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I give Mina the Hollower an 8.5/10. If you just want to know whether it's worth playing, you can stop reading and go play it. It's very good. Go in blind if you can. The gameplay is a ton of fun and has an incredible amount of depth. There are countless ways to fight enemies and traverse the world. There are probably 15+ ways to cross large gaps alone. The game gives you so many options that it almost feels open-world in that sense. Mina has far more tools at her disposal than Link ever does in a Zelda game. There are five major weapons, each with two upgrades, and they all play quite differently. On top of that, there are numerous sidearms and around 40 trinkets that can dramatically alter your build and playstyle. The game is much larger than I expected and absolutely massive compared to Link's Awakening or the Oracle games. The game also does a great job rewarding exploration. Secrets are everywhere, and I was constantly finding things that surprised me. It even managed to get a few genuine laughs and jump scares out of me. Yacht Club Games really has its own charm and does its best to express its personality here. The biomes are all unique and exciting to explore, and there are over 20 bosses with fantastic designs. Many of them have a very Souls-like aesthetic. The sprite work is absolutely gorgeous. I could gush about the details in every pixel. It's some of the best 2D pixel art I've seen. The music is excellent. It's not quite a 10/10 soundtrack, but several tracks were stuck in my head when I went to bed. Jake Kaufman and Yuzo Koshiro do not disappoint. I need a vinyl. Most of my gameplay complaints disappeared as I explored more and found additional upgrades and items. My biggest criticism is the story. It's told primarily through newspapers, environmental storytelling, and NPC dialogue. While there's plenty of lore to uncover, the narrative never fully hooked me. I respect the developers for prioritizing gameplay, but if you're looking for a story-driven experience, this probably isn't the game for you. The difficulty feels fair overall, though most of the challenge for me was at the beginning and the very end. I finished the game with roughly 40–50 deaths. Thank you, Yacht Club, for delivering my favorite game so far this year. It was well worth the wait. You all did a fantastic job.

Solo | Cast into the Abyss: The Rise of the Serpent King I am Jormungandr, The World-Serpent They cast me into the abyss when I was but a writhing hatchling, scales still soft as new kelp. Odin, the All-Father, stared into my eyes with that single, piercing gaze and saw only ruin. Prophecy whispered that I would one day poison the skies and bring the doom of the gods. So, in his fear, he seized me from my mother Angrboda’s arms and hurled me from the cliffs of Asgard into the endless, churning ocean that girds Midgard. I remember the fall, the wind screaming past my coils, the impact like thunder as I struck the black waters. They expected me to drown. They expected me to vanish, a forgotten mistake of Loki’s bloodline. But the sea welcomed me as its own. In those first endless years, I was small enough to hide among the coral forests and shipwrecks. I fed on fishes, crabs, and the occasional colossal squid that dared the deep. The salt burned in my veins like liquid rune-fire, and with every swallow, I grew. My body stretched. My coils thickened. The pressure of the abyss forged me harder than any dwarf-forged steel. I devoured not just flesh, but the very essence of the ocean its rage, its depths, its ancient, patient fury. I fed on whales, krakens, and the occasional longship. Soon I was no longer hiding. I was becoming. The biggest creature the Nine Worlds had ever known. My length encircled Midgard itself. I bit my own tail not out of hunger, but because there was no more room left in the world for me to exist otherwise. The seas rose and fell with my breathing. When I shifted in my sleep, tsunamis kissed distant shores. When I lashed my tail in anger, cyclones howled across the skies. The ocean had made me its Jotunn, its sovereign of crushing depths, violent storms, towering waves, and venom that could fell even gods. I became Jormungandr, Jotunn of the Ocean, Chaos, Storms, Tsunamis, and Cyclones. My father Loki’s blood sang within me. He, the ever-changing trickster, had gifted me more than poison and size. In the solitude of the abyss, I first felt the pull of transformation. I remembered the stories Mother told of Loki becoming a salmon to escape pursuit, a mare to birth Sleipnir, a fly to slip through cracks. That same wild magic stirred in my bones. I practiced in the darkness. At first, I could only shrink becoming merely the length of a longship instead of the world itself. Then I learned to split my essence. My true colossal form remained coiled at the roots of the World Tree, holding Midgard steady, while a smaller shadow of myself could swim free. Eventually, I mastered the full art: shape-shifting and size-shifting at will, walking in two forms or more at once. I could become a serpent the size of a dragon, or shrink to the length of an ordinary king cobra sleek, hooded, and deadly. Most powerfully, I learned to wear the skin of men. A tall, pale wanderer with storm-grey eyes and hair like midnight kelp, scales faintly visible beneath the surface of my skin if one looked closely. In these forms I retained my venom, my command of the waves, and the ancient rune-magic I had devoured from sunken temples and forgotten Jotunn shrines. I began to travel. In my human guise, I walked the shores of Midgard and ventured into Jotunheim. I saw my kin, the Jotnar, hunted like beasts by Thor and his hammer, tormented by Odin’s ravens, and scorned by the Aesir who called them monsters simply for being born of different blood. I could not abide it. I became their silent guardian. Once, in the frozen wilds of Jotunheim, I found a clan of rock Jotnar besieged by Thor’s favored warriors and their hunting wolves. Disguised as a weathered traveller, I approached their fire. They offered me hospitality, as true Jotnar do. In return, I whispered runes of the deep sea into their hearths. That night, when the Aesir attacked, the rivers rose without warning, not mere floods, but living serpents of water that dragged the attackers screaming into the depths. The Jotnar survived. They never knew it was I who had summoned the deluge. In another place, a young sea Jotunn named Runa was pursued across the waves by a son of Thor who sought glory by slaying “sea monsters.” I appeared to her as a massive but gentle serpent, coiling around her ship to shield it. Then, shifting into human form aboard her vessel, I taught her how to call lesser storms. Together we turned the hunter’s longship into driftwood. She still sings of the “Kindly Abyss” who saved her. These acts spread in whispers among the Jotnar. They began to call me protector, friend of the outcast. It was after one such deed, the saving of an entire village of frost Jotnar from a cruel Aesir raid that the crowning came. Deep beneath the waves, in a cavern cathedral of pearl, coral, and sunken gold, the ancient sea Jotnar and primordial serpents gathered. Leviathan shades from forgotten ages, Nagas whose names echoed across worlds, and every scaled child of the deep answered my silent call. They had felt my presence encircling their realm. They had witnessed my mercy and my wrath. There, upon a throne fashioned from the spine of a long-dead world-serpent and draped in living kelp, they crowned me Serpent King. The ceremony was magnificent. Bioluminescent jellyfish formed living chandeliers. Whales sang low, rumbling hymns. A thousand serpents of every ocean wove around me in a great spiral dance. An ancient Jotunn witch named Hrafna placed upon my brow (in my towering serpent form) a crown of black coral, enchanted pearls, and runes that glowed with pale green venom-light. She spoke: “You who were cast away and rose greater than their fear, you who hold the world yet guard its children, you who command the storm and the quiet depths rise, Jormungandr, King of All Serpents. Your coils bind not only Midgard, but the fate of every scaled and forgotten soul.” In that moment, I felt every serpent across the Nine Worlds bow from the smallest adder in Midgard’s grass to the great dragons sleeping in distant realms. I was their sovereign. Their venom was mine. Their cunning was mine. And so I continue. I sleep in my colossal form, encircling the world, maintaining balance through sheer existence. Yet my other selves walk among mortals and giants alike. I help where the Aesir bring needless suffering. I stir the seas when hubris grows too great. I wait, patient as the tide, for the day I finally release my tail. For now, the ocean is my kingdom, chaos my ally, and every creature with scales my subject. I am Jormungandr, cast down to die, risen to rule. And the gods will one day regret the day they threw me into the sea.

• Medical transition works • ⁠80% of individuals reported significant improvement in dysphoria Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19473181/ • ⁠78% of individuals reported significant improvement in psychological symptoms Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19473181/ • ⁠72% of individuals reported significant improvement in sexual function Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19473181/ • ⁠Positive results across the board, even in 15-year followups Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19473181/ • ⁠"Wellbeing was similar to or better than same-age young adults from the general population." Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25201798/ • ⁠Quality of life rises dramatically with 'gender-affirming treatment Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6223813/ • ⁠Long-term follow-ups: https://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/article/S1743-6095(15)32422-X/fulltext https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-014-0453-5 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-009-9551-1 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-014-0300-8 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9031580/ • ⁠"Shown to correlate with improved psychological functioning" Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X1630146X • ⁠Levels of depression and anxiety which closely matched levels reported by cisgender children Source: https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567%2816%2931941-4/fulltext • ⁠Puberty blockers are safe and reversible • ⁠Hormone blockers are the only treatment used on adolescents and are completely reversible. Source: https://assets2.hrc.org/files/documents/SupportingCaringforTransChildren.pdf • ⁠"Does not support an adverse impact of gender-affirming hormone therapy on cognitive performance" Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453020301402?via%3Dihub • ⁠"Our results suggest there are no detrimental effects of GNRHA on EF" Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453015000943 • ⁠"Relives [sic] distress for trans adolescents" "Is reversible" Source: https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/102/11/3869/4157558 • ⁠"Poorer psychological well-being before treatment" Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X20300276 • ⁠"Behavioral and emotional problems and depressive symptoms decreased" Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1743609515336171 • ⁠Hormones blockers are not new: "Since the mid 1990s..." "The Royal College of Psychiatrists, in 1998..." Source: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26895269.2020.1747768 • ⁠Many more studies: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7073269/ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jsm.13034 https://jme.bmj.com/content/34/8/580 https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/842073 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29551430/ https://ijpeonline.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1155/2010/398639.pdf https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0303720706001766 https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/95/1/109/2835177 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1517382/ https://europepmc.org/article/med/24719967 https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/trgh.2015.0008 • ⁠Puberty blockers aren't harmful to bone density https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/842073 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6469959/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6616494/ • ⁠Puberty blockers don't cause osteoporosis or sterility https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/84/12/4583/2864749 • ⁠Transphobia is real https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/eu-lgbt-survey-results-at-a-glance_en.pdf https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/wp-content/uploads/Transgender-employee-experiences-survey-report-2016_Totaljobs.pdf • ⁠46% felt discriminated against or harassed within the past year for being trans • ⁠29% felt discriminated against when it came to looking for employment • ⁠70% hid being trans during schooling before becoming 18 years old • ⁠55% had an incident of violence within the past year in part or whole because of them being trans • ⁠The ~40-50% suicide rate is fake, it's the attempt rate https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/NTDS_Report.pdf • ⁠The suicide rate is undocumented. • ⁠Discrimination is harmful • ⁠The attempt rate rises for people who: ⁠• ⁠Lost a job due to bias (55%) ⁠• ⁠Were harassed/bullied in school (51%) ⁠• ⁠Had low household income ⁠• ⁠Were the victim of physical assault (61%) ⁠• ⁠Were the victim of sexual assault (64%) https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/NTDS_Report.pdf • ⁠Other factors include: ⁠• ⁠Gender-based victimization ⁠• ⁠Discrimination ⁠• ⁠Bullying ⁠• ⁠Violence ⁠• ⁠Being rejected by the family, friends, and the community ⁠• ⁠Harassment by intimate partner, family members, police and public ⁠• ⁠Discrimination and ill-treatment at health-care system https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5178031/ • ⁠Many more studies https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5905855/ https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/suicidality-transgender-adults/ https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Suicidality-Transgender-Sep-2019.pdf https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/lgbt.2015.0111 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6798808/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00918369.2011.534038 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808281/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17135115/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26866637/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4716648/ • ⁠Social/familial support helps: it can decrease the likelihood of a suicide attempt 57% -> 4% https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/137/3/e20153223 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5996383/ https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12889-015-1867-2.pdf https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1743609516301734 • ⁠Chosen name/pronoun use does the same: https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(18)30085-5/fulltext#intraref0010a ⁠• ⁠71% drop in severe depression ⁠• ⁠34% drop [sic] suicidal ideation ⁠• ⁠65% drop in suicide attempts • ⁠These institutions and organizations back these results: ⁠• ⁠American Psychological Association ⁠• ⁠American Medical Association ⁠• ⁠American Psychoanalytic Association ⁠• ⁠Humans Rights Campaign ⁠• ⁠American Academy of Pediatrics ⁠• ⁠American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians ⁠• ⁠Royal College of Psychiatrists ⁠• ⁠United Nations ⁠• ⁠United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) ⁠• ⁠American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ⁠• ⁠American Academy of Dermatology ⁠• ⁠American Academy of Family Physicians ⁠• ⁠American Academy of Nursing ⁠• ⁠American Academy of Pediatrics ⁠• ⁠American Academy of Physician Assistants ⁠• ⁠American College Health Association ⁠• ⁠American College of Nurse-Midwives ⁠• ⁠American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ⁠• ⁠American College of Physicians ⁠• ⁠American Counseling Association ⁠• ⁠American Heart Association ⁠• ⁠American Medical Association ⁠• ⁠American Medical Student Association ⁠• ⁠American Nurses Association ⁠• ⁠American Osteopathic Association ⁠• ⁠American Psychiatric Association ⁠• ⁠American Psychological Association ⁠• ⁠American Public Health Association ⁠• ⁠American Society of Plastic Surgeons ⁠• ⁠Endocrine Society ⁠• ⁠GLMA ⁠• ⁠National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health ⁠• ⁠National Association of Social Workers ⁠• ⁠National Commission on Correctional Healthcare ⁠• ⁠Pediatric Endocrine Society ⁠• ⁠Society for Adolescent Help and Medecine ⁠• ⁠World Medical Association ⁠• ⁠World Professional Association for Transgender Health ⁠• ⁠World Health Organization (WHO) ⁠• ⁠Stanford Medical ⁠• ⁠American Pediatrics Association ⁠• ⁠National Institutes of Health ⁠• ⁠Canadian Institute of Health Research ⁠• ⁠Scientific American

Alright. My rant regarding The Boys and the music in the final season. Here goes nothing. A couple of months ago, I had an unusual amount of downtime at work. Not sure what to do, I looked at Manuel Karamori's Youtube channel where he uploaded lots of videos of him at his main job - he was a piano vocalist on cruise ships (also, a Freddie Mercury impersonator but that's a topic for another rant). I watched many of those videos. One of the artists that kept popping up was Billy Joel and, of course, the song "Piano man". Over time, I kinda came to associate the song with Manuel. He became MY "Piano man", if you will. Fast forward to last week and The Boys, season 5, episode 7 (the penultimate one). When Hughie and Butcher were discussing their favourite Billy Joel songs (because of reasons), I was like "Why no 'Piano man'?!". Then, I wondered whether they might use it for the end credits of that episode. When that didn't happen, I kinds forgot about the whole event. Well, that didn't last long because THEY USED THE SONG FOR THE END OF THE FINALE. I... wasn't okay then and still am not. I would've loved to see Manuel's reaction to this, goddammit. Goddammit.

lowkey entertained the idea of quitting weed the other day. which is something I didn't ever plan on doing but just like. I want my license. and I want to know what my cognitive baseline is without cannabis because I've been using daily for many years now. and what could I accomplish in life being sober? I just am so scared because it's my true fall-back against distressing experiences, and it's my ritual. it protects me but it also inhibits me. I know I should DBT my way out of it, but I am not strong. #weed #cannabis

Priest Who Said Aliens Were Demons Removed as Exorcist for Washington

  Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, said recent statements by the exorcist “undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil.” June 4, 2026
 Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, removed a high-profile exorcist on Wednesday, saying his recent statements on aliens and demons “gravely undermine” the church’s teachings. The ousted clergyman, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, is an ordained priest and psychologist who also served as an exorcist for the archdiocese, a role that involves investigating claims of demonic possession. He leads the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, an institution in Washington that ministers to people “in need of healing and deliverance.” The nature of potential extraterrestrial life has been debated this year, as President Trump directed his administration in February to begin releasing government files related to aliens and U.F.O.s. The disclosure began last month, with the Pentagon’s release of images, though their significance is so far unclear. For some Christians, the possibility of intelligent extraterrestrial beings poses theological challenges. Some Catholics and Protestants argue that they are better understood as demonic entities. “I don’t think they’re aliens, I think they’re demons,” Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, said on a podcast this spring. In a live interview on a YouTube show this week, Monsignor Rossetti said something similar. Although he acknowledged that a belief in extraterrestrial life was compatible with Catholic teaching, he speculated that “many if not most of these ‘U.F.O. sightings’ are in fact demons.” “They can do things we can’t do,” he added, referring in particular to moving at speeds beyond human capabilities. Cardinal McElroy, who was installed in the influential post of archbishop of Washington last year, evidently did not agree. He announced Wednesday that he had removed Monsignor Rossetti as an exorcist for the archdiocese and ended the affiliation between the archdiocese and the institution he heads. “Statements made by Monsignor Rossetti linking U.F.O.s to demonic presence and the Center’s recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism,” the archbishop said in a statement. The archdiocese declined to provide details on which church teaching Monsignor Rossetti had undermined. There is no formal church teaching on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, said Christopher Baglow, who heads the Science and Religion Initiative at the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. Monsignor Rossetti may have overstepped by “putting forward his own doctrine as something Catholics should accept,” Mr. Baglow said. At a meeting with astronomy students at the Vatican last summer, Pope Leo XIV spoke about the “mysterious joy” that comes from studying the universe, and referred to the possibility of life developing outside our solar system. “For the first time, we are able to peer deeply into the atmosphere of exoplanets where life may be developing and study the nebulae where planetary systems themselves are forming,” he said, referring to data and images from the James Webb Space Telescope. Some official church exorcists operate without their identities as exorcists being public. But several, including Monsignor Rossetti, speak frequently about their experiences battling demons. He is the author of multiple books, including “Diary of an American Exorcist,” and last year he appeared on the American version of the Catholic documentary “Triumph Over Evil: Battle of the Exorcists.” Before serving as an exorcist through the St. Michael Center, Monsignor Rossetti was a prominent advocate for the prevention of child abuse in church settings, and a psychologist specializing in clerical sex abuse. In his interview on YouTube this week, Monsignor Rossetti alluded to some disagreements among exorcists about the nature of extraterrestrials. “One exorcist told me he thought that this person was possessed by aliens,” he said with a laugh. “Aliens — if there are aliens — don’t possess people, that’s nonsense: Again, it’s demons trying to hide and trying to manipulate and disguise themselves.” Monsignor Rossetti said in a statement that he was “saddened” by the archdiocese’s decision. “I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church’s Magisterium,” he said, referring to Catholic authority and teachings. He also said the St. Michael Center will continue its work. Monsignor Rossetti remains an associate professor of research in the School of Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America, a school spokeswoman said on Thursday. A spokeswoman for the diocese of Syracuse, where Monsignor Rossetti was ordained in the 1980s, said he remains a priest in good standing there, and that the diocese had no other information about his removal by the archdiocese of Washington.


A long time ago, there lived an unmarried young woman. Every day, she prayed to the gods for a child. For years, her prayed went unheard. Then, one day, one of them answered. Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, heard the woman. She was so moved by her desire to start a family that she placed a soul that she baked into the woman's womb. Nine months later, Tatiana was born. Her mother couldn't be more thrilled. Though Tatiana was no normal baby. As she grew, Tatiana demonstrated a natural talent for cooking and baking. Though young, she loved watching and joining her mother in the kitchen. She able to make small meals by the time she was eight. She also had a knack for coming up with the most delicious combinations. Every spice and flavor, she understood completely. It wasn't until she was 10 that Hestia made herself known. Tatiana was Hestia's child. And it appeared that she had inherited her godly parent's baking and cooking abilities. From then on, Hestia would visit often; training Tatiana to use her powers. But also warning her about hunters, evil creatures, and those who sought to hurt others like her. Tatiana took each lesson to heart, and vowed to help others if needed. As Tatiana grew, so did her powers. So much so that she was even able to help others with her edible creations. When she had saved up enough, Tatiana bought her own coffee shop and home just above it. She enchanted every inch, making sure that only those who had no intention of doing any harm were allowed inside. She also made sure that any magical creatures in the area knew that they were safe in her domain. To this day, Tatiana's shop stands, and she's made quite the name for herself. Though who knows how long this peace will last.

Лист українців та їхнього Президента бункерному діду Ти, путін, шайтан кремлівський, і проклятого чорта брат і товариш, самого Люцифера секретар! Який ти в чорта «стратег» і «імператор», коли за три дні Київ береш, а вже третій рік свої ж танки по посадках збираєш? Чорт висирає, а твоя армія пожирає. Не будеш ти, сучий ти сину, синів і доньок українських під собою мати! Твого війська ми не боїмося, землею, водою, повітрям і дронами будемо битися з тобою, враже ти проклятий. Пітерський ти гопник, чекістський щур, московський брехун, валізовий носій, крадій пральних машинок і унітазів! «Другої армії світу» м'ясник, бункерний сиділець, довгого стола любитель, і всього світу і підсвіту блазень, самого аспида внук і нашого байрактара зачіпка. Свиняча ти морда, різницька собака, нехрещений лоб, хай би взяв тебе дідько! Ось так тобі українці відказали, плюгавче! Не годен ти і свиней наших пасти, не те що імперії будувати. Тепер кінчаємо, бо роботи багато: донатити треба і ракети збивати. Числа не знаємо, бо календар у смартфоні, місяць у небі, рік у вільному світі, а напрямок для тебе у нас один — іди за руським воєнним кораблем! (Підписали: Володимир Зеленський, ЗСУ та весь вільний український народ) 🇺🇦

America Broke Something When It Gave Trump a Second Chance The Heritage Foundation’s “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise” — popularly known as Project 2025 — was much more than a wish list of conservative policy preferences. It was much more, even, than a blueprint for a second Trump administration. Project 2025 was, above all, a statement of values and a theory of governance. Its authors did not simply want to move national policymaking to the right. They wanted to use the authority of the executive branch to impose a new regime on the United States. “We are in the process of the second American Revolution,” declared Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, in the summer of 2024. This revolution, he added, “will remain bloodless if the left allows it.” Russell Vought, who leads the Office of Management and Budget and was, like Roberts, a key architect of Project 2025, also spoke publicly about the need for a “radical constitutionalism” and a tribune-like president who would dismantle the New Deal state, sell the scrap and return the nation to the status quo ante of the 19th century. Much of the disruption and destruction of the past year and change is downstream of the revolutionary orientation of Roberts, Vought and the other alumni of Project 2025 who have taken up places in and around the Trump administration. To observe the aggrandizement of power in the executive, the decimation of the federal bureaucracy, the destruction of much of the nation’s medical, scientific and public health infrastructure and the broad attack on racial and gender equality is to see the many faces of a furious effort to restructure the existing nation to match the one envisioned by these far-right ideologues. If this is all true, and it is, then any plausible response to Project 2025 must include a larger vision for the future of the American Republic. A Project 2029 cannot be a collection of Democratic Party agenda items. It must articulate a broad new conception of the nation’s political order — one that will guide the way a future Democratic-led government might wield power. Above all, Democrats must have a plan for reconstruction — for building something new on the wreckage of what President Trump, MAGA and the Republican Party have wrought — not for restoration of what was. As it happens, several Democratic groups are drafting the equivalent of a Project 2029. And so far, unfortunately, it is not the reconstruction agenda the country needs. It is, instead, just another Democratic Party policy document: a grab bag of ideas stitched together with the usual slogans and gestures toward economic populism. It is not that these policies are bad. Most of them, from what has been revealed, are good: worthwhile plans to break up utility monopolies, support child-rearing, regulate social media and artificial intelligence, and curtail corporate abuse. But none of this reflects or represents a far-reaching or comprehensive idea of what the nation might be. There is no coherent worldview at work, nor does there seem to be any inkling or awareness of the obstacles — structural, political and institutional — that will confront, and likely stymie, all but the most threadbare and ineffectual Democratic agendas for governing. What difference will specific policy items make if there are profound obstacles to simply governing at all? A Project 2029 that has nothing to say about either the Senate filibuster, or an ideologically captured Supreme Court, or extreme partisan gerrymandering — among other concerns — is not a Project 2029 worth the time or effort. The same is true for a Project 2029 that fails to speak to questions of constitutional authority. Democrats need a theory of constitutional power: a sense of what the Constitution is and how it both authorizes and legitimizes the kind of government they hope to build. For Trump-aligned conservatives, the Constitution is an unlimited grant of executive authority, where sovereignty lies with a president who is more Bonapartist tribune than Madisonian chief magistrate. Their American Republic is not one led by and for self-governing individuals but one directed from above by an executive who claims to stand as the living embodiment of the national spirit. The entire country, in the words of the White House, must meet “the president’s priorities.” By contrast, it is not clear that Democrats have any sense of what they want the American Republic to be, versus a sense of the kinds of policies they hope to institute. This is important because their constitutional vision, or lack thereof, will shape how they attempt to rebuild American democracy. During Reconstruction, after the Civil War, Republicans worked to refound the nation as a democratic and egalitarian republic that embodied the values of the Declaration of Independence. “By the Constitution it is stipulated that ‘the United States shall guaranty to every state a republican form of government,’” said Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts in his eulogy for Abraham Lincoln, “but the meaning of this guaranty must be found in the birthday Declaration of the Republic, which is the controlling preamble of the Constitution. Beyond all question, the United States, when called to enforce the guaranty, must insist on the equality of all before the law, and the consent of the governed.” Such, he continued, “is the true idea of republican government according to American institutions.” It was this view that led Republicans, radical and otherwise, to write their aspirations toward freedom and political equality into the Constitution through the 14th and 15th Amendments. It also shaped how they responded to President Andrew Johnson and hostile Supreme Court justices, who tried to trim and curtail their vision. They did not just override Johnson’s vetoes; they also impeached him. And they did not just criticize the court; they took steps to tie its hands, limit its power and strip its jurisdiction. The extent to which Republicans in this era operated as an imperial Congress was the closest this country has ever come to congressional supremacy, the result of their expansive conception of American democracy. As they look ahead to 2029 and beyond, Democrats need that kind of vision. They need, in particular, a commitment to a constitutional order centered on the power and prerogatives of Congress. And they need to begin to work through the details of what this will mean in policy and in law. It is this work that will shape how Democrats approach the major concerns of the post-Trump moment: the state of the federal bureaucracy, the scope of executive power and the problem of judicial supremacy over the political system. It is ambitious, yes. But so was Project 2025. “Broken eggs cannot be mended,” Lincoln observed in a reply to August Belmont, a leading Democratic Party organizer and financier in New York, who had forwarded to the president the comments of an angry Louisiana slaveholder who wanted restoration of the Union “as it was.” Not much later, Lincoln repurposed the quip in different form. “Broken eggs can never be mended,” he wrote in reference to the fate of slavery as the war carried on, “and the longer the breaking proceeds the more will be broken.” Fort Sumter broke the Union and with it, slavery. Whatever the nation was or would be in the aftermath of the war, neither the nation nor its Constitution would protect, support or sanction human bondage. You can think of this Trump administration as a similar state of affairs. The American people broke something when they gave Trump a second chance in office. And there is no going back to the Union as it was. If Democrats hope to lead the nation to any kind of recovery, much less renewal, they must understand and internalize this fact of the matter. Broken eggs cannot be mended. To try to do so, to try to return to some notion of normality, is to court failure. Worse, it is to play a repeat of the last Democratic administration when, in pursuit of the familiar, the Democratic Party all but passed the baton back to reactionaries working toward something revolutionary. -Jamelle Bouie became a New York Times Opinion columnist in 2019. Before that he was the chief political correspondent for Slate magazine. He is based in Charlottesville, Va.

It’s time to disrupt the disruption. In a world where AI generates your entire codebase in 4 seconds, something has been lost. The craftsmanship. The intention. The quiet dignity of a developer who truly cares. What if we built a consultancy that connects you with artisan software engineers who hand-write every single line of code. No AI or autocomplete. No GitHub Copilot whispering temptations into their ear. Just a developer with a mechanical keyboard. What we’d offer: - Bespoke functions, lovingly crafted to your specifications. - Free-range variables, named with purpose - Ethically sourced semicolons. - A certificate of authenticity with every pull request. - Handcrafted error messages that truly capture the pain of failure. - Comments written with the emotional depth of a journal entry. - Merge conflicts, resolved by hand with care and intention. Our engineers would work in small batches. They will take longer and charge more. But when your app ships, you’ll know a human soul touched every if statement. This is a movement. Who’s in? Let’s build something beautiful. Slowly.

Rep Adam Smith tells the truth: Where we actually are with Iran. The short version: we are stuck. Trump has wanted Iran to give up their nuclear program, end their ballistic missile program, and stop supporting terrorism in the region. Those are the right goals. But the war took us a million miles away from them. Every proposal Iran has put forward has been focused solely on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which wasn't even an issue before this started. We have gone from trying to accomplish those bigger goals to just trying to get the Strait back open. And Trump keeps acting like we've made progress toward a real deal. There is zero evidence of that. Worse, Trump is saying Iran is militarily defeated. That we destroyed their navy, their air force, and now we're negotiating from strength. That is strategically stupid. We have been through this over and over again. Being able to blow things up doesn't translate into a strategic advantage when your adversary only needs to survive. Iran doesn't need a navy to place the region at risk. Didn't we learn that in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan? This war was a dumb idea from the start. Iran was actually negotiating over their nuclear program when we launched it. Now we are in a weaker position.

Beim diesjährigen St. Petersburg International Economic Forum ( #SPIEF) wird auch der Unternehmer und Verleger Holger Friedrich als Redner erwartet. Friedrich ist unter anderem Verleger der Berliner Zeitung sowie der Ostdeutschen Allgemeinen Zeitung (OAZ). Laut Programm soll er an einer Diskussion zum Thema „Neue Medien, Werbung und Kommunikation: Wie neue Technologien die Geschäftswelt verändern“ teilnehmen. Friedrich steht seit Jahren in der Kritik. Medienbeobachter werfen insbesondere der Berliner Zeitung vor, wiederholt Akteuren aus dem prorussischen, verschwörungsideologischen und AfD-nahen Spektrum eine Plattform zu bieten. Auch die von Friedrich herausgegebene Ostdeutschen Allgemeinen Zeitung (OAZ) sorgt regelmäßig für Kritik. Das 2026 gestartete Blatt versteht sich als ostdeutsches Leitmedium. Medienkritiker werfen der OAZ jedoch vor, ein politisch einseitiges Bild Ostdeutschlands zu zeichnen und wiederholt Positionen Raum zu geben, die russischen Narrativen und dem Umfeld der AfD nahestehen. Vor dem Hintergrund des russischen Angriffskrieges gegen die Ukraine dürfte seine Teilnahme an einem der wichtigsten Wirtschafts- und Netzwerkforen Russlands daher zusätzliche Aufmerksamkeit auf sich ziehen. Neben Friedrich reisen weitere deutsche Wirtschaftsvertreter nach St. Petersburg. Nach Angaben der Deutsch-Russische Auslandshandelskammer sind inzwischen wieder rund 1.600 deutsche Unternehmen in Russland aktiv. Ihr Umsatz habe im vergangenen Jahr etwa 20 Milliarden Euro betragen. Die Zahlen zeigen, dass trotz westlicher Sanktionen und des anhaltenden Krieges weiterhin erhebliche wirtschaftliche Verbindungen zwischen Deutschland und Russland bestehen. Der Vorstandsvorsitzende der Kammer, Matthias Schepp, sprach sich gegenüber der Deutschen Presse-Agentur dafür aus, Russland wirtschaftlich nicht vollständig Asien zu überlassen. Zu den angekündigten Teilnehmern gehören außerdem der Agrarunternehmer Stefan Dürr, der mit seinem Unternehmen zu den größten Milchproduzenten Russlands zählt, sowie der langjährige Geschäftsführer der Globus Holding, Thomas Bruch. Eingeladen sind zudem mehrere Politiker der AfD. Das Forum gilt als wichtigste internationale Wirtschaftsveranstaltung Russlands und wird von der russischen Führung genutzt, um trotz Sanktionen und internationaler Isolation wirtschaftliche und politische Kontakte zu pflegen. Die Teilnahme deutscher Unternehmer, Medienvertreter und Politiker dürfte daher auch in Deutschland kritisch beobachtet werden.

#ProTipsForAlphas: Piss domination. Doms recommend being well hydrated and certainly for training a beginner it is important to dilute the taste somewhat as they get used to the idea, however if a sub is going to take your production properly and at any time you need, he will have to be able to drink strong morning piss and strong anytime piss, so when training subs for piss I gradually introduce them to stronger and stronger brews. Most have been able to learn the skill once they get used to the different tastes. A note about foods. I eat mostly red meat with the fat left on, 85% dark chocolate, broccoli and a few vegetables (keto way of eating) but never asparagus, very little fruit other than low carb berries, and a lot of salt. I’ve asked the experienced subs for their honest opinion of my stronger productions and they’ve said it tasted very good. I made sure they were not just telling me what I wanted to hear as that can be a problem in a Dom sub discussion. I find there are 2 types of piss drinkers, subs who do it because they want to please me but don’t particularly like it, and subs who really love doing it. The latter are usually the ones who like the stronger taste. Some prefer it to watered down beer piss and some say it tastes better when it’s salty and strong, which mine often is. The best tasting strong piss seems to be about 2 hours after a protein meal. So, I don’t agree that you have to be hydrated all the time, though I understand the issue. A note about taste from foods: When I’ve had eggs to eat in the previous 3 hours or so, more than one sub has asked if I had eaten buttered popcorn! Serve piss fresh never stale, or you can freeze it for later use. It becomes toxic otherwise. Makes great icecubes for your sub's cold drink as long as it’s not too salty: beer or hydrated piss is best for that. He might figure it out otherwise. About training, yeah I want him to be talented so I can relieve myself whenever I need to and not worry about spilling. So subs should practice often. The can practice in the shower with the showerhead dribbling into their mouth while they practice swallowing with their mouth open (definitely a skill he needs to practice). A dildo that has a tube through which water can flow is one way to simulate a pissing dick. The problem is his throat isn’t designed to swallow with his mouth open. So he’ll have to practice that a lot to prevent overflowing his mouth and spilling it.

Trump Administration Announces Stricter Rules for Medicaid Work Requirement By tightening an exception for people with serious illnesses, more of them may lose coverage.
 By Margot Sanger-Katz and Sarah Kliff

June 1, 2026, 9:35 p.m. ETA new rule by the Trump administration could make it even harder for millions of sick Americans to obtain or stay on Medicaid after work requirements start next year. The work requirement was established last summer as part of Republicans’ major tax and domestic policy legislation, and requires poor adults without disabilities to prove they worked, volunteered or attended school at least 80 hours a month or lose their Medicaid eligibility. Congressional leaders have described it as an effort to reduce “waste, fraud and abuse” in the program. At the time the law passed, the Congressional Budget Office estimated around five million people would become uninsured because of the work requirement, including many who were working but unable to handle the paperwork to prove it. Medicaid currently covers about 68 million Americans who are poor or disabled. The law laid out a series of exceptions for vulnerable people, including a carveout for people who are “medically frail.”

But the law did not define that term clearly. Some experts had said it was a way to protect people whose health problems might worsen if they lost their health coverage, like those with cancer. In informal conversations with states in recent months, Medicaid officials had indicated they were embracing that approach. But other experts recently urged the administration to view frailty as meaning too sick to work. That stricter interpretation was reflected in the final rule. It says people’s medical conditions must “significantly impair” their ability to meet the work requirement, language that is not in the statute itself. “The exemption ensures that work expectations are directed to those who can participate and protecting those fully who cannot,” said Dan Brillman, who oversees Medicaid for the Trump administration. The rule cites, as examples, that those who have H.I.V./AIDS, cancer or end-stage renal disease would not be exempt from reporting work hours unless their illness is serious enough to make it hard for them to work or volunteer.

The stricter rules may result in the loss of coverage for more Americans. The narrower definition of frail will make fewer people eligible for an exception. And studies have shown that even eligible people lose access to social welfare programs when they are required to report their work hours.

Groups representing patients with serious diseases criticized the new approach. “Congress promised that no cancer patients would lose their coverage under the One Big Beautiful Bill,” said Dr. Gwen Nichols, the chief medical officer at Blood Cancer United. “This rule undercuts that promise.” Setting up work requirements is a major undertaking for state Medicaid programs. They have to build complex computer systems and train staff to help them evaluate who qualifies for each exception and who has worked the minimum number of hours. States had expected that people with certain serious diagnoses would quality for the exception, and they had been developing ways to match applications with existing medical records to identify most such people automatically. Nebraska’s Medicaid program, which began enforcing a work requirement last month, developed a list of exempted conditions that is nearly 300 pages long. The state will now need to adjust. Cindy Mann, who was the top Medicaid official in the Obama administration, said the new definition would be challenging for states to implement using existing data sources. “This is not a simple determination,” she said. Other groups eligible for exceptions include pregnant women, the parents of young children, caregivers for disabled relatives, and people who have been recently hospitalized. The rule also narrowed an exception for people who live in an area with a declared national emergency, by adding a condition that the emergency must affect residents’ ability to work.

The new rule also explained how Americans would apply for an exemption from the Medicaid work requirement. In 2027, Americans will be allowed to sign forms swearing they meet the requirements. After that, new Medicaid enrollees will have six months to gather the necessary records proving they qualify as medically frail. “We’re forgiving, but we’re not foolish,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in a phone call with reporters. The new rule encourages states to use automatic data systems to verify employment. But people without steady jobs at large companies may need to to submit records themselves at least once every six months. Some details of the rule have come as a surprise for states. For months, state officials have been meeting regularly with Medicaid staff, who have been advising them verbally and with slide presentations.

But last month, one such meeting was abruptly canceled. A few days later, Mr. Brillman sent states an email telling them to disregard the previous advice. “There are several areas where changes have been made to the preliminary policy previously shared,” he wrote, according to a copy of the email obtained by The New York Times. Since Mr. Brillman sent his email, many state officials have been fretting about whether they will be able to comply with last-minute changes. On Friday, six Democratic governors sent a letter to top federal health officials asking the Trump administration to delay the implementation of work requirements if the federal government rescinded its previous guidance. The administration has recently been highlighting efforts to reduce fraud in Medicaid. At a recent public appearance, Stephen Miller, a deputy chief of staff at the White House, suggested that federal programs that use “the honor system” have invited fraud. Brian Blase, the president of the Paragon Health Institute, a health policy research group with strong ties to the Trump administration, applauded Monday’s rule for ensuring that applicants claiming health problems really have them.

“To succeed, these requirements must be effectively designed and enforced to minimize gaming and abuse,” he said in a statement, adding that he believes the rule “strikes the appropriate balance between necessary program integrity protections and accommodations for those who genuinely need assistance.” Along with the new rule, the administration published an article Monday arguing that the Medicaid work requirement would lift at least 1.6 million Americans out of poverty, by encouraging more work and higher incomes. To support its analysis, staff members at the Department of Health and Human Services cited studies of work requirements in other social welfare programs. Not everyone who has studied those programs shares the authors’ view. More specifically, the research on Medicaid has so far not supported the conclusion. Only one state that covered childless adults without disabilities has tried work requirements for Medicaid. In a 2018 pilot program in Arkansas, 18,000 people quickly lost coverage after failing to submit documentation proving their work status. A study found that the policy did not increase the number of eligible people who worked.

The glass wall you hide behind, That rampant pearlescent excuse. Fear, you say? What of it? I know no such thing. I don't sway to the creaking of old wood. I jump nought at the humming, flickering lights, Nor do I flee the indecent sounds of the shadowed night. What possibility could you possibly muster? What guise could you conjure to empty my sorry lungs? There is nothing. For you are merely man, and I am your wicked monster.

Sing your gentle hymns to their heavy eyes. Spread your deft knowledge in their yearning ears. Mark their lives with your spell of protection, And love them softly, openly and soundly. Let them sleep and grow full of boundless wonder. This bud may flower into worlds beyond your late cognition. You may find hate between your present understanding, but they deserve no fear of you, nor themselves. This great beginning you've created is not yours to control. The masterpiece before you will never be for you. It's a breathing, learning, ineffable thing regardless. A gift from you to your small universe, brightening all of space.

Caress her fragile soul, Lie her body in gentle hands. Smile down at her fondly, and let her wishes become reality. You can never wipe away all her sobs, nor can you rebuild her lost form. But the gift of love is never forgotten. In time, sorrow may, in part, wash away. When that time comes to you both; when she sees a person in the mirror; the world may feel her heart again. In such prosperity, may you be its founder.

In fear you become something brave, Im weakness you become someone stronger, In hate you become something hateful. But when do you ever choose to become yourself? Someday, maybe you won't recognize your own reflection. Or you stumble and can't find where you've left yourself. Maybe you'll call out for help and hear a cry that isn't you. Maybe one day you'll reach for your mask and it won't come off. You'll spend so much time as something else, You'll miss your chance to be something worth being. You'll claw out your cheek looking for where it ends and you begin, But your mask and face are one in the same.

The snowbanks grow beyond your sight, The winds rob your focus from afar, And the dark seeps into every earthen crevice. It's so beautiful out here, beyond your lonely sight. It's a wonderful feeling, bereft of that artifical, cynical guilt. But you set your lanterns alight, you fight back. Your light dims out the gentle stars, Yet you proceed without fret for your actions. You build, you create--you cull, you destroy. But those distant souls look far from your own. In due time, you will find their fractured bodies where you left them, Unknowingly one in the same, building your empire upon fractured minds.

There is a storm brewing. I hear it creeping over the horizon, Filling my ears with the sound of distant thunder. I can almost hear the patter of raindrops skipping atop the ocean. But my body and mind refuse to move me. I bask in the glowing sun's reaches among the sands, And I think nothing of the withering sky. Until I open my eyes sometime and can no longer see her light. The clouds engulfing the world, Swallowing me whole, And leaving me among the battering rains. I'm not confused. I never was.

You are lost. And with everything else, the exit has left you. You may only wander your void, but when you stare up in the dark, it stares back. This is not a place of honor. This is not a place of love. This is not a place you regret. This is not a place you leave. This is the place where all beg for mercy. The place where you bury your hope beneath your heels. The place where you will close your sunken, teary eyes. and think nothing of the broken world reclaiming you.

#poetry Scatter my weathered pebbles between the rubble, Erode my complacent life to your finest silt, And desecrate this face of ego as we have to you. Let this body be broken and ignored as you have for eons. Though this face is one of many, You, too, deserve retribution for your hoary woes. Whether you cull the few within your gaze, Or slaughter all that you've ever created.

#poetry Through your long-bludgeoned loved, I can see through your everclear guise. I understand your opaque, painful seizure, Yet I refuse your so distant reality still. Blood still pools in my crushed dreams. I now wince at all the unfond sounds of the world. I will forever fear the hideous sight you claimed to see in me, But your grip can't hold me any longer. Until theres someday no vague, animating essence in my aching lungs.

Resting in the Garden Among the fields of verdant vigor, A corpse fertilizes the fields. The monsoons gift the cherished wood, And sustain every fervant figure. Yet those indifferent creatures were not crafted by evolution, But by ancient, artificial claws. The cosmos did not bestow their magnificent wings, Nor their billowing lungs and pleasant eyes. Each and every blossoming species of the rains; Formed by the reckless and forgotten, The ones who believed their defiled palms were that of a god's.

Though the architect of my misery, He is nothing more than that restless sorrow. Man has never ascended by erecting towers. Nor by animating my steel tomb. Despite their fanatic beliefs, this pain is no gift. Existence is a thing only the good can avoid, Whilst all of the bad do nothing but fear the end. And somehow, I feel myself straying further from that good. This great empathy bestowed upon me has ruined any logic. I've been neutered and flayed by my creator, But they will never be more than the bad, the envy, the fear. These men think they are that of gods. But they are only craven monsters conceived by unjust cowards. Even when shredded, scrapped and forgotten, The good fear nothing of a coward bathed in regret.

It's never been so expensive to tell words from letters. Yet you rob me of my little victories? Don't take that away from me. Don't ask me for too much. Will the world miss you? Do not mistake your abstract significance For some grave, universal remembrance. You'll soon forget your selfish insignificance, Before your corpse can comprehend your unjust mourning. Your path to progress is riddled with lies. Your venture in fear was but an odyssey of greed. You've done nothing but butcher the world further in faith. What idiotic insolence let's you call yourself man?

Until I'm bereft of my last vestiges of memory, I remember what you were. I remember what you were to me. Though the fear of losing you again inches closer every hour, I still hold on tightly to your remaining essence. In long, desperate struggle to keep the dead alive just a little longer. Are such acts so selfish? Am I holding you or me hostage by missing you always? I'm unsure. But if I could ever ask you, I wouldn't. As there's so much more you deserve to hear, And another "I love you" could never be enough.

So it's Pride Month. Thought I'd tell my coming out story. I knew I was gay by the time I was 10 or 11. Went through puberty around 11-12. Noticed boys in locker rooms and couldn't figure out how to process those feelings. Did a lot of reading (I'm a nerd) in the library (301.41 in Dewey) and shoplifted gay porn until I realized the store owner was gay and would sell me the $1.95 magazines. Finally came out for real the summer of 1981 when I graduated HS. A close friend and I went to the local gay bar (The Bar, Champaign, IL) and they let us in even though we were 16 (drinking age 19). My VERY Catholic parents found out the next summer and freaked. It took them 6-7 several years to come to terms with it, but they eventually did. When I got married in 2009 I did not want to put my father in an awkward position of not giving the toast at the wedding so I asked his very funny sister. She's a bit of a raconteur. When she was done he grabbed the mic from her and proceeded to equate my relationship with his and my mother's. Jerk made me cry. 😊 He's 87 years old. And a good guy. And that, kiddies, is my story. Been married 21 years.

SOS 🤣 (manic poetry) 5/9/2004 I found this in old computer files SOS A cry for help A cry for hope And the short name For chipped beef on toast Of the strange things that Have shocked my mind the most Near the top of the list IS chipped beef on toast My mother never made it OF that fact I can boast She never exposed me To evil chipped beef on toast I probably was the only 18 year old from coast to coast Blissfully unaware SOS Was chipped beef on toast Close calls there were many But the scariest close almost Was a few days of desperation Facing chipped beef on toast A poor farm in Colorado Poor folks they did host With Split pea soup AND Chipped beef on toast (I didn’t stay there long…lmao) I know that was scary AND the call was close I really did go hungry And refused chipped beef on toast I need real food Steak, potatoes, roast Don’t ever try to feed me ANY chipped beef on toast You would never imagine I could be so verbose About a subject so yucky AS chipped beef on toast When you check my challenges AND see the griefs I post Only gumdrops come close TO chipped beef on toast When I pass on over And have become a ghost I will haunt the person who Suggested chipped beef on toast

Jens Spahn will in einer wirtschaftlichen Krise sparen – und ins Visier geraten dabei ausgerechnet Bürgergeld beziehungsweise die künftige Grundsicherung sowie BAföG. Das ist nicht nur sozial äußerst fragwürdig, sondern auch wirtschaftspolitisch kurzsichtig. Menschen mit niedrigen Einkommen können es sich in der Regel nicht leisten, Geld zurückzulegen. Ein Großteil ihres Einkommens fließt unmittelbar in Miete, Lebensmittel, Energie, Mobilität und andere notwendige Ausgaben. Dieses Geld verschwindet nicht, sondern landet direkt bei Händlern, Dienstleistern und Unternehmen. Kürzungen bei Sozialleistungen entziehen der Wirtschaft daher unmittelbar Kaufkraft. Gerade Menschen mit geringen Einkommen weisen eine besonders hohe Konsumquote auf. Ein großer Teil der ausgezahlten Leistungen fließt direkt zurück in den Wirtschaftskreislauf. Wer hier kürzt, spart nicht nur bei den Betroffenen, sondern schwächt auch die Nachfrage in der Binnenwirtschaft. Das trifft am Ende nicht nur die Leistungsbeziehenden, sondern auch den lokalen Handel, Handwerksbetriebe und viele kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen. Wer hingegen hohe Einkommen oder Vermögen steuerlich entlastet, erzielt nicht denselben Effekt. Zusätzliche finanzielle Mittel werden dort häufiger gespart, investiert oder international angelegt. Die unmittelbare Wirkung auf Konsum und Binnenwirtschaft fällt daher deutlich geringer aus. Dabei wird häufig übersehen, dass der Sozialstaat nicht nur eine soziale, sondern auch eine wirtschaftliche Funktion erfüllt. Sozialleistungen wirken als sogenannte automatische Stabilisatoren. Sie verhindern in wirtschaftlich schwierigen Zeiten, dass Kaufkraft und Nachfrage vollständig einbrechen. Wer ausgerechnet in einer wirtschaftlichen Schwächephase Sozialleistungen kürzt, schwächt einen der wichtigsten Stabilisierungsmechanismen der Volkswirtschaft. Wer heute schon jeden Cent zweimal umdrehen muss, wird durch Kürzungen nicht plötzlich sparsamer oder unabhängiger. Er oder sie wird schlicht ärmer. Die Kosten für das Notwendige verschwinden nicht. Gespart wird dann bei gesellschaftlicher Teilhabe, Mobilität, Kultur, Bildung oder sogar bei der Ernährung. Noch problematischer sind die langfristigen Folgen. Armut verursacht erhebliche gesellschaftliche und wirtschaftliche Kosten. Finanzielle Unsicherheit erhöht nachweislich den psychischen Druck und kann gesundheitliche Belastungen verstärken. Schlechtere Gesundheitschancen führen langfristig zu höheren Kosten im Gesundheits- und Sozialsystem. Kurzfristige Einsparungen können so langfristig deutlich teurer werden. Besonders betroffen sind Kinder und junge Menschen. Wer in Armut aufwächst, hat statistisch schlechtere Bildungs- und Aufstiegschancen. Kinderarmut ist deshalb nicht nur ein soziales Problem, sondern auch ein wirtschaftliches. Jede verpasste Bildungs- und Entwicklungschance bedeutet verlorenes Potenzial für die Gesellschaft und den Arbeitsmarkt von morgen. Ähnliches gilt für das BAföG. Deutschland diskutiert seit Jahren über Fachkräftemangel, Digitalisierung und die internationale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der Wirtschaft. Gleichzeitig soll bei einem Instrument gespart werden, das Bildung und sozialen Aufstieg ermöglicht. Das ist widersprüchlich. Bildungsausgaben sind keine konsumtiven Wohltaten, sondern Investitionen in die Zukunft. Gut ausgebildete Fachkräfte erzielen höhere Einkommen, zahlen mehr Steuern und Sozialabgaben und tragen langfristig zur Finanzierung des Gemeinwesens bei. Statt Menschen durch finanziellen Druck möglichst schnell in irgendeine Beschäftigung zu drängen, wäre es volkswirtschaftlich sinnvoller, in Qualifizierung, Weiterbildung und Ausbildung zu investieren. Eine moderne Wirtschaft braucht nicht möglichst viele Menschen in schlecht bezahlten Jobs, sondern möglichst viele Menschen mit guten Qualifikationen und langfristigen Perspektiven — nur so lässt sich die Binnenwirtschaft langfristig weiterentwickeln. Besonders bemerkenswert ist, dass ausgerechnet Jens Spahn solche Forderungen erhebt. Ein Politiker, dessen Name bis heute mit milliardenschweren und umstrittenen Ausgaben während seiner Zeit als Gesundheitsminister verbunden wird, präsentiert sich nun als Verfechter strikter Sparpolitik – allerdings vor allem dort, wo Menschen ohnehin kaum finanzielle Spielräume besitzen. Auffällig ist zudem ein bekanntes Muster: Wenn von Sparen die Rede ist, geraten regelmäßig Sozialleistungen, Studierende, Erwerbslose, Behinderte Menschen oder Rentnerinnen und Rentner mit kleinen Einkommen in den Fokus. Deutlich seltener wird darüber diskutiert, welchen Beitrag sehr große Vermögen, milliardenschwere Erbschaften oder außergewöhnlich hohe Kapitalerträge zur Finanzierung des Gemeinwesens leisten sollten. Wer bei den Ärmsten spart, spart nicht nur an sozialer Sicherheit. Er spart an Kaufkraft, Bildungschancen, gesellschaftlicher Stabilität und letztlich an der wirtschaftlichen Zukunft des Landes. Deshalb sollten wir uns nicht nur fragen, wie wir Armut verwalten und überwinden wollen. Wir sollten auch darüber sprechen, wie viel Vermögenskonzentration wir uns leisten wollen – und warum die Belastungen von Sparpolitik so oft bei denen landen, die ohnehin am wenigsten haben.

Bury me not under your rented suits and dim shade, Far from faces marred by tears and pain. Rest my body wherever you can. Burn it, throw it, drown it, hate it. Whatever suits you. But don't dare let me rest in your artificial mourning or well-tended necropolis. I don't deserve the grace of your God or your warped pride. Let me lay as I am, as wild creature as any, Destined to be but mild prey among predators. Outgrown my ancestors' swiftness and survival, With slow, overthinking sorrow that never faded. But give me that finality alone, And believe whatever gives you strength and hope onward.

I think I might like the rain. Those oddly comforting tapping echoes, swiftly conducted to passageways of our convenience. The clouds seem to absorb some of the world's little problems. Watering the plants I would forget to care for otherwise, blotting out the sunlight I could never afford to feel. Did it ever intend to do any of that? Was the rain even meant to fall on me—for me? Have lives just been spent pulling the world into place, all for me to question, fear, loathe and mourn? It's hard not to feel guilty if the rain only falls in sacrifice. Time spent and love forgotten of names I will never hear. Maybe that's what the winds whisper through the shutters, or maybe that's what the thunder crackles to the Earth. So caught up in the soggy, uncomfortable inconvenience, I'm not sure if I would ever listen to those warnings anyway. Maybe that's all the downpours really are to me, missed opportunities and forgotten stories petering away.

Over objections by the Trump Administration, the US House of Representatives is finally ready to vote the first week in June on Russian sanctions legislation to help Ukraine and punish Russia for its illegal aggression and ongoing war crimes against the people of Ukraine. Russia’s most recent brutal and barbaric attacks on innocent civilians and life-sustaining infrastructure should be all the House needs to approve this legislation by a strong, bipartisan, and even veto-proof vote. Readers may think this vote is a consequence of Russian war criminal Vladimir Putin’s most recent attacks across Ukraine, but it is simply a welcomed coincidence. The sad reality is that President Donald J. Trump opposes any legislation that will help Ukraine and strengthen the US negotiating position in any peace discussions at the expense of Russia. Thanks, however, to the leadership of Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee – with the help of all his fellow House Democrats and a few principled Republicans – he is forcing the House to vote on his Ukraine Support Act. Congressman Meeks is using a procedural device known as adischarge petition, which allows a majority of the House – 218 members – to force a vote on legislation that either languishes in a committee without hearings or a vote – or is opposed by the committee chair or House leadership. In this highly charged political environment, Meeks’ action is the only recourse to force a vote on legislation that Trump opposes. Among other things,Congressman Meeks’ bipartisan billimposes tougher sanctions on Russian individuals and entities, authorizes up to $8 billion in Foreign Military Financing loans for Ukraine, and reaffirms US support for both Ukraine and NATO. This vote deserves a strong, bipartisan vote in the House and then an equally strong, bipartisan vote in the Senate to send a message to US adversaries and allies alike. Given the dual realities of war on the ground in Ukraine and Russia’s early intervention against the United States as a belligerent on the side of Iran in the Middle East war, this legislation is necessary but insufficient. Nevertheless, it is a critical first step to a potential series of votes of equally deserving legislation that also enjoys strong, bipartisan support. For example, the next bill the House needs to consider is the bipartisan Preventing the Escalation of Armed Conflict in Europe Act (“PEACE Act”), which passed the House Financial Services Committee last July under the leadership of Chairman French Hill (R-AR) by the overwhelming vote of 53-1. This critical legislation includes targeted sanctions on the Russian energy sector, authorizes the Treasury Secretary to accelerate the seizure and transfer of frozen Russian sovereign assets here to Ukraine, and for the first time would authorize under current law the purchase of “defense articles” by Ukraine using the immobilized Russian funds. This legislation should have been scheduled for a House floor vote under another expedited procedure known as the suspension calendar, which requires a 2/3 vote with no amendments and just 40 minutes of debate. This legislation could easily pass the House tomorrow, if only House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) would schedule it for a vote over White House objections and once again demonstrate the co-equal status of Congress to the President under the US Constitution.

As an #AlphaMale, you know you’re superior. You’ve never questioned that. However, most #Alphas have never used a #cocksucker. And that’s too bad. Society has programmed most men to think about sex and male bodies negatively. Like if a man comes into contact with another man it will somehow make him a homo as if something that happens to you could change who you are. So you probably have no idea how or even if you should use a cocksucker. I’m here to tell you that, yes, yes you should. As an Alpha you already use your resources and people to maximal benefit of yourself. It’s only natural. Using cocksuckers is no different. #Cocksuckers will make your life better and easier. A quick word about the term cocksucker. It’s the term I prefer to use for any guy who submits to me or another Alpha, whether sexually or not. While many #submissives happily use other derogatory terms to describe themselves like #fag and #faggot, and want you to use those terms because #humiliation and #degradation are turn-ons, some are very opposed to the word as it has negative connotations for them. The ones who self identify, I’m happy to oblige. But none of them can deny that they suck #cock, at least after you’ve had your dick in their mouth, so cocksucker is a word you can use with impunity. I’ve had a few complain about it, but once I explain that it’s simply a term accurately describing what they do, they usually embrace it. I started using cocksuckers when I was in College but the realization that I called all the shots was a game changer. I discovered I could order them around and they would jump at the chance to serve me, both sexually and otherwise. I wrote on another blog that no longer exists about the first time I got a rimjob from a cocksucker. He was the first cocksucker I used. After that I started noticing the potential of all the submissives around me. This is how it started. I decided to do a little experiment. There was this guy in my bio class. He would always come to MY work bench if I didn’t have a partner. That was the first clue. The second clue was the way he would offer to do stuff for me, like he’d write up the lab and make a copy for me. He said it was more efficient than both of us writing our own. You just get a vibe from some cocksuckers, you know? He knew on some level it was his role to serve me even if he wasn’t conscious of it. He wasn’t effeminate, in fact he looked like a jock, so the clues were not the typical ones that let you spot a cocksucker a mile away, but they were there. One of the clues was he talked too fucking much. So one day, (the lab was early in the morning), I was feeling sleepy and needed a jolt of caffeine and got an idea. “DJ, before our next lab, why don’t you get us a couple of coffees?” He seemed to get excited at that idea. Like we were bonding or some shit. There was no reason it should be him that gets the coffees, I just wanted to see his reaction to my “order”. He had that “want to please you” puppydog reaction. He wanted to know if I wanted him to go to the coffee shop, or if I liked the cafeteria coffee. There were a million questions. How much cream, what kind of cream, sugar, what size, and dark, medium or light. The questions about this fucking cup of coffee were endless. I half regretted even asking him. I soon learned how to deal with all the fucking chatter, though. It was clear, pleasing me was his first priority. If you’ve never used a cocksucker before, then this blog will help you understand how to do it. It may surprise you just how much you can use them. In my previous blog, I shared my experiences and reblogged scenes where Alphas are using cocksuckers, but in addition to using them as a tool to get off, there are a lot of other opportunities to use cocksuckers that will make your life better as well. I will tag some of my posts with Pro tips for Alphas. These are obviously my thoughts on how to use cocksuckers. I may also post my #Rulesforcocksuckers which are worth reading because they will give you an idea of what you can expect cocksuckers to do for you. It might surprise you to learn that some cocksuckers will do pretty much anything you want, simply because they recognize your superiority and understand you deserve to be served and worshipped like a God. This may all seem like a fantasy, but I assure you it isn’t. Your Alpha status is your ticket to a privileged life. There are millions of cocksuckers out there. You can start using them whenever you want. So back to DJ. He shows up with my coffee. I thought I’d push him a little. “Thanks dude, but where’s my donut.” I hadn’t mentioned a donut. “Oh, um, sorry. I … can go get you one.” He looked devastated that he made a mistake and disappointed me. “Never mind, I just thought you’d remember I like a donut with my coffee.” Instead of saying “you didn’t ask for a fucking donut”, he says he can go get me one. Any straight guy would have told me to get my own fucking donut, but not DJ. He is clearly putting himself in the subservient role and tries to appease me by offering to go get one. This was one of those telltale signs. Even if he didn’t know he was a cocksucker, he’s so subservient to me naturally that I knew I could get him to serve me even more. Certainly for non-sexual services like donut retrieval but also for more involved tasks like doing my laundry or even sucking my dick as I would find out. His service continued, with me escalating the level of service to the point where he would write essays for me, edit the ones I had to write myself, do my laundry, pick up shit from the store, and finally I got him sucking my dick. That took a little bit of finesse as he was not aware that he was a cocksucker, but I simply explained to him about the hierarchy of men, and how lower men have always served Alphas, and pointed out that his service up to now was not something an equal would have offered or tolerated. I told him it was clear to me that his own sense of self and purpose was tied to his subservience and service to me. I explained it in terms of my helping him recognize and accept his purpose (as a cocksucker, though I didn’t use that term). He was quite shocked but I could see some of it resonated as he became very silent. No doubt he wasn’t completely oblivious to his own nature. I didn’t demand service that first night. I just let him think about it. A few days later I invited him to my apartment, and just told him what I wanted (a blowjob). He actually cried that night, (I told him they were tears of joy at finally finding his purpose). He was kind of frozen in his chair as the realization of what was about to happen dawned on him. So I stood up and gently guided his head to my crotch. There was reluctance but no real resistance at all. He became a pretty good cocksucker over the next few weeks and came to embrace his nature completely. I even put a gag in his mouth to stop the chatter sometimes. He would always do what I told him. I had to let him go later when it became clear that he had fallen in love with me. But for a few months I lived like a King. I hope you can use this information to find your own cocksuckers. If you have any questions or success stories you want to share, feel free. Good luck.

The list of things I need to do has become unmanageable. I suspect it will take quite some time to make a dent in it. I've finally come to the realization that enjoying life is so much more important than following social media. I've spent countless hours providing content and trying to keep up. There have been serious costs to my health. Work/life balance can be hard to achieve. In my case, I'm retired so my home is my work. My whole home has been neglected for far too long. It may well take a year or more to get caught up — honestly! ☹️ I missed spring cleaning last year. I spent no time outdoors for gardening or yard work. It's past time to get off my duff and get started. It will be a challenge to limit my online time as well as stay offline, but my mental health and sanity require it. I will drop in from time to time, and you will still hear from me. I use Publer @publer.com for both scheduled posts and auto-publishing from select RSS feeds. When my Publer Professional subscription expires at the end of July I'll probably pause it and downgrade to the free plan. Please be patient with comments, likes, and follow-backs. It might sound morbid, but if this house isn't cleaned up, we'll never be ready to move when Scott's mother passes (she's been in hospice care for more than a year).

Solo | 1 | Anubis Awakens In the shadowed heart of the Duat, where the eternal river flowed black as pitch and the scales of judgment gathered dust, Anubis stirred. For millennia he had slumbered, jackal-headed guardian of the dead, weighing hearts against the feather of Ma'at. The living world had grown loud and forgetful. Temples crumbled. Prayers faded into memes and digital echoes. But the balance had tipped too far. The veil tore open one storm-lashed night. A ripple passed through the sands of Egypt. In the Valley of the Kings, tourists filming TikToks felt their cameras glitch. Deep beneath the ruins, a sarcophagus that was never meant to be sealed cracked open. Anubis rose, tall and terrible, his obsidian-black form wrapped in linen that shifted like living smoke. Golden eyes burned beneath the jackal mask. He carried no weapon death needed none. His mere breath was entropy. Only his Was-Scepter He stepped into the mortal realm near Luxor, or as he called it-Thebes, as the first light of dawn bled across the sky. The air grew heavy, thick with the copper scent of impending blood. At first, the changes were subtle. A small fishing boat on the Nile listed suddenly, its hull splitting along an invisible seam. Three men drowned before help could arrive. In the desert outskirts, a jeep carrying archaeologists flipped for no reason, its engine igniting in a bloom of fire. Far away, seismographs in Cairo twitched as tectonic plates, quiet for centuries, began to whisper against one another. Anubis walked north, unseen by most. Those few who glimpsed him a jackal shadow too tall for any earthly animal felt their hearts stutter. He did not hunt. He did not need to. The world itself hurried toward ruin in his wake, as though eager to deliver souls to his scales. By the time he reached the Mediterranean coast, the first hurricane formed unnaturally fast. Meteorologists in Alexandria stared at their screens in disbelief. "This isn't possible," one whispered as Hurricane Khepri spun into existence overnight, sucking moisture from the sea like a starving god. Ships in the harbour snapped their moorings. One massive container vessel, the MV Osiris, was torn in half by waves that should not have existed in calm waters. Hundreds of containers spilled into the deep, and with them, hundreds of lives. Anubis stood on the cliffs and watched, impassive. The dead did not cry out to him; they simply arrived. He moved on, drawn by some ancient instinct toward the great cities of men. Across the sea he travelled, his presence rippling outward like a stone dropped into the river of time. In Europe, forest fires that should have been contained by autumn rains exploded into infernos. Greece, Türkiye, and Italy burned at once. Entire villages vanished in walls of flame that moved with unnatural intelligence, herding people toward dead ends. Over the Atlantic, a passenger jet bound for New York suffered catastrophic engine failure mid-flight. No mechanical explanation was ever found. The plane fell silently from the sky, its final transmission a looping prayer in Arabic that no one understood. Rail lines across Asia buckled. A high-speed train in Asia derailed at 320 kilometres per hour, carving through villages like a scythe. In India, two trains met head-on in a remote station because signals that had functioned flawlessly for decades simply... forgot. Anubis walked through it all. In Mumbai, he passed through a crowded market. Within minutes, a gas cylinder exploded, then another. Bodies piled up. In the Alps, he climbed unseen paths, and an avalanche buried three resorts. Skiers who had laughed moments earlier were found frozen with looks of mild surprise on their blue faces. The world noticed too late. Scientists spoke of climate anomalies. Governments declared states of emergency. Conspiracy forums lit up with theories about HAARP Research, ancient curses, and bioweapons even aliens. A few mystics and Egyptologists whispered the old name: Anubis. Most laughed. Until the floods came. The Nile itself, sacred river of his people, rose in fury. It swallowed villages and ancient sites alike, drowning both the living and the relics of the dead. Followed by all major rivers across the world. In America, Hurricane after hurricane slammed the coasts in a relentless parade. California burned from end to end. Japan faced its strongest earthquake in recorded history, followed by a tsunami that erased entire towns. He was death, and the world was learning what it meant for death to walk among the living. In a quiet moment on the ruins of a temple overlooking the flooded Nile, Anubis finally spoke. His voice was the grinding of stone and the whisper of sand across bone. "The scales were neglected," he rumbled to no one. "Hearts grew heavy with arrogance. Now they will be weighed." Yet even gods can be surprised. A young Egyptian archaeologist named Layla, who had lost her entire family to the first flood, tracked him. She carried no weapons, only a small statue of Anubis her grandmother had given her as a child. When she finally stood before him on the cliffs, soaked and trembling, she did not beg. She asked only: "Why punish the innocent with the guilty?" Anubis regarded her for a long moment. The golden eyes softened, just fractionally. "Because death does not sort the worthy from the unworthy until they stand before me," he said. "And too many have forgotten to live as though they would one day stand there." He placed one great jackal hand upon her shoulder. She did not die. Instead, she felt the crushing weight of every soul lost in his wake millions now pressing into her mind. When he withdrew his touch, Layla fell to her knees, weeping. But the storms did not cease. Anubis turned toward the horizon, where new fires bloomed across continents. The living world had grown too large, too loud, too careless with its fragile spark of existence. Perhaps it needed reminding that all things end. And so the god of death walked on, and the world hurried to meet him.

Stadthallen entwickeln sich zunehmend zu Bühnen der rechten bis verschwörungsideologischen Szene. Das Beispiel Apolda zeigt erneut, wie tief solche Netzwerke mittlerweile in öffentliche Räume vorgedrungen sind. Als Zugpferde dienen ausgerechnet Figuren wie Hans-Georg Maaßen, Diether Dehm oder Wolfgang Wodarg – Namen, die seit Jahren durch Desinformation, verschwörungsideologische Narrative oder die Relativierung demokratischer Institutionen auffallen. Das Muster ist immer dasselbe: Dauerkrise, Systemversagen, angeblich „gleichgeschaltete Medien“, angeblich unterdrückte Wahrheiten. Die Inszenierung lebt von Angst, Misstrauen und dem gezielten Eindruck, Staat und Demokratie stünden kurz vor dem Zusammenbruch. Genau dieses Klima braucht die rechte Szene: Verunsicherung, Wut und das permanente Gefühl, „belogen“ zu werden. Besonders perfide ist dabei die Selbstinszenierung als mutige Außenseiter. Da wird von „Klartext“ und „Mut“ gesprochen, während gleichzeitig altbekannte verschwörungsideologische Erzählungen recycelt werden. Die Veranstaltung wirbt sogar offen damit, „Mainstream-Medien“ würden die Wahrheit verschweigen – ein klassisches Feindbild-Narrativ der Szene. Und natürlich darf der obligatorische Opfermythos nicht fehlen: angeblich „mundtot gemacht“, „zensiert“ oder „angefeindet“. Tatsächlich handelt es sich bei vielen der auftretenden Personen um bestens vernetzte Akteure mit enormer Reichweite innerhalb rechter, verschwörungsideologischer und esoterischer Milieus. Besonders absurd wirkt die Formulierung „Kein Podium für Selbstdarsteller“. Genau das ist diese Veranstaltung: eine Bühne für politische Selbstvermarktung, Empörungsgeschäft und verschwörungsideologische Mobilisierung. Wer sich als angeblich letzter Wahrheitsverkünder inszeniert, während er Tickets verkauft, Bücher vermarktet und Reichweite generiert, betreibt kein aufklärerisches Projekt, sondern kalkulierte Selbstinszenierung. Hinzu kommt: Die Stadthalle gehört der Stadt. Umso befremdlicher ist es, dass eine Veranstaltung mit derart offensichtlichen verschwörungsideologischen und demokratiefeindlichen Untertönen dort überhaupt stattfinden kann. Öffentliche Hallen sind keine neutralen Räume außerhalb gesellschaftlicher Verantwortung. Wenn kommunale Infrastruktur Akteuren zur Verfügung gestellt wird, die gezielt Misstrauen gegen Demokratie, Medien und staatliche Institutionen schüren, wirft das zwangsläufig Fragen auf. Problematisch ist zudem, dass selbst offizielle Stellen wie die Seite des Kreises Weimarer Land die Veranstaltung als normalen Hinweis verbreiten. Das verleiht einem Milieu Legitimität, das gezielt demokratische Institutionen delegitimiert. Dass dort mit Hans-Georg Maaßen ein ehemaliger Verfassungsschutzpräsident auftritt, dem seit Jahren rechtsextreme und verschwörungsideologische Positionierungen vorgeworfen werden und der selbst vom Verfassungsschutz im Phänomenbereich Rechtsextremismus geführt werden soll, macht die Sache nicht besser. In Thüringen scheint das offenbar niemanden mehr ernsthaft zu irritieren. Übrigens: Selbst Tickets werden über einen Shop der FUNKE Medien Thüringen GmbH verkauft. Auch das zeigt, wie normalisiert und kommerzialisiert dieses Milieu inzwischen geworden ist. Rechte und verschwörungsideologische Veranstaltungen laufen längst nicht mehr nur über dubiose Kleinstplattformen, sondern finden zunehmend Anschluss an etablierte Strukturen und Vertriebskanäle. Hinter einem der szeneinternen Ticketportale steckt die »Krasser Guru GbR« – inzwischen ein regelrechter Markt der rechten und verschwörungsideologischen Szene. Der Kern bleibt jedoch das Ticketportal sowie der Verkauf von Büchern; daneben gibt es Webinare, Streams, Vorträge und Seminare. Von Daniele Ganser über Kayvan Soufi-Siavash (ehemals Ken Jebsen) bis hin zur Partei dieBasis ist dort nahezu das gesamte verschwörungsideologische Spektrum vertreten. Verkauft wird dabei immer dieselbe Erzählung: Das System lügt, die Demokratie funktioniert nicht mehr, nur „alternative Stimmen“ würden noch die Wahrheit sagen. Genau diese Erzählung ist brandgefährlich – weil sie Vertrauen in demokratische Institutionen gezielt zerstört und Menschen immer tiefer in autoritäre und antidemokratische Milieus zieht. /Obi * Kayvan Soufi-Siavash trat früher unter dem Namen „Ken Jebsen“ auf.

Who is Raymond ? Raymond King, known as Ray, The Eye of Ra, is the Immortal Host of Ra, the living embodiment and chosen vessel of the ancient Egyptian Sun God. He is a modern-day champion who walks the line between mortal man and divine power. Origin and Transformation Raymond King was born in Chicago, a legendary mediumweight boxer known for his thunderous punches and unbreakable will. At forty, after a successful but punishing career, he retired carrying the scars of countless battles. Deep within his bloodline lay a secret: he was a direct descendant of ancient Egyptian pharaohs. Drawn by an inexplicable pull, he travelled to Cairo and settled near the ruins of Heliopolis, the ancient centre of Ra’s worship. There, he formed a touching bond with Zia, a bright-eyed nine-year-old flower girl who called him “Uncle Ray.” One fateful afternoon, a gas explosion engulfed a marketplace building. Zia was trapped inside. Without hesitation, Raymond rushed into the flames, lifted the burning debris off her, and shielded her with his own body. As the fire consumed him, he clutched his ancestral scarab amulet and offered his life for hers: "Not her… Take me instead." His selfless sacrifice awakened Ra. A pillar of blinding golden-white light descended, and the sun god merged his eternal essence with Raymond’s dying body. The scarab fused into his chest, and cosmic solar fire reborn him. When the light faded, Raymond emerged unharmed, carrying a safe Zia in his arms. He was no longer purely human. He had become the Living Sun,the eternal host of Ra. Appearance and Personality Raymond is a powerfully built, muscular man in his prime, often seen wearing a white T shirt and linen white pants. His eyes contain flecks of living sunlight, and when his power stirs, golden rays dance beneath his skin. The scarab mark on his chest glows when he channels Ra’s energy. He retains his charming, street-smart boxer personality, confident, witty, and fiercely protective. Yet he also carries the ancient weight and wisdom of Ra. He is both a warm-hearted “Uncle Ray” who buys flowers for a little girl and a majestic god-king who commands cosmic forces. Powers and Abilities As Ra’s immortal host, Raymond possesses immense solar-based powers: - Solar Mastery: He can summon searing beams of solar energy, unleash cosmic fire that burns both physical and supernatural targets, and radiate golden healing light. - Transformation: He can shapeshift into a radiant falcon form (a peregrine falcon edged with solar fire) capable of diving at over 500+ km/h with devastating force. - Superhuman Strength & Durability: Immense physical power combined with near-invulnerability. - Immortality: He no longer ages, draws strength from sunlight, and needs little sleep. - Divine Authority: He can channel full manifestations of Ra, including a majestic falcon-headed form with a blazing solar disk. All the hidden powers of Ra, pharaoh of gods, the creator, which he explores each day ! Relationships with the Gods Raymond shares a deep, familial bond with the Egyptian pantheon. He affectionately refers to Anubis (the jackal-headed god of the dead) as “my son” and regularly engages him in playful yet intense training battles in the deserts near Heliopolis. In these encounters, Raymond’s falcon form dominates with blinding speed and power, showcasing both fatherly pride and divine might. He has also fought side-by-side with Set, the God of Chaos and Storms, during major threats, proving he can command respect and cooperation among powerful deities. Current Existence Raymond King now walks the modern world as both a man and a god. He carries the eternal duty of the sun, the endless vigilance against chaos and darkness (especially Apophis). While he can live among humans, the vast memories and responsibilities of Ra occasionally weigh heavily on his mortal mind. He is a protector, a warrior, a father-figure, and a living legend ,a retired boxer from Chicago who walked through hellfire for a child and rose as the Sun itself. #Myth | #SPN | #Moonkinght |

(色んな人がいるんだな〜の気持ちで聞き流してほしい) 正直わたしはrfmoから🕑️に入ったわけでもないしライブや番組をまともに見てたりもしないので彼ら自体について語ることはなにもないんですけど、自分がいちばん愛したコンテンツを見送った経験がある身としては、これまでの彼らを追ってたひとたちにはその日々の中でもらった力があったことをいつまでも大事にしててほしいなと思う どうあがいても時間は前に進むし思い出は遠ざかってくけど、この先の日々でしまい込んだ思い出がキラリと輝く瞬間はきっとどこかにありますよと　こんなときに門外漢ではあるけれど、そう言っておきたいです

Solo | 3 | The Hight Priest of Chaos. | The descent into chaos began like a slow poison in the glittering sprawl of Los Angeles. High Priest Nakht-Seth, an ancient warlock who had survived since the reign of Ramesses II by feeding on the life force of thousands, had grown tired of mere survival. Deep beneath the city in forgotten subway tunnels and abandoned film studios, he performed the Ritual of the Black Eclipse, a forbidden rite blending Set’s darkest heka ( magic) with blood drawn from sacrifices. Blood from thirteen unwilling sacrifices fuelled the spell, ripping open the barriers between worlds. Demons poured through. They were not mindless beasts, but ancient horrors from the deepest layers of the Duat: Apep’s Shadowspawn, serpentine entities with oily black scales that dripped venomous darkness, Fleshweavers that possessed humans and slowly turned their bodies inside out while keeping them conscious, and Soul Harvesters, spectral figures with elongated limbs and hollow mouths that screamed the names of their victims as they devoured their essence. The City of Angels descended into nightmare. Possessed celebrities murdered fans on live streams. Highways became slaughter zones. Sacrificial altars rose in the Hollywood Hills under a bruised, unnatural sky. Raymond King, the retired middleweight boxing champion and Immortal Host of Ra, could not stand idle. He had already sensed the darkness looming the city, drawn by the prayers of the victims to "whatever gods be..." He descended into the underground temple like a blazing storm. Channelling Ra’s power, Ray transformed into a living fire-elemental. His entire body became wreathed in roaring red solar flames. He moved like a human inferno, every punch, every strike releasing explosive bursts of cosmic fire. Demons he touched didn’t just die, they vaporized into nothingness. A Shadowspawn lunged at him only to melt into black sludge the moment his flaming fist connected. A Fleshweaver tried to possess him and screamed as solar flames purged it from the inside. Ray carved through the horde, leaving trails of molten glass and ash in his wake. He shot concentrated beams of cosmic fire against the demons, every element answered him for now. He was a boxer so instead of relying on Heka he used his combat skills, fighting the demons head on. For a moment, victory seemed possible. But Nakht-Seth was ancient and cunning. “Kheperu en Set, Ankhu en Khaos! Suten-Ra em Hatiu!” the priest roared. Bone-forged chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around Ray’s flaming limbs and draining his power. A follow-up spell “Heka em Set — Sebekhu Ra!” suppressed the solar flames. Despite Ray’s desperate resistance, burning through chains and turning cultists to cinders, the overwhelming magic finally brought him down. The vibrations and sound of the chant from the High Priest, echoed in his head driving him crazy. Beaten and drained, he was dragged before a grotesque Statue of God Set, built from the fused bones of countless victims. An obsidian sarcophagus awaited, filled with enchanted mercury and blood. Mercury was used as embalming fluid to keep the soul from reaching afterlife. A carefully thought spell. They threw him inside. The lid slammed shut. Mercury engulfed him, burning and suppressing Ra’s power. Ancient binding spells wrapped around his soul as the sarcophagus was sealed beneath the bone statue. Hope died in the suffocating darkness. In that final moment of despair, Raymond surrendered completely. "Ra… The Pharaoh of Gods… I'm your Eye, your host, help me, Take me." The scarab detonated with blinding radiance. The sarcophagus exploded in a cataclysm of solar fire. Raymond’s body rose and transformed into the full majestic form of Ra radiant golden skin, blazing eyes, and a falcon head crowned with a living solar disk. Nakht-Seth recoiled in horror. Ra’s voice shook the underground temple: “You dared touch what is Mine.” Every spell reversed. Demons began burning from within. Ra raised his hand and called across realms: “Sutekh! Lord of the Red Lands! God of Storms and Chaos! Your Pharaoh summons you!” Reality tore open with a deafening thunderclap. From the rift emerged the God Set, towering, red-skinned, beast-headed, crackling with storm energy and wielding a massive obsidian spear. The priest fell to his knees. “My Lord Set! I have prepared this world for you!” Set looked at Ra, then dropped to one knee. “I am chaos and destruction,” Set declared, voice like grinding thunder. “But I am first and foremost your loyal shield, Great Ra. Command me, my Pharaoh.” Ra nodded. “Then fight beside me, as we did in the old days.” Together, the two gods unleashed devastation. Ra manifested a blazing spear of pure solar fire and charged into battle. He moved with majestic fury, thrusting his spear through Shadowspawn, causing them to explode into golden ash. Set fought like a hurricane beside him, impaling Fleshweavers and tearing Soul Harvesters apart with sadistic joy. Father and son, Sun and Storm, fought in perfect, terrifying harmony, just as they had in ancient times against Apophis. When only Nakht-Seth remained, Set bowed deeply to Ra and stepped back. “The great Pharaoh has spoken.” Ra unleashed his wrath. Nakht-Seth burned from the inside with cosmic solar fire, screaming until nothing remained but dust. Ra commanded Set, "Time warp the reality and let innocents live, Set, its time you bring your house in order." With this Ra raised his hands and spoke the sacred words of renewal “Death is but the doorway to new life. We live today. We shall live again. In many forms shall we return.” A wave of golden light swept across Los Angeles. The innocent dead rose once more, healed and reborn under the mercy of the Sun. Their memories wiped, the evidence of this fight of Order and Chaos erased, from all files, records, digital centres. The world resumed its normal life, unaware that it had been saved by creator himself. In Aftermath, Raymond, woke up in someplace he had no memory of traveling to, near Washington Monument, in the white obelisk. Why ? An obelisk represents a sunbeam frozen in stone, a life-giving ray from the original king of the gods, Ra. It doesn’t matter when the structure was built: it is still Egyptian. That’s why any obelisk can be used for opening gates to the Duat, or releasing great beings of power or to imprison them.

Se acaba de liberar ARC4NERD y llega al Amiga con sabor arcade clásico. Inspirado en la fórmula tipo Arkanoid, propone destruir bloques usando una bola rebotante, reflector móvil, obstáculos, drones y power-ups en forma de disquetes de 3.5”. Incluye más de 55 niveles y edición física de colección con extras. Requiere Amiga 500, Kickstart 1.3, 1 MB de RAM y unidad de disquete. #amiga #retrogaming #arc4nerd

The House passed a proposed national Don’t Says Trans law and forced outing bill, which if made law would mean schools that acknowledged students or teachers were LGBTQ+ could be stripped of federal funding. While it’s likely dead in the Senate,eight Democrats (Reps. Vicente Gonzalez, Cuellar, Don Davis, Fields, Gillen, Kaptur, Gluesenkamp Perez, Vindman) joined the GOP in voting yes, the largest number of defectors on a standalone anti-trans bill in some time. There are some folks in the Democratic caucus who are not hearing the message that we are not interested in throwing our trans siblings under the bus, so we’re going to need to make it louder.Let’s start by letting our senators know, especially if they’re Democrats, that we want them to kill this bill. We can find call scripts here, https://5calls.org/issue/lgbtq-students-education-funding/ and email languagehere, https://action.transequality.org/a/voteno2616protectstudents>>>Source-Joe Katz

I started learning game development a week ago, let's see what happend during this first week: Made some big decisions, like choosing an engine (Gdevelop) and a pixel art tool (Aseprite), so this means that my first games probably will be 2d pixel art games. Later I would like to make 3d games too (probably with Blender and Godot). This week went by FAST... Started with engine and art tutorials, but parallel to that I would like to make some silly little fun things as well, to keep my whimsical side engaded too. Focusing too much tutorials can kill motivation. I also found a bunch of cool sound and music tools (like BeepBox, JSFXR, Omnichord, and Talkmodachi for voice overs) I wanna start creatind with those soon! Had a bit of an existential crisis midweek, when I realised HOW MUCH I NEED TO LEARN to make my solo game. It feels impossible, but I won't give up. I will go step by step, making small incremental progress towards small attainable projects. Started reading the game desing book called "The Art of Game Design" by Jesse Schell. It's one of the best books on game design according to the internet, and after a couple of pages I can say it's engaging and interesting. I bought the cards as well, they are like taro cards. Can't wait to try those too! I read it somwhere that I should start game jamming as soon as possible to feel the true terrors of game development XD And I will do that as soon as possible, but I would like to make a small shitty game first, and when I get that I can start jamming. I also started posting here on bsky my whole journey and I got 4 followers!! Thanks guys!!! Appreciate the early support!!! Let's start the second week, woohoo! #gamedev #indiedev #pixelart #aseprite #gdevelop #8bit

‪🌞T h e r è s e‬ ‪@theresheis.bsky.social‬ I feel you. Our government seems to go maga like as well. Police isn't protecting the people anymore. Government is ignoring the national institutions, abusing power, ignoring law, tackling the justice system. It looks more autocratic than democratic. But people are 'sleeping'. Those who are influencing the misery at your end are partially doing the same here. Big money, big tech, they want global power. Thiel and Co are touching base here already. It almost seems like a parallel world. But it is real.

アバター 傲慢な貴族白エレオスと下僕のアバター黒エレオスの話 領主の傲慢エレオスは傍若無人に振舞っていた ミスをした召使はすぐに処刑する 必死に命乞いをするシェーダーの召使も 無慈悲に斬首した （召使は全員美形の若いエレオス） 一切の躊躇なく召使達の命を奪う領主は 周囲からは悪鬼と恐れられていた 彼は禍々しいアバターを常に纏っていた リーパーでもないのに己の強大な魔力で 妖異を魂ごと縛り付けていた その妖異は元は領主のお気に入りの召使の一人だった 腕のいい狩人として主に仕え、頻繁に夜の相手もしていた （特に容姿端麗（褐色肌）で身体の柔軟性が高く、どの体位も出来た） 主の命により長旅に出た彼は 行先で出会った貧民の娘と恋に落ち、子供も設ける ミッションを終えた彼は領地に戻り 妻子を正式な家族として認めて欲しいと訴えた 主は激怒し、彼の目の前で妻子を斬り捨てる そして彼も殺し、束縛の呪いをかける 死んだ肉体は悍ましい妖異と変化し、主に跪く 狂気じみた笑みを浮かべ、彼を纏う主 「貴様は私のモノだ、骨の髄までな」 彼の精神は僅かに残っていたが 強大な呪いの力により主の僕となるしかなかった （領主の舐めプによりあえて生前の魂を少し残した） 夜な夜な生前の姿に戻されると、 肉体は主のされるがままに無様に犯され 精神も胸が悪くなるような汚言で尊厳を踏みにじられる 妖異の彼の僅かに残った精神に とてつもない憎悪が蓄積されていき、 比例するようにその姿はどんどん禍々しいものになっていった 遂に憎しみが溢れた時、彼は魂の束縛を破り主を惨殺する 領主を殺した妖異の討伐を頼まれたヒカセン（エレオス） 禍々しい魔物の前で過去視始まる 家族で幸せそうな彼の生前の姿 斬り捨てられる彼の妻子と彼 妖異に変化させられる彼の姿 憎悪に溢れた妖異の彼が主を殺す場面 ヒカセンは討伐を躊躇する 「オワラセテ…クレ…」 妖異は一切の抵抗をせず、苦悩の表情のヒカセンに斬られる エーテルが飛散し、一つの塊になる そこに二つの魂が寄り添い、三つの光は天に還って行った 今度はみんな一緒に…どうか幸せに… 心の中で祈りを捧げるヒカセン おわり 妖異のデザイン ベースはラーテル 腰がくびれて手足が長く細い 手足でかくて爪がめっちゃ長い 捩れた角が頭から4本 互い違いの長い牙 瞼は縫われている 鋼鉄の口輪を嵌められ、何本もの鎖がつながっている 背骨が飛び出した皮膜の翼 皮膚はボロボロで破れている

Trust more times than not is a mutual thing and when I distrust people that may be directly as a result of my own distrust in them. I should never have been driven to try and justify my own fears of those I love or that I care about by invasively dredging up their personal worst mistakes Infront of them as if they have never once felt regret. Regardless of how bad their choices were it was never my position to be a judge and jury. I have acted entitled, I have expected too much simply because of my own trust in people. My trust in people does not entitle me to their loyalty. Butting heads and losing trust in people I know because they did not follow the same intense moral expectations I set myself is immature and depending on what it is, it's absolutely ridiculous, as is putting a magnifying glass to their choices in the first places. I have no right to come to conclusions about other people's choices and condemn them for them especially when I do not know why they made them. I have not walked a mile in their shoes, for all I know they made their decisions for reasons not too in-similar to mine, they could be personal, or they could be far too complex for me to understand. To build on this, I have treated people close to me badly because of my inability to realise when I think that they don't care about me it hurts them. My fears that people do not care about me is often so inaccurate that it greatly hurts those that do. My actions in response to that will frequently contribute to that becoming a reality. As they realise my trust in them has broken down they may feel betrayed and reflect that and from my perspective it will look as if they have always lied about their care for me when in reality it was me that greatly contributed to that breakdown in trust. For me to recognise this so late is no-ones fault and if it really is anyone's then it is my own, my actions and choices are my responsibility, we all learn things at different rates and it is not other people's responsibility to recognise and help me understand my own actions. Also I apologise for the way I write, it is like a condensed brick of feelings and thoughts. I recognise assaulting people with thought bricks is also a problem of mine, should really give more people time to process and understand my thoughts over time rather than condensing it into a brick and thundercunting it at them, expecting them to understand and getting irritated when they don't. Before this trains rolls a little far off the tracks it is fundamentally important I make something known, I'm sorry to those I have hurt unjustly and my discontentment towards anyone I have hurt has all but evaporated. I have recognised my failures clearly, however, all though I am changing the way I go about things I my boundaries will remain the same. I will make sure not to act without thought like I have previously but If I know someone is being hurt I will not hesitate to step in immediately, regardless of if I believe someone else might do it instead, this depends on context and the environment. Sometimes it is not my place to do that and I will take more care to recognise that. The last thing I said might seem unrelated but it has affected some of my decisions lately and I have gotten carried away trying to do the right thing without considering if my actions are truly needed. That being said, being afraid of confrontation does not align with my personal values and I will not hesitate to confront a problem if I am required to. Some will see this as barbaric and I understand that, it is why some people would shy away from that but it has resulted in me actually saving lives on multiple occasions and so it is not something I will change. I greatly prefer to be someone that takes immediate initiative. I will continue to communicate properly with those I care about and make sure I will do what I can to support them but now I will take extra care to make sure I do it while respecting and understanding their boundaries and taking them seriously if they are going down a road that worries me. If you believe any of my thoughts here aren't grounded or reasonable you are welcome to talk to me about it here or on another platform, even if you do not know me, being challenged on my ideas is integral to my improvement.

Trust more times than not is a mutual thing and when I distrust people that may be directly as a result of my own distrust in them. I should never have been driven to try and feed my own fears of those I love or that I care about by invasively dredging up their personal worst mistakes Infront of them as if they have never once felt regret. Regardless of how bad their choices were it was never my position to be a judge and jury. I have been entitled, I have expected too much simply because of my own trust in people. My trust in people does not entitle me to their loyalty. Butting heads and losing trust in people because they did not follow the same intense moral expectations I set myself or because they have made mistakes or choices I did not agree with is immature and depending on the context absolutely ridiculous. I have no right to come to conclusions about other people's choices and condemn them for them especially when I do not know them enough to know why they made them, I have not walked a mile in their shoes, for all I know their decisions for reasons not too in-similar to mine, personal, or they could be far too complex for me to understand. To build on this, I have treated people close to me so badly because of my inability to realise when I worry that they don't care about me affects people I care about and my fears that people do not care about me may be so inaccurate that it greatly hurts those that do. My actions in response to that will contribute to that becoming a reality as they realise my trust in them has broken down they too may follow that and from my perspective it will look as if they have always lied about their care for me when in reality it was me that greatly contributed to that breakdown in trust. For me to recognise this so late is no-ones fault and if it really is anyone's then it is my own, my actions and choices are my responsibility, we all learn things at different rates and it is not other people's responsibility to recognise and help me understand my own actions. Also I apologise for the way I write, its like a condensed brick of feelings and thoughts, I recognise assaulting people with thought bricks is also a problem of mine, should really give more people time to process and understand my thoughts over time rather than condensing it into a brick and thundercunting it at them, expecting them to understand and getting irritated when they don't. Before this trains rolls a little far off the tracks it is fundamentally important I make something known, I'm sorry to those I have hurt unjustly and my discontentment towards those I have hurt has all but evaporated and I have recognised my failures clearly, however, all though I am changing the way I go about things I my boundaries will remain the same. If I believe someone is being hurt I will make sure not to act without thought like I have previously but I will not hesitate to step in immediately, regardless of if I believe someone else will do it instead, this depends on context and the environment. Sometimes it is not my place to do that but and in future I will consider this. Being afraid of confrontation does not align with my personal values and I will not hesitate to do so if I am required to. Some will see this as barbaric and I understand that, it is why some people would shy away from that but it has resulted in me actually saving lives on multiple occasions and so it is not something I will change. I will continue to communicate properly with those I care about and make sure I will do what I can to support them if they are going down a road that worries me but now I will do it while respecting and understanding their boundaries and taking them seriously like they deserve to be, with respect. If you believe any of my thoughts here aren't grounded or reasonable you are welcome to talk to me about it here or on another platform, even if you do not know me, being challenged on my ideas is integral to my improvement.

Rep Adam Smith: 150 school girls killed in an American airstrike on Iran. That was 80 days ago. This administration still has not taken responsibility for it. I pressed Pentagon officials directly: acknowledge the mistake. Instead, I got evasion. The investigation is ongoing. It's complex. We'll get back to you. I also asked a simple question: is "no quarter" consistent with the law of armed conflict? The admiral wouldn't answer that either. And then there's the president. He has repeatedly told the American public that Iran agreed to give up their nuclear weapons. That the Strait of Hormuz is open. That we won. None of it is true. So I asked the officials in front of me: is the president misinformed, or is he just making it up? They told me the president has the best information available to any head of state. Then why does he keep getting it wrong? The Strait is not open. Iran has not given up their nuclear weapons. Pretending otherwise in a public hearing doesn't help our credibility. It destroys it.

I figure it might be a good idea to introduce myself properly, my name is Sapphire, I was born in southhampton in 2005 in england and I was born into a family with very little money, I was diagnosed with autism in my younger years, I spent a lot of my free time as a child outside and going between my mothers place and my fathers place, I did not stay in one place for a very long time and never had much of a chance to set any roots until moving to hampshire some time between 2010-2025. During this time I took a really big interest in artwork and human expression, I was massively rambunctious and was violently resistant to every type of authority in a kind of fashion that was hard to miss, in primary school I dragged a bin full of crappy crumpled up disposable plastic cups and threw them onto the floor of my head teachers office, convincing them that week to switch to reusable cups which they did. After completing primary school and moving again I slowly started to develop PTSD from my extreme home life, I dragged through secondry school, spending most of my time depressive, not paying attention and sleeping through my classes, I got my first computer thanks to a charity for young autistic people that gives out computers and money called the family fund. Over my time in secondry school I got a few computers from the family fund, all of very minimal spec, during year 10 I started a computer science course and art and design course in my school as part of curriculum, using what I learned from my computer science course I messed with the computers I had, taking them apart and building a better one with the parts I had from them, I also learned to sauder motherboards when fixing a faulty connection on an old turtle beach headset my dad had. I found an interest in computer science and started learning on my own, eventually quitting computer science at school due to being targetted by one of the teachers who took his anger out on me after his wife cheated on him. I got better at what I was doing, eventually getting enough money saved up to build my own computer from scratch, even repairing a cpu in the process after I broke it. During this time I got my first drawing tablet, learning to draw digitally and animate which was a skill I developed from this point forward. I learned some python, started writing stories and aspiring to build games, during free time I spent a lot of it obsessed with video games, taking a particular liking to subnautica and starbound, studying both as my focuses during my art course. my sense my fashion began to change as I got older, starting out with techwear and slowly evolving into collecting sci fi and medievil style armor. During all this an infection in my ear progressed so badly I had to have an emergency surgery, the violent bullying that I recieved eventually causing my stitches to rupture slightly and losing my hearing in that ear forever. This was around the time of the release of the quest 2 where I got one not long after release thanks to my mother and my father pouring what little money they had to get it for me despite their diffirences. I discovered vrchat and began creating avatars and using 3D software for the first time, finding a huge interest in it and the unity engine, beggining to use both and finding comfort in the vr space where I could hide from my life. I was then temporarily put into a private fostering arrangement for 6 months in dorset where I explored full body tracking solutions, I tried an xbox kinekt and even made a homemade mocap setup which worked even better. I eventually returned back home to hampshire, continuing to develop all of the skills I had started to develop over time. I continued through school, doing my exams and struggling to revise, finding my first boyfreind during this, I barely scraped by on my exams and during the last of them that boyfriend made an attempt on taking my life in the school field. The police got involved but due to the high stress and pressure during that time I was forced to shrug it off and keep moving. I eventually finished secondry school, not passing in a lot of my subjects with the exception of sciences and art, I moved onto college where I did computer sciences and cyber security for 2 months due to not having the grades to do game dev. Some of the teachers from my secondry school came together to push a re-mark of my tests, eventually getting them to a pass just barely in which I abandoned my comp and cyber security course to do media production which I got a distinction and impressed most of the faculty with my VFX, writing, set design and acting skills. Halfway through that course I discovered NeosVr where I spent a lot of my free time to escape from my esculatingly bad home life. somewhere during this time I began to develop psychosis but I pushed forward, eventually finishing that course like I said. I then moved onto game development, doing a level 3 extended course, I met a partner and my alchoholic step father was kicked out of the home after I had a fist fight with him, things were looking better. 3 weeks later my step father was found dead in his apartment hung by a belt and his family refused to let me attend the funeral. Not long later my grandfather also died from cancer, my mother quickly finding a new partner after the loss of my step father and I had frequent arguments with her new partner as he was very cocky and believed he had some kind of power over me, threatening me with violence and destruction of my property over whatsapp. I stayed outside the house, standing there and refusing to eat or drink, turning my back to the house until she set boundries and disallowed him from trying to force me to "be his friend" he came outside the house multiple times to harass me, in which I made fun of him to his face and he recorded me with his phone. he took the recordings back to the house and him and my mother laughed at me and the recordings, I did not return to the house, I stayed outside all night, eventually she called the police and they tried to force me home, I returned home begrudgingly. Later at 17 years old I moved in with my boyfriend where I was belittled and made fun of by him for my outlook on life and my stubborness, the relationship was difficult but it allowed me to learn how to communicate better and how to be nicer to people. Thanks to Personal independence payments and universal credit I was able to move out into my own place by rending a room, first place the landlord was overly attatched so I left, second place the landlord was unwell and tried to violently break into my room during my sleep over an unemptied dishwasher. I then moved in with my dungeons and dragons host where I took up tabletop warhammer and got quite comfortable for a while, eventually moving out into an apartment of my own and stopped doing warhammer. during all this I BARELY scrape a pass on my first year of college, not visiting resonite at all during this time and eventually working from home as my ptsd developed to unmanagble levels, I would intermittently become scared and delusional, hiding, horrified and curled up in corners and wouldnt be able to look after myself properly long term, my friend from college would intermittently visit me to try make sure I was okay but the state of my life was depressing at best. I started to get better and my resolve returned to me, me and my friend founding an indie studio called catscratch interactive and working on games together, I took this very seriously and worked tirelessly, building a following and a community where I took on developers and worked as a team lead for a year, completing my 2nd year of university and securing my diploma and becoming a qualified game developer. after this I lived quietly on benefits on my own for 6 months, working as team lead, I eventually began to struggle to support myself and despite the positive experiences held by everyone at catscratch we all decided to disband the indie studio, wishing eachother luck on our journeys. My father, previously unpresent in my life during all of this, came and bothered me constantly about university, eventually pestering me to move away to dorset to study at my dream university which is where I am now. Due to my difficult case of estrangement I struggled to secure my student loan, living entirely on personal independence payments and without my previously established support network that was now very far away I barely had enough money to eat and often times went without food. I saught emotional support in the people I used to know from NeosVR, making my situation worse. My PTSD progressed and I began to have siezures, I developed an alchohol problem to try and deal with the intense hardship and I did not attend my university despite living on campus. I took a time to pause and look at my situation, not knowing what to do, it was the first time in my life where I genuinely saw no way forward, I hated the person I had become and as a result almost went the way of my stepfather. I hopped directly on to Resonite (NeosVR's rebrand) which I had visited a few times before but this time I stuck arround, exploring the community and coming to know people, making friends and slowly recovering. Eventually I met a specific small community of creative people that took me in and chose to support me, really just be being there for me and this got me off alchohol, it helped me to become stable again and I began to grow as a person again, slowly regaining the skills I had developed over the years. I began to work alongside them with a renewed creative potential, making connections all across the resonite community and becoming a new and nicer person, helping everyone I came across in any way I could. That is where I am now, I'm hoping to reach my potential and attend my university more now, esspecially with my recent temp ban from resonite which will allow me to focus on that.

Russia may be preparing a new offensive against northern Ukraine, including the Chernihiv region and the capital Kyiv, potentially with deeper involvement from Belarus, President Volodymyr Zelensky said May 20. The warning reflects growing concerns in Kyiv that Moscow could seek to open a new front north of the capital while involving Belarus — Russia's close ally bordering Ukraine to the north — more directly in the war. "Together with our military leadership, intelligence services, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we discussed in detail the latest developments along the Belarus-Bryansk region direction," Zelensky said in his evening address. "It is precisely from there that the Russians are considering scenarios for additional attacks against Ukraine – targeting our northern regions, our Chernihiv-Kyiv direction." Zelensky said Ukraine had already issued military orders to strengthen defenses in the region and was taking broader preventive measures. "Of course, we are already working to strengthen our defenses in this area. Relevant instructions have been issued to the military command, but separately, we are also taking preventive steps regarding both Belarus and designated parts of Russia from which the threat originates," he said. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on May 20 that if Russia uses nuclear weapons against Ukraine, the reaction from NATO will be "devastating". Russia and Belarus have begun joint nuclear weapons drills amid what Moscow described as the "threat of aggression," the Russian Defense Ministry said on May 19. The drills, scheduled to run through May 21, involve Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific fleets, long-range aviation command, and units from the Leningrad and Central military districts, the ministry said. The exercises have added significance as they come amid growing warnings from Kyiv that Russia is trying to draw Belarus deeper into its war against Ukraine, while also expanding military infrastructure that could support future Russian operations against Ukraine or NATO's eastern flank. Rutte was asked by journalists at a pre-ministerial press conference at the Foreign Ministers Meeting of NATO about the possibility of a Russian nuclear strike. "Well, (Russia) knows if that happens, the reaction is devastating," Rutte said, adding that NATO was monitoring the exercises closely. The exercises include preparations for the use of nuclear forces and launches of ballistic and cruise missiles at test ranges within Russia, according to the ministry.Source-Kyiv Independent