metamorphosis. yes there's a man transforming into a literal monster and yes it's about sam's descent into demon blood freak monsterhood but to me, above all, it's the episode in which dean's controlling codependency takes a monstrous turn.

he's petty and he's jealous and he's violent and he hits sam for lying and he hits sam again for talking back and he's trashing the motel room and he's the image of an abuser. dean is threatening to leave sam and to hunt sam and they both know he's not going to do either (i can't escape you, you can't escape me). there's dark fury and despair and panic in dean's eyes because sam (in tears, bleeding, taking it) is becoming more than he can control.

sam says "this blood, it's not in you the way it's in me" and dean can't fucking stand it. he immediately tries to write himself into this, sam's not doing this alone. that's his brother, his blood, how dare he go there. their blood not being the same is the gravest, most personal insult to dean.

sam says "i'm not doing it for you" and "this is my choice" and dean cannot STAND IT. sam still craves autonomy and dean STILL. CAN'T. STAND. IT.

The funniest thing that being obsessed with supernatural has allowed me to do is... when my friend who is now watching supernatural tells me what episode number they're on I can immediately name it and say what it's about like it's insane and it makes me look insane but it's fun

STACKEDNATURAL ⇉ 26/327

4.4 Metamorphosis Written by Cathryn Humphris Directed by Kim Manners Original Air Date: October 9, 2008

Stackednatural Wrapped

well. 327 episodes and 257 days later, stackednatural has ended. 

let’s recap.

there were 87 days with two or more episodes, for which katharine created 104 comparison gif sets and a video. plus an additional six gif sets and a video connecting either some but not all of the day’s episodes or episodes that aired on different days. all found here. 

combined with six gif sets and two videos made for single episodes, the grand total comes to 120 stackednatural edits. 

not even gonna count our combined non-edit stacks found here. 

a few highlights and observations from katharine under the cut.

many of the parallels drawn were fairly innocuous. others induced major brain worms, such as:

october 1 - 5.4 // 6.2 - dean reckoning with his becoming a version of himself he does not want to be

october 12 - 2.3 // 13.1 - #notallmonsters merry-go-round

october 17 - 8.3 // 15.2 - sam and amara (and, by that token, dean and chuck; see also: january 16)

february 1 - 2.13 // 13.12 - sam hitting his faith limits

april 20 - 1.20 // 7.19 - bobby > john

may 15 - 3.16 // 8.23 - same point, opposite argument

a handful of stacks were so powerful that they became MEGA stacks:

november 1 - 3.5 “bedtime stories” // 14.4 “mint condition”

january 23 - 8.11 “larp and the real girl” // 15.10 “the heroes’ journey”

february 7 - 1.14 “nightmare” // 3.10 “dream a little dream of me” // 14.13 “lebanon”

april 1 - 5.16 “dark side of the moon” // 10.17 “inside man”

may 3 - 2.20 “what is and what should never be” // 13.21 “beat the devil”

non-stacked honorable mentions:

1.4 “phantom traveler” // 8.1 “we need to talk about kevin”

4.4 “metamorphosis” // 8.2 “what’s up, tiger mommy?”

15.16 “drag me away (from you)” // 4.6 “yellow fever” // 3.4 “sin city” // 14.3 “the spear”

9.10 “road trip” // 12.1 “keep calm and carry on”

*looks down* *smiles shyly* if you wanted to tell us YOUR favorite or most brain-worm-inducing post(s), our ask box is open. 

stackednatural also inspired a number of meta reflections, including:

sam believing he needs someone to serve as his moral compass. and how that works both with and against his role as keeper of the faith. believing he can determine an alternate solution while not believing in himself. and how this dynamic plays out between not only sam and dean but also sam and cas. 

sam’s ambivalence about sharing the monsters-are-real secret. with him repeatedly saying it is safer for people to never learn the truth (2.12, 12.15, 14.16). admitting that he wishes he never learned the truth (1.18, 5.6). never telling jess. never telling amelia. shocked that dean told cassie. and yet sam apparently told several people as a kid (4.13, 5.12). resents dean and john for repeatedly keeping him out of the loop. is uncomfortable with doing the same to jack. 

the sheer number of times dean tells someone that they are not themselves or who they say they are or who others perceive them to be. dean is chief of performativity and thus main arbiter of identity, apparently. 

finally, a partial list of episodes we would prefer to never watch again: 6.8, 8.4, 8.15, 9.4, 9.20, 10.15, 11.19, 12.5, 12.9, 13.11, 13.15, 14.16, 15.19, 15.20

if you joined us for any or all of this journey—hey, look at us. if you had no clue what stackednatural was and put up or even engaged with our posting anyway, condolences. and thank you x

fuck dean’s known castiel 4 eps and he’s already calling him “cas” i can’t

*WINC*ST SHIPPERS DNI*

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SoftBank Turns $11 Billion Profit, Helped by DoorDash

TOKYO— SoftBank Group Corp. 9984 4.45% rode red-hot stock markets to a big quarterly profit, largely on the back of investment gains at its $100 billion Vision Fund and its $10 billion successor.

The Japanese technology investor said Monday that it posted a net profit of ¥1.17 trillion, equivalent to about $11 billion, on investment gains of ¥1.77 trillion during the quarter ended Dec. 31. Nearly 80% of the investment gains were due to strong performance at Vision Funds 1 and 2.

Anticipation of strong results pushed SoftBank’s stock price up 4.4% to ¥9,485 Monday—a level last seen in February 2000, when the company’s shares peaked during the internet bubble.

“We’ve finally entered the harvest phase” for the Vision Fund, SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said at a Tokyo news conference, standing in front of a slide showing a goose laying towering columns of golden eggs that represented SoftBank’s investment hits.

The results highlight how much the boom in public markets over the past several months has benefited SoftBank, which during the past year completed its metamorphosis into an investment holding company from a telecommunications conglomerate. Climbing share prices last year helped SoftBank claw its way back into the black from a multibillion-dollar loss.

Those gains continued in the latest quarter, pushing up the market capitalizations of the Vision Funds’ listed companies—most importantly ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc., one of the fund’s biggest investments.

Enthusiastic public-market investors also gave SoftBank an investment bonanza when Vision Fund portfolio company DoorDash Inc. listed in December. Shares of the U.S. food-delivery company immediately soared well above their initial public offering price. By the end of the month, DoorDash had earned the fund more than $8 billion in paper gains, and its shares have continued to rise since.

SoftBank said the quarter ended December was the Vision Fund’s best ever, resulting in a $13 billion gain in the value of its investments.

SoftBank is poised to continue taking advantage of strong markets this year. Half a dozen or more of the Vision Fund’s investees—some of which already have multibillion-dollar valuations—are readying initial public offerings this year, Vision Fund Chief Executive Rajeev Misra said on a November call with boutique research firm New Street Research. Mr. Son said that together his funds could produce 10 to 20 IPOs a year.

SoftBank has also rolled out or filed listing applications for at least four special-purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, blank-check firms that go public first and then find a company to take over the listing later.

Performance wasn’t so good at SoftBank’s newest investment unit, an asset-management company named SB Northstar run by Mr. Son that invests in listed tech companies. The unit, in which Mr. Son has a one-third stake, made waves last year when it made a big options bet that the stock prices of some large tech companies would go up.

Those bets racked up steep losses, and the unit wound down its options trades at the end of last year, people familiar with the matter said at the time. Between its derivatives trades and stock investments, SB Northstar posted an investment loss of almost ¥170 billion in the latest quarter, according to SoftBank figures released Monday.

Mr. Son said he was still testing out Northstar and as of Monday it was posting gains.

Write to Phred Dvorak at [email protected]

Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Saudi Arabia reaps the wrong kind of PR as G20 host

A G20 gathering is usually a chance for the host nation to promote itself in the best possible light. But the leaders' summit taking place this weekend is happening under the pall of a pandemic.

Due to COVID-19, the summit will be held virtually, depriving its host, Saudi Arabia, of the opportunity to blanket screens around the world with orchestrated scenes of a forward-looking kingdom in the throes of an exciting transformation - an image its de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has long sought to project.

Like most rebranding efforts, Saudi Arabia's is driven in large part by economic necessity.

As the world gets better at limiting greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuels will fall out of favor - bad news when more than 80 percent of your government revenues come from selling crude oil.

The kingdom needs to diversify its economy and it does not have long to do it. The ticking clock is reflected in the name of MBS's ambitious plan for economic transformation: Vision 2030.

The blueprint entails weaning Saudi Arabia off oil by reinvesting crude profits into sustainable industries of the future to create jobs for its youthful population.

Some long-overdue reforms in Saudi Arabia, such as letting women drive, were made with boosting the economy in mind [File: Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters]

Some long-overdue reforms, such as letting women drive, were made with that metamorphosis in mind. Saudi Arabia needs its citizens to get jobs and contribute to the nation's output of goods and services. It is easier to get to work on time if you can drive your own car.

But reorienting the Saudi economy is no mean feat. Trying to fundamentally remake any economy in a decade is a massive undertaking. Those that derive most of their income from a single commodity - like oil - have a lousy track record at it, because the outsized influence of that natural resource salts the earth where other productive industries - like manufacturing and high tech - could take root.

That has certainly been the case in Saudi Arabia. MBS is trying to change that, and a big part of his plan pivots on convincing foreigners to invest in his vision.

Indelibly tarred

Attracting foreign investors has been made more difficult by the pandemic. But even before COVID-19 gutted global crude demand and knocked economies sideways, Saudi's reformist image had already been indelibly tarred by MBS himself.

The infamous milestones on the Crown Prince's march to consolidate power read like a rap sheet:

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen targeting civilians and obstructing humanitarian aid - check.

Rounding up wealthy citizens, imprisoning them in a gilded cage and extorting money from them in exchange for release - check.

Keeping some of those detained in jail without charge - check.

Jailing and harassing women's rights and other human rights activists - check.

Allegedly ordering the murder of a journalist - check.

Of course, the last item on the list, the brutal murder and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi - that US intelligence concluded was ordered by MBS - has been the most damaging to the Crown Prince's reputation.

World leaders who had embraced MBS and turned a blind eye to starving children in Yemen in the hopes that he would transform the kingdom for the better were suddenly not interested in photo opportunities with “Mr Bone Saw”.

An advertisement for the G20 summit is seen ahead of the event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [File: Nael Shyoukhi/Reuters]

Now, the leaders of the world's 20 largest economies are poised to stand square-by-square with him in zoom calls - hardly the class photo Riyadh had likely envisioned when Saudi assumed the G20 presidency last December.

Since that time, activists have urged other G20 leaders to hold Riyadh accountable for its abysmal human rights record - calls that have grown louder as the summit has neared.

Human Rights Watch launched a social media campaign # G20SaudiArabia.

“Instead of signaling its concern for Saudi Arabia's serious abuses, the G20 is bolstering the Saudi government's well-funded publicity efforts to portray the country as 'reforming' despite a significant increase in repression since 2017,” said HRW's deputy Middle East director in a blog post.

Amnesty International, meanwhile, is drawing attention to the kingdom's hypocrisy on women's rights.

“Women's empowerment features prominently on Saudi Arabia's G20 Agenda, despite the fact the activists who spearheaded campaigns for women's rights are languishing in jail or facing trial,” said an Amnesty blog post.

Human rights and economic growth

Upholding human rights is not only about doing what is right morally. Studies have shown a strong correlation between human rights abuses and reduced economic growth. And if there is one thing Saudi Arabia and the world cannot afford right now, it is a further reduction in economic output.

Last month, the International Monetary Fund revised its forecast for global growth to negative 4.4 percent - less severe than its previous call for a 5.2 percent contraction, but still the sharpest plunge since the Great Depression.

The Saudis - like other countries that depend heavily on energy revenues to stuff state coffers - are facing a serious budget crunch from the double-whammy of COVID restrictions and the hit to oil demand (not to mention an oil price war by Riyadh which triggered an overnight price crash earlier this year).

To shore up its budget, the kingdom has slashed spending on Vision 2030 projects and introduced austerity measures including some subsidy cuts and a tripling of VAT.

To shore up its budget, the kingdom has slashed spending on Vision 2030 projects and introduced austerity measures including some subsidy cuts and a tripling of VAT. [File: Ahmed Yosri/Reuters]

It has also sold bonds, both sovereign and corporate. This week, state-controlled oil giant Aramco sold $ 8bn worth of bonds to fund some $ 75bn in dividends it has committed to pay share this year- the lion's share of those go to the Saudi government.

This year's summit promises to be dominated by the human and economic toll COVID-19 has taken, and the pressing need to redress inequalities both within and between nations that exacerbated the virus's spread and are worsening as economies recover.

Solving these problems will require meaningful dialogue between G20 leaders when they meet, which does not bode well for official rebukes over human rights violations.

That is not to say Saudi Arabia won't pay a price down the road for MBS's behavior. The country does not have all the time in the world to transform its economy - especially when the world is watching it so closely.

. #world Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=14401&feed_id=18505

Sunguard Roll20 Update 4.3

Lots of minor and major updates listed here! Based on feedback provided during our open feedback session! You can still provide feedback until 3/31 here!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wxK3p8Z8p4rdE6gRN4vgMdHBn_4bxDi3pYMUUWBQaXo/edit?usp=sharing

Still a significant amount of changes to be made based on feedback! Expect a 4.4 update here very soon!

Updates under the Read More:

Hero Mode:

Updated the Hero Mode thread in layout and expanded the information on the following topics:

Major/Minor Actions

Turn Order

Taunting

Character creation

DoTs and HoTs

Equipment Slots

Enhancement Shaman Elemental Fury has had a tooltip update to show 35ft!

Demon Hunters are given a base range of 20ft when using offensive and healing spells!

Players are considered to by flying while Metamorphosis is active!

Priests Fortified Soul has been replaced with:

Saving Grace[1]: The priest attempts to save an allied player/character by pulling them to their location with light magic within 15ft. May be used as an instant!

Range: 15ft

Rogues' Premeditation has been replaced with:

Cloak of Shadows[1]: Using subtly and tricks, the Rogue is able to cloak allied players within 5ft of them, allowing them to be stealthed and gain the +5 modifier on attacks when they come out of stealth. No rogue characters cannot attempt to restealth. May be used as an instant. 

Range Self.

Prestige Classes:

Bladelord’s Break Them has been moved to being a passive of the Swordmaster Commander Mode troop choice. Instead, they have gained:

Bladesong[Passive]: Whenever the Bladelord is attacked in melee, they may roll 1d2 to determine if they will strike the enemy attacking them before they are struck. A roll of 1 is considered to be successful. The Bladelord will always strike before they attacked. Some boss abilities will circumvent this mechanic. 

Warbringers 

Blood Mage’s Verdant Spheres has been reworked to be more on par with other prestige classes. The new text is:

Verdant Spheres[2]: Amplifying their spellcasting abilities, the Blood Mage summons verdant spheres to increase the damage of their next ability. Rolling 1d5, the number rolled will determine how many additional die they can add onto their next basic offensive spell. 

Range: 35ft

Waywatcher Assassin’s Hunter Seeker, no longer can gain the additional skill usage benefit from Combatant. 

Warbringers Battle Frenzy has been balanced to take into account of different weapon types, it now reads: 

Battle Frenzy[1]: The Warbingers thrive in battle and their wounds only push them to fight harder. The Warbringer can activate their Battle Frenzy, changing their die to 1d20+5 (crit on 15-20 for +5), and addition additional die at the following threshold marks. 1 additional die at 100%, 2 additional die at 75% health, three additional die at 50% health, and 4 additional die at 25% health. Can be used as an instant 

Range: Self 

Headlines

Inspirational messages bloom amid outbreak (AP) Inspiration is contagious, too. The coronavirus pandemic has brought an outpouring of messages from stranger to stranger—in windows, on front doors, across walls, and colored onto driveways and sidewalks. Some messages offer encouragement: “Strong Together.” “Always Look at the Bright Side of Life.” Others are spiritual: “Have Faith.” “Jesus Loves You Always.” Some offer humor: “United We Stand—6 Feet Apart.” “Send Toilet Paper!” And there are rainbows. So many rainbows.

Coronavirus Quiets Global Protest Movements (NYT) Tear gas no longer chokes Hong Kong’s skyscrapers, while protesters’ tents in downtown Beirut have been dismantled. In Delhi, the odd plastic fork and tattered blanket are all that remain of the sit-in that once throttled one of the city’s busiest highways. Around the globe, the coronavirus pandemic has stilled the anti-establishment protests that erupted last year, bringing months of marches, rallies and riots to a sudden halt. Now, like everything else in the world, the protests face the unanswerable question of what happens next. How long the pandemic lasts, and how governments and activists respond, will dictate whether the interruption represents a fleeting pause, a moment of metamorphosis, or an unceremonious end for some of the most widespread mass mobilizations in recent history.

Jobless Numbers Are ‘Eye-Watering’ but Understate the Crisis (NYT) Nearly a month after Washington rushed through an emergency package to aid jobless Americans, millions of laid-off workers have still not been able to apply for those benefits—let alone receive them—because of overwhelmed state unemployment systems. Across the country, states have frantically scrambled to handle a flood of applications and apply a new set of federal rules even as more and more people line up for help. On Thursday, the Labor Department reported that another 4.4 million people filed initial unemployment claims last week, bringing the five-week total to more than 26 million. “At all levels, it’s eye-watering numbers,” Torsten Slok, chief international economist at Deutsche Bank Securities, said. Nearly one in six American workers has lost a job in recent weeks. Delays in delivering benefits, though, are as troubling as the sheer magnitude of the figures, he said. Such problems not only create immediate hardships, but also affect the shape of the recovery when the pandemic eases.

Immigrants, hard hit by economic fallout, adapt to new jobs (AP) Ulises García went from being a waiter to working at a laundromat. Yelitza Esteva used to do manicures and now delivers groceries. Maribel Torres swapped cleaning homes for sewing masks. The coronavirus pandemic has devastated sectors of the economy dominated by immigrant labor: Restaurants, hotels, office cleaning services, in-home childcare and hair and nail salons, among others, have seen businesses shuttered as nonessential. The Migration Policy Institute found that 20% of the U.S. workers in vulnerable industries facing layoffs are immigrants, even though they only make up 17% of the civilian workforce. The economic meltdown has forced many immigrants to branch out to new jobs or adapt skills to meet new demands generated by the virus.

Coronavirus hits Mexico’s economy where it hurts most: Oil, tourism, remittances and trade (Washington Post) The Mexican economy was already in recession, having contracted in 2019 for the first time in a decade and projecting more losses in 2020. The peso was among the worst-performing currencies in the world. Then came the coronavirus. The pandemic is wreaking financial havoc everywhere. But in Mexico, it’s taking specific aim at the pillars of the Mexican economy: trade, oil, remittances and tourism. Economists here are now predicting an economic collapse worse than the “tequila crisis” of the 1990s, when inflation soared, poverty deepened and migration surged. “Mexico is like someone who was about to fall down the stairs, and then coronavirus came and pushed him,” said Valeria Moy, an economist at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México. “He was going to fall anyway. But now he’s going to fall farther and faster.”

Ecuador’s Death Toll During Outbreak Is Among the Worst in the World (NYT) With bodies abandoned on sidewalks, slumped in wheelchairs, packed into cardboard coffins and stacked by the hundreds in morgues, it is clear that Ecuador has been devastated by the coronavirus. But the epidemic is even worse than many people in the country realize. The death toll in Ecuador during the outbreak was 15 times higher than the official number of Covid-19 deaths reported by the government, according to an analysis of mortality data by The New York Times. The numbers suggest that the South American country is suffering one of the worst outbreaks in the world. The figures provide a dire indication of the damage the virus can do to developing countries, where it can quickly overwhelm health care systems and even the government’s ability to keep count of how many people are falling to the disease.

Argentine peso sinking (Bloomberg) Argentines are flocking to buy black-market dollars as real interest rates sink below zero and fears mount of yet another chaotic sovereign debt default. The peso weakened to a record 118 pesos per dollar in informal exchange houses known as “caves” Thursday, up from 107 the previous day, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.

U.S. aid to Greenland irks Danes (Foreign Policy) The United States increased its engagement with Greenland by granting the island $12 million toward education and energy projects and by announcing it would open a consulate. The island, which is an autonomous Danish territory, is strategically significant to the United States as it competes for Arctic dominance with Russia and China and already includes a U.S. ballistic missile early warning system. Denmark’s Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod welcomed the investment, “I think it’s encouraging that it is the United States, a neighbor and close ally, who is making this grant,” he said. Karsten Honge, a member of the opposition in Denmark’s parliament, was less pleased, “They have clearly crossed the line,” he said. “It’s completely unheard of that a close ally tries to create division between Greenland and Denmark this way.” Trump famously proposed purchasing Greenland from Denmark last year. If the funds are intended to butter up Greenlanders ahead of a potential purchase, the United States will have to up the ante: Denmark’s annual block grant to the territory, which constitutes two-thirds of Greenland’s budget, amounts to $520 million annually.

Nursing homes linked to up to half of coronavirus deaths in Europe, WHO says (Washington Post) Up to half of coronavirus-related deaths in Europe are occurring in long-term-care facilities such as nursing homes, the World Health Organization said Thursday, an assessment that suggests public health authorities may have allowed the pandemic to rage among some of their most vulnerable populations as they focused on hospitals and other aspects of their response. The United States also has struggled with the pandemic inside homes for the elderly. A Washington Post analysis this week found that nearly 1 in 10 nursing homes in the United States have reported cases of the novel coronavirus, with a death count that has reached the thousands.

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jews take to internet in coronavirus lockdown (Reuters) Israel’s religiously devout Jews, who traditionally shun the use of internet or smartphones, are increasingly going online to shop, study and video chat as the coronavirus outbreak forces them to stay largely home. Ultra-Orthodox rabbis restrict internet use among their followers to avoid exposure to sexually explicit and other religiously objectionable material, a policy that helps to keep their communities largely isolated. But densely populated ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhoods have been particularly hard hit by the virus, with the Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak forced into a complete lockdown to prevent the spread of the disease. The result is a 40% surge in online traffic in these neighbourhoods since March 15, according to Bezeq, Israel’s largest telecoms group. “An existential need is leading to one of the fastest processes of internet adoption we have seen,” said Bezeq’s vice president for marketing and innovation, Keren Leizerovitch.

Yemen: Cuts in aid (Washington Post) Dozens of U.N. programs that assist millions of impoverished Yemenis could shut down by the end of the month largely because of major cuts in U.S. aid, humanitarian officials warn, just as the country has seen its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus.

Warnings of worsening hunger, malaria emerge as coronavirus cases spike 40% in Africa (Washington Post) Africa’s reported number of coronavirus cases soared by more than 40 percent in the last week, stoking concerns that the continent could become a new hotbed of the pandemic at a time when hunger is rising and doctors fear a resurgence of malaria deaths. Confirmed cases have surpassed 25,000 among Africa’s 1.3 billion people, and the death toll has exceeded 1,200.

Rainn, Rainn Go Away: Anti-Gun Tweets Off-Target

LTP News Sharing:

Rainn Wilson is channeling his inner Ilhan Omar.

In taking aim at our Second Amendment freedom against government infringement on the right to keep and bear arms, the actor best known for playing Assistant to the Regional Manager Dwight Schrute on “The Office” tweeted to the 4.4 million people following him on social media that “angry white men with guns” are the biggest threat to the United States. And he managed to lump in some crazy interpretation of Christianity as well.

This appears to one-up Representative Omar, who only said that people “should be more fearful of white men” – suggesting that they were more deadly than Islamic terrorists.

Wilson’s full-bore attack on his own race, gender and gun rights is criticized by the members of the National Center’s Project 21 black leadership network. They called him “misguided,” and called his actions “moral grandstanding” and “fake rage.” They also took offense to his bigotry in treating white men in an abusive manner like Hollywood has done for other racial groups – showing they have not yet learned not to hate.

Like Roseanne Barr, Project 21 members felt Rainn Wilson has crossed a line. The entertainment industry should be “Raising the Barr” to keep those representing it from making them look silly, out of the mainstream and just plain hateful.

Wilson’s series of tweets – sent out after the horrible shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas – began with: “When are we all going to admit that the biggest threat to Americans, terrorist or not, is ANGRY, WHITE MEN with guns?” He added that his “heart breaks” for those affected, and how he’s “speechless.”

Well, not really. For good measure, he then threw in a biblical reference to get at those former President Barack Obama said “cling to guns or religion.” Wilson added: “The metamorphosis of Jesus Christ from a humble servant of the abject poor to a symbol that stands for gun rights, prosperity theology, anti-science, limited government (that neglects the destitute) and fierce nationalism is truly the strangest transformation in human history.”

Project 21 member Adrian Norman said:

We have to stop looking at every situation in this country through the lens of race. Demonizing an entire group of people on the basis of their skin color for the actions committed by a single individual is not only racist, it does nothing to move us closer toward solutions.

It seems like Wilson is taking on the traits of his Dwight Schrute character, who is described by Wikipedia as someone with “a lack of social skills and common sense.” But, while Dwight was a gun aficionado, Wilson takes the Hollywood hard line against guns (unless guns are valuable to selling a project).

Wilson might actually want to have some guns in his acting jobs. Dwight, as mentioned, talked about guns on his successful series. His next job was a failed television series about a detective. Since then, he’s mainly done voiceovers and forgotten roles like the lead in “Permanent” – a movie that made only $12,847 at the box office (as a point of reference, “Avengers: Endgame” made over $1 billion).

Hollywood has hurt with its stereotypes, and Rainn Wilson’s most recent use of the broad brush is no less shocking and demeaning. This is why Project 21 member Donna Jackson thinks Wilson needs to check his elitist privilege. She said:

It’s shameful that Rainn Wilson used bigotry and hatred as a platform for publicity and self-promotion.

Hollywood elites have been largely responsible for creating most of the racist and sexist narratives we have today such as the angry black woman, her superpredator child and the dirty Mexican.And now, some in Hollywood are adding the angry white male to the list.

As a victim of these stereotypes, I – like countless other black women – have had to fight against them both in the workplace and in our private lives. To suggest that all white male gun owners are terrorists is very disingenuous and only creates a dangerously divisive and hostile environment.

Actors like Rainn Wilson who pretend to fight against bigotry while creating it, as hehas, doesn’t help ourgreat country.

While there should be concern about the shootings in Dayton and El Paso, Project 21 member Derryck Green wondered where Wilson’s concern was for the other cities with chronic problems involving violence that are also unacceptably high – yet do not receive the national headlines or celebrity tweets:

Noted theologian and sociologist Rainn Wilson offered his unsolicited opinion regarding what he believes caused the shootings in El Paso and Dayton. One of his conclusions is “angry white men with guns.”

Does Wilson apply that same logic to places like Chicago? This past weekend, Chicago witnessed its deadliest weekend of 2019 thus far. According to the New York Times, 52 people were shot and 7 were killed between Friday and Sunday evenings.  Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago – one of the five trauma centers there – was so overwhelmed that it was forced to refuse patients and divert them to other trauma centers across the city.

According to the Chicago Tribune, there have been at least 300 homicides and 1,600 people have been shot so far this year in Chicago.

Is this the result of (in all caps, like Wilson’s original tweet) ANGRY, BLACK MEN with guns? If not, why not? Why doesn’t his heart break for Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, Oakland, Philadelphia or Memphis?

“Dwight”isn’t concerned with much more than moral grandstanding and venting fake rage. It’s what happens when actors go off script.

And then there were Wilson’s religious references. Project 21 member Melanie Collette found Wilson very off-target on his interpretation of Jesus. She explained:

There’s so much to unpack in Rainn Wilson’s misguided comments.

First, we have the undeniable racism in the statement that “angry white men with guns” are the biggest threat to America. But,worse than this, Mr. Wilson presents Jesus as a weak caricature of who He was.

Rather than a display of “fierce nationalism,” the Bible is clear about the pivotal role the census played in the expectation of a Messiah. Further, Jesus was no weakling when it came to preaching about the government’s limited role in our lives as our allegiance is to God. Finally, Jesus made clear that it was the church, not the government, that was to care materially and spiritually for the poor.

Mr. Wilson’s managed to demonize the white man, make people of color appear to be victims and weaken the character of Jesus – all in one astonishing tweet.

  The post Rainn, Rainn Go Away: Anti-Gun Tweets Off-Target appeared first on The National Center.

Go to Source Author: David Almasi

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BMW X5 new generation: all the details

Well, who complained that the BMW interiors do not change over the years? Get, as they say, sign! The new “fifth x” internal code G05 became the first model with a modified interior architecture. Metamorphosis is not revolutionary, but quite significant. And most of all a matter of the virtual instrument.

Central to the display with a diagonal of 12.3 inches given to the navigation map, but instead simply round scales drawn bracket speedometer and tachometer, the latter is mirrored and the scale is graduated in a counterclockwise direction. This decision met at the Aston Martin and Peugeot, but the BMW version is graphically more like… the Chinese SUV Chery Tiggo 2.

A lot of other changes. The body of the screen, the new iDrive system 7.0 (he is also the diagonal of 12.3 inches) is now integrated with the instrument cluster, redesigned air vents for ventilation, and a miniature screen climate control inscribed between the Central air vents. At the helm of the new hub, instead of the rotary switch of external illumination installed push-button block, otherwise located the door handle and keys Windows. And re-configured the buttons and selector on the Central tunnel, which also moved the engine start button.

BMW X5 still can be ordered with a third row of seats, and the trunk volume has decreased slightly: instead of the 650 645 litres in five-seater version and is 1870 1860 litres with the rear seats folded. Access to the Luggage compartment, like the previous “IKS-fifth”, to open two doors — the main lift and a small flip.

The crossover with the change of generation has grown slightly. Length increased up to 36 mm (up to 4922 mm), height — 19 mm (up to 1781 mm) and the biggest increase in width: plus 66 mm and the final 2004 mm excluding mirrors.

The wheelbase has increased from 2933 to 2975 mm, and the platform is totally new is crossovery kind of modular truck CLAR. Moreover, as the sedan of the seventh series, the new BMW X5 has dvurychanski front, rear and mnogoryichazhka optional air suspension on all four wheels, while the machines of the previous two generations of air springs can be ordered only for the rear axle. Also on the chassis suggests a mechanism for steering the rear wheels and an active rear stabilizer.

In addition to the usual sport of the M Sport package for the new crossover provided and the off-road set. It includes a reinforced underbody protection, locking rear differential and a few specific modes of drive electronics.

At the start for the new BMW X5 four engines offered. The basic version of the xDrive30d has a two-litre four-cylinder diesel engine capacity of 265 HP Followed by petrol options xDrive40i turbosystems with three-liter (340 HP, 450 Nm) and the xDrive50i with the 4.4 V8 biturbomotor (462 BHP, 650 Nm). And on top of a scale is “charged” BMW X5 M50d, which has a three-litre diesel with four turbochargers generates 400 HP and 760 Nm, and acceleration to 100 km/h takes 5.2 s (minus 0.1 compared with the outgoing model). All versions have eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive with a clutch connecting the front axle. Later expected a simple version with rear wheel drive (for America), hybrids and most powerful BMW X5 M.

What else? For extra charge you can order the camera circular review and laser-phosphor beam that hits at 500 meters versus 300 meters for the standard led headlights. Of course, there is quasiatomic that can keep the car in lane and maintain a distance from a moving car. And for the fused nostrils and shutters that open up air flow to the radiator only as needed. Wheel — rim diameter of 18 to 22 inches.

Production of the new BMW X5 at the factory in Spartanburg American should start in late summer. Consequently, the market for crossovers will get closer to winter. After the change of generation is waiting for coupe and BMW X6, but in addition this year will see the release of the flagship crossover BMW X7, which will compete with the Mercedes GLS.

American toad

American toad

The American toad (Anaxyrus americanus, formerly Bufo americanus) is a common species of toad found throughout the eastern United States and Canada. It is divided into three subspecies—the eastern American toad (A. a. americanus), the dwarf American toad (A. a. charlesmithi), and the rare Hudson Bay toad (A. a. copei). Recent taxonomic treatments place this species in the genus Anaxyrus instead of Bufo. Tadpoles The eggs of the American toad are laid in two strings and can hatch in 2–14 days. When hatched the tadpoles are recognizable by their skinny tails in relation to the size of their black bodies. They may advance to adulthood in 50–65 days. When metamorphosis is completed, the "toadlets" may stay in the water for a short period of time before they become mostly land based. Often entire groups of tadpoles reach the toadlet stage at once and a mass migration to higher ground takes place usually to shaded areas of mid range and upland forests bordering the marshes from where they bred. Toadlets can be observed eating microscopic bugs as fast as they can in the ground area they roam between various vegetation; they are also known to eat ants, spiders, slugs and worms. Studies have shown that they have a mutualistic relationship with Chlorogonium alga, which makes tadpoles develop faster than normal.[citation needed] Tadpoles have several mechanisms to reduce predation. They avoid predators by swimming in very shallow water often with thick grass vegetation, and by swimming close together in schools during the day. Tadpoles also produce toxic chemicals in their skin that discourage some potential predators. Fish have been reported to die after consuming one tadpole; however, most fish quickly learn to avoid eating American toad tadpoles. The tadpoles are also very small and they are a solid black color. Biogeography Based on DNA sequence comparisons, Anaxyrus americanus and other North American species of Anaxyrus are thought to be descended from an invasion of toads from South America prior to the formation of the Isthmus of Panama land bridge, presumably by means of rafting. Subspecies Races tend to hybridize with Anaxyrus woodhousii in their overlapping ranges. Eastern American Toad in Ohio. Detail of parotoid glands The eastern American toad (A. a. americanus) is a medium-sized toad usually ranging in size from 5–9 cm (2.0–3.5 in); record 11.1 centimetres (4.4 in). The color and pattern is somewhat variable, especially for the females. Skin color can change depending on habitat colors, humidity, stress, and temperature. Color changes range from yellow to brown to black, from solid colors to speckled. Their breeding habits are very similar to Anaxyrus fowleri. The call or voice of a breeding male is a high trill, lasting 6–30 seconds, similar to a ringing telephone. They hibernate during the winter. The eastern American toad has spots that contain only one to two warts. It also has enlarged warts on the tibia or lower leg below the knee. While the belly is usually spotted, in some areas many are, and it is generally more so on the forward half (in some rare individuals there may be few or no spots). This subspecies of the American toad has no or very little markings on it. The spades on the back legs are blackish. Some toads of this subspecies have a more pervasive red and deep brown coller, many with red warts on their bodies. Also eastern American toads have parotoid glands that are the same color as the surrounding skin. The glands don't usually have any patterning on them. Other species which may be confused with the eastern American toad are Fowler's toad, which has three or more warts in the largest dark spots, and in the far west of its range woodhouse's toad. Fowler's toad can be especially difficult to identify in comparison to the eastern American toad but one difference is that it never has a spotted belly and both cranial crests touch the parotoid glands. Also, Fowler's toads are very fast hoppers (bursts of 5-10 fast hops) in comparison to Eastern toads lethargic, casual hopping and walking locomotion. In the eastern American toad these crests almost never touch the parotoid glands, which secrete bufotoxin, a poisonous substance meant to make the toad unpalatable to potential predators. Bufotoxin is a mild poison in comparison to that of other poisonous toads and frogs, but it can irritate human skin and is dangerous to smaller animals (such as dogs) when ingested. American toads require a semi-permanent freshwater pond or pool with shallow water in which to breed, to gather their water suppliers in times of drought or as a routine, and for their early development. They also require dense patches of vegetation, for cover and hunting grounds. Given these two things and a supply of insects for food, American toads can live almost everywhere, ranging from forests to flat grassland. Females when caught are silent and easily tamed, adapting to terrarian life readily, while the smaller males are readily communicative. The smaller males do not adapt well to terrarium life and should be released after a few days of observation. Adult toads are mostly nocturnal, although juveniles are often abroad by day. When it rains, these toads will become active and can be observed eating robustly worms and insects leaving their burrows and walking in front of an opportunist toad. These toads are 'creatures of habit' once they have a certain area they prefer to live within... an acre of wooded forest with water in proximity for soaking, a home with cool ledges and window wells; they commonly seek cover in burrows, under boardwalks, flat stones, boards, logs, wood piles, or other cover. When cold weather comes, these toads dig backwards and bury themselves in the dirt of their summer homes, or they may choose another site in which to hibernate. Their diet includes crickets, mealworms, earthworms, ants, spiders, slugs, centipedes, moths, and other small invertebrates. In captivity, toads will eat about any type of meat product offered... burger, chicken strips, cat food... all make great meals for the toads. Some of these toads have been known to live over 30 years and currently a female specimen (over 13 centimeters long) is living healthily into her late 30s. Another female toad of 17 centimeters is known to have existed in Wisconsin from Washington Island on Lake Michigan. The eastern American toad may be confused with the Canadian toad in the area where they overlap, but the cranial crests in the American toad do not join to form a raised "boss" (bump) like they do in the Canadian toad. Its range also overlaps with the southern toad's, but in this species the cranial crests form two unique knobs. Wikispecies has information related to: Anaxyrus americanus charlesmithi The dwarf American toad (B. a. charlesmithi), is a smaller version of the American toad which reaches lengths of about 6 cm (2 1⁄4 in) and is generally a dark reddish color ranging to light red in some specimens in isolated populations. The spots on the back are reduced or absent, and when present they contain a few small red warts and a black ring around it like in the normal American toad. The warts are always darker than the skin of the toad. Some specimens have a white dorsal line in the middle of their backs. The ventral surface or belly is usually cream colored with a few dark spots in the breast area. This subspecies can be distinguished from the above-mentioned species in the same manner as for the eastern American toad. The southwestern portion of the Dwarf American toad's range overlaps with that of the Gulf Coast toad. The latter species is distinguished by the presence of a dark lateral stripe as well as a deep "valley" between its prominent cranial crests. It eats mainly spiders, worms and small insects. The Hudson Bay toad (A. a. copei) is a rare Canadian subspecies of A. americanus. This subspecies of the American toad has been seen in the northern parts of Ontario where there are a few isolated populations. These northern dwarf toads mostly have the red coloring on the sides of their bodies and have an unusually high number of warts for the subspecies. Interbreeding with eastern American toads caused this subspecies to lose the red coloring on their backs. Inbreeding avoidance Toads display breeding site fidelity, as do many amphibians. Individuals that return to natal ponds to breed will likely encounter siblings as potential mates. Although incest is possible, Bufo americanus siblings rarely mate. These toads likely recognize and actively avoid close kins as mates. Advertisement vocalizations by males appear to serve as cues by which females recognize their kin. Approximately one week into adult cycle, shown in comparison to an adult female human hand This adult American toad was found in southeast Idaho, an unusual location for the species. Leaves in the pool skimmer show the toad's relative size. source - Wikipedia Dear friends, if you liked our post, please do not forget to share and comment like this. If you want to share your information with us, please send us your post with your name and photo at [email protected]. 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It's already gone too far, Sam. If I didn't know you, I would wanna hunt you.

🎵 who is that girl I see

staring straight back at me? 🎵

4.4 “metamorphosis” // 8.2 “what’s up, tiger mommy?”

Rainn, Rainn Go Away: Anti-Gun Tweets Off-Target

LTP News Sharing:

Rainn Wilson is channeling his inner Ilhan Omar.

In taking aim at our Second Amendment freedom against government infringement on the right to keep and bear arms, the actor best known for playing Assistant to the Regional Manager Dwight Schrute on “The Office” tweeted to the 4.4 million people following him on social media that “angry white men with guns” are the biggest threat to the United States. And he managed to lump in some crazy interpretation of Christianity as well.

This appears to one-up Representative Omar, who only said that people “should be more fearful of white men” – suggesting that they were more deadly than Islamic terrorists.

Wilson’s full-bore attack on his own race, gender and gun rights is criticized by the members of the National Center’s Project 21 black leadership network. They called him “misguided,” and called his actions “moral grandstanding” and “fake rage.” They also took offense to his bigotry in treating white men in an abusive manner like Hollywood has done for other racial groups – showing they have not yet learned not to hate.

Like Roseanne Barr, Project 21 members felt Rainn Wilson has crossed a line. The entertainment industry should be “Raising the Barr” to keep those representing it from making them look silly, out of the mainstream and just plain hateful.

Wilson’s series of tweets – sent out after the horrible shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas – began with: “When are we all going to admit that the biggest threat to Americans, terrorist or not, is ANGRY, WHITE MEN with guns?” He added that his “heart breaks” for those affected, and how he’s “speechless.”

Well, not really. For good measure, he then threw in a biblical reference to get at those former President Barack Obama said “cling to guns or religion.” Wilson added: “The metamorphosis of Jesus Christ from a humble servant of the abject poor to a symbol that stands for gun rights, prosperity theology, anti-science, limited government (that neglects the destitute) and fierce nationalism is truly the strangest transformation in human history.”

Project 21 member Adrian Norman said:

We have to stop looking at every situation in this country through the lens of race. Demonizing an entire group of people on the basis of their skin color for the actions committed by a single individual is not only racist, it does nothing to move us closer toward solutions.

It seems like Wilson is taking on the traits of his Dwight Schrute character, who is described by Wikipedia as someone with “a lack of social skills and common sense.” But, while Dwight was a gun aficionado, Wilson takes the Hollywood hard line against guns (unless guns are valuable to selling a project).

Wilson might actually want to have some guns in his acting jobs. Dwight, as mentioned, talked about guns on his successful series. His next job was a failed television series about a detective. Since then, he’s mainly done voiceovers and forgotten roles like the lead in “Permanent” – a movie that made only $12,847 at the box office (as a point of reference, “Avengers: Endgame” made over $1 billion).

Hollywood has hurt with its stereotypes, and Rainn Wilson’s most recent use of the broad brush is no less shocking and demeaning. This is why Project 21 member Donna Jackson thinks Wilson needs to check his elitist privilege. She said:

It’s shameful that Rainn Wilson used bigotry and hatred as a platform for publicity and self-promotion.

Hollywood elites have been largely responsible for creating most of the racist and sexist narratives we have today such as the angry black woman, her superpredator child and the dirty Mexican.And now, some in Hollywood are adding the angry white male to the list.

As a victim of these stereotypes, I – like countless other black women – have had to fight against them both in the workplace and in our private lives. To suggest that all white male gun owners are terrorists is very disingenuous and only creates a dangerously divisive and hostile environment.

Actors like Rainn Wilson who pretend to fight against bigotry while creating it, as hehas, doesn’t help ourgreat country.

While there should be concern about the shootings in Dayton and El Paso, Project 21 member Derryck Green wondered where Wilson’s concern was for the other cities with chronic problems involving violence that are also unacceptably high – yet do not receive the national headlines or celebrity tweets:

Noted theologian and sociologist Rainn Wilson offered his unsolicited opinion regarding what he believes caused the shootings in El Paso and Dayton. One of his conclusions is “angry white men with guns.”

Does Wilson apply that same logic to places like Chicago? This past weekend, Chicago witnessed its deadliest weekend of 2019 thus far. According to the New York Times, 52 people were shot and 7 were killed between Friday and Sunday evenings.  Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago – one of the five trauma centers there – was so overwhelmed that it was forced to refuse patients and divert them to other trauma centers across the city.

According to the Chicago Tribune, there have been at least 300 homicides and 1,600 people have been shot so far this year in Chicago.

Is this the result of (in all caps, like Wilson’s original tweet) ANGRY, BLACK MEN with guns? If not, why not? Why doesn’t his heart break for Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, Oakland, Philadelphia or Memphis?

“Dwight”isn’t concerned with much more than moral grandstanding and venting fake rage. It’s what happens when actors go off script.

And then there were Wilson’s religious references. Project 21 member Melanie Collette found Wilson very off-target on his interpretation of Jesus. She explained:

There’s so much to unpack in Rainn Wilson’s misguided comments.

First, we have the undeniable racism in the statement that “angry white men with guns” are the biggest threat to America. But,worse than this, Mr. Wilson presents Jesus as a weak caricature of who He was.

Rather than a display of “fierce nationalism,” the Bible is clear about the pivotal role the census played in the expectation of a Messiah. Further, Jesus was no weakling when it came to preaching about the government’s limited role in our lives as our allegiance is to God. Finally, Jesus made clear that it was the church, not the government, that was to care materially and spiritually for the poor.

Mr. Wilson’s managed to demonize the white man, make people of color appear to be victims and weaken the character of Jesus – all in one astonishing tweet.

  The post Rainn, Rainn Go Away: Anti-Gun Tweets Off-Target appeared first on The National Center.

Go to Source Author: David Almasi

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