Angel Manta Ray (what If Fish Was Bird??)

saw the format on twitter, decided to make my own; this is me by the way, if any of you were wondering

the kids online safety act passed the u.s. senate.

long story short (for anyone who hadn't heard of this before) the kids online safety act, aka kosa, is a bill that will censor online content and resources for lgbtq+ matters, reproductive healthcare, activism (INCLUDING PALESTINE AND LIKELY OTHER CRISES GOING ON LIKE IN CONGO OR SUDAN), mental health, etc. everywhere--its effects likely won't be contained to just america.

today, july 30th, 2024, the senate passed it 91-3. it has officially moved to the house of representatives.

is this a pretty massive setback? yes. do you have every right to be scared, sad, angry, or whatever else about this happening? absolutely. but should you give up hope completely? NO!

even though kosa passed the senate, the house is on break/august recess at the moment. we have around an entire month to get emails, calls, and faxes in to house reps, maybe more depending on when they decide to vote on it.

should it pass the house and get signed into law, we still have a whole 18 months before it actually goes into effect. this is plenty of time for digital rights orgs (e.g. fight for the future, the electronic frontier foundation) and other groups that oppose it to file a lawsuit against it. even if, worst-case scenario, it flies through the house immediately after the recess ends, we can still fight this up to march 2026.

so, yes, remember what's at stake here, but also remember that it's not over yet. we lost a battle, not the war.

below are some resources to learn more about kosa and how to contact your reps (first link) + a page that lets you directly contact progressive house reps, sign an open letter opposing the bill, and view others' testimonies against it (second link):

Google Docs

Resources For KOSA

Call Script on Page 2! Resources For Learning about KOSA 2023: KOSA bill itself: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1

FIGHT. FIGHT. FIGHT.

risa this risa that... what if mcspirk just went to the beach for shore leave and got horribly sunburnt.

A Cleric, a Paladin and a Mage goes to an adventure~

If you want to donate somewhere to help out people in Ukraine but are unsure which charities are legitimate, both Charity Navigator and NPR have lists of vetted charities. Links below:

Charity Navigator

NPR

I personally donated to the CARE Ukraine Crisis Fund which provides immediate aid and recovery, food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and cash assistance, primarily for women, girls, families, and elderly people.

today's vetted fundraisers. please please continue to share and donate in whatever capacities you're able. these families just want to live.

june 25th:

Hani Al-Sharif, his wife, and their five young children ($967/$50,000) - @haniibrahimsh, verified by @/nabulsi

Samer Abu Ras, his wife Shurooq, and their three young children (kr41,032 SEK/kr450,000 SEK) - @sameraburass, verified by @/ibtisams

Siraj Abudayeh, his wife, and their three children ($50 CAD/$82,000 CAD) - @siiraj2024, #219 on @/el-shab-hussein and @/nabulsi's spreadsheet

Mohammed Alanqer, his wife Enas Majed, and their four young children, one a newborn under a month old (€20,360/€38,000) - @mohammedalanqer, verified by @/nabulsi

Basel Ayyad and his family of eight, including his daughter who needs vital treatment to preserve her eyesight (CHF955/CHF60,000) - @basel-1995, verified by @/sayruq

Dalia Mohisen, her three siblings, their parents, and several extended family members (€7,081/€35,000) - @daliamohisen, verified by @/90-ghost

14-year-old Malk Al Zaeem, her siblings, their parents, and their sick grandfather ($16,191 CAD/$50,000 CAD) - @malkzaeem, verified by @/nabulsi

Mahmoud Ziad, his brothers, and their parents (both of whom need medical treatment) ($11,963/$30,000) - @mahmoud-ziad99, verified by @/ibtisams

Mohammed Haboub and his family of four (kr7,860 SEK/kr300,000 SEK) - @mohammedhaboub, verified by @/90-ghost

Nader Shoshaa and family (€6,023/€120,000) - @nadergaza, verified by @/nabulsi

Momen Alostaz's family of ten, including a one-year-old, a newborn, and Momen's chronically ill parents (€12,099/€70,000) - @mo98h, @82188974, verified by @/palipunk

Mahmoud Khalaf's family of eight (€7,597/€30,000) - @mahmoudkhalaff, verified by @/fallahifag

Hasan Saied and his wife Lena ($12,262 CAD/$20,000 CAD) - @hasanandlena, verified by the coat of arms filmmaking group

every link on here is an opportunity to give life and hope. don't turn away. your help is urgently needed, whatever form it takes

smooch

✨✨ CAPTAIN PRETTY BOY ✨✨

Bless the telephone!