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Vaping

Are you still vaping? Yeah, you should probably stop ASAP

“It’s healthier than cigarettes,” is a line you’ve no doubt heard before. How true is this, though?

The first vapes hit the market in the early 2010s, marketed on TV as a healthier alternative to smoking. At that time, it was pure water that was vaporized, to give the effect of smoking. However, there were no chemicals in these early models.

They were like brick cell phones in the 1980s compared to what came just a few years after. Vapes were getting smaller and came with fluid containing nicotine. What was put in the vapes changed, but the rhetoric didn’t.

Many people today still champion vaping and Juul as healthier. Because of this, more people are likely to buy vapes. Just as well, they appeal to kids, with their often fruity flavors and candy-like packaging.

Vape usage

Jimmy Fallon Lol GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - Find & Share on GIPHY

The sustained popularity of vapes comes down to a few factors. First, it’s convenient to vape indoors, whereas smoking requires you to go outside. People who vape tend to hit it subconsciously, and would vape more nicotine than is in a cigarette.

According to The Truth Initiative, one Juul pod has as much nicotine as 20 cigarettes. I know several people who, when Juul had more flavors, went through several pods a day. They also went on to state:

“Results from a April 2018 Truth Initiative® study published in Tobacco Control show that nearly two-thirds — 63 percent — of JUUL users between 15 and 24 years old did not know that the product always contains nicotine.”

Cigarette usage is much easier to track, as it’s usually rationed in about 20 per pack. Juul and more trendy vapes don’t show how much juice is there on the surface. The Puff Bar has recently been a competitor to Juul, looking like them, but disposable and colorful.

No matter the method, the results showed are the same.


Long term effects

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For a long time, no one quite knew what the long term effects of vaping were. It hadn’t been around for long enough to see, even with heavy usage. Now, nearly a decade later, they’re starting to reveal themselves.

According to NPR, independent researchers have found that those who only vape are at a 30% increased chance of lung diseases. With 52 confirmed deaths and 2,400 hospitalizations due to vaping, the rapture has come. The study goes on to note:

“…it’s not just the nicotine — there are other ingredients, including propylene glycol, glycerin and flavoring compounds that may lead to harmful effects when heated and inhaled.”

With about one in four high school seniors vaping, their addictions and problems will start early. Just as well, since vapes tend to come in bright packaging, it appeals to kids. These chemicals, most of which we don’t know, are going into the lungs of kids.

The American Lung Association found that vaping was responsible for causing bronchiolitis, or “popcorn lung.”

Why, then, is it still allowed?


Loophole

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The FDA was supposed to require all vape companies to submit their products and ingredients for inspection. It was announced in 2017 that the FDA would delay this until 2022.

In the time of this delay, people have been confirmed to have died due to vaping. While it wasn’t seen as a big deal for a long time, the effects merely hadn’t shown. As a response, Juul stopped selling flavored pods.

This only gave rise to counterfeit pods, Puff Bars, and other imitators who are just as bad. A friend of mine recently had her lung collapse due to vaping, as she had quit smoking. She did it till it sent her to the hospital.

Stay safe, friends.

What is climate change displacement? A hard look at forced migration

The phrase “go where the money is” will take on a whole new meaning. For some, it already has. Climate change displacement is no joke, and it’s coming for us all.

Climate change is real

Our planet has been steadily dying since the birth of the combustion engine. Irregularities in weather patterns are brought on by a decreasing ozone layer.

This spells doom for the crops.

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The drastic change to Earth’s surface temperature in the past century is entirely from human activity. A rapidly industrialized world means a stark increase in population. The more people there are, the more mouths there are to feed.


Poor countries suffer climate change displacement first

This means dangerous living conditions. Poorer countries are disproportionately affected. Unbearable heat and lack of rain make agriculture impossible in these regions.

Depleting resources is the first sign of a species in decline. Because the crops (read food) can’t grow, they must find some more. This creates competition for resources in the neighboring areas, who may themselves be struggling.

Countries near the Equator are hit the hardest at the moment. Being closest to the sun doesn’t help with rising global temperatures.

Climate Change Visualization GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

This temperature change means Guatemala is expected to lose rainfall by 60 percent. Hotter areas are likely to turn to desert.

Countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, and Panama have been losing livable land in recent times. Hurricane El Niño devastated Central America, flooding farmland and killing crops.

Because of this, people in countries affected need somewhere else to go. With vast land in the United States, it only makes sense people would look to better their lives here.


The U.S. will not be spared

The United States may be one of the last to feel the worst of global warming’s effects, but it will be biblical. Let’s not forget, a large reason for the state of the planet is to feed American interests.

Outsourced labor in China and India are the reasons for their pollution contribution. In 2017, Science Advances predicted by 2100 that temperatures could rise there so high that going outside for a few hours would kill “the fittest of humans.”

That is- if we continue on our current trajectory. Americans are by far the biggest consumers. Because of how much we pollute, many millennials are second-guessing having children.

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Past generations stressed the values of having children, owning a car, a big house, and buy, buy, buy. They, also, were not incredibly in tune with what these habits meant. And thus the state of our world.

Because of the lifestyles stressed by Western civilization, we look the other way at the harm they do. We all love a pair of Jordans but ignore the sweatshops that make them.

The American compartmentalization of cruelty for comfort may come to an end if it endangers our world.


Make the change now

Sustainable energy is needed sooner rather than later. Many countries have taken to it, but it’s necessary from such big consumers and producers. When the world goes to shit, America’s gonna look like that friend who ignored your advice.

That’s why this must be nipped in the bud. Part of it will need to be a shift in culture. Not often are Americans made aware of how much they consume. It would kill the machine of industry. No one wants to be made to feel bad for buying something legally available.

Climate Change Greenpeace GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

If more awareness was given to how it begins, people may be more thoughtful about their purchases. I say all the time, your dollar goes further than you may think.

Simply by existing, we’re all part of the problem anyway, so who cares, right?— That’s the attitude that got us in this mess.

Since we are here, let’s try to do our part.

Why are people tweaking about this Clown Motel? A cautious investigation

Have you ever wanted to live out your dream of living in constant fear that a killer clown might actually kill you?

Well, now you can!

Located in Tonopah, Nevada, you can now spend a few nights at the Clown Motel for less than $50/night.

But the real price you pay? Trying not to freak out when you notice the giant clown hanging above your bed.

https://twitter.com/ddoniolvalcroze/status/1284881405273489408?s=21


So who’s really behind this Clown Motel tho?

The CEO of Clown Motel, Hame Anand, did not come to be in charge of the motel to make people’s worst nightmares come true.

 

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Nature’s colors over World Famous The Clown Motel. #Nature #BlueSky #GorgeousSky #NatureWonders #Tonopah #Nevada #TheClownMotel 🤡

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Contrary to popular belief, Hame Anand came up with this idea after watching the circus when he was younger. Tigers, trapeze artists, anything similar was simply just terrifying to the 14- year old. He left after 15 minutes.

Honestly? Me too.

After his friend convinced him to give the circus one more chance, Anand soon found himself immersed in the show when a clown came out to perform, transforming the gasps into laughter.

After that eye-opening experience, Anand began to collect clowns.

The Clown Motel had been previously owned by Bob Persichetti for over two decades. When Persichetti decided to sell it, Anand believed it to be fate and immediately bought it for around $900,000.

Anand soon merged his 200 clowns with the 800 clowns that were already on the property. However, things become a little… creepy every now and then.

https://twitter.com/clammyheart/status/1286369298521325568?s=21


Ooof… The Creepy Clown Experiences

There have been accounts of rather strange events happening around the property.

From hearing voices in the dark, doors opening and closing to even a group of girls claiming to find a ghost in their bathroom that offered to fix their toilet.


The Clown Motel is conveniently located next to a graveyard, in which Anand believes that many of the ghosts that roam the grounds are just spirits that managed to find their way over from the cemetery next door.

When asked which rooms were deemed the creepiest, Anand lists just about every room.

 

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However, some were purposely created that way in order to play on the thrill guests get. There are certain rooms decorated in order to fit the theme, such as Halloween room, Exorcist room, and Friday the 13th room.

Don’t let the clown statues fool you though. 

“The owner is one of the most pleasant human beings I’ve met.” One review said, “The room was immaculate and modern. The clown decor is quirky, and not unsettling. The cemetery next door was just an added bonus. 10/10!!”

Supreme Mushroom Trip: 5 things I learned on shrooms at Supreme

A magic time was had by all, but mostly me. Yesterday, my friend trip sat for me while I was on shrooms. On our way to the Brooklyn Bridge’s waterfront, we passed a Supreme store. Thus the Supreme mushroom trip began.

As a bit of a critic of Supreme, I was hesitant. That didn’t stop us from doing it for the culture!

Supreme city exclusives

What caught my eye as I walked by were the vibrant colors and vintage look to the shirts in the window. Upon entry, I noticed a shirt that had a drawing of Tomkins Square Park. Being that I live a block from there, I was tempted.

I dared not look at the price tag. I wanted to keep this trip happy. Seeing a neighborhood landmark is happy enough.


Speaking of tags…

While I couldn’t bring myself to check the price of a shirt, I did check the hats.

They were too visually appealing and popping out! I saw they didn’t have a tag. So what did my dumb tripping ass do? Say to the dude working, “Yo mans, this the type ‘a dealio where you if you gotta ask, you can’t afford it?”

Someone from across the store said it was $48… for which I was only charged $42.

It was a Supreme Worldwide #1 Globe flat bill mesh trucker hat.


Unique store layout

The Brooklyn Supreme is designed more like an art gallery than a clothing store. On either side of the walls are racks and shelves, with mostly clear space between them.

This allows the customers breathing room and likely accommodates their big crowds.

Supreme brooklyn store
Supreme

On the walls from floor to ceiling are pictures and artwork from Supreme designers. skateboard decks are also proudly on display.

Behind the register is a pool skate ramp. Tripping and seeing a skate ramp in a building is a mind fuck, to say the least.

To think I’d only see the sort of thing in Tony Hawk…

Supreme brooklyn store
Supreme

Entrance procedure

Going into Brooklyn’s Supreme isn’t as simple as just walking right in.

Likely in response to looting, security has been hired in front of the store. As such, they take down your name and phone number (just for one person if you’re in a group).

This was a scary moment, to say the least. I thought I’d get turned away if they saw my pupils. All I have to say about it… thanks for doing the talking, Paige.


Supreme mushroom trip: Repackaged culture

Whether Supreme pays homage to or rips off designers is up to you to decide. One thing that can’t be denied is they’re quite inspired.

Their designs are often based on some sort of collaboration. When original, Supreme seems to take influence from ads and packaging from the 80s and 90s, with a modern spin.

In a way, Supreme has made a look all their own from borrowing from past decades’ trends. When we see something familiar to us, we are more inclined to pay attention to it. This is your nostalgia hard at work.

If you’re looking to design, take notes, friends.

Savage or cruel? how the popular term celebrates lack of empathy

The word savage has only changed in popularity, not meaning. In the past five years, society has used it to describe people who disrespect and don’t care who they hurt. They even think it’s cool. Is being savage cruel?

Our culture has always had a love for these unapologetic anti-heroes. Wolverine embodies this trait and the rest of the X-Men call him out for it. Even so, he’s generally the most popular with Marvel fans.

Pranks that aren’t funny

Today, it’s celebrated in pranks and disses in online videos. While hilarious at times (let’s not lie, we’ve all laughed at them at some point), they expose an ugly side of our culture and values.

The greater the lack of empathy on display, the more the views. Edgy humorists take to this especially. It validates their sense of humor and gives them an excuse to be cruel.

Justifying cruelty by calling yourself a savage is done by cheaters, abusers, and bullies alike. Some YouTubers like Jake Paul is notorious for doing this. Then, the fans, who are mostly kids, encourage this behavior.

Trap has done quite a bit to popularize the word. It tends to value self-indulgence and doing whatever you want. Some do this just for the image, others are hiding in plain sight.


Cruel Memes

Memes, as well, have had comparable influence on the term ‘savage’. There exist quite a few Donald Trump‘s most savage moments compilations. The country laughed so hard, he landed in office.

The attention from controversy only drives their fans more and more wild. There is no clearer example than The Donald.

Because of his platform, he has half the country endorsing the way he acts.


Ask yourself: Is being savage cruel?

When a phenomenon happens at the top, it will be felt by all levels of society. It sets a dangerous precedent for what we as a society will tolerate. And right now that phenomenon is being savage, cruel.

Normalizing these behaviors is how they stay. Stay kind, friends. If you are to be savage, at least be funny.

Witchcraft TikToks are the wave just don’t hex the moon

Let’s get into something different, witchcraft TikToks.

Suspect yes but more and more Americans, especially millennials are secular or identify with no religion. This is according to a National Pew Research Center poll dating back to 2015.

Perhaps, this doesn’t come as a surprise to you. This change from the past offers growth and offers great benefits, at least politically.

If no one religion is in power [in the future], it can prevent biases towards one or the other. However, there’s another side to this that perhaps you weren’t expecting.

Still, people are not as scared as before, and other religions that were once unfortunately considered taboo are now resurfacing. And, of course, they’ve found a home in a peculiar place: Tik Tok.

So what’s really good with witchcraft TikToks?

Yup, you can find all sorts of posts on the platform talking about spiritualities, such as Wicca and Paganism, in a subcommunity called Witchtok.

It’s quite interesting, as there are people who discuss their own experiences, talking to deities and even performing hexes.

It dismantles the ideas of taboo and offers openness, allowing people to really learn about things that perhaps they’ve been too scared to ask about. Yet, as with everything, this also had its’ own effects.


“Minions, I’m going to steal…the moon”

It was on Tiktok where a bunch of ‘baby witches’, or beginner witches decided to…hex the moon. A hex is a spell, but with malicious intent.

Hexes are not always recommended for beginner witches or warlocks, because it’s considered hard to do. If you’re super confused, you’re not alone. This is sort of “an outrage” in the community, and for other spiritualities as well.

The moon is a pretty important figure, in general. Controls the tides? Yes.  A powerful symbol, a representative in different mythologies and spiritualities? Yes.

Do some witches charge their crystals using full moon cycles? Yes. Do people use moon water for spells and whatnot? Also, yes.

If all of this sounds foreign, the point is this: the moon is very important for a witch. It helps with a lot of things and is a very, very powerful figure.

It’s not just for Pagans though; astrologers depend on the moon cycle to dictate what is happening in their field. The moon in Greek Mythology represents the Goddess Selene. The point being: people use the moon for a lot of things.

Hence, the outrage that ensued when several young witches decide to hex the moon. The baby witches apparently wanted to prove themselves, although, of what, I can’t tell you.


You did all this…For what?

Regardless of how you may feel about one particular religion, it’s not inherently a bad thing for others to be learning. The problem comes from the romanticizing of a spirituality.

There is an overwhelming amount of misinformation present, that can make it hard to navigate, especially for someone who is curious. It shouldn’t be something to flaunt.

Whether or not you believe in Wicca is not the point. Rather the point is that some of these spiritualities should seriously not be messed with for no reason.

Attempting to hex a Goddess (?!), I imagine, cannot go well for the people involved. If you actually believe in something like Paganism or Wicca, you should respect that, and not treat it like a toy.

Federal agents surge Chicago: Why the city is pushing back

Federal agents surged through Chicago this past weekend, even after Mayor Lori Lightfoot was adamant about not letting feds into the city.

It started with Portland. Now President Trump has announced his plan to send federal agents to a variety of cities across the country, many of which happen to be run by Democratic elected officials.

The next place on his list: the Windy City itself, Chicago. While Trump claims these agents will be there to deal with violence in the city, which Chicago has had a long history of dealing with, the lack of clarity in his plans is concerning to many. 

Elected officials have criticized Trump for this move, especially considering the events still occurring in Portland. These include unidentified federal agents forcing protesters into unmarked vehicles, injuring protesters and the press with impact munitions, and dispersing them with tear gas.

There are federal agents either in, or on their way to Chicago, Portland, and other cities around the country. After Lightfoot claimed she would not allow federal agents into her city, she capitulated to Trump and let 200 in.

We are staring at an infringement on people’s constitutional rights, an increasingly-authoritarian leader and his lackeys, and a defining time in this country’s history.

 

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BE CAREFUL, CHICAGO • The @chicagotribune has learned that @dhsgov (headed by @dhswolf, an architect of @realdonaldtrump’s #familyseparation policy) is planning to send 150 #federalagents to #Chicago this week, following a request for federal assistance from Chicago #police’s largest union. More from the Trib: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is crafting plans to deploy about 150 federal agents to Chicago this week, the Chicago Tribune has learned, a move that would come amid growing controversy nationally about federal force being used in American cities. The Homeland Security Investigations, or HSI, agents are set to assist other federal law enforcement and Chicago police in crime-fighting efforts, according to sources familiar with the matter, though a specific plan on what the agents will be doing had not been made public. One city official said the city was aware of the plan but not any specifics. One Immigration and Customs Enforcement official in Chicago, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak on the matter, confirmed the deployment was expected to take place. The official noted that the HSI agents, who are part of #ICE, would not be involved in immigration or deportation matters. Without offering specifics, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told Fox News over the weekend that Trump, Attorney General William Barr and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf would roll out a plan this week about tamping down on crime in various U.S. cities. On Saturday, the president of the Chicago police’s largest union had sent Trump a letter asking for help from the federal government in putting a lid on crime in the city. “I am certain you are aware of the chaos currently affecting our city on a regular basis now,” John Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, wrote in a letter that was posted on the FOP’s Facebook page. “I am writing to formally ask you for help from the federal government. Mayor #Lightfoot has proved to be a complete failure who is either unwilling or unable to maintain law and order here. #blacklivesmatter #portland #abolishice #lorilightfoot #chicagoprotest

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Chicago officials and others criticize the plan

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, as well as Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin (D-IL), are among some of the critics of Trump’s plan to deploy federal agents to the city. These agents include Department of Homeland Security officers as well as ICE troops.

Duckworth says the presence of federal agents will endanger people’s constitutional rights. Incidents in Portland such as agents forcing people into unmarked vehicles, as well as attacking press and innocent protesters, appear to support her claims.

Lightfoot meanwhile is also committed to not having a repeat of the events of Portland, and is calling for the community to come forward and contribute to peace instead, rather than federal forces.

Some city officials however have criticized Lightfoot in the past for not being able to deal with the city’s violence. One recent example comes from Chicago Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara Jr. 

In an open letter on Facebook formally requesting aid from the federal government, Cantanzara called Lightfoot, “A complete failure who is either unwilling or unable to maintain law and order here.”

https://www.facebook.com/FOP7Chicago/photos/a.963693107007404/3311081988935159/?type=3

Cantanzara also stated, “I am certain you are aware of the chaos affecting our city on a regular basis now. “I would be willing to sit down anytime and discuss ideas about how we can bring civility back to the streets of Chicago.”

President Trump claimed federal agents are needed to quell violence in various cities. In a recent statement in the Oval Office, Trump claimed, “We’re not going to let this happen to our country. All run by liberal Democrats.”

Furthermore, he also expressed his intentions to send federal agents to a variety of other cities such as Kansas City, Missouri; New York; and various others. Many of these cities are run by Democratic officials, which Trump also noted in his statement.

Mayor Lightfoot is not the only one who has struggled to reduce Chicago’s crime rate. According to crime statistics from the Chicago Police department, there’s been at least a 47 percent increase in shootings between the past year up until July 20. There has also been a 51 percent increase in murder rates since 2019.

This unfortunately is hardly anything new. In fact, shootings, homicides, and gang-related violence have long been issues in Chicago.


A history of violence

Even before the recent racial justice protests, violence and homicides in Chicago unfortunately are extremely commonplace. These acts typically happen in the city’s south and west sides, but they are capable of happening anywhere.

Just recently on July 21, 15 people mourning outside a funeral home were injured in a drive-by shooting in Auburn Gresham. Over the Fourth of July weekend, 16 people were killed and at least 69 were injured in shootings across the city. Two of the deceased victims were children.

Solving these problems is extremely difficult, but bringing in federal troops will just escalate things further if the events in Portland are any indication.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Senator Tammy Duckworth have brought up other solutions for reducing the violence in Chicago. These include reaching out to the local community, passing gun control policies, and going after gun trafficking.

In an interview with CNN, Duckworth said:

“If you want to do something about gun violence, call Mitch McConnell. Let’s have a vote on the floor today on universal background checks and on straw purchases of guns. Let’s go after gun trafficking.”

A key factor to note is that many of the neighborhoods where crime is commonplace in Chicago primarily consist of people of color. One particular contributing factor to the violence is the lack of infrastructure in these communities.

Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research Daniel Webster told NBC News:

“People who get involved in violence, many of them are financially insecure, housing insecure, food insecure — their whole life is insecure.”

Many communities in Chicago lack stable infrastructure in things like education, housing, and mental health.

These factors in turn contribute to crimes such as shootings, since residents lack the proper support structures to effectively help their community. The coronavirus pandemic has done nothing to improve this either.

Black Community Collaborative co-founder Natasha Dunn told ABC 7:

“We believe in order to stop the violence in our community, everything has to come together… It’s not silos. It’s not education here, it’s not economics over there, it’s not crime there. Everybody needs to be held accountable.”


What comes next?

Even if the federal agents in Chicago aren’t intended to deal with the vandalism of federal landmarks like in Portland, their presence in the city is still a cause of concern.

Local leaders and federal officials continue to criticize the government’s decision to send agents into cities, and the federal government is still defending its current stance. But if Lori Lightfoot allows federal agents into the city, to terrorize and only exacerbate the conflict, what kind of precedent does that set for other U.S. cities?

Not only is there an increasing presence of federal agents, but there’s also a widening rift between government officials at all levels. If this continues, who knows what violence will occur not just in Chicago, but in the entire country.

What is the bystander effect? How inaction is f*cking society up

With videos being crucial for courtrooms, media and our own safety, I find that there’s an overabundance of them. Obviously, this isn’t always a bad thing.

Look at cases like George Floyd, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling… It’s not surprising. We need videos. Even in others, videos have been crucial to clearing names and finding connected events and problems.

Yet, videos can’t ever be reactive. Videos can’t jump in and save the day during a mugging or a sexual assault or any other injustice.

When you see people with videos ever-increasing, it’s important to remember there are other ways to intervene in the situation before it’s too late. Most importantly, avoid being a bystander with a camera.

The Market for Gore and Fights

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Videos aren’t just used for self-defense or help. With stuff like LiveLeak and WorldStarHipHop, it’s impossible to pretend that there isn’t a thriving market for videos just like these. WorldStar thrives off of fight vids. LiveLeak tries not to disallow anything and definitely has some heavy stuff up there.

LiveLeak argues that they are somewhat different; they try to hold an approach in which they hold no bias towards any videos, instead of creating an open forum for people to post whatever they want. Which is fair but still helps feed this drive to dehumanize victims and create a market of entertainment from suffering.

Still though, videotaping has a place in intervention. Videos have helped solidify innocence in some cases and helped to identify people who committed crimes. Intervention has saved countless people from worse fates. One recent example would be Iyanna Dior, a Black trans woman who was assaulted by a group of men in June.

Luckily, Dior was able to escape out of the gas station, into the convenience store, thanks to her quick wit and bystanders that stood in between her and the attackers. Still though, as great as this is, it’s hard not to think about all the other cases where things didn’t go this way.


The Bystander Effect

Most likely, you’ve heard about the bystander effect before. It’s a phenomenon that happens when a group of people witness something happen.

As it goes, no one does anything, because every other individual thinks that another person will get help or intervene. The more people there are, the less likely one person is to step up and intervene.


A fake origin story…Sort of.

In and of itself, the Bystander effect isn’t even entirely what you may think of it. There’s the infamous tragic tale: in 1964, New York City, Kitty Genovese was murdered in front of around 38 witnesses and no one did anything about it.

Unfortunately, the gruesome parts are still true; Genovese was still murdered. Yet, there weren’t thirty-eight witnesses there and the witnesses that did hear the crime did not hear the whole thing. Indeed, research appears to show that the bystander effect may not be entirely true either.

However, this could be argued due to the amount of work that has gone into prevention programs and opening a dialogue that has created this shift in consciousness.

Regardless of what you believe with the bystander effect, the documentation (or creation of it, depending on where you sway) has led to more focus on intervention programs in colleges, like Green Dot UCF or Step UP! By University of Arizona. Even typical programs to prepare one to work have zeroed in on this, all in the attempt to shut down the Bystander Effect.

And it’s not in vain.  Nearly one in five women have been raped in their lives, and 1 in 71 men. One in two transgender people are assaulted or sexually abused in their times. Most of my own friends try to avoid walking anywhere alone at night. So regardless if the origin is a fluke or not, it might not even matter. Just remember not to keep still.

Postal woes: USPS needs our protection from the Trump administration

You know what had a resurgence in popularity recently? The United States Postal Service. With COVID-19 managing to shut down life across the country, there was still one normal thing that people could do. And that’s buy things online.

Unless, ya know, maybe you’re old fashioned and send letters instead. Either way, with limited ways to communicate and shop, USPS became a life-saver during some people’s quarantine.

To be fair, you can argue that the US post office, could never close down. And to that, I say… not exactly.

Money Problems

So, USPS has not exactly been doing well. Let me clarify that: in the first quarter of the year, USPS cited a 748-million-dollar loss. 2019? An 8.8-billion-dollar loss. There’s an array of factors that play a role here.

For example: the COVID-19 Pandemic. Many of Postal Service workers have been getting sick with the pandemic. It’s up to USPS to supply its’ workers with masks, gloves, and all necessary safety equipment. And it’s costing them.

This isn’t to say the Postal Service doesn’t want to fund safety equipment and PPE for its’ employees. Albeit, all of these costs have to come out of existing funds, that frankly, the Postal Service does not have.

Also, the post office hasn’t been just sitting around twiddling their thumbs. In the past, cuts have been made in staffing and other areas in order to make ends meet.

Still, the post office has not been doing well financially for years now. I mean, not a lot of people send letters anymore, and even bills can be paid online. Truly, the difference is that this year’s pandemic has exacerbated the issue.

However, with the current situation, it’s been overwhelming. According to the Postal Regulatory Commission website, much of the fixing to do is left up to Congress.


Lowkey holding it together on their own

This might be why things got spicey when the Trump administration refused to pass a stimulus package back in April that included a 25-billion-dollar package to save the Post Office.

This was immediately cut within the Senate. Instead, Congress responded with a compromise of “a $10 billion line of credit.” This is not going to be enough to sustain the Postal Service, according to a letter written by six House Democrats and Rep. Carolyn Maloney.

The letter also states, “As the coronavirus continues to worsen, the Postal Service projects a possible 50% decline in mail volume between now and the end of the current fiscal year.”

https://twitter.com/_christinelam/status/1285376833177792512?s=11


Just a bit sus

In an upcoming election that will primarily depend on mail-in ballots, the Postal Service is vital. According to the National Pew Research Center, “more than 46 million voters cast ballots in some manner other than at a traditional polling place on Election Day in 2012.”

During a pandemic such as this one in 2020, it would be surprising for those numbers not to increase.

Prior to this, many small businesses and online retailers on websites such as Etsy, Depop, Ebay, Shopify, and so many more utilized USPS. The Postal Service is still one of the most accessible means to transport goods in the United States.

This is especially true in rural areas of the United States, that are quite away from cities and harder to access. It’s also one of the most affordable options to send mail.

Losing the Postal Service hurts everyone; it is ever crucial, especially during a time like this. Luckily, there is action to take.

Petitions are still floating around, and there is always the option to contact your Senator. While these may seem small, they snowball quickly.

Accessible mailing is something that has always been available, and it shouldn’t come at the cost of Postal Service workers’ health. United, we stand…right?

Chrissy Teigen Epstein black book backlash shocks Twitter

Jeffrey Epstein…didn’t ki-

Okay, no. Not what we are here to talk about. But what we are here to talk about is definitely how this Epstein black book has made people feel.

Once that black book with flight logs of famous celebrities leaked, it definitely changed the way people viewed their faves. And right now, with Kanye’s temporary run for president, people started to remember:

Yeah, celebrities aren’t perfect.

And so, people took to Twitter to analyze the verified.

The Fallout

Of course, this had its’ own repercussions. Chrissy Teigen, a famous model and cookbook author, would come under fire for…quite a lot. One such example would be on Twitter, where people began digging up old posts of hers to tie her to Epstein. From there, users accused Teigen of a litany of things, that are not particularly nice, after digging up some…interesting tweets.

Admittedly, some of these tweets do seem questionable. However, it is easier for tweets to look suspicious when they’re together versus the individual times they were made.

Tweets in and of themselves, don’t always carry a lot of context. That’s kinda due to the 250 character limit.

And it’s hard to say, whether or not these were tweets are in poor taste or something more insidious.

I’m not here to comment on the right or wrong about this content, but mainly the intense reaction that followed without warning.

Obviously, the accusations aren’t minor; accusing someone of pedophilia is a very serious thing. Twitter was overwhelming.

So much so, that Teigen put her entire account on private. She deleted over 60,000 tweets, too. This only spurred the trolls that laughed at watching a massive account go private and added to people’s suspicions.

Yet, things didn’t stop. Then, on top of these accusations on Twitter, there were accusations about her own body.

This was as people debated whether or not Chrissy Teigen was telling the truth about, yes, you guessed it, her breast implants removal.

From there, it eventually led to her taking pictures of her scars from breast implant removals. This proved to people that hey, yeah, she wasn’t lying about her body after all.


But then…

But then, the pictures led to more criticism on her Twitter page, talking about how inappropriate it was for her to show that on her story, in between videos of her children. It fed the conspiracy theorists another piece of a puzzle, that they were trying to put together.

Needless to say, it was a lot. Each action garnered another unhappy reaction, one after the other. “

I have block chained over one million people, ONE MILLION people today and I am still flooded with sick psychopaths. So please, spare me the ‘just ignore them, they’re just trolls,’” Teigen tweeted.


It’s all about the method.

The sort of fire Teigen received is flabbergasting. It’s a lot for one person. And of course, we can argue that she is a celebrity, which therefore means she somehow invited it…but truthfully, this flaming ignores the real issue.

Bullying or attacking someone on the internet like that may seem like the right course of action to receive a response from your subject.

It also tricks you into thinking it’s doing something about the issue because they’ve somehow acknowledged you. But it comes at a heavy cost because millions of comments can drive that one person over the edge, over allegations that are not rock solid.

It doesn’t always garner accountability and also prevents real dialogue from occurring.

Chrissy Teigen is but one celeb in these rumors and allegations. They are not well-established nor concrete. But you know what is well-established? A lot of the dirt on Trump.

And there is more information out there about sex traffickers that should be discussed. Focusing on Chrissy Teigen solely diminishes the conversation to a very specific blip. One without much to go on except old weird social media posts.