Free Graphic Novels (DC, Marvel, Image, etc), Music, TV shows, and music on HOOPLA.
Free music that you can KEEP on FREEGAL
You are PAYING for all this with your tax money - USE THEM. Most likely systems will have all 3 or 2 out of 3, so if you aren’t sure call your local library’s reference/information desk and how you can get set-up or started.
Today I woke up at 5 to do a little self learning. I'm going to try and learn and build a web app using Nodejs by the end of the year. It has come to my attention that I set all of these goals for programming and software development but I never finish these projects. I'm going to try and change that to start the new year right.
For the rest of the day my plan is:
So a while back I won a cheap eBay auction listing for a collection of love letters from the first world war.
They arrived today, and...the listing was WAY more than I expected for the price I won it for. There's over 100, and they're not just from WWI, but from 1906 (earliest I've found so far) through to 1915.
Charlie writes to his girlfriend, Gertrude. This is the most beautiful, lovesick stuff I've ever read. He sends her so many letters, sometimes twice a day, and lots of poems. He seems to have been an artist, as he talks a lot about small exhibitions of his stuff, and included a flyer for one. He also talks about how her parents don't approve of them and how he's desperately awaiting the day they'll be married.
I haven't found the latest of the letters, but the fact it's up until 1915 and then stops...doesn't give me hope for a happy ending.
This man continuously refers to his precious beloved Gertie as his queen and goddess, and whilst most of it is sickly sweet, there's some raunchy stuff too, with him talking about how he can't wait until they have a little house together and can 'please each other all day'...
There's. So many.
I'm going to put them in order by date, read them through, and then maybe even transcribe them so we can find out a bit about Charlie and Gertie's love story.
I haven't seen a lot of people talking about Texas' new abortion laws so I am going to go ahead and bring it up.
Texas has introduced a new bill that would basically incentivize suing doctors who practice abortions, and anyone else who may have helped someone get an abortion after six weeks. It includes first-of-its-kind language that allows anyone, even someone outside Texas, to sue an abortion provider or anyone else who helped someone get an abortion after the six-week limit for at least $10,000 per defendant.
Many are calling it "bounty hunting", as the bill "doesn't outright criminalize abortions after six weeks, but rather encourages civil lawsuits at the municipal, county and state level targeting the process by which a woman might seek abortion care".
Not to mention, the law is designed to disadvantage defendants. "All damages would go right into the plaintiff’s pocket. If a defendant wins, they still must pay their own legal fees, but if a plaintiff bringing a suit wins, the defendant must pay both sides’ legal fees. Individuals who are thought to be helping a woman obtain abortion care can be sued multiple times by different people and parties".
This article goes more into depth-
Abortion advocates in Texas say the law will encourage their opponents to flood courts with lawsuits that will cripple their ability to oper
Texas has already banned abortions as early as six weeks, one of the most restrictive measures in the US already... and now they are putting bounties on women seeking abortions and the doctors that help them. Mind you, there are NO EXCEPTIONS for rape or incest in Texas' abortion ban.
The measure bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. And it effectively deputizes ordinary citizens to sue people involved in the
This article specifically talks about how the law allows citizens to enforce the already restrictive abortion ban, and what exactly that entails. For instance, the article explains that "If the barista at Starbucks overhears you talking about your abortion, and it was performed after six weeks, that barista is authorized to sue the clinic where you obtained the abortion and to sue any other person who helped you, like the Uber driver who took you there".
Apparently, even religious leaders who provide emotional and spiritual counseling to patients considering abortion could be liable under the law.
This is a horrifying step backwards in the fight for reproductive justice. The law, which is set to go into effect September 1st, doesn't just target pregnant women, but those that help them seek an abortion, making it harder to find resources, or even leave the state to get an abortion.
This is not just a threat to womens lives and safety, but also the rights of every individual by setting a precadent for private enforcement of laws.
"It would also encourage other states to follow Texas’ lead on abortion, as well as on every other contested question of social policy.
California could shift to private enforcement of its gun control regulations, never mind the Second Amendment implications of such restrictions. Vermont could shift to private enforcement of its environmental regulations, never mind the federal pre-emption implications. And the list goes on"
A court battle has begun over the state’s effort to turn its citizenry into a sort of Stasi.
Please, if you live in Texas, its important now more than ever to stand up for abortion rights. We cannot let this stand.
Parts of Western Germany have been hit with a historical flood that has caused widespread destruction and as of now (Thursday, July 15 2021) has cost 58 lives. (source, source, source)
Here’s a couple links to places where you can donate. These will be in German, so make sure you have a translating tool at hand.
The death toll has risen to 81 today (July 16 2021), with 1300 people currently missing. The damages are catastrophic, and the media calls it “the worst flood of post-war Germany”. We’re currently fighting to keep the dams in the area from breaking to prevent even more destruction.
This French academic artist was known for his depictions of beautiful women inspired by mythology and ancient Greek. His artworks are so delicate and intriguing. 🌸🤍
