#Family Insurance Programme

[legalattorneyblog]

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NBA-NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE GIFSHIP PROGRAMME

The NBA-NHIA GIFSHIP is a Group, Individual and Family Social Insurance Programme that allows members of the Association who are in good standing (i.e. the payment of Bar Practicing Fees and Branch dues as and when due) enjoy 100% access to Primary, Secondary with just 10% charge on the cost of drugs, and about 50% cost of Tertiary healthcare services across the NHIS Accredited healthcare…

[gothhabiba]

I understand what people mean by prison abolition, but what does it mean in practice to abolish the family? I've never quite got it - who is raising children? How does it work? I'm asking in good faith, I've just always been a bit embarrassed to ask anyone

Like positions that are “anti-work” or against “gender,” the thing being objected to is more detailed and specific than the range of meanings that can reasonably or semi-reasonably be assigned to the word in question (“work,” “gender,” “family”)—which is why these propositions and programmes can have a bit of a PR problem. And, as with all terms that position themselves against something (e.g. "anti-psychiatry"), the term "family abolition" can be taken up by people with a range of different positions who disagree amongst themselves on some issues. In general, though, no one objects to "people living together or being emotionally close to each other" or "children not being left to roam about at random and get eaten by wolves" or anything.

Rather, anti-capitalist objections to "the family" tend to hinge on objections to:

parental rights, or "the special legal powers of parents to control major aspects of their children’s lives," which function as "quasi-property interests" more than anything that is in the best interest of children (link explicitly relates to U.S. law). Parents legally control where their children live, whether and where they go to school, what information they have access to, what level of freedom of mobility they have, what medical care they receive and don't receive, and what they may do with their own bodies, and are legally allowed to physically assault their children.

relatedly, the lack of legal autonomy that children possess (this is also often discussed under the banner of "children's rights" or objections to "adultism").

the positioning of "the family" as the only economic or social "safety net" in an economy and a society which provide no other one (creating an artificial "structural scarcity" of care). In a society which is otherwise dominated by "economic competition between atomized individuals," the family must be relied on—and yet, for some people (whose families cannot or will not provide living space or financial support in an emergency; whose families are abusive and physically or psychically dangerous to be around or rely on; who will not receive help or emotional support from a spouse or family unit without making serious concessions on the level of their personhood being basically respected; Black working-class people in whose communities the nuclear family unit has been deliberately prevented from forming by government intervention), the family cannot be relied on.

the way that the positioning of "the family" as the only safety net therefore constitutes economic coercion that works to keep people (especially women and LGBT, disabled and/or transracially adopted people) in abusive or exploitative situations, and that works to create incentives for working-class women (whose employment is generally less secure) to make themselves erotically desirable to men & disincentives for doing anything else.

the idea that housework, gestational labour & childbirth, and childcare are tasks "naturally" falling to the "mother" ("mother" as a "natural category"), such that the social, political, and economic nature of these tasks, and the economic and political discourses that mobilise the creation of our concept of "motherhood," are obscured.

Thus the objection is to "the family" as a unit of social reproduction under capitalism—as a legal, political entity that structures inheritance, taxes, health insurance, "race" and ethnicity, &c., and therefore works as a sort of interface between the capitalist state and the individual.

So the programme of "family abolition" involves, firstly, the control of the means of production on the part of the proletariat (this is a communist programme—the point isn't to remove the safety net of the family while keeping capitalism in place, but rather the idea is that without capitalism this ultimately abusive safety net ought not to be needed); and then the abolition of marriage as a legal institution; the abolition of parental rights; the putting in place of measures for the elderly and disabled to be cared for regardless of whether they have family alive who are both able and willing to care for them; the forming of social networks at will; and, depending on who you ask, the communal raising of children (which involves ceasing to privilege "parent" as a legal title automatically conferred upon biologically creating a child).

Obviously, toddlers who do not yet understand things about the world including "causation" and "mortality" will need on occasion to be restrained from running blithely into the jaws of wolves &c. The argument is just that coercion of this sort should be legitimately in the best interests of the child; not performed by two people who need answer for their actions, up to and including battery of their children, in no way other than saying that they "plausibly believe this to be necessary to control, train or educate their child"; and walked back in measure as the child gains the ability to assert their own desires.

Probably no one has a perfect solution 100% worked out—life is messy, and we don't know what the future will look like—but having a perfect solution 100% worked out should not be a prerequisite for noticing that the current situation is abusive and untenable.

[chiqelatasblog]

In the Middle of the Night🌙

-> Ao3 link is here.

-> Part Two is here.

Pairings : Bi-Han/ Sub-Zero x You, Kuai Liang/ Scorpion x You, Tomas Vrbada/ Smoke x You

Tropes : Slavery, Past Sexual Abuse, Canon-Typical Violance, Emotional Hurt Comfort, Strangers to Lovers, True Love, Foursome, F/M/M/M, Dark Magic, Eventual Smut

Summary : After a mission gone wrong, Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, and Tomas find themselves sealed inside a book as love slaves. Whoever discovers the book and utters the incantations within will not only become its owner but also the master of the Lin Kuei’s three deadliest assassins.

For you, grappling with the weight of a solitary life and enduring a particularly rough day, stumbling upon this mysterious book was an unforeseen twist. As you bring the book home, unaware of its contents or the events that led to its creation, the ensuing chain of events will shatter the tranquility of your world, forever altering the course of your life.

Title and work inspired by the “Elley Duhe-Middle Of The Night” song

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CHAPTER ONE : (READER)

You were enduring one of the worst days of your life.

Your alarm didn’t sound in the morning because you were too fatigued to remember to charge your phone the night before. With its poor battery life, it ran out quickly. Living forty-five minutes away from the city center, you should have caught the subway at least an hour ago to make it to work on time. Despite the pressing need for money, uncertainty loomed as you grappled with the inevitability of firing. The job, despite its dreadful conditions and an insufferable boss, stood as your best opportunity in months - too valuable to risk losing.

Although you had graduated from college with a commendable degree, the job market proved bleaker than anticipated. Your once-bright dreams faded as the harsh reality of post-graduation life set in. Most desirable positions demanded experience, yet securing experience required entry into these very positions. While a diploma opened a few doors, the conditions were often as harsh as modern-day servitude, albeit with insurance and a predictable late salary.

Your current role as a programmer at a gaming company offered no respite. Long hours in front of the screen left your eyes bloodshot, encircled by dark rings, and your neck perpetually aching. Despite the hardships, a promise to your distant family fueled your determination to stand on your own. Abandoning everything and returning home was not an option after coming this far. You had shed too many tears to surrender now, enduring the suffocating loneliness of solitary dinners in your cramped kitchen as you pursued your dreams.

Thus, with a reminder of your purpose, you hurriedly left your apartment. Despite the packed subway and the frenzied rush, you managed to trim your commute from fifteen minutes to a mere seven and a half. Yet, upon arrival, your efforts were futile. Summoned to your boss’s office, you were promptly instructed to collect your belongings and leave the company, denied even the opportunity to provide an explanation.

You were keenly aware of the disdain your boss and coworkers held for you; it was an open secret. They resembled vultures, poised to oust you at any moment. As the lone rookie, you were perceived as nothing more than a liability. Despite your efforts to avoid seeking their assistance by tackling most tasks independently, being in your first year of the profession meant there were occasions when you needed guidance or support. Yet, camaraderie was a foreign concept in this office. Compared to other workplaces, the only semblance of unity stemmed from shared breaks and lunches.

A part of you felt relief at the prospect of bidding farewell to a workplace where you found no joy. However, the dominant part, fueled by anxiety, fretted over how you would cover rent and expenses. Although you had a modest emergency fund tucked away, it would only sustain you for about a month. Urgency gnawed at you as you roamed the streets with a cardboard box containing your few office belongings, scouring for job advertisements. Picky was a luxury you couldn’t afford; you were prepared to take on any role, even as a barista or waitress, until you secured a position closer to your aspirations. Survival necessitated prioritizing money above all else.

As the day wore on, you lost track of time. With the setting sun casting a dim glow and street lamps flickering to life, tiny raindrops began to graze your cheeks and nose, soon escalating into a downpour. Despite the onslaught, you mustered the strength to suppress the curses threatening to spill forth. Rushing back to the subway, you braved the rain without an umbrella or proper clothes, mindful of the looming threat of illness. With no funds to spare for hospital bills or medication, resuming your job hunt from the shelter of your laptop seemed the safer option.

Arriving at the subway, drenched from head to toe, you collapsed onto the nearest available seat, your legs barely able to support you. With a heavy sigh, you closed your eyes, feeling the weight of the day’s exhaustion bearing down on your body. The simple act of sitting down was a luxury, a stark reminder of just how fatigued and stressed you had become over the course of the day. You rubbed your weary legs in an attempt to generate some warmth, soothing the cramps and chasing away the chill brought on by the rain.

As the subway doors slid open with a ding, a wave of commuters flooded in, filling the once-empty seats around you. Seizing the opportunity to rest your eyes until reaching home, you leaned back against the seat with the cardboard box resting on your lap. Tired, cold, and hungry, the numbing effect of the rain provided a brief respite from the stress, deserving of a well-earned nap.

When the ache in your neck became unbearable, you reluctantly opened your eyes, realizing that your stop was approaching. Glancing down, you noticed a book lying on the seat beside you, as your grip on the box was dangerously close to slipping from your grasp. Picking it up, you scanned the faces around you, expecting someone to claim the book or acknowledge its presence, but no one seemed to react. Confirmation dawned upon you, the book had been left behind, seemingly forgotten by its owner.

Although the book appeared hefty, its weathered cover hinted at years of use and handling. Despite its age, it felt surprisingly light in your hands, its once vibrant hues faded to muted tones. Adorned with a pale gold cover devoid of any text on the back, the book bore the scars of countless readings and journeys. Turning the book over to avoid catching your tired reflection on its worn and shiny surface, your lips parted in mild surprise. Three striking male figures graced the cover, their details rendered with such realism that they almost seemed tangible, despite the signs of wear and tear. Your finger traced over the hyper-realistic features with impulsive curiosity, only to retract abruptly as if scalded, suddenly aware of your surroundings.

As a sweet ache pulsed between your thighs, you found yourself unexpectedly aroused by a mere image, prompting you to shift uncomfortably in an attempt to quell the throbbing sensation. It had been quite a while since you last shared intimate moments with someone, but even that didn’t entirely account for the sudden surge of desire sparked by a simple picture. Stirring memories long buried within you, igniting a hunger you hadn't realized existed until now.

A blush warmed your cheeks as you examined the figures once more. The trio bore the semblance of warriors or assassins, albeit clad in scant attire. The man on the left possessed a sun-kissed tan, his muscular frame adorned with a large scorpion tattoo on his left arm. His black hair was artfully swept across his face, his golden mask veiling a stern gaze as he brandished a flaming kunai, its rope end poised for action.

Your attention shifted to the figure at the center, whose face remained partially obscured by a silvery black mask. Despite the concealment, a strange sense of familiarity emanated from his features, mirroring those of his companion. His complexion was pale, revealing blue-green veins beneath the surface, while his dark eyes emanated cold, dominating arrogance. Black hair, tied in a low bun with a few tufts escaping to frame his strong features. Massive biceps framed his imposing stature as he wielded a sword of ice, poised to strike with lethal precision.

In stark contrast, the figure on the right differed greatly from his counterparts. Towering slightly above them, he bore little resemblance to an Asian individual, exuding a distinctly European air. His skin was also light, and he wore a grey-colored mask covering half of his face. A thin, light grey smoke emanated from his body. His short gray hair and softer gray-blue eyes lent him a gentler appearance, juxtaposed by the lethal aura exuded by the carambite adorning his finger. Despite his softer features, his lethal prowess was undeniable.

As you scrutinized the cover, a perplexing question lingered: why would the illustrator depict warriors in such a manner if not for a romantic context? Their barely dressed and provocative poses hinted at a fantasy narrative, reinforced only by the presence of their weapons. Without them, the figures might have appeared more akin to love slaves than skilled warriors. “An intriguing choice,” you murmured to yourself, pondering the illustrator’s intentions behind such a depiction.

As you opened the book to look at the chipped pages, curiosity piqued about the contents within, you suddenly realized that your stop had arrived. Hastily tucking the book into your box, you sprang to your feet with a muttered exclamation.

“Oh, shoot!” With a swift maneuver, you barely managed to slip through the closing doors of the crowded subway. Amidst the post-work rush, the mingled scents of sweat and cigarettes engulfed you as you navigated through the throng. Minutes later, emerging from the subway, you drew a deep breath, filling your lungs with the scent of rain-soaked earth.

Your journey to home passed in a blur, your body moving on autopilot along familiar streets and corners. Before you knew it, you stood before your fifth-floor apartment, a small abode consisting of two rooms and an American kitchen. Its most prized feature was the balcony, a sanctuary where you relished summer evenings, savoring the view with a glass of wine by candlelight.

When you arrived home, it was already nine o’clock in the evening. Leaving the box in your hand at the entrance of the door, you went straight into the shower to wash away the fatigue and grime of the day, and to replenish the warmth your drenched body had lost. You lingered under the hot water until it thoroughly enveloped your body, and finally, when the steam filled the small bathroom and you felt like you might faint from the heat, you emerged, clad in your well-worn and hardened bathrobe, with a towel wrapped around your head.

Pouring the last remnants of the red wine you opened days ago into a glass, you placed it in the microwave to heat up the leftover Chinese food you ordered a day ago. As you waited for your meal to warm, your gaze wandered to the box in the corner, reigniting your curiosity about the mysterious book. Crossing the room in a few strides, you retrieved the book and placed it on the kitchen island, settling into your chair with wine and warmed food. “I’ll worry about unemployment later,” you declared, raising your glass in a toast. “Today was stressful enough, and I definitely deserve this wine.” With a sip of wine and a mouthful of noodles, you flipped open the book’s cover with your free hand, eager to have a look at what it held.

‘’What…?” You stared at the glossy golden pages, brows furrowed in confusion, surprised to find them empty. “What kind of book is this? I don’t understand the purpose.” you muttered in disbelief. The worn-out appearance of the book added to your confusion, making you question whether something had happened before it was finished.

As you reached the middle of the book, a shocking revelation left you speechless. Lines, equivalent to about a paragraph, materialized on the previously blank pages before your eyes, causing your entire body to freeze in shock. Tremors coursed through you, as if jolted by electricity, and you grasped desperately for reality, unsure if what you were witnessing was a dream. Gasping for breath, you struggled to comprehend the surreal sight before you.

“I haven’t even had that much wine—I just took a sip.” you mumbled, your voice strained with the effort to contain your rising panic. “I’ve seen enough movies to know where this is going. I’m not reading whatever’s written here,” you declared, the thin timbre of your voice betraying your attempt to stifle a scream.

You closed the cover of the book hard and attempted to get up from your chair, but found yourself unable to move. It was as if an unseen force held you in place. The cover of the book opened again, and as the pages flickered before your eyes, the one you had just turned to was laid out in front of you once more, sending shivers of fear down your spine.

“Read it,” a demanding male voice echoed in your mind, freezing you in terror. Despite your frantic desire to flee, you remained immobilized, unable to move a muscle.

“I-I was just curious about what it says. I didn’t mean any harm,” you pleaded weakly, few tears streaming down your cheeks due to the immense fear you felt at the moment. Another voice, speaking in a foreign tongue filled the air, his tone scolding but directed elsewhere, not at you.

“We won’t harm you, master,” another voice reassured, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the fear.

“Say the words aloud, and we will serve you,” urged yet another voice, prompting a realization of the three distinct voices corresponding to the figures depicted on the book’s cover.

“W-What the…! Are they…”

“Yes, that’s us you see on the cover. We’ve been trapped in this book for a long time. You have to say the words to get us out of here,” one of the voices explained.

“You’re talking as if I had a choice,” you replied in a timid, low voice.

“Read the words, woman,” another voice commanded. It was the coldest and harshest of them all. Despite lacking a physical form, his dominant aura was unmistakable in the way he emphasized his words. His voice resonated with a deep, chilling tone, unlike anything you had ever heard before. You attempted to steady yourself, swallowing hard and clenching your trembling hands into fists on your legs.

“How do I know you won’t hurt me? Each of you had a weapon on the cover; it’s clear you’re some kind of warriors.”

“We are bound to the master of the book,” another voice interjected, his tone notably more welcoming and kind than the others. “We cannot harm you.”

“God, I must be losing my mind. I’m talking to a book,” you muttered, glancing at the pages with audible trepidation. Fear and panic constricted your throat, rendering you speechless.

“This is no illusion—it is the truth,” the same younger voice asserted after a brief silence. “Read what is written, master, and we shall pledge our service to you.”

“I-I’m not anyone’s master. Don’t call me that; this situation is already too surreal for me,” you protested weakly.

“As you wish, master,” came the compliant response.

“You won’t hurt me, will you? I’m too young to die; I haven’t even begun to fulfill my dreams…” you pleaded, your words abruptly cut off by a snarl. If not for the invisible force holding you down, you might have leaped in fear.

“Read these damn sentences!” the voice commanded, his tone harsh.

“Bi-Han, don’t frighten her!” another voice intervened.

“Fine, fine, I’ll read it!” Tears continued to trickle down your cheeks as you began to recite the words aloud, hoping to end the ordeal. And as you prayed to the god or whatever deity might be watching over you, you couldn’t shake the dread that you might be leading yourself to your own demise. “Rise, my servants, from the depths of slumber and bind yourselves to me with your souls, revealing your names. Embrace your new purpose ensnared by passion.’’

As you finished speaking, a powerful gust of wind whipped through the room, causing the towel around your shoulders to unravel and fall. Soon after, you heard the voices of three men speaking in unison, their words echoing loudly.

‘’We rise, Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, and Tomas of the Lin Kuei, bound to your will, for in your presence, we find solace and purpose. We protect and we please, however you see right, however you seem fit. We’re your slaves, and you’re our master, surrendered to your every command, body and soul.’’

With a surge of energy, the wind intensified, knocking over the glass on the counter, spilling wine onto the robe and floor. The glass shattered at your feet, scattering shards across the kitchen. A brilliant light emanated from the book, forcing you to shut your eyes against its intensity.

Then, as suddenly as it began, everything fell silent and still. The wind vanished as if it had never been, and the light that had filled the room dimmed into darkness. Summoning the courage to open your eyes, you were met with the sight of three imposing, completely naked men standing a short distance away.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” You attempted to gather your thoughts, tearing your gaze away from the men to focus on the scattered glass on the kitchen floor. “There are three naked men in my living room. And—and they emerged from the book? I must be losing my mind. I really must be losing my mind.”

As the words tumbled from your lips, sounding like utter madness to your own ears, you tried to take deep breaths to calm yourself. But when you attempted to rise from your seat, your numbed feet betrayed you, causing you to stumble and fall to the ground. The impact sent a jolt of pain through your knees and feet as shards of glass embedded themselves into your flesh, stealing the breath from your lungs.

“Shh, it’s okay. Calm down, you’re only hurting yourself,” came a gentle voice.

Your gaze was drawn to a towering, bronzed figure looming over you, his powerful physique making you feel small and vulnerable. Sensing your escalating panic, he gently cupped your face in his large hands, the touch of his calloused fingers both rough and tender. With each contact, warmth spread through your body in soothing waves.

“Look at me. Take deep breaths and exhale, just like I do,” he instructed in a soothing tone.

“I can’t,” your voice broken with fear.

“Of course you can. Follow my lead, I’ll show you,” he reassured. As you turned your gaze to his face, you were met with a pair of slanted light brown eyes, framed by long black eyelashes. His gaze exuded warmth and understanding, matching the sensitivity of his touch. “Breathe with me. Now.”

As your brain somehow focused on his instructions, you found yourself synchronizing your breaths with the mighty man before you. With each inhale and exhale, you felt a wave of calm wash over you, dissipating the last shreds of your strength. He effortlessly supported you, preventing you from collapsing to the floor, his touch gentle yet firm. Despite the pain throbbing in your flesh and the warmth of blood trickling down your skin, you remained in a state of confusion and fear, unable to muster the will to move from his grasp.

“Tomas, find something to clean the wound,” commanded the one with the authoritative voice, resonating with incredible depth. The man who held you gently lowered himself onto one of the double seats in the living room, maintaining his firm grasp on you. A faint warmth spread across your face, but you remained ensnared in his hold, feeling as if your mouth were filled with dry cotton.

Your gaze shifted to the man cradling you, his expression clouded with concern as his amber eyes scrutinized you closely as if he feared you might suffer another attack. Despite his gray hair, you were taken aback when a youthful visage suddenly filled your vision. The man was tall and imposing, his large build casting a formidable shadow over you. Feeling intimidated between these two towering figures, a timid whimper escaped your lips as your body instinctively recoiled, yearning to escape despite its weakened state.

“Calm down, master. We won’t hurt you. Let me tend to your wounds; you’ve cut your knees and feet badly. I can ease your pain,” reassured the silver-haired man, his voice carrying a surprisingly gentle tone given his imposing stature. As you swallowed and tried to shift again, a cold sound from across the room froze you in place.

“If you move again, I’ll—” began the menacing voice.

“Bi-Han, enough! She’s already frightened, no need to add to it.” Intervened the man holding you, his voice commanding authority. Though Bi-Han’s threat remained unfinished, its effect lingered, rendering you motionless, afraid to even breathe. As the silver-haired man tended to your wounds while taking advantage of your stillness, the man holding you attempted to comfort you with gentle pats, drawing soothing circles on your back.

Gritting your teeth against the pain as the glass shards were removed, you fought the urge to appear weak and helpless in their eyes. Though you couldn’t see yourself from their perspective, a sense of self-consciousness gnawed at you. In an attempt to shift your focus from the pain, the man holding you soflty interjected, “I am Kuai Liang,” he introduced. “May we know your name?

Struggling to articulate your name through clenched teeth, you managed to utter it in one breath. A faint smile graced Kuai Liang’s face. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, (y/n).”

“Speak for yourself,” growled Bi-Han from across the living room. “Just another fucking master we’re bound to serve.’’

‘‘I thought you wanted to get out of the book.’’

Kuai Liang’s sharp retort silenced Bi-Han, prompting Tomas, who was tending to your wounds, to interject. “And so am I, Tomas. Thank you for calling us into your service.” he said with a small smile that seemed forced, his dull greyish blue eyes lacking genuine emotion. As he carefully tended to your wounds and wrapped them in bandages, a sense of unease washed over you, causing you to squirm away from Kuai Liang’s grasp and retreat to the corner of the seat, eyeing the three men with a mix of confusion and discomfort.

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” you croaked, avoiding their look as your gaze involuntarily dropped to their lower parts for a second before you could prevent it, your cheeks burned with embarrassment. “And please cover up your bottoms. You can use the cushions.”

Complying with your request, all three men concealed their private parts with cushions. Tomas took a seat in the opposite double seat, while Bi-Han settled into the single seat. Despite your small apartment being already cramped, the presence of the three burly men made the space feel even more claustrophobic.

“Where would you like us to start?”

“From the beginning,” you replied, addressing Kuai Liang. “Who are you? How did you end up in that book? And why are you here now… Please, tell me everything from the beginning so that I can understand.”

“We are members of a clan called Lin Kuei, known for training assassins, and we are brothers,” he began. “Bi-Han is the eldest, serving as the grandmaster of our clan in the past. I, on the other hand, am the middle one, and Tomas and I served as his second-in-commands.’’

The revelation that they were assassins drained the color from your face, confirming your suspicions from the book cover. A shiver ran down your spine as you realized the chilling reality of being in the presence of trained killers.

“Many years ago, we encountered a demon named Quan Chi on a mission. As you can imagine, the mission went awry, and he sealed us inside this book. Whoever owns the book and says the words becomes our master, and we are compelled to fulfill their wishes and desires.”

Even if you sensed that the information was being presented with some omissions, you refrained from voicing your suspicions. They were strangers to you, and you to them, so expecting complete transparency without trust seemed unreasonable. While you had the authority as their master to demand the truth, approaching the situation in this manner didn’t sit well with you—it didn’t feel right, nor did it feel humane.

For God’s sake, the idea of being anyone’s master was abhorrent. The twenty-first century had arrived, and the notion of a master-slave relationship had long since vanished. It felt nauseating and profoundly unsettling.

“I am not your master. I can’t—I can’t be. No.” You attempted to stand up in panic, desperate to escape the situation, but your injuries held you back. Kuai Liang gently grabbed your arm, urging you to calm down.

“Calm down (y/n), your wounds are very fresh. You’ll make them bleed again.” You clung to his wrist, pleading with your eyes for assistance.

“Is there no way to set you free? I can’t accept this. This is—this is against humanity!”

With your words, a deep silence enveloped the room. As you observed their stunned reactions, it became evident that this sentiment was new to them. Your heart ached at the thought of witnessing these powerful men stripped of their freedom. Despite your fear, the realization knotted your stomach. They appeared intimidating and deadly, yet the severity of their situation suggested that past experiences had shattered them and stripped away their dignity. You couldn’t fathom how long they had endured as slaves within the confines of the book, but the outcome seemed all too predictable, casting a somber shadow over the room.

“Set us free?” Tomas’s voice echoed with longing, his desire palpable.

“Such a thing is possible, isn’t it? If you tell me what I should do I—”

“Why would you do that? What do you want from us in return?” Bi-Han’s voice sliced through your words, sharp and menacing. You fought to maintain your composure, avoiding freezing in your spot as his icy demeanor chilled the room. As your agitated gaze shifted to his pale, muscular arms, you were astonished to see a thin layer of ice extending from his hands. Were they truly made of ice?

“As I said just now, I can’t be anyone’s master, it’s in defiance of human ethics. If there’s any way I can help you, I’d like to do it. I don’t want anything in return except for this situation to end as soon as possible, I’m sure you want the same.”

“Do you expect us to believe that you are just a fairy godmother?” Bi-Han’s mocking half smile sent waves of unease through you. “You are not convincing at all, woman. Favors are done with an expectation of something in return.’’

“Favors are done for nothing; you don’t expect anything in return. That’s why it’s called a favor.” Emboldened by a hint of defiance, you met Bi-Han’s stern gaze head-on. “I can understand why you don’t trust me after what you’ve been through—”

‘’Don’t you dare,” Bi-Han shot up from his seat, his movement swift as a shadow. Suddenly, he was close enough for his breath, cold as winter air, to brush against your face. “Don’t try to empathize with what we went through. Do you think you know us now just because you’ve learned a few things?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend,” you said quickly.

“Brother, please sit down. If you talk like that, we won’t get anywhere.” Kuai Liang intervened, putting one arm between you and Bi-Han. Bi-Han glared at you intensely, his eyes slanted like those of a predator, then he took a deep breath. Watching the mist of his cold breath in the air, everything still felt like an endless dream—or nightmare. When he finally returned to his seat, Kuai Liang’s gaze turned to you.

“Thank you for offering to help, but unfortunately, we don’t know how to undo this dark magic.”

You ventured a suggestion that you hoped wouldn’t sound foolish. “We could try burning the book. I’ve seen it work in some movies.”

“We’ve tried that,” Tomas chimed in, joining Kuai Liang. “Several times. Whatever we’ve done, the book has never been destroyed. It’s protected by some kind of magic, just as it protects its master from us.”

“You spoke as if you had tested the last part before.”

In response, silence enveloped the room. Despite your efforts to stave off panic, the realization that they were assassins and the precariousness of your situation made you feel threatened.

“We have tried to kill several masters before,” Kuai Liang admitted frankly. “But there’s some kind of seal that protects them—you can think of it as a shield. It renders any attack ineffective. That’s why we were telling the truth when we said we wouldn’t hurt you.”

“Of course, if things were different, it wouldn’t mean you wouldn’t try,” you said, averting your gaze and clasping your hands in your lap. Another solution came to mind, prompting you to straighten your shoulders and take a deep breath before continuing.

‘’ If I can’t set you free, then you’re free to do as you please, go where you want. You don’t have to be stuck here.” you offered.

“You won’t give us orders? Isn’t there something you want us to do?” Tomas asked, surprised.

“No, as long as you don’t start killing people, you’re free to do whatever you want.”

“We’re not mindless killers,” said Bi-Han harshly, sounding offended that you would even think of them in that way. Kuai Liang interjected, softening his brother’s tone.

“We serve a noble purpose. We were, until we were sealed in the book… Our clan has been dedicated to protecting Earthrealm from dangers for centuries,” he explained, his gaze softening slightly as he made eye contact with you. “Thank you for the opportunity you’ve given us, but we can’t be away from you for more than a few hours. We have to get back here, to you.”

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “How so? Why? Do I have to say something else?”

“No, it’s part of the magic. It was designed to prevent us from escaping. When we’re away from our master—you, and this period becomes longer, we become weaker and weaker.”

“So at the end of the day… God, what cruel magic this is,” Gulping, you scanned all three men with a heavy heart. It must have been torture for them to endure this existence. Even as you spoke, your heart ached with empathy, imagining what they had been subjected to. Anger and sadness gripped your body as you contemplated their plight. “Is there anything else I can do for you? My house isn’t too big, but I want you to be comfortable during your stay here.”

It was Bi-Han who responded, his narrowed gaze resembling two thin lines, as if he were dissecting your sincerity. You couldn’t help but feel a pang as you tried to discern whether he believed you. While you understood his skepticism, winning their trust seemed like a daunting task.

“You can start by finding us clothes.”

[paletigers]

Some Stardew Valley redesigns/reimaginings!! these pics were about a week apart from one another so theyre in two different styles lol

some explainations below the cut!

For Context: A lot of these headcanons are based off of my own personal lived experiences! They're also just my preferences for their characters in general. I have only romanced Sebastian in-game but looked at Alex's Wiki page for context on the background for his character. I don't really know much about him canon wise, I've only read fanfics with him in it LOL ANWAY!

Sebastian: -25 yrs old + Transman + Gay/MLM -I really liked how he had a motorcycle in-game but thought that there wasn't much to say about it, so I wanted to make it apart of his core as a character! He's a sport motorcyclist as a hobby. He loves high speed racing.

-He's still a programmer, but he's now a Game designer! This is mainly because my lovely boyfriend is a game designer irl and he's like my muse and I love cramming his traits into my favorite characters.

-He plays bass istead of keyboard in Sam's band. I dunno, I think keyboard is fun and all (i actually own two keyboards and played piano in hs) but like. cmon. Bass would suit him so much better.

-I gave him a battle jacket he wears over his normal hoodie. I feel like he has a couple of these from over the years that are DIY with his ever growing music taste. Battle jackets are such a staple in the alt music scene I felt like its a crime he doesn't have one in game. Sebastian you would love battle jackets.

-His motorcycle is a sportsbike instead of a standard/chopper. His helmet also resembles a cat, but definitely not on purpose! Definitely not.

-He has a LOT of scars. Some self inflicted (but he's recovering), others from surgery! He has top surgery scars designed to resemble spider webs, a phaloplasty skin graft scar on his left arm, and gnarly huge scars on his ribs down to his legs.

-He suffered a motorcycle accident resulting in his bike being damaged as well as giving him a limp. He's constantly fixing up his bike since then, wanting to ensure another wipe out won't happen again and that his bike is reall okay to ride again.

-HIS PIERCINNGNSSSSS he has a shit ton of piercings! Not shown, he has a Jacob's ladder piercing. :3c

-His personality doesn't really change much from in-game. I'd personally prefer if he was less bitchy and more just a rarely speaking type. The kind to keep his comments to himself. Bitching about your step sibling and your step dad gets stale, bro

Alex: (Sorry to any alex fans, I changed him a LOT)

-27 + Cismale + Closeted Bisexual

-An ex-pro hockey player (goalie). I don't really care for "gridball" since it's just a couple of sports mixed together (from my understanding) so I decided to just give him a real world sport to play. Plus, hockey just kind of suits him for some reason?? I dunno

-Moved back to Pelican town after the news of his Mother's condition worsening and his Father jumping ship. In my version, he got recruited straight out of highschool to go pro for hockey. He had reservations about leaving his Mother with his Dad, but decided it was the best solution to the shitty situation. This way, he'd have more money to help her medical costs since his Dad's insurance was shitty anyway. A few years go by with constant health updates from his Grandparents, when one day his Dad just calls it quits on caregiving, deciding he doesn't want to waste his life away caring for his wife, and leaves. Without physical support from his Father to help around the house and help his Mother, Alex makes the choice to move back home and become his Mother's caregiver. He struggles with the emotional weight of this job ontop of how extremely demanding it is, but does his best for his Mother. She dies, and now he's taking care of his Grandparents. -I really wanted him to be a caregiver to his grandparents because my family were caregivers to both my Mother and my Father's parents LOL we spent all 23 years of my life taking care of them, so i thought it would be fun to think about. I imagine Evelyn and George to be my grandparents and constantly give them their favorite gifts in-game. (mainly george. i love him) (hes not homophobic hes just OLD and STUPID i LOVE HIM !!!!!!)

-Alex is constantly worried he won't be the same after caregiving for this long. He's worried he won't be able to go back to pro-hockey without reliving the stress of his mother's death. He's been having trouble keeping asleep at night, often waking up every few hours and being completely restless. He'll decompress at the sauna at unbearable hours of the night just because he can't sleep.

-He's the town helper! I thought it would be cute if he's the guy the town usually went to if they needed serious physical help with something, like setting up festival decorations, fixing fenceposts, shit like that. He loves helping out the town and INSISTS sometimes to be the one to fix a problem. When the farmer first comes into town and starts being the more dependable one, he starts feeling hopeless and easily emotionally distant. It's hard being the one everyone depended on to suddenly not being needed anymore. (It's not all entirely in his head, but he gets really worked up sometimes about feeling useless)

-Still an arrogant little shit! Instead of dreams of stardom, it's kind of a "washed up" celebrity kind of arrogance. He thinks he's hot shit because he travelled the world playing games for a couple of years. This backfires in his face, he'll sometimes sit for too long on his "glory days" and spiral, getting depressed about not playing anymore and his role as a caregiver despite loving his grandparents immensely.

-This headcanon is just silly but i think he likes to fish. He's so arrogant that he thinks hes amazing at it but fish rarely bite his line and when they do, they drag him into the river or sand at the beach. It's even more embarrassing because he thinks he's fine and continues to fish despite having sand and dirt all over himself.

-He's covered in moles! I also gave him freckles in places where his skin sees the most sun. (He's also got chest hair bc yall know i love hair on a man LMAO)

anyway. Long post! My bad. I was thinking of writing some Stardew Valley fanfics while working on some other stuff bc I want to explore my versions of Alex and Seb, and also maybe they explore each others bodies???? Let me know if that's something you'd guys like to read/offer up suggestions!!!

[copperbadge]

Radio Free Monday

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Radio Free Monday!

Ways to Give:

lilly_c has been off work for several months and is struggling to cover expenses with the small amount of sick pay aid she is getting; she is fundraising to cover bills for the next two months. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

like-the-midnight-sun is fundraising on behalf of her wife, Veronika, a queer Jewish programmer, game designer, and teacher, who needs oral surgery after having a badly fractured tooth removed; she now needs a bone graft and the tooth rebuilt, and insurance is only covering a small amount of the cost. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

Anon linked to fundraising info for foster fathers Chip and Zach, who have raised their eight year old daughter Emily since birth. When they applied to adopt her this year, Emily's biological father sued for full custody and they were forced to surrender her; they have filed an appeal and have 30 days to raise $15K in attorney fees and court costs in order to have a chance to get Emily home with her dads. You can donate via cashapp at $ChipPalmer, Venmo at Zpalmer24, or PayPal at zacharyapalmer@icloud.com.

gwydion is recovering from a total shoulder replacement and zir washing machine has just broken; ze cannot carry laundry and is also looking at a costly car repair that will wipe out anything not already taken by insurance and rent. You can donate to help out here.

krja is fundraising to purchase a tallit for his birthday this year, a huge gender-affirming step he has been dreaming of; you can read more and find giving information here.

Recurring Needs:

thelastpyler is raising funds to help with food, transportation, and other expenses after a string of financial issues; you can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

loversdoom is a college student from the Philippines, studying away from her family, and her parents are unexpectedly unable to support her education; she is dealing with a number of expenses and is now looking at a costly dental procedure for pain that is causing her to miss school and work. You can give to the fundraiser here.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for prototrans, a disabled artist who needs help with rent money; they are also offering commissions. You can read more, reblog, and find giving and commission information here.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for killiel, who needs help to cover bills and debt; you can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

chingaderita's partner recently lost their job due to a house fire that also destroyed the house; they're raising funds to keep food on the table for a family of nine, to try and get a supply of water to keep clean and do laundry, and for various bills until they can find new work. You can read more, reblog, and support the fundraiser here.

Anon linked to karla-hoshi or Hoshi on TikTok, who is raising funds for cancer treatment for her cat Naku; they caught the cancer early and hope that he can survive it, but can't continue treatment without funding. You can read more and support the fundraiser here, as well as find links to her updates on tiktok.

And this has been Radio Free Monday! Thank you for your time. You can post items for my attention at the Radio Free Monday submissions form. If you're new to fundraising, you may want to check out my guide to fundraising here.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hello sex witch!

I am an afab person who hasn't ""lost their virginity"" with another person yet - but i do masturbate enough to know what i like, and so i would like to start having sex with people. Preferably casually, because I'm not really interested in relationships rn.

Problem is, I have lived my whole life in a small-ish town where there are hardly any opportunities for me to meet other queer people or safely approach anyone with sex in mind. I'm still living at my parents' house. My uni is in another bigger city, but I have to catch the train home every night, so I can't really go explore the club life there.

I will be leaving for a student exchange programme soon, going to another country. I thought this could be an opportunity for me to start having sex, but I'm not sure how safe it would be to "lose" my virginity abroad? My insurance covers gynaecologist appointments, but there will be a language barrier. I will be thousands of kilometers away from my friends and family who could provide support should anything go wrong. And what if i'm just being weird about all this and should really just find a way to have sex here in my country instead of treating it like a fun travel experiment?

I know it's mostly up to me to consider the pros and cons, but do you have any thoughts on this? Advice?

hi anon,

the amount of worst case scenarios you've already come up with regarding this plan suggests to me that it's maybe not the best idea for you.

in any case, I generally don't recommend anyone goes into any situation dead set on making it a sexual opportunity. that's not ultimately something that you can totally control - partnered sex definitionally requires at least one other person to be involved, and that's not something you can guarantee will happen unless you want to pay someone for it (which is a perfectly fine option, but I'm not sure it's the kind of experience you're looking for.)

it takes a lot of random chance and luck for compatible sexual partners to find each other, and if that doesn't happen when you were really determined that it would it can be devastating. trust me, I've been there - and I wasn't even doing something as exciting as going abroad. it can really suck the wind out of your sails during what could otherwise be a very cool experience if you're holding the trip to a sexual standard that you can fall short of through absolutely no fault of your own - after all, no matter how eager you are you've ultimately got no say over whether other people want to have sex with you.

I'd say you can certainly go into the trip with a mind open to the possibility of sex and assess your options if you find yourself meeting someone who you feel a possible connection with, but don't approach the trip with sex as a set goal.

[dailyanarchistposts]

J.5.15 What attitude do anarchists take to the welfare state?

The period of neo-liberalism since the 1980s has seen a rollback of the state within society by the right-wing in the name of “freedom,” “individual responsibility” and “efficiency.” The position of anarchists to this process is mixed. On the one hand, we are all in favour of reducing the size of the state and increasing individual responsibility and freedom but, on the other, we are well aware that this rollback is part of an attack on the working class and tends to increase the power of the capitalists over us as the state’s (direct) influence is reduced. Thus anarchists appear to be on the horns of a dilemma — or, at least, apparently.

So what attitude do anarchists take to the welfare state and attacks on it?

First we must note that this attack on “welfare” is somewhat selective. While using the rhetoric of “self-reliance” and “individualism,” the practitioners of these “tough love” programmes have made sure that the major corporations continue to get state hand-outs and aid while attacking social welfare. In other words, the current attack on the welfare state is an attempt to impose market discipline on the working class while increasing state protection for the ruling class. Therefore, most anarchists have no problem defending social welfare programmes as these can be considered as only fair considering the aid the capitalist class has always received from the state (both direct subsidies and protection and indirect support via laws that protect property and so on). And, for all their talk of increasing individual choice, the right-wing remain silent about the lack of choice and individual freedom during working hours within capitalism.

Secondly, most of the right-wing inspired attacks on the welfare state are inaccurate. For example, Noam Chomsky notes that the “correlation between welfare payments and family life is real, though it is the reverse of what is claimed [by the right]. As support for the poor has declined, unwed birth-rates, which had risen steadily from the 1940s through the mid-1970s, markedly increased. ‘Over the last three decades, the rate of poverty among children almost perfectly correlates with the birth-rates among teenage mothers a decade later,’ Mike Males points out: ‘That is, child poverty seems to lead to teenage childbearing, not the other way around.’” [“Rollback III”, Z Magazine, April, 1995] The same charge of inaccurate scare-mongering can be laid at the claims about the evil effects of welfare which the rich and large corporations wish to save others (but not themselves) from. Such altruism is truly heart warming. For those in the United States or familiar with it, the same can be said of the hysterical attacks on “socialised medicine” and health-care reform funded by insurance companies and parroted by right-wing ideologues and politicians.

Thirdly, anarchists are just as opposed to capitalism as they are the state. This means that privatising state functions is no more libertarian than nationalising them. In fact, less so as such a process reduces the limited public say state control implies in favour of more private tyranny and wage-labour. As such, attempts to erode the welfare state without other, pro-working class, social reforms violates the anti-capitalist part of anarchism. Similarly, the introduction of a state supported welfare system rather than a for-profit capitalist run system (as in America) would hardly be considered any more a violation of libertarian principles as the reverse happening. In terms of reducing human suffering, though, most anarchists would oppose the latter and be in favour of the former while aiming to create a third (self-managed) alternative.

Fourthly, we must note that while most anarchists are in favour of collective self-help and welfare, we are opposed to the state. Part of the alternatives anarchists try and create are self-managed and community welfare projects (see next section). Moreover, in the past, anarchists and syndicalists were at the forefront in opposing state welfare schemes. This was because they were introduced not by socialists but by liberals and other supporters of capitalism to undercut support for radical alternatives and to aid long term economic development by creating the educated and healthy population required to use advanced technology and fight wars. Thus we find that:

“Liberal social welfare legislation … were seen by many [British syndicalists] not as genuine welfare reforms, but as mechanisms of social control. Syndicalists took a leading part in resisting such legislation on the grounds that it would increase capitalist discipline over labour, thereby undermining working class independence and self-reliance.” [Bob Holton, British Syndicalism: 1900–1914, p. 137]

Anarchists view the welfare state much as some feminists do. While they note, to quote Carole Pateman, the “patriarchal structure of the welfare state” they are also aware that it has “also brought challenges to patriarchal power and helped provide a basis for women’s autonomous citizenship.” She goes on to note that “for women to look at the welfare state is merely to exchange dependence on individual men for dependence on the state. The power and capriciousness of husbands is replaced by the arbitrariness, bureaucracy and power of the state, the very state that has upheld patriarchal power.” This “will not in itself do anything to challenge patriarchal power relations.” [The Disorder of Women, p. 195 and p. 200]

Thus while the welfare state does give working people more options than having to take any job or put up with any conditions, this relative independence from the market and individual capitalists has came at the price of dependence on the state — the very institution that protects and supports capitalism in the first place. And has we have became painfully aware in recent years, it is the ruling class who has most influence in the state — and so, when it comes to deciding what state budgets to cut, social welfare ones are first in line. Given that such programmes are controlled by the state, not working class people, such an outcome is hardly surprising. Not only this, we also find that state control reproduces the same hierarchical structures that the capitalist firm creates.

Unsurprisingly, anarchists have no great love of such state welfare schemes and desire their replacement by self-managed alternatives. For example, taking municipal housing, Colin Ward writes:

“The municipal tenant is trapped in a syndrome of dependence and resentment, which is an accurate reflection of his housing situation. People care about what is theirs, what they can modify, alter, adapt to changing needs and improve themselves. They must have a direct responsibility for it … The tenant take-over of the municipal estate is one of those obviously sensible ideas which is dormant because our approach to municipal affairs is still stuck in the groves of nineteenth-century paternalism.” [Anarchy in Action, p. 73]

Looking at state supported education, Ward argues that the “universal education system turns out to be yet another way in which the poor subsidise the rich.” Which is the least of its problems, for “it is in the nature of public authorities to run coercive and hierarchical institutions whose ultimate function is to perpetuate social inequality and to brainwash the young into the acceptance of their particular slot in the organised system.” [Op. Cit., p. 83 and p. 81] The role of state education as a means of systematically indoctrinating the working class is reflected in William Lazonick words:

“The Education Act of 1870 … [gave the] state … the facilities … to make education compulsory for all children from the age of five to the age of ten. It had also erected a powerful system of ideological control over the next generation of workers … [It] was to function as a prime ideological mechanism in the attempt by the capitalist class through the medium of the state, to continually reproduce a labour force which would passively accept [the] subjection [of labour to the domination of capital]. At the same time it had set up a public institution which could potentially be used by the working class for just the contrary purpose.” [“The Subjection of Labour to Capital: The rise of the Capitalist System”, Radical Political Economy Vol. 2, p. 363]

Lazonick, as did Pateman, indicates the contradictory nature of welfare provisions within capitalism. On the one hand, they are introduced to help control the working class (and to improve long term economic development). On the other hand, these provisions can be used by working class people as weapons against capitalism and give themselves more options than “work or starve” (the fact that the attacks on welfare in the UK during the 1990s — called, ironically enough, welfare to work — involves losing benefits if you refuse a job is not a surprising development). Thus we find that welfare acts as a kind of floor under wages. In the US, the two have followed a common trajectory (rising together and falling together). And it is this, the potential benefits welfare can have for working people, that is the real cause for the current capitalist attacks upon it. As Noam Chomsky summarises:

“State authority is now under severe attack in the more democratic societies, but not because it conflicts with the libertarian vision. Rather the opposite: because it offers (weak) protection to some aspects of that vision. Governments have a fatal flaw: unlike the private tyrannies, the institutions of state power and authority offer to the public an opportunity to play some role, however limited, in managing their own affairs.” [Chomsky on Anarchism, p. 193]

Because of this contradictory nature of welfare, we find anarchists like Noam Chomsky arguing that (using an expression popularised by South American rural workers unions) “we should ‘expand the floor of the cage.’ We know we’re in a cage. We know we’re trapped. We’re going to expand the floor, meaning we will extend to the limits what the cage will allow. And we intend to destroy the cage. But not by attacking the cage when we’re vulnerable, so they’ll murder us … You have to protect the cage when it’s under attack from even worse predators from outside, like private power. And you have to expand the floor of the cage, recognising that it’s a cage. These are all preliminaries to dismantling it. Unless people are willing to tolerate that level of complexity, they’re going to be of no use to people who are suffering and who need help, or, for that matter, to themselves.” [Expanding the Floor of the Cage]

Thus, even though we know the welfare state is a cage and part of an instrument of class power, we have to defend it from a worse possibility — namely, the state as “pure” defender of capitalism with working people with few or no rights. At least the welfare state does have a contradictory nature, the tensions of which can be used to increase our options. And one of these options is its abolition from below!

For example, with regards to municipal housing, anarchists will be the first to agree that it is paternalistic, bureaucratic and hardly a wonderful living experience. However, in stark contrast with the right who desire to privatise such estates, anarchists think that “tenants control” is the best solution as it gives us the benefits of individual ownership along with community (and so without the negative points of property, such as social atomisation). The demand for “tenant control” must come from below, by the “collective resistance” of the tenants themselves, perhaps as a result of struggles against “continuous rent increases” leading to “the demand … for a change in the status of the tenant.” Such a “tenant take-over of the municipal estate is one of those sensible ideas which is dormant because our approach to municipal affairs is still stuck in the grooves of nineteenth century paternalism.” [Ward, Op. Cit., p. 73]

And it is here that we find the ultimate irony of the right-wing, “free market” attempts to abolish the welfare state — neo-liberalism wants to end welfare from above, by means of the state (which is the instigator of this individualistic “reform”). It does not seek the end of dependency by self-liberation, but the shifting of dependency from state to charity and the market. In contrast, anarchists desire to abolish welfare from below. This the libertarian attitude to those government policies which actually do help people. While anarchists would “hesitate to condemn those measures taken by governments which obviously benefited the people, unless we saw the immediate possibility of people carrying them out for themselves. This would not inhibit us from declaring at the same time that what initiatives governments take would be more successfully taken by the people themselves if they put their minds to the same problems … to build up a hospital service or a transport system, for instance, from local needs into a national organisation, by agreement and consent at all levels is surely more economical as well as efficient than one which is conceived at top level [by the state] … where Treasury, political and other pressures, not necessarily connected with what we would describe as needs, influence the shaping of policies.” So “as long as we have capitalism and government the job of anarchists is to fight both, and at the same time encourage people to take what steps they can to run their own lives.” [“Anarchists and Voting”, pp. 176–87, The Raven, No. 14, p. 179]

Ultimately, unlike the state socialist/liberal left, anarchists reject the idea that the cause of socialism, of a free society, can be helped by using the state. Like the right, the left see political action in terms of the state. All its favourite policies have been statist — state intervention in the economy, nationalisation, state welfare, state education and so on. Whatever the problem, the left see the solution as lying in the extension of the power of the state. They continually push people in relying on others to solve their problems for them. Moreover, such state-based “aid” does not get to the core of the problem. All it does is fight the symptoms of capitalism and statism without attacking their root causes — the system itself.

Invariably, this support for the state is a move away from working class people, from trusting and empowering them to sort out their own problems. Indeed, the left seem to forget that the state exists to defend the collective interests of the ruling class and so could hardly be considered a neutral body. And, worst of all, they have presented the right with the opportunity of stating that freedom from the state means the same thing as the freedom of the market (so ignoring the awkward fact that capitalism is based upon domination — wage labour — and needs many repressive measures in order to exist and survive). Anarchists are of the opinion that changing the boss for the state (or vice versa) is only a step sideways, not forward! After all, it is not working people who control how the welfare state is run, it is politicians, “experts”, bureaucrats and managers who do so (“Welfare is administered by a top-heavy governmental machine which ensures that when economies in public expenditure are imposed by its political masters, they are made in reducing the service to the public, not by reducing the cost of administration.” [Ward, Op. Cit. p. 10]). Little wonder we have seen elements of the welfare state used as a weapon in the class war against those in struggle (for example, in Britain during the miners strike in 1980s the Conservative Government made it illegal to claim benefits while on strike, so reducing the funds available to workers in struggle and helping bosses force strikers back to work faster).

Anarchists consider it far better to encourage those who suffer injustice to organise themselves and in that way they can change what they think is actually wrong, as opposed to what politicians and “experts” claim is wrong. If sometimes part of this struggle involves protecting aspects of the welfare state (“expanding the floor of the cage”) so be it — but we will never stop there and will use such struggles as a stepping stone in abolishing the welfare state from below by creating self-managed, working class, alternatives. As part of this process anarchists also seek to transform those aspects of the welfare state they may be trying to “protect”. They do not defend an institution which is paternalistic, bureaucratic and unresponsive. For example, if we are involved in trying to stop a local state-run hospital or school from closing, anarchists would try to raise the issue of self-management and local community control into the struggle in the hope of going beyond the status quo.

In this, we follow the suggestion made by Proudhon that rather than “fatten certain contractors,” libertarians should be aiming to create “a new kind of property” by “granting the privilege of running” public utilities, industries and services, “under fixed conditions, to responsible companies, not of capitalists, but of workmen.” Municipalities would take the initiative in setting up public works but actual control would rest with workers’ co-operatives for “it becomes necessary for the workers to form themselves into democratic societies, with equal conditions for all members, on pain of a relapse into feudalism.” [General Idea of the Revolution, p. 151 and p. 276–7] Thus, for example, rather than nationalise or privatise railways, they should be handed over workers’ co-operatives to run. The same with welfare services and such like: “the abolition of the State is the last term of a series, which consists of an incessant diminution, by political and administrative simplification the number of public functionaries and to put into the care of responsible workers societies the works and services confided to the state.” [Proudhon, Carnets, vol. 3, p. 293]

Not only does this mean that we can get accustomed to managing our own affairs collectively, it also means that we can ensure that whatever “safety-nets” we have do what we want and not what capital wants. In the end, what we create and run by ourselves will be more responsive to our needs, and the needs of the class struggle, than reformist aspects of the capitalist state. This much, we think, is obvious. And it is ironic to see elements of the “radical” and “revolutionary” left argue against this working class self-help (and so ignore the long tradition of such activity in working class movements) and instead select for the agent of their protection a state run by and for capitalists!

There are two traditions of welfare within society, one of “fraternal and autonomous associations springing from below, the other that of authoritarian institutions directed from above.” [Ward, Op. Cit., p. 123] While sometimes anarchists are forced to defend the latter against the greater evil of “free market” capitalism, we never forget the importance of creating and strengthening the former. As Chomsky suggests, libertarians have to “defend some state institutions from the attack against them [by private power], while trying at the same time to pry them open to meaningful public participation — and ultimately, to dismantle them in a much more free society, if the appropriate circumstances can be achieved.” [Chomsky on Anarchism, p. 194] A point we will discuss more in the next section when we highlight the historical examples of self-managed communal welfare and self-help organisations.

[sekritjay]

I barely ever acknowledge birthdays simply because in my family it's just not been all that important. Sad fact of being second generation immigrant is that there's always something more important that needs doing and that continued well into university. Never worth celebrating

I think it's nice to acknowledge it this time on my 36th birthday though because today would mark the cut-off point where I'd stop being eligible to take part in the IEC programme, and given that I don't have a degree, only a DipHE, it'd mean that any chance of emigrating would've been basically shut forever. Now however I have the opportunity to build a career in Canada and have a greater chance of being allowed to stay

I do want to thank @tarysande for discovering the change in the IEC eligibility criteria. I hadn't considered it as an option because at the time found out about it I was already over the cut-off point. After a speculative poke she found out that the age range increased only a few months ago, which I'd never have known had I not asked her to offer some advice. Thanks to her, I can leave

My plane lands in Calgary on the 18th of this month. I've got my accommodation and health insurance sorted out, and I've signed a two year contract for both. It's real, it's happening and I still can't believe it, and I did it by the skin of my teeth

[beardedmrbean]

There are over 3,600 students enrolled at the University of Helsinki who have not completed any coursework in the past year, according to the educational institute's data.

This number of 'ghost students' has nearly doubled in three years, rising from just under 2,000 in 2021.

However, this figure includes students with multiple study rights, numbering in the dozens, as well as those who enrolled in courses before 2005, who have perpetual study rights.

There are a total of over 30,000 students at the University of Helsinki.

A similar situation has been noted at Tampere University, where about 2,500 enrolled students earned zero credits in the 2023–2024 academic year, marking a slight rise in the number of 'inactive' students.

According to Anu Haapala, Director of Development at the University of Helsinki, the students' situations are diverse and many factors contribute to this situation.

Financial challenges may drive students to work instead of studying, family situations can change, and health-related reasons could disrupt studies. Sometimes, students may need time to consider if their chosen field is right for them.

"As a university, we aim to enable smooth progression of studies. However, it is ultimately up to the student to decide how and when they will complete their studies," Haapala said.

Enrolling in courses for student benefits and discounts

Those with a student card in Finland are entitled to significant discounts on meals, public transportation, gym memberships, and various retail purchases, as well as access to subsidised health services, university IT resources, and professional union memberships with insurance coverage.

Yle spoke to Jani, 33, who after graduating with a master's degree in engineering from the Tampere University of Technology in 2017, applied for a new degree in mechanical engineering at Lappeenranta.

He was accepted into the programme and registered as an active student at the beginning of the following autumn without any intention of completing his studies.

Jani, who lives in southwestern Finland, said having a student status gives him access to numerous discounts and benefits for the many services he regularly uses in his daily life.

He estimated that he saves around 2,000 euros a year from these discounts and benefits.

While Jani acknowledged that his actions might be seen as depriving other students of a study spot, he said that any system will inevitably be exploited by some individuals.

"It may require a bit of moral flexibility. I personally feel that since the system allows this, I am just as entitled to use student benefits as anyone else," he said.

While he is no longer a student at Lappeenranta, Jani enrolled in the University of Tampere in 2021 to study mathematics and statistics. After his study period ends, he plans to apply to another university.

"Sometimes I wonder how much longer I will dare to eat at the student canteen," he said.

Jani wished to be anonymous in the story due to the sensitive nature of the topic.

Anu Haapala told Yle that she is not in a position to assess the extent of the exploitation of student discounts and benefits.

"The message I get from student organisations is that the benefits and subsidies could be much better so that they better support the promotion of studies," she said.

[justforbooks]

Steve Wright, who has died aged 69, helped to redefine the role of a disc jockey when he established his BBC Radio 1 afternoon show in the 1980s. To the usual formula of linking almost back-to-back music, he added gossip, trivia, guests from the world of entertainment such as Paul McCartney and Warren Beatty, and a general feeling of chaos that became known as the “zoo” format. It made him the most popular UK radio presenter of the era, with audiences of more than eight million.

“The show’s a little bit of everything you fancy,” he said. “I invented the format myself. It’s a tabloid newspaper of the airwaves – fast, fun and packed with info. Something for everyone.”

Some of the regular “guests” or “listeners” phoning in – including Mr Angry, Gervaise the hairdresser and Damian the social worker – were fictional spoof characters voiced by actors, while Phil Cornwell, whom Wright described as “a crazed, inspired genius”, provided impersonations of David Bowie, John Lennon, Robert De Niro, the Rolling Stones and others. Cornwell’s interactions with the DJ were improvised. A compulsive collector of information, Wright was particularly fond of the “factoids” and bizarre true stories he dug up to entertain his listeners.

Alongside the showbiz guests, Wright was also trusted by politicians, although things did not always go well. On one occasion he was waiting in the prime minister’s study at 10 Downing Street, preparing to conduct an interview with John Major, when he spotted two paracetamol tablets on a table. As he was suffering from a headache himself, he popped them into his mouth.

“When Mr Major walked in, I think he spotted the empty packets – because there was an immediate atmosphere,” recalled Wright. “He wouldn’t really loosen up. I asked him what clothes he liked to wear and he said, ‘Er, um, casual.’ I asked what sort of casual, but he wouldn’t be drawn.” However, Wright did elicit the revelation that the prime minister’s favourite record was the Marty Robbins western ballad El Paso. “A very strange song indeed,” observed the DJ.

Wright first took to the Radio 1 airwaves with a Saturday evening show in 1980 and, within weeks, was presenting Top of the Pops on BBC television. Then, he hosted the Saturday mid-morning show before switching to his long-running post-lunch weekday slot in a programme eventually titled Steve Wright in the Afternoon (1981-93).

At the beginning of 1994 he moved to the flagship Radio 1 breakfast show, titled Steve Wright in the Morning, in a bid by the BBC to halt declining ratings. He added 250,000 listeners within four months and kept a steady audience of seven million while audiences for other shows plummeted. Nevertheless, Wright walked out on his £165,0000-a-year job in 1995 – following differences with Matthew Bannister, the recently appointed controller of Radio 1 – and joined Talk Radio for an unhappy few months.

He was back at the BBC in 1996, switching to Radio 2 to present a Saturday show and launch Steve Wright’s Sunday Love Songs, a mix of classic songs, dedications and real-life romance stories, before returning to familiar territory in 1999 with Steve Wright in the Afternoon. When his departure from the afternoon slot was announced in 2022, he handed over typically graciously, saying “Now, I’ve been doing this programme for 24 years at Radio 2, and so how can I possibly complain? Really, I can’t hog the slot for ever, so let’s give somebody else a go.”

Wright was born in Greenwich, south-east London, and brought up in New Cross, the son of Richard Wright, who managed a Burton’s menswear store, and his wife, June (nee Saunders). Following the family’s move to Southend-on-Sea, Essex, Steve attended Eastwood high school, where he broadcast on school radio over a speaker system from the stock cupboard.

Leaving with three O-levels, he went through jobs as a shipping insurance company clerk, telephone engineer and backstage theatre worker, as well as running his own jingles business. He also had an unsuccessful stint singing on the club circuit, and worked in hospital radio in his spare time.

Joining the BBC in the early 70s, he spent three years working in its pop record library, digging out vinyl discs for DJs to play, followed by a period as a researcher in radio. He left in 1975 to host a show on Radio Atlantis in Belgium, then worked as a reporter and presenter on LBC in London.

In 1976, he moved to the newly launched commercial station Radio 210 in Reading, making promotional trailers and jingles before hosting his own show – he and a fellow 210 DJ, Mike Read, also contributed a pop column to the local newspaper, the Reading Chronicle. Wright switched to Radio Luxembourg three years later and returned to the BBC in 1980.

Radio fame brought Wright television appearances not just on Top of the Pops (1980-89), but also as a panellist on gameshows such as Blankety Blank (1987-89) and That’s Showbusiness (1990-93). He then became the presenter of Home Truths (1994), with celebrities answering general knowledge questions and revealing skeletons in their closet, and Steve Wright’s People Show (1994-95), featuring celebrity guests. From 1997 until 2009, he narrated the Top of the Pops archive footage programme TOTP2.

On radio, Wright’s other shows included Wright Around the World for the BBC World Service (1999-2003) and Radio 2’s Pick of the Pops (2022-24), and he continued to present Sunday Love Songs until his death.

He was appointed MBE in this year’s new year honours list.

In 1985, Wright married Cyndi Robinson; they divorced in 1999. He is survived by their children, Tom and Lucy, his father and his brother, Laurence.

🔔 Steve (Stephen Richard) Wright, radio and television presenter, born 26 August 1954; died 12 February 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[chussyracing]

fresh f1 news and rumours from past days

Honda will not only supply AM with their engine from 2026 but also some staff

Since Fia wants to discourage the teams from protesting their decisions altogether, after they shortened the period for right to review, they also made sure that the fee for the review will only be paid by them if the team wins the case (just like it would be by the court)

Fred Vasseur confirmed they submitted insurance claim over the las vegas incident

Sky news claims that Bahrain' sovereign wealth fund Mumtalak now has 100% ownership of McLaren F1 team and it will be announced soon

If you wanna see f1 in 2024, be prepared the tix will be on average 8-10% more expensive (Hungary is still cheapest, miami will be 15-30% cheaper after decline in demand and complaints in 2023)

Kimi Raikkonen took his son to Ferrari musei and it's the most adorable thing ever

F1 esports series pro championship rebranded to f1 sim racing 2023 and my lord does it seem like the championship is dying. Quick explanation: it's a championship with 20 drivers, 2 from each f1 team - except as opposed to f1, all sims have the same set up so it would be fair and focused on driver skill. The first race for this season was on 25/26th november and for the first time ever they met live in Stockholm. Since there was no promo from f1 teams like in the previous seasons (especially around quarantine times it had big support) they were forced to cancel the first race that season and only the second took place. Another round was meant to happen this past weekend, but drivers didn't get info where the meetup would be this time, what track/tracks they would be driving, nothing. After, they put out an announcement that the round was postponed. Now nobody knows when or if it will take place. Apparently, there has been no communication from f1 as to where the races should be livestreamed either

Some changes in FDA: according to their site, there will be 6 ferrari juniors in 2024 with ollie in f2, Dino in f3, Rafael camara and tuukka taponen in formula regional. James Wharton and Arthur Leclerc leave fda but the site says "arthur stays part of the family". Marco Matassa ends as the head of fda and instead Jock Clear will take over. René Lammers won FDA scouting world finals but "fda experts" decided as he is the least experienced of the candidates (and was only born in 2008), he is not ready to join the fda just yet. Alba Hurup Larsen won fia girls on track - rising stars programme and will be visiting maranello regularly in 2024 to work alongside Maya weugh and aurelia nobels who are also a part of the programme. Maya and Aurelia should both race in f1 academy, making Ferrari the first team with two drivers in the female series

[rmu-vincent]

Top 5 reasons to apply to Myers Corporation

Due to bad-faith discourse going around recently regarding the practices of Myers Corporation, I would like to highlight a few reasons for applying there.

Myers Corporation is the leading company in the field of mechanical and bio engineering as well as body modification, successfully holding a monopoly on the industry for a conciderable amount of time. After all these years, it is impossible to deny that Myers Corporation with its innovative technologies has every opportunity to shape our future and adjust the fate of humanity as a whole, and being a part of such cause is an honour any individual should treasure.

Design, create, enhance. At Myers Corporation, creativity, open-midedness, and ambitious aspirations are valued and encouraged. Any input is taken into account, and the management is praised for their responsiveness and responsibility. Furthermore, as far as I am concerned, the employees are fond of their job which is a pretty rare thing to hear nowadays.

Being accepted into Myers Corporation means gaining new valuable connections and achieving a social status that is worthy of respect. Getting a positive response to your CV is a task that is more than challenging, if not an impossible one for some people. However, effort and hard work is appreciated, so the more you put into your goal of getting into Myers Corporation, the more rewards you reap.

As was mentioned in the second paragraph, the rapport and community spirit is one of the mains strenghths and appeals of Myers Corporation. The management frequently hosts corporate parties and ensures people are remunerated approprietly for their achievements, and members of Myers Corporation have been talking about their close-knit, almost family-like team ever since the estblishment of the company.

Employee benefits exceed any other companies on the market. Not only does Myers corporation provide their workers with insurance, healthcare programmes, amazing extended leave opportunities and legal protection, but also some exclusive, industry-specific benefits, such as early access to the latest inventions, discounts on products produced by Myers Corporation, and more.

No discussion of Myers Corporation can be complete without mentioning th CEO, Mr Myers. His contribution to the company's success cannot be credited enough, and I consider him an extremely admirable person.

[sayitaliano]

Health in Italy

I realized I had written a quarantine vocabulary and probably never posted it? But honestly, I turned it into somethng else that may be interesting for you. It’s a very fast and not too deepened post about how health works in Itlaya, but hopefully it’s gonna give you an idea. In case you need. Ofc, here I am if I had forgotten something (which probably I have).

Il medico di base = the general pratictioner

Each of us has a doctor (usually the same person for the same family members, but not necessarily: it depends on how many free places they have cause each of them only have a maximum amount of people they can take care of) that is payed by the State (by the mutua = National health service; in fact they were called “medico della mutua” too) to which we can go anytime we feel sick or need something (even prescriptions for other exams or just a paper to be able to join the gym -that states we’re fine; or a paper that states we cannot go to work cause we’re sick and for how many days: this only if we work into public structures not if we work by ourselves ofc). This doctor works for a specific amount of hours each day (Monday-Friday), but they may visit you at home if you can’t go to their ambulatory/office. If it’s holiday or pre-holiday, you may call the “Guardia Medica”, in which there are other doctors that can visit you either in their ambulatory or at home for emergencies, but you better pray they answer you or you better go to the hospital’s first aid/emergency room.

Il dottore = the doctor; in Italy it should be “il medico” cause everyone who’s graduated from University is a “dottore” or “dottoressa”. “dottore” = “medico” is more of a slang but we do use it anyway.

We either have public health, so we can go to the hospital for exams, most of which are payed (sometimes entirely, sometimes only by half, other times at all but they don’t cost much -it depends also by age and general situation of the patient) by the State. Same goes for some medicines that are free cause are payed by the State (some others are payed partially, others ofc not at all: it depends what they serve for and who needs to take them).

But we also have private health: doctors have their own ambulatories/offices where they can visit you. Sometimes they work in private clinics too. These type of visits may cost a bit more but are way faster than the ones you can programme in hospitals (it may take you months to years for a visit atm, even serious ones). And if you have any external support as any other “mutua” (health insurances that may be private too/belong to associations you may join if you have a job or as a family member, and you pay every year for) or insurances that is not just the National one, you can get some of your money back or a discount even in private clinics. Some insurances may pay your hospital recovery or surgeries too.

[djuvlipen]

Reproductive rights are human rights, but for many Roma women throughout the EU, they are non-existent, explains Erika Schmidt.

Erika Schmidt is an EMMA Hub programme manager and Safe Motherhood Week ambassador.

These reproductive rights include a woman exercising control over her own body. This means making her own informed decisions on where and how she gives birth and what treatment she receives. Equally, all treatment must be underpinned by dignity and respect.

Whilst many mothers face significant barriers to quality maternal healthcare, the problems encountered by Roma women and other disadvantaged groups are even more serious.

Many healthcare providers and local authorities fail to reach out to Roma women to educate them about childbirth issues in a comprehensive, culturally and linguistically appropriate way. This leaves Roma women in the dark about family planning, pregnancy and birth care, caring for new-borns, and whom they can turn to for advice.

Yet we also underestimate basic practicalities; many Roma women may not be registered or possess health insurance at all, making them reluctant to seek help when they need it. Some individuals cannot even afford the bus fare to reach a maternity clinic or hospital in the first place.

To make matters worse, Roma women often experience a three-fold discrimination, based on their gender, ethnicity and economic status.

According to a Fundamental Rights Agency survey, 17% of Roma experienced discrimination in healthcare within a 12 month period.

From being kept in the dark about their condition, to being pressured into Caesarean operations without being explained the reasons or alternatives, to even being kept in separate wards, Roma women often experience degrading treatment. Spurious judgments and even racial profiling about their unhealthy “lifestyle choices” often discourage Roma women from seeking professional help during pregnancy.

The consequences of this are very real; whilst the infant mortality rate throughout the EU is 4.3 per thousand live births, the rate among Roma communities is estimated to be much higher, with much research showing much higher rates of premature and underweight births among Roma women.

These estimations remain vague though, since little effort is made to record and share such statistics, not only among top-level health professionals, but also with Romani (and other) women themselves, who are not encouraged to share their experiences with healthcare professionals or authorities.

This means both that they and other vulnerable groups are neglected and that authorities miss the chance to utilise this data to improve maternity care and help women make informed choices about childbirth and their expectations when they seek care. The resulting uncertainty and isolation can cause long-term physical and psychological harm.

The EU’s Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies 2020 includes healthcare as a crucial pillar of continent-wide and individual member state efforts to tackle discrimination against Roma, with the specific aim to “reduce the gap in health status between the Roma and the rest of the population”.

Yet in this year’s communication from the Commission on effective Roma integration measures, it is clear that this gap still exists. The executive calls specifically for better pre- and post-natal care, improved access to family planning, and crucially stresses that “qualified Roma should be involved in healthcare programmes targeting their communities”.

We are therefore calling on member states to convert this participation into reality, with regular oversight and support from the European Commission.

It is precisely by empowering Roma women to understand healthcare processes – and to actually have a say in these – that we can make sure they receive the best care possible.

This means raising awareness among these communities and encouraging mothers to discuss issues they may face. It also means educating mothers to navigate bewildering medical jargon and healthcare processes so they can explain to their communities how systems work, accompanying them to the hospital and helping build a safe environment of open discussion and support.

Through practical initiatives like these, we hope that a collective effort can be made to ensure that every mother receives quality maternal care, because if motherhood means nurturing the next generation, we are all responsible for making it safe.

It is my firm belief that this kind of participation and empowerment of mothers must grow, not just for Roma but also for all marginalised and vulnerable groups at risk of missing out on the care they deserve. It is only through working together with these individuals that we can take real action to fill maternal healthcare gaps and minimise unnecessary risks.

We have all the tools necessary to make every woman feel safe during pregnancy and childbirth – now we need to ensure that all women benefit from these, so that no community is left behind.

[unwelcome-ozian]

Hello, Masonry anon from a few weeks ago here. Thank you very much for the link! We have a few questions:

1.) Do you have any resources or posts on “God” programming? (As in, alters programmed to be God.) Or any Catholicism-based or church-related programs, for that matter?

2.) How would the Masonic checkerboard specifically be used in programming?

3.) Similarly, have you heard of the concept of apotheosis being used in programming? Or the Grand Architect of the Universe?

4.) Do you have any resources on eyes or “all-seeing” eyes being used in programming?

5.) In doll programming, there are specific programs for specific kinds of dolls — do you have any resources on specifically ball-jointed dolls or wind-up toys? Within that, are those programs inherently sexual?

6.) Can a programmed individual go on to program family members without being consciously aware of it? We believe that’s what our case looked like, except the attempted programming was extremely messy and incomplete where we believe that they didn’t actually know what they were doing and were merely attempting to mirror or recreate the events perpetrated against them.

Please do not feel rushed whatsoever to answer these lengthy questions. We appreciate any and all feedback at your leisure. Thank you again for your help, I hope you are all doing well!

Do you have any resources or posts on “God” programming? (As in, alters programmed to be God.) Or any Catholicism-based or church-related programs, for that matter?

God/Satan Programming- Form of dual programming to insure system balance. The personalities of the deities are switched. Satan/Lucifer has the attributes of the Christian god. god/Jesus has the attributes of Lucifer/Satan. (Spiritual Programming)

God’s Will Programming-The parts are told by the programmer/handler that the pain they (part) is feeling and what is occurring is God’s will. (Spiritual programming)

God Alters-Parts that hold beliefs specific to the system. These parts will hold and protect the spiritual beliefs of the system. God alters may have other parts that follow and worship them to re-enforce the spiritual beliefs. (Spiritual programming)

Part of God (universal Mind) Parts -A part sent to be an element of god the individual's contribution to the universal mind. (Spiritual programming)

Here’s a link to a list of some internal programmes.  There are a number of spiritual programmes listed. 

Here’s a link to a list of some parts/alters and their roles in a system.

How would the Masonic checkerboard specifically be used in programming?

Black and white patterns such as stripes and checkerboards represent duality and balance. The checkerboard is used for duality programming.

Duality Programming- The splitting of dark and light alters, good versus evil etc. This is the reason black and white stripes and chess boards are often used to represent the dual nature of humanity.  (Spiritual programming)

Similarly, have you heard of the concept of apotheosis being used in programming? Or the Grand Architect of the Universe?

The belief of apotheosis (elevation to the status of a god) can be found in several belief systems. 

Great Architect of the Universe, Grand Architect of the Universe (GAOTU), Sublime Architect of the Universe,Supreme Architect of the Universe.  As a designation it is used within Freemasonry to represent the deity neutrally (in whatever form, and by whatever name each member may individually believe in). Many non-Christian groups acknowledge a Creator—Jews, Muslims, Deists, and many Native American tribes—but the gods those groups worship are different from the God of the Bible. Freemasonry speaks of the Great Architect of the Universe, but it does not affirm who God is, according to the Bible. Freemasons use the term Great Architect of the Universe because it is ambiguous.

Yes, these can be used for programming purposes. 

Do you have any resources on eyes or “all-seeing” eyes being used in programming?

The Eye, representing the all-seeing eye of God, serves as a reminder that humanity's thoughts and deeds are always observed by God—who is referred to in Masonry as the Great Architect of the Universe. Typically, the Masonic Eye of Providence has a semicircular glory below it, and is sometimes enclosed by a triangle.

In programming the Eye can be used as a symbol internally to remind parts that they are being watched at all times. (Not true but parts are told this”

In doll programming, there are specific programs for specific kinds of dolls — do you have any resources on specifically ball-jointed dolls or wind-up toys? Within that, are those programs inherently sexual?

There are various types of doll programming. This is due to the number of types of dolls that are made .oll programming is used first to control the survivor. It is also used to affect the person’s self image.  Doll programming can also be used so the person can assume the ‘role’ of the doll.

Doll programming -The subject is given a doll that  is made to look like them. The subject is taught to project their feelings onto the doll. Due to the doll looking like the subject they are projecting onto themselves. The programmer will place the doll in positions and have the subject ‘abuse’ the doll. The subject is trained to assume the same positions so they can be abused.

No, not all doll programming is sexual programming. 

The main feature of the ball-jointed doll is its joints. These joints are round and can be taken apart. So you can assemble the joints and body parts to make a doll. BJDs are designed with head caps that allow someone to open the back of their head and change out their eyes. They also are designed to wear a removable wig, so their looks can be changed at any time. Many BJDs come with blank faces, so a unique face can be applied by the programmer.

BJDs are commonly hand crafted in Asian countries. BJD are anatomically correct.

BJD can have many purposes in programming. 

Clockwork toys tend to be programmed for one purpose for the amount of time they are wound. Their programmed task would depend on the type of toy they are.

Can a programmed individual go on to program family members without being consciously aware of it? We believe that’s what our case looked like, except the attempted programming was extremely messy and incomplete where we believe that they didn’t actually know what they were doing and were merely attempting to mirror or recreate the events perpetrated against them.

Programmed individuals support the programming of family members. They typically aren’t the one who implements the programming. This is due to the dual roles this would intel and the confusion it could lead to within the system. An example would be, a programmed adult or sibling would use the form of abuse used to create the part in the other family member.

Someone who is programmed, unless specifically trained to program others, would not know how to program another person. It would likely lead to the result you described.

We're doing alright.

Take care,

Oz

[clochanamarc]

hello it is diner-loving hours once again so i'm gonna make a list of reasons why ur muse should work at the diner:

they get paid a good wage. and by that i mean like. a hell of a lot more than minimum wage. the lowest wage any employee is getting is twenty dollars an hour, and the senior staff (so stanley, aisling, ramsay and henri) all find so many reasons and excuses to promote and offer bonuses.

one time stanley gave rani a 50% raise because she was studying for an exam on her lunch break, and he called it the "academic incentive programme".

they also get free food. "but blue, everyone gets free food at the diner!" they surely do! but this free food is very specifically timed so that they all get to eat together. also, they can ask ramsay or henri for whatever they want, and they'll make it. one time ramsay made a salmon poké bowl that had stanley and richard arguing over adding a sushi section to the menu.

they get praised so many times! for being on time, for being late but still showing up, for doing their tasks, for smiling at a customer, for making small talk with a customer, they get praise almost all the time! except for when they're early. stanley hates capitalism to the extent that he just barely accepts the diner as his own enterprise. he insists it's a home, and if you're early because you need extra money, he'll insist that you take a nap in the staff room and slip a few extra twenties in your envelope.

unlimited vacations and sick days. no, seriously. unlimited. one year bella didn't show up for eleven months and she still got paid full whack for the year.

team events! barbecues, parties, vacations, dinners, you name it, they're doing it together as a team!

no uniform! except for a name tag, but that's loosely defined. during the month of december, etienne wears sweaters with his name on the front, and rani has a necklace with her name on a charm, so it's always depending on your preference.

you've got health insurance and dental. stanley's got a lot of money, richard has a LOT of money, and aisling has LOTS of money, so u best believe you're getting health insurance and dental!

henri's brother is also a licensed therapist, and since the blip, he's made himself available for staff members, especially since the new surge of attacks have targeted the diner. so ur getting therapy!

ur also part of a family now, sorry not sorry, aisling's kids are already adding u to the family tree.