#I was going to just do the link but what if the article link expires?

[friendshiptothemax]

 Hi all! You may have heard there might be a writer’s strike soon. The reason for this is that every three years, the Writer’s Guild (which represents basically every television and movie writer) negotiates with the studios and networks (collectively called the AMPTP) to hash out an agreement of what guidelines the AMPTP have to follow if they want to hire a Writer’s Guild writer. If they can’t make an agreement by the time the contract from three years ago expires, which is on May 1, then no one will be able to employ a Writer’s Guild writer until a new contract is reached. That’s what a strike is. I don’t know if one will happen or not. Everyone, including the writers, deeply hope we’re able to make an agreement before May 1 and everyone will keep working. That being said, our last contract expired right at the start of the pandemic and everyone involved just kind of said “hey everything is weird right now so let’s not fight” so essentially we’ve got six years’ worth of grievances to talk about -- that is why this one seems especially contentious.

So that’s the background. The WGA and the AMPTP started negotiations this week. This is expected to continue throughout April -- no one expects to know either way until the end of April. Something very important I want everyone on Tumblr to know -- while negotiations are happening, the WGA has committed to a complete media blackout. No member of WGA leadership or the negotiating committee will be speaking about how things are going to the media. This means that if you see an article talking about the WGA’s position, whoever gave them that information is not talking for us -- and, since this is a two-sided negotiation we’re talking about, are probably talking directly against us. Use critical thinking on any negotiation-related articles you read -- does what they’re saying make sense? Who benefits from saying this?

Why am I saying this now? Well, yesterday, Variety published an article claiming that the Writer’s Guild is advocating for the use of AI. The article was full of twisted facts and confused falsehoods. The article took the WGA’s position that you can’t replace credited writers with AI and touted it as “the WGA is okay with AI as long as writers are credited!” That is an extremely bad-faith twisting of our position.The WGA had to issue a clarification of our position on twitter and now I’ve seen articles taking bits of THAT out of context -- specifically a Gizmodo article that implies that the Guild wants to take advantage of AI because it can’t be copyrighted, but their proof of that is a snippet from a section saying the reason we’re CONCERNED about AI writing is that it can’t be copyrighted.

And just, like....think about this for a second. Why on Earth would the Writer’s Guild WANT to replace writers with AI? Literally the organization whose entire purpose is to protect writing as a job? There’s no organization on Earth who would be opposed to it more. Every meeting I’ve been in has been unequivocally clear. WE ARE AGAINST AI. The second tweet in the thread I linked above says it outright: “AI can’t be used as source material, to create MBA-covered writing or rewrite MBA-covered work...” 

It just seems to me like it would suck if we do head into a strike in May, and everyone is pissed off at us because they believe we are striking for something that is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what we want. 

The WGA is in a media blackout. Be very skeptical of anything you read claiming to represent our position unless it comes from an official WGA source, like the one I linked above.

[fluidstatick]

"For more information join my discord"

listen, every time i've joined a discord i've ended up with less information. It gives me a migraine.

Incoming cranky essay about the declining availability of information --

"discord is great though, just curate your settings so it's less overwhelming, it's not hard" - that's cute. the settings are so opaque i can barely set my username and flair, let alone adjust the ui without falling into a shitty youtube tutorial wormhole first. 'what is up you g-' shut up and show me which tickbox i need to untick before i chew off my own eyelids.

i'm begging y'all to create dedicated forums for your stuff that aren't full of in-joke hashtags and nested threads that don't actually begin or end at the origin of any given conversation.

'but that's what reddit is for.' apparently not? subreddits are where you go to 1. argue, 2. make esoteric inside jokes, 3. talk down to people that are confused, 4. answer one (1) question while omitting several crucial details.

'google is free, old man.' searching google (and duckduckgo, ecosia, startpage, brave, quant, gibiru, swisscows, neocities, all of em, i'm tired) points me to 1. amazon, 2. ebay, and 3. reddit; reddit throws a dogwhistled slur at me and tells me that google is free, if one more person tells me to do my own research and I end up with a discord invite i'm going to hack into their minecraft world and obliterate everything with tnt and lava

Curse of Knowledge, (n) : The cognitive bias that prevents people from understanding the perspective of those who do not have as much information as them.

This ↑ shit has worked its way into every corner of the internet and shows no sign of self correcting. Making information freely available is crucial to the endurance of literacy, independent thought, creative problem solving, and general resilience. Put the lore for your Creative Thingy in a format that won't decay, self delete, or be obfuscated by unrelated noise. Don't leave anything out because it's "obvious", or in the hope of giving your audience a mystery to play with. Encyclopedias aren't supposed to be escape rooms or crossword puzzles. Guidebooks aren't escape rooms full of shiny trinkets.

Information is not entertainment.

Information is not entertainment.

Information. Is Not. Entertainment.

Step away from the bloated four minute youtube intros. Put down the expired discord invites, the wiki stubs, the dead links to ebooks on defunct store pages, the reddit threads full of [deleted], the endless parade of abandoned dropbox links.

Write your shit down in a safe place. If it's digital, make multiple backups - post it on discord if you must, but convert it to as many file types as you can fit it into: pdf and epub, zip and jpg and rtf. Stick all your backups on an external hard drive, so when [chat client] and [wiki client] and [filesharing site] and [cloud storage] and [archive site] and [social media platform] die, you have your shit and you can still share it.

I said When, because there is no If. I was around when you could still read microfiche of 19th century documents at almost every library in America. I remember searching for books in card files, learning to cross reference an encyclopedia to a history book, and installing Encarta 2000 on my dad's desktop computer so I could check it against the article I'd photocopied out of my school's 1996 Encyclopedia Britanica. I vividly recall when Livejournal was a baby, and everyone swore up and down that Geocities and Angelfire blog rings would outlive it. I then watched Livejournal, Diaryland, DiaryX, Xanga, Digg, Soup.io, Yahoo, Scribble, Vox, Posterous, and dozens of other platforms collapse like wet paper. The internet is supposedly a digital library of Alexandria, and it sort of is, but only in the sense that it's perpetually burning down.

Don't rely on Internet megaplatforms for your information. We saw what happened to Facebook, Twitter, and all the others. FOSTA/SESTA isn't just a scary acronym. Capitalism and the march of time will devour Tumblr and Discord, Tiktok and A03 and YouTube.

In the meantime, quit being coy with what you know, and quit treating people with questions like they're trying to steal from you.

[weekendviking]

Researching stuff.

Adding links here to methods for finding out things, because on the modern internet, actually finding out accurate information is now uniformly obfuscated by the relentless enshitification of search functions, proliferation of search engine optimised content mills, nation state level intentional misinformation and propaganda programs, and of course, these days, all the crap sources above are endlessly enriched by the output of generic Large Language Model plagiarism statistical bullshit engines, both image and text (And video and Bot and so forth).

Finding academic and peer reviewed Journal Articles - they haven't quite fucked google scholar yet, so it's better than the enshittified google or bing or <insert enshittified search bar embed here> whatever.

So I generally hit up Google Scholar for whatever subject, author name, paper title or similar that I've gleaned from whatever article or mention or wikpedia page sparked my interest. Often that gets me what I want, as there's often a link to a pdf of what I need within those search results. Yay.

If that doesn't work, then I start escalating, usually via the methodology here described at Logic of Science's blog:

They wrote it down so I don't have to. Excellent. Although some of the links in there have degraded. So the main ones I'll put here:

And then there's the pirate nuclear option, Sci Hub. Because it makes the big publishers and corporates really angry, don't use sci hub from a work or academic 'net access environment. Also it necessarily moves around a lot, so I generally search up where is sci hub now, to avoid going to a link that's expired or may now be a honeypot/trap:

Also, look out for content mill generated fake journals. I usually check here:

The other thing that's getting harder is finding out whether an image is misattributed or just plain fake. So right click and save the image, and then go to images dot google dot com, which is nowhere near as good as it used to be, but still not entirely enshittified, and click on the wee camera icon to the right and upload the image, and look through the results. What you find is _All_ the places that have posted that image, page after page of them. Scroll through - click on the ones that seem to be the oldest, check who's posting them. What you often find with viral outrage images is that they are _not_ what you think, especially if the image is a bit old, a bit bitrotted, or there's something else wrong - the clothing isn't right for the country/culture/time being outraged about, or something like that. Sometimes you find out that it's true, but most of the time you find out that it's wrong, that someone has just done a quick search for an image that roughly matches the outrage or the politics they want to push, added some outragey comments, and shared it, and enjoyed their flamey fire. I've been doing this for decades, ever since I started using a browser capable of image searching, mainly because I was outraged at people posting fake geology memes. But it works just as well on finding anything else.

And of course, if it's to a website, see if the wayback machine still has it cached:

[mixelation]

is this true you seem to know things https://www.tumblr.com/luminarai/725654142779097088/red-blood-cell-capacity-of-modern-menstrual

i mean.... yes, both the paper itself and a sci-comm article are linked....? the paper doesn't appear to be on scihub and i'm not at work to try and access the article itself, but i did read the summary and a couple of press releases

i'm not familiar with the literature to confirm if it's the first study that used human blood, but multiple press releases say it's industry standard to use saline (salt water) to test absorbency. i suspect that is because it's hard to get your hands on blood if you're a sanitary pad company (not that they couldn't do it or develop an equivalent-- just that storing blood without it clotting and the red tape and training to get it and use it are a lot more complicated that using saline). a few notes i think the tumblr screen caps are missing:

First, the point of the study seems to be testing newer period products like menstrual cups to help doctors take patient history, rather than proving a point about blood vs saline. Usually what tips a doctor off that a patient's period is too heavy is that the patient will say they're using some excessive amount of pads/tampons. Given lots of people use other things now, and pad/tampon companies are adding gel and shit to improve absorbency, doctors need to know what would count as "excessive." The conclusion on the summary is:

This study found considerable variability in red blood cell volume capacity of menstrual products. This emphasises the importance of asking individuals about the type of menstrual products they use and how they use them. Further understanding of capacity of newer menstrual products can help clinicians better quantify menstrual blood loss, identify individuals who may benefit from additional evaluation, and monitor treatment.

Secondly, the study used expired packed RBCs (red blood cells), which is NOT the same consistency as period blood, or even regular blood. Packed RBCs have had most of the blood plasma (the liquid part of blood) removed, so the cell are more concentrated. I think they also add stuff to prevent clotting, but the blood was old so who knows what was going on in it. Period blood has all sorts of other stuff in it besides just blood, and people with excessive bleeding may also have clots. That being said, in the theguardian article, the researcher they interviewed noted that packed RBCs are closer than saline.

[oftlunarialmoon]

What is Age Regression? Is It Healthy? (UPDATED AS OF 2/25/19) - Age Regression Series

Originally posted to www.onlyfunthings.org on May 14, 2018

Ciao lovelies! Today’s post is a follow up to THIS post about how there is no expiration date on fun! Today’s post is going to be about how expressing your “childish” side and indulging “childish” wants or hobbies can be super healthy to your mental state! In other words, we’re going to be talking about the unconventional “age regression” coping mechanism. (TRIGGER WARNING- Mentions of sexual abuse, self harm, eating disorders.)

(Please note that in this post we are not discussing the hypnosis level of this coping skill! We are simply talking about tapping into your inner child for the sake of stress relief and coping with traumas. Also DISCLAIMER- I am not a medical professional or a licensed therapist. I am simply recommending this from personal experience, not from a place of expertise.)

Even though this practice is increasing in its popularity, many have misconceptions about what this is or what it’s good for. The most simple and truthful definition is this “Age regression is when somebody reverts to a child-like state of mind, often as a coping mechanism for things like PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.” And this meaning is what we are talking about today.

Unfortunately for the sake of this post, there aren’t a lot of reputable sources for age regression, many of these sources get it wrong, and most places that even mention it mistakenly assume it is a sexual thing, when it is absolutely not. And that is why I wanted to write this article, to create a article that regressors can link back to and use to explain this to others, to end stigmas against regression and to stop the spread of misinformation.

MYTHS ABOUT AGE REGRESSION:

“Age Play and Age Regression are the same”- This is incorrect. Age Play is when someone pretends to be a younger age for a sexual reason. Age Regression is when someone feels like or goes into a younger head space for therapy/coping/stress relief reasons. The two are distinctly different but unfortunately get grouped together by ignorance. 

“Age Regression requires you to have a ‘Caregiver’”- This is also incorrect! You don’t need someone to be taking care of you in order to regress, because regression is based off you, your mental state and your coping mechanisms/therapeutic methods.

“You must have had a bad childhood in order to age regress”- Actually, you can have had a perfectly normal childhood and still regress! For one, sometimes the traumas people are coping with happened later in life, so they’re regressing to cope with it now, other times for two, people regress for stress relief not necessarily to relive childhood! 

“You can only age regress if you’re mentally ill/Age regression is a mental illness”- Neither of these are true, as you can regress even if you’re neurotypical. Age regression is not a type of mental illness but is instead a coping strategy/therapy method/stress reliever.

EXPERIENCES:

Now, I will share with you some people’s personal experiences with age regression to help them. Every story shared was shared willingly with us and we have kept certain people anonymous. The only thing changed in these stories is grammar/spelling. Everything else is left untouched.

“I regress because I was sexually abused as a child and teen. When I regress, it’s like I get a new childhood where nothing bad happens to me. It’s nice to be able to play with toys and color and relax and have the flashbacks and painful memories stop for once. I have told my therapist about my regression and she said it sounds like a very healthy coping mechanism. I used to cut to cope with my PTSD from the abuse, but now I can just regress and be happy.” – Anonymous

“I started regressing at the end of high school without knowing what I was doing because I just thought I was childish. I noticed that when I was regressed I could finally get myself to eat which I had difficulty with because of my anorexia. The hardest part of it all for me is knowing I can’t explain myself to the ones I care about because they might judge me or not understand it.”- Anonymous

"When I was very young I went through a lot of mental and physical trauma, and this continued into my young adult life. I ended up developing a bunch of different disorders causing me to have intense mood swings, flashbacks, night terrors, and panic attacks. I'm in a constant state of extreme anxiety without a cause. But when I age regress I am able to express my emotions and deal with past traumas. It gave me a much needed outlet in what I saw as a world of darkness. It helped pull me out of my depression, and helps me cope in a positive way. I've been regressing for about 3 years, and I have never improved as much as I have in these past years. My regressed state is the only time I'm not constantly anxious and paranoid. My mood swings happen less often and I'm more positive in general. Age regression has changed my life for the better, and become a part of who I am as a person." - (Please note that our source for this quote has left Tumblr and we have no other accounts to source them to- 1/13/19 update)

What do you think of Age Regression as a coping mechanism? Would you ever try it? Have you? Let us know what you think in the comments!

One last note! Please do be cautious when using this coping skill. I have been informed that it is possible for this coping skill to cause dissociation. Please exercise caution and only do what you feel is comfortable and healthy for you.

If you are an age regressor, we have some more articles for you! Such as:

 - Age Regression Journaling

and

 -Age Regression Self Care

We also have a YouTube Channel with lots of agere Goodness, like this video:

Remember to Stay Awesome and Love Yourself!

[f1]

F1 drivers speak up for Catalunya track amid rumours of Madrid bid for Spanish GP | 2023 Spanish Grand Prix

Formula 1 drivers including Lewis Hamilton are keen to see the Circuit de Catalunya remain on the F1 calendar, following rumours the Spanish Grand Prix will move to Madrid in the future. Reports suggested a new street circuit in the Spanish capital could take over the race after the Catalunya circuit’s contract expires in 2026. The Spanish Grand Prix has appeared on the F1 calendar every season since 1986 and moved to its current venue in 1991. Several drivers expressed their desire for the track near Barcelona to remain the race’s home. Lewis Hamilton, who raced around the little-loved Valencia street circuit which held a second Spanish round between 2008 and 2012, said he was not particularly excited by the prospect of moving the Spanish round to another street circuit. Catalunya has held F1 races since 1991 “As long as it’s not like Valencia was, which wasn’t the most enjoyable track to drive…” he said in response to a question from RaceFans. “But I don’t think I would want to lose Barcelona. I love the city. “I do think it’s very important to keep the some of the classic circuits. At least the ones that provide great racing. Budapest is spectacular, Silverstone’s grand prix is spectacular, this track – there’s a lot of really great original circuits that we should keep. Maybe some that don’t provide the greatest of racing, maybe switch those out. “I just think about the heritage of the sport and we’ve got to make sure we hold onto those which are the pillars of what the sport is, in my opinion.” Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries, who drove in a grand prix weekend for the first time last year in Barcelona in a Friday practice run with Williams, said he “genuinely loves” the venue. “I think every driver knows this track very well – it’s been used a lot throughout many different series and also in the simulator. So I enjoy coming here.” However Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jnr – one of two Spanish drivers in the field alongside Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso – said he is more concerned about making sure the Spanish Grand Prix remains on the calendar amid ever-growing competition from existing and emerging venues across the world. “I just can say that I will do my maximum just to ensure that there’s still a Spanish Grand Prix, independently of where,” Sainz said. “I think Barcelona now is doing a great job and I’ve been enjoying coming to Barcelona many, many years. Obviously I still need to go a bit more into the detail of what’s going on in Madrid and what they’re planning to do there. “But I will just support the Spanish Grand Prix – independently of where it is – and I will just offer my help for whatever they need – doesn’t matter if it’s track design or whatever – and support it.” Bringing the F1 news from the source RaceFans strives to bring its readers news directly from the key players in Formula 1. We are able to do this thanks in part to the generous backing of our RaceFans Supporters. By contributing £1 per month or £12 per year (or the equivalent in other currencies) you can help cover the costs involved in producing original journalism: Travelling, writing, creating, hosting, contacting and developing. We have been proudly supported by our readers for over 10 years. If you enjoy our independent coverage, please consider becoming a RaceFans Supporter today. As a bonus, all our Supporters can also browse the site ad-free. Sign up or find out more via the links below: Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free 2023 Spanish Grand Prix Browse all 2023 Spanish Grand Prix articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/

[gameinfoxtbr]

Pixel Hunter Codes

Pixel Hunter can now be played and achieved without wasting time if you have some suggestions on increasing the level of the game. So, guess what??? You’re just at the right place! 😁 Collecting Pixel Hunter codes will get you free gems as well as many other interesting prizes! So in this post, we’ll be going into everything more detailed and also give you some tips and tricks on when and how to use these codes to gain an edge in the game. Prepare for the free gems and level up to be much faster! What Are Pixel Hunter Codes? 🧩 Pixel Hunter codes are unique codes that you need to enter into the game to get resources such as gems, gold, and others for free. Such codes are usually provided by the game developers during game festivals, other promos/upgrades, and at major milestones in the community. Here’s how to redeem your Pixel Hunter codes and grab those freebies: - Launch the game and go to the options setting. - Click the link to express checkouts and then find the “Redeem Code” button. - Input the code and click okay. - Have great luck with your free gems store and other gifts! 🎊 Latest Active Pixel Hunter Codes 💎✨ Here are some of the latest active codes for Pixel Hunter that you can use right now to claim thousands of gems: - cos777 – Redeem this code for 30,000 Gems. - Phi – Redeem this code for 20,000 Gems. - Welcome – Redeem this code for 20,000 Gems. Please remember these codes should be redeemed soon as they might be expired soon! ☑️ Also, do not forget to stay tuned for more codes as the latest updates from Pixel Hunter might have new codes now.

GameInfoX How to Use Pixel Hunter Codes Wisely 🎯 Free gems are fun, but knowing how to make the best of them is important to level up faster in Pixel Hunter. Here are a few smart ways to spend your newly acquired gems: - Upgrade Your Gear: You can enhance your weapons and armor by using gems. It will also help you to triumph over mind-effective opponents and extra bosses more effectively. - Unlock Rare Heroes: There are some of the best heroes that one can find in the game and these heroes can only be bought by gems. The Silver Rank is for collecting currency to unlock OP champions from the Pixel Hunter Tier List to bolster the squad. - Participate in Events: Because gems are not easy to purchase, you can only be able to access some special items during events, so I encourage you to join them to stand a chance to clinch limited special offers. Why Are Pixel Hunter Codes Important? 🥇 Regardless of whether you are a freshly registered player or a veteran of pixel hunts with vast sub counts, any Pixel Hunter codes will prove invaluable for your experience. Regardless of whether you played before or want to get the top rankings, the possibilities, that are opened by these codes, will serve for leveling, gaining unique characters, and winning bosses faster. By redeeming codes, you can access: - Free Gems: Spend the gems on gaining better equipment or new heroes, or use the gems to upgrade them. - Exclusive Rewards: At other times, codes work for special in-game items or for bonuses tied to a specific event that cannot otherwise be obtained. - Faster Progress: Here, players can level up much quicker using the resources from codes and this puts them ahead a competitors from other players. Read more tips and trick in the complete guide to Pixel Hunter guide in this article. When Are New Pixel Hunter Codes Released? 📅 There are two codes given by the developers of Zillion Games who are the developers of Pixel Hunter that are released often during major updates, events or game promotions. They are also used to incentivize users to achieve some goal like downloads of a particular number or followers on social media. But to never miss a new code follow the official Pixel Hunter Facebook page here, where the developers of the game also share other announcements and important game related news updates.

GameInfoX About the Pixel Hunter Game 🌟 For newcomers to Pixel Hunter, the site offers a great experience to all. This RPG lets you defeat classic 8-bit monsters, gather resources, level up your heroes and the game runs in the background even if you close it! Without a doubt, it is as if action and strategy were the best partners. 🎮 Go here to get more knowledge about the game mechanics, characters, and new updates from About Pixel Hunter. Irrespective of how often you play games or how inveterate a gamer you are and how great a tactician you are in-game, then trust this, there is something for everyone in this game. Pixel Hunter Developer 🛠️ This game is created by Zillion Games, the company that has been making idle RPG games with unexpectedly intricate mechanics and ideas, which are continuously updated. They promised to make players have newer content in codes, and special events, among other related aspects of characters. Players on their part are engaged and can give the developers constant feedback to ensure the game remains balanced and enjoyable. To find out more about the developers and their products, please go here. FaQs About Pixel Hunter Codes ❓ Q-1 What are Pixel Hunter codes?A-1 These are special codes that are given by the developers to the players and offer the players free bonuses in their gaming including gems, gold, etc.Q-2 How can I redeem codes in Pixel Hunter?A-2 For Psyonix, to redeem a code simply go to the settings menu and then choose the option “Redeem Code” as the option in question, enter the code, and then your rewards will be unlocked.Q-3 Are Pixel Hunter codes free?A-3 Of course, Pixel Hunter codes are fully legal, allowing one to get free items such as gems that will make it easier to advance in the game.Q-4 How frequently do new codes come out?A-4 The new codes are normally released depending on the event, game updates or sometimes based on the community achievement. Check the Updates on our Pixel Hunter list if you want to catch the newest codes.Q-5 Can I use expired codes?A-5 No, once a code has reached its expiry date it cannot be used again. Be sure to utilize the codes the moment they are released!Q-6 How do you get new Pixel Hunter codes?A-6 Visit this Facebook page to get the latest information on the game, codes, and more. Conclusion 🎉 Another way you can take full advantage of the game without spending a dime is by using codes from Pixel Hunter.MSOntT Regardless of what you are searching for – a list of free gems or other special bonuses, these codes put you in a winning position. Check for new codes, use your gems correctly and level up your game. 💎 Also as a reminder do not fail to follow Pixel Hunter on facebook to get more updates, codes, and events. Happy hunting! 🎮🔫 Word Count: 1032 Read the full article

[validatepaymentmails]

How do I tell a customer about a failed payment?

Communicating a failed payment to a customer can be a sensitive task, as it involves addressing an issue that could lead to discomfort or embarrassment. However, when done professionally, empathetically, and with a focus on problem-solving, it can enhance customer trust and prevent negative outcomes. In this article, we will explore strategies, techniques, and best practices for informing customers about failed payments.

1. Tone and Empathy: Setting the Right Foundation

The tone of your message is crucial. A failed payment can stem from various reasons—insufficient funds, an expired card, or even a mistake in entering payment details. It’s important to approach the customer with understanding and empathy.

Best Practices for Tone and Empathy:

Use positive language: Avoid blaming or using words that imply fault. Instead of saying "Your payment failed," say "We noticed an issue with your recent payment attempt."

Acknowledge potential external factors: Consider that the customer might not be aware of the failure or may have had an unrelated issue, such as a card expiring. Acknowledge that sometimes payment issues happen unexpectedly and that you are there to help resolve it smoothly.

Be polite and respectful: Acknowledge the customer’s value to your business. Saying something like, “We appreciate your continued support and want to ensure you don’t experience any service interruptions” can reinforce a positive relationship.

2. The Message: Clear, Direct, and Informative

While tone and empathy are essential, clarity and directness are just as important. Customers need to understand the problem and know what steps they should take to resolve it.

Best Practices for Crafting the Message:

Be straightforward: Don’t obscure the core message. State that the payment did not go through, and offer reasons why this might have happened, such as incorrect billing information or a card being declined.

Use a friendly subject line: If you're sending an email, use a non-alarming yet clear subject line. For instance, "Action Required: Issue with Your Recent Payment" or "We're Having Trouble Processing Your Payment" balances urgency with a helpful tone.

Include key information: Provide details such as the date of the failed payment, the amount, and which service or product the payment was for. Avoid being vague, as it can lead to confusion and additional questions.

3. Offer Solutions and Next Steps

The most important part of the message is providing a clear path for the customer to resolve the issue. Instead of leaving the customer unsure of what to do next, guide them step-by-step through the process.

Best Practices for Offering Solutions:

Give specific instructions: Outline what the customer needs to do to resolve the issue. This could be updating payment details, trying a different payment method, or contacting their bank.

Provide links and resources: Make it as easy as possible for the customer to act. Include direct links to the payment update page, FAQs, and customer support contacts.

Offer alternative methods: If the customer’s payment method failed, suggest alternatives. For example, “You may wish to try a different credit card, use PayPal, or pay via bank transfer.”

Set a clear timeline: Be transparent about any deadlines. For example, if the payment is due within a certain period to avoid service disruption, state the specific date and time by which payment should be completed.

Here is an example email template:

Subject: Action Required: Payment Issue for [Service/Product]

Dear [Customer's First Name],

We hope you're doing well. We wanted to let you know that there was an issue with processing your payment for [service/product] on [date]. This could be due to an expired card, insufficient funds, or a mistake in the entered payment details.

To ensure your [service/product] remains uninterrupted, we kindly ask you to update your payment information by [insert deadline]. You can do so by clicking the link below:

[Payment Update Link]

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team at [support email/phone number].

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we appreciate your continued support.

Warm regards, [Your Company Name] Customer Support Team

This template is clear, polite, and focused on solving the issue rather than focusing on the failure itself.

4. Preventing Escalation: Follow-Up and Timing

After sending the initial notification of the failed payment, it’s important to follow up appropriately to ensure that the issue is resolved. Timing is crucial in this process, especially when there’s a risk of service interruptions.

Best Practices for Follow-Up and Timing:

Send a reminder: If the customer hasn’t resolved the payment issue within a specified period (e.g., 24-48 hours), send a polite follow-up reminder. This shows your concern while maintaining professionalism.

Use different channels: If email doesn’t elicit a response, consider following up via SMS, push notifications, or even a phone call, depending on your relationship with the customer and the criticality of the payment.

Set a final notification: If the payment isn’t resolved within a certain timeframe, inform the customer about the consequences, such as suspension of services. Be polite but firm, and reiterate how they can rectify the issue to avoid disruptions.

Final Reminder Example:

Subject: Final Reminder: Payment Issue for [Service/Product]

Dear [Customer's First Name],

We noticed that your payment for [service/product] is still pending. To prevent any disruptions to your account, we kindly ask you to resolve the issue by [insert final deadline].

If you need assistance, our support team is here to help. Please visit [payment link] or contact us at [support email/phone number].

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to continuing to serve you.

Warm regards, [Your Company Name] Customer Support Team

5. Provide Exceptional Support: Be Available to Help

Payment failures can sometimes be confusing or frustrating for customers, especially if they believe their payment method should have worked. Offering easy access to customer support can mitigate any negative feelings and help resolve the issue more quickly.

Best Practices for Providing Support:

Be accessible: Ensure your customer support channels are easy to find. Include links to live chat, phone numbers, or email addresses in your communications.

Offer troubleshooting tips: Sometimes, payments fail due to simple issues like outdated payment information. Offering proactive suggestions in your initial communication can help the customer troubleshoot the problem on their own.

Train your support team: Ensure that your customer support team is trained to handle payment issues with sensitivity and empathy. A well-handled payment issue can turn into a positive customer experience.

6. Conclusion: Handling Payment Failures with Grace

Addressing a failed payment requires a blend of empathy, clarity, and helpfulness. By communicating in a manner that is respectful and solution-oriented, you can help your customers rectify the issue with minimal stress. Remember to provide clear instructions, offer support, and follow up politely. Handling these situations well can strengthen the customer relationship, showing that your business is committed to customer satisfaction even in potentially uncomfortable scenarios.

SITES WE SUPPORT

Validate Payment Mails – ​​​Wix

[inkintheinternet]

Science and Society in the New World

By Arjuwan Lakkdawala

Ink in the Internet

I'm tirelessly fascinated by science and the world we live in. I have been observing the changes happening. As I have noted in my previous article a New World has sprung around us, with swiftly progressing science and a changing society due to the influence of social media for better or worse (depends on your perspective.)

We have the positive aspect of this new evolving world and the negative one. I will focus first on the negatives in this article since they are concerning.

For example obesity has increased with 1 in 8 people in the world living with obesity in 2022 according to the World Health Organization 2024 study, with confirming reports about world wide increase in the International Journal of Obesity - 2024.

And cancer is striking young adults, mostly women and people in their 30s that has "doctors alarmed and baffled." - Wall Street Journal.

Studies found the increase to be of 14 types of cancer. "Many of which affect the digestive system." - CNN Health.

There could be a link between these two rising phenomena and a particular change in society that came about forcefully in 2020 ‐ that is the Covid19 lockdown, because of which not only did many people not get enough exercise, but had moved to eating conveniently from takeaways. A habit that maybe didn't go away after the lockdown.

In our present day, food delivery apps offer any food we could think of in less than an hour, delivered straight to our doorstep. This includes many sugary foods and drinks. If I was to make a magical comparison, think of our mobile phones like magic wands...wave it and the food you want magically appears within an hour, you don't have to cook or make a trip just wish for your meal.

How many young adults do you think would thoughtfully order their food based on health criteria rather than whatever looks the most delicious on the app advertisement. In addition to the ease with which any food is available, the fact that there is so much variety means you never get bored and so are likely to eat a large amount in every meal.

Food you haven't cooked means you don't know the ingredients, especially most takeaway foods unlike packaged foods don't have label of ingredients.

The question of ingredients is most concerning in any food.

The average person is rarely familiar with the side effects or potentially harmful ingredients, some people don't have any awareness at all about preservatives, food colouring, artificial flavours, or additives. At best they check the expiration date of canned goods.

For example the food colouring Titanium dioxide (E171 on labels) was banned in France in 2020 followed by the European Union in 2022. It is a mineral that naturally occurs and has many crystallised forms. It is used as a white pigment in foods and other non-edible products. Studies have linked it to genotoxicity and cytotoxicity.

Genotoxicity is where it can cause DNA damage which can cause cancer, and cytotoxicity means a substance that is harmful to cells. The intensive analysis of Titanium dioxide particularly came into focus when science progressed enough to study nanoparticles. Titanium dioxide produces nanoparticles that can enter the bloodstream.

To get a clear picture nanoparticles are 1 to 100 nanometers, a human hair is 80,000 nanometers in width.

Titanium dioxide though banned in Europe and Saudi Arabia, is still used in food products in America and Canada (2023 June report).

I did not find 2024 report regarding this issue.

The reason why different countries have different health regulations is that researchers have varying criteria of what makes a product toxic for human consumption, when it comes to substances that won't immediately kill you like straight out poisons.

How many consumers would have awareness about possible ingredients like these in their takeaway meal or dessert. The answer is probably a very small percentage, especially among adolescents and young adults.

Titanium dioxide could be in your white chocolate mocha coffee or velvet cake white chocolate icing, if it is not banned in your country.

When it comes to food the subject is very large, which is impossible to be summarised in one article. But I came upon some interesting facts and history about chocolate. I found it interesting as I get to explore the Mesoamerican civilization of the Aztecs (present day Mexico) and study if we can learn somethings from it.

Cocoa beans were said to be first used as food by the Olmecs, a tribe in the region of Mesoamerica, then by other pre-Columbian civilizations basically in the same region. The tribes include the Aztecs, Mayans, Inca (Peru) etc.

The Olmecs didn’t have written records but pots found in archealogical sites have traces of cocoa substance.

The Aztecs called cocoa Xocolatl and it was considered more valuable than gold, and even used as currency, throughout these civilizations chocolate was consumed as a bitter drink, and maybe spiced with chilli, which was a common crop in the region.

No one knows the exact origin of these tribes but possible they were nomadic hunter-gatherers who started to build settlements.

It ended very badly for the Aztecs when the Spanish conquistador Hernàn Cortès arrived in Mesoamerica and had trained about 400 soldiers and marched into Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztec empire.

The leader Montezuma unaware of the intentions of the Spaniard greeted him and his men as honored guests (talk about a Trojan Horse) but was captured and many Aztecs slaughtered by the invaders. European diseases like small pox had also reached the Aztecs and due to no immunity they died in heaps. The report I read does not state whether small pox was intentionally used as a biological weapon. But over a course of some years the Aztecs had been conquered by the Spaniards. Though the Aztecs outnumbered the invaders, their weapons and perhaps their knowledge was much infurior, giving the invaders an edge over them.

Soon after the Inca (modern day Peru) were also conquered, and it was roads that they had made that helped facilitate the attack on them.

All of these pre-Columbian civilizations had human sacrifice rituals and chocolate drinks could have been part of the ceremony.

Dark chocolate has proven to prevent the start and progress of cancer. Flavanoids in cocoa beans have cancer fighting properties. It is not a substitute for professional medical treatment, but can be part of a healthy diet. Dark chocolate is defined as 60 to 70 percent cocoa.

Copyright ©️ Arjuwan Lakkdawala 2024

Arjuwan Lakkdawala is an author and independent science researcher.

X/Instagram: Spellrainia

Email: arjuwan.writer@gmail.com

Sources:

Oncology Nursing News, chocolate: to eat or not to eat? Karen Harris

History, Aztecs, history . com editors

History of chocolate, history . com editors

National post, approved for use in Canada, advocates are urging us to ban this common food additive, Sam riches

National Geogrphic, who were the msya? Decoding the ancient civilization's secrets, Erin blakemore

Britannica, titanium dioxide, chemical compound, debasmita patra, fact-checked by the editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Cnn health, Cancer diagnosis rates are gong up in younger adults, study finds, driven largely by rises in women and people in their 30s, Brenda goodman

Wall Street Journal, Cancer is striking more young people, and doctors are alarmed and baffled, brianna abbott

International Journal of Obesity, obesogens: a unifying theory for the global rise in obesity, jerryold j. Heindel, Robert h. lustig, Barbara e. Corkey

Regask, titanium dioxide banned as a food additive in Ksa, Yemen, and Qatar

U.s. right to know, titanium dioxide, banned in Europe, is one of the most common food additive in u.s., mikaela conley

[venuscomb]

Why We Love Dinosaurs  Boria Sax, Nautilus

The Surprising History (and Future) of Dinosaurs  Chantel Tattoli, Paris Review

How Do We Know What Dinosaurs Looked Like?   Sara Chodosh, Popular Science 

What It’s Like to Dig for Dinosaur Bones   Steve Macone, The Atlantic  

How We Elected T. Rex to Be Our Tyrant Lizard King   Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine

How to Weigh a Dinosaur   Elizabeth Yuko, Lifehacker           

WATCH: How to Build a Dinosaur   Kimberly Mas, Vox      

How to Outrun a Dinosaur   Cody Cassidy, Wired            

This Is What Dinosaur Meat Tasted Like   Hilary Pollack, Vice    

The Day the Dinosaurs Died  Douglas Preston, The New Yorker                      

What If the Asteroid Never Killed the Dinosaurs? Daniel Kolitz, Gizmodo

How Dinosaurs Shrank and Became Birds Emily Singer, Quanta Magazine

On America’s Wild West of Dinosaur Fossil Hunting Lukas Rieppel, Literary Hub        

To Date a Dinosaur Laura Poppick, Knowable Magazine    

‘The Nation’s T. rex’: How a Montana Family’s Hike Led to an Incredible Discovery Steve Hendrix, The Washington Post      

Why Does the U.S. Army Own So Many Fossils? Sabrina Imbler, Atlas Obscura            

How Jurassic Park Changed the Way Movies Looked at Dinosaurs Keith Phipps, Vulture       

The Real Science of Bringing Back the Dinosaurs Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics          

The Best Places to Visit for Dinosaur Lovers of Any Age Julie Vick, Afar                    

The Best Books on Dinosaurs Recommended by Paul Barrett, Five Books                                                                                                                   

[shisei11]

Clip Studio Paint 2.0 Announcement and What It Means

I see people worry that CSP is over now and that they will force subscriptions on everyone. This is not really the case. But lets back up a bit, what's actually happening?

CSP just released an announcement about version 2.0, and it's plans for the future. The current plan is to stop including free feature updates to the current CSP version (1.x) in 2023.

I am not linking the article in this post, but that's only so it can show up in the tag searches. It should be available on their website or on their Twitter!

This got long so it's under a read more.

Will CSP 2.0 replace my current CSP?

No.

If you already have a 1.x CSP (current CSP) license, you will keep it. It will not be voided, and you will not be forced to update to 2.0. If you're not interested in the new features of 2.0+, literally NOTHING changes. You can still use 1.x CSP, you will be able to access the cloud storage and asset store, customer service is still gonna be available.

You just can't use the new stuff in 2.0 going forward. That's it. They will not require a subscription to the current CSP version and will not lock you out of any stuff you have right now.

They will also still release bug fixes for 1.x until 3.0 drops (which is likely YEARS in the future).

Well, what if I WANT CSP 2.0?

If you want the new CSP, you will have several options. Buying the 2.0 Perpetual License, buying the Update Pass, and paying for the Subscription.

If you buy the 2.0 Perpetual License, you will be able to use all base features released for that version, but you will NOT be able to use the new features released in 2.1, 2.2 etc.

If you'd want to use those new features in 2.1+, you will need either:

A, An Update Pass

B, A Subscription

A- If you plan to buy the 2.0 License but also want the new features, you need the Update Pass. It will last a year and will cost less than the monthly subscription. It can be activated at any time. When it expires, you will NOT be able to use the new features anymore (stuff in 2.1 etc.), but can still use 2.0 features if you have the Perpetual License.

You can also just buy the Update Pass for your 1.x CSP (without needed to buy another license for base 2.0 CSP)! In which case when that would expire, you'd go back to the features available in the 1.x version.

B- If you're paying the monthly sub, you will get all new updates and features as they release. You do not need an Update Pass or a base Perpetual License. If you are already using a subscription for CSP right now, literally nothing changes for you!

How long will they support 1.x CSP though?

The article says they are planning to fully support it until 3.0 launches. That means releasing new bug fixes, and offering customer support to everyone who owns a 1.x CSP license.

Even after 3.0 drops in the far future, you will still be able to use 1.x fully. They will just stop supporting it officially, but if you already have a license and your PC can run it, you can still use it like before!

[philipkindreddickhead]

I often seen critiques of make up from an existential/philosophical perspective, but I rarely see criticism of cosmetics from a stand point of the very physical bodily harm it does. I think this is because the number of dangerous ingredients is so massive, and overlapping its an absolutely daunting task. So I've compiled the information I've found and bear with me its a lot. (This is from an American perspective. Sorry, thats what I know. However I would love it if people from other countries had things to add.)

First I want to get the "simple" stuff out of the way. I think almost everyone has heard about bacteria and fungi in makeup and that makeup causes acne from clogging pores. Makeup has a pretty strict shelf life, yet consumers are entirely supposed to self-police as Ive never seen a single expiration date on any cosmetic packaging. (I guess consumers are meant to pull this knowledge out of the ether or something. I only found out about it in a tumblr PSA. I did read that expirys are on products in Europe.) Beauty blenders are the worst offender because theyre almost always moist. When I was taught makeup I was told to wet my sponge so it would soak up less product. If you apply makeup daily your sponge is likely constantly damp. USA Today had an article which said that 96% of sponges had fungi and over 60% had E. Coli in them. But I think what people talk about less is the complication of problems from using other products in conjunction with dirty beauty blenders. USA Today warns its especially dangerous to use beauty blenders if you have damage to your skin like acne, cuts, or dry skin. However the most popular beauty products for washing your face contain walnut pieces for literally scrubbing your skin and creating microabrasions. If youre a frequent makeup user you probably know about the cyclical nature of applying foundation, breaking out, and then applying more foundation to cover the breakout. You may even be using scrubbing cleansers more frequently to combat the acne creating more tears. This can lead to "blood poisoning" and, though neither USA today or Forbes mentions this, blood poisoning (not a medical term btw. Its sepsis.) according to numerous medical sites has the potential to be extremely lethal. The symptoms are so similar to a regular flu its nearly impossible to self-diagnose.

The very first thing I was told when a friend handed me a jar of finishing powder- popular with many beauty gurus for the "baking" technique and considered a must have- was a joke about "clown lung." This was a reference to the main ingredient talc. Talc causes lung problems including cancer and respiratory illness. If anyone remembers the large Johnson and Johnson lawsuit from 2019 it was because theyd been putting talc into baby powder. Talc is dangerous because it's impossible to mine and seperate from ASBESTOS. Some high-end finishing powders will try to sell you on safe talc-free formulas but all the products I looked into contained mica instead which causes pneumoconiosis, colloquially known as "black lung disease." Like fucking coal miners get. Its not just present in finishing powder either. In my research it turned out that talc/asbestos are also present in many eyeshadows and other powder products. [Googleable, evidenced in J&J lawsuit]

Another industry to examine is nail salons. Toluene, Formaldehyde, Dibutyl Phthalate, and Methacrylate compounds are all dangerous ingredients and present in various salon products. These ingredients cause a range of problems from dizziness, drowsiness, birth defects, slow fetal growth, future intellectual disabilities in the fetus, eye skin and throat irritation, coughing, allergic reactions, asthma-like attacks, short-term memory loss, nausea, dermatitis, cancer, and misscarriage. Some nail products advertise that they are 3-free meaning that toluene, formaldehyde, and DP should be absent but often the labels are found to be completely inaccurate. It should be noted that the risk is mainly to salon workers and not patrons but ask yourself if it is right to place other people at serious risk for your aesthetic. OSHA does make an attempt to mitigate these risks however not once in my years of makeup queen did I see a salon following these directives which include constant air monitoring, half mask respirators with chemical cartridges, gloves, long sleeves, and safety glasses. (And Im not even going to touch issues of human trafficking/slave labour out of nail salons one case of which occured 5 days ago two hours away from me) It should also be noted that formaldehyde can also be found in hair relaxers and hair dyes. [Found articles in Scientific American and NYT]

I also found on the FDAs website that many cosmetics include heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, and lead. (Usually accompainied by a picture of lipstick so I assume that is the product most likely to contain it, however campaign for safe cosmetics lists foundation as containing heavy metals, and The Guardian has an article about skin lighteners from Asia and Africa containing mercury.) The website stated that the amount of these heavy metals in cosmetics is "safe" if used as intended. (and I'm going to come back to the concept of "intended use" later because thats a can of worms too) However, when searching for info on heavy metal safety I found this quote in regards to metals in food:

"Certain metals, such as arsenic, lead and mercury, have no established health benefit, and have been shown to lead to illness, impairment, and in high doses, death. Understanding the risk that harmful metals pose in our food supply is complicated by the fact that no single food source accounts for most people’s exposure to metals in foods. People’s exposure comes from many different foods containing these metals. Combining all of the foods we eat, even low levels of harmful metals from individual food sources, can sometimes add up to a level of concern"

So like, which is it? Is it a "safe amount" or is no amount of metal safe? I understand that in the case of certain foods like fish some amount of mercury poisoning is always expected but fish is also something you feed yourself and nourish your body with while cosmetics are completely unecessary to your survival. The mercury problem in fish is also mitigated by health warnings when mercury levels are particularly high but cosmetics have no such warning. Another warning on the site indicated that children should ingest NO amount of lead AT ALL because it is particularly harmful for kids yet theres no effort to stop children from using lead-containing cosmetics. I worked next to a Five Below where I was shocked to find they sold Jeffree Star and Anastasia eyeshadow dupes for five dollars which amounts to fucking pocket change for a lot of kids and kids do buy that stuff. I also think its ironic the FDA would have anything to say regarding cosmetics because in the very same article about heavy metals in cosmetics the FDA says that they DO NOT REGULATE cosmetics beyond the color additives.

Mascara, eyeliner, lipstick, and brow tint often contain carbon black. This is a color additive that is an incomplete combustion of carbon-based products. It can cause lung disease, cancer, and organ system toxicity, and eye, nose, throat irritation. The effects are mainly studied in rats and those at biggest risk are industrial workers but why do other workers have to endure lung problems for something so unecessary? [Easily googleable, NIH, CDC, WHO Europe]

This next bit I only want to mention briefly because I didnt find any particularly reputable sources about it, but its a claim that cropped up repeatedly and I think its an interesting one. Parabens, estrogen, phthalates (again), and pesticides in cosmetics are apparently linked to endocrine disorders and hormone dysregulation. Im not entirely sure what is meant by this accusation. Endocrine disorders include female diseases like PCOS and possibly endometriosis. None of these diseases is very well studied and the female endocrine system itself is not well studied either. Im not saying "cosmetics cause PCOS" because we dont know if PCOS or these other endocrine/hormonal disorders are genetic or environmental or both (it appears that PCOS is largely genetic and Endometriosis is likely autoimmune related) AND we dont appear to know for sure that cosmetic ingredients cause endocrine disorder. But I include anyway for a number of reasons:

If you happen to struggle with hormonal problems you may want to know cosmetics is a potential environment factor.

These conditions are incredibly painful. It will be a battle getting your doctor to even acknowledge that pain for diagnosis. PCOS is linked to diabetes, and heart disease. [Thanks @mother-of-pearl ] There is no cure and the treatments are often throwing hormonal birth control at it and hoping for the best.

I dont anticipate the link between cosmetics and endocrine disorders being studied any time soon or any endocrine disorders studied at all because the medical/scientific field is sexist. I dont want women to suffer in the mean time.

Now again, take this with a grain of salt because I couldnt find scientific or news sources for it. Dont fucking come for me. Im not gonna respond to you. [Most reputable source was a paper from the library of medicine at the national institutes of health but it was behind a paywall and I dont have 39 dollars to be right on tumblrdotcom]

Avoiding these ingredients is not as simple as scanning the label for them. As many beautubers and the community are no doubt aware considering multiple scandals over veganism. Products advertised as vegan or cruelty free but contain non-vegan carmine or are sold in China which legally requires the products to be animal tested. Cosmetic companies will hide ingredients claiming they are "trade secrets" or they will be placed under "fragrance." Many ingredients will be known by six or seven different names and asking consumers to be aware of seven different names for multiple ingredients requires consumers to be aware of innumerable different, often complicated ingredient names. I shouldnt have to point out that's a ridiculous burden to place on women. The EU banned 1,300 hazardous ingredients that the US did not. Cosmetic companies rely on women being unwilling/unable to bring in a list of 1,300 ingredients- with multiple names- every time they pop in to the drug store, sephora, or wherever. Buying "natural" products will not help you either. Theres no established criteria for natural/organic in costmetics, the FDA doesnt test these products, and "natural"=/= safe anyway. Plenty of plants and minerals are poisonous. One good example is traditional kohl products which advertise their natural status but also naturally contain lead and reiterating that natural powders contain mica. US courts are rarely on the side of consumers either. I found an interesting lawsuit against St. Ives for their apricot scrub taken to court for their "dermatologist tested" label despite it causing breakouts and cuts to the skin. The courts ruled that this label was fine because it only indicated that the product was TESTED not APPROVED by dermatologists. However I think any rational consumer would look at this label and assume the tests concluded it was safe for use or else why put the label on there?

[Googlable XMONDO drama, googlable laws wrt china and eu, already stated about FDA, FDA website about Kohl. Googled St. Ives lawsuit.]

I want to return to the idea of "intended use." This is sort of a fucky concept a lot of companies have ways of getting around. My "last straw" with makeup had to do with a run-in I had with Anastasia over their "Riviera" eyeshadow palette. In this pallette they had two colors that were the real feature of the palette, an electric neon purple and a radioactive pink I mean every photo, every promotion has these two colors swirled together around the eye. Because again, its an eyeshadow palette. When I buy the eyeshadow palette of course there's a little insert warning in the package that says these two shades are not intended on the eye area. In an eyeshadow palette. Contacting their customer service they told me that these two shades were meant to be used as a blush. neon purple blush. Not only that, but their website and instagram featured NO models wearing the shades as blush while EVERY model one or more of the shades as eyeshadow. When asked about this discrepancy ABH stopped responding. What I find egregious about this is the amount of people who dont know, and then more staggeringly; dont care. The sephora clerks didnt know, the in store abh representative didnt know, their customers didnt know, and when I told them they would respond with "oh, [brand] did the same thing with their [shade]." Sure enough, when I demanded that store clerks open the packaging to look for warnings nearly every product had an "eyeshadow" that was not intended for use on the eyes. Relegating dark, red-toned teal to "contour" and neon grean to "highlighter" US-based cosmetic junkies will say that these pigments have been approved for use by the EU however I found absolutely NO evidence of that. I googled it a thousand ways but all I ever found were blog posts, reddit comments, and one quote from an apparently nonEuropean layman in an Insider article. I even changed my location to France on ABH's website and the Norvina palette still contains the same warnings (not to harp on ABH in particular. I just know which shades in particular are the problem there). The Insider article noted that brands who were selling pressed pigments declined to comment. If the pressed pigments were EU friendly, I would think companies would be clamouring to say so. It also still makes their market as eyeshadow colors illegal in the US. (If any Europeans would like to chime in I'd love that.) Another problem I find with cosmetics companies and their reps is the claim that the worst thing that could happen is eye irritation for those with sensitive eyes and staining. How could they possibly know? The FDA doesnt test, or approve these cosmetics in the eye area, so ostensibly no one should be using it that way.

The next one is a bit of a "duh" but I'm going to talk about it anyway. Counterfeit cosmetics are a booming market full of untold dangers. Untold primarily because these products could contain literally anything. Ive read about glue, arsenic, lead, feces, staph, and horse urine to name a few. The labels and ingredient list on these products are fake. Legitimate brands often unintentionally play into the counterfeit market. They create artificial scarcity by making less of the product than is actually needed for consumer demand to create an even higher demand. If consumers miss out often their only chance at getting the product is to turn to counterfeits. I found examples of women who had their lips superglued, lips "turned to goo" and burned to blistering, throat closures, women with stys, contact dermatitis, eye infections. I think we as a society turn a blind eye to this problem because we think "hey, if youre buying counterfeits for a discount and you get hurt you deserve it." We imagine idiots buying products for 4 dollars from ebay or perusing Canal street for FEИTY beauty. But these counterfeits can be really convincing. I myself received a gift of a huda palette that I only recognized something was weird about it because I'd swatched it at sephora about five times earlier that month. The person who bought it for me actually paid MORE than the usual cost for the palette because it was advertised as a newer, better edition. The websites can be disturbingly similar. For instance Kylie Jenner's legitimate website is KylieCosmetics.com but you can find fakes at kyliecosmeticsshop.co.uk. These fakes can buy ad space and be one of the first sites that populate when you google the products instead of typing the legitimate site into the address bar. Counterfeits can also be bought and sold through third parties on websites like ebay, wish, and amazon. (My gift actually came from Amazon.)

[Netflix doc "Broken" ep "Makeup Mayhem" Corroborated by personal experience and google]

[likeawildthing]

Not to be morbid on main, but everyone dies and people are rarely prepared for it. It’s so much easier when you know your loved one’s wishes. So even if you’re a teenager or twenty-three and healthy, I hope this helps you start thinking about end-of-life wishes, because it can happen to us all (both the dying and, rudely, being died upon).

Cremations are an affordable way to subvert the funeral industry, but going this route puts the burden of “the little things” on the family. I’ve learned a lot in the last 36 hours and wanted to pass those things that weren’t on any checklists, because the burden is on you to navigate the process.

Putting this under a cut because it’s so long (although not comprehensive). Obviously some of this is altered because COVID and some is meant to be applicable in some distant, theoretical future when we can go out to lunch again.

Before you die

Think about it, talk about it, write it down

Think about what kind of rememberance you want, if any. If it doesn’t matter, tell people that so they don’t fret about it and grieve in whatever way works best for them.

Communicate now to save your family and friends angst later.

Build an “in case of death” binder, zip drive, google doc with links, etc. Make sure your passwords are up to date so that’s not an administrative nightmare for your loved ones.

Advanced directives. Here’s a great article explaining the types of medical advanced directives and decisions to make before an accident or illness happens, including whether you want to donate your organs.

We lost grandma for about twenty minutes yesteday because we couldn’t find the paperwork and grandpa couldn’t remember where they signed up for services. Death. Binder. Have a death binder/folder/zip drive so no one loses grandma.

Insurance. 

You likely have insurance through work, so consider that. It will also expire if you leave your job.

You can usually get, with minimal fuss, a 10- or 20-year term policy with enough to cover your arrangements and debts for less than $20 a month. Death expenses are anywhere from $5-$20k, conservatively. 

Talk to your auto insurance agent and score a multi-line discount.

Body snatchers. 

If you want to be cremated, talk to a local crematory beforehand and give them your basic information. It can be paid out of your estate (i.e. by your family or a life insurance policy) when it happens. 

Most funeral homes (I believe) require pre-payment. It’s super morbid but there are TONS of heavily discounted grave sites for sale on Craigslist if that’s the route you want to go. 

Here’s a list of certified green burial sites in the US.

Donating your body to science 101.

Memorial service. 

The idea of a “proper” funeral is more or less out the window, especially in the time of COVID. Celebration of life? Religious ceremony (or not)? A picnic at your favorite park? Anything goes, so figure it out now. 

When my sister-in-law died, we had a celebration of life at a non-profit who donated the space and had a poker tournament with her ash tin (she lost). 

Whether you have strong or no preferences, write that down to guide decision-making. 

Memorials. 

Traditionally people would donate money in the event of a death to a charity, foundation, or family account, or flowers to a funeral home or church.

 Family accounts (like for children) are traditionally done in care of the deceased’s bank but online fundraisers are a thing. 

If you have a particular charity you love, add this to your list of wishes.

Food. 

Before COVID it was pretty typical for there to be some kind of meal after a funeral. Will this be a restaurant? 

This is ultimately up to the family but if you have strong preferences (i.e. no church or Italian food), tell people now.

Obituary. 

Writing down the basic facts of your life, hobbies, and accomplishments you want included in your obituary means your family doesn’t have to do a guessing game. 

Plants, animals, stuff, etc.

Do you want your clothes to go to a specific charity? 

Do you NOT want your stuff to go to a specific charity? (Goodwill is terrible!)

Who will get your car (person, donate, sell)? Want to have your record collection to go one sister? Obviously family will divvy up stuff how they like, but write down any special considerations.

Have a plan for your pets (insurance, vet info, guardianship).

Please organize and digitize your photos if they aren’t already.

If you lose someone close:

Identify the primary griever

Support that person/those people by providing feedback when solicited, running errands as needed, and running interference so they aren’t inundated with all the little things.

Notifying people

Use the phone tree method. Great Aunt M will be happy to help by calling your cousins. Your boss, coworkers and HR. Your mom’s best friend/your adoptive aunt, your mom’s bunco group. 

Ask that family not put anything on social media until the principal people are informed. I found out my grandpa died on facebook!

Esp these days, set boundaries for visits (who, where, and in what capacity).

Designate one person to be the primary contact for extended family to keep the burden off the primary griever(s). 

Give this persons’ information when the first phone calls are made. It also makes sense for this person to be the travel coordinator. 

This person should have a good handle on family dynamics (i.e. my aunt is flying in and would drive my grandma nuts so she’s staying with Mom). 

This should be their only task because it’s time consuming.

Food

When people die, people gather, even in the time of COVID. Be responsible but expect a ton of drop by food. Clean out the primary griever’s fridge in anticipaton.

Organization

Start a shared family Google doc or sheet. Consolidate to do lists, anecdotes, important contact information, questions and inquiries, etc. 

Pay to have the houses of anyone hosting (gatherings, people coming in from out of town, etc.) cleaned. Or, delegate. This can be an act of service for someone who wants to help and doesn’t mind doing the work. 

Find the death binder (hopefully), legal documentation, etc. Get a folder or binder for papers if one doesn’t exist. And start a shared google doc for loved ones to track everything.

Delegate

I know I have said this three times, but it’s important. If you’re a primary decision maker do not be the primary do-er. My mom is the primary decision maker so my sisters and I are doing literally everything else. 

Say YES when people ask if they can help you. Look at your running list of to-dos and say yes.

Pay to have the houses of people who are hosting cleaned. It will seriously be such a life saver, or this can be an act of service for someone who wants to help.

Social media

You will need to decide what to do with a person’s social media. Do you start a tribute page? Turn their facebook (if they’re old) into a tribute page for a time? Indefinitely? Things to think about. 

Thank yous

Keep a running list of people to thank after via hand-written thank you notes. The link includes guidelines on 

who should receive a thank you note (gave flowers, brought food, made donations, helped with arrangements or the service(s), did readings, or went well out of their way to warm your heart or show up)

when to send them (ideally 2-3 weeks after the funeral)

here’s how to write them (it doesn’t matter if you buy fancy, ones or dollar store ones, make sure they’re hand written).

Receipts. 

Don’t be the petty biatch your cousins hate, but do save significant receipts to be reimbursed by the estate. (I.e. catering hundreds of dollars of food, paying $250 for programs and thank-you cards like I just did, etc.)

Service.

You will have a million decisions to make including

what kind of service to hold, if any

where to hold it

costs

hymns, readings, and anecdotes to share

who will be pall bearers, readers, vocalists, and give eulogies

Crematories handle cremation only, not the service details. 

you will need photo boards (Hobby Lobby has nice black foamcore ones) or a powerpoint (and a way to display it depending on the venue)

a guest or memorial book

a card basket,

memorial cards, possibly programs, and thank you cards 

Officiants, musicians, religious institutions, etc. all need to be paid (and tipped) for their time.

If we ever wrangle this pandemic, donating funeral flowers to a nursing homes is a fantastic way to brighten residents’ days. 

Obituary.

Obituaries are expected, but traditionally costly ($200-$800). As part of the publishing fee, most newspapers keep the obituary on legacy.com indefinitely.

A funeral home will assist you with this, but the burden will be on you and your loved ones if using other methods. 

These take hours to write and many hands does not make light work. Keep it to 2-4 key people. Having the facts laid out will help, and so will looking at other obituaries. I read a great tip which was to write about your loved one in present tense first, then change the tense before submission. 

Newspapers will update your spelling and grammar but that’s about it. Cheaper alternatives: 

Death notice which gives age, date and location of death, and who is handling funeral arrangements. Our crematory put in the death notice for us because they had her body, but the requirements on this likely vary state-to-state. 

Here is a place to put a free online obituary.

Plants, animals, stuff, etc. 

Save the plants and pets. 

Household misc. are usually not dictated by the will, except in special circumstances or contested items. Closest members will go through possessions first. Voice early if you want something in particular, but understand that you may not get it. That’s ok. 

Going through someone’s life is an overwhelming process. You may be repulsed and sad and overwhelmed and amused, all at the same time.  

In deciding what to keep, as I’ve now cleared out three houses, I’ve found that quality over quantity is the way to go. The sweet spot? 1-2 sentimental + useful things. My great grandmother’s thimble and juicer? Use them all the time, and I remember her lemonade. 

It’s okay to throw away some keepsakes and let things get thrown out or donated, depending on the thing. 

Don’t give into guilt if you don’t want the china your Aunt Karen is pressuring you into taking when she doesn’t want it either.

Legal stuff. 

If someone dies, there will be all kinds of legal things you will need to do (bank accounts, utilities, debtors, education, etc.), investments or 401k, etc. 

This varies too much by state and circumstance to talk about in depth but there are guides to specifically help you.

If someone you love has lost someone they love

Do not give platitudes or ask if they’re ok

Don’t expect a response from someone grieving

Do send a card! It’s so thoughtful. I keep a stack of blank condolence cards and a set of forever stamps in my closet. It doesn’t have to be a $20 card to be special.

Don’t judge someone by how they grieve

Offer specific, actionable help if you’re close enough to give it

I am going to come over and clean at 10, leave the house unlocked

I’m at the store and am going to buy cheap vodka unless you tell me what kind of wine you want

oops I got you an uber eats gift card in your gmail sorry/not sorry

Buy thank you cards with stamps as a condolence gift, depending on the person and situation

Send a plant instead of a bouquet of flowers

Make a donation in the loved one’s name if you have the funds

If the grieving person is someone super close (best friend, sister, etc.) add the date in your recurring calender so you can check up on them this day next year with a card and/or phone call

[chaoskirin]

OK LET’S TALK ABOUT FUCKING MEDIA BIAS AGAIN. This morning, I went to log into my phone system at work, which will only load through Microsoft Edge because of expired internal certificates (long story, not significant). Edge has a Bing news landing page that I’ve never bothered to eradicate. This morning I saw this shit: 

If you can’t read it, it says “Do masks actually work? The best studies suggest they don’t.” 

And I said whoa, wait a minute. Before I click on that article and rip it to shreds, I’m going to check the media bias of the reporting outlet. So I went to Media Bias Fact Check (https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/washington-examiner/) to check them out. 

They are right-leaning, their factual reporting is mixed, and their credibility is “medium.” If you scroll down further, you’ll see several recent articles that have been completely discredited as false. 

Then I clicked on the article. 

First, the source is just another right-wing article from a right-wing affiliate and this article goes on to make claims that are not linked, not substantiated, and not sourced. The data is cherry-picked and dubious at best, ignores the absolute deluge of sources that confirm masks help, and uses the (possibly only) two existing sources that say they don’t. 

So I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a logical fallacy to say “because there are more sources that say masks work, they must be right.” This is called “appeal to numbers,” which states that just because a lot of people agree something must be true, it doesn’t make it true. However, the vast majority of secondary sources (IE: articles) also have expert primary sources. At some point, you have to use critical thinking to deduce that it’s more likely that thousands of primary sources are right, rather than a poorly-sourced third party article. 

This is how fact checking works. It doesn’t mean you dismiss anything that doesn’t agree with your own bias. It means you critically engage with all sources, evaluate their reliability, and verify their sources. In that way, you paint a clear picture of what’s true and what’s false. 

In any case, Microsoft shouldn’t be presenting a heavily-biased, factually dubious article to its users, so shame on them. 

[cynicalclassicist]

The Atheists Tragedy and The Lion King

So The Lion King is often termed as Hamlet with lions. Yet while looking around at Renaissance Tragedies I came across a piece called The Atheists Tragedy or The Honest Mans Revenge, which I feel resembles it more.

The play was written by Cyril Tourneur in 1611. He is also supposed to have written The Revenger’s Tragedy, published in 1607, now more generally thought to have been written by Thomas Middleton.

The play may be read here. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/55625/55625-h/55625-h.htm

A summary and further details may be read here. https://cord.ung.edu/athiests.html

So in The Atheists Tragedy we have the French Baron Montferrers, who has a son Charlemont and a brother D’amville (possibly a pun considering where he will end up), the titular Atheist. As this is the Renaissance the portrayal of atheists is... not exactly pleasant, the usual official perception then was that atheists were inherently immoral.

Like Scar D’amville plots to seize power over his nephew, while pretending to be a kindly uncle. When his nephew Charlemont wants to go off to war D’amville loans him the money to do so, despite Montferrers wishing his only son to stay.

Scar also manipulates Simba into going, firstly to the Elephant Graveyard, which Mufasa has told Simba not to go to, by telling him only the bravest lions go there. Then later outright telling him to run away.

D’amville murders his brother by throwing him into a pit, like Scar murders his brother by throwing him off a cliff.

Well it isn’t really the fall that kills the Baron, D’amville’s henchman Borachio smashes his skull with a stone.

Scar seizes power on the pretext that with his brother and nephew dead he is heir. D’amville fakes his nephew’s death, having his henchman Borachio bring a false message that Charlemont was killed in war, the war which he encouraged his nephew to leave for.

Scar seized power believing his nephew was dead, having sent his hyenas to kill his nephew after telling Simba to run away and never come back. However Simba escaped them and flees into exile.

D’amville also has a trouble with incompetent henchmen, sending Borachio to shoot Charlemont when he visits his father’s tomb. But the pistol misfires and Charlemont kills Borachio.

Both heroes encounter their father’s ghost, Charlemont sees his father’s ghost just after their death, telling him to return to France.

Simba meets his father’s spirit when he is grown, by the prompting of the Baboon Rafiki.

This is often compared to the ghost of Hamlet’s father but is very different. Hamlet’s father tells his son to avenge their murder. Mufasa and Montferrers tell their sons to return home, reminding them of their duties. Montferrers even says to leave vengeance to God.

Now this refers to a scene cut from the film but retained for stage version, possibly for the content. Scar holds power but is paranoid, then decides to produce an heir.

Scar in The Madness of King Scar comments: Without a queen, what am I? A dead end, no line, no descendants, no future. With a queen, I'll have cubs... Immortality will be mine! Immortality will be mine!

Nala enters, the eventual wife of his nephew. He then tries to seduce her, telling her:

We'll create a host of little Scars.

But she rejects this and flees the Pridelands.

As D’amville says at the end of the first scene when his sons Rousard and Sebastian enter:

Here are my sons.— There's my eternity. My life in them And their succession shall for ever live. And in my reason dwells the providence To add to life as much of happiness. Let all men lose, so I increase my gain, I have no feeling of another's pain.

To enhance this power D’amville has his elder son Rousard marry Castabella, the betrothed of Charlemont. However Rousard is sickly and thus unable to produce children. D’amville decides that in order to continue his line he will have children with his daughter-in-law.

D'Am. 'By my persuasion thou wert forced To marry one unable to perform The office of a husband. I was the author Of the wrong. My conscience suffers under't, and I would Disburthen it by satisfaction. Cast. How? D'Am. I will supply that pleasure to thee which he cannot.

Likewise Castabella is horrified, calling it incest due to her being his daughter-in-law. Charlemont then frightens his uncle away disguised as the ghost of his father.

In The Lion King Scar, when attacking Simba’s mother Sarabi sees Simba, initially mistaking them for Mufasa. Interestingly enough the live-action version has Scar having designs on Sarabi... as if pushing the Hamlet link more.

Incidentally D’amville’s schemes come to naught. Rousard dies of sickness, Sebastian, who objected to his brother’s marriage and is on bad terms with his father, has been having an affair with Castabella’s stepmother Levidulcia and performs a mutual kill duelling her husband Belforest to give time for her to escape. Which proves pointless as on finding both dead she kills herself.

Both D’amville and Scar start to lose their sanity. D’amville after counting the money from his brother’s revenues sees them in a dream. With his sons dead D’amville observes there may be a power above him. Before that he talks to the skulls in the graveyard, thinking his brother’s ghost is after him.

Scar in his madness still obsesses over his brother and plays with skulls.

Both have a meet-up between the love interests after escaping the villain. Charlemont forgives Castabella on finding out she was forced into the marriage and they lie down to sleep on skulls... of course fitting with the moralistic approach no further.

The Lion King, not being quite so conservative, has Simba and Nala meet in Can you feel the Love tonight and implies their union.

The Lion King clearly has the superior ending though. The Atheists Tragedy has Charlemont and Castabella sentenced to death for alleged fornication and Charlemont killing and D’amville agreeing to carry out the sentence.

In The Lion King Simba is accused of killing his father, with Scar forcing him back off a cliff in a similar way to how he killed Mufasa. Then when he tells Simba he killed Mufasa they are inspired to defeat them and force his confession.

D’amville himself tried to accuse his nephew of a crime when they first returned, having them arrested for not paying back the loan. Though his son Sebastian pays the money so their cousin can be released.

In The Atheists Tragedy...

D'Am. I ha' the trick on't, nephew. You shall see How easily I can put you out of pain.—Oh! [As he raises up the axe he strikes out his own brains, and staggers off the scaffold. Exe. In lifting up the axe I think he's knocked his brains out.

I would imagine that performing that on stage would get a laugh, especially with the Executioner’s comment.

But he’s still able to confess he was the villain before expiring.

Scar’s downfall works better, with him trying to throw the hyenas under the bus, surviving his battle with his nephew, but his hyenas, starved under his rule, turning on him.

Unlike Hamlet these works do not have the wronged party, the murdered figure’s son, take direct revenge. Frequently of course in Revenge Tragedies the Revenger will not survive the play, the implication being seeking personal revenge is a bad thing and will destroy you.

Simba does not actively seek revenge, refraining from killing his uncle when backing them into a corner and instead threatening them with exile. It is only when his uncle attacks that he fights, defending himself. Unlike Hamlet who plots revenge and in the process kills the innocent Polonius. Likewise Charlemont only fights for defence, killing Borachio when they try to kill him.

Hamlet is a much more questioning and complex character, questioning the natural order and natural rules. Charlemont is more of a good boy, doing what he should. This is contrasted with his uncle who completely opposed to natural rules, thinking of pleasure and the strength of his line, fitting the Renaissance stereotype of an atheist, even down to incest. His crimes are visited upon his sons, the elder with sickness, the younger, even though decent and honourable, also dies.

Charlemont says after his uncle’s death...

Charl. Only to Heaven I attribute the work, Whose gracious motives made me still forbear To be mine own revenger. Now I see That patience is the honest man's revenge.

The message is simple. Don’t take revenge yourself. Leave it to God. A quite conservative and pious approach. It is not overall a tragedy for Charlemont, who survives. Even the way the villain seems to lose through strokes of bad luck despite his cunning, one son falling ill after the forced marriage, another dying in a duel, a pistol misfiring, then D’amville himself dying in a contrived manner, seem to imply the agency of God.

The Revenger’s Tragedy is thought to act as a contrast, with the Revenger ending up dead.

Charlemont can now marry Castabella (still virgin due to her husband’s sickness) can wed.

The play ends with Charlemont saying

Charl. Thus, by the work of heaven, the men that thought To follow our dead bodies without tears Are dead themselves, and now we follow theirs.

Anyway with the villain dead Simba becomes King, and with Nala has a child, completing the circle of life.

All is good.

Of course The Lion King is quite by the basics in its Renaissance Play structure, I doubt the writers sought consciously to base it on this play. It’s just interesting food for thought. Perhaps because The Atheists Tragedy is so by the basics and standard moralistic and this is trying to tell a family friendly version of these plays.

Some good essays I found on this.

https://extra.shu.ac.uk/emls/journal/index.php/emls/article/view/446/325?fbclid=IwAR2ewO9GXlYLzL8Rqz2EqzR_ZpXdJMmFmoC2HxamR1p3m9fh6RcVsa9mmz0

https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/bitstream/handle/2346/19767/31295004630041.pdf?sequence=1&fbclid=IwAR19yKmgpvOVxEsO4fv65PtScBYVYxVxg3lYwZHJNANzXLMCSVEMi2raaqw

@blackcur-rants​ @epic-summaries​ @ylvisruinedmylife​

[magdaerikssons]

Madelen Janogy takes a break from football

The Swedish World-Cup star, Madelen Janogy, 24, has decided to tell people about the hell she is going through.

Below is a summary/translation of the linked article.

A few months after being instrumental in Piteå’s league championship in 2018, Madelen Janogy was rewarded with a spot on the Swedish women’s national team on a January trip to South Africa. 6 months later she was one of 23 getting a coveted spot on the plane to France for the World Cup. Her tournment debut was a success, and she continued to be a mainstay in the Blågult squad moving into Euros qualifiers, where she again did well. 

With an expiring contract with Piteå, it was no wonder she had afew offers to pick from, and this last December it was announced that Wolfsburg was her next destination. Her career seemed to be blossoming.

But there was a different side, a dark and heavy part of her life that Madelen until now has kept to herself.

She has been home in Sweden for a few weeks. In the end it got too much for Madelen Janogy to handle. 

“The sleeping problems started about a year ago, about the time i got my first call-up, and since then they have gotten worse”

Madelen says she partially knows what’s caused her sleeping disorder, but that she but that she can’t or doesn’t want to go into details as to what it is.

“I have a very, very rough background, one that is different from that of many others. But I’ve always just done my best regardless and just went for it, ever since i was a kid. At the same time I’ve just never told anyone. Football has been my escape.

In January she joined her new club

“I knew it would be tough when i signed for Wolfsburg, moving there when i wasn’t feeling well mentally. But I didn’t want that to stop me from my dream. This is what I wanted, what I’ve been fighting for all my life”

She immediately liked the club and fit well into the team, but that the problems were still getting worse. New routines, double practice-sessions, early mornings and a new language were all factors that didn’t make things easier. 

“I didn’t feel bad during the trainings themselves, or when going for coffee or something else with teammates. But the nights, they were a nightmare. I had been sleeping poorly even before arriving in Wolfsburg, but after that it just got worse and worse. But I didn’t tell anyone“

During the break in football due to Corona, Madelen spent time at home with her family, and despite not telling them, felt comfort from being close to them. But the thought’s would always come back to the fact that she would soon be going back to being alone in this.

“(…) And I started to think: for whom am I really doing this?”

Once back in Germany she realized she couldn’t keep doing this. Nights with only a few hours of sleep or sometimes none at all left her exhausted. 

“I was so tired that I couldn’t even pick up my phone or a book, but still I couldn’t sleep. It got so bad that I started losing my memory, I forgot things. My memory is ruined”

At last Madelen started talking to her agents Lisa Ek and Maria Karlsson De Cecco, and in the end also Wolfsburg.

“It was a relief to tell them, I was exhausted after doing it but their responses have been great from both staff an players. It was incredible. And I just felt: why didn’t I tell anyone sooner, in stead of suffering for so long?”

“After telling the club I felt like the worst was done, Now there was nothing I could do that would be harder.”

Today the Frauen Bundesliga was resumed, but Janogy has agreed with Wolfsburg that she will stay at home for at least 6 weeks. She says that there is no pressure from Wolfsburg to return sooner, that they are letting her take as long as she needs to recover. 

Since returning home to Sweden Madelen has taken the help from a psychologist to deal with her sleeping disorder and mental health issues.