Author: vvinter

phdna:

firstburrn:

It’s about time people realize that Trump is dehumanizing immigrants and turning them into a nonexistent enemy.

I try to make my blog as upbeat as possible because I feel people need that sometimes, but as a history teacher, I cannot emphasize this enough: nobody is alleging Trump studied how to be a successful facist, but the entire reason this kind of stage model like the above work is because it’s the natural progression that leads to genocide. Trump can trip and end up signing an executive order by accident, it doesn’t matter, it’ll still be following a very troubling tendency. So make fun of him, yes, but also please take what’s happening seriously. Don’t say “wow I can’t believe this administration is serious” or “we’re in the worst timeline” and move on with your life as usual. If you’ve ever thought “how could things have become so bad? I’d have been on the right side of history if I’d lived back then” – great, here’s your chance to see if you’d really be doing what you can to stop a genocide before it starts or if you’ll just enable it by omission. And don’t forget – once a genocide happens, other groups tend to be targeted and extermined as well, and I find it hard to believe you know nobody who would be in real danger if this hatred starts spreading itself, so think of that person and there you go, you have somebody you personally want to protect, in case a large group of people is too abstract to give you the strength to shake off your (understandable) numbness and shock and hopelessness and get to work. Step #6 is over halfway through the stages. We don’t have time to waste anymore. Even those of us who aren’t American can find smaller ways to help, so there’s no excuse.

spacebuck:

image

as promised, i’ve stayed above the magic number for a week so here we go!

i’m not gonna bore people with a lot of talking but i’m back baby!! it’s been a pretty rough 18months so to see y’all here is pretty special for me, thank you guys for sticking around!!

rules:

  • there will be two winners
  • each winner will pick a prize pack.
  • tag your preferred prize pack (by number or name idc) when you reblog
  • if you wish to be considered for the misc prize, put ‘s9′ in your tags (these are already made, so i can’t change the model)
  • mbf cap 

    (if you reblog to a sideblog tag your main url so i can find you!)

  • no giveaway blogs pls
  • reblogs only – don’t spam your followers but reblog as much as you like
  • winners will be picked by a rng don’t @ me
  • ends august 20th
  • winners will be contacted by ask – you must be comfortable with giving me your postal details!

prizes:

pack #1: stevebucky

pack #2: treat yoself (note: i can substitute these for similar items if needed)

misc:

  • two samsung galaxy s9 phone cases (one, two)

Europe’s planned copyright changes are Really Bad for fanfic sites

cabloom:

eatingcroutons:

I mean you’ve probably got that impression already but honestly, they are really, really bad. Especially if you like uploading fanfiction to websites like AO3.

At the moment, the way the law is phrased is likely to mean everything you upload in Europe, to any website that allows user-created content, will need to be automatically scanned for copyright violations.

You know YouTube’s automatic content filter? Imagine having that for the entire internet. We already know that copyright trolls exploit YouTube’s system in a bunch of ways, making money off user content they have no actual rights to, and shutting down legitimate user content.

But here’s where it gets worse: Websites that host user-generated content – including fanfiction – will be responsible for putting those filters in place and maintaining them themselves.

This law would in all likelihood require AO3 to implement a system which monitors every single work uploaded in Europe for copyright violations, before they can be shared on the Archive.

We’re talking full-on “robotic censorship regime”, as the Electronic Frontier Federation puts it. 

Not only would that be that icky and invasive. Not only would it ignore the complexity of copyright exceptions like Fair Dealing. Not only would it be easy to exploit by copyright trolls. It would also be a massive, massive burden on an organisation staffed entirely by volunteers. The sheer volume of work AO3’s coders, wranglers, and policy and abuse staff take on – for free, in their own time – is already staggering.

And while AO3 is a pretty robust archive, and might miraculously be able to find the resources to comply with this ridiculous law, there are many, many smaller websites out there that would seriously struggle. Other non-profits, libraries, and archives, who would all have to either build automatic content filters from the ground up – or more likely, pay for off-the-shelf “solutions” that are overpriced and ineffective.

The OTW are doing their best to fight this change, and this EFF post also has links to a bunch of ways in which you personally can help lobby against this terrible law.

The European Parliament’s legal committee has just voted (in June 2018) to press forward with the law, but we’ve probably still got until at least early 2019 before the whole Parliament votes on it. The timing is about as good as it gets – the next European Parliament election is expected in May 2019, so our MEPs are going to be worrying about re-election right when we need to put pressure on them (that’s now!).

Europe has managed to reject bad legislation in the past. We can do it again this time. Please do what you can to spread the word or get involved!

If you click on the OTW link in the text, you will see the information screengrabbed above.

EU and UK readers, we can do something here and the OTW have basically given us a script if we want one.

alak-cool:

kittleimp:

crime-she-typed:

jenniferrpovey:

remisstoreality:

seagodofmagic:

lmaodies:

gizkasparadise:

randomlyimagine:

werewolfau:

abbiehollowdays:

dynastylnoire:

lavendersucculents:

When you guys have visited potential apartments, what kind of questions did you ask besides the basics like what rent and utilities include?

Here are questions I didn’t ask but should have: what does the basement look like?

What measures are taken to secure the building ?

Are the walls thin?
Brief info of who lives in the building. Are they college kids? People that work through the day? Elderly? Is it a mix?
Where does the garbage go?

Can I pay rent bi-weekly?
What kind of fuses does the apartment use? (My fuse box is in the basement. If I blow a fuse I have to replace it myself. They screw until the box. All of which I didn’t know until it happend and I was sitting in the dark suddenly)

Who do I call for repairs? (If it’s a private rental)
Am I allowed to paint the walls?
Is there any additional storage?
Do you do regular pest control?

count the outlets, ask about recycling policies, ask if there’s a noise restriction (nothing loud after midnight, everything goes on the weekend, etc)

LAUNDRY FACILITIES
Definitely ask about security
Whether subletting is allowed (esp if you’re in college and might want to sublet for the summer)
If you have a car, whether there’s parking/how much it costs
What kind of heating/AC there is
Procedure/response time for any maintenance
How mail/packages are received/protected from theft (seriously people stealing your packages can be a huge problem)
What kind of verification of your salary will they want, and in what circumstances will they accept a guarantor instead?
Whether the apartment is furnished

Assuming you are in the middle of looking at/choosing between places:
When does the lease start? Are you going to give preference to people based on when they can move in?
Whether groups of a certain number of people get preference
Really anything about who they prioritize for applications, it can save you a lot of trouble in trying to apply to places you’ll never get into

not something for asking the realtors, necessarily, but important rights you should be aware of as a tenant:

when and for what reasons are your landlords allowed to enter your home? how much of a notice should they give you before entering?

can the landlord make modifications to your home or apartment without your approval? to what extent?

what are the options and conditions for breaking your lease early if there’s an emergency? (this is ESPECIALLY important for anyone moving to a new state/considerable distance where you are not able to visit the apartment/home before you rent – students get taken advantage of ALL THE TIME with this shit)

if your first or last month at the property is a partial stay (i.e. you move in on july 15th, and rent is typically due on the first) make sure you don’t pay the full first month’s rent before you know the area laws! in many states, you are only legally required to pay for the time you are occupying the property

is renter’s insurance necessary? many apartments want at least 30k coverage, which can run a couple hundred dollars extra per year

are the landlords/property management liable for crimes on the property? for example, if your car was broken into. if not GET RENTER’S INSURANCE

-ask if there’s any property upkeep you can do to get a bit off the rent (aka, can they take 100$ off the monthly rent if you maintain the lawns/garden, etc.) 

-ask if there’s been any consistent/frequent trouble with electricity/internet connectivity/cable if you have it

-what KIND of electricity? 

-what kind of heating (hot water/electric)

-how secure is the neighborhood (if you don’t know) 

-ANY PLUMBING ISSUES? check ALL the fucking taps, the showers, EVERYTHING WITH WATER to make sure it all works right. 

-ANY PLUMBING ISSUES? check ALL the fucking taps, the showers, EVERYTHING WITH WATER to make sure it all works right. 

I CANNOT SECOND THIS ENOUGH.

ALSO

– who last lived here? why did they leave?

– Do they charge an “amenities fee” (Around here you can’t avoid them at all now, but some places you might still be able to)

– Do they have a policy on rent increases? (Also check if there’s a legal limit to rent increases in the area).

– Are utilities paid in a separate check or with the rent?

– Are utilities metered or pro-rated (in older buildings it’s common to be charged by square footage and/or number of occupants, which can leave you subsidizing the people who turn the a/c down to 60 in the summer or the heat up to 80 in the winter – you may not be able to avoid this but it’s worth trying).

– Are there any switched circuits in the apartment. Buildings built in the late sixties through the early eighties often have switched circuits. If they do, then with the number of devices used these days you will probably have to have something important on the switched circuit – tape the switch in the on position! (Trust me).

– What are the rules on hanging pictures?

– Who is responsible for paying for and replacing bulbs in permanent fixtures? If it’s you and there’s a fixture with weird/unusual bulbs (globe style, chandelier style, etc) ask where you can buy the bulbs.

– What are the rules about pets? Do they have breed specific restrictions on dogs? Size restrictions on fish tanks? (Believe it or not that’s not uncommon).

This will be so useful once my lease is up thanks tumblr ☺️🙏🏾

If you have roommates, even if they’re your friends, ask what happens if one person moves out. Who is responsible for their rent? What about security deposit, how much is it and what do you have to do to document existing damages before you move in?

– It’s boring as hell, but read the lease before you sign it! Ask questions and clarify anything you notice that seems weird or that you don’t understand. I had a landlord that required I get the carpets professionally steam cleaned (which I didn’t realize until we were moving out because I didn’t read the entire lease) and another that tried to keep part of my security deposit because I didn’t pay for professional cleaning, but we got the money back because it wasn’t part of their lease that we’d signed.

– Take pictures/make detailed notes about damages already present on move-in. Add additional sheets to what they give you if needed because chances are they’re going to be just as nitpicky when you move out to try and keep part of your security deposit.

– An addition to the hanging pictures – ask what they allow you to use (nails/screws or tape only) and whether they want you to repair the holes to keep part of your deposit. If you’re planning to wall mount your TV, ask specifically about using molly bolts because they’re going to leave a much larger hole than a picture nail.

arithanas:

gaylileofigaro:

This is worse. Looking at these you can tell they have no significant monetary value. They were confiscated as a fear tactic. Nothing more.

This picture breaks my heart everytime it appears in my dash. It’s a fear tactic, alright but—

The first one in the left corner: It’s a first communion rosary, and it’s not cheap.

The black one in the first line: That’s a widow rosary and it’s old.

The white one in the second line:  is a commemoration rosary. It has a miniature picture in the round part. I haven’t seen that since the 70′s.

In the third line, multicolor one: It’s an Anima mundi, I have only seen those in the hands of Rosary ministery’s old ladies. The oldest ones are from the 80′s after Juan Pablo II came to Mexico for the first time. It’s one of the old ones, I know because the crucifixes are different. 

The third one on the fourth line: Red and gold. The style is old, the metal is dark, that’s a 50′s rosary, probably a quinceañera one (or it’s maybe older, from the 40′s when the brides carried red roses with their offerings).

The fifth one on the fourth line: It’s a quinceañera rosary with Ignatius’s tear. The style is old and in my part of Mexico is orphan girls who used it. At least it was when I was young.

The third one of the fifth line: the blue one with the anchor. That one I have only seen in Veracruz and it doesn’t look new.

The fifth one on the fifth line: That’s a 90′s wedding rosary. Black and white patterns were popular on that date.

The fourth one on the last line: That’s a first communion rosary from the 30′s. It’s delicate and most probably silver.

The rest wrench my heart too, the humble everyday rosaries with wooden beads and knots. Those are cheap and bear the wear and tear of their user handling. But those  I described are much more.

Those are mother’s rosaries.

Those are not just rosaries. Those are mementos, that’s the proof of their families stories. They are taking from them the only portable things they can carry to feel the connection to their families.

It’s not a fear tactic. Call it like by its name.

It’s dehumanization.