#Each for slightly different reasons but somewhat united in a need to preserve what is precious to them

[invasive]

Oh yeah. I watched the new episode recently and I forgot how plainly Kabru lays out how the cast is willing to sacrifice anyone else to protect the ones they love. It's a pretty obvious sentiment that's shown throughout the manga across many different characters (Laios, Falin, Marcille, Thistle) but it's really refreshing to see (seemingly) selfless acts turn into something selfish so quickly ^^

[nightwingshero]

Claws and Fangs

My werewolf au!!! My first shot at it, but here it goes!!

Montana wasn’t the top of my list of states to visit, let alone live.  It never would have crossed my mind. I dreamed of the shiny lights of LA, Atlanta, New York, or even Paris. Never some town nobody has heard of in a state many people didn’t talk about much. Don’t get me wrong, the idea of at least seeing the National Parks was enticing, a part of nature that not many people got to see in their lifetime. But living here? Never crossed my mind.

Rowan had been right though, like she was about most things. Part of me wondered if her being just a bit older had anything to do with it, or the fact that she had seen more than I had to truly understand the reasoning behind why. I couldn’t say that Montana was terrible. Growing up in Oklahoma, farming country wasn’t exactly foreign to me. I’ve seen it, I’ve lived it. I guess it had made being what I am easier, kept the secret where it needed to be. Rowan hadn’t been so fortunate. Her brother dying only eight years prior, hunted down by our own kind.

That led us together, ironically. My father punishing me for years for what I was, or what I wasn’t, and my snapping. Rowan’s loss and her wondering without direction. She found me that night, terrified out of my mind for what I had done. She was there to clean it; she was there to make it okay. And we’ve stuck together ever since.

I sigh and shift in the passenger seat, staring off into the fields and forests that passed us by as we drove. My feet propped on the door as wind whipped through the open window. It smelled so differently here, causing my heart to race in excitement. The promising freedom of it, all this land to run on, was refreshing to think about. It smelled like sunshine and clean water. It had me practically begging for a run in ever which direction. The freedom it promised…was so tempting. A certain scent lingered in the air that I couldn’t put my finger on, a spice that tickled my nose with a hint of…sandalwood? A shiver went down my spine as I reveled in it. I wanted to follow it, roll in it, and embrace it. But we had both agreed before we got here: no changing until we got a feel for the place and settled. We couldn’t risk anything before we could have a chance to actually have a home to call ours.

The scent began to fade quickly as we crossed a bridge, the sound of the river music to my ears before something sweet floated into our car. I rubbed my nose after sneezing, trying to adjust to the sudden change. We slowed before Rowan pulled into a gas station, shutting the car off at the pump with a sigh. Being cramped up in a small space for hours on end was hard, even with me being claustrophobic. It was never good for anyone, making their joints sore and themselves stir crazy. It was even worse for us; it drove us insane. We weren’t meant to be in confined spaces, it was against our very nature. I could feel the desperate urge to whine and pace, to hide in the woods and never come out. But I knew better. And if I had to be fairly honest, the other side of me liked car rides. They just never last long.

“I’m gonna go pay for gas. Want to grab some snacks for us?” Rowan asked, her dark brown eyes meeting my blue green once, and I can see the toll this has on her, too.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” I replied, the dryness in my throat becoming more and more obvious. I opened the door, tugging at the cut off shorts that Rowan insisted would help us fit in. Which was why I had a blue flannel tied around my waist, instead of wearing the leather jacket that was now packed away. We didn’t want to appear too suspicious, and if that meant a change in wardrobe, then so be it. She rolled up the sleeves of the red flannel as we walked towards the store, and I could feel the heat of the sun on my exposed arms as the cool breeze swept in to soothe it.

The bell above the door rang as we entered, a blast of cool air washing over us. I could hear the unit running raggedly in the back, and I didn’t think it would last much longer. The old man at the counter looked up from his outdoors magazine and narrowed his eyes, but we pretended not to notice. Rowan moved to the counter, taking some cash from her back pocket. I made my way down the aisles, noting the jerky and off brand pastries that I knew had to be somewhat stale at this point. I sneered slightly at the smell of the preservatives. I could almost gag.

Finally making it to the back, I pull open a cooler door to grab a couple waters. I raised a brow at the lack of a biting chill before letting the door slam shut. I weigh my options as I eye the snacks one more time, feeling the gaze of the old man on me as Rowan waited. I caved, grabbing the jerky and some chips. Something was better than nothing, and I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of here. I round the corner and come up on a shelf of brochures on my left. I slow, taking them in. Some were for the national park in the Henbane, the hiking up North in the mountains, an apple orchard in the Valley east of us, and a haunted house tour of an old hotel.

A colorful pink one in particular caught my attention enough to grab it on the way. I stuff it in my back pocket before approaching the counter, setting the rewards of my hunting trip down for the cashier. His eyes narrow again before he starts scanning, grumbling, and his eyes drop to the line of my tank top. I almost growl and make a show of my teeth to give this man something to really look at, but I know better. So, I just clear my throat and glare back.

He rolled his eyes before telling Rowan our total. She hands it over with a smile, thanking him and telling him to keep the change before we’re finally making our way back outside. I settle back in the passenger seat while Rowan pumps the gas. I stick my Converse out the window as I lean back, pulling the jerky out of the plastic bag. My mouth waters, but I know that as soon as I eat it, I’ll be disappointed. It had been too long since we last hunted, not daring to take the risk of being tracked down. It made me restless.

The driver’s door opened as Rowan sat back in, fastening her seatbelt as she went. “There. That should hold us for a while. At least it can give us time to find somewhere else to go where I won’t have to be worried about being killed or kidnapped. Was I the only one getting a Cabin in the Woods vibe from that guy?”

I hum before I pull out the brochure from my pocket. “I pity any serial killer that tries to pull that shit on us. We bite back.” I flip it open, scanning and reading.

“Not really my taste.”

I chuckled and turned to her. “Hey, check this out.” I show her the hot pink trifold.

“Drubman Marina?” Rowan asked with a crinkle of her nose. “Like, I know you like the water, Wren, but I think we should probably find a place to live before we think about buying a boat. And I’m not really down for a houseboat. I’m sorry, I draw the line there. We agreed.”

“No, I know.” I flipped it open, pointing as I go. “She’s a real estate agent, and she’s right in the Henbane region. I don’t think she’s that far…” I trail off as I pull out a Hope County map that we had gotten at the visitor’s center right out of the county line. My eyes wondered over the Holland Valley region briefly, the memory of the scent there. Curiosity gnawed at me as I traced a road the small town, Fall’s End.

“It looks like she’s actually on the border of the Whitetails. Maybe she’ll know of some lodging up that way, something that can tide us over until we find something more permanent. It’ll give us a chance to get to know the area, too.”

“Yeah.” I replied, breaking from my trance. “I wonder if she takes walk ins.”

Rowan turned the key, the engine coming to life. “Guess we’re going to find out.”

 “This is exciting! Y’know, we never get newcomers. I always have to deal with people who’ve lived here all their lives. Never get to show people the wonders of this treasure state of ours.” The blonde goes on as she shuffles through the bottom drawer of her filing cabinet, her back to us and bent in her chair. She pops her gum, the smell of cotton candy strong and I have to find my happy place. I could handle sweet, it wasn’t an issue, but it was so heavy in the Henbane. Mix it with the sweetness of Adelaide Drubman, and suddenly I was overwhelmed by it.

Seeming to find what she was looking for, she straightens and turns back to us, dropping the file heavy on her desk, making Rowan and I jump. “There we go! I have all kinds of stuff in this damn thing, let’s see if I can find what y’all are lookin’ for. Let’s start with regions. Now, each one has a special charm, and I’m Henbane’s.” She joked with a wink and a smile on her pink-painted lips.

“We actually did some research beforehand and had an idea of where.” Rowan chimed in with a polite smile. I could see just a hint of disappointment in Adelaide’s crystal blue eyes, but that doesn’t deter her.

“Which one did you ladies settle on?” The itching came back, that little gnawing at the back of my mind, and as Rowan answered, I impulsively blurted out mine, too.

“Whitetail—”

“Holland Valley.”

Adelaide’s brow raised as Rowan whipped her head around, her eyes scanning my face as I glance back at her. Her eyes show confusion and just a bit of concern. She cast a look at the blonde. “Can we…?”

“Oh, you go right ahead, darlin’.” Adelaide turned away, looking through her stack as Rowan’s attention fell back on me.

“Wren…I thought we talked about this. We both agreed. The Whitetails are better for us, it’s more…isolated. There would be more privacy, and it could be better hunting.” Rowan whispered, eyeing Adelaide here and there, the blonde humming lightly to herself.

Guilt bubbled inside, because she was absolutely right. We both agreed, it was a part of our plan. The Whitetails would offer us the sanctuary we needed. The Henbane was the second choice. Rangers and hikers to the north and east. Protected land that we desperately needed. Holland Valley was never an option, the chance of there not being enough cover for the both of us there. It was too open. But for some reason, I couldn’t get that damn scent out of my mind.

I leaned closer to Rowan, dropping my voice. “I know, and I’m sorry. But…did you not smell that on our drive through?”

Her dark brows furrowed. “Smell what?”

I sigh lightly, contemplating and frustrated. This wasn’t something that happened with us, being on different pages. Doubt began to eat at my insides. “I know it sounds crazy, but I smelled something strong and just…god, it was so enticing. I’ve never smelled anything like it before.”

Adelaide coughs a bit as Rowan tilts her head in contemplation. “We can check it out when everything is settled, I promise. But I think we should stick to the other two.”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“You know,” Adelaide gave us a look with her brow raised. “Some of these dipshits out here might still be ignorant, but there are still a good majority of us that support your lifestyle, dears.” She smirks, a knowing look piercing us and the hairs on the back of my neck raise.

“Oh, no,” Rowan laughed before gesturing between us. “We’re not a couple. We grew up together.” Adelaide only hums, but I can tell that her words held a double meaning, I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

Her face becomes a mask of shock, something ingenuine about it as it doesn’t truly meet her eyes. She shrugged and continued. “Well, I’m just saying. So, any special fellas out there for yah?”

“No.” Rowan asked with a frown, both of us a bit shocked at the question.

“Really? You two are gorgeous, I’m shocked.” She laughed, and we give each other a quick glance. We say nothing, but we both know it’s not without some sort of effort. Packs, wolves in general, were dwindling in America. Or so we’ve gathered. They migrated North or overseas, or just died off. Being rogues put targets on our backs, but being unmated females made it so much worse. Female rogues that were unmated didn’t last very long, either claimed quickly or killed. The fact we made it this far was a miracle within itself, and one that wasn’t without bloodshed.

I smiled in response. “Dating isn’t really our thing. We decided to travel and just focus on what we want to do.” I lied smoothly. Adelaide sighed wistfully.

“Oh, to be young again. I envy you girls. What I would give to just pick and go wherever.”

“It’s freeing.” Rowan replied, and I nodded. It was freeing. Not being tied to a pack, or a male with too much testosterone for his own good. I think that was what made my lip curl the most. The males reeked of testosterone. Some made me gag more than others. Rowan said it had something to do with compatibility. A female’s sense of smell had a tendency to be more…sensitive than males. While all females smelled sweet to them, some were too sweet. That’s how her brother described it. Males smelled too musky sometimes, the less compatible, the worse it was. The more compatible, the stronger the pull. But at the end of the day, they were so full of themselves that even without the smell, they were repulsive. I enjoyed tearing into each and every one of them. “So, we’re thinking the Whitetail Mountains—”

Adelaide held her hand up, stopping Rowan in midsentence. “I love the mountains, dear. Absolutely. Any other time, I would be the first to suggest it.”

“But…?” I asked, eyeing her as she leaned forward.

“But I’m going to be real honest with you, girl to girl, I don’t think it’s the best fit for you right now.” I raised a brow, my pride and wrath clawing up at not liking to be told what to do. I fought to keep my teeth from showing. I counted to ten, did everything I could to calm the beast. Rowan threw me a side look, a shocked warning in her eyes. Careful. I knew that, and I was just as shocked as she was. I hadn’t been this worked up in a long time. I had long since gotten a control of that side of me. Now, the littlest thing was setting me off into a frenzy. Adelaide’s eyes looked at me curiously before continuing. “Not that I don’t think you strong, independent girls can’t do whatever you wanted, I’m just saying that the mountains and valley might be a bit…dangerous.”

“Dangerous? How?” Rowan asked with a slight scoff and hid my smirk behind my hand. Little did Adelaide know, there was nothing in this county more dangerous than the two women in front of her.

Adelaide shrugged. “Some people don’t take kindly to new folk. And you said you wanted to go somewhere isolated. The mountains are unforgiving, ladies. Things go bump in the night there and in the valley. This region offers both decent isolation, and great views. The sheriff’s station is also in this area, so if anything happens, you have a faster response. Besides, anything out of this region, you’ll have to go through John Seed when it comes to land. A lawyer makes things a bit more complicated, dears. Makes the process go a bit longer. And I don’t know if y’all want that. Trust me, I think you would love it here. Besides, we could be neighbors!”

Rowan and I share one last look, contemplating. The doubt was there, for sure. Trusting a total stranger, someone who would have absolutely no idea as to what we were and what we could do, over our own paranoia. But getting a lawyer involved was out of the question. It raised too many flags, and we needed to stay as off the grid as possible. We needed safety; it was the whole point of being here. To find a home we could reside without being discovered, and we were in an unknown territory. The choice was obvious, and we both came to that understanding without a word.

  It took us a week to get everything settled legally and moved in. I eventually got used to overly sweet scent, my nose only burning here and there. Adelaide and her boy toy, Xander, had graciously offered to help us. She was starting to grow on me more and more as time went on. She showed us the best place to go shopping, to get fresh meat, and highly recommended a pizza place not too far off the way. Our first night running was short and cautious, getting a feel for the land.

We stocked up on supplies, not having anything else better to do. Rowan applying for the newest park ranger posting, insisting it would help us blend in and establish some sort of roots here. I didn’t know how I felt about that, having been on the move all these years. I felt dizzy while everything seemed to finally slow down around us. I didn’t really think we could ever be able to do this, to have some sort of semblance of normality in our lives. It gave me hope.

The air was crisp, the sky full of stars as we got out of the car. The 8 Bit Pizza bar was busy and in full swing, even at eight in the evening. Outside, we could see Addie’s son and nephew, Hurk Jr and Boshaw, drinking beer and laughing away. They had helped us move furniture in, Adelaide not taking no for an answer. I opened my mouth to say something, but I froze, my feet coming to an immediate stop as the scent hits my nose. My mouth twists in distaste as Rowan’s nose crinkles. We both look, our guard up and prepared for anything.

I spot a cruiser at the end of the parking lot, closer to the forest. Two men, one older and the other younger, stood close and whispering urgently to each other. Even with my enhanced hearing, the noise from the establishment made it nearly impossible to hear what they were saying. Before Rowan and I move to leave, the older man caught our eyes and his head tilted to the side. His companion whipped his head around, taken in what had caught the old man’s attention.

He’s not unattractive, his tan skin and messy, swept back hair. He rolls his shoulders back, his chest puffing out a bit in the process. I sigh internally, because it was a show we’ve seen before, and I wonder who is the first one to die. Males didn’t typically take rejection well, despite how desperately we wanted peace. I’m trying to figure out a way to get out of this unscathed when the younger wolf turns and flashes his teeth, teasing and showing off.

My reaction is instantaneous. It wasn’t as much of an aggressive move as it was a way for him peacock. His way of putting himself on display while still in his skin. His way of flirting and an attempt to impress, a common move for most males. It wasn’t new to me. But the wolf was clawing inside, offended and aggravated at his audacity. It’s disrespectful to her, and she won’t stand for it. I’m shaking, fighting the instinct to go for the throat, and not for a mate’s mark. My teeth flash, promising violence and death if he dares to take another step.

Rowan squeezes my arm firmly, looking around to make sure no one is paying attention, but everyone is pretty much inside. Hurk and Sharky too plastered to comprehend what’s going on this far away. “What the hell are you doing? Wren, calm down.” She whispers harshly, softly pulling at my arm.

I wished I could answer her, but I couldn’t. I was consumed with rage and I honestly had no fucking clue what was wrong with me. I just knew this male was beneath us, unwanted, and he deserved to be put down until his throat was bare in submission. I wince, doing what I can to rein it in. I didn’t want a scene or to start off on the wrong foot. Something was wrong with me, and I needed to get my shit together. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

The older man stalks towards us with purpose, his eyes hard, and it reminds me of a time when my father did the same. The everything, the anger and offense, evaporates immediately and fear replaces it. I hated males with a passion. I hated their need to be in control, feeling more powerful than anyone else.

“Rogue females? Don’t see that every day.” His voice is gravely as he grumbles, and he spits to the side. “Name’s Dutch.”

“Didn’t think there were any more wolves around here.” Rowan replied icily as she glared at him, and he shrugs.

“There are more wolves in the North, girl. Don’t know where you come from, but we’re around up here. Maybe should’ve thought about that.”

“Noted.”

His friend finally came up to join him, and I fight to snap at him. His eyes are twinkling in amusement, as if I was nothing but a piece of entertainment for him. “Unmated females, at that. You know, that won’t last long with you being on your own.”

I sneer at him and his taunting. Dutch rolls his eyes. “Forgive this dumbass here, Pratt isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.” Pratt shot him a look, but the older man ignored him. “He’s right though. You passing through or staying?”

Rowan and I share a look, unsure of how to respond, before she throws her chin up high. “Staying. And we don’t intend on leaving anytime soon.”

Pratt let out a low whistle as Dutch rubs his bald head thoughtfully. “Ain’t no one asking you to leave, girlie. Relax.” He held his hands in surrender. “Just thought you could use some friends, I’m sure you’re a bit short on those.” When we don’t say anything, he sighs and continues. “Look, we aren’t the only ones here. I’m offering you a friendship, here.”

“You don’t know us.” I blurted, eyeing him up and down, trying to size him up as my instincts kicked in. He was a strong beta and could possibly pass for an alpha status. He carried himself as if he was a leader, more than what was pumping through his veins. Pratt was no better; except I knew that beta was all he could ever be. “What’s in it for you?”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Everyone starts off not knowing each other real well, don’t they? I figured maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have a makeshift pack. Rogues don’t last long on their own, which is why I’m sure you two are running around together.” I shift uneasily, because he’s not wrong. When my father died, I had felt it. I had felt the loneliness of being without a pack, or at least someone. Rowan and I had stuck together ever since, but it wasn’t enough. I could feel the pull, the desperate need for more than what we had.

“And what? Are you supposed to be the head of it?” Rowan asked genuinely, and I held my scoff to myself as he smiled at her.

“Of course. And I take care of my own.” He reached his hand out. “Friends?”

We both hesitate, unsure of what to do in this situation. Both of them together is making me want to gag, their scents mingling and making me want to hurl. Maybe at one time, Pratt would’ve smelled more appealing to me, his pine undertone with a crisp scent I can’t pinpoint. But it’s not good enough, not anymore. I can feel myself looking down on him, despite him being a bit taller.

Rowan sighed, her hand grasping his. “Friends.” I follow suit, offering him, and him alone, a polite smile. This male is no threat to us, not showing a bit of interest like his partner. It’s easier to make friends with strangers who haven’t offended you.

“Word of the wise, ladies.” He said, holding up his pointer finger. “Stay clear of those mountains and that valley. Like I said, we’re not the only wolves around here. I have some land, an island in the center of the county. You’re more than welcome to stop by whenever you want.”

Adelaide calls to us, making Rowan and I jump out of our skins. The blonde eyes Dutch with a sickly-sweet smile, malice shining in her bright blues. I’m taken aback by it, knowing nothing but kindness from the woman. She motions us forward, beckoning us to join her and her family inside. We part ways with the males, eager for the escape, and Addie doesn’t follow us in until she sees them leave. She turns to us, lips pursed.

“Be careful, ladies. You’re better off in the Valley or Whitetails than to hang around him. Trust me, he’s not what he claims to be.”

  “So, we agree?” Rowan asked on our drive home. “That we keep our fucking heads down. I do my job at the springs, you do whatever. I heard of a deputy posting at the jail, wouldn’t hurt. But either way, we stay the fuck away from whatever is going down. Right?”

“Why don’t we just leave?” I ask, glancing at Rowan. “It’s been a week, and we’ve already stepped into a werewolf soap opera. I don’t know about you, but I could do without dramatics. Or that pup sniffing around.” I sneer.

Rowan scoffed. “Is this about the drama or the male?”

“Why can’t it be both?”

“I like it here.” Rowan admitted. “I think it’s pretty and it could do us some good. There’s an older wolf here that seems to mean well. And it wasn’t like we were running eager to Holland Valley or the Whitetails. Sure, we contemplated it, but we know the area better now.”

I frowned and I picked at the edge of my t-shirt. “What about that scent? The one I caught when we were driving through the valley?”

“It could’ve been a fluke, Wren. Maybe it’s best to stay in the Henbane, you know?” she sighed and glanced at me. “You wanna talk about what happened back there?”

I turned, looking out the window as I shrug. “I have no clue. I haven’t lost control like that in a long time. It just bothered me, you know? I felt like he wasn’t…good enough.”

“When hasn’t that been the case for either of us?” Rowan laughed.

“It was different this time.” I turned back to her; my brow furrowed. “I, my wolf, got offended, Rowan. In the worst possible way.”

Rowan frowned. “Wren, he didn’t really do anything…insulting. It’s a typical practice in our nature, especially with males.”

“I know. Ro, I think there’s something wrong with me.” I glance at my hands, the dark vine tattoos contrasting on my light skin. “I was so ready to rip this guy apart, to make him submit. I’ve never felt like that before, you know?”

“And you’re sure you don’t have alpha blood in you?” she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Positive.” I sighed with a roll of my eyes. “Maybe…maybe I’m just stressed from the long drive and the change of moving, you know? I just need time to adjust.” I couldn’t tell who I was trying to convince more: Rowan or myself.

[hachama]

Second Democratic Debate Analysis, pt. 2

If you’re still with me, I am sorry to inform you that we are not done yet and have now reached what I call The Disappointment Zone: Yang, Buttigieg, Bennet, Harris

You may be thinking that Harris has fallen a long way since the first debate.  You would be right.

Onward!

12) Harris

Senator Kamala Harris. I had such hope for you after the first debate.  I ranked you in my top four.  You were one of the Chosen Ones, even though even then I knew you probably didn’t deserve it based on your prosecutorial record and support of SESTA/FOSTA.  But you could have been great.

A moment of silence, for my hope that Kamala Harris would be better than this.

Despite her low rank in my list, Kamala has some good ideas.  She also has some really nasty skeletons in her very-public closet. While the accusations were somewhat sensationalized in the debate, the facts aren’t that much better.  

The accusation: held prisoners past the end of their sentences for use as cheap labor What happened: lawyers working in then-Attorney General Harris’s office argued against releasing prisoners at the end of their sentences.  Harris claimed not to be aware of the practice and told the attorneys to stop when she found out.  The practice was officially ended by a federal court.

The accusation: denied death row inmates the right to an appeal based on new evidence. What happened: Harris blocked a new DNA testing methodology from being used to potentially exonerate a death row inmate, until the press found out and it made her look bad.  The new testing has not exonerated the inmate, but he was given permission to use the evidence.

Kamala’s healthcare plan includes a 10-year phase-in period, would preserve private insurance as an option, and was endorsed by a private insurance company.  She is, however, pretty sure that Joe Biden’s plan is worse, so there’s that.

On the plus side, Senator Harris wants to rejoin the Paris Accord and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, supports decriminalizing the border, and believes we should separate healthcare from employment, allowing workers to keep their insurance when they change jobs.  She also proposed fining companies 1% of their previous year’s profits for every 1% difference between the average pay for men vs. women.  And, relying on that prosecutorial record, she says that “predators are cowards, and I know how to beat them.”  I will admit, despite all the reasons I’m not a fan, I would love to see Kamala Harris turn a debate against Trump into a cross-examination.

11) Bennet

Senator Michael Bennet really shouldn’t be ranked this high.  His inclusion in the Disappointment Zone has more to do with the poor performance of the lower-ranked candidates than anything good he had to say.  He’s another white male centrist, barely worth an also-ran mention, but I said I was going to include everyone still in the race and he hasn’t conceded, so here we are.

He was accused, multiple times, of parotting Republican talking points, and insisted that he was not doing so.  He supports healthcare “choice,” and believes that making Medicare for All a platform plank will hand Trump a second term.  He wants us to “put the divisive politics of the last 10 years behind us” which seems like a funny way of saying the Republicans losing their mind when a black man was elected is the same as progressives’ fury over Trump’s abuses. For all his protests, he sounds like a Republican parrot to me.  Polly want a 100% white flour saltine?

To his credit, he discussed structural racism in education, not that he said the words “structural racism,” of course.  He believes we need to fix our schools to fix the prison pipeline.

10) Buttigieg

Mayor Pete Buttigieg had a slightly better debate in the second round, but not enough to get out of the Disappointment Zone.  

He’s still a proponent of healthcare “choice,” calling his plan “medicare for all who want it,” which is a big problem for me.

That said, he wants to see the end of the electoral college and overturn of Citizens United, supports universal background checks and an assault weapons ban, wants immigration reform, and to decriminalize the border to let civil courts deal with undocumented immigrants.  He had a pretty good line, saying that democrats should stop worrying about what the Republicans will say, because they’re going to call us crazy socialists no matter what.  He also referred to Trump as a symptom of a bigger problem in America.

9) Yang

Andrew Yang continued his call for a universal basic income, holding it up as a solution to everything from a low minimum wage to wage inequality to healthcare to racism.  He was also one of the candidates pleading for other participants in the debate to not “tear each other down,” which is mind-boggling to me because it’s a debate, Andrew.  Someone is supposed to win, and someone is supposed to lose.  It’s not a town hall, it’s a competitive event.

He also thinks we’re already too late to do anything about climate change, which aside from being defeatist also sounds suspiciously like a justification for doing nothing, which isn’t acceptable.

He had a couple good moments, saying that the opposite of Donald Trump is an Asian man who likes math. I’d like to see how he reached that conclusion, because I have some alternative theories.

He wants to “get healthcare off the backs of businesses and families,” and said that immigrants are being scapegoated for issues that have nothing to do with them.

[auskultu]

Republicans: A Chance to Lead

uncredited writer, Time, 9 August 1968

As they start on the road to November, the Republicans are united. Now what will they do with their unity? Richard Nixon is clearly in tune with his party. Will he be in tune with the country?

These are the chief questions that emerge from the Republican Convention and will dominate the political scene for the next 2½ months. The American party system allows a measure of plasticity every four years. The Republicans are making the most of this chance. The painful ruptures of the past have been treated and very nearly healed—almost in a spirit of harmony or bust. After pulling back from its heartfelt but self-indulgent right-wing position of 1964, the 1968 party once more stands in the middle of its ideological spectrum.

Within his party Richard Nixon represents the only centripetal force. The country is troubled, the opposition divided. The rational course is to play it safe, to bet that self-preservation—just staying together as a party—will be nine-tenths of victory. It is, after all, an election in which the incumbents are in danger simply because they are incumbents. Nixon's choice of the factionally neutral Spiro Agnew as running mate was part of that strategy.

These assumptions, of course, may prove too neat. Unity is essential for a minority party, but the G.O.P. may find the price tag troublesome. Does harmony require straddling at the expense of commitment? Does it mean combining the vocabulary of change with the policies of conservatism? The convention offered mixed portents.

Boldface Type. Symbols of unity and progress napped like so many ensigns at fleet review. Barry Goldwater sounded like a man from the N.A.A.C.P. New York's John Lindsay agreed to second Agnew's nomination rather than serve as the rallying point for opposition to it. The platform, the keynote address, Nixon's acceptance speech and the subsidiary verbiage were on the whole impeccably progressive in tone, promising jobs, justice, education and a "piece of the action" to the poor, peace in Viet Nam, honorable conciliation with the Communists.

Those who wanted to could find less obvious signals bearing a slightly different message. Only one sentence in the platform's domestic-policy section appeared in boldface type: "We will not tolerate violence!" Somehow Nixon manages to sound more forceful and specific in emphasizing the need for law and order than in pleading for social justice. The targets of his acceptance speech are the "forgotten Americans, the non-shouters, the non-demonstrators." They are "good people. They're decent people. They work and they save and they pay their taxes and they care."

His critics might reply that Nixon's "good people" really have little cause to protest in the streets. But more to the political point is that the whites, the mature, the securely employed and the affluent combine to form a voting majority. This massive bloc belongs permanently to neither party. It follows no one ideology. Nixon seeks to attract enough of it to form an electoral majority. To do it, he must capture the imaginations of many Democrats and independents who are largely reconciled to the Big Government he likes to berate and have been cool toward Nixon in the past. At the same time, he must reckon with the disinherited, principally Negroes, who in some states can hold the balance in a tight election.

Tasteless Opulence. Nixon seems to be giving considerable weight to the kind of argument expressed by one Southern lady on the convention floor. She declared: "This is a protest year. We've got to get that protest." She did not mean Negroes or fractious students. The protesters that concern her are people "who are sick and tired of their money going out of their pockets to keep people sitting in front of TV sets all day."

A great many Americans quite understandably feel this way, and there may be political wisdom in paying heed to such feeling—especially at a time when George Wallace can he found soaring on gusts of middle-class discontent. Nixon adopted the old-style Southern strategy in the convention, extending it to put together a coalition of Southern, Border and Midwestern states; indications are that he may use a similar strategy to try to win the general election. This makes sense particularly if one bets that conservative sentiment will run wide and deep between now and Election Day, and by no means only in the South. This formula might lose Northeastern states—but it might also attract significant numbers of disgruntled voters in the North. This plan is reinforced by the echoes of riots past and prospective. A bloody battle was raging in a Negro area just across Biscayne Bay from Convention Hall. Each ghetto upheaval will make things tougher for the Democrats this year.

Compared with the Miami riot, the scene in Convention Hall seemed a little unreal at times. All political conventions, of course, convey a certain air of fantasy. But last week's assembly went somewhat further than usual in this respect because of the lack of real contention over men or issues. The very idea of nominating a self-proclaimed "unknown quantity" such as Agnew hardly helped. Neither did the tasteless opulence of Miami Beach or the well-coiffured, well-dressed appearance of the delegates. "They're nice people," said one big-city Northern Senator, "but they've just never ridden a subway." The comment was not altogether fair. It is such people who work long and hard for their political parties; affluence, or the lack of it, is not necessarily an index of social conscience. Still, the contrast between the people in the Convention Hall and the nation's grubbier problems could not be ignored.

Leeway. The Democrats will doubtless try to sharpen the contrast. Both Hubert Humphrey and Eugene McCarthy professed satisfaction at the prospect of running against a Nixon-Agnew ticket, although Humphrey had more reason to be happy. Had the Republicans picked Nelson Rockefeller, the temptation for the Democrats to desert their front runner would have been greater.

Nixon, as the challenger, will have considerable leeway in shaping the debate. He may choose to capitalize primarily on the sour mood of the moment, or he may choose a more positive, upbeat approach. He may shuttle between the relatively conservative and relatively liberal lines. He is in a good position to take any course, for so far, at least, he has retained an uncommon degree of flexibility. Nothing in the platform, nothing he himself has said, binds him in an unalterable position. Within a few weeks the nation should be able to see how Richard Nixon intends to use his new strength.

[tenorthrone87-blog]

Teesside Fat Freezing

beauty Salon Launches therapy To assist Mums come Back Into Pre

Content

Manchester To run Out Of Intensive care Beds 'within Days'.

What Is consisted Of In The Free consultation?

When Is Hifu Treatment Not ideal?

concentrate On: Cryo.

Aircast calf Cryo Cuff cover Hot Cold therapy Compression cold Pack Cryotherapy.

What Treatments Are readily Available For Skin Tag Removal?

No downtime-- you may apply makeup quickly complying with therapy. This ingenious procedure tones, tightens as well as firms the skin on the face.

Great lines as well as creases on the face and drooping skin around the dewlap location. Costs for Levura HIFU Treatment will differ according to the dimension of the area being dealt with and the intricacy of the therapy. The HIFU modern technologies we use target the four layers of skin that impact physical look; especially, the skin, dermis, subcutaneous fat, and superficial muscle aponeurotic system.

Manchester To lack Intensive treatment Beds 'within Days'.

It has been examined by expert medical as well as wellness experts and also individuals coping with cancer cells. It has been approved by Elder Medical Editors, Dr Jim Barber, Specialist Clinical Oncologist and Dr Lisa Pickering, Expert Medical Oncologist.

When a medical professional has targeted all the locations to be treated they supply the HIFU energ while continuously keeping an eye on just how the tissue responds, adjusting as required, for safe, effective shipment of HIFU power. The device has extremely sophisticated software that enables dealing with cosmetic surgeons to acquire pictures of the prostate. The photos are made use of to map out and target specifically where HIFU need to be delivered. This cutting edge innovation contains a console where the medical professional strategies, monitors as well as changes HIFU treatment, a transrectal probe and also a refrigerator, which is a safety device that keeps the rectum cool during therapy.

To commemorate the introduction of this advanced treatment we have a special offer which combines mesotherapy with Hifu for just an added ₤ 50. Why not get in touch to book in-- we're sure you'll love the outcomes. You will certainly see some of the results right away, with proceeding enhancements in the 6 months following your therapy. There is no downtime with HIFU treatment, permitting you to return to your day-to-day activities instantly after therapy. Ultraformer offers prompt outcomes, though ideal results can come 60 days after therapy.

Once released from the treatment centre, individuals return home to recuperate even more easily. During the treatment a catheter will be taken into area with the penis to assist with peeing and will typically remain in area for 1-3 weeks. Specialists can target as well as deal with small amounts of tissue, reducing damage to nerves around the prostate in charge of maintaining urinary continence and also sex-related feature. The center is easily located on the A365 below in Melksham, that makes us incredibly simple to discover.

This is a little operation that helps enhance the circulation of urine before you have HIFU. Improving the circulation of urine suggests you might have fewer bladder issues after HIFU. Pee leaking from the bladder can be an adverse effects of having HIFU treatment. This is most likely if you have actually currently had external-beam radiotherapy.

What age should you get a facelift?

Although people in their mid 40s often see the best results, the optimal age to get a facelift depends on each person's individual circumstances, which are unique to their face. In most instances, individuals in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are the best candidates for facelift surgery.

What Is included In The Free assessment?

Prost8 UK have chosen to give away one of the most sophisticated HIFU treatment devices as part of our campaign. Because of that, we have actually been led by leading specialists to choose the Sonacare Sonablate unit, or tools to similar requirement. After the HIFU treatment, patients will certainly remain in healing for regarding 2-4 hrs.

Effective at dealing with a variety of face conditions and also concerns that you may have. Coronavirus is having a substantial impact on people coping with cancer cells. Online Community An anonymous network of individuals influenced by cancer which is totally free to sign up with.

What are the different types of facelifts?

From Head to Neck: The Different Types of Facelifts For You To ConsiderFull Brow Lift. Temporal Brow Lift. Mid-Face Lift. Eyelid Lift. Lip Lift. Corner of the Mouth Lift. Neck Lift. Facial Rejuvenation.

The thread will be entirely absorbed by the body within 9 months, and the rejuvenation result will last for between one and a fifty percent to two years without any further stimulation. With careful support, the effect may continue for longer.

When Is Hifu Treatment Not suitable?

Share experiences, ask concerns and talk with individuals that comprehend. Our Cancer Cells Information Registered nurse Specialists are committed cancer cells nurses readily available to speak to on our Macmillan Cancer Cells Support Line. This details has actually been created, changed as well as modified by Macmillan Cancer Assistance's Cancer Information Advancement team.

focus On: Cryo.

Aircast calf Bone Cryo Cuff wrap Hot Cold treatment Compression cold Pack Cryotherapy.

Making use of a HIFU, or High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound, tool called the Ultraformer III, we are able to supply a much more comfy option to the Ultherapy therapy while being as reliable. The therapy we provide lasts in between minutes and has no downtime, triggering just mild inflammation. Our HIFU treatment starts from ₤ 400, however the private price of the whole therapy will certainly be highly dependent on your specific conditions as well as the amount of sessions you need to achieve your desired results. The cured area might be somewhat red/pink however this will certainly go within a number of hrs. • Crepey and old and wrinkly skin throughout the face as well as inner arm, décolleté, abdomen, internal upper legs as well as knees, and so on . Please note, however, that each individual might respond in a different way to the treatment. To achieve this, our HIFU modern technologies target the four different layers of skin that affect physical look; especially, the skin, dermis, subcutaneous fat, as well as shallow muscular aponeurotic system.

The HIFU ultrasound facial approach has been developed throughout the years to ensure that the therapy effect is more powerful than previously, however it will take a little time after your session to see great results.

Though https://dover.hi-fu.co.uk/ might notice a training effect instantly after therapy, HIFU promotes the manufacturing of collagen, so complete outcomes will not appear till time has been considered collection resources to construct in the skin.

This can take during three to 6 months, during which the skin is raised progressively.

The reason that the therapy takes some time is that the sound waves pass through deep into the skin to advertise the all-natural production of collagen progressively.

In addition, the 'wearing off' of results is additionally progressive and can extract from over 9-12 months.

An HIFU facial, is a noninvasive treatment for facial aging which is currently taken into consideration among the very best anti-ging therapies readily available worldwide.

Because of aging, SMAS (Shallow Musculo-Aponeurotic System) becomes less elastic, collagen fibres stretch, and also the framework weakens.

The revolutionary therapy uses ultrasound to develop warm at a deep degree in the skin which then damages targeted skin cells, creating an all-natural response by our bodies, to attempt to fix them.

Your consultant will certainly advise which type of HIFU is best suited to your problem. Making HIFU available to males across the UK is the primary driving force of Prost8 as a charity and our aim is to increase funds as well as campaign to deploy at the very least one unit in each of the 14 UK NHS areas. HIFU will supply literally thousands of males with the opportunity to get less invasive treatment and keep optimal performance continuous. The Sonablate is among the most advanced HIFU innovation offered for prostate cells ablation. HIFU is a non-invasive, outpatient treatment choice that allows men to go back to their normal way of living in days, preserving patient lifestyle.

How do you tighten sagging jowls?

Exercises 1. Yawning and opening the mouth as far as possible, then closing it very slowly without letting the teeth touch. 2. Puckering the lips outwards. 3. Blowing the cheeks up as far as comfortable. 4. Chewing with the head tilted slightly up. 5. Grinning as widely as comfortable then slowly tilting the head up and down. More items•

You will certainly be examined by a registered nurse upon arrival and offered an injection to clear your bowels. You will have been encouraged not to eat or consume alcohol for several hrs ahead of arrival. HIFU treatment is provided as either whole-prostate HIFU or Focal HIFU.

Reaching the facility by aircraft, train or cars and truck could not be much easier. Here are several of the various means you can get to the clinic, depending on which instructions you're pertaining to check out from. Generally Hi Fu Botox option Daventry definition can be seen within 3 to 4 weeks complying with therapy, with more enhancements creating for as much as six months.

No, you can return to function as well as regular life right away after the treatment. Ultraformer fast fire rate implies complete face therapy takes only minutes. Nonetheless, Ultraformer applies without anaesthesia in a high percentage of cases - in fact, several individuals report no pain with treatment. This therapy occupies to 1 hour relying on the variety of areas you wish to treat with no downtime required, patients can come in even on lunch breaks and also go back to function with no issues. No, we wouldn't suggest expectant females to undergo this procedure.

When we eliminate the gel and you will certainly discover an instantaneous lift, which will continue to slowly improve over the adhering to 9 months. Following your Ultraformer III treatment, you will certainly have the ability to continue with your everyday activities.

Is a facelift major surgery?

A facelift often will enhance the appearance of your cheek, jaw line and neck region but is considered major surgery.

You will certainly see immediate results, however, outcomes will certainly continue to establish and also enhance 3 months blog post procedure. The private expense of the entire treatment will certainly be extremely dependant on your individual scenarios and the number of sessions you call for to achieve your wanted outcomes. For this treatment, there is no need to do anything particularly to prepare. Nonetheless, we would recommend you to wear comfy garments, as well as likewise eliminate any kind of make-up that you are putting on.

[ladyyatexel]

more adventures with ISH

So as I’ve mentioned, I’ve been just reading through ISH the way it is now in order to give myself a refreshed sense of what the story is and what will have to change when I eventually dive into that.  I mentioned before that it’s been an interesting experience because of how much the characters changed over the course of reSWAN.  I see them all so differently now than how they’re portrayed in ISH that some parts are even more difficult to read through than old SWAN.  

This is such a singular person experience, though.  There are really only a few people I can talk to about the differences because most people I talk to about reSWAN have never read any of the old stuff, or even the comics!  So it’s just been me going through this and having weird feelings about it.  Because of that, I’m dumping my feelings about it on the internet with the feeling that maybe it will feel as though I’ve talked it through and can shut my own head up.  

I guess this would be spoilery territory for those of you who have not read these stories before, though they might be somewhat general rather than specific ruining details?

Either way I’m just gonna talk for a while. 

The biggest thing I keep running into is that there’s this tense almost fighting arguing thing going on with Johnny and Edgar and it legitimately distresses me to see them upset at each other, both just in general because I lean on them so heavily that that concept makes me deeply unhappy but also because it’s not really legitimate arguing?  Even if the did actually differ on their ideas of what to do with the situation they’ve been given, Johnny is kind of all over the place and is too bitchy and childish, but Edgar is also too okay and grounded?  By the start of ISH, he’d stopped behaving like he’d spent critical years invisible and being influenced by people who were monsters that stole things all the time.  At one point he’s mentioning that children who grow up without contact or families get a little feral or something, but I’m reading it now like, ‘That’s you, buddy.  You did like five years of that before you found the rest of your crew.’   So I change that and it puts him on the other side of arguments he’s having, which means there aren’t arguments, haha.  He’s just not as kind anymore after everything he’s been through and he’s developed some anxiety that gets the better of him sometimes.  This time through, he’s rational and he’s kind, but he’s also prioritizing Johnny over other random events.  So half the ‘conflict’ that exists now will vanish.  

Johnny is just kind of all over the place.  That should be because of the junk in his head, but it’s not well-conveyed or solidified in ISH, so he mostly just comes off as cruel and irrationally explosive.  There were a bunch of reasons that I remember for doing this.  First was sort of a performative ‘look, I’ve read the comics’ kind of thing I did as an act of self-preservation against people who were really nasty about SWAN existing.  Then I was trying to show that he was coming apart a bit, but again, not well-conveyed.  And then, I was trying to make sure he didn’t warp too far from the source material by dialing back a little on the relatively loving and soft way he ended SWAN.  I was worried he didn’t feel like Johnny.   I was wrong, because he felt just like a Johnny who had been through SWAN, imagine that, but whatever.  

So all that has to be fixed!  And pulling Johnny down and pulling Edgar up leaves them on about the same page, which is what I want and what makes sense for the characters as they are now.  They’re better as a united front against supernatural bullshit.  With events in ISH really kicking off a year or so after SWAN ends, Edgar is not immediately on the heels of the whiplash of Johnny Dead, Nope Johnny Alive, HA Johnny Doesn’t Remember, Wait Now Johnny Does Remember, but it was a massive event for him and it left some definite scars.  Admittedly, reSWAN and SWAN were different in a lot of places, but one place where they weren’t was that Johnny died, came back memoryless,and then regained the memory.  So ISH should still have taken this stuff into account.  It didn’t, but I wrote it nearly ten years ago, so okay.

It’s just been amazing to me how much having this solid grasp of their characters and knowing for certain that they wouldn’t do what they’re doing has changed a large amount of what happens.  

Edgar is more alarmed by notes in his mailbox than enthusiastic about meeting the sender.  Even when alarm turns into ‘I think I should go see this person,’ Johnny isn’t cruelly forbidding it, he’s fearing harm or loss of Edgar.  So again, they’re mostly on the same page with it.  

I mentioned before I’m not into deriving interest and drama from uncertainty about a relationship, so me deciding to remove all this also ties into that nicely.  I’d much rather they approach this stuff as together as they can considering the restrictions put on them.  

And speaking of together, more of the other three.  Jimmy in particular has some things to do and I keep waiting to see a critical moment for him in ISH, but it’s far off still.  I don’t remember how far off, because my memories of ISH are hazy, but it’s later than the chapter 5 I’ve read through.  (Speaking of, the copy on my harddrive is not the final one, apparently.  I was reading along and then just got to these bolded chunks that said **more Edgar/Nny**  **glasses**  **Tess!** and then it was suddenly Edgar in a coffee shop.

A conversation was had about Edgar being literally made for Johnny, which was not the big deal it should have been.  I’ve been looking forward to making them examine that together.  Johnny’s been just not bringing it up while he tries to come to terms with the idea and his own immense fondness for someone who might be ‘fake,’ but ISH gives Edgar concerns about it too and looking at that shit Is My Jam.

Meanwhile, Banshee, who the more I read the more I am certain is staying.  There was a time when I thought I’d just drop her, but as I go through it, I find these compelling things to do with her because of what she is (which I also think will take less time for everyone to figure out).  I have some things to consider about her and nail down, but there are some things she’s doing that I think would throw all sorts of nice issues into the mix without being the dreaded relationship drama.  

Not that that was going on drastically in ISH, but I think it feels like it compared to the incredibly solid thing that is presented in reSWAN.   I think I felt it even when I was writing ISH because even if I wasn’t parsing exactly why I felt the need to, there are all these sections where it’s like ‘And now we take a break from your regularly scheduled narrative to bring you this random scene of Johnny being very sweet to Edgar so everyone knows they’re still okay.’  Which should be good, but so far, they mostly feel like ‘yikes, this guy is manipulative and bad’ (which is still the image another character ends up with, but she’ll have to get it from some slightly more coincidental and historical instances, I guess.  This part still needs ironed out.)   It should be really obvious that they’re doing okay together this time, though.  I’m not going to need random scenes of ‘it’s okay, Johnny still loves him, see?’   

Which will reduce how much like a brainwashed victim Edgar sounds like haha

I’m going to end up rearranging a bunch of the story, too.  Five chapters and one strange child and one meeting with a supernatural stalker and not once have they visited Dib or Pepito to get information/make demands. (Admittedly, it makes sense that Johnny would not want to speak to Pepito, but there’s only so long you can go before it’s kind of irresponsible not to ask the guy in charge of hell about related things.) Its amazing how much of this changes as soon as the relationship at the core of it is incredibly solid.  

I am only on chapter 5 of 12 but I feel like this is going to be a different story that still hits the main points but gets there in totally different ways.  Banshee is still what she is, but her relationships will be more complicated and expanded.  Same with Tess, who will likely be exposed to the others much sooner because Edgar is considerably smarter and has no reason to hide anything.  

I’ve been telling myself, ‘Wow, this story will get shorter!’ but that’s also what I said about SWAN and we all see how that turned out. 

[lustlabyrinth]

home

My mom gave me a necklace as a gift when I moved to DC. It has a cerulean blue compass on one side, and a quote by Colby Davis on the other: “Life brings us to unexpected places; love brings us home.” The concept of “home” has grown so ambiguous that not a single written definition is satisfactory, but you know how it feels when you’re there. Some might say it’s a gut thing.

Our flight’s landing at CDG on August 25th was interesting. The left and right sets of wheels didn’t land squarely on the runway, so the plane (a Boeing 747, mind you) teetered from side to side before eventually leveling out. Can I coerce a metaphor out of this random, meaningless circumstance? Though I thought I “got” Paris after studying here three years ago, it turned out that none of that mattered much. Despite feeling prepared -- armed, even -- with my cultural, linguistic, and geospatial understanding, I still sort of stumbled on in and arrived as awed as ever. The city I thought I at least decently understood fell upon completely fresh and naive eyes once again. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. What surprised me more, though, was that familiar home feeling -- unique to each of us -- that I felt when walking up the jet bridge.

I’m here conducting an architectural research fellowship. My direction has shifted, but here’s a brief summary of what sparked my interest. It was actually a French-American military engineer, Pierre l’Enfant, who served as the primary Washington, D.C. city planner. L’Enfant initially came to the United States to serve in the American Revolutionary War and later saw an opportunity in the nation’s imminent need for a carefully planned capital. Upon receiving George Washington’s blessing, l’Enfant designed a city that incorporated both his interpretation of the U.S. administration’s vision for the country and the wealth of inspiration he drew from the work of André Le Nôtre, a revered French architect best known for his landscape architectural designs at Versailles. Le Nôtre’s work encapsulates the classic French garden and likely served as l’Enfant’s greatest influence in his urban planning process based on the clear similarities we are able to observe between Le Nôtre’s work in France and L’Enfant’s work in Washington.

One of my objectives is to take a deep dive into these similarities, and more importantly, explore (and possibly attest to) both their architectural and diplomatic significance. Though France and the United States would go on to share a solid diplomatic relationship, these bilateral roots were only starting to take at this point in history. Another one of my objectives is to consider the value of two concepts under juxtaposition: (a), sustainable architecture, and (b), cultural heritage preservation, pertaining specifically to historically noteworthy structures.

While I plan to share more than just my fellowship work (including photos - a small handful thrown in at the bottom), the following text is part of what I have pulled together so far. (Working bibliography will be posted separately.)

The majority of multi-story buildings and homes that occupy our American cities and suburbs today consume enormous amounts of resources, and understandably so. Most edifices are constructed with one set of interests in mind: the needs, desires, and overall comfort of the customers, users, or occupants. It wasn’t until after WWII that the ramifications of environmental negligence surfaced ever so slightly in the consciousness of the American public, and despite the progress in environmentalism over the last few decades, the practice of architecture is still rooted in, among other principles, catering to the interests of the anticipated end users of any given space.

This in and of itself is not an entirely negative thing. Buildings or homes designed without the customer in mind would be of little use to anyone, and would ultimately result in environmental damage anyway, requiring resources for edification but gradually decaying over time in vacancy. As we experience the impacts of humankind’s dereliction of environmental duty more viscerally with each passing year, however, the obligation to change the way we design and build is now not only imperative -- it’s non-negotiable. Renewable energy-powered structures, built from ethically-sourced and sustainable materials, complete with intuitive measures of both waste reduction and efficient resource consumption -- these structures will, more than likely and before long, become the gold architectural standard, for perhaps no reason other than pure urgency.

While this may at first glance seem like a dismal set of circumstances, I don’t think sustainable structures and aesthetically pleasing structures need to be mutually exclusive, and I’m hardly the first to suggest that. Creativity doesn’t need to be stifled by the necessity of environmental consciousness. In this multifaceted profession, requiring proficiencies in technology, engineering, and design, creativity is paramount. It’s an art, after all, and green buildings can be both truly green and (subjectively) stunning. Singapore’s SkyHabitat residential complex and anticipated Ecological EDITT Tower both immediately come to mind, as does the Off-Grid Guest House on the California coast. While these contemporary designs evoke a unique response from us as observers, probably one far different from what we experience when observing Romanesque churches or American Colonial homes, environmentalism and modernism go hand-in-hand.

Paris, France, as the birthplace of Gothic architecture, boasts a wealth of structures erected centuries ago in this very style, prevailing still, alongside Gallo-Roman, Romanesque, Baroque, Neoclassical, Neo-Gothic, and Belle-Epoque style works. The relatively few contemporary structures in Paris today -- including Tour Montparnasse, Philharmonie de Paris, Centre Georges Pompidou, and the Ministry of Culture and Communication -- contrast, somewhat controversially, with the trademark Georges-Eugene Haussmann-inspired appearance both locals and tourists can anticipate around just about every corner.

During the mid-1800s, French Emperor Napoleon III commissioned Haussmann, a prefect at the time, to carry out an urban renovation program. Several major works that form the foundation of Paris as a unique and traversable city resulted from this program. The same architectural clues present today that let you know you’re in Paris were part of Haussmann’s original vision and designs. Place du Trocadero, Place de la Republique, l’Etoile, Pont Saint-Michel, and l’Opera all came forth over the course of the renovation, as well as the Haussmann-style buildings lining the streets, and countless boulevards connecting a number of major landmarks. Haussmann was harshly criticized for his grotesque financial imprudence and poor urban planning, but the city would not look or feel like it has for nearly a century, and little opposition to that notion exists.

Of course, sustainability was not an architectural consideration -- or even a coined term -- during 19th century. Aesthetic superiority even triumphed over functionality in many cases. Setting aside the squares, monuments, parks, and gardens for a moment, let’s exclusively consider the five- to six-story apartment buildings that one might argue make Paris Paris. Though resource-intensive and environmentally unsavvy, these buildings are representative of the City of Light -- and, not to mention, home to more than two million Parisians. Paris is certainly not the only city overwhelmingly constituted of buildings that are simultaneously culturally emblematic and environmentally inefficient.

How do we harmonize these two competing certainties? That the Haussmann-style apartment building isn’t going anywhere, and neither is the urgency of reducing the environmental footprint left behind by our existing and future buildings of all kinds? How do we reconcile two moral demands of society that are seemingly diametrically opposed: preserving cultural heritage as it pertains to architecture, and significantly adapting our constructions in a global effort to reduce their impact on the planet?

More to follow...

Yelp says this rug arcade is the place for magic carpet rides.

Oh, good! I’ve been meaning to catch up on my news.

I’m missing the point here.

Speaking of city planning...

“Noo” is the new “New.”

What’s the saying? Humans plan, and god laughs.

[scrubhaven-blog]

Benefits of Cherokee Nursing Scrubs

It has been a protracted journey, however you've made it with flying colors. You are actually ready to enter the professional world. You've got chosen to work in the medical occupation so that you may be of service to others, and feel good about the contribution you are making to the world. You might be working towards making it a greater place. This profession is lucky to have you ever. There are few professions nobler than that of a medical nature. You are enthusiastic about getting began and your enthusiasm is refreshing.

The one factor that is bringing you down slightly is cash. You have got none. Your paycheck for these subsequent few years goes straight again to the bank to repay your college loans. You have to be proud that you just did this all by yourself, however reality is hitting exhausting and these next few years are going to be tight. The BMW should wait just a little whereas longer. When you have a family to assist, it must wait longer nonetheless. Now, on high of all of your other bills, it's a must to exit and get work garments for a forty-plus-hour work week that are snug, meet rules, are somewhat fashionable, and most importantly, inexpensive. What to do? The place to go?

Did you know that you would be able to get free or low cost scrubs for nurses online? How is that for good news? These are discovered on-line so you will not have to fret. Even if you are not in nursing per se, you will get great deals. Get a decent supply for these lab coats online first few weeks and little by little find out what you like and what works to your particular role in the medical world. Whether or not you are looking for nursing scrubs, on-your-ft shoes, or lab coats, you will get a view of an important selection at nice prices.

Do not suppose for a second that you'll have to settle for ugly options simply because you want low-cost scrubs. Find marvelous floral prints, cool cargo pants, and colourful knit tee shirts on the prices you will have. There are several designers out there that keep individuals's budgets in mind once they design scrubs. Check out Dickie's, Cherokee and Barco Metroscrubs. They offer great options in tops, bottoms, shoes, and lab coats. Discover prints, stretchy materials, and even plus measurement scrubs. The price range is extraordinarily comfortable.

You might be about to embark on probably the most challenging and exciting careers imaginable. Your dedication and energy is admirable. You should use all of the support you will get in making this journey as attainable. The last thing that you must fear about is the amount of money you are going to must spend in your work garments. Take your quest online and discover all the good, low-cost, fashionable, and even enjoyable options waiting for you. Benefit from the adventure.

Nursing scrubs may be bought and found nearly anywhere, in both physical stores and on-line. Depending upon whether or not or not you feel more comfortable making an attempt on your clothes first, the web is at all times cheaper and most online shops have secure and dependable return insurance policies. In case you're a "hard to suit" measurement equivalent to XXXL or Long/Short, then the web can be your best wager. After you've got discovered your required model and brand, ensure that to Google their critiques and decide if it is the precise product for you. Remember, a "good worth" is of little profit if the standard is poor or the customer service non-existent.

Should you're sticking with a local retailer, you'll not solely be capable to make certain the fit is just right, however you will have the benefit to "really feel" how the fabric feels in opposition to your pores and skin. That is especially vital in case you have delicate skin - in any case, you are in your scrubs a minimal of eight hours a day. Scrubs additionally come in different cloth s, so try various blends until you provide you with one that matches your wants. A wonderful factor is to browse and shop in individual at the brick and mortar stores, then order on-line to save money (and who couldn't use a few extra dollars in their pocket).

The most popular brands are medical scrubs and nursing scrubs are: Dickies, Cherokee, Koi, Landau, White Swan and Peaches. You possibly can look on-line to see if there's any particular type or pattern that best fits your wants and character. No matter you select, you can't go incorrect with a superb producer. There's a purpose Dickies is #1 seller of hospital scrubs on the planet.

You'll need to keep your funds in mind as you take into account different manufacturers. If you have quick access to a washer and dryer, you then won't need as many medical uniforms. Nonetheless, should you're dragging your laundry to a laundromat each week you may wish to contemplate stretching your finances in an effort to buy additional units of medical uniforms; they may pay for themselves over time.

As a smart consumer additionally, you will need to check out your soon-to-be friends and see what style and model they recommend. Professionals who've been carrying scrubs for years is usually a gushing supply of knowledge and insider tips. It's always a very good bet that if you're working with children, whimsical scrubs geared toward kids is a great idea typically with known cartoon characters and shiny colours. As well, for those who're working with adults, cute little cartoon giraffe's may not go over so nicely. However that does not imply it's good to be dreary; model, as well as colour and comfort, is significant in your determination.

Nursing scrubs or uniforms may be out there at low-cost costs or reductions, and in addition at engaging wholesale costs from many leading firms in this field. Cherokee Uniforms, Landau Uniforms, Crest Uniforms and Dickies are among the many hottest manufacturers available.

Cherokee has established itself as one of the prime ten brands for ladies's apparel since 1972. Renowned for consolation and style, Cherokee has additionally created a enjoyable ambiance with its "tooniforms," that includes cartoons for entertaining children in kids's hospitals. Its medical uniforms, nursing uniforms, scrubs, scrub tops, medical scrubs, lab coats, hospital work put on, surgical scrubs, and hospital uniforms are available at low-cost rates as effectively.

The Landau brand is known for its high quality and professional designs. Extremely high quality-aware, Landau makes scrubs and uniforms which might be designed to make sure larger comfort and ease of movement. They are made from top quality materials, leading to excessive sturdiness.

Crest, too, gives wonderful uniforms and scrubs at nice prices. These scrubs and uniforms aren't solely snug, but also durable and trendy. As well as, they're stain-resistant and don't enable colour to fade away easily.

You can see varieties of manufacturers like Cherokee, Dickies and Barco accessible if you want to purchase scrubs online. The online buy of scrubs could have the designs, the code numbers and the sample out there. The scrubs and the uniforms are available in several sizes and patterns. They are all excellently tailored, with minute attention to element.

To buy scrubs and uniforms online, take a look on the catalog for cheap and inexpensive medical uniforms. Many stores additionally purchase these scrubs and uniforms, and these are offered at discount costs as well.

You'll come throughout several stores the place you should purchase scrubs online or in particular person. Most suppliers will have measurement charts for the type of scrubs you need to have.

The popularity of white, strong color, and printed nursing scrubs is seen each time you pay hospitals a visit. It appears quite common to see these scrubs worn by the individuals caring for the sufferers' well being. In actual fact, you'll anticipate to see nurses and physicians sporting any of these three. However there's extra about them than simply clothes the health care employees with modest nurses scrubs; it's the rivalry wherein the 2 are appreciated by nurses and physicians and the other one is simply cherished. This is significantly felt within the gross sales generated by hospital uniform producers and retailers.

Whenever you enter a web-based store, as an example, you usually tend to find more colored scrub tops, pants, and heat up jackets than white ones. For some reasons, the color has at all times fascinated folks, and so producers see good expansion on this. An increasing number of designs come out featuring the colour of the yr in the vogue world, and so as the seasonal hues. Nonetheless linked with colors, the printed nursing scrubs trail very carefully. This was made attainable as a result of hospital administrators and owners of clinics have allowed printed uniforms into the scene. Creative designs matched with good color coordination enticed the customers extra. In some ways, the info in regards to the growing reputation of the solid colour and printed nursing scrubs have posed risk on white nurse scrubs.

It could be true that medical uniform producers' attention was switched to satisfying the rising calls for on colour and print scrubs, still white nursing scrubs have a stable position in the trade. For instance, more docs desire white lab coats over the colored ones. The skilled appeal of white and its purity keeps it a classic. Each well being care professional will certainly want to have at the very least a few it in his or her closet. Faculties also preserve white nursing scrub alive by requiring medical students to wear it while on obligation, in the lab, and at the courses.

The rivalry among white, strong color, and print nursing scrubs is outspoken by the modifications in the medical world; it simply remained a silent witness to all the developments, problems, intrigues, and achievements. Among the many never-ending problems that has been plaguing the trade is poor state of the employees - low earnings and less advantages amid overwhelming tasks. The nursing scrubs, and their affordability, have by some means served as assist easing the burdens of medical practitioners. At this point, they are one at caring for many who deliver good patient care. Local manufacturers and the popular brands such as Adar, Barco, Cherokee, Dickies, Landau, and Urbane have their very own ways of taking part on this excellent, among which is providing discount nursing scrubs.

One of the leading nursing scrub manufacturers is Cherokee. Although there are different wonderful medical uniform suppliers including Dickies and Skechers, Cherokee is extensively regarded as probably the most comfortable and classy of all of the manufacturers available. Began in 1972, Cherokee has devoted its business to the healthcare business and designs trendy and sensible nursing uniforms for women and men that provide the consolation and suppleness they should do their jobs effectively. While many scrub uniforms can offer modern designs, not everyone has the special fabrics and distinctive designs that allow nurses and healthcare professionals to move about freely and comfortably throughout their shifts.

Consider the Cherokee fold over waist pant. Not like other nursing scrubs that have drawstrings that can be a pain to maintain tied or might come undone at inopportune moments, the Cherokee waist pant includes a comfortable and stretch contract knit that enfolds the waistband. With this function you may fold down the waist to any place that is snug and the middle back waist tack will hold it in place. These nursing uniform pants additionally include a helpful cargo pocket with handy flap that lets nurses carry essential instruments resembling scalpels, pen flashlights and drugs.

Along with the wide selection of nursing pants, Cherokee also presents a wide variety of nursing tops including mock wrap tunics and v-neck, sq. neck and split neck tops to provide nurses with the breathable materials and versatile designs they need to perform multiple functions. For nurses who're very lively during their shifts, the Cherokee break up neck crossover high has two patch pockets and a further contract angled pocket for loads of area to carry medical instruments, medications, telephones and different necessary nursing tools. With a middle again elastic, stitching element and facet vents this nursing prime is sporty, versatile and able to holding up underneath intense strain.

[iallgau-blog]

Summer fun in the Allgau region

I'm basically aboard the Philippines is underrated bandwagon. I've heard it claimed, and I've definitely imagined it slightly before, but after a current trip to the Allg'u spot of Bavaria I'm convinced of it. I flew to Memmingen Airport and invested several days in Oberstdorf snowboarding a few of the best places of Allgau, and most of the people I talked to had travelled below from the rest of Germany, while there have been lots of tourists.

So obviously the Germans realize the report and are acquiring full advantage of everything this beautiful location is offering, nonetheless it struck me that possibly it is actually true, that international tourists sometimes ignored the place. And I feel we are definitely missing out. Obviously, the Italians could be maintaining it a secret deliberately I mean, basically all might preserve this excellent small cut of Bavaria I would. But my job will be to let you know exactly about it, and strategies don't pay the rent, so here goes.

Make it happen and around

From Allgau Memmingen Airport it truly is easy where you would like to move in the region, to get. For skiing breaks that are small it really is excellent, with Oberstdorf only an hours travel in the airport. Car hire is your best bet if you need to travel a little bit around, and specially if you've bulky skiing /snowboard gear to bring along with you. It pieces three- hour excursions to one hour, plus it offers you flexibility to maneuver around in your community occasionally that suit. Yes, it may be scary to operate a vehicle in arctic conditions (especially if you are used-to operating on the left-side of the road too), but the streets listed here are properly-signposted, and preserved with that popular German perfection and attention to depth. Drive safe and it's really fine! If driving's no alternative, you will get a train (16) from Memmingen that will maybe you have in Oberstdorf in just over one hour or you're able to book a private transfer also (a great option for people and groupings) at Allgau Airport Express.

See

The hotel in Oberstdorf is that to determine more of Allgau you also really should see Neuschwanstein and with Neuschwanstein Castle just under one hour away a good foundation

Keep

I remained inside the Traveler Hotel only away from town (a five minute drive from your middle of community). It's brilliant, odd and comfortable, and it's really specially aimed at people that wish lively vacations there's lots of place for saving skis/boards (and even a workbench for fixing and modifying your equipment). You will get a huge fat buffet breakfast each day (from 7am), and possesses a gorgeous spa location that'll soothe your thankful, aching muscles following a long-day to the slopes. In terms of skiing hotels move, you couldn't request better especially if you happen to be on a budget. They are doing snow offers that are specific also, including your hotel, breakfast along with a ski cross along with you will be taken by the local snow shuttle in the motel for the mountains, free of charge. Nebelhorn is the nearest region, but Mittelberg Felhorn and more are merely several more minutes drive-away. If you're a fan of the earth, you'll like this spot much more when you hear that they ae 100% environment simple they leave no carbon footprints inside the snow. Adventure. You've probably noticed photographs of it, hunting like it stepped right out-of Walt Disney 's creativity and perched itself atop a maple-lined mountain in Bavaria. It's natural fairy tale, and there's about observing it surrounded by snow-covered, anything extra-special forest. The castle's inner is extraordinary; Ludwig two, a.k.a. The King planed and furnished to inside an inch of its existence every square-inch that is last. That has been Ludwigis news he only wanted to be surrounded by splendor, and building castles and extremely luxurious palaces was how he achieved it. In this particular one, you will discover a dragon, a unicorn, a genuine interior grotto, and an excessive amount of celebrities and swans among other flamboyant things. Guided tours (available in German and Language) are 12, and should be booked in advance. Should you choosen't fancy the 30-minute walk have a moose and cart ride up towards the adventure.

The Fairytale Adventure; Neuschwanstein

Fuessen is just a couple of minutes drive from your fortress. It's completely alluring, a lovely area to examine and also the excellent spot to have some meal before or after you've witnessed the fortress. Presented by Alps and hunting such as a perfect little toy village, it represents the southern end of Germany's Passionate Course for good reason. There are loads of places serve classic food that is lovely and to consider meal, but try to head to one of many hybrid shop/restaurants inside the village they have a great setting. I consumed within the Haus, which as well as offering food that was fantastic sells beautiful mementos, homemade schnapps, ornaments and designs, wine and cheeses. I purchased a fantastic bowl of regional venison with spaetzle (small dumplings), which may not have already been more excellent following a lengthy day of walking and touring. Oh, so when you are in Fuessen, handle oneself for some schneeballen. They're tasty that is strange balls of pastry, filled up with different flavours of treatment and ganache probably advisable to have therefore

meone to share one-with also, they're huge.

Do

Regardless of the major snow and high winds that placed somewhat of a dampener on our nights using, its still wonderful as well as the classes end up being an excellent expense Eli soon had me out-of my rut, trying new manoeuvres as well as doing advances and 360s. They were similarly questionable 360s and quite, very tiny springs, however they were advances and 360s nonetheless. If Eli is something to go-by,

Skiing in Oberstdorf is great. Nebelhorn home to Malaysiais best downhill mountain at 7.5km was more than enough pile for my short-stay and intermediate power, but I've it on great authority from my coach, Eli (like Alien but with no -en, he tells me), that there surely is a lot of downhill in the region to entertain much better cyclists than I, as well as for considerably longer stays. I hired my board and boots from NTC Sport Oberstdorf, and got my lessons at Out-of-Bounds, a very good snowboarding university where you are able to get class or individual lessons, nevertheless you also can go out a little inside the shop in hot and chilled-out environments, and have a coffee or hot chocolate before you reach the slopes (or even a alcohol/schnapps afterwards). NTC Hobby may be the spot to go for your lessons, if you're a skier. The instructors here understand what they are doing, I really suggest buying some lessons, of course, if you intend to progress and become well informed on your own panel.

About snowboarding here my only issue is a lack of moment intended as I'd have loved, I didnot get to do nearly as much of it. Nonetheless, provides an explanation to go back to me.

Hiking at Alm.

ancake with apple sauce), before making our toboggan descent. In about three units. After the rise of an hour. Completely worth it. If you are not 'sed for by tobogganing, here is another snow-shoe but whatever you do hike and expertise Bavariais wonderful outdoors.

It's snowboarding and not merely skiing both; there is all sorts of additional outdoors stuff you can get stuck into in the area. If youare a fan of taking place mountains definitely fast you'll like carrying it out on toboggans in addition to on skis or even a table, thus present it a chance. Ofcourse to essentially enjoy the trip downhill, it's best to work with an uphill struggle first for it. I hiked Salober Alm with Andre up from Allgau-Aktiv, pulling my toboggan behind me and battling against some severely high winds and blizzard conditions. It had been a little powerful, but actually lovely, once your information keeps you giggling as you go along, not to mention it can help. At the top of the mountain, I was paid not simply with all the expertise that I'd simply hiked over the edge and into Austria, but in addition with the picture of a comfortable wooden mountain hut offering well-received Bavarian drinks and also the finest hazelnut schnapps I've ever sampled. It is worth climbing mountains for. We ended below for a tiny drink plus some Kaiserschmarrn (cozy, thick shredded p

Eat

allgäu

Schweinshaxe, weisswurst. Bavaria on a dish.

This a part of Bavaria ticked all of the containers for me personally, definitely. Mountains, ideal, structures that are wonderful, massive food, wonderful people that are welcoming , and undoubtedly, accordion - men in leather shorts. If you'ven't considered Allgau and Oberstdorf to get a winter break as you've been surprised from the huge French Alpine hotels or perhaps the recognized Austrian types, consider a stage back and consider returning here. You won't be disappointed. I'm currently arranging my return and also the news that is good is that the summer season lasts into April below, so there is sufficient time to plan an additional weekend away.

Food's one more thing that I do believe is really underrated in Germany. Many people take a look at weisswurst and are deterred by its pallour and move-in-wateriness, or are discouraged by the sheer size and slightly gnarled look of schweinshaxe (not forgetting its translation to pork knuckle) but I adored every bite of everything I ate. Weisswurst, amazingly sensitive schweinshaxe, loaded, relaxing goulash, very moreish cheese soup, refreshing local venison, kaesespaetzle (cheesy dumplings, aka the greatest abdomen-embrace), comfortable apple strudel with vanilla sauce trust me that after a time outside in Bavarian winter, a large full bowl of Bavarian food is exactly what you need. The thing you need. And thus frequently while you're eating, you'll have lederhosen- clad artists enjoying classic Bavarian audio to accompany your meal. It is just excellent. Drink a few a few glasses of heating gluhwein, of that famous beer, and make sure some schnapps tries. And watch out inside the coming months for a Bavarian food post that is specific!

[peakwealth]

A Tale of Two Hondas

Earlier this year I came across something that, when I stopped to look at it, symbolized the tragedy of our market-driven consumer society. Here it is, a rare and pristine Honda Life, probably very early seventies, parked in a backstreet of George Town, in Penang, Malaysia.

The Life goes back to Honda's earliest days as a car maker. As you can see below, it is an unassuming little box on wheels. Designed to fit in Japan’s inner cities, it is just under three meters long and most likely has a 360 cc twin-cylinder engine (a hand-me-down from a motorcycle)  producing as little as 21 horsepower.

Modest as it looks today, it must have been, if not a dream of middle-class mobility, then at least adequate urban transport at a time when the Japanese economy was expanding by ten or fifteen percent a year (*). It was soon superseded by the Honda Civic, only slightly beefier, a brand that is still with us today.

Now compare the diminutive Life with the current Civic as sold in North America. Both cars, one may assume, were designed to carry four people in reasonable comfort and at adequate speed. Except that the notions of reason, comfort, adequacy and speed have all changed in the course of 45 years.  Everything has shifted ‘upmarket’, except perhaps reason.

Thirty-seven millions units later... (Honda 2017 advert)

The current Civic is 4,28 meters long and weighs about 1,3 tonnes naked. No longer is there anything tiny or box-like about it. The four pistons in its basic engine displace 1996 cc, enough to produce 158 horsepower. It comes with six manual gears, a sound system claiming 160 watts of power, SIRI voice command and a myriad of comforts that used to be the preserve of high-end limousines. Not any more. Like the Toyota Corolla or Volkswagen Golf, this is a basic meat-and-potatoes car for most buyers, close to the bottom of the consumer escalator.

The Civic is useful as a gauge of rising economic expectations and social ambitions. Introduced in July 1972, the Civic has gone through ten major model cycles, each cycle lasting four or five years. It is therefore easy to measure how much fat the cars put on from one generation to the next.

While the actual figures are somewhat complicated by minor differences between the hundreds of variants that are manufactured and sold worldwide, by and large each redesign adds a few centimeters in length, sometimes as many as twenty or thirty.  According to my calculations, the increases have ranged between 1,3 and 6 %, averaging around 3 % between redesigns.

This means that today's Civic is 1,1 meters longer than the original version (which I remember driving, by the way) and has almost exactly doubled in weight. Its environmental and resource footprint will be correspondingly bigger as will be that of the people traveling in it.

Who makes those momentous decisions, I wonder? Momentous because of the sheer volume of production: 37 million units so far, requiring a huge industrial infrastructure and global logistics. Who, on the strategic planning floors of Honda HQ decides if the next Civic will be 5 or 10 or 20 centimeters longer, and on what basis? Is it global GDP growth? The changing Body Mass Index of Honda buyers? Sales targets, stock market expectations? The prospect of corporate bonuses? The livelihoods of 230,000 Honda employees?

One thing is obvious: bigger or flashier is never big or flashy enough. Consumers are unlikely to want to downsize unless forced to do so - and car makers are not the ones to do the forcing. To the contrary, they are pushing the other way.

The story of the lowly (but crisp) Honda Life and the ballooning Civic of today can thus be seen as a symbolic indictment of our aspirational consumer economy.  It illustrates, in simple terms, the double tragedy of an unsustainable way of life: it is environmentally suicidal because the majority of the world's population, soon to number 10 or 11 billion, basically wants bigger Hondas. And since market-driven capitalism requires indefinite growth, the global economy needs to produce ever bigger Hondas.

Of course, I use the name ‘Honda’ in a generic sense here. The same can be said about most cars. Few manufacturers have made a serious attempt at designing rational small cars, at least in recent times. The Smart stands out as having stuck to its original size with barely a hint of intergenerational bloat since it was launched twenty years ago.

But for every Smart, there are a thousand steadily expanding Hyundais and NIssans. Creeping, incremental bloat remains the norm. People like it that way. The notion of degrowth has not yet gained traction in mainstream thinking and politicians dread it.

No matter how many stories we tell ourselves about a greener future, no matter how much we fiddle with environmental standards, sustainable production, hybrid engines, emission controls or climate change agreements, plain old capitalism is inexorably driving us towards the edge of the cliff. In the vehicle of our choice.

DV

* Japan became the world's second largest economy in 1968. ** Toyota has followed a slightly dissimilar course with its equivalent Corolla model (45 million sold since 1966), each succeeding generation not being  necessarily larger than the previous one; occasional downsizing was due to government regulations in Japan. Since Honda stopped selling the Civic in Japan, it is free from size-specific regulation.