The Wyrdling’s Den

Tyranny anywhere is a threat to freedom everywhere. -Alex Storozynski

So I’ve been following the situation in Iran for a few days. I know people personally who are from Iran, and when I say my friends are terrified right now, numb from constantly wondering if their families are even still alive. It's a lot. As of today over 35,000 people have been murdered by the Iranian government, shot in the streets and in their homes – all for exercising their human right to protest, a right we in America are feeling less and less of by the degree. This horrifying example of what we’re fighting to prevent in the US is happening right now in Iran, and it feels like hardly anyone is talking about it. and i mean, people i expect to be talking about it arent talking about it. if i didnt know people personally effected, i might not even know this was happening. indeed, America is currently facing a dangerous internal threat, and it is good to be fighting and protesting and staying focused, but that does not mean we need to stay silent about what is happening overseas. It is not our country and it is not our government but it IS still our fight. Let’s talk about it in the same breath, because none of this is acceptable.

Iran keeps blacking out communication, but if you want to follow what’s going on I hear Iran International is the recommended source for official live coverage (sadly not in english but they do have english posts). My Iranian friends do not recommend BBC news. The main goal right now is spreading awareness, if people arent hearing about this, it’s by design. The people of Iran are demanding freedom from a dictator and the response has been genocide. Families arent leaving their homes out of fear of being executed in the streets. Why havent the world powers done anything? 36,000 people is obscene, imagine digging through that many body bags just to see if your son is dead or not. Really think about that.

You’re a damn shipper!

Doesn’t have to be two totally different characters who have little to no interaction for it to be a ship. Canon couples have fandom ships!

Willow and Tara from Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s ship is Tillow.

Hazbin Hotel’s Charlie and Vaggie’s ship name is Chaggie

I am searching the will and strength since the 2nd (and probably before) of Jan to draw something new in reaction of worldwide situation.

Isra(h)el(l) closing and ban humanitarian help

Venezuela under attack bc Trump wants oil (Oh, the story repeats, mhh?)

Italy keeping to clear communities, affordable or free spaces to make profit (Oh, gentrification, you here?)

The murder of a civilian, a mother, by a wind up, untrained guy

(aka) Blue finds a song relevant to our characters in conflict

Also love Kingdom of Cards by Bad Omens for after he kills Sentinel and starts the war. Like the whole song is so Megs coded but specifically “I'll do it all over again from the start, And this time you're not leaving me in the dark, You took me for granted, now look where you are, Atop of a kingdom you built out of cards”

And another song on that same album “Dethrone”

of course it's the groceries but it isn't just the groceries, it's everything. now it is $25 for you to eat at chipotle. you remember when they were famous for their portion sizes (and their food safety issues). you were a hungry college student and could actually-afford to eat there. these days the food is worse and the price is higher - why not just go anywhere else?

you have just a quick question for your pharmacy so you look at their website and even do battle with their chatbot but inevitably the answer isn't there. you try calling customer service. you listen to first a long automated message telling you to go online and try the website first. you listen to an AI voice named Jan or Kelly as she asks you to state the nature of your request and hems and haws and says i'm sorry, i don't think i'm understanding. you try pressing "0" and saying "speak to an operator" and "talk to a representative" and "live agent". she never connects you. if literally one person spoke to you, you'd have been able to resolve this in approximately 15 minutes. it has now been an hour and Jan/Kelly's server farm is out there somewhere ruining the environment while she fails to do her job.

you watch as more and more corporations choose shady business practices - are caught on camera doing so - and discover that no legal action has been taken. that the company is calling the obvious and deliberate action "a sad accident." you watch people point out that "black friday sales" are literally more expensive than the original price. you watch as someone shows an email that is literally violating consumer safety laws. you watch as someone blatantly commits fraud.

but who are you supposed to call about that? there are no regulations anymore. they're free of that nasty "red tape" republicans hate so much. food is spoiling on the shelves and there is cesium in your shrimp. everywhere you look, the same dedication to the shareholders. everywhere you look, the prices get higher while the product gets worse.

they can keep doing it forever, right! they can just keep doing whatever they want, forever. infinite money glitch.

and the thing is: you were okay to pay a certain amount to watch a movie for the experience (and of course that one moment with nicole kidman). you understand that verizon has always been evil; you weren't expecting a rapturously friendly experience. you came from a family where money was always tight: you have always been trying to "do the right thing". the coupons and the price-matching and going to twenty stores just to find 6 different things.

as an adult: actually, you are okay to spend a little extra if the product is nice, if you are given something wonderful. if it is worth it.

but now the bag is half-empty. now the clothes are ever-thinner. now they release the game half-finished with the attitude of: whatever, you'll buy it. the technology that used to last you 5+ years now falls apart in the second month due to a known manufacturing error that you have to pay to resolve. the gas monopoly quietly installs a new "smart meter" that artificially raises your costs by 300 a month. the trip to disney is not magical; it is expensive and hostile. you are priced out of your own life in order to worship the shareholders.

you do the capitalist thing: you take your business elsewhere.

Subscribe to get access to all sorts of robot-on-human DEBAUCHERY!