldova on behalf of Russia. On Sunday, these ads helped promote Moldova’s most recent anti-government rally in the capital, Chinasu, which was attended by thousands of people. 

A video editor by day, Fratea now spends his evenings sleuthing for information on the shadowy Facebook pages that deliver these adverts. “What all these pages have in common is the fact they promote Shor’s parties, his agenda, and his news channels,” says the 38-year-old, who works for the news channel Jurnal TV. When he sees them, he leaves a review to warn others. His most recent reads: “Fake account! Fake page!” He also reports them to Facebook. But in 90 percent of cases, he says, the platform replies telling him everything looks normal. 

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was presaged by years of information operations, which used propaganda networks on social media to spread misinformation, influence elections, and undermine social cohesion. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, promised to crack down on these state-backed influence campaigns in response to the war. “We’re taking extensive steps to fight the spread of misinformation,” the company said in January, in a report detailing its wartime policies to the EU. “We established a special operations center staffed by experts from across the company, including native Russian and Ukrainian speakers, who are monitoring the platform around the clock, allowing us to respond to issues in real time.”

Moldova, however, appears to fall outside that purview—despite sharing a border with Ukraine. The influence campaign being waged in Moldova would be unthinkable in Western Europe or North America, says Felix Kartte, senior adviser at the technology and democracy campaign group, Reset. “We're seeing basically Kremlin agents running overt campaigns on Facebook, trying to bring down a democratic government by mobilizing sham protests via Facebook ads.” 

Meta spokesperson Ben Waters says that Facebook adheres to US sanctions. “When Ilan Shor and the Șor Party were added to the US sanctions list, we took action on their known accounts,” he adds. “When we identified new associated accounts, we took action on those as well.”

In the months immediately after Russia launched its full-scale assault on Ukraine, Moldova worried it could be the Kremlin’s next military target—especially as the Russian army pushed towards the nearby Ukrainian city of Odessa. Around 1,500 Russian soldiers are already stationed in Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova. 

When Russia retreated to Ukraine’s east, the fear of an invasion eased a little. But it has been replaced by another more insidious concern that Russia could take over Moldova from the inside.

Russia’s influence operations often focus less on trying to push specific political parties, and more on undermining trust in government or driving wedges between different social groups. Lithuanian fact-checkers from the group Delfi Melo Detektorius say they are witnessing attempts to drive a furor about an EU law approving the sale of insect powder for human consumption. In several countries, notably Poland, Russia has been accused of pushing disinformation about LGBTQI communities. In Moldova, the current messaging focuses on the high price of utility bills, which have surged after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  

“This is part of the Russian playbook,” says Valeriu Pașa, president and chair of Watchdog.MD, a Moldovan think tank that has been tracking disinformation and online influence campaigns. “If you cannot convince someone to endorse your version of events, you can at least try to confuse people until they don’t trust anything.” 

Shor, who owns a football club and a duty-free company, along with other businesses, was a bit-part player in Moldovan politics until 2015, when police opened an investigation into suspected fraud at three banks, including one where Shor was the chair. He joined the Șor party and ran for mayor in the city of Orhei. He won the election with 62 percent of the vote, but he was convicted of bank fraud two years later. He now lives in exile in Israel.

Since then, the Șor Party has received advice from political strategists sent by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. When those strategists reported back in 2021, they described what had been decided: Șor was to be positioned as a party offering “concrete action,” it would be populist “in the real sense of the word,” offering to change “people’s lives for the better.”

The US sanctioned Shor in October, saying the support he had received from Russia was designed to destabilize Moldova.

The Șor Party did not respond to a request for comment. 

As a person under sanctions, Shor is not technically allowed to advertise on Facebook. But Watchdog.MD says Shor has found a loophole in Facebook’s ad system that allows him to dodge restrictions to  promote his political agenda. 

On February 3, he appeared in a video criticizing the government for the surging cost of energy bills, which soared five-fold after Russia cut the supply of gas flowing into Moldova. “Today, the most necessary professions in the country, such as doctors and teachers, are forced to take out loans in order to pay for utilities,” he says, expressing his support for a petition that calls on the government to write off the population’s winter energy bills. 

What’s strange about the video is its origin. It was posted by a page that has been liked by only 19 people. But the video has been watched more than 600,000 times, a huge amount in a country with a population of less than 2.5 million. Watchdog.MD says the video has been aggressively promoted using ads. But on February 10, when researchers looked at the page’s ad library—where past and present adverts are meant to appear—the video was gone. Watchdog.MD does not know how to explain why Shor’s ads don’t always show up in Facebook’s ad tracker. 

Every week, new pages sprang up, running new ads on behalf of the Șor Party. Between the 13th and 19th of February, Watchdog.MD identified seven ads run by five different pages. Between the 1st and 10th of February, there were seven ads run by six different pages. 

Many of these pages were created with Vietnamese names, including Shop Mua Bán (Shop, Buy, Sell) or Shop Ban Giay (Shoe Shop) or Tạp Chí Phái Đẹp (Beauty Magazine). Their names were later changed to names that referred explicitly to Moldova, such as “For Chisinau” or “For the People.” Many of the pages state that they have admins based in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, and Indonesia. 

“It’s clear that behind these ads are people who know very well and understand how Facebook works and how to avoid all these internal rules,” Pașa says.

The pages are often taken down after Watchdog.MD reports them, but as soon as Facebook bans one, another will soon replace it. Pașa is frustrated at Facebook’s lack of a systemic approach to dealing with the problem. “They say they are investigating, and we trust them, but their approach is reactive.” 

Facebook has been reporting on similar types of Russian influence campaigns since at least 2017. During the US presidential election in 2022, the platform banned political ads entirely. But in Moldova, the ads keep coming.

Reset’s Kartte says the ads he’s seen have been such a clear violation of Facebook’s terms of service, it implies the platform has not invested in sufficient resources or staff for the local market. “In Moldova, they clearly do not care,” he says. 

[comrade-meow]

Why a hand gesture has South Korean companies on edge 👌

It took three years for players to notice the "offensive" hand gesture lurking in one of South Korea's most popular multiplayer games.

When players made their avatars laugh, talk or give the "OK" sign in "Lost Ark," they clicked an icon featuring a gesture that might have appeared benign to many: an index finger nearly touching a thumb.

But some of "Lost Ark's" users began claiming in August that the gesture was a sexist insult against men, and they demanded its removal.

What happened next underscores a trend in South Korea among anti-feminists, who have been increasingly pushing companies to repent for what they see as a conspiracy within the government and private companies to promote a feminist agenda.

Smilegate — the creator of "Lost Ark" and one of South Korea's biggest video game developers — quickly complied with the requests for removal. The company removed the icon from the game, and vowed to be more vigilant about policing "game-unrelated controversies" in their products.

A gender war has been unfolding in South Korea for years, pitting feminists against angry young men who feel they're being left behind as the country seeks to address gender inequality. 

Now, though, the latest development in this war is reaching a fever pitch. Since May, more than 20 brands and government organizations have removed what some see as feminist symbols from their products, after mounting pressure. At least 12 of those brands or organizations have issued an apology to placate male customers.

Anti-feminism has a years-long history in South Korea, and research suggests that such sentiments are taking hold among the country's young men. In May, the Korean marketing and research firm Hankook Research said it found that more than 77% of men in their twenties and more than 73% of men in their 30s were "repulsed by feminists or feminism," according to a survey. (The firm surveyed 3,000 adults, half of whom were men.)

The fact that corporations are responding to pressure to modify their products suggests that these anti-feminists are gaining influence in a country that is already struggling with gender issues. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says that South Korea has by far the largest gender wage gap among OECD countries. And roughly 5% of board members at publicly listed companies in the country are women compared to the OECD average of nearly 27%.

A suspicious sausage

The online firestorm that has spread across South Korea's corporate landscape kicked off in May with a simple camping advertisement.

GS25, one of the country's biggest convenience store chains, released an ad that month enticing customers to order camping food on their app, promising free items as a reward. The ad showed an index finger and a thumb appearing to pinch a sausage. The finger-pinching motif is frequently used in advertising as a way to hold an item without obscuring the product.

Critics, though, saw something different in that hand signal. They accused it of being a code for feminist sympathies, tracing the use of the finger-pinching motif to 2015, when the symbol was co-opted by Megalia, a now-defunct feminist online community, to ridicule the size of Korean men's genitals.

Megalia has since shut down, but its logo has outlived the group. Now anti-feminists are trying to purge South Korea of its existence.

Source: Megalia, @starbucksrtd/Instagram, @gs25_official/Instagram

GS25 removed the hand symbol from the poster. But critics still weren't satisfied, and began trawling the advertisement for other feminist clues. One person pointed out that the last letter of each word featured on the poster — "Emotional Camping Must-have Item" — spelled "Megal," a shorthand for "Megalia," when read backward.

GS25 removed the text from the poster, but that still wasn't enough. People theorized that even the moon in the background of the poster was a feminist symbol, because a moon is used as the logo of a feminist scholar organization in South Korea.

After revising the poster multiple times, GS eventually pulled it entirely, just a day after the campaign launched. The company apologized and promised a better editorial process. It also said it reprimanded the staff responsible for the ad, and removed the marketing team leader.

The online mob had tasted success, and it wanted more.

Other companies and government organizations soon became targets. The online fashion retailer Musinsa was criticized for offering women-only discounts, as well as using the finger-pinching motif in an ad for a credit card. The company defended the use of that motif as a neutral element regularly used in advertising, and said its discount program was meant to help expand its small female customer base. Still, founder and CEO Cho Man-ho stepped down after the backlash.

South Korean demonstrators hold banners during a rally to mark International Women's Day as part of the country's #MeToo movement in Seoul on March 8, 2018. Dongsuh, the Korean company that licenses a Starbucks ready-to-drink line in the country, was attacked in July after one of its Korean Instagram accounts published an image of fingers pinching a can of coffee. The company pulled the ad and apologized, saying that it "considers these matters seriously." The firm also said the image had no hidden intent.

Even local governments have been caught up in the pressure campaign. The Pyeongtaek city government was criticized in August after uploading an image to its Instagram account that warned residents of a heatwave. It used an illustration of a farmer wiping his forehead — and critics noticed that the farmer's hand was shaped similarly to the finger pinch.

"How deeply did [feminists] infiltrate?" one person wrote on MLB Park, an internet forum used primarily by men. Another person shared contact information for the city government, encouraging people to flood their channels with complaints. The image was later removed from the Instagram account.

Gender wars

At the core of the anti-feminist campaign is a widespread fear among young men that they are falling behind their female peers, according to Professor Park Ju-yeon, professor of sociology at Yonsei University.

The sentiment has grown because of a hyper competitive job market and skyrocketing housing prices. The government has also rolled out programs in recent years to bring more women into the workforce. Proponents of those programs have said they're necessary for closing gender gaps, but some men have worried they give women an unfair advantage.

Another compounding factor: Unlike women, men in South Korea have to complete up to 21 months of military service before they're 28 years old — a sore point for some men who feel unfairly burdened.

Anti-feminists have also taken umbrage with President Moon Jae-in, who, when elected in 2017, promised to be a "feminist president." Moon pledged to fix the systemic and cultural barriers that prevented women from participating more in the workforce. He also vowed to address sexual crimes in the wake of the global #MeToo movement.

This year's corporate pressure campaign adds another complication, as brands weigh the possible fallout.

Young men are "big spenders," said Professor Choi Jae-seob, a marketing professor at Namseoul University in Seoul. He added that many young people today are driven by personal political values when they buy things.

Ha, a 23-year-old university student, said he pays attention to what companies say about gender issues before making a purchase.

"Between two stores, I would use the one that doesn't support [feminism]," said Ha, who declined to give his full name because he said that gender is a thorny topic among his peers.

Ha said he's far from alone. When his friends were discussing the GS25 camping poster, for example, he was surprised to find that many of them felt the way he did: "I realized that many men were silently seething."

"I realized that many men were silently seething."Ha, a 23-year-old university student

The gender war leaves companies in a tough spot, according to Noh Yeong-woo, a consultant at the public relations agency PR One.

By not responding to allegations that they are taking a stance on gender issues, that could lead to what Noh called a "constant barrage of accusation" and the creation of a stigma. It also means that companies are actively monitoring online groups and studying what their users have designated as hidden codes or associations, to avoid being called out.

"They are continuously checking for the next problematic symbols," Noh said of brands in South Korea.

Stigmas and fighting back

Some women, though, say that the corporate apologies are also creating a climate where some people are afraid to identify as feminist.

"It's the new Red Scare. Like McCarthyism," said Yonsei University's Park, referring to the mass hysteria to root out communists in the United States in the 1950s.

Lee Ye-rin, a college student, said she has been a feminist since middle school. But in recent years she has found it impossible to be open about her stance.

"It's the new Red Scare. Like McCarthyism."Professor Park Ju-yeon, professor of sociology at Yonsei University

She recalled an incident in high school, when some boys openly heckled a feminist friend of hers while that friend was giving a class presentation on the depiction of women in the media. Lee and her classmates were too scared to defend the friend.

"We all knew that a person who would step up and say that feminism is not some weird thing would be stigmatized, too," Lee said.

In response to this year's anti-feminist pressure campaigns, though, some feminists have been fighting back. The apology over the camping poster from GS25, for example, prompted feminists to call for boycotts against the company. Some people shared images online of themselves shopping at rival stores, using hashtags that called on people to avoid shopping at GS25.

Balancing act

As there doesn't seem to be much hope of finding middle ground for those waging South Korea's gender war, experts say companies have to figure out ways to avoid being dragged into a brand-damaging fight.

Noh, from PR One, encouraged companies and organizations to educate their employees on gender sensitivity — and even reconsider the use of symbols that have become heavily politicized.

Finger-pinching motifs "are images with complex metaphors and symbols and they already carry a social stigma," he said. "So, once you get involved in it, it's hard to explain them away ... the issue keeps spreading until they are removed as demanded."

Park, the Yonsei University professor, said that part of the problem is that many South Korean companies are led by older men who don't have a firm grasp of present-day gender issues. The average age of an executive-level employee at the country's top 30 publicly traded companies is 53, according to a 2020 analysis by JobKorea, a Korean version of LinkedIn.

That suggests a level of irony. Maybe it's not that some of these companies have a specific agenda, as online critics are accusing them. Perhaps for some of them, high levels of leadership are just not in tune with the debate.

To Park, the vitriol directed at companies has also buried some of the underlying, systemic issues that contribute to gender inequality, along with debates about how best to crack the glass ceiling or address the division of labor at home, among other concerns.

"Some very important debates are being buried," Park said, adding that today's gender war is being fought on the tip of the "iceberg." "It's not a fight about the fingers."

#Anglo.txt #lmao it's this again #👌

[euronymous-files]

F.A.Q.

Last update: January 12th  2024

I guess this page needs a F.A.Q. to make things easier for everybody. So here we go...

- I don't have any kind of link to Øystein’s family, friends or acquaintances. I’m just a regular fan. - I'm not on Instagram. I chose Tumblr because it doesn't censor users as much as IG does. At the beginning I debated whether I should make a back up of this blog on IG, but in the end I decided against it. I can’t stand the thought of policing language and asterisking the shit out of everything. Also, IG encourages people to comment a lot, which increases the chances of drama and I don’t have time to moderate that shit either.  - No, I don’t accept anonymous messages, both because people ask stupid questions or just act like asses when they can do it without an identity, and because this is an archive and I won’t dilute its content by adding messages that don’t bring more useful info. Just send me a message and I will reply to you privately. - I will not give space to "the other party", and I won't feel dishonest about it. The jolly crew of his detractors, that we know all too well by name, have taken all the space and attention they could grab, for years. I won't help them spread any more bullshit. Same goes for the psychobitches who spread baseless claims surrounding Pelle's death or Øystein’s “old friends” who have only recently come out of the woodwork looking for their pathetic 15 minutes of fame and trying to cash in while at it. If you know, you know. - I won't post Øystein’s letters, that's not the goal of this blog. But you can find them on other pages (linked below) - If I don't post quotes by specific people, even in those rare occasions where they have something vaguely positive to say about Øystein, it’s because these people are not reliable sources and they are known to twist the truth at their own convenience. So if you know someone who has talked about him a lot and you can't find anything here, that's why.  - No, I don't think that everybody featured on this blog has only positive things to say about Øystein; some of them might very well have ambivalent feelings but I do believe that their words were sincere and devoid of any hidden agenda. - The reason I don't call the spoiled brat from Bergen by name has nothing to do with censorship. On Tumblr you can write his name, no problem... I just don't like typing his stupid name and I avoid doing so unless it’s a direct quote. - No, sorry, I don't post regularly and never will. I published most of the content in 2021, when I opened this archive, and have added and will add more when I find something new. - I'll keep personal info to a minimum: I'm a woman, European, and I've been into black metal since the late 90's. - No, I’ve never been to “the basement” and never will, even if I had the opportunity. I hate that people are allowed in, like it’s a tourist attraction, and I greatly dislike the fact that another record store is milking money out of idiots just for being in the same spot. As a matter of fact, I’m disgusted with the whole “black metal sightseeing tourbus” to begin with and have zero respect for anyone organizing it or taking part in it. - if you find yourself unable to like, reblog and reply to my posts it’s because I’ve blocked you. Either because you annoyed me at some point in the past or because, during my depressing scrolling of the “euronymous” tag, I was gratuitously subjected to some unbearable fangirl cringe coming from your blog and I don’t want you here stinking up the place.

If you want to find more about Øystein's story, here are a few more pages that are doing a good job at spreading some much needed light over it. (if you know of other similar projects, send me the links: I'll add them here.) 

- Tribute to Øystein Aarseth "Euronymous" - mayhem.chronicles - Death Row for Traitors - Morbid, Mayhem and more...   - the.old.mayhem

#update #euronymous #Øystein Aarseth #Mayhem #black metal #FAQ

[obsessivelollipoplalala]

Submission

Hey there, long time no see!

I've been dipping in and out of Tumblr the last couple of weeks and have been keeping up with all your interesting discussions with anons (sorry, stalkerish I know, but I find it both insightful and entertaining.) I couldn't help but notice @just-a-poor-boy-queen posted about our good old friend on Instagram spouting her usual bullshit, only this time she apparently has proof that her claims are real from Lying Ass Jerkoff , sorry, Lesley Ann Jones' latest book. According to her, as you already know, she claims that Lesley denounces Jim and Freddie's relationship and Jim apparently confessed to her that he never loved Freddie, that he used him for fame, etc. etc.

Which is...very interesting. Because LAJ's biography, Bohemian Rhapsody, claims the exact opposite.

While I was out in town today, I visited my local bookstore and unintentionally stumbled across the book in the biography section. My first instinct was to ignore it - I know for a fact it's trash - but curiosity got the better of me and I ended up having a flip through.

First off, the amount of stuff she gets wrong is hilarious. Some of them were minute errors, others the average Queen fan could tell you is fake. I'm pretty sure she talked about Freddie taking Princess Diana out in drag and the party with the midgets carrying bowls of cocaine on their heads, which we know never happened. There was also a picture of Freddie and Mary (one where Freddie is leaning on Mary while she's smoking a cigarette,) that was captioned "the happy couple relaxing together," which made me laugh out loud because it was allegedly taken in 1975 when Freddie was dating David behind Mary's back. Relationship goals, ammirite?

And don't get me started on the Barbara stuff, I stg, LAJ seems low-key obsessed with her.

Anyway, I ended up skipping to the end where she talks about Jim; she does indeed claim that she stayed with him in Carlow (not sure what year,) and that she interviewed him while she was there. This is what she had to say:

On Jim's motivation for writing M&M: (Jones) "Jim Hutton later explained that it was anger, not money, that prompted him to write his memoir. He wanted the world to know the truth, and could see no other way."

(Jones) "There is no doubt that Jim, the bereft lover, embarked upon his selective 1994 biography with the intention of creating a tender tribute to an adored partner. This was blurred by a co-writer who dwelled more on sensational aspects of the relationship, as well as on intimate details of Freddie's final days."

(Jones) "Given Jim's Catholic background, and the fact that his mother was still alive when he published, it must have taken immense courage to write the book."

About the GL boys being erased by Jim Beach: (Jim) "I think Jim Beach was angry that my book ruined the myth of Freddie. All it did was return him to his original status of a human being. It told the truth. Beach wanted fans to believe that sweet Mary Austin was the love of Freddie's life, and what a great, tragic, romantic tale it all was."

(Jones) "Jim was consequently banished from the Queen camp." (She goes on to explain it's likely because everyone was grieving, but I don't buy it.)

(Jones) "Freddie's will raised countless questions, some of which would never be resolved." (I thought this was interesting, given that I've seen speculation that Freddie might have been influenced over what to put in his will before.)

On Dave Clark: (Jones) "The press reported that Dave Clark had said he was the only person in the bedroom when Freddie died. 'He was not the only person in the room,' Jim stated. 'But it was quoted all over the place.' The error must have been perturbed the sensitive and caring Clark, for on his birthday, Jim received a beautiful card from him. 'The inscription he wrote inside read "you were there.' " (Jim goes on to recount the exact same version of events written in Mercury & Me about Freddie's death. He speaks highly of Clark, saying he was brilliant when Freddie was ill and would sit with him for hours. Jim seems more angry at the press spreading lies than at Dave himself. I've seen people argue that Dave was the one spreading the rumours to the paper or he did nothing to refute them, but who knows, perhaps he was a victim of the tabloids too.)

Phoebe testifying to Jim's character: (Phoebe) "Those concerned have to live with themselves. Mary once said of Jim that he had 'a very vivid imagination.' I knew Jim a very long time, and never knew him to be anything other than totally honest. Jim's conscience, like mine, will always be clear." (Given how Phoebe now makes a point of saying that Jim "exaggerated" stuff in his book, I find this a tad hypocritical. Still, I appreciate him sticking up for Jim and saying that those who are trying to change Freddie's legacy will have to live with that on their conscience. Also, fuck you Mary, if you did say that about Jim.)

On Jim's love for Freddie: (Jones) "There are still times when I can be pottering around in the garden, and Freddie's facial expression when he died will come into my mind," he told me in Ireland, "I can blank out what happened consciously but not subconsciously. It is impossible to forget. I learned so much from him, not least a positive outlook. Freddie's attitude was always, 'But you can, don't you see? You can do it. Put your mind to it, you'll see what you can do' That was one of the loveliest things about him."

(Jones) "During the time I spent with Jim in picturesque County Carlow, there was no doubt that the love Jim claimed to have felt for Freddie was genuine. He was a warm and decent man who was content with his lot. He was eternally grateful, he told me, for having experienced the superstar lifestyle through Freddie."

(Jones) "Jim would never truly recover from the loss."

I took screenshots of all the quotes above, which I'm happy to submit if anyone is interested. I would love to have seen what else she said about Jim, but taking pictures of book pages in the middle of a shop isn't the best look, so I kept it brief. 

So, overall, Lesley seems to have a very high opinion of Jim, and believed the love between he and Freddie was genuine. Which is quite surprising, given that she downplays all of Freddie's other relationships with men in favour of promoting his fictional "romance" with Miss Valentin. Of course, this could all be complete bullshit and she never met Jim at all, but if she is telling the truth for once in her life, then she's one of few biographers who was very much supportive of Jimercury.

As one of the anons correctly stated, we have two possible scenarios.

A) If crazy lady is telling the truth, and Jones does make all these negative claims about Jim in her new book, then she was either lying in Bohemian Rhapsody or she's lying now in her latest cash cow. In this scenario, she's a liar either way. But tell us something we don't know.

B) Crazy Lady is pretending to have read the book, or read it and was angry there was nothing bad about Jim, and is fabricating quotes to suit her anti-Jim agenda, knowing her thick-as-bricks followers will just take her word for it and not bother looking for evidence. This is the most likely scenario. 

I know most people with a brain know not to trust the word of either of these women, but I thought it would be fun to dismantle some of Insta lady's claims regardless, in case there was anyone out there having doubts.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

-------------

Hi there! It's good to see you again.

This...is a lot to think about lol. Since LAJ is such a liar, it's hard to believe she really sat down with Jim, or that most of what she said was from primary sources. However, it is strange that she spoke so highly of Jim given...everything else she's ever said lol. The quotes above do fit with what other people have said about Jim and Garden Lodge as a whole, though. It's very strange because it's either she decided to be factual with this, or lie about getting these quotes but decide to stick up for Jim, anyway. Weird, weird, weird.

It's really hard to know who's lying in the new book, LAJ or the hater lady. They're both so unreliable. It does seem too convenient that what LAJ supposedly says lines up with the hater lady rhetoric, but idk. Apparently LAJ blocked the hater lady on twitter, too lmao. So maybe it's the hater lady who's lying? But I can believe LAJ suddenly changing her tune, too.

I don't know. Thank you for sharing this information. I have more questions than answers now lol but still

#submission #queen #long post

[sleephyjhs]

Him As Your Boyfriend (Seokjin Headcanon)

pairing: boyfriend!seokjin x reader

genre: romance, fluff

note: help me spread the seokjin boyfriend agenda, this man is the only boyfriend ever

note 2: jimin is the only member left and i’d love to do one for him :( feel free to send in the request for him!

m.list | requested

EVERYDAY LIFE

you won’t disagree with me when i say

this man is the perfect boyfriend/husband material

he’s full of love

practically overflowing

incredibly gentle and caring

but will also do his best to win any argument and prove you wrong with humour

you know like the jokey arguments he usually has with jk?

yeah those

i can easily imagine him debating with you for what crisp flavour to get that week

or where to eat on vacation

sometimes he’d give in to you

but more times than not he’d stand his ground

buy you an RJ to make up for it :(((

as much as seokjin would tease you with silly arguments

he’d never fail to look after you

whenever you’d try and do something around the house

he would come up behind you

hug you

and just waddle behind you as you tried to free yourself from his grip

think of him as being a human bubblewrap :((

now

what kind of boyfriend headcanon would this be

if i didn’t mention all the meals he’d make for you

when you started to live together, the kitchen would absolutely be the main social room for you guys

having an island to sit around and cook at was very important to you both

and you’d do your best to help him

but just out of courtesy

seokjin would either give you the easy tasks and take on the harder ones himself

or return everything you’d do for him by offering to cook on his own

either way, you’d always look forward to coming home to the meals he’d make for you

i imagine that jin would be so focused on making sure you were happy

that sometimes he’d forget to take some time for himself

so whenever he’d have a free weekend

you’d book some places in a fishing boat and participate in his interests like he did yours

i can’t even begin to imagine how much fun he’d have teaching you how to fish

and how proud he’d be whenever you caught something

no matter how big or small

even better when you bring it home and find a way to incorporate it into a meal

his camera roll just being photos of you

holding all your catches with the biggest grin

and he just smiles at them when he misses you nooo :((

HIS GESTURES

okay okay

the best date with seokjin

and you cannot argue with me on this

theme park

he seems to really enjoy them

i remember when they went to america he spent his time at six flags

and said he prefers amusement parks over zoos

so

because of how extra this man can be

i can very much imagine his gift for an anniversary being one big ol disney date

taking the same instagram photos by the castle as everyone else

but mugshots of each other in each different land and area

and trying all of the different street foods

as well as the higher end restaurants

and just having fun yknow?

i highly doubt there’s ever a dull moment but you get my drift

if not a theme park then

this is gonna sound strange but stay with me

a european market

yeah i know that’s not very romantic from the outset

but taking time with jin

to just stroll around this city plaza

that’s packed full with colourful stalls

clouds of steam coming off all different cuisines

boxes of old, forgotten vinyls

tiers of the brightest, most fragrent of flowers

i’m not sure whether you’d both be looking intently at what was on display

or if he’d just stand back, holding paper bags full of goodies you’d bought

just admiring how delicate you looked

browsing over the handmade jewellery

or inspecting the bunches of colour coordinated flower bouquets

HIS ATTITUDES

seokjin is one of our introverted members

and is known for his manners and politeness

i think if a situation arose

where you found yourself in a confrontation

his approach might be more to talk you down

instead of directly diffusing the situation

“it’s not worth it” kinda

however

if it ever came to you being harassed

by the press/a stranger/creeps

that’s when he steps in

i don’t think he’d ever resort to intense confrontation

and if he did it would take a lot to get him there

jin is one of those quiet but angry people

his voice would just go ice cold

i’d hate to be on the other end of that stare omg

but like i said

this man’s manners are on the next level

i’m sure i’ve seen somewhere that in korea it’s one of the main things he’s praised for

and no shit bro

holding doors and offering a hand out of cars is the bare minimum

say if you were wearing a short skirt or dress

he’d insist on making you wait until he could cover you with his blazer or a scarf or something

at parties or large gatherings, he’d always make sure you were having fun

because as soon as you arent

he isnt

^ this is EXACTLY the kind of seokjin love we like to see here!

#bts #seokjin headcanon #seokjin fluff #bangtan #bts jin #bts seokjin #bts reactions #jin headcanon #bts imagines #seokjin fanfic #bts one shot #bts drabble #request #bts headcanon #bts mtl #kim seokjin #seokjin #jin #seokjin imagine #seokjin x reader

[southeastasianists]

The Tatmadaw generals’ digital strategy was a key part of their coup. On Monday, the military government made mobile internet access intermittent. On Wednesday, the government blocked Facebook and its products (including Whatsapp and Instagram) to internet users on Myanmar-based telecoms networks. On Friday, Myanmar-based users could not access Twitter. When in-person protests raged over the weekend in Yangon, users found themselves unable to use the internet at all. The use of digital media to spread propaganda as well as internet shutdowns are now important tools of authoritarian ruling and take-over strategies. These same tools are used for surveillance and new extensions of the state into private lives. From Manila to Hanoi, governments use emerging technologies to instil fear in citizens and close down public spaces of discourse. Southeast Asian authoritarian regimes also increasingly govern through the internet, making social media a new part of civil service and a site of resistance (see Simpeng and Tapsell, 2021 for a regional view).

The year preceding the 2018 election in Cambodia has been widely criticised by human rights advocates as representing a rapid pivot towards authoritarianism after twenty-five years of democratisation efforts. Like in Myanmar, internet penetration rates have soared over the past decade and the dominance of Facebook has given rise to the trope “Facebook is the internet” as citizens often confuse Facebook for the internet in surveys and in interviews. In Cambodia, during the lead-up to 2013 national election, the increased popularity of Facebook compromised the power of the state across the country. Social media likes and lurking were tactics used by historically disenfranchised populations, including the rural and urban poor, to participate in politics and loosen the information control of the ruling party (see Vong & Hok, 2018 and Beban et al., 2019). In response, from 2017 onwards, the government took steps to take back control of information at the national level through the regulation and monitoring of social media including the arrest of people for Facebook posts critical of the government. These changes, along with greater censorship of the traditional media sector, have led the Cambodian Center for Independent Media to call 2017 the year that “Cambodia’s facade of media freedom collapsed.”

With a team of researchers, I conducted a qualitative research study in 2018 that examined how village-level officials in rural Cambodia (who are relatively new internet users) utilize Facebook to supplement and extend long-standing patterns of information control. We found that they used Facebook Newsfeed and Messenger, exclusively on smartphones, to promote local government activities, report to the central government, and monitor local affairs. This monitoring has led to widespread “chilling effects,” a phenomenon that occurs when political activists and citizens stop using the internet for dissent due to intimidation. This social media withdrawal often emerges more from the lingering psychological effects of historical violence than the sophistication of technological tactics.

How can we use this research to better understand the dynamics of networked authoritarianism in Myanmar and across the region? With the caveat that the enactments of media shutdowns are playing out specifically in each country, this research does point to two directions of necessary further research into what is currently happening in Southeast Asian digital governance, including in Myanmar:

Firstly, we need to look outside of urban centres to get a more thorough understanding of digital governing strategies and resistance. We have seen encouraging reports of resistance from Yangon, including widespread VPN use, banging pots and pans on balconies and medical professionals refusing to work. Unfortunately, as we have seen in Cambodia, these strategies of resistance often are contained in central commercial areas and among intellectuals and elites. Rural residents, some of whom are in active war zones in Myanmar, often have more recent experience of violence. They also often have less technical literacy. This makes digital forms of resistance more mystifying and frightening, and thus chilling strategies more effective.

Secondly, we need more research into how a robust regulatory framework in the US could address the ways that authoritarian regimes are co-opting US-based corporate platforms. We also need more research into Southeast Asian-based digital innovations that are more resilient against regime take-over. The contemporary political economy of platforms in Southeast Asia is deeply flawed and needs reform. In both Cambodia and Myanmar, one corporate platform based in the US holds a monopoly over a large majority of all internet business. In Cambodia, Facebook is the backbone for the authoritarian regime. Since the passage of new monitoring laws, average internet users are deprived of a public commons for discursive dialogue on the internet. In Myanmar, the government has just unilaterally closed down access to this corporate platform. As users are stripped of Facebook, they are also losing effective access to the internet. The growing concern with the unchecked power of big tech in the US and the EU has led to regulation in domains like privacy (the California Consumer Privacy Act and General Data Protection Regulation) and antitrust (pending cases against Facebook in the US and against Amazon in the EU). These laws have not yet considered the accountability of major platforms for the safety of global users.

The ways that authoritarian regimes are using digital tools and the internet to promote their own agendas, perform surveillance on marginalized groups, and chill oppositional speech are major challenges for the Southeast Asian region. More research needs to be done that gets past the headlines of resistance to understand the dynamics and consequences for the majority of internet users. The nuance that new research would provide might give Southeast Asian-based based companies or civil society groups more information on how to build safer new tools and infrastructures for accessing the internet. Research and corresponding public scholarship into the detrimental effects of corporate monopolies and surveillance both inside and outside of the US might also sway public opinion towards regulation oriented towards the protection of both domestic and global internet users.

In recent research, my co-authors and I explore the relationship between technology and intimidation and describe the enactment of chilling effects in the paper “Networked Authoritarianism at the Edge: The Digital and Political Transitions of Cambodian Village Officials,” accepted and forthcoming in the journal Computer Supported Cooperative Work (Margaret Jack, Sopheak Chann, Steven Jackson, Nicola Dell). We reflect on these global trends through a historically-informed case study of Cambodia.

#Southeast Asia #Digital Literacy #Media Freedom #Technology #Authoritarianism

[tinyshe]

Story at-a-glance

Behind the scenes of many of the companies that provide the products and services you use each day are two investment firms that own more shares than other shareholders. The list includes social media, transportation, news media, food manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies

Blackrock and Vanguard hold large interests in pivotal companies, and Vanguard holds a large share of Blackrock. In turn, Blackrock has been called the "Fourth Branch of Government" by Bloomberg as they are the only private firm that has financial agreements to lend money to the central banking system

Blackrock also developed the software used by the Fed to manage financial transactions; one Princeton University lecturer has said Blackrock controls the Federal Reserve and has more power than most governments

Ascertaining who owns large portions of Vanguard is more difficult as it is a private company that is not publicly traded. It's important to think globally but act locally to protect your civil rights, including supporting state legislators who support your right to choose health care

Until recently, it has appeared that economic competition has been driving the rise and fall of small and large companies across the U.S. Supposedly, PepsiCo is Coca Cola's competitor, Apple and android are vying for your loyalty and Pfizer and Bayer are battling for your pharmaceutical dollars. But what is revealed in this video, using publicly available data you can check, is that this has been an illusion.

On the surface, all appears to be the same as it always has been. But the growth of a few corporations, beginning in the mid-1970s, has all but destroyed the competitive market on which America's strength has rested. As demonstrated in the video, a quick look through Yahoo! Finance shows that Vanguard and Blackrock have been the puppet masters behind nearly every large industry that affects your life.

As you can quickly discern, the global economy may be the greatest illusionary trick ever pulled over the eyes of people around the world. Without doubt, we are in a new place and facing new challenges. It will take accurate information and local action to continue to have the right to take control of your health.

Behind the Scenes, Two Companies Own the Supply Chain

As you watch the video, you'll see that most of the large corporations that supply the food, information, data and drugs used every day are controlled by a select few investment firms whose sole goal is a greater return on their profits. Of course, that's been the backbone of a competitive economy — to grow your profit margin while competing against other companies for the same market.

In theory, this competition drives innovation, advancement and price structures that benefit the consumer. However, when one, two or three large companies own most of what you use, competition becomes an illusion, resulting in a monopoly where companies can set a price and there are no other products from which to choose.

As the World Economic Forum1 and United Nations2 collaborate to "build back better," it is crucial to pay attention to how large corporations across the world may contribute to a societal shift that moves more money into the hands of billionaires and creates a new depth of poverty across the world.

One of the mandates for the Federal Trade Commission is to ensure there is competition in the marketplace. For example, in 2000, a federal judge ruled that Microsoft had maintained a monopoly with Windows and tied the company browser, Internet Explorer, to the operating system, thus gaining a greater economic foothold.3

The company barely escaped being split up, until it agreed with a settlement to curb its practices. More than 20 years later, the Department of Justice is now looking at antitrust allegations against Google's business dealings that have hurt smaller competitors.4 But the two major investors in both these companies appear to have escaped unscathed.

As you go through the list of companies in which Vanguard and Blackrock strategically hold a large investment interest, consider how the products and services provided by these companies are inextricably intertwined with your daily life.

Google

YouTube

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Amazon

Alibaba

Pfizer

Bayer Pharmaceuticals

AstraZeneca

PepsiCo

Coca Cola

Microsoft

Apple

Netflix

Reuters

Viacom (CBS)

ATT

Tesla

The New York Times

Agricultural Bank of China

FedEx

American Airlines

United Airlines

TUI AG

Zimmer Biomet Holdings

Volkswagen AG

Ford Motor Company

You may recognize many of these names and some may not be as recognizable. You can do your own search on Yahoo! Finance,5 typing in the company and clicking "holdings" in the navigation bar. The companies span a variety of aspects of daily life, including:

Social media

Shopping

Food manufacturers

Technology and software

Pharmaceutical companies

Entertainment

Communications

Airlines

Medical equipment

Transportation

Holiday companies

Car companies

World media

However, as comments on my Twitter feed indicate, it is not always apparent why this information is important to your rights as an individual.6 It may be difficult to imagine a world where your news is being manipulated. As is illuminated in the video, Vanguard and Blackrock:7

"... own the news that's been created, they own the distribution of the news that's been created, they own the lives of the reporters that are reporting the news that's being distributed that's being created on your TV screen. CBS, FOX, ABC, it doesn't matter which you're watching.

They all are using that wonderful phrase from Davos now — build back better. The point being is that you've got very few people controlling everything and that's information. Talk about information is power, well not only do they create the information, but they have all the distribution nodes to literally change the world mindset as it were."

Every Media Chain Using the Same Narrative

Davos is a ski town in the Swiss Alps but has become the shorthand for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting that's held in the town.8 It is a chance for some of the most powerful figures in the world to collaborate. The meeting has been headed and organized by Klaus Schwab, an 83-year-old German engineer and economist. As you consider what you're hearing in the news, remember:9

"Everything we see on the shelves in the shops, what you buy online, who delivers it, who is making the COVID jab, who is distributing the jab, who is reporting on the jab, who is censoring alternative information about the jab, and all the rest of it. It's all the same people."

The consistency of news reporting across mainstream media should now make sense since each of them have similar major investors and those major investors have a singular focus of raising their profit margin while pushing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. How can you believe what's being told in the news when every news channel is saying the same thing?

It may have been that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who broke the Nixon Watergate story in 1972, were the last investigative journalists working for a major news media company who were allowed to follow a news story to conclusion without blatant censorship.

Around the world, doctors are being silenced. At the beginning of the pandemic, medical professionals were told not to speak to the media about a lack of personal protective equipment within the hospital. Although the American Medical Association10 initially came out in support of a physician's right to speak out about the care conditions, the tables have since turned.

In the quick, six-minute video below, Dr. Dan Stock from McCordsville, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis, speaks to the board of the Mount Vernon Community School Corporation. He provides the board with documentation to back up his claim that the way in which the community was addressing an attempt to stop the spread of infection was, in fact, ineffective.

The video went viral11 with several million views within a day of its posting on YouTube, before it  was taken down for “violating YouTube’s community guidelines.” August 11, 2011,  Tucker Carlson featured the video and Stock on his Fox show,12 where Stock said, “It seems to me that focusing on  immune system improvement whether through a vaccine or non-vaccine methods is  the more rational approach to this.”

Yet, even though Stock provides research evidence and  speaks knowledgeably about the transmission of viral illnesses, the rest of mainstream  media have not picked up on the story and this information is not being  communicated to the public. Those in power want to ensure this type of  information is not shared because it's contrary to the narrative they are  promoting.

House for Sale? Blackrock Is Interested

A recent expose in The Wall Street Journal warns, "… yield-chasing investors are snapping up single-family houses to rent out or flip. They are competing for houses with ordinary Americans, who are armed with the cheapest mortgage financing ever, and driving up home prices."13

Yet, why would institutional investors be interested in overpaying for single family homes? To gain a greater understanding of the answer, you must take a look at Blackrock's partners, which include the World Economic Forum. The company manages assets that are worth $5.7 trillion and appears to be focused on pushing the average American out of the housing market.

If most of the available housing is owned by investment groups and corporations, they become your landlord. This is one of the ways in which the World Economic Forum envisions society in 2030. It's the part where you will "own nothing and be happy."

While it sounds like it came straight from George Orwell's book, "1984," it is in fact the agenda published on the World Economic Forum website.14 In fact, Forbes15 published an article in 2016 titled "Welcome To 2030: I Own Nothing, Have No Privacy And Life Has Never Been Better," which was written by the World Economic Forum.

Interestingly, the World Economic Forum once had a link to the article on their website under "agenda," but that link is now dead,16 even though a WEF Twitter post17 touting it in 2017 is still up. The link on the Twitter post, however, is also dead. And, curiously, in February 2021, Reuters did a "fact check" which claims the WEF never had anything to do with it.

The Fourth Branch of Government

BlackRock not only is an investment firm, but also has been called the "Fourth Branch of Government" because they are the only private firm with an intimate relationship with the Federal Reserve and financial agreements to lend money to the central banking systems. Interestingly, software developed by BlackRock — Aladdin — is used by the Fed to manage their financial transactions.18

In comparison to other large financial investment firms who have political ties to one party or the other, Blackrock "possesses a power that's more technocratic."19 The firm has a global influence as well. They were tapped as an adviser to the Bank of Canada and the European Union hired them to advise them on incorporating governing and social practices.

According to an analysis by Bloomberg,20 the company may be paid as much as $48 million a year in fees, which could cement the company's ties with powerful policymakers.

To put this into perspective, BlackRock, an investment firm, has more power than most governments and controls the Federal Reserve, Wall Street mega-banks like Goldman Sachs and the WEF's Great Reset, according to F. William Engdahl, a strategic risk consultant and lecturer who holds a degree in politics from Princeton University.21 They don't just want your house, they want your life.

But Who Owns Vanguard?

When you take a look at who owns the largest portion of BlackRock, you learn its Vanguard.22 But ascertaining who has the greatest investment in Vanguard is a little more difficult. The company has a corporate structure that makes ownership challenging to discern.

It appears it's owned by a variety of funds, which in turn are owned by shareholders. Aside from these shareholders, the company has no outside investors and is not publicly traded. As reported in the featured video:23

"The elite who own Vanguard apparently do not like being in the spotlight, but of course they cannot hide from who is willing to dig. Reports from Oxfam and Bloomberg say that 1% of the world, together owns more money than the other 99%. Even worse, Oxfam says that 82% of all earned money in 2017 went to this 1%.

In other words, these two investment companies, Vanguard and BlackRock, hold a monopoly in all industries in the world and they, in turn, are owned by the richest families in the world, some of whom are royalty and who have been very rich since before the Industrial Revolution."

Although getting to the bottom of the major investors in Vanguard is difficult, it's important to keep in mind that BlackRock and Vanguard, individually and combined, own enough shares in Big Pharma and mainstream media to have control over what is produced, shared and distributed.

This information is important because it is the drug companies and media that are driving the response to this infection. Thus far, it has all endangered rather than optimized public health and the official narrative continues to be false, leading the public further astray and fostering fear based on lies.

To have a chance of righting this situation, we must understand the central players and why these false narratives are being created in the first place. In the Global Justice Now December 2020 report entitled "The Horrible History of Big Pharma,"24 they review the shameful history of the top seven drug companies in the world.

These companies are now developing and manufacturing drugs and gene-based "vaccines" against COVID-19, while mainstream media have helped suppress information about readily available older drugs that have been shown to have a high degree of efficacy against the infection.

Think Globally and Act Locally

Just as the market collectively impacted the downfall of the Grocery Manufacturers Association,25 you have an impact in your local community. It may be overwhelming to consider how quickly the world is changing, but you can have a voice in your local community.

As you may know, after my articles have been published for 48 hours, they are no longer available to read. This means, to reference the information you need to protect your health, you must copy and paste the articles and keep them on your hard drive. I encourage you to share these with your friends and family and encourage them to share as well.

It may be inconceivable to think about making a difference on a national scale to protect your civil rights, but there are approaches you can take on a local level that will make a big difference as people across the world speak up.

Many large communities and states are forming groups to stand up for individual rights, to prevent vaccine passports and limit governmental power in a peaceful manner.26 It's also important to find a group with which to work and to support your state legislators who support your right as an individual to choose your health care.

[lev-iano]

Searching him in the crowd

Fandom: Haikyuu

Prompt: The Man of the Crowd: following, curiosity, fascination.

Characters/Pairing: Sakusa Kiyoomi/Miya Atsumu

Summary: Sakusa didn't know when this fascination for Atsumu started.

Notes:  Hi, hi! Some days ago (like, a lot, I think? I lost the tracking), I asked for requests, basing on my favourite prompts list, on Twitter and my dear Cris requested this one with SakuAtsu~! This is for ya, Cris, love ya! This fanfic was posted on AO3! Have a nice reading!

As much as Sakusa denied to others – and to himself – he was fascinated by Atsumu.

It was strange, not even Sakusa understood where this curiosity about Atsumu came from, someone who was used to living with cockroaches. It was... Bizarre, to say the least.

He didn't know when his eyes started to follow Atsumu, to observe everything he did. Even mundane things, like drinking water, seemed to come out of some painting displayed in important and famous museums.

He also didn't know when he had put the notifications on, so that Sakusa would always be informed when Atsumu posted something on his social networks. From a certain point, Sakusa had started to write down all the posts in a notebook, hidden on his desk, although he had never put likes on them – Atsumu didn’t need to know that he had seen his posts.

Nor did he know why he was sitting next to the cafe window at half past four on a Sunday, his day off without training, waiting for Atsumu to pass through the crowd of people to go to the gym.

Sakusa didn't know when he had memorized Atsumu's routine, maybe he had spent too much time looking at his social media.

It was strange.

Sakusa looked at his watch, it was four forty-seven and Atsumu hadn’t yet passed. Weird, the gym was open that day, Sakusa had checked the website before leaving the house.

He took out his cell phone and looked at Atsumu's posts; there was nothing recent, nothing to indicate that Atsumu had decided to change his routine.

Maybe something–

"Omi-Omi!"

Sakusa felt his blood freeze when he heard Atsumu's voice behind him. Slowly, he looked back, paler than usual, as if he had seen a ghost.

In his mind, Sakusa could only ask himself what Atsumu was doing there. He felt like a child whose mother discovered that he was doing something that he shouldn't have done.

"W… What are you doing here?" He managed to question, with a hint of disgust in his voice (not that it was on purpose, it was automatic).

"Oh, I usually see ya here, around this time, when I go to the gym," Atsumu replied, smiling.

Fuck, Sakusa thought, imagining that he had been discovered.

"The coffee here is good, isn't it?" Atsumu commented, sitting across from Sakusa. He merely shook his head, not knowing what to say; he felt that, no matter what he said, he would eventually be discovered – that is, if he hadn’t yet been discovered.

Atsumu looked at the menu on the table. Sakusa knew he liked to eat at the same time as his coffee – or so he posted on Instagram and Twitter. In fact, Sakusa discovered that place thanks to the publications of the other.

"Have ya ever tasted the cakes?" Atsumu asked, receiving a negative grunt in response. He laughed quietly, and Sakusa had to endure the temptation to record the other's laughter. "They are very good, ya gotta taste them."

"I will think about your case."

Perhaps it was his imagination, but it seemed that Atsumu had been happy with his rude response.

It was impossible for Sakusa to understand what was going on in Atsumu's head. He knew that Atsumu wanted to get close to him, to become his friend – which made no sense. For what? Become better teammates? Sakusa thought they were a good match, with some teasing there and there. They didn't have to be friends to score points against their opponents...

But to be honest, being friends wouldn’t be enough for Sakusa. He longed for Atsumu's touch, for his caresses. He wanted something unshakable, the accidental touches that happened from time to time wouldn’t be enough.

He wanted more.

Much more than seeing the other's vulpine smile, much more than hearing his lepid voice, much more than that.

Sakusa looked at Atsumu, who was taking a picture of the cake and coffee he had ordered. Quickly, the light on Sakusa's cell phone started to flash, a notification signal. Without the other being aware, he checked and felt his cheeks flushed when he saw that Atsumu had taken a photo of him.

"Oh really?" Sakusa asked. As Atsumu had mentioned him in the publication, he wasn’t concerned with the possibility of his obsession being discovered.

"Yeah," he replied, smiling, and Sakusa, without thinking twice, took a picture of him too. "Omi-Omi–"

"What's it?" Sakusa allowed himself to smile, perhaps with an air of arrogance. "We are even."

No, they weren't that even, since Sakusa kept all of Atsumu's pictures on his computer, but he wouldn't tell him about it. Never ever. Atsumu would certainly hate him.

"I didn't know ya wanted to have a picture of me on your phone," Atsumu joked. Oh, if he only knew...

"Is there a problem with that?"

Atsumu choked on his coffee when he heard that answer; Sakusa didn’t know if the red that formed on the other's face was from shame or shortness of air.

"Ya only know how to surprise me," he laughed again and Sakusa wondered if he was doing it on purpose, trying to captivate him even more.

Which was a scary thing to think; be even more captivated than he already was? Was that still possible?

"I don't know how you are surprised," Sakusa replied, trying to hide his fascination about the other. "I don't have anything surprising."

"Oh dont’cha?"

In a daring moment, Atsumu cut a piece of his cake and brought the fork to Sakusa's face, who opened his eyes wide.

“Say, ‘aaah~ ’” he asked, with his vulpine smile spreading across his face. He knew that Sakusa couldn’t use the excuse that Atsumu had already eaten with that fork, since he had not yet done so. A perfect plan - or not, Sakusa was still looking suspiciously at the piece of cake. "Come on, Omi-Omi.~ I guarantee ya it’s good!"

When Atsumu was about to give up, Sakusa finally gave in and ate the piece. Atsumu did not know how to react, especially after the other had licked his own lips – Atsumu swallowed, embarrassment taking over his cheeks and heart. His mind was blank, with internal screams that chased away any other thoughts that tried to approach.

"Are you quiet now?" Sakusa asked, unaware of the shouting going on in Atsumu's head.

"Yer really a box full of surprises..."

The murmur was lost in the air, without reaching the recipient. Atsumu finally started to eat his cake and, perhaps because of the burning sensation inside him, he barely tasted the sweet flavor of the cream.

Meanwhile, Sakusa watched the other's movements, containing the temptation to touch Atsumu's hands. Certainly, a setter's hands must be treated with devotion.

Certainly, it might be easy to make it his. Make him fall into his spider web and manipulate him to stay with him, unable to leave his side.

Unable to live without him.

Perhaps, if he let his temptation loose, let his hand meet Atsumu's, in a show of affection, obsessive in secret, and pull him to the side of sin, his sin...

Perhaps, thus, Atsumu would become his, forever.

But Sakusa was afraid of what he was able to do to have him. His obsessive love was disgusting, grotesque... It was a poison that could make Atsumu hate him forever.

He was terrified of this poisonous idea. Even if he controlled his obsession, it was impossible to hide it forever. Atsumu would discover it sooner or later.

Even if he stopped his obsessive habits, deleted all the folders with pictures of Atsumu that he had on his computer, he was already tainted with sin. Dirty.

Not even the best disinfectants would be able to clean him.

Even so... He continued to be seduced by this idea, of having Atsumu all to himself.

If the opportunity arose, Sakusa felt that he would grab it, without thinking twice, blinded by his tainted obsession.

Atsumu didn't even imagine he was playing with the fire, just about to get burned.

But Sakusa wasn’t going to stop him from getting burned.

"Omi-Omi.~"

"Hm?"

"Wanna meet here again?"

"You ask as if we agreed to meet here today."

Atsumu laughed, asking Sakusa to not to be like that. He merely put his mask back on, to hide the smile on his face.

“Oh! Are ya embarrassed?” Atsumu provoked.

"No."

Soon, Sakusa thought at the same time that the other one was looking at his agenda, trying to find the perfect day for them to meet, Atsumu will be in my arms, unable to escape from me.

#miya atsumu #sakusa kiyoomi #sakuatsu #atsusaku #haikyuu #haikyuu fanfics #coisas levianas

[radicalcommonsense]

The American Dream-For Dummies, pt.2

Media bias in the United States occurs when media outlets perpetuate a particular narrative that often highlights the agenda of their favored political party. Media bias presents skewed information and threatens the standards of professional journalism. Many suggest that both liberal bias and conservative bias occurs within various outlets. These accusations seem to increase as the two-party-system becomes more polarized. There is also bias in reporting from an angle that favors the corporate owners of various media sources, and mainstream bias. Bias occurs when media outlets choose to focus on perpetuating a specific narrative by focusing on “hot” stories, rather than reporting news of more substance.  

       In May 2020 President Donald Trump tweeted, “Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen. We saw what they attempted to do, and failed, in 2016. We can’t let a more sophisticated version of that happen again.” Sophisticated certainly being the right word here. Major media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram have the technology and recourses to selectively decide upon which information will reach the American people and which will not. When media chooses to supress the ideas of those who oppose their chosen narrative, they silence American voices and take a major hand in moulding the cultural norm and the narrative that will be most likely adopted.          Media is the most powerful tool human beings have to spread ideas. Looking at how Thomas Paine’s Common-Sense publications were able to inspire the revolt against Great Britain, resulting in the American Revolution, one could not reasonably argue against the fact that media is the unchallenged leading source for inspiring action. Those who control the media, control what is believed by the majority to be true and therefore inspire action based upon those beliefs. So, when the media tells us that our country is inherently racists, that it is and has always been led by white supremacists, and that these faults are so deeply engrained in our very existence, then our only option to correct these wrongs must be done by “dismantling” the entire United States  “economic and political system.”, as suggested by Ilhan Omar, U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district.

       According to CNN, GOP lawmakers reported that China has given money to hundreds of U.S. Universities and the officials are concerned that Beijing may use its donations as leverage to influence academic research in the U.S. The Washington Examiner tells us that the ranking members of seven House committees co-signed a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos asking for information on the department’s effort to tighten transparency rules for universities receiving foreign funding. The letter states, “For some time, we have been concerned about the potential for Chinese government to use its strategic investments to turn American college campuses into indoctrination platforms for American students”. Time will tell of course whether or not there is validity in these concerns, but the "Annual Report on U.S. Attitudes Toward Socialism,” shows that 58 percent of the up-and-coming generation opted for one of the three systems, compared to 42 percent who said they were in favour of capitalism. The most popular socioeconomic order was socialism, with 44 percent support. Communism and fascism received 7 percent support each (Richardson, The Washington Times).

.        Marion Smith, executive director of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation stated, “This troubling turn highlights widespread historical illiteracy in American society regarding socialism and the systemic failure of our education system to teach students about the genocide, destruction, and misery caused by communism since the Bolshevik Revolution one hundred years ago”. Again, we see an agenda being pursued that would profit from the general consensus being that our Founding Fathers should be condemned and for their history to be altogether forgotten (hence, the removal of their statues and monuments). In succeeding in this we must turn away the American ideals set in place by these men, which most certainly includes our founding documents, the U.S. Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.          Most Americans fail to recognize that without our Founding Fathers there would be no United States of America. These brave men led the revolution against King George III and detailed their grievances in the Declaration of Independence. “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.” The document goes on to describe the ways in which we would no longer suffer under a tyrannical government. This document was the first motion set in place in which would publicly reject the unjust powers of monarchy as a means by which the colonies would be governed. It took more than bravery to be so bold as to rebel in plain sight, in a formal document against the absolute strongest force our World had ever known and only these men can be credited with that bravery.

        It was the first official document which stated, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights”. It is true that these statements were not applied to “all” for many years to come, but the fact remains that without this bold idea that suggests all human beings are of value in the eyes of their Creator and therefore deserving of rights which allow us to peruse Life, Liberty and Happiness then we would not be where we are today. This notion that identified The People as individuals who were worthy of goodness, simply because they were born has inspired action since 1776 to untangle the corrupt moral structures by which had previously been recognized as the social norm. Who today can say with full certainty that they would have had the gull to declare so boldly that despite the fact that tyranny and suffering under its absolute power was all we had ever known, that they would have had the courage to not only declare independence, but to declare that each individual created by God had the right to do so?

       This set in motion a fight for American independence and freedom which would last nearly eight years, killing over 200,000 men who died for the very freedoms so many today take for granted. Again, let us recognize the courage it took for these every day, hardworking men who knew next to nothing about fighting in a full on war to grab their guns, leave the comfort of their homes and families and to stand face to face with experienced soldiers sent by a very pompous king who wanted nothing more than end their lives. Winning the Revolutionary War was an absolute miracle. In no way were we prepared to go up against the World’s strongest army of that time. Absolutely every odd was stacked against us, but because these brave men were fighting for something that they believed to be true with every ounce of their being; because they were fighting for Liberty, not just for themselves but for those to come they did the unimaginable and we should regularly look around ourselves at all the luxuries we have today and give thanks to them.           

#communism #communism kills #america #usa #journalism #socialism sucks #media bias #fox news #declaration of independence #red white and blue #politics #founding fathers #donald trump #president #cnn fake news #american dream

[daerjohn]

enough is enough

I have been pretty silent the past week when it comes to this fandom. But I have seen enough now. So below you will find my opinion on Taylor not doing enough for BLM, Fans attacking eachother and Taylor Nation

I wanna start with the most important toppic which is Taylor and BLM. I have been supporting Taylor for 12 years now, I love her and I respect her. I watched fans judging her for not posting much about the BLM Situation which I understand fully! She should have used her platform much more than she did. So don’t get me wrong I wish she would have done more too. But... I didn’t focus on it. And it’s not like she didn’t say anything. She did. At the beginning, the blackouttuesday (I wasn’t really supportive of it cause I do think that many people just used it as some kind of alibi to be able to say ‘Oh look I am posting this black square, I am doing something good!” Nope. Not enough. However she did post earlier this week. So it’s not like she didn’t say anything. But I know it wasn’t enough, I agree. I have a much smaller platform on twitter, tumblr and instagram but I have been using them since I have a platform. What bothered me though is that many fans really only focused on that?! That I don’t understand. I didn’t waste my time on waiting for her to say something. I just did the best I could, I protested, I spread the word on all my social media and I signed my ass off on all the petitions. I couldn’t donate because I lost my job due to corona, so I am struggling enough with that. But everyday I wake up I get on twitter and check for new petitions to sign and if there is another protest, I am going. Because it’s fucking important. I focused on the actual issues - Police brutality, racism, sexism and Trump! I didn’t wait for Taylor to say something because I shouldn’t. Don’t wait, act on it. Most of you did so it was nice to see that but there were a lot of hate posts about Taylor not doing more, fans fighting about it. It breaks my heart because back in 2012, 13, 14, 15 and 16 this fandom was the best fandom to exist. Now not anymore. Which brings me to the second topic.

Swifties building groups and hurting other Swifties!!!???? WHY? If you are a fan of Taylor’s but are against LGBTQ+ or against other “races” (I hate using this word. We are all humans!!!) sorry to say but if you are against them/us you do not belong here. Please leave my blog and please leave this fandom because Taylor wouldn’t have it either. I just saw a message someone published where one “fan” threatens to destroy another fan. What the HELL?! I mean I get it if someone doesn’t get along with someone thats ok. It’s normal. I know people I don’t get along with but talking about them and threatening them behind their back?! No! I am not here for it. If you don’t like them just don’t interact with them and let them be but do not go and spread things about them that don’t concern you. You are not in that position to do so! Mental health is a serious issue and if you decide to use it against someone you are a horrible human being.

My last topic has nothing to do with the fandom or BLM. This is about TaylorNation. I am very unhappy with a few things not just lately but basicly since reputation. Like I said at the beginning I have been a Swiftie for a very long time and I will always love and support Taylor. But since the RepTour Dates I have been very upset which is also a reason why I am not as active on this blog anymore as I used to be. I feel like world records and money are more important than ever and even more important than the fans? kinda. Let me explain what I mean. I am from Europe and we already don’t have not many chances to see Taylor live. We don’t have the big TV Shows and award shows over here. (Germany) And so my only chances to see her is when she does a Tour and when I saw that she didn’t come to Europe for the Rep Tour I was very upset. She only did UK and I just simply can’t afford to travel there, get a hotel and buy the expensive ass tickets. So my question was ‘Why not Europe?!’ Answer: Stadiums only. For records. I was kinda leaving my TS blog during that time because I was upset and hurt and yeah jealous too. I spent lots of money on CDs, DVDs, Tickets, Merch and streaming websites. And yet I never got the chance to meet her or get like a message or whatnot. Now I know it’s not just me but just gonna say it again, it has been 12 years. Next: Lover Fest, now she did plan on coming to Germany and I did buy a ticket but for a lot of money! When I buy VIP Tickets for 5SOS or Hayley I still pay less money for that than for a simple Taylor ticket. But I love her and she owns my ass still so yeah I bought a ticket. What happens next? Covid-19! (not Taylor’s or tNation’s fault) but I am still waiting for informations about it? Like is it just postponed or is it cancelled??? I don’t know. Cause if it’s cancelled I want my 166€ back! My last point on my agenda is the City of Lover Fest. First stream: Can’t watch cause once again, I am not american. Then they say you can watch it on streaming pages. I got excited cause I already subscribed to Netflix for Rep Tour and Miss Americana. What happens? They don’t put it on Netflix only hulu and Disney+. HOW MANY STREAMING COMPANIES DO YOU WANT ME TO SUBSCRIBE?! THEY ALL COST MONEY!!!! AppleTV for 1989, Netflix for Rep and Miss Americana. So yeah till this day I still haven’t seen it. Because I am not rich enough. Also Merch. Can’t afford it anymore since Reputation era cause WTH?! Way too expensive.

So yeah here you have my statement. I love you all, I love you Taylor. Get off if you are racist or against lgbtq+

Thank you

#taylor swift #my statement #swifties #taylornation #tree paine #me

[oatsn-honey]

breakfast and flower crowns

for the amazing @vx3art​!! ilysm!!

masterlist

summary:  Link would do anything for his princess: steal the stars and the moon, give his life, vanquish all evil. But to them, the smalls things, insignificant and sweet moments, were what mattered the most. And so, for her birthday, he would deliver just that.

notes:  babe, i'm so sorry this is so late!! :<<<< i've really dropped the ball ilysm, thank u for being so impossibly patient with me it's not much, but i hope u enjoy this little thing b ʚ♡⃛ɞ(ू•ᴗ•ू❁)

The sweet smell of roasting fruits and sweet cake began to gently lure Zelda from her slumber. Tucked away and cozy in the small bed, she nestled into the comforter, thick and smelling of nature. Her lips curled gently, and she blinked slowly, enchanted by the sunlight glinting from the foggy window. The rays, warm and whispering tales of old, danced on her skin as she shifted, sighing contently.

She took a moment to revel in the calm of the scene, the domestic wonder of it all, and to delight in the gentle humming wafting from below. There was a soft clattering of pans and dishes, but it suited the atmosphere peculiarly well. Burrowing further into the warm bed, she briefly wondered what he was doing. Zelda didn’t have to ponder her question for much longer, as the familiar creak of the loft stairs reached her ears. The tantalizing smell of home (this home) and treasured memories drawing nearer. Excitedly, she sat up in bed, propped on her side by one elbow. Her hair, now short and light, swayed gently, tickling her raised shoulder. He rounded the corner, a pleased spring in his step, a smile illuminated his face. “Ah, you’re awake,” he spoke, setting himself onto the bed, the mattress shifting with his weight. In his hands were a plate and a bowl, which were very obviously the culprits of that delicious scent. The porcelain bowl emitted a bright clink as he set it on the bedside table. His free hand reached up to brush a stray strand of her dandelion hair from her eyes, “Morning.”

“Morning, Link,” she cooed, an airy giggle passing from her lips. “What have you been up to?” She peered down at the plate still in his hands. Immediately, she could feel herself begin to salivate at the sight that greeted her.

“Here.” He pushed the dish, the border decorated with flowery designs and figures of small animals, into her hands. “For you.” Her heart fluttered; his smile lit the world, she was sure.

“Oh my,” she breathed, staring down at the beautiful spread. Her eyes drifted to the center, surrounded by berries and various fruits, where a generous slice of fruitcake awaited her. “Link,” her voice broke as she gazed up at him, eyes glimmering with tears. “Thank you.”

Fruitcake: forever an emblem of her mother, who would make it each birthday for her. “Happy birthday, Zel.” He leaned in and kissed the crown of her head, ruffling her already bed-tousled hair. She laughed wetly.

“What a sweet gift,” she hummed, blinking away her tears. She smiled up at him again, love and adoration shining in her eyes.

“So, what’s on the agenda for today,” Zelda asked, a bounce in her step. Her dress, yellow and breezy, swayed in time with the woven basket hooked in the bend of her arm. “I was thinking we would stop by the flea market and get ingredients for dinner tonight.” She turned to him, hopeful smile brilliant and heavenly.

“Up to you.” Rolling up his sleeves -- the spring sun was growing stronger each day -- and gazing at the pleasantly clear sky, Link felt fulfilled and joyous, a strong affection soaring in his heart.

Strolling up next to him, Zelda looped her free arm around his, groaning up at him. “Oh, come now! Surely you can help me decide what to do!” A spurious pout plastered on her face. It was replaced by a mischievous smile quickly, the facade melting away.

He beamed down at her, laughs tumbling from his lips. “It is your birthday, you should choose.”

“Well then,” she huffed, pointing her chin upwards, “I do choose to go to the market.” And so, she led them off, laughing and swaying, towards the bustling market of Hateno.

“What do you think of this tomato?” She held the fruit up for him to inspect, both scrutinizing it’s surface for bumps and bruises. The sun bounced from its flesh as she turned it in her hands.

“Looks good to me,” he decided, brows furrowed. “Ah, and how many carrots should we grab?” He showcased a handful, and she grabbed several from his clutches, placing them into her basket.

They paid the kind vendor, a sweet old woman, and wished her well. Moving onto the spice stand, a group of children sitting outside of a booth caught their attention. As it would seem, they caught theirs as well. One child, a boy of a tender age, beckoned for them.

“Whatcha doin’?” Link asked, bending down to examine the various items and plants tossed about the children. In his hands, the boy weaved several vines and flowers together.

“We’re making jewelry, Link!” A girl chimed, grinning up at the couple, her smile toothless and innocent. “What do ya’ think, Zel?”

Scooping the small child into her arms, Zelda praised her, “It’s wonderful! You’re so very skilled!” Her hand, graceful and thin, came to tickle the girl, and her squeals of laughter rang through the air. The other children giggled with them, and Link took the moment to admire her, and all she did.

As her laughter slowly dwindled, Zelda asked the girl, “So, where did you acquire these supplies anyway?” Excitedly, the children, bouncing in place, described the field and forest in which they found each and every plant and flower.

The two left them then, parting with large waves and bright smiles, and made their way to this field to enjoy their lunch. The gentle breeze passed through their hair, curving around them, as they made their way through the village, pacifying and domestic just as its people.

Soon, they found themselves in a field with swaying grass and small critters, littered with flowers that created land-bound constellations upon the earth. After taking in the sloping hills and serene landscape, Zelda unfurled their quilted blanket and sat herself down, patting the space next to her.

“Lunch is served,” she hummed, saving her hand dramatically over the food. “Dig in.” They sat in peace, listening to the chirp of birds and the song of the wind passing through the grass and trees’ leaves.

Eventually, with their basket near empty beside a small collection of berries and slices of meat, they settled on their backs. The sky, a beautiful blue, smiled down on them that day, few clouds dotting its excellence, the sun a warm reminder of life, and all it stood for. A gentle exhale, in it carrying every stress away, passed through Zelda, and she allowed her eyes to drift closed, held secure against Link’s side.

When she finally opened her eyes again, the always gorgeous sky was painted with strokes of pink and orange, and the sun winked at the horizon. She turned, eyes settling on his, and he smiled at her, leaning closer to plant a sloppy peck on her forehead. Zelda laughed and returned the favor.

She sat up, hoping to watch the sun slip under the edge of her sight. He sat up with her, and turned to face her, one hand risen to cup her cheek tenderly. In his hands, a gorgeous crown of small flowers and vines, braided and twisted in an eloquent design.

There was no shock or surprise when he placed it on her head, fixing it around her mussed hair. Their eyes locked, a motionless dance commencing between them, and he whispered, voice brimming with emotion, “For you, my princess, anything. Happy birthday.”

thank u for reading!! ♡ฅ(ᐤˊ꒳ฅˋᐤ♪) pls leave ur thoughts below!! i also highly recommend going to check out vi's art!! she's absolutely amazing and i love her so much! ꒰˘̩̩̩⌣˘̩̩̩๑꒱♡ (she also has her half of the exchange on her insta and tumblr!!)

links: ♡ instagram link ♡ tumblr link

#legend of zelda: breath of the wild #loz breath of the wild #zelink #zelink fanfiction #fluff #zelink fluff #picnics #flower crowns #gift fic

[kmtam]

Also this.

I struggle with something, but only a little: how complicit am I in the downfall of society because of my use of social media?

My struggle is little not because I think the issue is small (it’s not), but because I’m mostly ascetic about my use of social media. But it’s that “mostly” that trips me up.

I think it’s pretty clear at this point that social media represents a huge threat to the ordering of democracy. My first real inklings of this were in 2011, during the Arab Spring. I remember it clearly because things started breaking out in Tahrir Square the same weekend as my friend’s bachelor party, and we spent a lot of time talking about it on the ride up to the beach house and over dinner (yes, it was a very wild bachelor party). Almost immediately the media was calling it the Twitter Revolution and the Facebook Revolution, and so much of the discourse over the next few months was dominated by the claim that social media was “responsible” for the uprising. This set my bullshit detector on high-alert: any time a technology is given credit for something that requires real human labor and sacrifice, it’s best to investigate further. Zuckerberg and the Twitter folks did the expected light disavowals, proclaiming “we’re just here to help” and stuff like that, but meanwhile, behind the scenes, they absolutely pushed the narrative that their social media platforms were critical for bringing “power to the people.”

What struck me as obvious at the time, though, but which people were really unwilling to see was this: sure, for a brief period repressive governments were caught off guard by the power of social media, but that can only happen this one time. Once such governments understand what they’re dealing with, and that they control the infrastructures that allow social media platforms to function, then *they* take control, *they* make sure to prevent the people from using social media to organize at scale ever again.

Fast forward to 2020 — but note along the way that after that initial bout of Arab Spring uprisings in the early 2010s, there have been no more large-scale “people’s” revolts, though there have been genocides, like the Rohingya in Myanmar, and the Uyghurs in China — and we’re several steps down a much darker path than I would have imagined 9 years ago. The global rise in right-wing authoritarianism is consistently linked to the spread of lies and disinformation on social media platforms. The mainstreaming and coalescing of formerly-fringe conspiracy theories — e.g. anti-vaxx, Agenda 21, Pizzagate, QAnon, and Boogaloo — is happening on normie platforms like Facebook, after emerging from the fever swamps of 4Chan, 8Chan, and other sites I’ve barely heard of. And much of this stuff, directly and indirectly, is promoted and authorized by the the most powerful person in the world, who spreads his own pet conspiracy theories right alongside these others.

And the platforms that are watching this happen, whose leaders KNOW this is happening and see the consequences of it but refuse to do anything about it, they continue to rake in billions of dollars by profiting off the decimation of democracy and liberal governance — and in many cases, profiting off the collective derangement of our family members and friends as well.

Trump is now threatening to seek revenge on Twitter because they deigned, in the meekest way possible, to “fact check” his bullshit and lies. But as we see with Zuckerberg’s comments, there’s no will at Facebook (and I’m sure Twitter will cave soon) to hold Trump and other spreaders of disinformation accountable. They simply make too much money from mass misery.

So all we have is ourselves. All we have is the choices we make, and it’s clear now — it’s been clear for a while but it’s *really* clear now — that the only thing that we can do here — to save democracy? — is to abandon these platforms fully, en masse and for good. What took down Friendster was that people stopped using it. What took down MySpace was that people stopped using it. What took down Google+ was that people never used it in the first place. These companies have demonstrated over and over and over that they are unwilling to take responsibility for the consequences of what they offer, and governments, especially the US government, just simply don’t give a shit. The only thing we can do is walk away. No more Facebook, no more Instagram, no more WhatsApp.

And no more Twitter? This is where the struggle I started with comes in. If you know me IRL, you know I’ve been vocally anti-Facebook since about 2007, so it’s easy for me to advocate walking away from there because I never partook in the first place. But I do use Twitter quite a bit (and Tumblr, but LOL I *wish* Tumblr had an impact on the world), and it’s definitely something that giving up would be difficult to do. But I’m slowly, and surely, coming to the conclusion that I need to put my money where my mouth is and give up Twitter until they fix their shit. I don’t see that fixing happening anytime soon, but I don’t know. I really can’t think of anything else we can do. All hope is lost if we don’t take some control of our own place in society, and we can’t do that so long as we rely on these monstrous corporations to determine what that place is.

#mark zuckerberg #facebook #twitter #social media #donald trump

[ikesengoficss]

Can you all of the warlords reactions to accidentally walking in on mc naked

tehe, this was fun. Thank you for your patience! 

Mitsunari, Masamune, Yoshimoto, and Motonari walking in on MC naked

*** as of now, I will only be doing four of the warlords. This is a recent change that I have made after this was request was sent. I put the warlords through a randomizer to narrow down the four. Please understand why I am doing so. The rules of request have been updated for when they are open again. 

Masamune Date

He didn’t walk in, he ran in on you naked. And it wasn’t entirely his fault, it was moreover Shogetsu.

He was playing with him, enjoying the little bit of time he had to himself, not having to deal with any work— he wouldn’t mind fighting, of course, but that wasn’t on his agenda as of now. 

Shogetsu was great to play with, really. But it was so shocking how the tiger managed to swipe swiper, no swiping Masamune’s eyepatch from his face. Masamune didn’t know how to react for a minute. He wasn’t quick enough unfortunately, because Shogtesu went running. 

And of course, Shogetsu went running towards your room, busting through the door— and I mean through the door, there is a big, gapping hole now. 

And he goes straight to your squealing naked form.

“Ah, lass, I’m sorry if he star—“ he stops. 

You’re naked on the futon as Shogetsu licks at you, and your laughing as his scratchy tongue tickles. This whole scene itself is oh so cute, but oh so sexy to Masamune,

your skin is glistening, and he can’t take his eyes off of your form, rolling around showing him practically everything. 

When you realize he isn’t doing anything to help, you shoot him a glare through your fit of laughter. “Dammit, help me out here.”

He chuckles, rushing over to remove Shogetsu — get his eyepatch — and wrap a blanket around you. 

“I promise,” he laughs, “I promise I didn’t plan for any of this. Though I cannot lie how enticing that all was.”

You snort. You love the guy too much to be too mad at him. “Sure, alright. But now you have to dry me off.”

Masamune isn’t complaining. 

Mitsunari Ishida

It isn’t unusual for Mitsunari to become so engrossed in a book— the residents of Azuchi castle are well aware. The bad habit of becoming so lost in a good read is what will get him into the incoming mess.

When reading, he isn’t one to pay attention to his surroundings.

Well, that isn’t strictly true. This is Mitsunari after awhile, and being so intelligent, even with his mind trapped onto his story, he can figure out where he is going.

But this book— this book is really good. So he really isn’t thinking. And he walks right past the room for war council, face buried in his book, and appears in front of yours. He sighs, “That was really interesting. I’ll have to suggest it to Lord Ieyasu,” and swings open the door,

expecting to see a bunch of warlords in a circle, 

but oh my god, it’s you, and you’re standing in the middle of the room like a deer in headlights, completely naked. 

Water is dripping down your subtle skin between every cress from the bath you had just had, you are practically glowing, like an angel in all it’s glory. And Mitsunari can hardly take his eyes away from your perk br— 

“M—Mitsunari, get out!!” 

“Ah, sorry, sorry—“ aaand he runs into the wall. Hitting his head against the stone. 

You’re torn between running to help him as he falls back on the ground, holding his head, and trying to cover his eyes at the same time,

and then that reminds you of why this all happened; you’re naked!

Prepare for a thousands apologies. And for the next week, him appearing at your room — not before knocking, of course — with some sort of gift to add onto his apology. 

This poor, poor cinnamon bun. 

Yoshimoto Imagawa

After a long day of work, you couldn’t be happier with just spending the evening at the hot springs. You just arrived, took in a deep breath, and relaxed as you felt the steam coming off the water moving towards you.

You couldn’t wait to just hop in. 

You did a little stretch, and let your towel fall to the ground, pooling around your feet. You raised your arms up towards the sky, you imagined yourself touching the clouds, then began to—

“Oh my.”

You practically screamed before falling forward into the hot springs. Luckily, Yoshimoto was quick on his feet, and able to pull you out from the springs. But you were smacking his arm and pushing him away, grabbing at the towel on the ground to quickly cover yourself.

“What the hell!? How long were you standing there? What did you see?”

“Everything.” 

“Get out!”

He does feel bad, really. And if you are not as Kasaguyama castle, he is in Azuchi waiting for a chance to see you so he can apologize. And if you’re a little hesitant at first to speak to him, he’ll keep showing up until finally you will hear him out.

If you two are together at this moment, he may say something like, “What? We’re together now. Does it matter?” And that will earn him another smack to his arm, and another hour of the silent treatment. 

Motonari Mouri

Walked in? By accident? Nah. He knew you were taking a shower. So he waited for the moment when he heard the sound of the towel falling, and whoosh—

He swings the door open, cue whistling as he pretends to be lost in thought, until uh oh! He’s face to face with a very shocked you trying to frantically cover yourself. 

“Oh man, honey, my bad.”

“You bastard, get out!”

There isn’t a moments hesitation with you shoving him out the room, and he hardily laughing, shouting back he promises he didn’t see anything.

If you two are together at this point, he really is just teasing you. But if this at all hurts your feelings in anyway, though it isn’t entirely in his nature to apologize,

he’ll find some other way to make it up to you.

By being; walking out on deck stark naked. 

Maybe or maybe not the revenge you were thinking of. But it is quick a shock for everyone, that is for sure. 

“The boss is big,” being whispered spreads around the deck. 

And you’re pushing him back inside and away from all the eyes. You quietly whisper to him, “You didn’t have to do that… Some people give a bouquet of flowers, you know.”

He’ll wrap you in his arms and whisper in your ear, “You know that isn’t my style. Besides, now we are even. We have both seen each other in all our glory.” He gives you a little wink and kiss. “I’d love to see you in yours again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

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Free Tarot Card Analysis

If https://tarot-masters.com show up, connect them to someone keeping that sort of character. One more benefit is that email psychic readings have a tendency to be a fixed price, so you don't need to fret about acquiring the mins. Depending on the equipment you contend your disposal, you might possibly enjoy a complimentary tarot analysis from anywhere, including your home computer, a laptop, a tablet computer, mobile app, or a smart device. A video clip reading permits you to interact in person with a psychic tool. These complimentary analyses are the closest thing to being in the very same space as a psychic, as well as you can obtain a better feel for the person by seeing their face as you talk. I drew the Grim Reaper in this forest atmosphere with all these plants and also life and butterflies that symbolize adjustment and makeover. With each other, the Major as well as Minor Arcana cards develop a extensive pictorial language. It is essential to keep in mind that all the responses we seek exist innately within the deck, with each card illustrating a person, scenario, or prospective outcome. Given that there are obvious puzzles or concealed agendas with tarot card, the capability to determine meaning lies within your own narrative analysis. The Significant Arcana cards represent huge, innovative influences. They stress our trips as well as each stands alone as a effective message, representing life-changing motions that define the starts or ends of cycles. Last but not least, and a lot of interesting component - Tarot analysis of each person of my group. It was a fun session for my friends as well as myself, we 'd definitely recommend to everybody to experience it yourself. I have actually read cards as well as doing healing work for ten years now. Many individuals wish to really feel even more directly attached to their fortuneteller and discover that video provides them the appropriate experience. They additionally provide 5 totally free mins at the start of your telephone call and also deal phone, e-mail, as well as live chat alternatives like Kasamba. These are some of the features you may wish to search for when choosing a leading tarot analysis service. This site likewise provides a complimentary 3 minute tarot reading, plus 50% off your very initial session, which makes trying Kasamba less of a financial threat. My name is Eva Delattre and I have been practicing the ton of money informing arts for practically thirty years. I intended to share my knowledge of tarot card analysis by offering a entirely cost-free draw using the 22 Significant Arcana of the tarot card. Cupid's Oracle Cupid's Oracle uses the love tarot card to help you explore the future of your love life. These dynamic cards show up throughout significant changes, indicating unique minutes of change. The cards are numbered to stand for terminals within our better journey via life; their sequential order reveals the death of time. Allow's speak about the structure of the deck and the significances of its cards. Any enchanting practice-- tarot card, astrology, or spell job-- is based upon the Hermetic axiom "as above, so listed below." In other words, the macrocosm of the universes is mirrored in the microcosm of specific experience. As necessary, the whole universe exists within a tarot card deck, with each card representing a person, place, or event. These icons are illustrated in both the Major Arcana cards, which speak to better tricks, and also the Minor Arcana cards, which speak with lower keys. Once you have the inquiry in your mind, it's time to shuffle-- and also there are numerous ways to do so. The overhand shuffle includes holding the deck of cards in one hand as well as utilizing the other to relocate cards from one side of the deck to the various other. You can additionally " reduce" the deck by splitting it into numerous heaps and after that incorporating them into one once more. Or you can attempt spreading out the cards facedown on the table and also sweeping them right into a big, unpleasant stack before tapping them right into place again. Routines are an vital way we refine occasions, as well as even if you're skeptical, the act of following a routine and also treating your cards with respect and value can be alter just how we perceive the globe. After you allow your reading to process, be grateful, clear your cards, as well as make sure to save it in safe and also secure area. Tarot relies on signs pulled from a variety of human consciousness. There are lots of decks offered, each with their very own special collection of icons and also systems. You'll have to create stories making use of the symbols of the deck in your analysis, so choosing a deck whose art work resonates with you is very important. One of the most common deck and also a great way to start is the Rider-Waite deck. There are nevertheless a myriad of choices to select from, but we have actually developed a minimalist deck which makes analysis somewhat easier. Whether you are single or in a partnership, this spread can assist you comprehend what actually matters to you so you can travel on in the best direction. When you are ready to start your Tarot card analysis, scroll up as well as choose your cards. This is the moment to enjoy what you have sown, since you are guaranteed of a bumper crop on both individual as well as specialist fronts! Those travelling on a business journey will discover things working out. Health and wellness appears fine, yet the cards recommend not to take every little thing for given. There are 12 different Zodiac signs, and everyone's sign corresponds to their birthdate. With greater than 1,700 psychic consultants to choose from in more than two dozen groups, you have much more choices absolutely free psychic analyses on this platform than anywhere else. Psychic Source uses totally free psychic analyses for the first 3 minutes in addition to rates as low as $0.66 per min if you pick to continue your analysis after the cost-free trial. By dealing with a dream interpreter during complimentary psychic readings, you can begin to understand your desires. Are there specific numbers that seem to be recurring in your life? A cost-free psychic numerology analysis can aid you discover why these numbers are so popular in your life as well as what they suggest. Sometimes described as astrology analyses, a horoscope reading utilizes the signs of the zodiac to aid predict your future and give insight into your personality, connection compatibility, and extra. Some psychics use brand-new customers the chance to obtain an answer to a inquiry at no charge by providing the very first couple of minutes of psychic readings totally free. These totally free analyses are done by actual psychics, as well as if you like the experience, you can continue your session, generally at a affordable price. This type of complimentary on the internet psychic analysis can be incredibly useful if you find yourself in a damaging pattern, really feel unconfident, or require unbiased answers from someone with clairvoyant understanding. Maybe you have a recurring desire, as well as you're not sure if your subconscious is attempting to inform you something. The 20 various spreads readily available at FreeDivination are meant to offer you various choices on what sort of reviewing you're seeking. The website uses you some advice on selecting from a deck for love, profession, or general life issues, and after that moving forward with what you see. Because of the pandemic, there are numerous psychic reading sites that are using cost-free mins and also steep price cuts to help their clients make it through these tough times. I have a committed adhering to on Instagram and remarkable returning consumers. I've worked with individuals from Brazil, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Sweden, England, Malaysia, Denmark, Singapore, Australia, and also the checklist just takes place. One girl from Mexico also messaged me in Spanish; we did the reading via Google Translate. Digital readings cost me practically nothing to generate and were veiled under a U.S.-based business so I could avoid the visa internet. Initially we did a brief meditation which aided to soothe our minds, then Shilpa described concerning Tarot decks as well as messages of the Tarot card.

In a lot of decks, the Lovers shows 2 individuals in a yard with an angel floating in the sky above them, possibly in the Yard of Eden. The Marseille shows three people, and also a grumpy-looking cherub aiming an arrowhead at them from over. Jodo pointed to the sunlight at the top of the card, where said cherub was emerging. Prior to you attend your tarot reading session, attempt to get as clear as possible on what it is you want advice on. This will help you locate the experience you want as well as additionally help your visitor specify the analysis for you. You may have been told ahead to your tarot card reading with a clear concern and an open mind. This suggestions is typically duplicated since it's thought about to be the most effective method to get the most out of the experience. Throughout the session I will do a reading which will certainly offer clearness as well as bring about an understanding of what the tarot is communicating about your present, previous and future. Likewise, Sarber informed EXPERT that as soon as you finally begin, a essential to getting proficient at reviewing the cards is to pick one that represents you. the much more that you bond with your deck, the far better analyses you'll give-- as well as obtain. Today, there are thousands of tarot card readers throughout the world. After hearing my tale of the Fatality card, Howe let's out a laugh. "I really enjoy the Fatality card, it's the one that always appears in the movies," she begins. "The Death card, in my experience, doesn't really imply fatality.

#tarot reading #tarot card reading

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Reflection “Essay” #2

Hey everyone! I just wanted to take some time this week and talk about something that I think is extremely important, so buckle up, because this piece is kind of long.

Activism is something we encounter in our everyday lives, whether it be in social media, the news, or something ordinary like laptop stickers.  Most recently, Black Lives Matter was under the spotlight (as it should) in the wake of America’s track record of police brutality and George Floyd’s death.  Unfortunately, the movement that was fueled by public outcry and outstanding shows of allyship in the early summer months has largely vanished.  

The voices of many celebrities and influencers on platforms Instagram and Twitter have gone silent, moving on as the news turned away from BLM protests despite the thousands of people that continued to rally around the country and the world.  As we wrap up election season and move into December, what the US is focused on now is the soon-to-be former POTUS and other political news.  (My point is that the world of media has largely deemed BLM “no longer relevant” despite the ongoing struggle BIPOC folxs continue to face even after thousands of protests nation AND worldwide.)

To all the people who posted black squares with the hashtags #BlackoutTuesday and #BlackLivesMatter, where are you now?  Where is the support, the public outcry that had been so loud in June?  Why do civil rights only matter when they’re relevant in the media, when you can score easy clout from it?  

I’m sure most of them had their hearts in the right place, but the fact remains true that they fell victim to ‘ally theater’, a term that Anderson and Accomando credit Princess Harmony Rodrigez for coining.  The two authors go on to say, “The concern here is about activists who focus on performing an identity for an audience of disadvantaged folk rather than doing the hard and often unseen work of social change.” (P 713) and “To get out of the surface-level ally theater loop, white people need to challenge other whites about racism—even when no one else is watching.” (P 714) in their article The Pitfalls of Ally Performance.  

That’s where many people fail the first step of being an ally; they mistakenly believe that for a month of sparse posts concerning awareness, they gain the privilege of being an ally.  They forget that allyship is a title that needs to be earned.  It’s not enough to play activist for a month and then move on with your life—to be an ally, you must continue to be an activist, even if that’s something as simple as shopping at BIPOC small-owned businesses instead of Amazon.  (Here’s a little help for those of you who don’t know where to start: 42 Black-owned beauty brands to shop at instead of Sephora, and 108 Black-owned businesses you can check out.)  You have to acknowledge the hard work of POC the exact same way you praise white celebrities and influencers for being ‘woke’.  A fantastic example is Harry Styles.  

For the 2019 Met Gala, Styles showed up to the red carpet in heels and a sheer black Gucci blouse.  This made fans go nuts; they praised him for being a camp icon but glossed over equally stunning outfits like Billy Porter’s golden, winged ensemble (who was carried in on a litter!!! by SIX MEN!!!) or Lena Waithe’s suit.  This year fans ran to social media again, this time to gush over the photo spread of him in a dress, thanking Styles for ending toxic masculinity (yes this was a Tweet I read with my own two eyes), congratulating him on defying gender norms, and completely forgetting about others who did it before him.  

Male and AMAB (assigned male at birth) non-binary stars like Billy Porter, Jared Leto, Ezra Miller, and JVN are only a handful who’ve appeared in public in dresses and/or skirts before, making it unfair for people to heap gratuitous praise onto Styles’s photoshoot.  I’m not trying to bash him or anything and I think that cover was gorgeous, but you can’t be an ally while you idolize Harry Styles for wearing a dress but ignore POC/queer folx who did too.

Now, the second topic I wanted to address: a second helping of fake allyship, this time in the corporate realm.  

I love June, but it’s also a mentally exhausting month queer individuals who are sick and tired of fake allyship.  Cisgenderists crawl out of the woodwork to whine about ‘straight pride’ as if they don’t have enough of it, influencers capitalize on Pride’s popularity to promote their brand, and large corporations break out the rainbow merch to make a pretty penny off the same people marginalize the other eleven months of the year.  

June is for people like me to celebrate our identities together, whether it be at a public Pride event or in the privacy of our own homes.  It is not for big businesses to slap rainbows on their merchandise and boast false claims of LGBTQ+ support when corporations like Walmart and Starbucks have done nothing at all to support the message or the mission of Pride.  

Building an Abolitionist and Trans Queer Movement With Everything We’ve Got by Bassichis, Lee, and Spade writes “transgender and gender-non-conforming people are repeatedly abandoned and marginalized in the agendas and priorities of our “lead” organizations” (P743) and I couldn’t agree more.  The fact of the matter is that under this capitalist regime, queer individuals are just another tool for the privledged elite to take advantage of.

Mega corporations claim to be on our side for a month, playing at queer allyship with rainbow beer cans and happy ads that feature more rainbows and scripted proclamations of LGBTQ+ support, but disappear just as quickly come July.  

Certain celebrities tweet during Pride, garnering the applause of the public and cause people across social media to ‘stan’ celebrities that post “Happy Pride!” just for the shallow allyship it grants them.  And it’s so normalized for public figures to post all month long about Pride, and suddenly stop in July that we don’t question it.

Donald Trump occasionally preaches about his support of the queer community (which we all know is a joke) and how he’s “the first president to openly support the LGBT community” despite the fact that he gutted LGBTQ+ legislation and his terrible track record concerning queer folx.  If he really was a queer ally then why, as Bassichis, Lee, and Spade say, is there “ no inheritance, no health benefits from employers, no legal immigration status, and no state protection of our relationship to our children.”?  

That’s why I want to put the spotlight on a game called The Last of Us: Part II.  It’s a post-apocalyptic survival horror game so it’s the last place you’d expect to find LGBTQ+ representation, but the main character is a lesbian who has a (Jewish) girlfriend and has an Asian (not white!!) transman, along with another character I strongly believe is aromantic and/or asexual.  Their character arcs tie into the story well despite many fans calling out the game developers for pandering to the queer community, and the exhilaration I felt when I saw myself (mostly) represented in a character (who was voiced by an Asian transman!) is unparalleled.   

They didn’t have to include any LGBTQ+ content or accurate representation, could have left the main character’s sexuality presumably heterosexual, but they went where most bestselling games don’t, because they’re genuine allies.  They brought in voice actors who were Black, Asian, and Latinx to voice characters who were Black, Asian, and Latinx.  

That’s what we need more of, not trendsetting celebrities and people who say trans rights just to feel better about themselves.