#But I also Don't Play those classes ever. So it's a non factor. And I DO know enough about various spells to know how to work with players

[waterspoutskies]

I do think it's worth saying with respect to OP's original point, barring rules lawyers, no one is genuinely expecting you, a new player, to sit down and read the entire multi-hundred page game manual and then be a game expert. And certainly not in one sitting.

But we *are* asking that you make the effort to at least understand the mechanics of the character you're playing, to know a bit about the abilities of your party members, to know when it is and isn't reasonable to use thieves tools/seduce an NPC/start a fight.

Because I promise you, it is a Lot more fun when you understand and can fully participate instead of just waiting for the DM to drag you through the story so you can roll dice.

I think an important part of the "D&D is easy to learn" argument is that a lot of those people don't actually know how to play D&D. They know they need to roll a d20 and add some numbers and sometimes they need to roll another type of die for damage. A part of it is the culture of basically fucking around and letting the GM sort it out. Players don't actually feel the need to learn the rules.

Now I don't think the above actually counts as knowing the rules. D&D is a relatively crunchy game that actually rewards system mastery and actually learning how to play D&D well, as in to make mechanically informed tactical decisions and utilizing the mechanics to your advantage, is actually a skill that needs to be learned and cultivated. None of that is to say that you need to be a perfectly tuned CharOp machine to know how to play D&D. But to actually start to make the sorts of decisions D&D as a game rewards you kind of need to know the rules.

And like, a lot of people don't seem to know the rules. They know how to play D&D in the most abstract sense of knowing that they need to say things and sometimes the person scowling at them from behind the screen will ask them to roll a die. But that's hardly engaging with the mechanics of the game, like the actual game part.

And to paraphrase @prokopetz this also contributes to the impression that other games are hard to learn: because a lot of other games don't have the same culture of play of D&D so like instead of letting new players coast by with a shallow understanding of the rules and letting the GM do all the work, they ask players to start making mechanically informed decisions right away. Sure, it can suck for onboarding, but learning from your mistakes can often be a great way to learn.

[the-king-andthe-lionheart]

Hey I saw recently a post talking about how the ASOIAF uses Terf rhetoric to talk about Arya. I tried to message her about it and she didn’t respond, so you think that you could elaborate?

@ariamariastark1

First, I want to say that I'm not an expert on terf ideology, but I know the basics of it, so I hope I can properly respond to your question. :)

Truthfully, I do think the Terf rhetoric in this fandom is crossed with a lot of tradfem rhetoric as well. Terfs are very exclusionary to the point where they actively discriminate against non-trans women who are gender non-conforming/butch, because they think those women are really trans (ie they aren't properly "feminine" presenting). And on the other side of that they condemn real trans-women, because they aren't "biologically a woman" and spout a bunch of gender essentialism, and they actively speak for "sex segregation" and policing other women's bodies. They tend to think that if you didn't suffer as an oppressed female since birth, you have no place identifying as a woman if you are trans (and honestly I feel like most terfs are white women playing the constant victim, a bunch of Karen's essentially). I do feel there is a lot of overlap with this and tradfem rhetoric, because they are both basically telling others that there is only one way to be a woman. And while I don't believe Arya is trans, because she actively proclaims she's a girl when she doesn't need to hide her gender, this fanbase loves to police Arya's "femininity" and because of her being GNC, this fandom loves to strip her of her identity, proclaiming that she's basically asexual and aromantic and will forever be alone and unwanted. They say she has "male privilege" and is a "man wannabe" and is entirely "masculine" while also saying that because Arya is GNC and "ugly" she doesn't face the same oppression and discrimination as the rest of the female population, and of course, they say that Arya will never face any threat of r*pe because of these things or will never be sexually assaulted, even though the books have made a point of pointing out that looks and class status and age doesn't stop this sort of abuse towards girls and women, as Arya has been threatened numerous times with r*pe and has been non-consensually touched in a sexual manner, and sexually harassed. Then they turn around and say that in order for Arya to thrive and be accepted in society, she must completely change herself into a simpering highborn woman, and if she can't, she must be ostracized from society where she will either die or be miserable and alone.

All in all it's not a one for one, and I'd say the tradfem ideology is the biggest factor against Arya, but there is definitely a little bit of that terf ideology in there as well. But anyone who actually cares about feminism would know that there is no right way to be a woman. Just identifying as a woman, makes you a woman. And if you identify as a woman than anything you do automatically makes that thing "feminine". Feminism is about the equality of all genders and recognizing that what we label as "masculine" and "feminine" is nothing but an ever fluid social construct. Arya identifies as a girl, which makes her a girl, and everything she does (even if it doesn't fit into the purposely oppressive, narrow box of "highborn femininity") is "feminine", which includes her dressing in trousers and learning how to swordfight.

I feel like we see this terf ideology in House of the Dragon as well when it comes to Rhaenyra. Terfs love labeling transwomen as sexual predators, and this is exactly what a lot of the audience labeled Rhaenyra as in 1x04 with her consensual sex scene with Ser Criston. In that same episode we had Rhaenyra running around dressed as a boy, being happy for being mistaken as a boy, and participating freely with her sexuality. It's no coincidence that so many of the audience dubbed that sex scene with Criston as sexual abuse and r*pe. Dany faces this "predator" allegation as well even though she is a fairly "feminine" woman, but because she "acts like a man" people love to call her a r*pist over her consensual sex scenes with Irri. But I do think this extends past "sexual" as well, as people in this fandom treat Arya as a legitimate predator, worse that Sandor and Jaime, just because she dares to try to survive and not be a passive, wilting flower constantly in a frilly gown.

But as I said, I do think the misogyny of the tradfem rhetoric is a lot more prevalent than the terf ideology, but it's definitely in there sprinkled throughout, because in the end, it's all about policing who a woman should be and what they should do.

[keiachi-chan]

My greatest skill is my impeccable hindsight. I've developed it after years of not thinking for a second about the dumb shit I say in public until afterwards, including but not limited to;

(there's a lot)

"They're kissing and I'm grossed out. Not because they're both girls, but because they're THOSE girls."

"I think I should have more rights than you"

"Someone at game freak keeps letting the team furry design the starters"

"Horrid Henry transed my gender"

"I don't think there's a reason for you to do. Anything, ever, actually. I think you're just wrong"

[At my friend:] "I'm getting you a valentines day card that says 'cease and desist, love Kay' and you get me one that just says 'die' okay?"

[My teacher: "Kay, give us a fun fact"] "HEY GUYS did you know that in terms of male human female pokemon-"

"I think I would be able to drown you in a plate of spaghetti"

[While pulling a banana out of my sleeve] does THIS answer your question!? [Nobody asked me anything]

"Non-consensual friendship"

"I'm immune to dad jokes because my dad doesn't love me" [My friend: "I'll tell you dad jokes"] "Does that make you my daddy" ["Wh- No! Also you're older than me!"]

[At a random kid in my class:] "catboy catboy catboy catboy catboy ca"

[Friend: "Okay I'll give him cat mint"] "and I'll give him weed"

"Ever wanna listen to your favourite song for the first time again? Now you can! Sign up for my free lobotomy! I am not a surgeon but there's a 100% money back guarantee."

"Don't worry its not bullying if your friends I stabbed him as a JOKE"

"Hold on maybe I can scrub our melanin out with a sponge"

[The school's afternoon show intro plays] "This song sounds how McDonald's Sprite tastes"

"I think we could bury you alive in here wanna try?" [I proceed to grab my classmate by the arm]

"I am going to Walt your Disneys"

"Hold on let me see how you taste"

"You have to learn from your mistakes so you can grow as a person. That's why the catboy over there is so short"

"Your height has many deciding factors. One is how early on in life your parents got divorced. Which for me, is before I was born.."

"I can tell with one glance who's dads don't love them" ["friend: does your dad love you?"] "No, that's how I can tell"

"Hold on you're light, let me try suplexing you"

"A word of advice. If you stop being a fucking dumbass, life gets easier."

"Breaking news; Russia!" [6th grader: "breaking news; russia invades me"] "Lopunny" [Friend: "Breaking news: Lopunny invades Lucas"] "NO"

[Friend: *shakes sparkling water, the bubbles turn it white*] "Shake it until you get the sticky white liquid"

"Today seems like a nice day to have an existential crisis"

"Haha nooo don't get atomized you're so sexy"

[Classmate: "They're already in gym."] "Who is jim and why are they inside him"

"Question; you're wrong actually"

[Literally watching a movie about Jackie Robinson] "She's gonna blow his Celestica Flute"

"I am going to put beans inside your computer"

"Orphans are immune to Dad jokes and Yo Mama jokes; but at what cost?"

[Friend: "today's the anniversary of when my cat died."] "Rip that.. Ayy.."

[allsystemsarenotgo]

A friend and I were talking one day, and she shared this with me.

She was much like me, raised with a quarter between the knees, terrified of the things we were taught to avoid and trying to live reasonably noble lives. She wasn't allowed Birth Control for religious reasons (pro-life) as well as to prevent enablism. Her family was much more religious than mile, though I still went to church during my Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years of high school.

She married a guy 10 years older than herself, who was a long-time routine customer of her family's business. They married right after she graduated high school, long before she applied to higher education.

She is a nurse now. She has 3 kids, works long hours at a hospital, and her husband is a successful farmer as he always has been. She struggled at times, but she made it through.

She knows life would have been easier without the first child, but she was innocent and naiive and I think she realizes that she jumped in the deep end of the pool before learning how to swim.

I did the same thing.

All through high school I pledged to abstinence until marriage. I hated everything to do with sex. The topic, the drama, the action, the result. I wanted nothing to do with it.

But I also never dated through grade school at all. I never had a girlfriend. Plenty of crushes (M.S. above being one of them), but just as many denials. Because I didn't drink, smoke, do drugs, have FFA animals, or play athletics, I also wasn't a member of any social group. I was always the kid in the corner of the cafeteria scarfing food down in 5 minutes and sleeping the other 20, or asking to go to a teacher's classroom, where it was serene and quiet.

My freshman year of college, I even wrote an essay on abstinents for English class. That really didn't go over well in regards to having to read it out loud. There might as well have been fruit flying at me.

My dorm was set up such that we had 3 private bedrooms that shared a living space and bathroom. One of the roommates always had girls over, and he never tried to be quiet (or if he did, he failed...badly).

So those two things were my indoctrination to college life. Getting judged and leered at for writing an abstinence essay, and having to listen to a roommate multiple times a week.

Towards the very end of my freshman year, a girl from high school messaged me. We started talking, and she admitted that she had always had a crush on me and was too shy to ever say anything.

Error #1: For no good reason whatsoever, I agreed to formulate a relationship with this female

So when I moved home from the dorms, I hung out with the lass a few times, but my parents were moving out of the country and closer to my school, so I could live at home. That meant that this would now be a 1.5-hour-each-way medium-distance relationship.

So every 4th or 6th weekend during the remainder of that summer and into the fall semester, I would drive up and spend a day with her. Sometimes, I would drive her out of the country and into the city to give her a glimpse of escape (it was very impoverished where we grew up).

Error #2: Doing whatever made her happy

I really enjoyed the time that we spent together. She got me a purity necklace for Christmas that year. She said she understood that my preference meant something to me.

But then, something changed. She would start dropping enuindos and jokes and send me photos that I didn't ask for.

Error #3: Not standing up for myself

She said that I meant something to her, and asked me if she meant something to me. At the time, I did not comprehend that as a trap...but I wanted to make her happy, so I said "yes".

The next thing I know, she is booking a hotel for us for Valentine's day. Wherein, I learned a thing or two or five or ten that I really wasn't interested in learning in the first place.

-Provides Clorox to help scrub the thoughts from your mind-

After that, she wanted me to come see her more and more often. But I was tied up with school and life.

Mind you, we usually had a phone call every night, or at least every other night. Same time, right before bed. Sometimes we would fall asleep on the phone with eachother.

Error #4: Accepting anything as fact

Well one night, I called her, and she answered...but it was noisy in the background, like she was driving. But she never talked while driving, and wouldn't answer the phone with family in the car.

She said she was in a friend's car and they were going to the beach for the night, which was completely reasonable for the time of year and her group of friends. She cut the conversation short saying they had arrive, so we bid our greeting. But she didn't hang up, and something told me that I shouldn't either. So I didn't.

"Who was that?"

"Don't mind him. He was just calling to check on me. He's controlling like that."

"He sounds like a jerk"

"Enough about him. He won't do this."

-Provides more clorox-

And that's how I found out that her primal needs were more important than our "relationship".

Unfortunately, shortly after I broke up with her, I was sent a photo of her quite visibly pregnant. Fortunately, the timetable did not add up to Valentine's day (aside of the fact that it was physically/biologically 95% impossible).

That summer, I started a job at the student newspaper. Right off the bat, one of the graphic artists and I got along very well. We spent way too much time at work talking to eachother and goofing off, instead of working. Enough so that our boss took notice and things got tense for a bit with him. We still cranked out work no problem, but we were both too young to understand workplace policy and procedure when it comes to "dating but not dating", which is basically exactly what we were doing. We spent alot of time together. I would go to her dorm after class and we would watch movies and just goof off or do whatever. We enjoyed time together.

Error #1: So cliché. So, so cliché.

So Valentine's day rolls around, and she asks 'the question'.

So something in biology: There is a term called "Once an animal has the taste of blood, they will always hunt for it." Unfortunately, humans can sometimes be considered a sub-species of the animal kingdom.

Like the dumbass that I am, I accept to the terms and conditions.

And at the end of the night, she asks: "So are we officially dating now?"

"I...I guess?", I answered nervously.

Errors #2 to #457: Not escaping

And just like that, I was suckered into nearly 2.5 years of having a FWB while having to, very creatively at times, mask it as a legitimate relationship.

We enjoyed the time we spent together.

We enjoyed going places together.

My mum liked her, her parents liked me. (Dad was skeptical at best and thought I could do better)

The small issue: I struggled to communicate at times. I didn't know how to find my voice, so there were times that I would have to text her how I felt. Sometimes I would hide in a corner just so I could cry. (I later learned of my autism, and it all made sense and I learned how to resolve this)

The big issue: I was completely burned out on intimacy. After almost 2.5 years of emulating laboratory rabbits, I was done. My usefulness had expired.

The biggest issue: We were both suffering academically. We had no common interests at all anymore, and we had put eachother ahead of our own academics so much that we were both risking academic expulsion.

So we mutually agreed to break up.

She dropped out of university (and never went back or finished her schooling), and I changed majors twice before getting my Bachelor of Science.

My first relationship lasted from June 2009 to April 2010.

My second "relationship" lasted from February 2011 until May 2012 (Although we started spending time together in significant amounts starting August 2010)

I have not had a girlfriend since May 2012.

I had one friend in my senior year of college, who gave me some non-physical affection while also keeping me firmly locked in the friendzone. But quality time, by itself, only goes so far.

I have not had any physical affection since May 2012.

I have not spent quality time with a female since May 2013.

For most of that time, from May 2013 to August 2019, I really didn't mind it at all. I have been so tied up in working, hobbies, and life in general, that I completely ignored women.

But as my birthday loomed near in October 2019, it donned on me....I was on a crash course to being eternally lonely.

So I have tried online dating. I have gone on a few first dates, but no second dates.

Sometimes, I want to give up. The fight just doesn't seem worth the reward.

And honestly?

Sometimes I feel exactly like my friend's remarks at the top of this post. Sometimes I wish I would have been a little more rebellious, a little more care-free, a little more out-there.

But at the same time, ...

Sometimes I wish that neither relationship would have ever happened.

That I would have never learned the true definition of intimacy.

That I would have never done whatever it took to make the other person happy.

That I wouldn't have been such an easy push-over.

That I would have stuck to my initial pledge in life

That I would have spoke up more and defended myself.

All I am now, is damaged product.

I don't truly know how to love.

I don't truly know how to feel.

I don't truly know how to be myself.

I don't truly know how to be intimate.

I am human, I am male, so of course I have my moments. But I don't want that to be the reason for a relationship. I want it to be the least-important factor, or not a factor at all.

I want a relationship founded on trust, honesty, fortitude, common interests, personality, maybe even a little faith.

Not intimacy.

I just want to not be invisible, or to only have one attribute visible.

I want to be seen for all the other attributes.

I am not A-sexual. I still feel emotions and feelings. I just don't want to let them out of the locked box which contains them. Not without lots of context and preparedness.

[shaderose]

Not to mention all the sports that sort by weight class, like boxing, the currently hot topic sport, because body weight and muscle mass are incredibly variable things even within the same sex. Like you can't honestly tell me you think a featherweight AMAB boxer would take down a heavyweight AFAB opponent because of some "genetic advantage". Force is Mass x Acceleration, so the boxer with the most mass hits harder, that's it. Having a cock and balls doesn't make you better at punching.

Plus, as has been said to death at this point, there are plenty of actual clear examples of genetic advantages within sports that no one seems to ever complain about. No one is saying it's unfair to have to swim against human dolphin Michael Phelps. Which is interesting, given that he's a white, american male, and most of the transvetigating and "genetic advantage" talk seems to end up directed at women of color. I'm sure that's just a coinicidence though, after all, TERFs surely wouldn't ALSO be racist, right?

And yeah, the previous replier is absolutely right that women have a much harder time accessing and using fitness facilities. Not only are there plenty of male-only gyms out there, but a good percentage of the mixed sex gyms hire predominantly male instructors and staff, and are constantly full of dudebros who think it's okay to hit on women who are just trying to get a workout, or make comments to their friends about those women's bodies, which makes going to a gym, especially alone, an uncomfortable and possibly dangerous experience for women. Not to mention all the social stigma around the idea of women working out for any reason other than "to be skinny", women are still told they're meant to be clean, nice smelling, petit, slim, etc. All things that make the idea of a proper gym workout seem inaccessable and counterproductive. Add onto that the fact that in many industries women are still paid less on average than men, and that gyms charge fairly hefty membership fees, and workout supliments such as protein powder are sold at a significant markup, and yeah, it's much harder for women to have the same opportunities to train on the same level as men in a lot of places.

I feel it is also worth pointing out that access to workout equipment and training is incredibly hard and gatekept for trans people, especially trans women, for a lot of the same reasons: Casual misogyny, being made to feel uncomfortable in a male dominated space, having expectations placed on our bodies about how we "should" look (If a trans women has even an ounce of visible muscle, TERFs and Transphobes will immediately use that as an excuse to say we're "too masculine", because again, women are still expected to be petit, slim, meek, etc. by a lot of these weirdos), but also, we're constantly told we don't belong in these spaces, that we "make people uncomfortable", that "we must be there to perv on people", and if we go in the mens locker room, we risk being riddiculed, attacked, or even sexually assualted, but if we use the womens locker room, we risk being berated, attacked, or even arrested in some places, and most gyms don't have individual or unisex locker rooms, so there's no safe place for us to change.

All this talk of trans women having some kind of "advantage" is complete nonsense, and the clearest proof of that is how few trans athletes there are out there with any olympic medals (it's zero, btw. The closest rn is a single AFAB non-binary soccer player, who plays on a womens team.) The only "advantage" that has even a shred of credibility to it is that on average AMAB people are taller and bulkier than AFAB people, but that is again ON AVERAGE, and does not apply at an individual level; there are plenty of AFAB people who are much taller than the average for AMAB people, and plenty of AMAB people who are much shorter than the average for AFAB people; and furthermore, this is once again only an issue in sports where mass is an important factor, which could easily be solved in a much fairer way than segregating by sex, by doing what boxing and several other sports already do, and having weight catagories instead.

Lastly, as has been mentioned above, for many sports, the only reason we seperate them by sex in the first place, is so that cis men don't get their fragile little egos bruised when they lose to a woman who is just simply better than them at the sport. It's sexism, plain as day. Nothing more, nothing less. Just misogynistic men who think themselves inherently superior to women, and throw a fit whenever someone proves their fucked up little world view wrong.

do u remember when the wider feminist position on gendered sport was that we should abolish it, and that women's accomplishments can be measured side by side (& indeed, neck and neck) with men's? what the fuck happened to that? (*whispering* i know what happened. it was the terf movement.)

[loveart248]

KIRIBAKU SHIP DEVELOPMENT

I love many BNHA ships but Kiribaku holds a special place in my heart since it has so much positive canon material and I am always a sucker for the "Best friends who fall in love" trope since I enjoy slow burn with character growth. However, even taking the romantic possibility out of the equation, I just love that their relationship is so well developed in the story with subtle changes in their behavior all throughout as they go from 1. strangers who don't think much of each other to 2. reluctant allies who need to work together to complete certain tasks to 3. sort of friends with Kirishima pushing for a friendship to 4. best friends with an equal balance of respect and appreciation for each other. Below I tried to break down their relationship as it develops throughout the manga so...

WARNING: This is a long post and MAY contain spoilers for non-manga readers and anyone who has not seen the BNHA movie (not by much though).

Back at the beginning of the series, Kirishima used to think that Bakugou was a terrible person just like the rest of class 1-a, especially due to how he would treat Izuku. He was all like "That Bakugou is crazy and fights dirty" while Bakugou didn't even care about his existence yet. The only thing on Bakugou's mind at the time was beating Izuku and proving his superiority over everyone else. Thus, Bakugou was definitely not looking for friends as the only people he was used to having around him were "followers" as shown during his middle school times.

Then during the USJ arc, they automatically started working together to fight the villains as they were right next to each other during the initial attack. This right away showed how synchronized they were as a team due to their personalities and compatible quirks. So from the get go, they just seemed to flow well together.

Afterwards, they were sent off in the portal together giving them more time to fight villains side by side alone to get a feel of each others' personalities. During that time, you can slowly see Kirishima change his perspective of Bakugou from "This guy is crazy" to "Huh. This guy may not be that bad. He seems pretty cool right now".

This scene may seem minute but it is the moment that ignites Kirishima's interest in getting to know more about Bakugou. Kirishima basically starts to become more interested in Bakugou as a person as he starts to recognize his positive qualities despite his original assessment of Bakugou's personality.

Kirishima can't help but start to find Bakugou "manly" even after he tells off the other classes at the beginning of the Sports Festival arc. Even despite Kaminari's warning of "Don't let him play you" lol And this is just great because it shows that Kirishima was still somewhat hesitant about liking Bakugou as a person but was willing to give him a chance.

Kirishima begins to want to hang out with Bakugou and get on his good side as shown by the interactions above and some of the interactions at the beginning of the Sports Festival. Bakugou still doesn't think much of him but he let's him be for the most part. You also start to see Kirishima more impressed with Bakugou than before.

As the Sports Festival progresses, Kirishima finally gets his opportunity to prove his skill in Bakugou's eyes while also appealing to Bakugou's desire to win against Izuku. This moment shows an understanding of Bakugou's personality as he knows how to get Bakugou to agree with him despite Bakugou not thinking too much of him yet. It also shows a shift in Kirishima's preference of Izuku since now he would much prefer to be in Bakugou's team as he didn't even try to get in Izuku's team and barely tried to get into Todoroki's team based on his commentary.

THAT moment is when their friendship is truly born as Bakugou starts to acknowledge him and call him "Kirishima" afterwards as a sign of respect. During the match, you can see their dynamics in action with Kirishima trying to calm down Bakugou as Bakugou starts to lose his cool with opposing teams lol So basically the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The two are eventually paired off against each other and Bakugou wins but he STILL respects him as an opponent. He even comments on how difficult it is to get past Kirishima's defenses which is why he basically lets him reach his quirk limit to win. The fight is short but pretty funny because you can see them kind of teasing each other all throughout like good friends.

After the Sports Festival, the two are often seen around each other hanging out with Kirishima definitely feeling more comfortable around Bakugou to the point that he easily jokes around him and teases him. Slowly, through Kirishima's influence as he basically gets along with everyone in class 1-a, you can see more of the other students also feel more comfortable around Bakugou, especially the ones who were on his team at the Sports Festival.

Characters like Kaminari, Sero, Mina, etc. Sero is one that automatically attaches himself to Bakugou's group soon after the Sports Festival as he is shown comfortably teasing Bakugou for his haircut with Kirishima.

By the time the Summer Training Camp Arc happens, the audience already has some understanding of their friendship but it's still not in full display yet. It's more subtle and in the background than anything. During the summer camp though, you can finally see how much Bakugou means to Kirishima as a friend and as a fellow student after the villain attack that results in his kidnapping.

He feels guilty that he couldn't help his friend so he tries to convince the others to help him save Bakugou despite that being illegal. He only manages to convince a select few, two of which were already there when Bakugou was kidnapped and felt responsible too (Todoroki and Izuku) but the fact that he felt that much about it shows how much he cares.

In part, knowing Kirishima's character and motivations, you can tell that he wants to save Bakugou to prove to himself that he can be a true hero but you can also tell that saving Bakugou means more to him than that since Bakugou is not just "some guy" but his close friend.

During the entire rescue arc, Kirishima is all about doing his best to save Bakugou alongside the others to the point that he buys expensive night camera lenses to spy on the warehouse and chooses the disguises for the others (which were pretty funny disguises that make you wonder why Kirishima has such terrible fashion sense but can choose decent outfits for others XD).

Later on, Bakugou pays him back the money for the camera as a form of thanks for saving him. If BNHA Smash is anything to go by, Bakugou apparently did ALL kinds of odd jobs to get that money as quickly as possible (i.e. Nude modeling, dress like a bumble bee, bake cakes, etc.) 🤣

During the rescue arc, the most Kiribaku moment ever occurs in which Izuku comes up with the "Rescue Bakugou Without Confronting Villains" plan that ends up working ONLY because of how Bakugou views Kirishima as a friend and equal by that point. This is an important moment of development from Bakugou's side as it shows that he holds Kirishima in high regard and does not feel like Kirishima saving him is him looking down on Bakugou's own skill. This is significant since THIS specific detail is one of the factors that causes Bakugou to react in anger towards characters like Izuku and Todoroki most of the time: his belief that they are looking down on him and consider him inferior. So him accepting Kirishima's hand basically confirmed that their relationship is mutual as they both consider the other a friend without fear of judgment.

After this arc, there are countless other subtle moments throughout the series that show how close they are such as:

1. Bakugou tutoring him and going on study dates (a lot of that in the light novels). Also, the fact that Kirishima clearly wanted Bakugou to tutor him from the beginning since he never seeked out Momo like the others when he saw his grade.

2. The BNHA movie moments (assuming they are canon) which happened before the summer arc and add MORE development and insight into their relationship (i.e. Bakugou inviting Kirishima to i-Expo, sharing a room, Kirishima buying them suits, etc.)

3. Kirishima constantly complimenting Bakugou but also making sure he's not too rude to others (Literally them every panel in the manga nowadays lol)

4. Kirishima apparently helping Bakugou move all his stuff to his dorm and then...

5. Kirishima knowing that Bakugou went to sleep at 8 pm when showing off rooms hinting that they were hanging out prior to that

6. Bakugou's motivational speech to Kirishima that motivated him to push himself harder to create the "unbreakable" form/also basically a compliment from Bakugou to Kirishima.

7. Kirishima implying that he and Bakugou spar together sometimes (i.e. Bakugou asking to test his technique on him and Kirishima being fine with that while the others are scared lol)

And don't get me started on all the BNHA SMASH moments! Seriously, those are not canon at all but there are many. And Kirishima is extra affectionate in those 🤣 He has the power to make Bakugou do pretty much anything there.

To conclude this long post, whether as brotp or otp, the Kiribaku relationship development is undeniable. Just like the character growth they both experienced due to each other. Now, just because they help each other grow does not mean they are the only ones there for each other. Kirishima is not the ONLY one that understands Bakugou in the story nor is he his only friend or person he respects since Bakugou has many other people he respects and calls by name (i.e. All Might, Aizawa, Uraraka, etc.). Likewise, Bakugou is not the ONLY person Kirishima admires or considers a close friend (i.e. He has Kaminari, TetsuTetsu, etc.).

However, they clearly mean a lot to each other and help each other develop where they need to. Kirishima helps Bakugou open up to others more and Bakugou helps Kirishima believe in himself and his ability to be a hero. And that is enough for them. 😁

[hemant3693sworld-blog]

Seven facts about coffee you probably didn't know 

Coffee is the world's favorite hot drink with an estimated 2.25 billion cups drink every day globally. We discovered seven reasons why you might want to get yourself a cup of coffee right now. As a bonus you'll find a simple recipe for a unique coffee cocktail. So without wasting time, lets move to the Benefits of Coffee.

Top 7 Benefits of coffee

Coffee boosts brainpower 

Coffee with sugar can turn you into a little genius for a while because the combination of caffeine and glucose activates certain sectors of your brain. The caffeine and coffee acts as a mild stimulant to the central nervous system. This neuronal activity triggers the release of the adrenaline that will affect your body in several ways. Your heartbeat increases, blood pressure rises, breathing tubes open up, sugar is released into the bloodstream for extra energy. Depending on the level of intake it can help improve attention and concentration Remember that slump right after lunch? If you wish your boss would announce a little siesta time? Well, if you are not in Spain caffeine can improve wakefulness during the post-lunch dip. We know that working hours may be tough sometimes Coffee is effective in boosting brain performance for those suffering from jet lag or shift work sleep disorder. However never drink coffee on an empty stomach, since that will do the direct opposite. The effects of caffeine tend to be less pronounced in regular coffee drinkers.

Coffee increases blood pressure

You might want to keep off the coffee if you are going to have a blood pressure test within the next two days. If you have high blood pressure ask your doctor whether you should limit or stop drinking caffeinated beverages. On the other hand hypertension or low blood pressure can be a serious and life-threatening problem If not treated. A tiny cup of coffee can battle a hypertensive episode, a situation where your blood pressure is too low. Add a cup of caffeinated beverage to each meal to raise your blood pressure.

Coffee makes your immune system stronger

Coffee is known for its energy-boosting caffeine effect. It's an abundant source of nutrients and helpful chemicals that can aid your immune system. According to scientists from several countries, coffee reduces the risk of premature death. This is because coffee alters your immune system making it stronger and healthier Coffee contains a lot of antioxidants and phenolic compounds that play a crucial role in cancer prevention. It also improves your liver, heart and digestive system. Still try to stick to natural freshly ground coffee. Instant coffee contains fewer nutrients and more chemical additives and one more important fact for Parkinson's disease Research suggests that, among other factors the potential preventive effect may be due to caffeine too. Coffee relieves a headache. The caffeine can cure headaches and migraines People are aware that caffeine is found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate But may not know that caffeine is also contained in a variety of over-the-counter medications. That's why it's an ingredient in a lot of traditional pain relievers. It can make them as much as 40 percent more effective. Caffeine increases the strength of the medication, and how quickly it works. So enjoy the stimulating and pain relieving properties of caffeine in moderation.

Coffee reduces stress

Coffee acts well as an anti stress substance due to the release of dopamine and serotonin which trigger a good mood. One cup or even just the smell of coffee can calm your nerves. This could explain the lower risk of depression among coffee drinkers. Drinking between two to four cups of coffee every day appears to reduce the risk of suicide in men and women by 50%. Moreover caffeine is one of the most common stimulators of the central nervous system, and it's common stimulation is what keeps depression at bay. Interestingly only the caffeine contained in coffee has this effect as opposed to the caffeine found in tea, soda or chocolate which does not stimulate the central nervous system as effectively.

Coffee improves your memory

Coffee can positively affect mood, enhance awareness and memory abilities. The stimulators and neuro mediators obtained from coffee not only boost your mood and productivity but also improve your memory. Of course this only works with your short-term memory but this is good enough because all Information is initially stored in a short-term memory and only an hour later does it enter our long-term memory under particular circumstances. At times when it gets a little too difficult to focus a coffee break will offer a welcome change of mind by enhancing Concentration and stimulating moods. All in all, coffee is an enjoyable drink that can help boost energy and increase the ability to learn and remember.

Coffee helps you lose weight

Hey coffee lovers, file this under best news ever Coffee can keep off and help you lose excess weight. It can temporarily suppress your appetite and may stimulate minimal calorie burning. When the level of the hormone leptin is low, your body starts storing fat, and you gain weight. Coffee however increases the hormone levels in your body. Now you know why coffee lovers take longer to gain weight and why exercise yields more results for them caffeine gives you an added boost at work or during exercise.

And here's our bonus: An amazing coffee cocktail recipe. If you're looking for something sweet to pair your milk, this cocktail recipe is a must. It is deliciously smooth and refreshing and it's bottled ready to take on the go. Make your favorite coffee Let it cool off then fill an ice cube tray with the coffee place in the freezer. on a hot day and the coffee cubes to a glass of milk. Sip a delicious mix and feel wonderful.

Many studies suggest that coffee drinkers live longer than non-coffee drinkers. This may be because of confident official effects and inflammation, lung function, insulin sensitivity, and depression. This may be in part because of a class of phytonutrients found in coffee beans called Chlorogenic acid proven to have favorable effects with studies.

Factors affecting Coffee's nutritional value

Okay so now the question which arises is that which coffee is most beneficial for our body? We know how to choose the reddest tomato, the deepest orange, sweet potato. Since many of the plant pigments are the antioxidants themselves, How do you choose the healthiest coffee? More than a hundred coffees were tested in an experiment and different coffees had different caffeine levels but the Chlorogenic acid levels varied by more than 30%.

Coffee selection may have a large influence upon health. So all those studies that show that you know one cup of coffee does this or that, I mean what does that even mean when coffee can vary so greatly.

As some famous coffee distributors roast there beans so much that they lost their chlorogenic acid content and they have almost 10 times lower chlorogenic acid content as compared to the other types of coffee. It's because they roast their beans too dark the more you roast the less there is they appear to be partially destroyed by roasting and caffeine is pretty stable but a dark roast may wipe out nearly 90 percent of the chlorogenic acid content of the beans the difference between a medium light roast and a medium rose were not enough though to make a difference in total antioxidant status in people's bloodstream. After drinking them they both gave about the same boost other factors such as how you prepare it or decaffeination don't appear to have a major effect.

Bottom line

When milk was added to the coffee in like a test tube antioxidant activity decreased by more than half with just a splash of milk and down like 95 percent and like latte or something with lots of milk okay but what happens in the test tube doesn't necessarily happen in a person. I mean you don't know until you put it to the test and indeed over the course of a day significantly fewer chlorogenic acids made it into people's blood.

Drinking coffee with milk compared to black cuts absorption by more than half. 

Eat milk chocolate and nothing much happens to the antioxidant power of your bloodstream but eat dark chocolate and get a nice spike within an hour of consumption yeah but is that just because the milk in milk chocolate crowds out some of the antioxidant. Rich cocoa milk chocolate contains like 20% cocoa where's a good dark chocolate maybe like 70% or more cocoa.

How much of this cocoa phytonutrient you get into your bloodstream eating dark chocolate compared to milk chocolate but eat that same amount of dark chocolate with a glass of milk and it blocks about half okay. 

If you lied this article then Share the article with your friends to keep them caffeinated.

[madamlaydebug]

In a speech of 1882, Frederick Douglas relates his experiences as a slave during the Christmas season.

"The days between Christmas Day and New Year's were allowed the slaves as holidays. During these days all regular work was suspended, and there was nothing to do but keep fires and look after stock. We regarded this time as our own by the grace of our masters, and we, therefore, used it or abused it as we pleased. The holidays were variously spent. The sober, industrious ones employ themselves in manufacturing cornbrooms, mats, horse collars and baskets, and some of these were very well made. Another class spent their time in hunting oppossums, coons, rabbits, and other game. But the majority spent the holidays in sport, ball-playing, wrestling, boxing, running, foot-races, dancing and drinking whiskey, and the latter mode was generally most agreeable to their masters. A slave who would work during the holidays were thought by their master undeserving of holidays. There was in this simple act of continued work an accusation against slaves, and a slave could not help thinking that if he made three dollars during the holidays he might make three hundred during the year. "Not to be drunk during the holidays was disgraceful. "

We were induced to drink, I among the rest, and when the holidays were over we all staggered up from our filth and wallowing, took a long breath and went away to our various fields of work, feeling upon the whole, rather glad to go from that which our masters had artfully deceived us into the belief was freedom, back again to the arms of slavery. It was not what we had taken it to be, nor what it would have been, had it not been abused by us. It was about as well to be a slave to master, as to be a slave to whiskey and rum. When the slave was drunk the slave holder had no fear that he would escape to the North. It was the sober, thoughtful slave who was dangerous and needed the vigilance of his master to keep him a slave."

☆☆☆Excerpts from Afrikan People and European Holidays: A Mental Genocide Book One☆☆☆

In the spirit of Black Unity and love and with all due respect to my race I submit that it is absolutely amazing how so many of my people can gullibly accept something simply because it exists. Unfortunately a large segment of Black People will embrace and put their energy into a thing, without ever really analyzing the impact, for better or for worse, it may have upon them and their posterity for generations to come. This is the case with Afrikan People and European holidays, especially the most European of all holidays, Christmas.

There are even those among us who will look upon you as though you have the plague when you inform them you do not indulge in the celebration of the European fantasy commonly called Christmas. This attitude on the part of some Blacks exhibits their ignorance and lack of understanding of world history, without which one cannot understand the present or the future.

The main purpose of this chapter is to appeal to the common-sense and superior intelligence which lays dormant in so many of us, by introducing some very basic historical facts about Christmas. Because of the production limitations on the size of Book I, we are unable to give a full treatment of this subject in this chapter; however, we will devote more time and space to the study of Christmas, its origins and the deep dark secrets behind its true significance in Book IV of this series under the heading, "Xmas Madness: An In Depth Study of the Christmas Fantasy." Nevertheless, as you study the present chapter you find the information of the origins and purposes of Christmas as set forth here, reveal that the celebration and significance of this European holiday is indeed foreign to the nature of Afrikan people. As the facts unfold it will become clear to you that Christmas is not a part of us as a people, for it is certainly not a real part of our history.

The question may arise as to why we refer to Christmas as the most European of all holidays? The answer is in two parts, firstly, the practice of Christmas observance is the essence of ancient customs and beliefs of the Greeks, Romans, Celts, Teutons, Nordics, Germans, Slavs, and other come-lately-European-people. Although some vague remnants of Afrikan and Asian customs are still remotely present in its celebration and despite the claim of its exponents that Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ (which we shall shortly see that it is not), this celebration is a direct extension of European customs and practices (many of which are shockingly eerie and disgusting as well) which took place during the coldest and darkest part of the year. Secondly, Christmas supports the existing economic power of Euro-America and European countries. What it does is bring up the slack in the gross national product at the end of the year. Any and everything is put on the market for the consumer, that is we produce less than 1 percent of the goods in this country, in the world as a matter of fact. This means, in essence, that as a people we help keep the economy of the United States of America and the western world in motion.

In 1978, as a race, we spent over 70 billion dollars in America alone, and that's not taking into account the expenditures and transactions that could not be statically recorded, which would probably push the figure to over 100 billion dollars. Where did all that money go? Why do we not see the benefits of same in our communities? Why are we still in the impotent position of seeking from others, that which we should be providing for ourselves? It is truly fantastic when you consider the fact that we have very little control over the tens of billions of dollars that come and go out of Black settlements each year. Why is that? The answers to these questions are too involved to be discussed here, but needless to say one of the key factors of our role as "vehicles of purchase" is the enormous amount of money Black People spend on Christmas each year.

Not only do you have a tendency to buy the most expensive gifts, but feel you are compelled to do so. Madison Avenue has so thoroughly taken over your mind that you fear the scorn and disapproval of your friends and loved ones if you don't spend that money on Christmas. This is why we refer to Christmas as the "Merry Mess", because it is one of those European instruments of mind torture that gets you in a mess and keeps you there.

Again, the main purpose of the information in this chapter is to help you liberate yourself from this madness which has imprisoned you and keeps you groveling at the feet of your natural enemy.

Saturnalia

The Roman festival of Saturnalia was celebrated December 17th trough December 23rd. Later intron history it was extended until December 24th - 25th. December 25th being observed as the birthplace of Saturn by his devotees and Mithra by the followers of Zoroastrianism. Essentially Saturnalia was the feast of the winter solstice when the days began to lengthen and the sun starts its journey back towards the earth. This celebration was especially significant to Europeans because of the harsh and cold climate in most of their countries which left the land barren and non-productive. In a place where there was little summer it can be readily seen how this festival would have such great importance. On the second day of the Bacchanalian celebration of Saturnalia young pigs were offered on the altar and blood pudding was made. This disgusting dish was a primary delicacy of the European, a people who wants painted themselves blue (This is where the term blue blood comes from) and ran naked from cave to cave, busting each other in the head with clubs and engaging in combat over a piece of raw meat. When Afrikans were building the pyramids and wooing their ebony queens with incense and live poems, many Europeans were making overtures to their women by grunting Ugh!, smacking them upside their heads with a club and dragging them off by the hair to copulate. This is why rape is such a sensationalized phenomenon in European culture today.

During the six day festival of Saturnalia, slaves were temporarily freed to attend the festival. It is said that during this season, the slave holder would grant the slave any request except his freedom. Also during this period, the roles were supposedly reversed and the slave vicariously walked in the shoes of the master, who would serve him his breakfast in bed and many other ammenities which custom obliged, but when the festival was over a slave in the Roman Empire was still a slave. The Saturnalia which later became known as Christmas was one time referred to in Europe as the "Festival of Fools."

Christmas Lights

Lights were extremely valuable in ancient Europe because of its inclimate and foggy weather. Every since the post ice age Europe has been known for its cold and dreary climate, in ancient times, it was considered by most of the Sarah's inhabitants as a most undesirable place to live. Over the millenia, these harsh conditions gradually subsided in the southern portions of the continent until by the time of the Grimaldi invasions (called the Mesolithic Age) it was somewhat inhabitable. During the age of the Afrikan circumnavigation of the world it was a long time before they ventured to go into Europe again. Often as the ships manned by ebony crews sailed along the Mediterranean Sea, through the gloomy fog and must off the coast of Europe they could hear the eerie moanings, strange groanings and barking sounds of its inhabitants. In antiquity the continent of Europe was considered by many people of color to be a bottomless pit filled with unimaginable horrors, a forbidden land inhabited by hellish demons. Some have said that the word Europe means "you're roped in."

Another significant fact which deals with the importance of lights to the European experience took place during the Puritan prohibition of the celebration of Christmas, at which time the common folks would put lighted candles in the windows to let the Catholic priests know that the yuletide was being celebrated in that home.

Santa Claus

The designation Santa Claus comes from "Sinter Klaas" the Dutch name for St. Nicholas (referred to by some thinking people as St. Capitalist), a 4th Century bishop of Asia Minor who became the Russian patron saint of children, bankers, pawn brokers and thieves.

The origins of the Santa Claus hoax goes back to the time when in many northern European countries ghosts, witches, trolls, vampires and other demonic creatures were thought to stir aboard on Christmas Eve. It was on this night that Satan or Santa, the demon/saint (for there was little differentiation between saints and demons in Europe at that time) riding on a jackass or goat would lead the demons in a marry rivalry as he shared with them the intoxicating substance from his wassahl bowl.

According to German mythology Santa/Satan first appeared as a hairy imp named Pelz Nichol. In Holland and other European countries the original "old Nick" another terminology for "the devil" was depicted as a very stern person who rode across the frozen wastes on the satan's goat and left a whip instead of toys for naughty children. With the coming of European Christianity to the north the demon/saint "old Nick" evolved into St. Nicholas a bishop of Myra in Turkey, who lived sometime around 300 C.E. he is said to have transported himself on a grey horse or white jackass, an ancient Egyptian symbol of Typhon, the devil.

Tradition says that St. Nicholas restored to life three slain children who had been hacked to pieces and stored in brine by a wicked innkeeper. He is reportedly to have saved three young maidens from being sold into slavery as prostitutes by their father, through secretly providingthree bags of gold for their marriage dowries. This, the three balled or three belled emblem of pawnbrokers became one of St. Nicholas' sacred symbols. This dubious 4th Century bishop of Myra eventually became the patron saint of Russia. He was also designated the patron of children, pawnbrokers and theives. As a matter of fact during the middle ages in Europe thieves were called "clerks of St. Nicholas."

In reference to St. Nicholas and his criminal affiliationsthe Ansaru Allah Community News statss:

"He is really the patron saint of thieves and gangsters, who were tagged the "Knights of St. Nicholas." He is the patron saint of the pawnbrokers and their emblem is traced to him. Pirates emblazoned his likeness on their flags. Other wards of St. Nicholas are spinsters, sailors, etc."

St. Nicholas' increased prominence in Western Europe was a result of Italian merchants who were reputed to have stolen his bones from Myra and brought them to Bari, on the southeastern coast of Italy, May 9, 1807. The celebration of St. Nicholas' festival which took place December 6, the supposed date of his death was banned by Henry VIII when he founded the Church of England. Later in English history the festival was resumed when Queen Victoria married the German Prince Albert at which time St. Nicholas became Father Christmas. After the Protestant Reformation St. Nicholas was replaced by Christ child called Christ Kindl or Christ Kindli in parts of Germany and Switzerland. From this name came the character Kris Kringle, the "jolly old elf" figure who brings gifts at Christmas time sometimes accompanied by Pelz Nichol.

According to this particular tradition Pelz Nichol sometimes called Jan was a little black elf who Santa appointed the traditional H.N.I.C. to keep the elves in the factory busy making things. From this story we can see that St. Nicholas was indeed a cold blooded capitalist. You never hear of the elves in the shop getting any compensation or fringe benefits for their work. In fact St. Nicholas hardly ever went into the shop, the brother was in there taking care of the business. The legend says that St. Nicholas gave the toys and gifts away for free, well if this be the case, how come people are still paying money for them every year?

In 1822, Clement C. Moore, an American minister and poet, first described Santa's fur-trimmed suit and his sleigh pulled by reindeers. The description appears in Moore's famous poem called "T'was the Night Before Christmas." This poem firmly established Santa Claus on the American scene. The idea of his sled being drawn by eight reindeer comes from the Norse legend of Odin's white horse Sleipnir, who had eight legs and was according to this tale the fastest horse in the world. All in all the concept of the modern Santa Claus is a symbol of the poverty and selfishness of Europeans who only shared gifts with one another once a year at Christmas. In sharp contrast to this is the traditional system of Afrikan Ujamaa which encourages sharing with your neighbor on a day-to-day basis. How ridiculous is the idea of sharing things once a year when people have need of things every day.

One of the traumas of the Santa Claus myth is the fantasy that people tell there children about them. Imagine after you have worked hard to buy toys and gifts for your children, then turn around and lie to them by giving credit to some big fat white man named Santa Claus. When the children reach the age where they begin to question this madness, you wring your hands in frustration trying to figure out how you are going to tell them there is no Santa Claus. Do you know what you are doing when you do this? Do you? You are running risk of planting deep within the child's subconscious mind, the seeds of distrust for you as a parent. And for what? To what purpose? Don't you know that at the very same time you are unwrapping the gifts on Christmas morning, greedy white capitalists are at home setting around the tables with their families and counting your money. The next time you are tempted to go sneaking around on Christmas Eve after the children are asleep, stop and ask yourself why am I doing this? What is the meaning of this insanity? Even though like the rest of us you have been brainwashed by the economic powers that be, you are still supposed to be an intelligent accountable adult. So shake yourself of this foolishness and put aside these childish things. It is not too late for you, there is a better way.

Christmas on the Old Plantation

As regards Christmas and antebellum slavery, Mother Jenny Proctor, born a slave in Alabama in 1850, was eighty-seven years old when interviewed, but recalled: "Old master would kill a hog and give us a piece if pork. We thought that was something, and the way Christmas lasted was according to the big sweet-gum back log what the slaves would cut and put in the fireplace. When that burned out, the Christmas was over."

In a speech of 1882, Frederick Douglas relates his experiences as a slave during the Christmas season.

"The days between Christmas Day and New Year's were allowed the slaves as holidays. During these days all regular work was suspended, and there was nothing to do but keep fires and look after stock. We regarded this time as our own by the grace of our masters, and we, therefore, used it or abused it as we pleased. The holidays were variously spent. The sober, industrious ones employ themselves in manufacturing cornbrooms, mats, horse collars and baskets, and some of these were very well made. Another class spent their time in hunting oppossums, coons, rabbits, and other game. But the majority spent the holidays in sport, ball-playing, wrestling, boxing, running, foot-races, dancing and drinking whiskey, and the latter mode was generally most agreeable to their masters. A slave who would work during the holidays were thought by their master undeserving of holidays. There was in this simple act of continued work an accusation against slaves, and a slave could not help thinking that if he made three dollars during the holidays he might make three hundred during the year. "Not to be drunk during the holidays was disgraceful. "

We were induced to drink, I among the rest, and when the holidays were over we all staggered up from our filth and wallowing, took a long breath and went away to our various fields of work, feeling upon the whole, rather glad to go from that which our masters had artfully deceived us into the belief was freedom, back again to the arms of slavery. It was not what we had taken it to be, nor what it would have been, had it not been abused by us. It was about as well to be a slave to master, as to be a slave to whiskey and rum. When the slave was drunk the slave holder had no fear that he would escape to the North. It was the sober, thoughtful slave who was dangerous and needed the vigilance of his master to keep him a slave."

Conclusion

Finally, Christmas, historically, has no real religious significance except to the European world, as such it has no real meaning to us as a people for if does not culturally project us in a positive light. Therefore, its failure to meet this need means that it can only be working against our best interest. Understanding that there are still some immature members of our race who feel they couldn't live without Christmas, we appeal to them to stop the wild spending and acting so foolishly during the Christmas season and divest themselves of this mania. This supposed happiness obtained from the MERRY Mess is too brief to pay such a physical, mental, spiritual and economic price for.

Now we invite you to examine the next two chapters of this book which demonstrate and explore the historical roots and meaning of the Seven Black Holy Days of Kwanzaa, a holiday of freed Black people.

~ Rev. Dr Ishakamusa Barashango

[goopgirlie813]

True. I think we can just drop the lgbt discussion for now.

Providing knowledge is hardly "forcing" anything on anyone. For students its no different than being required to take any other class. For parents the issue is that they are being denied control over their child's worldview, something that I don't think they should ever have had in the first place. Censorship has no place in a free society, much less one were the general population has the power to make political decisions. That is how you end up with fascists creating and exploiting ignorance to gain power. An educated population keeps politicians in check. Banning access to certain information or giving parents the power to do so to their children has no place in a society like ours.

Yeah, I would bet conservatives do come off as more tolerant from a certain perspective. Progressives are often openly intolerant while conservatives often try to conceal their intolerance with politeness and plausible deniability. Wanna know the typical progressive philosphy regarding tolerance? "The paradox of intolerance" by Philosopher Karl Popper and, often, the idea of a social contract of mutual tolerance. Perhaps you have seen these quotes going around here on tumblr:

Most progressives refuse to tolerate any intolerance of things like people's relationship choices (being homosexual, being polyamorous, not wanting a relationship), sexual choices (participating in kink, making or watching porn, recreational sex, not wanting sex at all), reproductive choices (IVF, abortion, contraception), gender expression (wearing clothing that doesn't match your sex, using pronouns that don't match your sex, defying gender roles), gender transition (HRT, gender affirming surgeries, name changes), religious or spiritual beliefs (being non-christian, being atheist), disabilities (physical dependance on others, having a stutter, not being able to act due to executive dysfunction, being unable to work), body types (being fat, being intersex), hobbies (playing D&D, playing video games, dressing in a fursuit and making furry art), and more. Every single thing in those parentheses and more has been subject to intolerance from conservatives claiming to be protecting (conserving) "tradition" and the "natural order." But somehow whenever the topic of tolerance comes up the only part people care about is how progressives are intolerant of conservative beliefs. No mention of how those conservative beliefs are intolerant of progressive existance.

I should have defined what I meant by racism. Idk where the hell you got that "marxist" definition but chances are if you tried to pass that off as progressive you'd be flamed to hell and back for it. It is extremely rare for someone to genuinely believe that being white makes you inherently racist. Conservatives claim that progressives believe that far more than progressives actually believe it, to the point where acting like you believe it will likely get you accused of being a conservative psyop.

So what I meant by conservative definition was exactly what you said, "being prejudiced (or hateful) against people because of their race." This is indeed racism, but to the progressive perspective it isn't the whole picture. The summary that I have found best summarizes the progressive definition of racism, and the one that I typically use if I talk about the topic, is "racism is an ideology that states that race is a determining factor in how someone should exist in society, justified by claims that different races have inherent differences in physical ability, psychology, mental ability and behavior with little to no exception. Any attitude, belief, or behavior that stems from or relies on the assumptions of a racist philosophy are also considered racist, even if the person expressing them does not conciously agree with a racist philosphy."

Or in shorter terms, the conservative definition tends to treat racism as a negative sentiment that an individual holds within themselves, while the progressive definition treats racism as an ideological system. The conservative definition tends to focus on intention and whats in a person's heart, allowing people to dodge accusations of racism by showing goodwill toward a person of color to "prove" they aren't hateful. The progressive definition focuses on external effect and function and by extension those who operate on it won't accept "but I have a black friend!" As proof that a person isn't racist after doing a racist thing.

Hope that clarifies some things.

With the conservative definition there is enough plausible deniability to argue that Trump isn't racist. With the progressive definition there is no getting around the fact that he has displayed a pattern or racist behaviors and refused to correct them. Meaning that in all ways that matter, he is a racist.

Anyway, I'm tired of spending all my free time on this conversation. I work two jobs and only get a couple hours a day to myself and I have other things I want to do with those hours than write these responses. I will no longer be responding to you.

I hope you and your boyfriend have a happy life.

[sflow-er]

August's wardrobe possibly including hand-me-downs from his dad is an interesting and plausible idea!

I would also like to throw in the possibility of him sort of be emulating Carl Johan's style as he remembers it, even if the actual clothes are new. And not just Carl Johan's style, but a more generic idea of how a Man of His Status is meant to dress.

I mean, if you look at the Society party in S1, all the lads (including Vincent!) are dressed up in similarly "adult" clothes:

As terrible as the Society is in many ways, it's also like...a Modern-ish Aristocracy Role-Play Club for teenage boys? One where you get together to brag about your families' landholdings, talk shit about your non-noble friends, and swear big oaths about upholding the Swedish aristocracy - but under the awful surface, you're just a bunch of 16 to 18-year-olds getting drunk and high and playing make-belief in clothes you think your dads might wear.

And August, who even in his intoxicated state urges the others to take their club seriously and who we know is very attached to traditions that make him feel like he belongs, also dresses more within this style in his daily life than Vincent. (Or Henry, who is the only other Society boy we see throughout the show. He dresses conservatively in S1 but gets more colourful and fashionable from S2 on.)

So I don't know, there could be something there.

But that's enough about August and the Exclusive Assholes Club, because believe it or not, I actually wanted to add some thoughts on Vincent! I feel like a couple of things revealed/confirmed in S3 and also the PRP interview that Lisa did afterward helped me build a more complete idea of him as a character.

So in that interview, Lisa said,

The story that me and Nils [Wetterholm] had about Vincent was that he was like this really posh upper-class -- kind of fuck-up, that he was like an upper-class skateboard boy? Who kind of -- his parents kind of sent him off because he was smoking and just being out with his friends doing stupid stuff. And this school has changed him, but he still carries these random acts of "I'm a bit different" [one of] which is like, his ridiculous haircut.

...and I'm sure that applies to his wardrobe as well!

This description actually ties into the real history of national boarding schools in Sweden: they were originally intended for children who could benefit from them. Children of expats (represented by Maddie in the show!) and children who were acting out and "needed a change of scenery" were major student demographics, and this anecdote about Vincent kind of places him in that same historical continuum.

Also in S3, we hear that Vincent really does have ADHD and was put on medication at fifteen. Which means he will have gone through at least a couple of years of puberty unmedicated and probably undiagnosed too. I definitely don't know all there is to know about ADHD, but to me, it seems like that could have factored into his acting out. Maybe he was struggling with school and the other demands of daily life - and instead of seeking help, he decided that he didn't really need to care about those anyway. His future was mapped out already, and it was a comfortably privileged one regardless of how he did at school.

Eventually, Vincent's family still stepped in. He was diagnosed, prescribed medication, and sent to Hillerska the following year to get some structure into his life (and likely also to get him out of that skater boy social circle). This seems to have done him good, but he still doesn't seem to have adopted any tools or techniques that could help him concentrate in school, for example. Was he never taught those in the first place, or did he simply not put in the effort required to learn them? Or was it both? We don't know.

In any case, we see Vincent still demonstrating that "who cares" attitude in S3 when he leaves the national exam early. And I mean, I guess he's got a point? The only "job" he will ever have is being the next generation of the af Klintskog family, and he seems to be on good terms with them now (in S2, we even learned that his father was taking him to Zambia over Easter for some big game hunting). He may not be excelling academically, but he is still doing much better than he was before Hillerska. He has also made more appropriate friends, become Prefect and rowing captain, and most importantly, embraced the system and stepped up to his role in it.

So in conclusion, Vincent's hair style and fashion probably did mean more once upon a time. By the time we meet him in the show, however, they are more of a quirk and a blast from the past than a statement.

Your last post about Nils leads me to a question about Vincent : how could a noble old money rich upper class swedish boy look so... not like all of that ?

My question is about look and behavior. August represents all of that perfectly with his turtlenecks. But Vincent looks more like "a white trash red neck" (to quote his own word so I won't offend any one).

His clothes, haircut, manierisms... nothing about him says "classy".

So who is really Vincent ?

This is a great question! I’m afraid I don’t know enough about present day Swedish fashion and social cues to really get a sense of what’s going on with Vincent’s looks and behavior. He and August do present differently enough that I wonder what’s being communicated with each of them. It’s possible Vincent’s styling is more classy within his cultural context! But I don’t know enough to say anything precisely.

I can say from my own experience in interacting with rich teenage boys that in their day to day fashion, their “teenage boy” side comes out more than their “rich kid” side. They’re still wearing t-shirts and sweatpants they’re going to play soccer in, it’ll just be a nicer brand and all new clothing, instead of hand-me-downs from a sibling or something. And they’ll have all the on-trend clothing items instead of maybe one on-trend thing they got for a present plus whatever was affordable. For more formal occasions, we do see Vincent dress up more, so we know there’s a difference in his everyday fashion versus his more formal fashion.

That said, I am saying this solely from an American perspective, and I recognize that things may well be different in other countries. Again, it might be helpful for a Swede or someone from the Nordic region to weigh in on in this.

One other thing I’ve wondered about is the source of August’s clothing. For a while I’ve headcanoned that a lot of his clothes used to belong to his father. We know for sure that the white jacket he wears in 3.5 was his father’s, and it would make sense to me if some of his sweaters shirts etc used to be Carl Johan’s, especially when it comes out that the Horn family has no more money. Hence a lot more “classic” and “old money aesthetic” pieces in August’s wardrobe and less the stuff you associate with teenage boys. (If a lot of August’s clothing used to belong to his dad, does that mean horrendous fashion items from the 80s and 90s by any chance? This remains to be seen!)

It’s also worth noting that character-wise, August wants to be seen as mature and responsible and an adult, whereas Vincent seems to be more comfortably teenage and is happy at times to play the class clown (however much he also envies August and sees him as a rival in leadership roles.) I think their outfits reflect that aspect of their characterization, so there is also that.

Anyone have any other thoughts?

[becasaurusbex]

Just want to add my side as well. This is only my personal experience. Idk what it's like for other people.

I was one of the non-gifted or especially clever kids. Seeing other kids praised and favoured for things I now know I can do just as easily if taught well, and given the encouragement I need, had a really bad effect on me. Socially, I struggled and while my education wasn't the only cause of this, it clearly made a difference. Why would you want to hang out with the weird stupid kid, when you could play with the clever confidant ones? Why would you vote for her for class captain when she never gets any opportunities from the teachers anyway? It creates a ludicrous hierarchy that makes those of us who find learning hard, look lesser because we didn't reach our answers as quickly as the rest of the class. I used to call my self stupid because I thought it made me look good. I thought if I considered myself lesser than everybody else, they would like me. Spoiler alert: all it did was make me have no self esteem or self worth.

In terms of education, I basically never improved because teachers could never take the time with me. For reference, in class we had tables that represented how good you were in a subject. There was a high table for people who were really good at that subject, whether they were classes as gifted, I'm not really sure, but they will have felt special for it which is essentially the effect of gifted programs right? Then there were a couple of average tables. People who were doing just fine. Then two tables below that. My table was the 'almost the worst in the class but not as bad as the bottom table' table for all the main subjects. This meant that I needed some support and sometimes we would be given different tasks to the rest of the room. I felt like I could never be good enough for the actual tasks. The teacher also never had the time to sit and help our table for very long because the bottom table needed support. I totally understand how this happens. I get it that teachers don't have all the time and resources in the world so, to the few teachers that did try to empower me outside of lessons, I love and thank you for what you did. My problem is with the teachers that basically created a ceiling in my learning because I never thought I could ever do well than maybe average in anything. I genuinely didn't think it was possible for me to be good at school. I got to highschool and things flipped because suddenly I was being taught like an average student. I started doing kinda well. I distinctly remember saying to my mum that I'd never get a particular grade in anything untill year 9. I then achieved that grade in my second term of year 7, in maths no less.

I'm not sure exactly where this post is going and it certainly isn't to argue with the post above. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it also works the other way in that I really struggle sometimes socially, because in my formative years, I didn't have the self esteem I needed to face the world properly. There are definitely loads of other factors but education made a big difference. Sorry I've kinda detailed the post.

When I complain about being a ‘gifted’ kid who grew into a talentless adult I don’t mean that I’m not trying to work on my talents or anything

I mean that the ‘gifts’ I had are useless

Reading books above my age isn’t a talent when I’m not eleven

Knowing big words isn’t a talent when I’m not a kid, it’s just growing up

It’s just a weird thing that happens and it feels shitty when you’re brought up being told you’re an exceptional child only to realise as an adult you’re just average