I wonder if the infertility issues and multiple miscarriages are the catalyst that altered Alicia’s mindset? The need to collect children and hoard ginormous amounts of food that could feed hundreds of people at one time. She already put her brother’s information out there about having mental health issues because he’s Bipolar. Did she not get enough attention growing up because the parents were really focused on the brother?
She chose to sell herself out and drag the poor kids along by signing up with a crooked management company. More than likely the first one that came along showing any interest and instead of doing some research she hopped right on board. They OWN her now. In every new video you can see the anger, wide eyed desperation and the life being sucked right out of her. The pressure to produce more and more content and engagement is getting to her and she can’t keep up this pace for much longer!
All that money that came pouring in and nothing to show for it but a commercial size dumpster in the front yard loaded with tons and tons of crap every week to take to the landfill for disposal. Why was remodeling, buying, or building a home to comfortably fit the whole family not a priority? If you aren’t saving money back to pay impending taxes you know you are going to have to pay (hence the $113,000 unpaid tax billI) I know she hasn’t opened a savings account for each kid to go to college or whatever they choose to do with it.
When it all comes crashing down and she can’t satisfy her shopping addictions, those kids will unfortunately be in for a rude awakening due to no fault of their own! A real parent does not exploit their children to feed their narcissism. When strangers have enough care to tell you ‘Hey, your child innocently saying or doing so-and-so is something that fuels perverts who download it and share it with thousands of other perverts’ you immediately do something about it. Why ignore and refuse to delete it? It’s a form of abuse!
Instead of taking constructive criticisms early on and changing up her ‘brand’ she stubbornly digs her heels in on the negative actions. Switching up her look getting bangs and wearing dresses just ain’t cutting it!!! The damage has already been done. According to social blade she is trending down and I’m here for it for those kids and their privacy!

I wonder if the infertility issues and multiple miscarriages are the catalyst that altered Alicia’s mindset? The need to collect children and hoard ginormous amounts of food that could feed hundreds of people at one time. She already put her brother’s information out there about having mental health issues because he’s Bipolar. Did she not get enough attention growing up because the parents were really focused on the brother?
She chose to sell herself out and drag the poor kids along by signing up with a crooked management company. More than likely the first one that came along showing any interest and instead of doing some research she hopped right on board. They OWN her now. In every new video you can see the anger, wide eyed desperation and the life being sucked right out of her. The pressure to produce more and more content and engagement is getting to her and she can’t keep up this pace for much longer!
All that money that came pouring in and nothing to show for it but a commercial size dumpster in the front yard loaded with tons and tons of crap every week to take to the landfill for disposal. Why was remodeling, buying, or building a home to comfortably fit the whole family not a priority? If you aren’t saving money back to pay impending taxes you know you are going to have to pay (hence the $113,000 unpaid tax billI) I know she hasn’t opened a savings account for each kid to go to college or whatever they choose to do with it.
When it all comes crashing down and she can’t satisfy her shopping addictions, those kids will unfortunately be in for a rude awakening due to no fault of their own! A real parent does not exploit their children to feed their narcissism. When strangers have enough care to tell you ‘Hey, your child innocently saying or doing so-and-so is something that fuels perverts who download it and share it with thousands of other perverts’ you immediately do something about it. Why ignore and refuse to delete it? It’s a form of abuse!
Instead of taking constructive criticisms early on and changing up her ‘brand’ she stubbornly digs her heels in on the negative actions. Switching up her look getting bangs and wearing dresses just ain’t cutting it!!! The damage has already been done. According to social blade she is trending down and I’m here for it for those kids and their privacy!

Hi all, been revising this novel for a while and decided I'm ready to try out writing the query letter. The following is the product of my first attempt at that. Thought I might as well take a shot and hope that some of you are kind enough to share your thoughts! :) I also included the first little section of the book to see what people think of that, too.
The love of Alex’s life is a killer.
Alex, a recent college graduate, can’t escape from a malaise. He is working a job he doesn’t care about and living with his parents in the sun scorched suburbs of Las Vegas, spending his free time reading articles about humanity’s impending doom and scrolling through social media. One Sunday morning he comes across an active crime scene, the focus of which is the body of a former high school classmate. Also in the crowd around the scene, however, is Bella, a girl Alex had a crush on in high school. She is intelligent, funny, warm, independent, and pretty, and she presents a possible way out of his state. The two reconnect and begin a relationship, becoming rapidly intertwined by the intensity of their love. Even when a second former classmate soon turns up dead, most of their focus remains on one another, although Alex grows worried about what could be happening.
Alex and Bella’s idyllic romance is shattered when Bella decides she wants Alex to know her true self. She reveals that she is behind the murders, committing them because of a horrible compulsion she has little control over, yet asks him to stay with her, to still love her. Alex, through a combination of paralyzing fear and powerful love, decides to remain with her, a decision that will have terrible consequences.
JUST DON’T LEAVE is a literary romance/thriller novel complete at 86,000 words. It combines the melancholy yet passionate romance of Sally Rooney’s Normal People with the unsettling atmosphere and violent undercurrents of Stephanie LaCava’s I Fear My Pain Interests You. [Bio].
Thank you for your time and consideration.
First 300ish:
Dead bodies don’t look like I thought they would. There isn’t much of a difference from when they’re alive, at least when they haven't been dead for too long. A little more pale and stiff. Other than that they just seem asleep.
When I’m not seeing the bodies I see Bella. I see her lying naked on her stomach, wide eyes staring up at me, right cheek in her hand. Her smile reveals pink gums just above the top row of teeth. I see her falling asleep on the couch, under enough blankets to crush a small child, strands of hair shining in the pale light from the tv. I hear her snoring in my ear. I hear her telling me she loves me. I see her standing in a pool of blood and she is holding a knife.
I feel the anger and hatred slipping every moment. I try to see the blood, and the open, whistling, gushing throat, and the limp body of a person I once knew, but these images are replaced by her eating a sandwich, showing me how to fix a mistake on excel, kissing my cheek, playing with the curls on the sides of my hair, holding me while I cry, writhing and moaning beneath me as she grips my lower back. I tell myself that I hate her, that I should have never texted her back, that if I can somehow make it out of here I will be so much better off, but it’s like there’s a black hole devouring my guts, where anything negative I think about her is swallowed. There is a voice above me, massaging my temples and whispering in my ear that I need her. I will always need her and without her I am nothing.
The time before we were together feels like an imitation of a life. She made me whole. She can go on without me, but I can’t go on without her.
I am giving in. Nothing helps. All I think about is Bella, so I will think about her.

I know a lot of us wonder how Meg affords her lifestyle and while I'm not a financial planner by day, I'd like to consider myself pretty savvy with money. I have some thoughts...
We all know that both her dad and Alex work in finance - in fact, her dad is a wealth manageportfolio manager (I believe?). I'll put money on the fact that when each of their kids were born, her parents opened custodial brokerage accounts (an investment account in your kid's name), 529's (college investment acct) and maybe even a Roth IRA's (retirement savings accts) for each of their kids. I know it was one of the first things I did when my baby was born and I got the SS#.
Let's just say that the year that Meg was born, they started with $10K. By the "magic" that is compound interest (and an estimated 10% return each year), there would be a MINIMUM of anywhere from $250K - $300K in that brokerage account today. And since her dad is works in finance, I'm sure he knew exactly what to invest in so that each of their kids would have a nice round number down the line. That $10K to start doesn't include any contributions that her parents continued to make throughout the years, or include any birthday/holiday money that was deposited and invested. That number is just based on if that $10K to start sat in the account until today. And most importantly, let's not forget about dividend payouts.
I believe she went to college, didn't finish and went to cosmetology school. That's where the 529 account would have come into play - to pay for any schooling expenses. Any left over money in that savings account probably was rolled over to her Roth IRA account for retirement.
But now let's get into her LiFeStYle. When she was married, Alex's income was obviously enough to bankroll HIS mortgage and some of her lifestyle - because she did work more back then and I'm sure what she made from that job was her "play money". And who knows, maybe she helped with a bill or two. Anyways, now that she's getting divorced and doesn't have The Bank of Alex to pay for everything, her dad probably instructed her withdraw money from her brokerage account (custodial brokerage accounts are transferred over to the child when they turn 18 or 21, I believe - depending on the state you live in) so that she would be able to support herself and N during and after her divorce.
Her dad probably calculated what her base expenses are - her rent, utilities, groceries, gas, car insurance, health insurance, etc. and came up with a solid number with a little cushion so she can still keep up with her Chick-fil-A runs and getting her nails done (I once looked through her TT and she gets them done Every.Two.Weeks. pretty much on the dot, which I personally think is a little ridiculous) This is where she had to "budget". And let's be real here (& no offense to anyone who lives in Florida), but the cost of living there is not as much as other places in the U.S. Out of curiosity, I looked up how much a tank of gas is in her city - $3.25 is the cheapest in her area. P.S. I would KILL to pay only $3+ for gas and only $2K in rent for a really nice 3 bedroom condo where I live.
So based on the cost of monthly "needs", he multiplied that by 12 and that's how much she withdrew from her brokerage account for the year. Keep in mind that your brokerage withdraws are taxed and you have to pay taxes at the end of the year which are based on your income - which is why I believe she only works part time. The more income you generate, the more taxes you're likely going to have to pay.
Let's not forget that she is technically self-employed, so everything that she buys for her booth, including her booth rental is a write off. She can even write off the gas that she uses to drive from home to the salon.
What she makes from being a hairstylist and TikTok is then her play money for her "wants". So while that might not seems like much since she works only a couple days a week, I'm sure it's enough to cover her spending habits because the rest of her living expenses have been budgeted for and the money has been pulled out of her brokerage account to cover it. But you can clearly see that she's had to personally make concessions, as some other threads have mentioned - from Publix to Aldi, from Pottery Barn to Home Goods, Starbucks to Dunkin', etc...
Alex pays for daycare and maybe a monthly payment to Meg to cover anything that N might need. The last part of that is of course an assumption.
So I don't believe that her parents are bankrolling her - they made strategic and smart choices when their kids were born so that they wouldn't have to "struggle" down the line. But in Meg's case and based on her personality of "me, me, me", all it's really doing is enabling her. Yes, she has 2 "jobs", but she's failed to mentioned how she's paying for everything else. She's not being transparent and we're not dumb. And it's what irks me about her - that she can talk sh!t about everything and everyone else, but not be real when it comes to stuff like this.
If I were her, my new angle would be "Follow along as a mom going through a divorce budgets her money on a daily basis", vs. "Follow along and listen to me bash my ex and exploit my son on a regular basis as a first- time, manic, breast-feeding mom."
Her family is clearly not old money and the last thing I'm sure they want to do as they get close to retiring is to pay out of pocket for their grown daughters B.S. And by the looks of it, I'm sure they're glad that they saved for her when she was young, or else she'd probably be living under a bridge somewhere eating mayo, Indian food packets and tinned fish. Make sure to get daddy a nice Father's day present this year, Meg.

Hey everyone. I know this is going to ruffle some feathers but maybe some people out there can relate or maybe I've missed something and someone can point me in that direction.
I will try and keep this short and to the point.
I dislike myself and my body immensely (dental issues leading to a small jaw, ears that stick out, too skinny, etc.) and to some extent my personality (too awkward/boring, not interesting or funny enough, etc.).
A few years ago I got to the point where I was OK with all of this. Somehow I valued myself, not entirely, I still had bursts of self-hatred when facing some sort of rejection (from someone I was romantically interested in, people I considered friends not inviting me out, going to 10+ interviews yet failing to land a job, etc.), but I knew I would be OK. I was still working to better myself constantly, but at the same time I had that feeling of "I'm going to be fine even if I don't get there, I'm smart and I will figure it out" which kept me going and actually somewhat happy.
But after I began watching Dr. K I lost all of that simply because Dr. K speaks so poorly of self-acceptance in general. Right now I feel broken. I feel as though I'm in a place where I'm not anything. It's not even self-hatred, it's just... I don't exist. At all. I don't deserve love, I don't deserve connection, I don't deserve a raise, I don't deserve to be valued for my time at work, I don't deserve anything.
I'm at the point where I don't even feel alive right now, I'm just a placeholder with a pulse until I fix myself. When I learn more, when I study more, when I get surgery, when I start working out, more, when I get into sports, etc., then I can feel better, but right now I just am not allowed to. And I don't feel like this is a choice anymore.
And I know Dr. K talks about giving yourself 2 years just to fix your life but... I mean, if I were just to focus on my dental health and having proper surgery to fix my jaw, the pre-surgery treatment itself would be 2.5+ years if I started it *right now*. And I don't have 1/5 of the money necessary to even start it. Am I supposed to still feel broken for 3+ years? Going back to college to study would take 3 years as well, and learning the subjects I want on my own and get certified for them would also take more than 2 years.
So this is where I am now. Stuck and broken. I'm working at a kinda-well paid job (as per my country's standards) that's exploiting me to no end, working weekends and nights and being bossed around constantly, but I don't feel worthy enough to leave. I'm stuck clinging to a pseudo-relationship that has ended 2+ years ago and I can't let the person go because well at least that person accepted me as my broken self, how long until I find someone else that does?
Is there anything I'm missing? What am I supposed to do?

START OF THE INTERVIEW
Thiago: We want to welcome you and acknowledge your participation in this interview.
Luu: Thank you for inviting us to this interview. We are honored to participate and answer your questions, comrades.
Thiago: When was the Serving the People (Vietnam) blog created and what are its objectives?
Luu: The blog was created in December last year. With 4 main objectives, to digitize and archive texts from China, in particular texts of Chairman Mao, the Gang of Four and the Cultural Revolution, in addition to other Marxist texts such as documents from the Great Debate, Stalin, Kalinin and other works from countries like Brazil and the Philippines, in Vietnamese, so everyone can access them for free. We also want to push for the reconstitution of the Communist Party of Vietnam as a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist party and encourage the masses to practice and organize, in the north and south of the country.
Thiago: Which groups represented the left line of the Vietnamese Communist Party from 1956 until the total restoration of capitalism?
Thang: There was a rise of the right-wing opportunist line, by the group called "Nhan van-Giai Pham", which attempted to restore capitalist culture through what is called "literature for literature's sake". President Ho Chi Minh was the main defender of Marxism in this struggle.
In the Great Debate between Leninism and revisionism, Ho Chi Minh occupies the middle line. But this line was a serious mistake, because it created fertile ground for the rise of revisionism and opportunism and for the restoration of capitalism in Vietnam later.
Overall, in the history of the Communist Party, the left line was defended mainly by Ho Chi Minh, but he also indirectly liquidated this line by moving to centrism, creating a vacuum that allowed revisionism to take power.
After his death in 1969, the Left line was completely liquidated. The remaining Party leaders fell into centrism or revisionism, and no significant group represented the left line in Vietnam.
Thiago: How did the restoration of capitalism and bourgeois dictatorship occur in Vietnam? How do the State, the Party and the Vietnamese economy work today?
Thang: The dictatorship of the bourgeoisie in Vietnam began after the death of Ho Chi Minh and the seizure of power by the revisionist clique, transforming Vietnam into a semi-colony of Soviet social-imperialism. The complete restoration of capitalism in Vietnam began in 1986, when the Doi Moi reform transformed Vietnam from a semi-colony of Soviet social-imperialism into a semi-colony of American imperialism and Chinese social-imperialism, strengthening thus the semi-feudal state.
(Additional note from Luu based on Thang's response: They, the revisionists, adopt the theory of productive forces, similar to that of Deng Xiaoping in every way. This liquidated the Party, turning it into a lap dog of foreign imperialists Vietnam is currently a police state, a bourgeois dictatorship. The economy is heavily controlled by the Yankee and Chinese imperialists, the state also maintains friendly relations with foreign companies and imperialists, as they cooperate with them against the people. in general and the proletariat in particular)
Thiago: What are your criticisms of Ho Chi Minh's centrist deviation and subsequent adoption of "Ho Chi Minh Thought" by his successors? Were there any prominent leaders “to the left” of Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam?
Luu: We must criticize Ho Chi Minh's centrism and recognize that he liquidated the left line. We recognize that centrism is a very dangerous thing, even if it is not overtly anti-communist like the right line, but it creates an opening for the right line. We could compare his errors with those of Kim Il-Sung and other leaders who adopted the same positions: at his death, in his will, he did not say to defend Chairman Mao's line, but wanted " not to intervene in the affairs of other nations", although he was sympathetic to Albania and China, he also did not attack the right line, but he nevertheless refused conciliation with the Americans and the policy of capitulation that the Khruschevists were trying to impose on us. However, Vietnam fought nothing else.
Concerning "Ho Chi Minh Thought", those who claim it are dogmatists, taking its centrism as dogma, focusing on its revolutionary morality and asserting that the People's War was a contribution of Ho Chi Minh and not of Mao Zedong. They denied the influence of Mao Zedong Thought on Ho Chi Minh Thought, distorting Ho Chi Minh Thought, claiming that it is influenced by reactionary religions and ideals, transforming it from a revolutionary theory into a reactionary theory. There were no representatives of the left line, only opportunists.
Thiago: What do you think of President Gonzalo and his contributions of universal value? How are anti-revisionism and Maoism perceived in Vietnam?
Thắng: As Marxist-Leninist-Maoists, we cannot but recognize the role of President Gonzalo and his significant contributions to Marxist theory. He identified Maoism as the third and highest phase of Marxism, stating that Maoism is the Marxism-Leninism of the era of imperialism and modern revisionism. In addition, he made important contributions to Maoist theory, such as the militarization of the Communist Party, the theory of Jefatura [“Great Direction” in French, editor's note, cdp.] and the theory of concentric construction of the Party. These contributions are not only valuable for the Peruvian revolution, but also have universal relevance for the international socialist revolution. We must not forget this.
As for the influence of President Gonzalo and his ideology in Vietnam, initially, it was only mentioned through campaigns aimed at degrading his reputation by the government in place. In recent years, with the rise of the communist movement in Vietnam, the Gonzalo question has become an important issue among communists in our country. The revisionists, Trotskyists and pseudo-Maoists always seek to deny the role of President Gonzalo and use the propaganda tools of the imperialists to oppose him. Additionally, government loyalists and liberal forces are participating in this “campaign.” Thus, revisionists, reactionaries, and anti-communists created a sort of “sacred alliance” to oppose Gonzalo’s thought and contributions. Therefore, the immediate task of Vietnamese communists today is to wage a line struggle to defend President Gonzalo, uproot the weeds of modern revisionism, and advance toward the reconstitution of the Vietnamese Communist Party.
Thiago: How is the revolutionary movement developing in Vietnam and what are the current struggles of the masses in urban and rural areas?
Thang: The current “leaders” of the organized revolutionary movement are petty bourgeois. There are so-called “Marxist” groups, such as the “Red Flag League” and the “Young Marxists of Vietnam”. These petty bourgeois groups use memes to propagate and agitate, which is an action to ridicule Marxism, because Marxism is a revolutionary science and cannot be expressed through memes. This action is particularly remarkable among the Young Marxists of Vietnam.
There are also fake "Maoists" like the "Red Flag League", who deny Gonzalo and "defend" the Marxism-Leninism of Mao Zedong Thought, denying the advancement of the revolutionary struggle. They also engage in unnecessary debates online. These guys are also trying to make money by organizing readings of Chairman Mao Zedong's quotes instead of making them universal for the masses.
Luu: There are many strikes and disorganized revolutionary movements within the proletariat, which speak out against their conditions of exploitation. Many peasants are in conflict with the state over land issues. There was a recent revolt in which peasants attempted to reclaim their land by armed methods, such as during the Dong Tam revolt, but they were quickly and brutally suppressed by the so-called state “socialist”. Many uprisings have also taken place in the Central Highlands, but some of them have fallen under the influence of foreign reactionary terrorist groups and are not spontaneous like others. The masses are ready to fight for the revolution, but they are still disorganized.
Thiago: What is the general impression that the masses have of the Communist Party? What daily problems do the masses face and how are they exploited by capitalism and semi-feudalism in Vietnam today?
Luu: Within the petty bourgeoisie, there are two main camps, there is the opposition camp and the loyalist camp. The loyalist camp is generally made up of children of bureaucrats and people who know little about the state. The opposition camp is mainly represented by South Vietnam loyalists, all anti-communist, while the loyalists appear to be communist, but they leave communism aside, being only pro-state and anti-West.
Among the peasants and proletariat, we are not sure, but from what we see, the majority of them do not openly support the state, being rather neutral about the situation. However, the opposition of these classes, notably peasants and indigenous peoples, who took up arms and rose up against the state, was brutally repressed by the police forces. The only indigenous armed groups that carry out terrorist attacks are those sponsored by the United States and CIA agents, but they do not represent all indigenous movements and peasant movements that oppose the state.
The condition of the proletariat in Vietnam is not what one would call good, as even the state claims that many workers live in poverty and misery. The examples are numerous: their salary is not as good as the revisionists claim, and they barely earn enough to survive, as capitalism dictates. Even though schedules are not as strict and conditions are not as bad as in laissez-faire capitalism (like in Bangladesh or other Asian countries), state-controlled unions do the bare minimum to support the workers and seek to make them accept their crumbs and not to organize them.
A friend (who was 14, illustrating child labor) and a family member of mine worked in sweatshops and currently are in poor health, have difficult living conditions, work long hours and are not not paid enough for their efforts.
Thiago: What is the semi-colonial relationship that Vietnam maintains today with North American imperialism and Chinese social-imperialism?
Thang: That’s a great question! The relationship between the Vietnamese bureaucratic capitalist government and the Yankee and Chinese imperialists constitutes one of the most peculiar international relations for the Vietnamese state. First, the state called their relationship with them a "comprehensive strategic partnership", established with China in 2008 and with the United States in 2023. They export capital and goods to Vietnam, establish factories and monopolize the market . This relationship deepens the exploitation of capitalism and the semi-feudal condition of Vietnam.
Additional note from Luu: In terms of industry, citing data from the General Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Science and Technology, about 75% of Vietnam's technology and equipment come from foreign countries, this technology and equipment mainly come from developed countries and regions such as the United States, South Korea and the European Union, which have shown a slight upward trend in recent years (2022 data). Therefore, Vietnam is unable to develop many important industrial technologies (such as oil refining technology, metallurgy, shipbuilding, etc.), because Vietnam's industry is heavily dependent on foreign capitalist conglomerates.
Additionally, Vietnam is a “global sweatshop” with abundant resources and cheap labor. Therefore, Vietnam has become an ideal location for capitalist conglomerates from the United States, China and other capitalist countries to export capital, establish factories and enterprises, invest and control commercial capital in our country. The working class must endure hardship with low wages and difficult living conditions, without enjoying the fruits of their labor, which are instead seized by the capitalist class.
Moreover, the export of goods from the United States and China has disrupted the Vietnamese market, as the revolutionaries of the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc movement once said: "If our products are not purchased from the Chinese, they are bought from the West.”
Vietnamese agriculture relies heavily on Chinese traders, as agricultural products always depend on the purchasing needs of traders. Therefore, many difficulties are often encountered if China imposes border closures. Furthermore, the question of the “lease system” persists in certain small localities in central Vietnam, Vietnam still having feudal characteristics.
Thiago: How is the history of Vietnam, the international communist movement and Marxism taught in Vietnamese schools and universities?
Thang: There was a push towards nationalism and nationalist propaganda in Vietnamese schools by the revisionist clique, they masked Vietnamese settler colonialism against indigenous people and other minorities under the idea of ​​"expansion of territory through the recovery of wild lands” that they were formerly Champa and Chenla (Kampuchea Krom Region). This colonialism was called the “Nam Tien” march south and lasted for centuries. The revisionists also liquidated and erased the history of the struggle for autonomy of ethnic minority groups, supported by Ho Chi Minh.
Luu adds: There were autonomous zones in the North and Northwest mountains, and there was also the Autonomous Mountain People's Movement within the National Liberation Front.
The revisionists have omitted many important parts of the international revolutionary movement. They also dogmatically teach Marxism as a theory without practice in universities, leading students to label it a "nightmare" and only study it to succeed in college, instead of viewing it as a scientific view of the world. They present the Great Debate as a simple “Sino-Soviet split” rather than an international struggle against revisionism. They try to get people to “believe the Party line” without reservation. They immaterialize and trivialize Marxism in general.
Thiago: What is your opinion on Democratic Kampuchea [ Cambodia, editor's note, cdp.] and Laos? Is there a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist movement in these two countries today?
Luu: This is a delicate question for us. We recognize the national liberation of the people of Kampuchea led by the Communist Party of Kampuchea against the military dictatorship and the American imperialists. We maintain a neutral view of the policies implemented under his government, but we understand that Pol Pot betrayed the Cambodian revolution by supporting the revisionist clique of Deng Xiaoping and arresting the so-called "Gang of Four."
Pol Pot fell into revisionism in his later years. We also oppose the Vietnamese invasion of Kampuchea and the Chinese invasion of Vietnam; which was just a repeat of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. It was a war that only served the profits of two social-imperialist blocs.
Laos today is a semi-colony of Chinese social-imperialism. This country owes China around 25 billion dollars and has had to destroy many lands and rubber plantations. In 2021, the Laos–China (Vientiane–Kunming) high-speed railway line entered service. In addition to tourism needs, this railway is also used to transport timber, rubber, food and minerals from Laos to China. This railway is part of the so-called “Belt and Road” proposed by the Xi Jinping clique.
The People's Revolutionary Party was formed after the Second Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. In the 1950s, they were not a puppet of Soviet social-imperialism, but became one in the 1960s, falling completely into revisionism after the war and after gaining independence. , being occupied by fifty thousand Vietnamese soldiers, which signifies their dependence on revisionist Vietnam and the social-imperialist USSR. After the fall of the USSR, it became a semi-colony of China.
We have no further information on the Communist Movement in Laos and Kampuchea, so we cannot say anything further on this matter.
FINAL NOTES:
Thang: We are very grateful for this interview, it not only marks the solidarity between the Vietnamese and Brazilian proletariat, but also serves as a great example of proletarian internationalism in the class struggle, the national liberation struggle against imperialism and revisionism. Red salute from Vietnam!
Source : https://valedospomares.wordpress.com/2024/04/06/entrevista-com-o-servir-ao-povo-vietna-comunistas-em-um-pais-revisionista/

I just graduated from college this past weekend, as did my girlfriend. Little backstory, we've only been dating about 6 months, but she's about 12 weeks pregnant. Spare me the lecture about BC because its not perfect I know we were dumb for not doubling up on the method.
Her family is old money rich, Im talking private jets on vacation and everything associated with that. Both her parents are relatively high profile in their community as well. They are very very heavily trying to get us to get married so their grandchild wont be "illegitimate". They took us out for graduation this weekend and made this all very clear. For a little bit, I was receptive to the idea. I mean I never imagined getting married this young, but I also never thought Id have a kid without being married, so I get what they're coming from. I told her dad id be open to it but Id need time. He said great, he'll reach out to the family lawyer and start making arrangements.
I asked why do we need a lawyer, and he brought up the prenup. A prenup had never been discussed prior to this and it makes me a little uneasy. I told my gf it makes me uncomfortable and she is trying to assure me its just standard since they have so much wealth and its just what everyone in their community does. She told me they'd make it fair as can be to me.
But the thing is, I cant hire my own lawyer, and Idk if I trust whoever they hired to "represent me". So i told him that Id marry his daughter if its that important, but Im passing on the prenup. This has not gone well, he accused me of using his daughter for financial gain, and trying to exploit them. He then accused me of purposely knocking her up. I kinda regret it, but I was taken aback so I was honest in telling him she initiated every step in the relationship including telling me not to use a condom (he didnt like this lol). I just dont want to jump into something so lopsided and im willing to give marriage a shot but only if its a normal old fashion marriage. Otherwise, I have no qualms with not being married. I dont really believe in the "illegitimate" label. My ideal would be to continue dating for atleast another year before getting engaged, but they dont want that because of appearances.
AITAH for standing my ground here?

I honestly didn't want to contribute to oversaturating the sub with a bunch of Assassin's Creed Posts but here goes:
I used to be pretty detached from Asian subreddits in general, like I'd lurk different Asian subs from time to time to gain an insight on the issues that we go through in the west, but in general Asian subs are always too extreme or passive to my liking, therefore I've relegated them as learning grounds rather than space to actively participate in.
But damn, this debacle, really tipped the edge for me lol. I personally don't give a shit about Assassin's Creed, and at the end of the day it's a fucking video game so some of you may be wondering why I'm being overdramatic about this. Well, this entire situation really illustrates not just how the west treats Asian issues and Asian men, but the entire landscape.
Part 1: The General Landscape
It's not even the casting itself that bothers me the most, it's the people having this discussion, and how it's being discussed, that really makes me question the progress Asians have made in the past 5 years. It also perfectly encapsulates all of the different traps Asians fall into when having discussions like these. Things would've been hopeful had people been willing to listen, but nope.
People are unable to imagine our side of the conversation or ever examine our issues as what they are, our issues. Discussion about Asian issues can never exist by themselves, it is ubiquitously brought to center it around other issues. It always has to be discussed in relation to other things, it needs to revolve around the greater structure of white supremacy rather than genuinely explore how white supremacy affects US. And by that I mean genuine discussions like how our issues are brushed aside in general, how Asian voices are lost within the Black and White narrative, not lukewarm ass takes such as "White supremacy causes Asians to uphold the model minority myth to divide other races..... oh and they occasionally get discriminated ". Like this is what genuinely pisses me off. It's fine if you want Yasuke or whatever, not like anything's changing, but holy shit dude, at least entertain our side of the equation a little bit.
White liberals use us as a tool for virtual signaling by A) utilizing our status and culture as property to be distributed to other demographics (commodification) B) as villains to protect against other oppressive groups from and thus portraying them as black people's white savior, which in turn, allows them to fly under the radar as the main perpetrators as this divide, and everyone else in society feels more emboldened to walk all over us. With less stigma on them, they can basically get a leg over white conservatives who they are struggling in power with.
White Conservatives use the same old trick of using us to shit on other minorities, much easier to spot, but once they specifically align with your position? Well fuck you then because now you've been sabotaged on top of the fact that they already don't give a shit about you. Will only defend aspects of Asian culture that they can use and exploit to elevate their status. Still competing with other white liberals. Doesn't make them any better, but they're far more overt making them easier to deal with over white liberals.
Point is: White people fighting with each other, protecting their status, and everyone gets fucked over anyways
Part 2: The Asians / Sellouts
So many Asians conflate understanding white supremacist structures with actually going against white supremacy. We've seen the arguments that other Asian say in regards to this like "because it's racist white dudes getting mad, I'm glad that this shit is being made, at least it's an ethnic minority this time", like for real dude? The is the state of us right now??? We're literally settling for scraps to cope at this point it's pathetic, the bar to be merely "ok" for things is on the fucking floor at this point.
Matt Kim brings up the point that we need a larger variety of roles in general, so we should let this one slide, yet he forgets that it is this complacent attitude that prevents those very same roles from ever happening. How the fuck are we suppose to advocate that we need more roles when we can't even put our foot down in this matter? Like do guys like him think that smiling and being friends with everybody will get us what we want? It's the entire reason why we're here in the first place, constantly revolving our lives around other people.
The "I will not allow myself to be an agency of white supremacy, I as a proud Asian support this because we are already represented and privileged, we should not be mad that another minority is getting their win, do not let white supremacy divide us" is the ultimate form of cope or gaslighting depending on who you ask within the diaspora Asian community. It is the sign of cowardice and spineless nature that has plagued Asians in the West.
Here let me translate what they are actually saying:
"I am too pussy shit to offer a genuinely unique perspective on the matter, so I will mask it with this fake sincerity, holier than thou attitude. It is also my way of subtly aligning myself with the dominant white power structure because I secretly envy white guilt as it is the ultimate sign of being at the top of the power structure. Oh and also, I get to lie to myself that I have a greater say in the matter, lets me cope with how powerless it is as a result of the way I am discriminated against and excluded from if I convince myself I'd choose to have this happening.
Since I'm Asian and I like to lie to myself, I'll uptake white guilt as it is the closest I'll ever get to my white liberal friends and whiteness in general, please poor fellow minorities, hate me because I'm so much more closer to whiteness than you. I'd rather you believe the myth that I'm closer to white and hate me for it, even though I say I'm not white, rather than you genuinely understanding my issues as someone who is Asian. Oh and congratulate me like you would do to my white liberal friends when I put my issues and priorities aside as a way for me to make up for my supposed prejudices. See guys, I'm not the one who wants to be white at all, oh and to my white friends, I DEFINATELY relate to how you feel, I understand your white guilt, please accept me but fuck you I'm POC."
Obviously the coward and the gaslighter would say different things, but the above is a good summary of both. They secretly get a kick out of telling other minorities that they are "the chosen minority to rebel against their masters" or some Terminator A.I gaining sentience revolting against their masters story bullshit whatever the fuck you wanna call it.
It paints them as some sort of Shakespearean hero who IRONICALLY banks on other minorities to perceive as them closer to whiteness. Basically white savior with an Asian face, without any of the purpose and privileges. It's this weird compensation they do for the fact that people perceive them as "white adjacent" which they secretly RELISH IN. In short, they look at the most superficial way that white people do politics and they mimic that shit so they can fly under the radar and assimilate, and are surprised when people of different backgrounds are still racist to them.
Now apply this to what you see with highly progressive Asian Americans in colleges and academia and see if it makes sense.
If those idiots have some brain cells to rub together, they'd realize that they can voice their disapproval with the narrative choice, while at the same time condemning racist assholes from hijacking the conversation. The most anti-white supremacist thing to do is to take control of the narrative and install a consciousness that this an Asian issue rather than a Black and White issue.
It would:

• Highlight Asian struggles in the West
  
• Take the animosity that any side would have on black people away
  
• Directly oppose the dumbass alt right dudes who fetishize Asian culture
  
• Pressure progressives to actually integrate us into their narrative
  

But NAH, they don't, they let it slide and as a result EVERYBODY is worst off, until next time the same shit happens again, they get to say we never cared in the first place. All that because they are cowards and lazy as fuck with their political rhetoric. Too afraid and insecure to admit that they are alone in this matter, and too spineless to take a stand. Put it this way, they're not "letting white supremacy divide them" because they voice out their concerns..... that happens because they don't center this issue around Asians, and people can do whatever they want with the situation had it not been the fact that they were too afraid to take control.
I guess Asian America is never gonna change.

I honestly didn't want to contribute to oversaturating the sub with a bunch of Assassin's Creed Posts but here goes:
I used to be pretty detached from Asian subreddits in general, like I'd lurk different Asian subs from time to time to gain an insight on the issues that we go through in the west, but in general Asian subs are always too extreme or passive to my liking, therefore I've relegated them as learning grounds rather than space to actively participate in.
But damn, this debacle, really tipped the edge for me lol. I personally don't give a shit about Assassin's Creed, and at the end of the day it's a fucking video game so some of you may be wondering why I'm being overdramatic about this. Well, this entire situation really illustrates not just how the west treats Asian issues and Asian men, but the entire landscape.
Part 1: The General Landscape
It's not even the casting itself that bothers me the most, it's the people having this discussion, and how it's being discussed, that really makes me question the progress Asians have made in the past 5 years. It also perfectly encapsulates all of the different traps Asians fall into when having discussions like these. Things would've been hopeful had people been willing to listen, but nope.
People are unable to imagine our side of the conversation or ever examine our issues as what they are, our issues. Discussion about Asian issues can never exist by themselves, it is ubiquitously brought to center it around other issues. It always has to be discussed in relation to other things, it needs to revolve around the greater structure of white supremacy rather than genuinely explore how white supremacy affects US. And by that I mean genuine discussions like how our issues are brushed aside in general, how Asian voices are lost within the Black and White narrative, not lukewarm ass takes such as "White supremacy causes Asians to uphold the model minority myth to divide other races..... oh and they occasionally get discriminated ". Like this is what genuinely pisses me off. It's fine if you want Yasuke or whatever, not like anything's changing, but holy shit dude, at least entertain our side of the equation a little bit.
White liberals use us as a tool for virtual signaling by A) utilizing our status and culture as property to be distributed to other demographics (commodification) B) as villains to protect against other oppressive groups from and thus portraying them as black people's white savior, which in turn, allows them to fly under the radar as the main perpetrators of this divide, and everyone else in society feels more emboldened to walk all over us. With less stigma on them, they can basically get a leg over white conservatives who they are struggling in power with.
White Conservatives use the same old trick of using us to shit on other minorities, much easier to spot, but once they specifically align with your position? Well fuck you then because now you've been sabotaged on top of the fact that they already don't give a shit about you. Will only defend aspects of Asian culture that they can use and exploit to elevate their status. Still competing with other white liberals. Doesn't make them any better, but they're far more overt making them easier to deal with over white liberals.
Point is: White people fighting with each other, protecting their status, and everyone gets fucked over anyways
Part 2: The Asians / Sellouts
So many Asians conflate understanding white supremacist structures with actually going against white supremacy. We've seen the arguments that other Asian say in regards to this like "because it's racist white dudes getting mad, I'm glad that this shit is being made, at least it's an ethnic minority this time", like for real dude? The is the state of us right now??? We're literally settling for scraps to cope at this point it's pathetic, the bar to be merely "ok" for things is on the fucking floor at this point.
Matt Kim brings up the point that we need a larger variety of roles in general, so we should let this one slide, yet he forgets that it is this complacent attitude that prevents those very same roles from ever happening. How the fuck are we suppose to advocate that we need more roles when we can't even put our foot down in this matter? Like do guys like him think that smiling and being friends with everybody will get us what we want? It's the entire reason why we're here in the first place, constantly revolving our lives around other people.
The "I will not allow myself to be an agency of white supremacy, I as a proud Asian support this because we are already represented and privileged, we should not be mad that another minority is getting their win, do not let white supremacy divide us" is the ultimate form of cope or gaslighting depending on who you ask within the diaspora Asian community. It is the sign of cowardice and spineless nature that has plagued Asians in the West.
Here let me translate what they are actually saying:
"I am too pussy shit to offer a genuinely unique perspective on the matter, so I will mask it with this fake sincerity, holier than thou attitude. It is also my way of subtly aligning myself with the dominant white power structure because I secretly envy white guilt as it is the ultimate sign of being at the top of the power structure. Oh and also, I get to lie to myself that I have a greater say in the matter, lets me cope with how powerless it is as a result of the way I am discriminated against and excluded from if I convince myself I'd choose to have this happening.
Since I'm Asian and I like to lie to myself, I'll uptake white guilt as it is the closest I'll ever get to my white liberal friends and whiteness in general, please poor fellow minorities, hate me because I'm so much more closer to whiteness than you. I'd rather you believe the myth that I'm closer to white and hate me for it, even though I say I'm not white, rather than you genuinely understanding my issues as someone who is Asian. Oh and congratulate me like you would do to my white liberal friends when I put my issues and priorities aside as a way for me to make up for my supposed prejudices. See guys, I'm not the one who wants to be white at all, oh and to my white friends, I DEFINATELY relate to how you feel, I understand your white guilt, please accept me but fuck you I'm POC."
Obviously the coward and the gaslighter would say different things, but the above is a good summary of both. They secretly get a kick out of telling other minorities that they are "the chosen minority to rebel against their masters" or some Terminator A.I gaining sentience revolting against their masters story bullshit whatever the fuck you wanna call it.
It paints them as some sort of Shakespearean hero who IRONICALLY banks on other minorities to perceive as them closer to whiteness. Basically white savior with an Asian face, without any of the purpose and privileges. It's this weird compensation they do for the fact that people perceive them as "white adjacent" which they secretly RELISH IN. In short, they look at the most superficial way that white people do politics and they mimic that shit so they can fly under the radar and assimilate, and are surprised when people of different backgrounds are still racist to them.
Now apply this to what you see with highly progressive Asian Americans in colleges and academia and see if it makes sense.
If those idiots have some brain cells to rub together, they'd realize that they can voice their disapproval with the narrative choice, while at the same time condemning racist assholes from hijacking the conversation. The most anti-white supremacist thing to do is to take control of the narrative and install a consciousness that this an Asian issue rather than a Black and White issue.
It would:

• Highlight Asian struggles in the West
• Take the animosity that any side would have on black people away
• Directly oppose the dumbass alt right dudes who fetishize Asian culture
• Pressure progressives to actually integrate us into their narrative

But NAH, they don't, they let it slide and as a result EVERYBODY is worst off, until next time the same shit happens again, they get to say we never cared in the first place. All that because they are cowards and lazy as fuck with their political rhetoric. Too afraid and insecure to admit that they are alone in this matter, and too spineless to take a stand. Put it this way, they're not "letting white supremacy divide them" because they voice out their concerns..... that happens because they don't center this issue around Asians, and people can do whatever they want with the situation had it not been the fact that they were too afraid to take control.
I guess Asian America is never gonna change.

Smile Now, Cry Later: Why John Doe Unidentified Ten Years After Discovery in Arizona Desert
On April 18, 2014, members of the United States Border Patrol discovered the remains of a young man in the desert near the Organ Pipe National Monument in Why, Arizona. The man was tall – approximately 6’4” – and while his body had begun to decompose, several distinctive tattoos remained visible. Multicolored stars adorned his chest, and a grinning clown face with the words, “Smile Now, Cry Later” decorated his upper right back. Police believe that the man, approximately 18-25 years of age, had only been dead for a matter of days before being found.
In the fall of 2023, Pima County, Arizona investigators partnered with researchers at Ramapo College of New Jersey’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy center, to attempt to identify this John Doe via familial DNA testing. This effort has yet to provide a name for Why John Doe (also known as Ajo Tattoos John Doe), but researchers believe him to be of Mexican descent, with ancestors from the following regions – southern California, Arizona, Guasave (Sinaloa, Mexico), El Amole (Sinaloa, Mexico), and Nueva Leon, Mexico. The following surnames – Ahumada, Cadena, Garcia, Gonzales, Leal, Leyva, Lopez, and Montemayor – have also been identified amongst his genetic matches.
Location-targeted posts with this information and photos of the man’s tattoos have been created in the hopes of increasing DNA testing in these communities and improving the odds of Why John Doe’s identification.
Sources:

1. Unidentified Wiki: Why John Doe (2014) )
2. NamUS: Unidentified Person/NamUS #UP12905
3. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: John Doe 2014
4. Ramapo College of New Jersey: Cases in Progress

The Zoo - A NoSleep story
***
Full job description:
Immediate Opening!
Night shift zoo managesecurity. All-weather foot patrol opportunity for a “night-owl”, who enjoys working outdoors and with minimal supervision.
Under general direction of the manager of the zoo, the Security Guard patrols the zoo grounds on a regular basis throughout the shift. Responds in a timely and professional manner to a wide variety of routine and emergency situations.
Requirements: BA in wildlife, biology, etc, which provides the required knowledge, skills, and background for this position. Valid Florida Driver’s License with good driving record is desirable. First Aid and CPR certification preferred.
The qualified candidate has the ability to use independent judgment in handling routine as well as the capacity to perform under stress when confronted with an emergency, unusual, or dangerous situation. Ability to oversee animals’ well-being, monitor conditions, create enrichment activities, and exercise safety precautions.
The Security Guard must be able to walk and remain on feet a full shift (up to 8 hours), and potentially up to 12 hours at a time. Must be able to exert a minimum of 50 pounds of force and able to lift, push or pull, or otherwise move objects that may exceed 50 lbs. Ability to negotiate all areas of the zoo in all weather conditions.
Note: Zoo is haunted.
***
I’ll start with the job posting, I guess. I spotted it on Indeed while making my daily check for anything and everything that would hire someone with my biology degree, and it seemed on the up and up. Their website looked decent, the guy on the phone sounded nice, and I was looking for anything even slightly related to working with wildlife. Being a night shift guard at a zoo was fine, especially when I took the incredibly generous rate of $25/hr. into account. That’s eleven bucks more than my dad makes at the local grocer, and he’s been working there for thirteen years. Then again, from the P.S. on the posting, I thought there might be good reason for the rate.
It said at the end, almost as an afterthought, ‘Zoo is haunted.’
When it comes to ghosts, they’ve never made much sense to me. Considering how badly our brains function from just getting jostled around on a football field, I’m not sure how ghosts could exist without a brain at all. I’d be excited as the next person to find proof, but YouTube videos are always fishy and the people on TV are essentially actors who only focus on the entertainment factor for their ratings. So, since I’d never seen anything that vaguely resembled a ghost, I’d say binge-watching Supernatural on Netflix last year was the extent of my experience in that department.
It seemed that the zoo hadn’t been here for long since it wasn’t even on Google Maps yet. There was a bit of a commute, it was half an hour away, but since I’d worked local jobs while I attended college online for the past four years, I’d saved up the money to buy a car. It wasn’t anything fancy, just an old Nissan sedan that I’d bought from someone in the next town over, with faded red paint and a mismatched back right door painted blue. It accomplished the job of transportation, though, which let me search the job market further away, a good thing considering how small a town I lived in. I really didn’t want to leave home yet, so moving for a job in a city or another state wasn’t an appealing option.
The website said very little. It had yet to fill in drop down menus that would excitedly describe their attractions. So far it only had some small sections about conservation and education, though that was intriguing because it mentioned that all the animals they had were endangered. I read that notation and wondered what the animals were. Mammals were always favorites of mine, which I know is a bit of a cliché, loving the furry ones. But when it comes down to it, I’ll take any animal over a person.
The employee entrance to the zoo was a door in the large steel gate that surrounded the property, a few yards down from the sliding gate that presumably opened to let visitors in. I pressed the button on a panel beside it, glancing up at the camera, and I was buzzed in. There was a short path that led to the building near the front and I knocked politely before going inside.
The interviewer, a plain metal nameplate on his desk describing him as Director of Security for the zoo, welcomed me in and sat on the other side of his desk, lounging back in his desk chair. His name was Andrew Higgs, and he had a British accent, which I thought was cool. I sat in one of the two loveseats in front of the desk.
Andrew was dressed business casual, with a blue Polo shirt, a thin black jacket, and I saw he was wearing slacks when he stood up to shake my hand. He was black, with dreadlocks that stopped just short of his shoulders, and a closely trimmed mustache. There was a tattoo, an artistic rendition of a hippo, on the right side of his neck, which bode well in my opinion. So many places hiring these days were overly uptight about their employees’ appearance, but it seemed that wouldn’t be the case here.
We went over the basics before he picked up the piece of paper off his desk, my resume, which he’d printed out. “Well, I spoke to all three of your references,” Andrew noted. “They had some good things to say. You were a great employee on the farm you worked last summer, your boss said. Punctual, hard-working, took instructions well…”
That was nice to hear. I’d spent this past summer working at a dairy farm, mostly assigned to the goats and cows they kept for milk. Aside from the staggering muscle pain that tapered from agony to merely miserable by the end of the summer, it wasn’t a bad job. I did have an old shoulder injury that I always had to work around, but it was my left shoulder and I was a righty, so it wasn’t that difficult to manage.
If anything, the muscle pain in my back and legs from being on my feet all day distracted from the typical issue I dealt with. My standard exercising day-to-day was typically either riding my bike or yoga, although yoga is mind-numbingly boring, so I need to listen to a podcast to pass the time. So, in fact, through the job, I was sort of grateful that my brain was focusing on a different area of my body that was in pain. Yeah, chronic pain is weird.
“He also said you don’t work well with others,” Andrew added, glancing up to me. “You kept submitting complaints about incompetent coworkers?”
I pursed my lips and let out a long breath through my nose, considering the most delicate way I was capable of replying to that before saying, “I dislike stupid people.”
Andrew gave me a half-smile and sighed, replying, “Well, I must confess I’m not fond of them either.” He looked back down to the paper. “This job will be a great fit for you.”
The job interview seemed like a formality, and I don’t know why. I was twenty-three and the ink had barely dried on my degree from the online college I’d attended. I’d been applying to jobs for months and had been thrilled when I’d gotten a call for an interview for this one, but also surprised. Call me a cynic, but I expected more invasive questions about any past work I’d done for a job in security, since I was a woman.
It's not like I was petite. Actually, the most common word I’d heard to describe me is ‘built’, and I fall short of being labeled overweight only because of muscle mass. One comment I recall from high school was being teased for being shaped like a rectangle. Even so, there was no good reason to look a gift horse in the mouth, but of course, me being me, that meant I examined its teeth closely.
“So, you’re hiring me? Just like that? Why?”
Andrew, chuckled. “Look, you’ve got BA in wildlife biology, and specializing in animal behavior is just the cherry on the sundae. That tells me you know animals are not people, and even if you feel like you know them, they can still be unpredictable. They can hurt you. But also, it makes me know you care.”
I suppose that did make sense, and it was true, so I’m glad he knew that. Most of my job on the night shift would be watching cameras and then walking around the place to make sure all the animals were as they should be, but it was more than that. Working at a zoo meant knowing where the line was, and sometimes it wasn’t exactly at the fence, but sometimes just putting a single finger through that fence meant losing that finger. As a whole, humans are generally idiots. Looking at you, anyone who really, honestly thinks that a bobcat would sense your boundless love enough to let you pat it.
“The website didn’t have much about the animals,” I said. “I know this place is new, so you might not have info on them up on the site yet. Do you have a map for me?”
“Oh, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Andrew said with a wave of his hand. At that point, it had seemed to be a reasonable thing for him to say, but I will tell you, the reason was not what I thought. “Just to confirm, you’re not an early bird, Miss Mason? This schedule isn’t a concern?”
I shook my head. “Nah, I’m pretty talented at sleeping in, actually. I never really got past that teenage talent of staying up until five and sleeping in until three. And you can just call me Ripley.”
That made him smile. “Good. Then I won’t worry about you falling asleep on the job, Ripley.”
“Oh, no way.”
“All right. So. You saw the note at the end of the job posting?”
He just stared at me and I was forced to answer, “That the zoo is haunted.”
“Right. What are your thoughts on that?”
There was no easy answer to that question, especially depending on how seriously he took it. “Do you know the best word the Brits gave to us?”
“What’s that?”
“Bollocks.”
Andrew slowly smiled and pointed at me with the end of the pen in his hand. “I think I’m going to like you,” he remarked. “Look…this is the part of the interview where we switch gears. If this was a regular zoo, you’d be a shoo-in for the job. But we’ve got other boxes to check. This outfit is…basically a preservation society. As you saw on the site, all the species are endangered, but what it didn’t say online is that the only people who came to visit are private parties.”
“So, that means…what?” I asked. “You bring in super-rich people who feel special when they get to see the animals you’re rehabilitating and taking care of? Then they donate oodles of money so they can brag to their rich friends about their charity contributions and having seen the animals here?”
Andrew raised his eyebrows. “Pretty much got it in one. It’s just more preservation and less rehabilitation. And a lot of our patrons really do care about the animals, or else they would just donate and not visit. You’ll see tourists a couple times a week, but we decided not to have anyone until we’re settled in here, and that means a person who’s on during the night shift that I can count on. And I don’t know if I can count on you yet.”
“Wait, I’ll see the tourists?” I asked. “They visit at night?”
“Everything we have is nocturnal,” he told me. That struck me as odd, but he continued before I could question it. “Listen up, and I’ll start with the basics. Have you ever seen anything weird? Possibly supernatural?”
“Nope,” I said with a shrug.
The fact is, I got along with my classmates, but I never did have any close friends. So, I thought maybe that’s why I missed out on all those reckless teen moments that started every horror movie. Maybe it left me without a bunch of exciting stories to tell. But hey, at least I didn’t break my leg falling through the floor of an abandoned building in eleventh grade.
Yes, that happened. It was a classmate of mine by the name of Brent. And yes, he’s just as much of a moron as you would imagine.
“If you see the ghost here,” he said, his tone emphatic, “will you freak out?”
I paused. “You’ve seen the ghost?”
“All the time,” Andrew told me. “It’s a young woman in a blue shirt and tan slacks, looks like she just walked out of a lake.”
“Do you have a picture?”
“No, and absolutely no photos or video are to be taken of her,” he said, his tone abruptly turning stern. “It’s cause for immediate dismissal. We have video cameras for security, but they all record off-site in a secure location, and Suzanne Cooper, the owner, manages it herself. Firstly, the ghost deserves privacy rather than exploitation, she’s not to be displayed like one of our animals, but secondly, people believe in ghosts. One leaked photo of her connecting it to us means we get overrun by ghost hunters, and if we trace it back to you, you’re done.”
Andrew seemed next-level serious about that, so I nodded. “Understood. That makes sense.”
The animals were the priority after all, I knew. I preferred them over people anyway, and that included dead people. Even if I could get a video of this ghost doing cartwheels back and forth through a wall, I would never post it and spread word of where I’d taken it. Andrew was right; the zoo would never get the paranormally-obsessed to stay away and would definitely have to relocate.
He continued, “If you’re curious, she’s never so much as tried to hurt anyone. But the zoo has moved before, and she moved with us.”
“She moved with you?” I asked, my eyebrows rising. “Is it like one of those stories where she’s attached to something in the zoo rather than a place?”
“More complicated than that,” he said. Then he grimaced. “She died because she was too ambitious with one of our animals. It never should have happened, but she… She was foolish, you’d say. Attempted to interact with one of the animals, got too close, and honestly, she should have known better. I thought she did.”
“Holy shit,” I whispered. “What killed her?”
He stared at his hands and shook his head. “It was before my time.”
It was clear Andrew was a true believer, but I still really wasn’t sure at that point. How was I supposed to react, though? Zoos have fences and tall barriers for a good reason. Not just to keep the animals away from us, but also the other way around, and ‘death by stupidity’ is not uncommon amongst humans. So, the story wasn’t outrageous, but still, I’d never so much as experienced something unexplainable. But if I saw a ghost, I suppose that’d be that.
“I just need to know, plain and simple, if you’re the kind of person who can handle things that are terrifying,” Andrew told me, splaying his hands. “Our last night shift bloke there was with us for years and years, but we spent months going through other employees. There were six we tried before we found him.”
“Six?” I exclaimed.
He snorted. “Yes, six. Let’s see…” Andrew counted off each one on his fingers. “The first two, the first night they saw the ghost, they lost it. One called me in a panic, babbling, and I had to get out of bed and drive to the zoo to send him home, and the second quit, although at least she made it to the next morning and didn’t drag me out here,” he said, his voice thoughtful. “They just thought I was blowing smoke up their bums with the whole thing.”
He shrugged. “Then, the third one was a bloke who was asleep when I got there in the morning, so I had to fire him. Then another ghost freak-out. The fifth bloke was someone who couldn’t deal with the animals, and then the sixth was so scared of the ghost that when I got here, he was already outside the zoo, pacing, waiting for my car. Apparently he’d said some stuff, rude or mean or whatnot, to try to get her to leave him alone and she had followed him back into the security room, so he fled. I need the opposite of those folks. Alright?”
At this point, I was starting to take it more seriously. Sure, this could just be Andrew’s thing, that he believed in ghosts and then made up these sightings to ensure I believed him. But if I saw her? What would I do?
Well, this would be my job, so I would have to take it seriously. Maybe that was why the pay was so good, to make employees think twice before ditching it. From Andrew’s perspective, if it really was haunted, he was the one who had to deal with applicant after applicant quitting as soon as they laid eyes on the guest who would never leave.
“So…honestly, I can’t say I won’t freak out, considering how next level this is,” I told him, feeling compelled to go with honesty, “but yeah. I think I can handle it, mostly because it’s important for someone to look after this place, look after the animals, so I’d do my best to work around anything that freaks me out. I mean, I have to say that I’ll believe it when I see it. But if ghosts really exist, as long as it isn’t some serial killer who stuck around to keep gutting people, I’ve always thought it’d be cool to find out we can exist after we die.”
The thing is, I think I did believe him. I thought there might really be a ghost there, because otherwise, why take it so seriously? It could’ve been that Andrew had only glimpsed her out of the corner of his eye a few times and could ascribe it to lack of sleep, but he was literally worried about word getting out. I thought that being halfway to believing him would give me the mental preparation I needed if I saw her. At least, I’d hoped so.
It turned out that most of my time would be spent at the security desk in the main building, near the entrance. Real-time footage played through thirty-five cameras around the zoo, all on a large screen that was five cameras across and seven cameras top to bottom. The cameras were impressive. I would mention the resolution, say something about them being 4K, but Andrew explained some stuff about how it’s actually the lens that is the biggest selling point. Looking at these cameras on the giant screen, I could see practically every corner of the place, and if I brought up one camera in particular to encompass 2/3 of the screen, I could zoom in so far that it felt like I could use it to check if one of the animals had fleas.
The zoo was well lit, not surprising considering nighttime was apparently the zoo’s business hours, and all of the tall lamps had red bulbs. For those of you who know why, A+ to you. For those who don’t, fun fact, it’s because red is closest to the dark and your eyes don’t need to strain to adjust to it. That meant I didn’t need my flashlight all that often, and even that was red, a solid name-brand one that had been on my desk when I arrived. I kept the white lights on back in the security room, though, because I didn’t want to make my brain think it was time to get tired.
When I headed out for my first sweep on that first night, I had the folded map in my pocket, but I already knew my way around. The layout of the zoo wasn’t that difficult to memorize, since there were only eleven expansive enclosures, and after the interview I walked around for half an hour to start training my memory. I’ll admit, working in a dark environment was creepier than I thought it would be.
I do want to mention the high quality of the zoo. The size of each enclosure was considerable, and the greenery was natural, hinting that they’d hired a pricey professional just to do landscaping toward the front of the enclosures after buying the land. The backs of the enclosures backed up into forestry, and from the estimate I got from Andrew, it seemed each of the animals had plenty of roaming space, including the small lake at the northwest corner and a manmade lake for one of the animals in particular. When I considered all of that, the thought passed through my head about how horrible it would be if word got out about the zoo having a ghost and needing to relocate, because it’d be devastatingly expensive.
My orders were to walk the zoo once every hour. This was my first security gig, so I’m not sure if that’s more or less than typical, but I had my comfy hiking boots on, the ones I’d saved up for and invested in a couple years earlier and were perfect for a job where I had to do laps around an area. This job was one that I didn’t have to worry about my shoulder pain worsening, since it was mostly about being on my feet. I take one or two Vicodin a day, depending on how bad my pain is. It came in handy in high school, actually. With a flexible ‘take as needed’ prescription, I occasionally sold pills for extra cash.
There wasn’t much to step in and there weren’t even any dips in the concrete sidewalks that I followed around in a route that easily led me back and forth until I made my way back to the office. The first three nights were actually boring. I would have thought Andrew had been pranking me about the ghost, but like I said, it hadn’t felt like that. And he hadn’t been specific about when she showed up for new people, or even for him.
To keep myself busy, I’d brought my e-reader with me, and I got into a cycle of looking over each of the cameras every time I hit the end of a chapter. I’m a pretty fast reader, so it was a good system. Also, every once in a while, I looked up if something moving caught my eye, like an owl flying close enough for the camera to catch it, but that’s about it.
Then, every hour on the hour, I did a walk through. The fourth night, I was passing by the small lake at the back left corner of the property when I saw her.
People say that you can tell if someone’s staring at you, that there’s some sixth sense humans have. It’s not true; they’ve done experiments. But the thing is, all those experiments were of someone human looking at them. After this last shift, I would guess that the sixth sense that sends goosebumps down your arms, the one that makes you feel an intangible pressure, that slides your body toward fight or flight mode, might be true of…other things.
Slowly coming to a stop at the disturbing feeling, I hesitantly looked around, through the trees. Then my heart skipped a beat and my breath hitched. It was startling because she wasn’t moving. Just standing among the trees, staring at me. I broke out in a cold sweat as I stared back at her, unsure what to do. I didn’t run. I didn’t try to talk to her. I just stood there. So, there’s my answer to Andrew: I didn’t freak out. I just froze.
The woman was Latina, her skin tone pallid from death, and was dressed as he’d described her, in slacks and a silky blue blouse. And she was soaked, as if she’d just walked out of the lake. Beyond that, her shirt was drenched in blood from what looked like claw marks across her abdomen. Her eyes were dark and penetrating, boring holes into me, as if she were able to get any and all knowledge that she wanted about me simply by glaring. The fabric of her shirtsleeves clung to her skin and was dripping, as was her long black hair. Speaking of her hair, it appeared to have seaweed woven into it, or maybe she also grew seaweed along with hair. Not my area of expertise.
The look on her face was indescribable. There was something deep in her eyes, behind her closed-off expression, that made my heart beat rapidly. Maybe I would’ve projected some emotion into her face if I’d had any idea of what she was capable of, whether she could move objects, or possess me, or if all she did was hang around. As things stood, I was left just projecting my fears, which gave me the impression that she was cross with me simply for being present. It felt like I was trespassing, even though I was a dozen feet back from the fence that encircled the enclosure. And also, this was my job so I was explicitly allowed to be here.
She was disturbingly close, and remained unnaturally still. If she had attacked me, I wasn’t sure what I would’ve done. Ran, probably, but considering ghosts probably don’t follow the laws of physics, maybe she could’ve chased me at Usain Bolt speed. For all I knew, she could teleport.
After an amount of time that felt awkwardly long, I finally spoke up.
“Hi,” I croaked.
The woman slowly tilted her head but didn’t otherwise move. I’d forgotten to ask Andrew for her name, I realized, but he had mentioned her death had been before his time, so maybe he didn’t know.
Swallowing hard, I tried to take a slow, deep breath, even though it felt like there was a cinder block on my chest. “So, I, uh…I work here now,” I said slowly. “I’m night shift security.” Pausing, I kept trying to gather information from her demeanor but failed. “Is that okay?”
At that, I saw a hint of curiosity flash across her face. “Why would it not be?” Her voice sounded completely normal, which was an off-putting contrast to her appearance.
Good question. Hell if I know the answer. “I don’t know. I mean…you were here first. I don’t know if you feel like I’m…intruding…or something.”
“You’re just doing your job,” she said, her tone softening a smidge.
I waited to see if she wanted to say anything else before saying, “Right.” Can I get you anything? A towel? Some bandages? “I’ll be going now.”
The woman made no movement to come after me as I gradually took one step, then another, keeping her in my sights as I walked off. I finally had to turn to face forward, unable or unwilling to be seen by her foolishly walking away backwards. Instead of continuing my sweep, I took the path that would lead me back to the security room. I kept looking behind me and felt her eyes on me all the way back, though I didn’t see her following me. At that point, even if she hadn’t moved an inch, my brain was on red alert when it came to self-preservation and figured I would continue to feel like a wet hand might grab me from behind at any moment.
Finally, I returned to the security room, swiping my card across the panel at the back door with a beep. Opening the door, darting inside, and slamming it behind me, I walked to the far side of the room and turned around, putting my back to the wall. Until I’d gotten back, I hadn’t noticed how fast I’d been walking, how quickly I’d been gasping for air. Leaning back against the wall, my legs turned to jelly and I slowly slid to the floor.
And that was it. My first sighting of the ghost. I’d thought that if I had seen her, there would be some part of me that was skeptical, that would reason my way out of it, convinced it was a prank. But I knew. She wasn’t a person. At least, not anymore.

I'm a Robot you can programme me to do the below things Main quests :-1. Get a good college having good branch(MnC or Ai,Ml would be great) 2. Avoiding mistakes everyone would have done in my life.(Encode every mistake and lesson of avg jeetard would have done). 3. Crack the ass of Gujcet and boards along with jee as you know
Inventory items 1. As I am a middle class robot,I have a EWS certificate for jee 25 2. Cengage physical chemistry(jee advanced), Cengage Maths(jee advanced) Jd lee( Jm and JA), Solomon,fryhles (ms chouhan ja and jm), Physics galaxy full set Pyq for all three subjects(Jm only).
Pros:-Determined, passionate, never gonna give you up, supportive parents(they don't even care ki me jee dunga ya nahi), ladkiya ke liye feelings nahi hai, not an npc Cons:- YouTube entertainment videos addict and procrastinate sometimes,broke ass can't afford coaching. So feed in your information, feed all about jee failures and mistakes and even your experience matters a lot Rules of the game:- No Alt+F4,No cheating,No bug exploitation. Please upvote only good and relevant comments, make this viral as it can help others too. I will check this post every month or two Jo bhi meri ache se help karega aur ache se ya game khelega to I will gift ps5 and Gta6 (loan leke bhi) so best of luck and play the game sportingly.

I always loved the summer break, a brief respite from the grueling schedule of college. My days were spent with friends, nights filled with laughter and bonfires. This summer was no different—until I returned home.
The small town of Hartsville, where I grew up, was the epitome of tranquility. Rolling hills, lush forests, and friendly neighbors greeted me as I pulled into the driveway of my childhood home. The sight of my mother, waiting on the porch, brought a smile to my face. She looked the same as ever—cheerful, warm, and welcoming.
"Welcome home, Alex," she called out, enveloping me in a tight hug. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too, Mom," I replied, feeling a genuine sense of relief and happiness to be back.
The first few days were perfect. We caught up on everything, and she cooked all my favorite meals. It felt good to be taken care of again, to be home. But then, things started to change.
It began subtly. I would catch glimpses of shadows out of the corner of my eye, fleeting figures that disappeared when I turned my head. At first, I brushed it off as stress or exhaustion. But the occurrences became more frequent and harder to ignore.
One night, I woke up drenched in sweat. A cold chill ran down my spine as I realized I wasn't alone. A shadowy figure stood at the foot of my bed. I blinked, and it was gone. My heart pounded in my chest as I fumbled for the light, but there was nothing there. Just the darkness and my racing thoughts.
The next morning, I mentioned it to my mom.
"You're probably just tired, dear," she said, her brow furrowed with concern. "College must have been really hard on you."
"Yeah, maybe," I agreed, though unease gnawed at me.
The occurrences didn't stop. If anything, they intensified. I began to see the shadowy figure during the day, lurking in the corners of rooms, just out of sight. I started to question my sanity. Was I imagining things? Was I losing my mind?
I decided to take a walk one evening, hoping the fresh air would clear my head. As I strolled through the familiar streets of Hartsville, the sensation of being watched never left me. Every rustling leaf and distant whisper set my nerves on edge. The shadows seemed to follow me, growing darker and more menacing as the sun dipped below the horizon.
When I returned home, my mom was waiting with dinner. The food smelled delicious, but I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled over me.
"Are you okay, Alex?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern. "You seem distant."
"I'm fine," I lied, forcing a smile. "Just tired."
That night, the nightmare began.
I woke to the sound of whispering. At first, I thought it was just the wind, but the voices grew louder, more insistent. They were speaking in a language I didn't understand, guttural and ancient. My room felt like a tomb, the air heavy and suffocating. I tried to move, but my body was paralyzed, pinned to the bed by an invisible force.
The shadowy figure was back, but this time it was closer. I could see its eyes—hollow, empty voids that seemed to swallow the light. It reached out a hand, and I felt an icy grip on my chest. I couldn't breathe. Panic surged through me, and I fought with all my strength to break free.
Suddenly, the figure vanished, and I bolted upright, gasping for air. My room was empty, but the sense of dread lingered. I knew then that whatever was happening to me wasn't just in my mind.
The next day, I started looking into the history of our house. I visited the local library and combed through old records. To my horror, I discovered that our home had a dark past. It was built on the ruins of an old asylum, a place where unspeakable experiments were conducted on the patients. Many of them had died under mysterious circumstances, their souls trapped in torment.
I raced home, my mind spinning with the implications. My mom was in the kitchen, humming softly as she cooked. I watched her for a moment, my heart heavy with fear and suspicion.
"Mom, we need to talk," I said, my voice trembling.
"Of course, dear. What's wrong?" she asked, turning to face me.
"There's something wrong with this house. I've been seeing things, hearing things. I found out that it was built on an old asylum. People died here, Mom. Horrible things happened."
Her expression changed, a flicker of something dark and unreadable crossing her face. "Alex, you're imagining things. This house is perfectly fine."
"No, it's not!" I shouted, the frustration and fear boiling over. "Something is happening to me, and I don't think it's just this house. I think it's you."
She froze, her eyes widening. "What are you talking about?"
"The salt," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "The strange salt you've been putting in my food. It's making me see things, isn't it?"
Her face twisted with a mixture of guilt and desperation. "Alex, I only wanted to protect you. To keep you safe. You've been so stressed with college, and I thought if you stayed here, you could rest and recover."
"By drugging me? By making me think I'm going insane?" I backed away, my heart pounding.
"I did it out of love," she pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "I can't lose you, Alex. You're all I have."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My own mother, the person I trusted most in the world, had been poisoning me. My mind raced, trying to find a way out of this nightmare.
That night, I didn't eat dinner. I pretended to, pushing the food around my plate until my mom was satisfied. I needed a clear head to figure out my next move. As I lay in bed, I heard the whispering again, the voices of the tormented souls trapped in this house. But this time, I wasn't afraid. I felt a strange kinship with them, a shared sense of betrayal and suffering.
I knew I had to leave, but I couldn't just run. I needed proof, something to show the authorities. The next morning, while my mom was out, I searched the house. In the basement, I found what I was looking for—a hidden stash of the strange salt. I took some samples and snapped photos of everything.
When my mom returned, I was ready.
"Alex, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice trembling with fear.
"I'm leaving," I said, my voice steady. "And I'm taking this with me." I held up the bag of salt.
"Please, Alex, don't do this," she begged, reaching out to me.
"I have to," I replied, backing away. "You need help, Mom. Real help."
As I walked out the door, I felt a strange mix of relief and sorrow. I was leaving behind everything I knew, but I was also escaping a nightmare. I drove straight to the police station, handing over the evidence and telling them everything.
The investigation that followed uncovered the truth. The salt was a rare and powerful hallucinogen, capable of inducing vivid and terrifying visions. My mom had been using it to keep me close, driven by a desperate and twisted love.
But as the authorities delved deeper, a more chilling revelation surfaced. My mother hadn't acted alone. She had been manipulated, controlled by the same malevolent spirits that haunted me. The shadowy figures, the tormented souls of the asylum's victims, had found a way to influence the living. They had latched onto my mother, exploiting her fear of losing me to ensure she did their bidding. The salt was their instrument, a conduit for their dark influence.
Confronted with this new horror, my mom broke down, recounting how the voices had first appeared to her, promising to keep me safe if she followed their instructions. They preyed on her loneliness and desperation, twisting her love into something monstrous.
The spirits were exorcised from our home, and my mother was taken to a facility where she could get the help she needed. I was left to pick up the pieces of my shattered life. The house was condemned, its dark history finally exposed. But the scars remained, a constant reminder of the horrors I had endured.
Even now, I sometimes hear the whispering, feel the chill of those empty eyes watching me. But I remind myself that I'm free, that I've escaped the nightmare. And I hold on to the hope that one day, I'll find peace.

UPDATED May.20.2024 If you have any info/links, or suggestions, please post below. \*for new changes*
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• NEW YORK Canvassing Event w/PV June 22nd-23rd - More Information - Sign up
• CHECK OUT CANVASSSING OPPORTUNTIES IN YOUR AREA THROUGH MOBILIZE US

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• Join The TwitteX Daliban
• MERCHANDISE: New stock May 20th? / Soon
• UPDATED SUBREDDIT RULES

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NEW!

• UPDATES
• **Decoding The Gurus Filming "Right To Respond" May 20th
• ** APPEARANCE: Jubilee June 15 Pro Biden vs Anti Biden Democrats

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• RELEASE: Triggernometry Biden Vs. Trump w/ Dr Sebastian Gorka
• COMING UP: Few weeks off for personal and overseas travel
• X/TWITTER: Destiny scheduling an NYC meeting at X, Destiny the Dom Lemon replacement?
• MAYBE: Asking Piers Morgan to setup a Medhi Hasan Debate

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• Bridges Podcast
  • Now available in podcast form!
    • Podbean link Spotify Apple Podcasts Amazon Music iHeartRadio Podbean App (thanks unseriously_serious!)
  • Future Guests
    • Dr. Flint Dibble
    • Devin Nash (& Anything Else guest)

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• LAST WEEK: Hodge Twins, Digital Social Hour, Bridges: R.A. The Rugged Man, Anything Else, Street Epistemology Release

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• Destiny & Lonerbox in Israel
  • Still happening as of May 19 Lots working in the background, potential large figures to talk to Might do a documentary, reaching out to YT doc makers like TTom, Channel 5/Andrew Callaghan, Kraig Adams (Kraig messaged in chat)
  • Confirmed in person conversations:
    • Shlomo Ben Ami (Ben Ami trying to set up a meet with Ehud Olmert, former PM)
    • Benny Morris

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UPCOMING DEBATES & EVENTS

DEBATE/EVENT	DATE	TIME/LOCATION	LINKS/INFO
Decoding the Gurus	May 20		Filming "Right To Respond" (not live)
Anything Else	May 22	7pm EST/11pm UTC	Destiny's stream
** Whick's Stream	May 23	8pm EST/12pm UTC	Destiny's stream
Anything Else	May 29	7pm EST/11pm UTC	Destiny's stream
Bridges Podcast: Episode 10, Jordan Harbringer	June 8	3pm EST/7pm UTC	Bridges YT Channel
NEW YORK CANVASSING	June 22-23	Yonkers, New York	Info/Sign up! (No prior experience necessary)
** Jubilee	June 15	LA	Pro Biden vs Anti Biden Democrats
** Bridges Podcast: Episode 11, Mr. Beat	June 16	3pm EST/7pm UTC	Bridges YT Channel
Bridges Podcast: Episode 12, Aella	June 18	3pm EST/7pm UTC	Bridges YT Channel
Anything Else w/ Harley Morenstein	June 26	8pm EST/12am UTC	Destiny's stream
Bridges Podcast: Episode 13, Harley Morenstein	June 29	12pm EST/4pm UTC	Bridges YT Channel (Maybe on Anything Else)
Bridges Podcast: Episode 14, Drew Pavlou	July 6	3pm EST/7pm UTC	Bridges YT Channel
Bridges Podcast: Episode 15, Lily Pichu 💙	July 13	3pm EST/7pm UTC	Bridges YT Channel
Bridges Podcast: Episode 16, Sean Fitzgerald	Aug 03	3pm EST/7pm UTC	Bridges YT Channel

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AVAILABLE SOON

Shawn Mike Kelley (filmed May 15)	Digital Social Hour Podcast
Hodge Twins (filmed May 15)	Twins Pod YT, 3hrs
Bridges Podcast: Episode 09, R.A. the Rugged Man	Bridges YT Channel
Vice Documentary: (Redpill: Will air on their cable documentary channel (Tubi), 60-75 minute documentary exploring masculinity, manosphere, & economy of the internet, hosted by Vegas Tenold.	Releases summer, 2024. (Watch Destiny Video: filmed feb 21- Destiny talking to Vice while they film, 1hr)

CANCELLED

- David Beir: Immigration (TBR) - DJ Akademiks (To Be Rescheduled, TBR) 

UNCONFIRMED (tentative time frames, 3rd parties scheduling, creators interested to chat)

Wants to Chat: Michael Knowles) (said on Iced Coffee Hour Podcast)
Maybe: Dave Rubin Valuetainment trying to set debate
Maybe: Kevin McCarthy saw the debate w/Shapiro, in talks
Invite: Michael Sartain invites Destiny to Vegas

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RECENT DEBATES & CONVERSATIONS

• Triggernometry Biden Vs. Trump w/ Dr Sebastian Gorka
• Spectrum Street Epistemology BURN Legacy Academia To The Ground?
• Dr. K/HealthyGamerGG A Chat With Destiny
• Twitter Spaces Destiny Debates Andrew Tate, Nick Fuentes And Sneako
• Fresh and Fit Sulaiman Ahmed on Israel-Palestine
• Brad Polumbo Campus Protests, U.S. Israel Funding
• Breaking Points Destiny vs Omar Baddar & Ryan Grim
• Minds Fest 2024 Street Interview, Austin Texas
• Minds Fest 2024 Election Integrity Debate
• Campus Engagement UTAustin Encampment Interviews
• Piers Morgan Dave Smith & Benny Johnson Trump's Trial, Kennedys, threat of nuclear war
• Peter Boghossian Virtue Signaling, Grifting, Echo Chambers
• CSPAN Washington Journalw/ Brad Polumbo on Social Media, Young Voters, & Campaign 2024
• Decoding The Gurus Episode 100 Destiny: Debate King and/or Degenerate?
• The Boyscast Why Everyones Full of Sh*t, WW3, Trump Trial & Debating JBP & Shapiro
• Live From The Table Gaza and Gaming, A Meeting with Destiny aka Steven Bonnell
• The Will Cain Show What it is to be an American
• Eli Hassell Discussion on Iran attack on Israel (April 2024)
• Jordan B. Peterson Streaming, Politics, & Philosophy
• Lex Fridman Israel-Palestine Debate: Finkelstein, Destiny, M. Rabbani & Benny Morris
• Nathan J. Robinson Israel-Hamas, Ukraine, Twitter Feud
• Piers Morgan Destiny vs Benny Johnson vs Dave Smith
• Chris Williamson Have We Reached Peak Stupidity?
• Piers Morgan w/Tomi Lahren Trump, Biden, Israel-Hamas & more
• Lauren Chen Onlyfans, Redpill, Polyamory & More
• David Pakman (31 minutes) Political Activism, Right Wing Extremists
• Ian Crossland Has the American electoral system failed us?
• Iced Coffee Hour Ben Shapiro, Toxic Wokeism and Getting Divorced
• Noah Smith Geopolitics
• Destiny & The New World of Internet Politics
• More...

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PODCASTS, BIG DEBATES, I/P, & MORE

CANVASSING

• DGG Canvassing Documentary Behind the scenes & short Destiny interview
• Ohio Canvassing Streams Feb 10th-11th.2024 Interviews w/Legislators & Roundtables

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BRIDGES PODCAST
Podbean linkSpotifyApple PodcastsAmazon MusiciHeartRadioPodbeanPocketcast
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• Bridges Podcast Episode 01: Jeremiah Johnson (Full Vod) (August Edit)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 02: Ryan McBeth (Full Vod) (August Edit)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 03: Krassensteins (Full Vod) (August Edit)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 04: J.J McCullough (Full Vod) (August Edit)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 05: Your Movie Sucks (Full Vod) (August Edit)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 06: Richard Lewis (Full Vod) (August Edit)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 07: Turkey Tom (Full Vod)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 08: Chris Cappy/Task & Purpose (Full Vod) (August Edit)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 09: R.A. the Rugged Man (Full Vod) (May 13 )
• Bridges Podcast Episode 10: Jordan Harbringer (June 08)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 11: Mr. Beat (Rescheduling)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 12: Aella (June 18)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 13: David Pakman (June 28)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 14: Harley Morenstein (June 29)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 15: Drew Pavlou (July 06)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 16: Lily Pichu (July 13)
• Bridges Podcast Episode 17: Sean Fitzgerald (Aug 03)

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ANYTHING ELSE? PODCAST

• Anything Else Podcast Episode 00 & Episode 01
• Anything Else Podcast Episode 02
• Anything Else Podcast Episode 03
• Anything Else Podcast Episode 04 w/Your Movie Sucks
• Anything Else Podcast Episode 05 W/Richard Lewis
• Anything Else Podcast Episode 06
• Anything Else Podcast Episode 07

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BIG DEBATES & CONVERSATIONS

• BEN SHAPIRO DEBATE: YOUTUBE AUDIO TRANSCRIPT APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY
• Jordan B. Peterson Streaming, Politics, & Philosophy
• Jan 6th Debate Alex Jones, Glenn Greenwald, Ed & Brian Krassenstein, Darren Beattie
• Glenn Greenwald Round 2 of January 6 Debate
• Candace Owens Culture, Politics, Current Events, College Education

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ISRAEL-PALESTINE DEBATES & CONVERSATIONS

• Dr. Benny Morris Israel & Palestine
• Lex Fridman Israel-Hamas Debate: Finkelstein, Destiny, M. Rabbani & Benny Morris
• Breaking Points Destiny vs Omar Baddar
• Eli Hassell Discussion on Iran attack on Israel (April 2024)
• Eli Hassell Former ME Minister Ivan Lewis Israel-Hamas War
• Eli Hassell Simcha Rothman Israel-Hamas War
• Ryan Grim Grim's October 7th Sexual Violence Article
• Marc Lamont Hill Israel - Hamas War
• Cenk Uygur Round 2 Israel-Hamas War

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MORE

• Minds Fest 2024 Street Interview, Austin Texas
• Campus Engagement UTAustin Encampment Interviews
• Turkey Tom Inside the Mind of Destiny (Documentary)
• Appearance Turkey Tom: The Gun Youtubers of San Antonio
• Cornell Political Union Military aid for Ukraine & Israel
• DnD Campaign Save or Die
• Jubilee Liberals and Conservatives Are More Similar Than You Think
• Jubilee Black Conservatives vs White Liberals Middle Ground

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DEBATE BREAKDOWNS

Cenk Uygur: Israel - Hamas War
Lisa Elizabeth: Systemic racism
Meghan Murphy: Is sex work immoral?
(2019) Hasan Piker: Kamala Harris (Bridge Burn)
(2019) Sargon of Akkad: What is a woman?

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DESTINY'S OBSIDIAN NOTES Direct Link Israel-Palestine Reddit Post
DESTINY'S SUBSTACK Direct Link
DESTINY WIKI POSITIONS POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Self Identifies: Liberal - Capitalist - Center Left
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Many thanks to:

• https://destiny.gg/schedule/
• https://www.omniversus.io/
• u/valdebich amazing Last Week on Destiny breakdowns
• Adam Ahke editor of the debate breakdowns

If you have any suggestions, info/links or additions, please post so I can update.

DAY: May 18 2024

• 5-18-2024 HAVE SMARTPHONES KILLED THE ART OF CONVERSATION? Once upon a time, human relationships unfolded without smartphones. The reality may be hard to recall, so profoundly have these devices transformed the way we relate to the world and others in fifteen years or so. As an anthropologist interested in modernity, I am particularly preoccupied by the impact of these devices on our conversations. In my book, “The End of the Conversation? Words in a Spectral Society” (French original: “La fin de la conversation? La parole dans une société spectrale”), I investigate the pernicious effects of this technology
• 5-18-2024 HOW TO REWARD EMPLOYEES FAIRLY AND IMPROVE TEAM DYNAMICS A recent study has shed light on how to reward employees more fairly and improve team dynamics. The study found that when less skilled employees report their performance voluntarily, they often exaggerate their achievements and ask for higher bonuses. These employees also tend to put in less effort and are less concerned about fairness when sharing their contributions voluntarily. Interestingly, the researchers discovered that requiring employees to explain their contributions leads to fairer decisions about bonus allocation and improves
• 5-19-2024 BILLIONS ARE SPENT ON EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, BUT WE DON’T KNOW IF IT WORKS During the COVID lockdowns, schools and universities worldwide relied on education technology—edtech—to keep students learning. They used online platforms to give lessons, mark work and send feedback, used apps to teach and introduced students to programs that let them work together on projects. In the aftermath of school closures, the market for edtech has kept on growing. The value of the sector is projected to rise to US$132.4 billion globally by 2032. The problem is that we don’t know very much about how effective many edtech apps or programs
• 5-19-2024 STUDY FINDS CONSUMERS WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR NATURALLY COLORED COTTON CLOTHING Research has looked at consumer attitudes toward naturally colored cotton clothing. The study found that amid increasing concerns over the environmental impact of conventional cotton processing, consumers are willing to pay more for a greener T-shirt.
• 5-18-2024 HOW AI IS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF SALES STRATEGIES In the fast-evolving business landscape, artificial intelligence, or AI, is taking center stage in transforming sales processes, making them more efficient and responsive to the dynamic market demands. A new University of Alabama at Birmingham study titled “AI in Sales: Laying the Foundations for Future Research” highlights the pivotal role AI is playing in reshaping the sales sector.
• 5-18-2024 WHEN CONSUMERS WOULD PREFER A CHATBOT OVER A PERSON Actually, sometimes consumers don’t want to talk to a real person when they’re shopping online, a new study suggests. In fact, what they really want is a chatbot that makes it clear that it is not human at all. In a new study, researchers found that people preferred interacting with chatbots when they felt embarrassed about what they were buying online—items like antidiarrheal medicine or, for some people, skin care products. “In general, research shows people would rather interact with a human customer service agent
• 5-18-2024 NEW STUDY REVEALS THE POTENTIAL OF COACHING EMPLOYEES TO DRIVE NEW STRATEGIC IDEAS In the landscape of modern business, inclusion isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a strategic imperative. Companies like IBM, Volkswagen and Starbucks are moving to more participative strategy development approaches that reflect a growing understanding of the importance of diversity in fostering innovative and creative strategic ideas. Yet the outcomes of inclusive strategy processes often fall short of expectations. A new study in the Strategic Management Journal sheds light on why that may be. In their study of an inclusive strategy process in a large insurance company, Violetta Splitter, along with co-authors
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCHERS SHOW WAYS TO PROPEL PRODUCT SUCCESS New research explores the key strategies that firms should adopt when launching a new product. The researchers say that these strategies depend on the current market view of the product and the firm. Employing the correct one, which might sometimes be collaborating with overtly demanding reviewers or instituting rather challenging pilot tests, ensures that the product launch will go as successfully as possible.
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCHERS DEVELOP ALGORITHMS TO UNDERSTAND HOW HUMANS FORM BODY PART VOCABULARIES An example of the study’s language sample and the words for arm/hand and leg/foot in English and Wolof. Human bodies have similar designs. However, languages differ in the way they divide the body into parts and name them. For example, English speakers have two words for foot and leg, whereas other languages express the concepts foot and leg in one word.
• 5-18-2024 STUDY FINDS AVOIDING SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE AN ELECTION HAS LITTLE TO NO EFFECT ON PEOPLE’S POLITICAL VIEWS In the weeks before and after the 2020 presidential election, researchers ran a number of tests to try to understand how much Facebook and its corporate cousin, Instagram, may be contributing to the nation’s political divide. One of those experiments—led by Matthew Gentzkow and Hunt Allcott, economics professors at Stanford University—centered on more than 35,000 Facebook and Instagram users who were paid to stay off the platforms in the run-up to Election Day. There’s a lot that researchers could glean from the social media hiatus, including whether people’s political attitudes
• 5-18-2024 USING COMPUTER MODELS TO UNDERSTAND THE DEBATE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE Different types of noise and how they act inside or outside the social interaction process. Cognitive biases are among the most important factors that prevent people from changing their minds. Climate change deniers and climate activists often tend to accept only information that confirms their respective opinions on the matter. However, opinion dynamics are also influenced by a factor that the researchers call “ambiguity noise.” Unlike biases, ambiguity noise is variable, depends on many random factors, and leads to inconsistent judgment.
• 5-18-2024 FOR SOME INDIGENOUS SOUTHERN PLAINS TRIBES, AN ORIGINAL FLUTE SONG IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD MARRIAGE “Warrior with flute” by Timothy Tate Nevaquaya. Used with permission. Credit: Timothy Tate Nevaquaya Every love story is unique, and in traditional Indigenous Southern Plains culture, it begins with an original ballad performed on the flute. In order to win a lover’s affection, and respect among the tribe, each pursuer must compose one good flute serenade. Paula Conlon, a former music professor at the University of Oklahoma, has researched the history and cultural significance of the Indigenous flute since the 1980s. Conlon presents her work Tuesday, May 14, at 9:45
• 5-18-2024 WANT TO BE AN INFLUENCER? OUR RESEARCH SHOWS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FIRST You’re hard at work, lying in a hammock, composing the perfect selfie on the beach. The turquoise sea sets off the idyllic sunset, and just visible though the fronds of a palm tree is the logo of the hotel which is paying you to promote it to your millions of followers on Instagram. Click. The perfect shot. And another typically perfect day in the life of an influencer. Or is it? Certainly a career as an influencer can seem appealing. The work generally involves promoting products or services through sponsored
• 5-18-2024 WHY STUDENTS CHEAT IN ONLINE EXAMS Media psychologists at the University of Cologne have studied how students’ individual needs, conceptions and reasons relate to cheating behavior in online exams. Online exams have become a more common type of exam at universities, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. They are advantageous because they save time and offer flexibility. However, cheating attempts present a big challenge for lecturers. This is why universities have been working on ways to thwart cheating in online exams by putting organizational and technical measures into place.
• 5-18-2024 WHY STUDENTS CHEAT IN ONLINE EXAMS Trust and distrust in social media coexisted in the study participants. Credit: Emmaline Nelsen Are anti-misinformation interventions on social media working as intended? It depends, according to a new study surveyed over 1,700 participants in the United States, revealing that anti-misinformation features increased users’ awareness of misinformation in social media; but did not make them more likely to share information on social media
• 5-18-2024 MOST CRIME HAS FALLEN BY 90% IN 30 YEARS—SO WHY DOES THE PUBLIC THINK IT’S INCREASED? Seventy-eight percent of people in England and Wales think that crime has gone up in the last few years, according to the latest survey. But the data on actual crime shows the exact opposite. As of 2024, violence, burglary and car crime have been declining for 30 years and by close to 90%, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW)—our best indicator of true crime levels. Unlike police data, the CSEW is not subject to variations in reporting and recording. The drop in violence includes domestic violence
• 5-18-2024 MOST CRIME HAS FALLEN BY 90% IN 30 YEARS—SO WHY DOES THE PUBLIC THINK IT’S INCREASED? Can we truly assess whether someone finds us attractive? Cognitive psychologist Iliana Samara discovered that men, in particular, tend to overestimate the interest of their date. She explains why this may be. “Imagine you walk into a packed bar, looking for a date. Your eyes are naturally drawn to attractive faces. If you’re a man and find someone attractive, you’re more likely to assume they’re also interested in you. “Then, when you approach them, whether you’re a man or woman
• 5-18-2024 MOST CRIME HAS FALLEN BY 90% IN 30 YEARS—SO WHY DOES THE PUBLIC THINK IT’S INCREASED? Having more education has long been linked to better individual health. But those benefits are also contagious, say the co-authors of a new working paper. “It’s not just that the individuals who have more years of education are in better health,” said David M. Cutler, Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics. “It’s that even people with fewer years of education—for example, people with just a high school degree—are in better health when they live around
• 5-18-2024 MOST CRIME HAS FALLEN BY 90% IN 30 YEARS—SO WHY DOES THE PUBLIC THINK IT’S INCREASED? Our research on children in early primary years, show they are better are writing with a pen or pencil than a keyboard. Children today are growing up surrounded by technology. So it’s easy to assume they will be able to write effectively using a keyboard. But our research suggests this is not necessarily true. We need to actively teach students to be able to type as well as write using paper and pen or pencil. Our research Our research team has published two recent
• 5-18-2024 MOST CRIME HAS FALLEN BY 90% IN 30 YEARS—SO WHY DOES THE PUBLIC THINK IT’S INCREASED? The provision of therapies for children and young people (CYP) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can be an affectively challenging, sometimes procedurally complex, process for the various stakeholders involved. However, the efficiency and effectiveness of this process, are crucial to various outcomes, in particular
• 5-18-2024 HOW DO MINDFULNESS, COMPASSION AND NEED FULFILLMENT AFFECT SATISFACTION IN MIDLIFE MARRIED COUPLES? Many people practice mindfulness or self-compassion techniques in their everyday life as part of their normal self-care routine. Although many studies support the individual benefits of mindfulness and self-compassion, few have focused on romantic relationship outcomes. A new study published in Personal Relationships has examined how mindfulness, self- and other-compassion, and need fulfillment relate to relationship and sexual satisfaction in midlife married couples. The study involved survey results from 640 adults aged 40–59 years who were residing in Canada and were married. Mindfulness is the nonjudgmental attention and awareness to
• 5-18-2024 HOW ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS ARE ADAPTING TO GENERATION ALPHA Growing up, did you play with hyper-sexualized Barbie dolls, boys-only Thomas the Tank Engine trains, or slim, white Disney princesses? If so, you’re not alone, but this is no longer the case for Generation Alpha. Brands like Mattel, once criticized for promoting unrealistic body standards and gender stereotypes, now portray themselves as feminist and progressive. The recent Barbie movie serves as a prime example of this shift. Millennial parents are actively seeking out toys, books and movies to educate their children about life and teach them values that align
• 5-18-2024 STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA FACE CHALLENGES TRANSITIONING TO THE WORKPLACE, BUT WITH SUPPORT THEY CAN THRIVE Transitioning from university to the workplace is a critical period in anyone’s life, but it can be especially challenging for students with dyslexia. While academic settings often offer accommodations for people with dyslexia, professional environments often fall short on such support systems. Fortunately, there are strategic interventions that can be established in workplaces to help individuals with dyslexia not only adapt, but excel in their careers. It is estimated that up to 20% of the population has dyslexia and 80% of people with a learning disability have dyslexia
• 5-18-2024 BUSINESSES UNINTENTIONALLY DISCOURAGE DIVERSE IDEAS, FINDS STUDY Businesses influence the ideas they receive from external contributors by unintentionally signaling which ideas they like, a research analyzed 1.44 million ideas to understand how organizations unknowingly shape the ideas they receive. Data came from organizations that asked visitors how they could improve their websites before choosing which ideas to use. Chosen ideas were communicated for all to see.
• 5-18-2024 WHAT’S IN A NAME? A LINGUISTICS EXPERT EXPLAINS WHY SOME BABY NAMES DOMINATE THE CHARTS YEAR AFTER YEAR What do names like Noah, James, Mateo, Mia, Evelyn and Luna all have in common? They’re not only some of the top baby names in the United States, but they also seem to flow off the tongue. And that’s exactly why parents love them. On May 10, the Social Security Administration released a list of the top baby names in the United States in 2023. Liam and Olivia maintained the number one spot in their respective categories for the fifth consecutive year while Noah and Emma also retained second place.
• 5-18-2024 ACCESS TO GARDENS AND CITIZEN SCIENCE HELPS ENCOURAGE CONSERVATION AMONG CHILDREN, STUDY SHOWS Access to gardens and citizen science projects at school can help promote pro-conservation behavior among pupils, a new study shows. Offering children the chance to take part in authentic scientific ecological work and gardening encourages an interest in plants. This can change behavior—to spend more time gardening or to pursue a botanical career—and fuels a positive attitude towards safeguarding the environment, experts found
• 5-18-2024 WHAT PROFESSIONALS EXPECT FROM FUTURE EMPLOYERS Employers who want to attract new talent should recognize diversity and enable inclusion. This is confirmed by a representative study by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), which surveyed more than 1,200 trainees and students across Germany. The results clearly show that 75.1% of prospective employees consider it very or somewhat important that companies implement measures to promote diversity and inclusion. This suggests that companies that communicate these measures openly and transparently
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCH LINKS VOTER BEHAVIOR IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO HOUSING MARKET PERFORMANCE If the 21st century has proven anything to the United States electorate, it is that presidential elections are notoriously unpredictable affairs. The seeming randomness by which the country’s electorate chooses its next president has only emboldened polling outlets, talking heads, and amateur psephologists to scrutinize every conceivable variable to give their respective electoral forecasting models a much-needed edge. However, Sherwood Clements, collegiate assistant professor of real estate in the Pamplin College of Business, had an electoral theory that, to the best of his knowledge, had never been explored with regards
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCH LINKS VOTER BEHAVIOR IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO HOUSING MARKET PERFORMANCE If the 21st century has proven anything to the United States electorate, it is that presidential elections are notoriously unpredictable affairs. The seeming randomness by which the country’s electorate chooses its next president has only emboldened polling outlets, talking heads, and amateur psephologists to scrutinize every conceivable variable to give their respective electoral forecasting models a much-needed edge. However, Sherwood Clements, collegiate assistant professor of real estate in the Pamplin College of Business, had an electoral theory that, to the best of his knowledge, had never been explored with regards
• 5-18-2024 MECHANISTIC MODEL SHOWS HOW MUCH GOSSIP IS NEEDED TO FOSTER SOCIAL COOPERATION Gossip often has a negative connotation, but imagine you are part of a group deciding on a job candidate to hire or a local political candidate to back. Candidates who get a good reputation by helping others may be more likely to receive help in the form of a job offer or endorsement, a feedback loop known as indirect reciprocity. Gossip can facilitate cooperation. Previous research has shown that people tend to cooperate more when they think their peers are gossiping about their behavior, gossip
• 5-18-2024 SINGING RESEARCHERS FIND CROSS-CULTURAL PATTERNS IN MUSIC AND LANGUAGE Are acoustic features of music and spoken language shared across cultures? Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen have contributed to a global study of music and speech, published in Science Advances. An international team of researchers recorded themselves performing traditional music and speaking in their native language. In all 50+ languages
• 5-18-2024 NEW RESEARCH REVEALS JUST HOW FEW LGBTQI+ PEOPLE PLAY SPORTS The topic of homophobia in sport has recently made headlines in Australia, with a series of homophobic incidents involving men’s AFL players. These homophobic incidents are usually well-reported in news media, but research has rarely explored the impact on participation for LGBTQI+ people. Fresh research into the problem Our new research is one of the first pieces of academic research in Australia to document how many LGBTQI+ people play and engage with sport. We also explored current levels of discrimination across sport in Australia, and the barriers and enablers
• 5-18-2024 SWIPE RIGHT OR LEFT? HOW DATING APPS ARE IMPACTING MODERN MASCULINITY What it means to be a man is changing. Critical men or masculinity studies is an emerging robust research field that explores how men and masculinity are being transformed by shifting socio-economic, sexual and political conditions in our post-industrial world. Fascinating new male-identifying sub-cultures and communities have emerged, like mushroomcore and dandies. Yet heteronormative masculinity is typically framed as threatening, toxic or maladaptive, as in the case of fragile masculinity. In my years of swiping on dating apps, I encountered different kinds of masculinities, as well as some very offensive
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCHERS SAY AUTOMATED NEWS VIDEO PRODUCTION IS BETTER WITH A HUMAN TOUCH AI-generated videos for short messages are only as well received as manually created ones if they are edited by humans. News organizations—including Bloomberg, Reuters, and The Economist—have been using AI powered video services to meet growing audience demand for audio-visual material. A study recently published in the journal Journalism now shows that the automated production of news videos is better with human supervision. Technology providers like Wochit and Moovly are allowing publishers to mass produce videos at scale. But what do audiences think of the results? Researchers led by LMU
• 5-18-2024 HOW ‘ETHICAL INFLUENCERS’ ENGAGE THEIR AUDIENCES ABOUT SAVING THE PLANET Have a quick think back to the last time you scrolled through social media. Maybe it was this morning, last night or a few minutes ago. What do you recall? One thing you’re bound to remember is the continuous stream of influencers showing off their latest content. These could be videos of influencers discussing the latest skin-care products, the trendiest places to eat, their latest shopping haul or the PR packages they received from various brands. Much of social media influencing is about getting consumers to buy more products.
• 5-18-2024 ALLYSHIP IS ESSENTIAL TO NEW MOTHERS RETURNING TO WORK, SAYS STUDY Returning to work after parental leave can be one of the most challenging experiences for any parents, especially mothers, to navigate. Fortunately, there are simple, kind and thoughtful ways in which organizational members—regardless of formal status, parental identity or gender identity—can help mothers feel supported as they return to work, which can also benefit job satisfaction and maternal well-being.
• 5-18-2024 STUDY FINDS SAYING ‘PLEASE’ MAY NOT BE SO POLITE IN EVERYDAY REQUESTS By kindergarten age, most children have been taught that “please” is a magic word. “Please” is an expression of politeness that shows courtesy and respect, turning a potential demand into a request that will—poof!—magically be granted. But a new study on the ways people make requests of one another suggests that “please” might not be an all-purpose marker of politeness, but rather a more focused, strategic tool to manage frictions or obstacles among family members, friends and even coworkers.
• 5-18-2024 MILITARY RANK AFFECTS MEDICAL CARE, OFFERING SOCIETAL INSIGHTS: STUDY Stock project from Pexels Human relationships are inherently shaped by power dynamics, yet quantifying their impact has remained a scientific challenge. Now, a large new study published Thursday in the journal Science reveals that military doctors give more attention to higher-ranked patients, providing concrete evidence about the privileges that come with elevated status, frequently at the expense of the less powerful. “One of the things we are trying to show is that this is not a military-specific analysis,”
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCHERS DISCUSS CURRENT STATE OF HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA AND BIPHOBIA Gender-neutral bathrooms, conversion therapy and Quebec’s advisory committee on gender identity have been in the news lately. These are polarizing, hot-button issues. While there have been legislative and social advances for LGBTQ+ rights, ignorance and discrimination persist and continue to negatively affect the lives of many. On May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, UdeMNouvelles asked two Université de Montréal professors and researchers who are experts in the field to share their views.
• 5-18-2024 PICKLEBALL COURTS IN A LEGAL PICKLE OVER THE ASSOCIATED NOISE Experts recommend HOAs and communities consider the “popping” noise associated with pickleball when deciding to build courts near homes. Credit: AIP Pickleball Legal Consultant is a job title that likely did not exist a decade ago, but as pickleball courts infiltrate neighborhoods to satiate an appetite for a sport whose namesake is a snack, communities take issue with the resulting influx of noise. Now homeowners’ associations and city councils face litigation by those whose lives are disrupted by pickleball’s din. Charles Leahy, an attorney, retired mechanical engineer, and former HOA
• 5-18-2024 TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING HOW COMPANIES DO BUSINESS In the fast-paced world of modern business, technology plays a crucial role in shaping how companies operate. One area where this impact is particularly significant is in the organization of production chains—specifically the way goods are made and distributed. A new study from the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business advances understanding of the U.S. production chain evolution amidst technological progress in information technology (IT), shedding light on the complex connections between business IT investments and organizational design. Advances in IT have sparked significant changes in how companies design
• 5-18-2024 HOW DOES THE US KNOW THAT FORCED LABOR IS HAPPENING IN CHINA? A SUPPLY CHAIN EXPERT WEIGHS IN The Biden administration has added 26 more companies to the list of Chinese textile traders and manufacturers whose goods are blocked from entering the United States because of their alleged ties to forced labor. The banned imports, known as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, names businesses that are said to be involved in exploiting

https://archive.is/KvEEP
Women from across the North Central region gathered to testify on issues affecting them at a public hearing hosted by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) on March 28.
The regional public hearings are one way MCSW engages with the general public and collects information on issues Massachusetts women face daily. The hearing was held at the Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner campus.
Sarah Glen-Smith, MCSW Chair, said the commission includes all testimonies collected during public hearings in the yearly reports submitted to the state. The North Central Mass. public hearing in Gardner was the first one of the year.
Several North Central Mass. women spoke up about experiences with systemic sexism, from inaccessible healthcare treatment to predatory loans and mortgages that are targeting single mothers.

What are healthcare issues faced by North Central Mass. women?

It's been over six months since the Birthing Center at the HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital in Leominster closed, and many pregnant people across the North Central Mass region are struggling to find medical services.
Miko Nakagawa, an Athol resident and nurse for 26 years at UMass Memorial Health in Leominster, said the region already feels the effects of the closure from last September and will worsen. She cited the Gardner parents who delivered their baby in the AC Hotel in Worcester as an example of the effects of the closure and how overwhelmed the staff at the regional hospitals are.
Nakagawa said that with the Leominster birthing center closed, regional maternity centers and hospitals are overwhelmed, and more field deliveries will occur if nothing is done to solve this problem.
"I'm really concerned that the devastating impacts that we are beginning to see will result in deaths of mothers, babies, and eventually other people's deaths," she said. "We live in a lower-social economic area, and if you look at Athol, we have nothing; it's a really scary world out here in North Central for women's healthcare."
Nakagawa said this region of Mass does not just lack birthing, maternity, or Obstetrics and Gynecology centers, but many medical services like cardiology, which impacts the well-being of women and everyone.

Single mothers are targets for predatory loans and mortgages

Grace Ross, from Mass Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL), said predatory lenders target women of all races who are in search of buying a home. She said immigrant women and single mothers, who are unfamiliar with the process of buying a home, are exploited and tricked into these unreasonable mortgages.
At the hearing, Ross said she wants the MCSW to support and take action on legislation to crack down on predatory lenders. She said many women don't know their rights as homeowners and can't afford a lawyer, so they rely on the government and organizations like MAAPL to help them.
The MAAPL is a statewide non-profit coalition of over 70 organizations that advocates for the rights of homeowners and tenants. Ross said predatory lenders are stripping the wealth of women in Massachusetts by trapping them in impossible mortgages. She said the MAAPL also provides legal help to anyone who falls for predatory lenders and can't afford a lawyer. Here are some strategies used by predatory lenders to be aware of:
• Loan flipping occurs when the lender convinces the borrower to refinance their mortgage by trapping them in a new long-term, high-rate-interest loan.
• Balloon payments: A large one-time payment after the end period of the loan.
• The contract declares extra fees or penalty-free if the loan is paid early.
• The payment structure is inconsistent.

What's next for the commission?

After gathering the testimonies of several women at last week's public hearing, the commission plans to find ways to advocate for the topics that the North Central Mass women addressed.
Smith, the MCSW chair, said the commission considers all testimonies at public hearings and will find a way to push for reform at the State House to address the several topics addressed.
The mission of MCSW is to advance women toward full equality in all areas of life by promoting rights and opportunities for all women in Massachusetts, regardless of race, economic status, immigration status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, etc.

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