#Oriental Group Of Institutions

[determinate-negation]

what are your thoughts about hamas / or do you have marxist oriented or just good not western media biased resources for understanding them?

theyre an islamist anti colonial organization, theyre also a political party with a military wing (al qassam brigades) which is what people usually are referring to when they talk about ~hamas~. they won in elections and have a degree of popular support and, because they are the ruling political party, theyre in charge of civil institutions in gaza, like schools and hospitals etc. when reporters describe things like the gaza health ministry as “hamas run” when they would never say this about another political party, they are purposefully trying to delegitimize it and obscuring the fact that they are the government that won in elections, not a rogue terrorist cell. al qassam brigades was not the only part of the resistance that took part in the attack on october 7, there are a bunch of other factions like the islamist PIJ, marxist PFLP and DFLP, and some others. im not the most knowledgable on like politics within gaza and exactly how people feel about hamas but theyre absolutely not a terrorist group, i think theyre much closer to other anti colonial militant organizations like the viet cong and algerian national liberation front. theyre also fighting an asymmetrical war using guerrilla strategies like the viet cong and nlf, and western media misrepresents this with all the shit about “hiding weapons by civilians” or whatever. i would recommend looking into the history of guerilla warfare and anti colonial struggle to understand why im criticizing media representations of it. they also make a lot of their rockets from scraps of israeli bombs! i think people should make a better distinction that hamas is a political party with a military wing (al qassam brigades) because then its more obvious that bombing civilian infrastructure thats allegedly “hamas run” is a war crime. also i heard in their statements that most of their militants are orphans whos parents were killed by israel and i think that should be noted. i think its also incorrect to say they have an issue with jews in general and are rabidly antisemitic as if their main aim is to kill jews, the way most media portrays them. they very specifically exist because of the continued occupation of palestine and without that i do not think they would give a shit about jews. they attack settler because theyre settlers, not because theyre jews. idk this article was pretty good and has a link to their 2017 charter where they specifically say their struggle is against zionism not jews

heres their charter thats linked in the article but ngl i just recommend reading their statements and material in general. not saying take every single thing at face value but theyre a political party with issues like any other, not evil sadistic terrorists. and why let mainstream media set the terms of your understanding of them

[roxyyastro]

The placement of Venus in the composite chart can reveal much about how the partners met/will meet and how they connect romantically and socially.

• Composite Venus in the Houses

1st House:

Meeting Context: The relationship likely began with a strong immediate attraction. You may have met in a setting where appearances and first impressions were important, such as a social event, a public place, or through activities involving beauty or aesthetics.

2nd House:

Meeting Context: You might have met in a setting related to finances, possessions, or personal values. This could include a workplace, a financial institution, or even while shopping. The relationship likely has a strong foundation in shared values and a desire for security.

3rd House:

Meeting Context: The connection likely began through communication. You might have met in an educational setting, through writing, social media, or mutual acquaintances. Intellectual compatibility and shared ideas are significant in your relationship.

4th House:

Meeting Context: The relationship may have started in a homey, familial, or private setting. You could have met through family, at a family gathering, or within a close-knit community. The relationship has a strong emphasis on emotional security and home life.

5th House:

Meeting Context: You likely met in a fun, playful, or creative environment. This could include parties, creative workshops, or recreational activities. The relationship is characterized by romance, creativity, and joy.

6th House:

Meeting Context: The connection may have started in a practical or work-related setting. You could have met at work, through a health-related activity, or while performing daily routines. The relationship emphasizes service, health, and mutual support.

7th House:

Meeting Context: You might have met in a setting focused on relationships and partnerships. This could include a social gathering, a matchmaking event, or through a mutual desire for partnership. The relationship has a strong focus on balance, harmony, and cooperation.

8th House:

Meeting Context: The relationship may have started in an intense, transformative setting. You might have met through shared experiences of change, at a place dealing with joint finances, or through a significant life event. The relationship is deep, transformative, and possibly mysterious.

9th House:

Meeting Context: You likely met in a setting related to travel, education, or philosophy. This could include a university, during travel, or at a cultural event. The relationship is characterized by a shared love for adventure, learning, and exploration.

10th House:

Meeting Context: The connection may have started in a professional or public setting. You might have met at work, through a career event, or in a place where status and reputation are important. The relationship has a strong focus on ambition, goals, and public image.

11th House:

Meeting Context: You likely met through social networks, groups, or community activities. This could include clubs, organizations, or through friends. The relationship emphasizes friendship, shared ideals, and social connections.

12th House:

Meeting Context: The relationship may have started in a secluded, spiritual, or hidden setting. You might have met through a spiritual retreat, a place of solitude, or while dealing with hidden aspects of your lives. The relationship is characterized by a deep, spiritual connection and possibly hidden or secretive elements.

•Composite Venus in the Signs

Aries:

Meeting Context: The relationship likely began with a bold and energetic encounter. You may have met in a dynamic, action-oriented environment, such as a sports event, an adventure, or during an assertive pursuit of interests.

Taurus:

Meeting Context: You might have met in a setting related to nature, beauty, or comfort. This could include a garden, a restaurant, or a place where you could enjoy sensual pleasures. The relationship is grounded, stable, and sensuous.

Gemini:

Meeting Context: The connection likely started through conversation and intellectual exchange. You may have met at an event focused on communication, such as a seminar, a party, or through mutual friends. The relationship is lively, curious, and mentally stimulating.

Cancer:

Meeting Context: You might have met in a nurturing, home-like environment. This could include a family gathering, a cozy café, or a community event. The relationship is emotionally sensitive, nurturing, and home-focused.

Leo:

Meeting Context: The relationship likely began in a vibrant, creative, or dramatic setting. You may have met at a party, a theater, or a place where you could express yourselves freely. The relationship is passionate, expressive, and filled with joy.

Virgo:

Meeting Context: You might have met in a practical, service-oriented environment. This could include work, a health-related event, or a situation where you were helping others. The relationship is detail-oriented, supportive, and focused on improvement.

Libra:

Meeting Context: The connection likely started in a social, harmonious setting. You may have met at a social event, through mutual friends, or in a setting focused on beauty and balance. The relationship is balanced, harmonious, and partnership-focused.

Scorpio:

Meeting Context: You might have met in an intense, transformative environment. This could include a place dealing with change, deep emotions, or shared resources. The relationship is deep, passionate, and transformative.

Sagittarius:

Meeting Context: The relationship likely began in an adventurous, expansive setting. You may have met during travel, at a cultural event, or in an educational environment. The relationship is adventurous, optimistic, and filled with exploration.

Capricorn:

Meeting Context: You might have met in a professional or goal-oriented setting. This could include work, a career event, or a place where ambition is key. The relationship is structured, ambitious, and focused on long-term goals.

Aquarius:

Meeting Context: The connection likely started in a unique, unconventional setting. You may have met through a social group, an online platform, or a community event. The relationship is innovative, free-spirited, and based on shared ideals.

Pisces:

Meeting Context: You might have met in a spiritual, artistic, or dreamy environment. This could include a place focused on creativity, spirituality, or healing. The relationship is compassionate, dreamy, and deeply emotional.

[mahoutoons]

i'm feeling controversial today so here's another hot take. and before you type away at your keyboards, know that this is all coming from a south asian.

white leftists have got to stop acting like christianity is the only religion that deserves to be criticized and you cannot touch any other religion because that'd be racist and bigoted. because as an indian who's watching my country progress towards hindu nationalism, this attitude doesn't help at all.

white people see hinduism as this exotic brown religion that's so much more progressive but don't know the violence of the caste system, how it others a large portion of the population on the basis of caste, literally branding them as "untouchables". they teach us in school that this problem is a thing of the past but the caste system is still alive and shows itself in violent ways. and that's not even covering how non hindus are treated in the country. muslims especially are being killed, have their houses bulldozed, businesses destroyed, and are being denied housing, our fucking prime minister called them infiltrators and there's this fear among hindu extremists that they'll outnumber the hindus in the country. portraying hinduism as this exotic religion does a disservice to all those oppressed by the hindutva ideology

similarly, white people see buddhism as this hippie religion that's all about peace but have no idea how extremist buddhists in myanmar have been persecuting the rohingya muslims for years and drive them out of the country.

if anything portraying these religions as exotic hippie brown religions is a type of orientalism itself.

and also y'all have got to realize that just because christianity has institutional power in america doesn't mean there aren't parts of the world where they are persecuted on the basis of religion. yes karen from florida who cries christophobia because she sees rainbow sprinkles on a cake is stupid but christian oppression DOES exist in non western countries where they're a minority. pakistani christians get lynched almost on a daily basis over blasphemy accusations. just look up the case of asia bibi, a pakistani christian woman who was sentenced to death on blasphemy charges because of something she said when she was being denied water because it was "forbidden" for a christian and a muslim to drink from the same utensil and she'd made it unclean just by touching it (which is ALSO rooted in casteism and part of pakistani christians' oppression also comes from the fact that a lot of them are dalit but that's a whole other discussion). and that's just one christian group, this isn't even going into what copts, assyrians, armenians etc have faced and continue to face. saying that christians everywhere are privileged because of american christianity actually harms christian minorites in non western countries.

and one last thing because this post is getting too long: someone being anti america doesn't automatically mean they're the good guys. too many times i've been seeing westerners on twitter dot com praise the fucking taliban just because they hate america. yes, the same taliban who banned education for women, thinks women should be imprisomed at home, and consistently oppresses religious and ethnic minorities in afghanistan. yes, america's war on afghanistan was bad and they SHOULD be called out for their war crimes there. no, the taliban are still not the good guys. BOTH of them are bad. you cannot pretend to care about muslims and brown people if you praise the taliban. because guess what? most of their victims are BROWN MUSLIM WOMEN. but of course white libs who praise them don't rub their two braincells together to make that conclusion.

this post has gotten too long and i've just been rambling so the point of this post is: white "leftists" whose politics are primarily america centric should stop acting like criticism of ideologies like hindutva, buddhist extremism, and islamic extremism BY people affected by these ideologies is the same as racism or religious intolerance because that helps literally no one except the extremist bigots. also america is not the centre of the world, just because something isn't happening in america doesn't mean it isn't happening elsewhere

[loveemagicpeace]

🍯Astrology Notes🍯

🪴Virgo rising- are very caring people. They take great care to ensure that you have everything you need, especially for your health. They will be able to tell you a lot about various medicines.

🌱Gemini rising- funny as fuck sometimes. They are people who talk and don't stop. You can discuss all possible topics with them if you want. They have a very open mind. But when it comes to being able to do something, sometimes they are not so open to new things. Let's say one difference between them and Sagittarius is that they are not traveling types and they don't like to travel that much.

💫You will feel most comfortable talking to people with whom you have the same compatible moon and mercury in your house. for example: mercury in the 9th house and the other person has mercury in the 1st house. With this you can see what topics you can discuss with others.

🪐People who has saturn in 1st house looks better when they are skinnier. Because their bones and body structure are more beautifully emphasized. Many times they can have weight problems(they can quickly lose weight from worry).

🍀Earth signs look very down to earth even when they are joking around. Even when they make a crazy joke, they still look down to earth.

🐚Scorpios quickly stop trusting you. You just have to do one thing and they are done trusting you. When they see that you are dishonest to them in any kind of way, they will not trust you anymore. Especially when they get to know someone from the beginning and notice that they didn't tell them something or hid something from them, and as I said, it could be just one small thing like say you're going to say you're eating pizza, but in reality you're eating hamburger. It is small lie. But this is sometimes also one of the reasons why pisces and scorpio don't go so well together. Because pisces tend not to say everything while scorpios are. Many times, pisces swim off into their fantasy world and sometimes get lost in it. Scorpios are always looking for the truth in everything. I have seen successful Scorpio/Capricorn couples many times.

🍁Fire signs are actually very active people. So you have to prove them love with actions. They want to see how much you are willing to do for them and how much you are willing to risk. When you go beyond your limits and do something really crazy for them, they will really appreciate it.

💷2nd house represents your money & 8th house where you invest money. The 2nd house reflects your underlying relationship to money and patterns around money are often deeply ingrained. With the Moon in Cancer here, your emotional wellbeing rises and falls with your bank balance, both of which may be subject to flux. You can be a rags-to-riches success, but with Saturn in the 2nd you might always feel poor, the millionaire who still buys the budget range at the supermarket. The 8th house is concerned with debt and our relationship to institutions which provide loans, mortgages, and overdrafts. Capricorn on the cusp of the 8th suggests paying your dues and insisting on a proper contract, Sagittarius here you can invest a lot in travel or even illegal things.

☀️The Sun is the central flame of our vitality. Acting according to your Sun sign and engaging in activities denoted by the house it occupies are important ways to increase your energy and vigour. For instance, with Sun in the 1st, you might need time alone in order to recoup your energies - the presence of others can drain you, Or with Sun in the 6th, maybe you like to spend spare time working in the garden or catching up on DIY. The Sun in Sagittarius might mean you like to explore far afield; if in Aquarius maybe you like to holiday with a group of friends. Sun in Scorpio- working in the shadows or researching something no one knows about is best for you. Sun in 7th house you like to devote a lot of your time to your partner.

🧸Some signs are naturally more work-oriented and some more suggestive of needing a slower pace. Capricorn (or its ruler Saturn) is often highlighted in the charts of anyone with a strong work ethic - by contrast, Leo, Libra, or Pisces might engender a bit more need for time off, to play, relax, or dream. Each Zodiac sign has its ideal gap year or holiday. The fire signs might favour adventure breaks, the air signs a chance to meet new faces, the earth signs maybe an eco-trip; and the water signs a sojourn by the sea or in quiet, restful places.

🩰The IC and the 4th house describe home, both as a physical place and as an inner sense of roots, safety, and foundation. If you have Jupiter in the 4th, it might feel natural to you to travel around or you might even choose to live abroad - or with Uranus here, you may experience many changes of home(many unexpected moves). With the Sun or Moon in the 4th, you might be so strongly connected to home and homeland that uprooting yourself will not be easy - your Sun here suggests your life revolves around home in some way, the Moon that your emotional wellbeing is closely tied to it. With Pluto you can feel that your home is intense and that you are always transforming through it (but it can also leave bad memories). With Mercury can mean that you change your home a lot. With Mars you may feel that your home is often chaotic or aggressive and you are looking for a home where you can become independent. With Neptune many times your home is confusing, strange. Many times you find your ideal place somewhere by the ocean. With Venus your home is loving, genuine and you have loving parents to whom you love to return. But it can involve a lot of money or love based on it. So you can feel that your parents never really appreciated you if you didn't have money.

🧚🏼‍♀️About Aquarius: I want to say one thing about them. I would say that if they really really want they will do it. But most likely they are independent people & lost souls sometimes. I think that they are scared of attachment. So that's why they are rather alone. They are looking for someone. Who will be goofy as they are.

💌I think Valentine's Day is for Libras. Libra is a sign of love, romance,beautiful things. And if any sign is inclined to & like to celebrate this day, it's definitely the Libra. But I find it a little strange that it is in Aquarius season.

💘Cupido is definitely a Sagittarius sign. Although people don't believe that Sagittarians are so loving and romantic, but they really are. Cupido shoots into the hearts of people who are meant to be together. If you hit a sagittarius deep in the heart with your love, then you can see the true side of them. Then you can see how loving they are.

🌅The people you attract into your life are usually connected to your North Node.For ex.: North node in Virgo in your 8th house- you will mostly be attracted to people who have a virgo placements, scoprpio placements, or pisces/ taurus placements.

🌊Pluto symbolizes power in whatever house it is. The power you feel in yourself and the people around you. Strong experience of feelings. For ex.: 5th house - privacy, romance, jealousy, strong emotions, strong happiness, attitude towards the things you do, you feel strong love, devotion. Obsession with changing partners maybe or affairs idk. 6th house - obsessed with perfection, control, work, high expectations. 7th house - you attract a lot of possessive partners, obsession with your partner, but at the same time you can be afraid to get into a relationship, mistrust. 8th house rulership- curious, constant control, secrets, power over your secrets, emotional transformations, many dark things, connection with birth and death, great interest in hidden things. 10th house - people can see you as a strong opponent, driven for a career, they can see you as a person who has a lot of secrets, you can present people with challenges. Big influence.

-Rebekah🧚🏼‍♀️🩰🌙

[seeingivy]

death by a thousand cuts

satoru gojo x f!reader

**part of my satoru as taylor swift songs series

an: a wild taylor as gojo has appeared. enjoy. satoru as taylor swift anon who is always in the asks, this is for you. i see you and i hear you.

--

“holy shit. there’s no way you’re on his fucking linked in during class?” megumi whispers. 

you feel your eyes widen as you look to your left to find a very, deeply distraught megumi staring at you. and it’s almost like clockwork, the way he abandons his accounting spreadsheet ��� and quickly slides into the messages app on his laptop. 

the three consecutive buzzes of your phone thrum under your thigh come before you see nobara and yuuji turn their heads back, two rows ahead of you in the lecture hall, and looking awfully more distraught than megumi. 

“you’re kidding.” nobara mouths. 

“freak!” yuuji whispers, earning you a set of weird glances from the group at your right. 

you glare at the two of them, before turning to megumi and bringing your foot down on top of his. megumi winces, giving you a very characteristic and unbothered eye roll, before he returns to finishing up his spreadsheet. 

you pull your hood up over your ears, cheeks warm and pink from embarrassment, before you focus back on the screen. 

you know that he’s right. that there is really no point at looking at his account – not when you have all of the details memorized. 

Satoru Gojo  Senior Data Science Student @ Tokyo Technical Institute 

three work experiences. data analytics intern for the justice project. hackathon project lead. meadow investments development engineer. 

two degrees under his education. because he’s dual enrolled and set to get a bachelor’s in computer science and a masters in engineering by the end of his term next year. 

and one organization. alpha kappa psi, the business fraternity. 

the only reason you were at the scene of the crime.  

it was all miwa’s fault. and partially yours, for being so willing to come to her aid – at all times. when she asked you to accompany her to the bid party – just because she wanted to support mechamaru fresh in their new relationship and didn’t do too well in social situations – you had all but obliged. at the most, you would get a cheap shot and brownie points to get miwa to run the errands for the entire month. 

except when it came to it, miwa wasn’t nervous at all, only because mechamaru had spent the past few weeks hyping her up to his pledge class. which left you alone, stuck to roam around until she was ready to leave at the end of the night. 

the floor was sticky with beer, there was an almost rancid, putrid smell lingering in the air that you couldn’t pinpoint, and you were stuck with sixty of your peers – shitfaced to a point you didn’t even know was humanly possible. 

and with miwa long gone, doing god knows what with mechamaru and you were stuck leaning against the fridge, bored out of your mind. that’s when he found you – pawing your way through the food. 

his smell was the first thing that caught your attention, second to the fact that he was hovering over your shoulder, cheeks brushing against each other. it was almost minty and stark – almost eradicating the lingering smell of weed that was burning your nose. 

the skin on his cheek was soft, featherlike when it brushed against yours. 

“whatcha doing, dollface?” 

you immediately curl your nose, turned off by the unnecessary sweetness. you had your fill of dirty frat boys during orientation week, three years ago, and knew damn well that you had to steer clear of whatever was happening here. 

“playing where’s waldo, genius. i’m obviously looking for food.” you state. 

you reach for the closest box, a perfectly cut slice of cake, encased in a wrap. the plastic is covered in messy scribbles on the top – spelling out satoru in loopy letters. 

“you’re just going to eat someone else’s cake?” he asks. 

“how do you know it’s not mine?” 

“intuition.” 

it’s only then that you stop yourself to look up at this stranger whispering in your ear, only to find glimmering blue eyes, peering over the top of a set of sunglasses. the sunglasses are god awful – even worse with the combination of the tanktop and the snapback he’s wearing backwards.  

you swear there’s a faded, glittery pink lipstick mark indented at the top of his cheek. 

“you-you’d be shocked.” you stutter, as you pull the box out of the fridge and place it on the counter. 

he momentarily walks away – which is when you take the second to ogle him in full. a toned back, a tattoo on the top of his shoulder that you can’t entirely make out. white hair, veiny arms, and a silver necklace hanging against his collarbone. 

he returns back, two forks in hand, before making a dramatic display of handing you one. 

“for you, my sweet lady.” 

“i’m not sure why you brought two forks. who said i was going to share with you?” 

he grins, leaning his head back to laugh like a little kid, before he scoots closer to you – the sweet scent coming back. 

“c’mon.” 

he reaches for your hand, before lifting it to place it against his chest. you can feel his heart beating under the feeling of your fingertips, his eyes wide and expectant as he waits for and answer. 

“do me a favor, yeah? let me share my cake with a pretty girl at a party. there’s only a limited amount of joys in this life.” 

you scoff, before pulling your hand back. 

“you’re corny.” 

he shrugs. 

“you’ll get used to it.” 

you groan, as you slam your computer shut – the image of his shiny headshot staring back at you getting burned into your eyes. 

stupid. stupid, stupid, stupid. 

one stupid joke, a slice of cake, and somehow you woke up in his bed the next day being spooned by him. and one thing led to the next because he was somehow taking you to brunch, then settling his head in between your legs before dinner, and then back at your house the next day. 

it was an arrangement at that point. the dinners, what happened in between, and the morning after. 

you’re not sure what the terms and conditions are in a predicament like yours – with a guy like satoru. you know for a fact that he still flirts with other girls, because you’d see him walking with a different one every time you stopped at the coffee shop. but then he’d invite you to dinner, honey sweet words falling from his lips before he tucked you in for bed each night. 

friends with benefits. but he buys you gifts and takes you to dinner. and calls you beautiful. comes to your house after frat parties, with the faintest scent of a flowery perfume on his neck that you swear you’re imagining. 

letting him walk out of your apartment was your own personal tourture, of death by a thousand cuts, because every step farther away from you was closer to someone else. 

and that sinking, deep rooted dread, only got worse as time went on. 

you feel a hard smack against your head. 

“do your fucking homework.” 

--

satoru gojo has distinct features that you always find yourself staring at. a mole on his shoulder, a scar on his pointer finger, and the rings he wore. sometimes, you find yourself asking them about him. 

you reach forward, locking your fingers in on the chain around his neck, and using it to pull him closer. it's of a little postage stamp, though the silver looks rusted – like he’s worn it to death. he’s quick to oblige, a warm kiss on your cheek, before you yank again. 

“what, baby?” he whines. 

“where’d you get your necklace?” 

he leans back, looking down at the chain, before his eyes meet yours again. there’s a dim fluorescent glow coming in from the blinds of the window, sun far gone in the horizon, and it’s the only thing that makes this bearable. 

that his piercing blue eyes somewhat subdued from the lack of light. 

“you want it, princess?” 

“what? no. i just like it. i wasn’t –” 

it’s a boyish giggle that comes out of satoru’s mouth as he quickly unfastens the clasp from his neck before tangling it in his fist. 

you’re not an idiot – because it’s his freezing cold fingers pulling your shirt over your head – before he pulls you into his lap. 

this was one of satoru’s favorite things to do. pull you close, till you’re straddling him in his lap, and you can feel his breath tickling against his collarbone as he whispers sweet nothings to you. 

you wonder if he can see your blush in the dim light. if that’s part of why he likes it – seeing the effect he has on you. 

he reaches forward, pulling your hair to the side and pressing a kiss to your collarbone, before he fastens his silver necklace around your neck. 

“you know. when i said i liked your necklace, i said i liked it on you. i wasn’t asking for it.” 

“but i like seeing you wear it more.”

satoru’s eyes are focused as he fixes the tangles in the chain, letting the little charm hang right in the little divot where your collarbone ends. and then he brings his hands in around your face, nearly squishing the softness of your cheeks together, before he presses a kiss to your forehead. 

“will you wear my hoodie?” he jokes. 

you scoff. 

“are we in sixth grade? also, it quite literally says ‘yuuta’s big’ on the sleeve. that’s not obvious at all.”  

satoru rolls his eyes. 

“you would love yuuta, though. he’s your pseudo little brother, because you’re with me, you know?” 

you shake your head, as you crawl out of his lap, and reach for the water bottle on the side table. you try to ground yourself, head spinning as you try to decipher what that means – and tap your feet on the floor. 

you can feel him at your side, his observant blue eyes burning holes into your skin, as you note the steady, almost cautious tone in his voice. 

“you okay? something i said?” 

you shake him off. 

“yeah, yeah. sorry. got out of the mood there for a second, just have a lot to do this week.” 

satoru hums, before bringing his hands around your torso, leaning his entire weight against you as he settles his chin into the crook of your neck. 

“you ever think you work too hard, pretty girl?” 

“working hard or hardly working?” you joke. even his corny jokes were rubbing off on you. 

you hear satoru scoff, before he starts rubbing circles into the bare skin of your stomach, as the goosebumps start to trickle over your skin. 

“oh, don’t be like that. you’re the smartest person i know.” 

“is this a clever way to get into my pants?” 

“no. it’s me telling you that i think you’re very intelligent, you’re very driven, and you don’t have to worry about if you’re working hard enough. i know the only breaks you take are to go to that dumb movie theater downtown with your grumpy friend or when you scream my name every –” 

“satoru.” you whine. 

“don’t say my name like that. it turns me on.” 

you grin. 

“satoru.” you hum, teasing him. 

“fuck off.” 

he pauses, before pressing a lingering kiss to the side of your neck. 

“but really. you’re a clever, you’re pretty, and irritatingly very accomplished. slow down so i can catch up, okay?” 

“that’s rich coming from you. mister three internships, two degrees in four years.” 

it’s quiet. 

“how’d you know that?” satoru asks. 

you can hear the smile in his voice. and the dread pooling in your stomach. 

“what?” 

“how’d you know it was two degrees?” 

“you-you told me.” 

“no, i didn’t. i just got accepted a few weeks ago, i haven’t even told some of my friends yet.” 

you groan, before bringing your hands up to your face. you bury your eyes into the sockets of your eyes, getting caught embarrassedly red handed. 

“where?” 

you sigh. 

“i stalked you on linked in.” 

satoru grins wide, before pulling you back onto the bed and into his embrace. you can hear his giggling in your ear as you try to pull away. 

“oh, baby you didn’t.” 

“i had to make sure i didn’t apply where you worked!” 

“no, you didn’t. we don’t even work in the same field.” 

“you don’t know! i could change my mind!” 

satoru laughs, before leaning forward to press a quick kiss to your lips. 

“you have a crush on me! angel, you should have just said so!” 

you give him a hard push, before crossing your arms over your chest. 

“quit teasing. so i’m a stalker! so what? i just want to make sure i’m not putting out for a loser. you could be coding some AI for the government for all i know and i don’t want to be –” 

“okay, okay. relax. i’m just teasing, i just think it’s cute you keep tabs on me.” 

you glare. 

“i don’t like you.” you state. 

he rolls his eyes, before flopping his head down on your pillow and tapping the space next to him. you crawl into the space, before nestling yourself into his arms. you can feel your brain spiraling – instant regret for saying too much, being too weird, too harsh, and not saying what you felt – as you focus on the feeling of his hands running through your hair. 

“i can tell that the hamster in your brain is working overtime. just go to bed, okay?” 

“okay, lock the door when you leave?” 

“i don’t have plans tomorrow morning. if you could humble yourself to eat breakfast with me, i’d actually like that.” 

you frown, stomach jolting in your guts. 

he had never stayed for an arbitrary reason – like spending the night just to sleep next to you. you shut your eyes, burying your face deeper into the sweet smell of his skin, and throw the thought away. 

“mimosas?” 

“you want to drink that early in the morning?” 

“it’s saturday. gives me a good kick to start my day.” 

“aren’t mimosas made with champagne? i hate champagne. and it makes you really handsy.” 

you smile. 

“you like when i’m handsy.” 

“i mean, yes. but we can just do pancakes and go to the library together so we can do work. i’ll keep you accountable and find you snacks when you get inevitably cranky. then when you come home all tired, we can be as handsy as we want. it’s more satisfying when you have to work for it.” 

you groan, burying the complications of spending yet another day with him in the back of your head as you try to flutter your eyes shut – in futile attempts to quiet the thoughts racketing around in your mind. 

“okay, okay whatever. we’ll see tomorrow, i just – i’m really tired right now and –” 

“shut up, dollface. just sleep.” 

--

you get invited to the alpha kappa psi formal. miwa – who found out from mechamaru, whose pledge class brother is very close with satoru’s little yuuta – said that satoru wanted you there. 

then why didn’t he ask you? 

you bite the bullet anyways, borrowing one of kugisaki’s pale blue slip dresses – and attend as mechamaru’s pledge brother – todo’s date – to get in. 

he’s a strange guy, who doesn’t pay you too much attention. it’s one polite wave and a cardstock ticket he hands you before you don’t see him again for the rest of the night. and you’re stuck with miwa and mechamaru, who are bigger fans of pda than you are. 

“how’s satoru, y/n?” mechamaru asks. 

“ah. he’s good. you know as much as i do, right?” 

you can feel yourself sweating. 

would satoru leave if you said too much? if you embarrassed him in front of one of his brothers? did they know you guys had an…arrangement? was it an arrangement? were you seeing each other? why did they think he invited you? 

“dunno. aren’t you guys really good friends?” mechamaru asks. 

“um, yeah.” 

“yeah, he was telling us you studied together at the library the other day. figured he’d want you to meet suguru and ieiri.” 

suguru and ieiri. 

“yeah. i’m gonna go get a drink. do you guys want anything?” 

“i’m good, love. we’ll be here.” miwa states, giving a reassuring squeeze to your bicep before you drag your heels to the makeshift bar. 

you walk over to the bar, straight to the open bottle of rosé that has your name on it, as you lean against the wall. you pour way too much into your flute, nearly spilling it over the back of your hand, as you curse. 

“do you want help?” 

you look up to find a boy looking at you, wide eyes, with his bangs sweeping down the side of his face. he has tired eyes, but it’s a seemingly bright smile he offers you. 

“sorry, yeah. i’ll clean it up, i swear.” 

“no, no. no problem.” 

he hands you a handkerchief from his pocket, before he pulls your hand in his and wipes the excess pink stain on it. you cringe at the stain on the cloth before he tucks it back into his pocket. 

“i’m sorry about that. that’s really kind of you, i just –” 

“no problem! you seemed…kind of frustrated there. happy to help.” 

you shoot him a polite smile, before nervously sipping – maybe a little too fast for comfort. but the warm feeling is enough to temporarily curb the nerves, which is perfect for your sake. 

“are you a brother?” you ask. 

“yeah! is this your first formal?” 

“yeah. i’m seeing someone in your frat and he asked me to come. well, he didn’t ask me to come, he told someone else he wanted me to come so i came as one of the other brother’s date. but not really his date, because i haven't seen him since then. or the guy i’m talking to.” 

he leans back, eyes wide. 

“right. do you like him? if…if you mind me asking.”  

“my date? i can’t even remember his name. he’s like a tall, muscular guy. man bun?” 

“no, yeah. his name is todo, i figured that’s who you were talking about. i mean the other guy.” 

“oh. well, yeah. but he’s so…i don’t know. he’s a frat guy. and a chronic flirt. the first time i met him he had a lipstick stain on his cheek. and he smells like girly perfume every time he comes to see me, so –” 

he sucks his teeth in. 

“idiot.” he murmurs. 

“what?” 

“no! oh my god, not you! i meant…me! just thought of something. gotta run for a second, i’ll be back.” 

“wait, you didn’t even tell me your –” 

you watch as he rushes off, in a speed walking fervor, as mechamaru and miwa join you at your side. they give you a polite smile, which you return, as you swirl the glass in your hand. 

“mechamaru. do you know that guy who just walked away? tired looking, the long hair?” 

“oh, yuuta. yeah, what about him?” 

“yuuta?” 

“yeah, you’ve never met him? he’s like gojo’s pride and joy.” 

you sink against the wall, embarrassment coursing through you, as you down the rest of your glass. and then three more, which is accompanied by weary looks from miwa. and after finishing off the entire bottle – an hour and a half into the party without seeing satoru – you’re set on leaving. 

and it’s only on your rageful stomp out the door, well past tipsy, that you find the godawful man of the hour, leaning against the wall. 

it’s enough to fill you with a rage. because he’s leaning against the wall, shirt slightly unbuttoned, and smiling brightly at whichever girl he’s talking to. you’re almost positive that it’s probably her flowery perfume that you’re smelling on his neck at the time, that she’s who he sees when he’s not with you, and it’s like pins and needles in your stomach. 

and you almost make your escape, before he catches you on your way out. 

“y/n? wait, y/n!” 

you’re one step out the door, before he grabs your bicep, and pulls back, giving you a bright grin. 

“i didn’t know you were here yet. i’ve been waiting, come here, c’mhere.” satoru mumbles, quickly rushing you over to the group of three people standing by the door, who all turn their heads for you. 

you groan as you turn to the group of them. it’s the same tired eyes as before – that you now know belong to yuuta – and two strangers you’ve never seen before. a guy almost as tall as satoru, with swooping bangs and a manbun, and the girl – who you can’t stand to look at, with perfect beach waves swooping past her shoulders. 

and what you can’t help but notice is a sparkling, silver postage stamp necklace around her neck. the same one around yours, that you had been fidgeting with since satoru gave it to you weeks ago. 

“here’s your drink, satoru.” the girl states, handing him a glass of white wine that he takes. 

it’s enough to make your rage bubble to the surface. 

“the lady of the hour, guys! this is y/n, she’s my –” 

you scoff. 

“are you kidding?” 

“hm?” 

“lady of the hour? for what, your jokes?” 

you watch as satoru’s face drops, before he sets the glass of wine down on the closest table. 

“huh? what do you mean? i wanted to introduce you to ieiri, i know you’re going to love her.” 

 you can feel the tears accumulating in your eyes, that you’re almost positive that satoru notices, because his face visibly droops even more, this time replaced with genuine concern that sends a pang in your chest that has you wrestling your wrist out of his hold. 

“you…you’re so mean, satoru.” 

“baby, what?” 

“don’t…why are you calling me that? every morning you wake up next to me and you’re still not my baby. that’s not exactly fair. you smell like a different girl and you still…you still flirt with other people.” you whisper. 

his eyes go wide. 

“no, i –” 

“every time you walk away i’m half convinced you’re just going to someone else you’re stringing along like me. i’m sitting there thinking about how you’ve walked hundreds of steps away from me hundreds of times and it feels like a thousand little cuts every time you do and it kills me that you don’t even care.” 

you can feel that whatever is coming out is word vomit, like it’s started and now it won’t ever stop. 

“i see you everywhere, because you literally come everywhere with me just to leave. any song you’ve sang is now our song, any movie, literally anything you’ve even touched. i can’t even wear certain clothes without thinking about how you complimented me in them and i’m stuck thinking about how you probably say that to everyone. you don’t even drink wine and you’re over here drinking some with this random girl at this party, when that’s my thing that we drink wine together. you gave her the same necklace as me, and you apparently asked me to come to but didn’t even tell me about to my face? then you sick your little frat brother to ask me if i like you just so you can….i don’t know, i don’t know what you’d do with that information!” 

you watch as satoru pinches the bridge of his nose, only to turn to the three of them at his side, who are all shaking their heads dismissively. 

“suguru. i fucking told you he had to be leaving something out.” 

“well, i didn’t realize it was going to be like this, shoko. no wonder she won’t date him.” 

you swallow hard, as you seem to sink deeper in the pits of your own embarrassment, which seems to be a record low. 

“fuck. you…you said her name is shoko?” 

geto offers you a smile. 

“that’s right.” 

“like satoru’s hometown friend? the…the lesbian?” 

“that would be me.” she confirms. 

you cringe. 

“oh my god. i’m really sorry, i’m really drunk. i drank an entire bottle of wine after i accidentally talked to yuuta and i just –” 

“well, i’d get drunk if i were you too. he smells like other girls? and flirts with them?” shoko asks. 

“i do not! i don’t even know what you’re talking about. i didn’t even know she even liked me back till twenty minutes ago.” 

“the necklace is a nice gesture. satoru, geto, and i all have these matching postage stamp necklaces from this shitty place in our hometown. we got them together when we graduated so we wouldn’t forget about what was important when we all go to college.” 

you turn to satoru. 

“and you just gave that to me?” 

“well, i knew you’d take care of it.” 

“that’s like…that’s like sentimental, satoru. you literally gave me your childhood best friends memento and that’s so-” 

“well, obviously that seems like a little much if you think we’re just friends with benefits!” 

you scoff. 

“you’re the one who wanted to be friends with benefits.” you clarify.

“what are you talking about? you literally cringe away from any affection i give you!” satoru retorts. 

“because you flirt with other girls!” 

“not since you! why would i flirt with other people?” 

“you tell me. i smell the perfume.” 

satoru groans. 

“that’s your perfume, dipshit. you left your hoodie at my house and it smells like you so sometimes i sleep next to it and then i smell like it. how do you not recognize your own smell?” 

you pause. 

“you do what?” 

“not in a fucking weird way. i just miss you when you’re busy. you smell nice, it’s –” 

“hopeless.” yuuta states, earning him a nod from suguru. 

“you didn’t even ask me to come here with you.” you state. 

“shoko had to be my date so she could come. i had to make yuuta drag maki in through a window because geto was his plus one. i just wanted you here so you could meet my childhood friends, who i care about. they’ve heard about you for so long that i just thought –” 

“you talk to your friends about me?” 

“an insufferable amount. though most of his agony seems self inflicted now, because he’s a fucking idiot.” shoko confirms. 

“okay, let’s get y/n some water, yeah?” yuuta suggests, before shuffling the two of them off, to which satoru sends a grateful smile before turning back to you. 

he crouches down a little, just so your eyes are level, as you frown at him. 

“is this what that hamster in your brain is doing up there? overthinking literally everything?” 

“you –”

“if you asked, i would have clarified for you. we’ve always been exclusive and if you talked to someone else while we were talking, i’m going to have to kill him.” 

“don’t be stupid.” 

“i’ll just send a threat! sign his emails up for scientology. he was talking to my girl!” 

you glare at him. 

“you…you’re so stupid, satoru. you confuse me so much and i just…you take up too much space. you’re everywhere – literally no part of me that you haven’t taken up and i just…” 

satoru frowns, before pulling his hands around your face, and angling up by your chin to look at him. 

“don’t give up now. it just got good.” he whispers. 

“satoru.” 

“cmon. let me lick all thousand of your cuts clean.” 

“ew. you’re…you’re so gross, satoru.” 

“okay, that was just a dirty joke. but let me make it up to you, really. i didn’t realize you…you were thinking all that. i thought you just liked me because i was sexy and because i eat your –” 

“satoru!” 

“please. let me into that hamster ball in your brain. i deserve some space.” 

“it’s all boarded up. the hamster ball house burned down.” you groan. 

he leans back, like he’s inspecting your face, before he presses a kiss to your forehead. 

“dunno. i’m seeing some flickering lights in there. i can tell your hamster in there really wants me.” 

“quit….quit calling me a hamster! you’re so…ugh. i have a headache and i’m drunk and i’m really confused and i just –” 

satoru mimics a little salute, before he loops his hand around your waist and walks you towards the little bar. 

“okay, test run. i’m on boyfriend duty. if this goes well enough, you give me a chance tomorrow.” 

you squint your eyes at him. 

“okay, water first. then i have two baby aspirin for you in my pocket. three kisses on the cheek if you won’t insult me after and a compliment if you won’t kill me.” 

“really?” 

“yuuta told me you downed a whole bottle. since you’re too mad to be handsy, you have a headache. but don’t worry, i came prepared. meaning i forced yuuta to find some baby aspirin or else. and also, kisses because you smell good and you’re wearing this pretty blue dress that’s the same color as my eyes and you’re about to meet my favorite people ever and you’re my favorite person ever, so this is a big deal.” satoru responds.

he’s rambling so hard that you feel like you can see the hamster in his mind working overtime. 

--

“what’s the verdict?” 

satoru’s voice is like a thousand bullets in your head as you smack him in the face, trying to silence the chattering coming out of his mouth. 

“satoru. what…what time is it?” 

“six in the morning. but it’s the next day and i need to know how my test run went.” 

“your….what?” 

satoru whines. 

“no, no don’t tell me you’re too drunk to remember? my test run! to be your boyfriend?” 

you groan, flickering your eyes open to the alarm clock on your bed, spelling out the time. 6:07 am. 

“no, i remember. you need the answer at six in the morning when i’m hungover?” 

“this is agony! i really get this whole thousand cuts thing now, this hurts. tell me.” 

you push his face into the pillow, before mumbling it as quietly as you can. 

“you pass.” 

“huh?” 

“you heard me. you passed. just…shut up, please.” 

it’s his giggles you hear before sleeping and a warm kiss on your forehead, before you pass out again. 

--

satoru as taylor swift songs masterlist

taglist: @invisible-mori @porridgesblog  @k0z3me  @kayleegomez @yihona-san06  @bsenpai  @sweetenertea  @skzismyhome @mykyoon  @violetmatcha  @rebeccawinters  @luna0713hunter @shotenvinsoot  @itzmeme @gojoswifeyyys-world @cutiejg @chilichopsticks @torureadz @dreamxiing @mamamamamarga

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - May 15, 2023

🐕 - Now It's a Paw-ty

1. World's oldest ever dog celebrates 31st birthday

Bobi was born on 11 May 1992, making him 31 years old, in human years. A big birthday party is planned for Bobi today, according to Guinness World Records.

It will take place at his home in the rural Portuguese village of Conqueiros in Leiria, western Portugal, where he has lived his entire life.

2. The FDA has officially changed its policy to allow more gay and bisexual men to donate blood

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that they’ve eased restrictions on blood donations by men who have sex with men in an effort to address blood shortages. The new policy recommends a series of individual risk-based questions that will apply to all donors, regardless of their sexual orientation, sex, or gender. Gay or bisexual men in monogamous relationships will now be permitted to donate blood.

3. Illinois passes bill to ensure community college credits transfer to public universities

The Illinois General Assembly has passed a bill that would help community college students transfer to public universities.

It would ensure that certain classes taken at community colleges could be transferred to any higher education institution in the state. Some schools currently only count community college coursework as elective credits.

4. Brazilian President Lula recognizes 6 new indigenous territories stretching 620,000 hectares, banning mining and restricting farming within them

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has decreed six new indigenous reserves, banning mining and restricting commercial farming there. The lands - including a vast area of Amazon rainforest - cover about 620,000 hectares (1.5m acres).

Indigenous leaders welcomed the move, but said more areas needed protection.

5. More than 1,000 trafficking victims rescued in separate operations in Southeast Asia

More than 1,000 trafficking victims were rescued in separate operations in Southeast Asia over the last week, officials in Indonesia and the Philippines said. 

Indonesian officials said Sunday they freed 20 of their nationals who were trafficked to Myanmar as part of a cyber scam, amid an increase in human trafficking cases in Southeast Asia. Fake recruiters had offered the Indonesians high-paying jobs in Thailand but instead trafficked them to Myawaddy, about 567 kilometers (352 miles) south of Naypyidaw, the capital, to perform cyber scams for crypto websites or apps, said Judha Nugraha, an official in Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Ministry.

6. A peanut allergy patch is making headway in trials

An experimental “peanut patch” is showing some promise for toddlers who are highly allergic to peanuts. The patch, called Viaskin, was tested on children ages one to three for a late-stage trial, and the results show that the patch helped children whose bodies could not tolerate even a small piece of peanuts safely eat a few.

After one year, two-thirds of the children who used the patch and one-third of the placebo group met the trial’s primary endpoint. The participants with a less sensitive peanut allergy could safely tolerate the peanut protein equivalent of eating three or four peanuts.

7. Critically endangered lemur born at Calgary Zoo

The Calgary Zoo has released pictures of its newest addition, a baby lemur. The zoo says its four-year-old female black-and-white ruffed lemur, Eny, gave birth on April 7. The pup’s father is eight-year-old Menabe. The gender of the pup has not been confirmed but the Calgary Zoo says the pup appears bright-eyed and active and is on the move.

The black-and-white ruffed lemur is registered among the 25 most endangered primates in the world, due mostly to habitat loss and hunting.

----

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[magic-astro-fae]

The Sun and Leo in the Houses

Aries Rising/ Leo 5th House: Fun, dynamic, playful, full of energy, socializing provides energy, new people and experiences bring joy, self-expression is important to these people, not ones to be held down, strive in authority positions, great leadership, group oriented, compassionate, willing to give to those in need, great connection to inner child, nothing is more important than laughter and having fun

Taurus Rising/ Leo 4th House: Large family, close family, overbearing family, regeneration happens in the home, big changes to family dynamics over the lifetime, becoming the breadwinner, expected to take care of the family, hard workers, family first, strong traditions, oldest child syndrome, taking on responsibilities at a young age, growing up to quick

Gemini Rising/ Leo 3rd House: Communicative, humorous, diverse fried groups, diverse knowledge, knowing a little bit of everything, jack of all trades but master of none, designated driver, activist, strong ties to community, strong ties to peers, chosen families, needing your voice to be heard, communication is healing, expressing thoughts and opinions bring joy, debate

Cancer Rising/ Leo 2nd House: Strong values, hard workers, financially responsible, making money brings comfort, having a stable job brings comfort, collecting beautiful objects, beautiful homes, attention to appearance, attractive parents, may over identify with materials, may worry about appearances, critical family, growing sense of self-worth, may believe their worth is tied to what they can provide

Leo Rising/ Leo 1st House: Energetic, humorous, social, thrives when center of attention, concerned with personal beauty, must be heard and seen, leadership, centers beauty, beautiful friends and partners, feeling as though they need to 'prove' themselves, their own worse critic, athletic, physical activity brings relaxation, eventful childhood, connected to inner child, connected to family traditions

Virgo Rising/ Leo 12th House: Quiet, reserved, introverted, critical, finds energy in being alone, retreating to safe space, needs a sacred space of their own, values their alone time, hard childhood, disconnected to inner child, experiences with institutions, jails/ hospitals/ psyche wards/ rehab, an eye for detail, making things comfortable, making things beautiful, keeping the peace, mediator

Libra Rising/ Leo 11th House: Strong ties to friends, chosen family, energy is found when with friends, community oriented, volunteer work, charity work, strives in social settings, good listeners, good communicators, protective of loved ones, protective of identity and community, activism, standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, providing comfort to friends, dating friends

Scorpio Rising/ Leo 10th House: High responsibility and expectations from others, growing up too fast, leadership roles, the 'helper', always of assistance, hard workers, saving money, saving face, work may seep into personal life, taking care of others, taking care of family, having to 'look' responsible and well put together for the good of others, good in positions of authority but not taking others authority

Sagittarius Rising/ Leo 9th House: Spiritual, curious, always learning, reading and researching, taking notes and journaling, interested in what is different from them, getting out of comfort zone brings joy, communicating with those from different backgrounds, diverse friends, need to move and travel, nothing can stay the same for too long, always trying to learn more, search for meaning, humor

Capricorn Rising/ Leo 8th House: Attuned to their secrets, private, reserved, introverted, spiritual, strong family ties, beginnings and endings, losing it all and starting over, expected to be responsible for family finances, giving to family, giving others money, others taking your money, hard workers, introspection brings peace, sharing with others gives energy, emotional connections with friends and family

Aquarius Rising/ Leo 7th House: Strong emphasis on partnership, learning more about yourself through experiences with others, relying on partners, confiding in partners, feeling more whole when in a partnership, business deals, making your own business, making your own money with help from others, loyalty, courage to protect partners, may struggle with being alone

Pisces Rising/ Leo 6th House: Health issues, emphasis on health ad routine, hard workers, diligent, making and saving money, health conscious, picky eaters, bad work place experiences, toxic coworkers, work/ life balance, working and making money brings joy and energy, strong connections to animals, strong connection to grandparents/ elderly, family expecting your money, working hard for family

[ateez-himari]

ATEEZ AT THE AKARAKA FESTIVAL

ATEEZ shows their love of performance through the Yonsei University festival.

May 27, 2024 (10:11PM)

Yonsei University's Akaraka Festival welcomed multiple highly popular artists on May 26, amongst which was performance powerhouse ATEEZ who as usual had the crowd cheering loudly despite the rainy weather. Their live vocals proved themselves to be impressive once more though they competed for attention with the members' radiant personalities, shining through personal actions as well as cute interactions.

Coachella had already shown fans the intimate relationship between the main rapper and lead vocalist through a rather steamy kiss, so it came as no surprise when another was caught on a camera capturing the side stage. The maknae could be seen playfully running a hand on her alleged boyfriend's bare abdomen - due to his top being torn during The Real's dance break - only to be pulled closer as he whispered something inaudible and slotted their lips together ever so gently.

Known for her playful nature the youngest appeared in more than one video members had left on cellphones, wrapping them in warm embraces whilst mouthing the lyrics playing through the speakers which is sure to leave the owners with precious footage. One of the sweetest interactions to come out of this rainy event was the group's captain carefully dabbing water from her face in the midst of Wave, even ruffling her hair with the towel in order to dry it during her part.

Some attendees ran into the group's maknae on their way to the bathroom following the performance and had a rather lengthy conversation about the current state of their respective studies - with the idol actively pursuing a major in Entertainment & Media while taking electives in Media Content Creation as well as Oriental Studies. Last year saw the '99 line's graduation from that very institution and although there has been talk about hers taking place no later than the end of this school term rather than 2025, it remains unconfirmed.

Remember to inform yourself on voting methods for ATEEZ's upcoming comeback 'Golden Hour : Part 1' on May 31. If you want to see more of them please take a look at their calendar for information on upcoming events.

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[hellomynameisbisexual]

Bisexual erasure. “When bisexuality is ignored, discriminated against, demonized, or rendered invisible by both the heterosexual world and the lesbian and gay communities. Often, the entire sexual orientation is branded as invalid, immoral, or irrelevant.”

what does it Look like?

- Assuming that two women together are lesbians, two men together are gay, or a man and a woman together are straight

- In most scientific studies, bisexuality is lumped in under “gay” or “lesbian” identities

- Many LGBTQ+ organizations don’t offer programming for bisexuals

- Questioning someone’s bisexuality if they haven’t had sex with both men and women.

what does it sound like?

- “I’m not interested in dating you because you’ve only dated men.” (Implying that I’m actually straight)

- “Bi women are more likely to leave you for a straight relationship.”

- “He’s only ever dated men, so he’s obviously gay.”

- “There’s no point in coming out as Bi if you never plan to leave your current relationship. You just want attention.”

what are the consequences?

- Bi erasure leads to bi phobia (discrimination, anger, blame, and hypersexualization).

- Bi people have *significantly* higher health risks than any other sexual identity group, including alarmingly high rates of depression and suicide.

- Bi women experience much higher rates of domestic violence.

- In the ‘80s and ‘90s bi people were blamed for spreading HIV. and we are still blamed for the spread of other STI’s.

what can I do?

- If you want to help, here’s what you can do:

- Check your own biases When someone says something shitty about bisexuality, correct them—even if a bisexual person isn’t present

- Ask your local LGBTQ+ orgs to offer bi/Pan programs

- Donate time or money to bi-specific organizations.

- Resources: Bisexual Resource Center (BiResource.org) Bi Plus Organizing US (@BiPlusOrgUS) Bi Pride UK (BiPrideUK.org) BiPhoria! (biphoria.org.uk) American Institute of Bisexuality (bisexuality.org) “Greedy: Notes from a Bisexual Who Wants Too Much” by Jen Winston “Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics” by Jennifer Baumgardner “Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body” by Roxane Gay

[dailyanarchistposts]

Ancient Ways: In Defense of Cultivation

“We cared for our corn in those days as we would care for a child; for we Indian people loved our gardens, just as a mother loves her children; and we thought that our growing corn liked to hear us sing, just as children like to hear their mother sing to them.” — Buffalo Bird Woman (Hidasta)

With a modern food system so tied to capitalism and the industrial production-oriented model, it’s hard for us to see how to feed ourselves outside of them. While it’s imperative that we look forward and adapt to our modern context to some degree, it’s by looking back to times before institutions reigned that we start to see our way out.

The erosion of traditional foodways began at different times for different cultures. A basic misconception (or perhaps miscommunication) about “primitivist” theory is that the dawn of food cultivation some 10,000 years ago represented the “fall from grace” of humanity, and that everything that has been developed since that point has been tainted with die impurity of “domestication” and “civilization”. But this simplistic analysis reflects the same reductionist logic that has led to the social diseases of modern life. What was likely a simple adaptation for survival in die face of massive climactic changes did in many, cases lead people down a slippery slope toward domination of nature, but in many cultures, this was simply not the case. Even today, many indigenous cultures thrive on horticultural, village-scale food systems. At the time of white settlement of North America, dozens of indian groups practiced such methods without the trappings of civilization. (See Native American Gardening By J, Bruchac and Buffalo Bird Woman’s Garden: Agriculture of the Hidasta Indians as told to Gilbert L. Wilson, also available online at www.digital. library.upenn.edu/women/buffalo/garden/garden.html)

The fact that many native cultures have endured using traditional horticultural methods, while remaining free from the trappings of civilization (aside from that which was imposed upon them) is testament to the possibilities of egalitarian social relations coexisting with the cultivation of food.

Contrary to the fundamentalist viewpoints that see cultivation itself as inherently dominating, the simple act of collecting seeds and replanting them elsewhere to provide more food sources could actually be seen as a complementary development to a gathering-hunting lifestyle. The transportation of seeds through feces is the basis of much plant reproduction in the wild and in the garden, and may have been the inspiration for humyns to begin cultivating certain plants. Even the selection of certain seeds for desired traits is a way humyns have actually enhanced biodiversity by “opening up” a species to diverse, highly adaptable variations. Instead of viewing the original cultivators with suspicion and doubt, why not appreciate the sensitivity and creativity it required for them to adapt to conditions by entering into a more complex and interactive relationship with nature? Can we make a distinction between cultivation and domestication?

In her book Food in History, Reay Tannahill theorizes that at the beginning of the “Neolithic revolution,” nomadic foragers began camping beside meadows of wild grains waiting for the brief window of ripeness when they could catch the harvest before it fell to the ground. After returning to these places annually, they eventually realized that if duty left some of the grain on the stalk they could expect a heartier harvest the next year. The next logical step was to begin scattering the seeds on the ground, at which point foragers became farmers. Responding to anthropologists’ assumptions that a large labor force was then required to harvest and process grain, thus giving rise to civilization. Tannahill quotes an archaeological study from the mid 1960’s: “In a three week harvesting period, a family of six could have reaped enough wild wheat to provide them with just under a pound of grain per head per day for a whole year” (J.R. Harlan, 1967)

The development of what we know as agriculture was not an overnight phenomenon, but rather a several thousand year-long project. In some places in the world, the earliest stages of cultivation were never surpassed, and remain sustainable today. In many more places, the pressures of the global economy have corrupted these practices just in this last century. But in most of the world today, we are witnessing the full-blown colonization of native foodways, and a nearly complete dependence on western industrial practices. To trace this “biodevestation” directly back to cultivation itself, is to ignore the history of conquest and land displacement that pushed the food systems of subsistence cultures to the brink, where they now teeter on the edge of extinction.

The loss of native foodways in favor of cheap, overprocessed industrial USDA staples has uncoincidenially served as one of the many vehicles of colonialism. The disconnection of food traditions from indigenous cultures has paved the way for illnesses like diabetes, cementing their dependence on western medicine in yet another way. In the Global South, traditional cultures are losing control of their food supplies faster than ever before. Distinct and diverse peoples of the world have become a prime target for conquest by western food producers like Archer Daniels Midland and Caigill. These modern day conquistadors ride the tails of the “Green Revolution” in chemical agriculture of the 50s. After replacing traditional food practices with a cynical “development” agenda based on monocrops and cheap exports, the conquest continues as structural adjustment policies and the current biotechnology phenomenon.

The logic of biotech makes complete sense as planned obsolescence: the same corporations who pushed the Green Revolution and all its chemicals and hybrid seeds, now seek to milk more profits out of fee sterile soil and resistant insects (and displaced peoples) that have resulted. New seeds are developed to adapt to the conditions that were caused by the same companies’ products 50 years ago! Decades of chemical intensive methods have created resistant weeds, so genetically engineered seeds are designed to withstand higher doses of chemicals. Industrial agriculture depends on these methods. At this point, we either turn away from industrial methods, or we accept the fate of high-tech food.

[spockanalia-archive]

Spockanalia #1: Thoughts on Vulcan Culture

By Devra Michele Langsam

Art by Sherna Comerford and Kathy Bushman

by Devra Michele Langsam

To study the Vulcan culture properly, one must live on the planet, in personal contact with the society. This has not proven possible for the author, who has been forced to reconstruct a culture from the behavior of a single individual living among those of a different culture, and, indeed, of a different species.

The basic structural element of all known cultures is the family unit. There is some evidence that Vulcan family life is patterned around the nuclear family, or parent-child group. Our subject has shown evidence that he was on terms of some familiarity with his parents. He must either have lived with them, or else have seen them fairly frequently. On one occasion, he showed distress regarding his lack of communication with his mother, (1) implying that he was near her frequently.

The most efficient alternative to the nuclear family is the group rearing pattern, such as is often practiced in socialist societies. In such cultures, the children have minimal contact with their parents. Even if they are permitted to visit each other, the majority of the children's time is spent with their peer groups.

The subject has never spoken of any other Vulcan besides his parents. It seems likely, had he been reared with a peer group, that he might have mentioned them. This, however, is conjecture, as the subject rarely discusses himself or refers to his background.

A second alternative to the nuclear family is the extended family. This generally includes all of the blood- and marriage-tie kin of either one or both parents. This pattern is most often found in cultures where there is a strong interest in the reckoning of relationships, and where family ties are stronger and more effective than overall social controls and legal actions.

A relationship depending upon the reckoning of descent seems unVulcan. The function of keeping track of genetic relationships, one feature of the extended family system, most certainly could be performed more efficiently and more accurately by a computer. The protection-aid-dependence pattern, which is basic to this institution, is unnecessary in a mechanized society. One need not depend upon one's kin for labor aid, or for help in raising a dowry for one's children. Nepotism, and the entire system of clan solidarity and mutual backscratching, would have no place in an ability (rather than power) oriented society.

It is likely that Vulcan naming patterns are not related to family descent. The inheritance of a family name, practiced in most human cultures, has its source in emotional needs, and hence is illogical. At the time when the Vulcans began their selective breeding program, it is probable that they made a conscious effort to eliminate all such emotion-based features from their culture. Although names are useful tools, the first name-second name pattern, such as humans use, is not logically necessary.

Among Terrans, the second name also serves to distinguish among the multitude of Jims and Leonards. Possibly the Vulcans avoid this difficulty by seeing that no two children are given the same name. It is more likely, however, that for purposes of records, a systematic form (perhaps a number) follows the easily verbalized single name.

It is interesting to speculate that "Spock" is not actually a Vulcan name, but rather one adopted for the convenience of humans. When questioned by Leila, (2) Mr. Spock admitted to having "another name" (not necessarily a first name) but quickly followed this by saying that she could not pronounce it. This could explain the fact that his StarFleet record does not list any other name for him. (3)

The most important function of the family is the raising of children. Mr. Spock may never have been a "mischievous small boy," (4) but no humanoid species produces young fully socialized at birth. Indeed, among the most important traits of humanoids is their generalized (rather than rigidly predetermined) reaction patterns, and their great capacity for learning. Surely Vulcan children must be socialized—taught the mores of their culture. Even unemotional young must do things unacceptable to the fully socialized adult.

One feels a slight sympathy for an adult trying to train a child without the crutch of "Because I say so." It is possible that the Vulcan culture has no taboos that are without a logical basis, but even so, constant explanation can still be wearing. In discussing why one eats certain foods, or needs a particular amount of sleep, humans easily descend to a ridiculous level, and logic perforce gives way to common sense. Very few human six-year-olds are interested in logical reasons when something conflicts with what they want. Children do not always respond to reasoning, although probably Vulcan children differ in this respect. One might ask whether the "want" pattern is visible in Vulcan children, even if they have less emotional reactivity than their human counterparts.

The suggestion has been made that mind-touch may be used in the instruction and discipline of the young. This theory deserves serious consideration. Undoubtedly, it would be a distasteful and jarring process to enter contact with an untrained, undisciplined mind. Probably such contact would be as painful to the adult as to the child. The devious trails of childhood reasoning can be confusing to humans; even Vulcans might not care to explore them too deeply.

In addition, it is likely that the Vulcan mind touch is not strong enough to be used consistently in this respect. The subject himself has described it as a low degree of telepathy (5) and has stated that it is considered a very private and personal thing, to be used with great care. (6)

Vulcans are a practical people. Although to some, their efforts to prevent war by eliminating emotion may seem like cutting one's throat to stop a nosebleed, one cannot deny that they have been straightforward and efficient. It is doubtful that physical discipline would be used in childrearing. It is antithetical to the Vulcan attempts to eliminate violence from their culture, and, in any case, it would be useless if the children have the ability to block pain which is found in adults. However, training through shame is apparently widely and effectively used, as witness the inner-directed nature of Mr. Spock. It is likely that both admonition and approval are used in discipline, although among such undemonstrative people as Vulcans, one does not expect to find approval bestowed lavishly.

If, as we suspect, Vulcans do have rigorously suppressed emotions, then the question of socialization becomes even more interesting. When and how does one begin the training in suppression? The adult would probably begin an infant's training by failing to respond to "display" or attention-calling cries. If one may validly compare Vulcan children to the known examples of love-deprived human children, it is not surprising that Vulcans, unexposed to love in infancy, should mature into adults with stunted emotional capacities, regardless of genetic patterns.

Rigid early training can produce a socialized child with great efficiency. During the training period, however, children often manage to select activities and topics of conversation which completely flabbergast their elders. These things are unacceptable within their culture, but have never been specifically forbidden, probably because they would never occur to an adult. How many human parents tell their children not to eat ants, for example? General, far-reaching prohibitions and rules are effective, but cramping to the development of an inquisitive, alert mind, and in any case, they can never cover all possibilities. There appears to be an excellent chance that Vulcan children might, by their actions, produce acute embarrassment in adults.

As a corollary to this, since kin relationships are probably of minor importance, it would presumably be the duty of any mature Vulcan to supervise and correct any child whom he was with, regardless of relationship. This is a logical development of the need for rapid socialization of the young.

Even more interesting than the problem of family structure and socialization is that of cultural release. There is no Earth culture which does not offer temporary release, of one form or another, from its self-imposed restrictions. Presumably, some such outlet must also exist in the Vulcan culture. Of course, Vulcans are not human, and this argument may therefore be invalid. Yet it seems incredible that any sentient species could produce a culture so perfect that it needed no escape valves, no loopholes for the relief of anti-social impulses. Such a culture is almost unnerving to contemplate, and the mind boggles at imagining the super-beings who could function within it. On first acquaintance, Vulcans may appear to have achieved just such a lofty, serene dimension. Upon longer acquaintance, however, discrepancies appear which indicate control, rather than absence of, emotions, and hence the pertinence of this question.

One important Terran cultural outlet is the use of strong drink, with its attendant pleasures and ills. Most Terran cultures have produced some form of alcoholic beverage, from brandy to fermented mare's milk. But alcohol has no effect upon the Vulcan. Our subject, Mr. Spock, has commented rather acidly on the values of alcohol (7) and claims that he derives no effect from its use. Yet surely there is some form of depressant or stimulant which would have a parallel effect upon Vulcan body chemistry. Those who support the theory of feline Vulcan ancestry have suggested that catnip might have an invigorating, not to say intoxicating, effect upon them. Since catnip is a Terran herb, and its known effects are on Terran felines, rather than Vulcan ones, this seems unlikely. However, native equivalents, used in the period before the radical reforms which produced modern Vulcan culture, might well still be remembered, and even used in secret by some social elements.

It seems quite wonderful that some ambitious young human biochemist, driven a trifle berserk from excessive exposure to Vulcan superiority, has not calculated the necessary formula and brewed up the equivalent of a Vulcan vodka. The havoc that such a drink would cause among unsuspecting Vulcans is rather tempting to dwell on, although they could probably counter-act the bodily reactions, were they aware of what was being done. (Most unsuitable thoughts for a supposedly sober and objective anthropologist.)

In the area of cultural releases, the Vulcan technique of mind-sharing offers another field for consideration. We have been informed that it is exhausting and emotionally shocking. The practitioner must lower all of his cherished and defended personal barriers, and immerse himself totally in another's mind. Deep empathy is difficult and traumatic for a Terran; how much more so then for one who assiduously avoids communication on such a level? If the union were with a disturbed mind (and presumably this would include all humans, to some extent) no doubt the burden and the distaste would be even greater.

And yet, one wonders. Perhaps, despite its unpleasant aspects, the mind-touch technique offers Vulcans a possibility of emotional contact within accented social patterns. Assuming that Vulcans do not repress their pleasure in the physical, is it possible that in the moment of intercourse, at the height of physical intimacy, Vulcans permit their precious barriers to slip, in order to enjoy the doubled pleasure of mind and body, of each other's delight? Is their public denial of emotion, and of emotional release, compensated for by immersion in the mind/body of another, however privately it may be done?

Another possibility also presents itself. If it is true that mind-sharing is not part of a socially accepted release pattern, still, there may be aspects of it which do not conform to the public image given. An overwhelming blast of emotional contact might bring catharsis, almost orgasm, to the frigidly controlled members of that culture. Dare we conceive, among perhaps the deviant fringe, of mind-sharing jags, on a par with the LSD parties of our own culture? Is it possible that groups of "anti-social" teen-agers get together for trips into one another's minds?

This is a fascinating thought, although Vulcans are unlikely ever to be persuaded to confirm or deny it. Such activities would be likely to take place on the verges of their society, and the practitioners would strive to avoid calling attention to themselves.

This discussion has not touched on the most extreme form of cultural release, that of insanity. Vulcan forms of insanity must be very different from ours. They need not necessarily be in the direction of human emotional releases. Perhaps such releases would be something peculiar, possible only to a Vulcan. After all, fission-sexual animals do not have incest taboos.

A myriad of unanswered questions remain, upon which only the vaguest of speculation is possible at this point. The author looks forward to the additional information on Vulcan which will soon become available.

1. "The Naked Time"

2. "This Side of Paradise"

3. "Court Martial"

4. "Squire of Gothos"

5. "A Taste of Armageddon"

6. "Dagger of the Mind"

7. "Conscience of the King"

IN PREPARATION:

Concordance to people, places, and star dates. Edited by Dorothy Jones.

ALL MONIES TO GO TO THE TRANS-OCEANIC FAN FUND (TOFF)

Contact Bjo Trimble, [Address Redacted]

Note: With the help and guidance of Open Doors, we digitized the first volume of Spockanalia and imported it to AO3, which you can view here. In order to meet AO3's terms of service, some of the content was edited or removed. The full version of the zine is preserved on this blog. The masterpost is here.

[paper-gold-theories]

Villainous Theory: Flug has an ordinary family that is not associated with P.E.A.C.E. or The Podemos Bailar

So the popular theory is that Flug's brother and family are associated with P.E.A.C.E. or The Podemos Bailar. Digging through an interview from Alan, I found this about Flug's family that might disapprove that.

So basically Flug's family knows he's a Villain but has no idea he went to Black Hat Institution and is working for Black Hat.

This proves that Flug's family has nothing to do with P.E.A.C.E. or GoldHeart because according to his P.EA.C.E. file, they know that he is working for Black Hat Organisation. (Bottom right, it says that he is an alleged member of Black Hat Organization)

(Original Source from the Podemos Bailar Website, Source from nightfurmoon)

This also proves that Flug's family has nothing to do with the Podemos Bailar, because the group has literally broken into Hat-Manor and has seen Flug's stuff, and seen Flug in the BlackHat orientation videos while they we’re hacking his system.

____

Flug’s Family and History

My theory is that Flug has always had a passion for evil science ever since he was young but his experiments caused a lot of damage and destruction around town.

This leads to his parents often scolding him (as shown by Flug having nightmares about his mom scolding him) and being treated like an outcast by his peers. Also leading his parents to favour Flug's brother who is deemed as more normal of the two. Leading to a strained relationship between Flug and his brother and his parents.

Despite this, Flug still loves his family, but believes they won't understand him or his love for evil science, so he decides to go to Black Hat Institution to pursue his passion, even though he was still bullied by the evil students in the school at least he is in a place where he can pursue his passion for evil science and have a future as a Villain.

Alan mentions that Flug can't dance and only does so in school dances because his mother forces him to. This evidence supports that Flug is keeping the secret from his family while going to Black Hat Institution, while still keeping in contact with them about his school life through emails, phones, and texts, and visits during the school holidays (based on the family photos taken below) giving details about his school life without giving anything away that he goes to a Villain school. And his family probably assumes he is going to a normal boarding school after getting a scholarship for his genius.

After Flug graduates or maybe when he is still schooling, his family finds out that he is a villain by seeing him on the news fighting GoldHeart. Which probably leads to an argument and a further strain in their relationship.

Afterwards Flug would join Black Hat Organisation which his parents don't know about and might have lost contact with them afterwards.

(Or alternatively, we all assume that Flug does not keep in contact with his family, but it would be hilariously ironic if he is still in contact with his family 😂 after joining BlackHat Organization, but there there conversations mainly involve them convincing him to give up Villainy and Flug telling them to let him live his life because he is an adult now!)

Also thinking about it, why would Flug keep photos of his family up if he doesn't still love them, instead of burning them in the incinerator like he did with his stuff on GoldHeart and the only reason why Flug's and his family's face is burnt off in the photo because its done by BlackHat, who finds his human face disgusting and wants to incinerate evidence by photos of Flug's face as well as Flug's family to hide hints of how he looks like.

Making it feel that like Flug still cares about his family and wants them to have a close family relationship and stop keeping things from them but he knows they will never accept him as a Villain, much less working for the most evil organisation and evil being in existence.

(Second image is from the Villainous Short: Squeak)

[wayti-blog]

Striking new Webb image showing alignment of bipolar jets confirms star formation theories

(Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, K. Pontoppidan (NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory), J. Green (Space Telescope Science Institute))

"For the first time, a phenomenon astronomers have long hoped to image directly has been captured by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope's Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam). In this stunning image of the Serpens Nebula, the discovery lies in the northern area of this young, nearby star-forming region.

The astronomers found an intriguing group of protostellar outflows, formed when jets of gas spewing from newborn stars collide with nearby gas and dust at high speeds. Typically, these objects have a variety of orientations within one region. Here, however, they are all slanted in the same direction, to the same degree, like sleet pouring down during a storm."

"So, just how does the alignment of the stellar jets relate to the rotation of the star? As an interstellar gas cloud collapses in on itself to form a star, it spins more rapidly. The only way for the gas to continue moving inward is for some of the spin (known as angular momentum) to be removed.

A disk of material forms around the young star to transport material down, like a whirlpool around a drain. The swirling magnetic fields in the inner disk launch some of the material into twin jets that shoot outward in opposite directions, perpendicular to the disk of material."

continue reading

[zombiecakes]

15,17,27,28,29!!,37,49,52,55,59,64 🥺 (sorry lol)

APOLOGY NOT ACCEPTED (srsly tho never apologize for making me gush about my babies lmao 💕)

This is gonna be long tho, so under cut 😂

Also some plotline spoilers in here, for those who haven't done stuff like Nuka World.

15. What is their proudest moment / accomplishment?

After he killed Mason, he got a pat on the back from Nisha. He always saw her as the biggest threat to his personal safety as Overboss, so having her support definitely helps him sleep at night.

17. Do they have a job? How do they make a living?

SHAKIN DOWN DEM FARMERS. Basically, everyone and their mother just sends him tribute now as Overboss, so he swimmin in caps 😎

27. What faction(s) are they a member of / allied with?

RAIDERS. It's actually becoming an issue, because he sees the Institute as a threat, and his own gang isn't equipped to bust their way in there. He just got a vision from Mama Murphy that he should ask the Brotherhood for help, which is probs his only reasonable option. (He's HELLA paranoid of synths and would probably burn down the Railroad if he found it DISCLAIMER I DO NOT SHARE HIS VIEWS LOL and he already alienated the Minutemen soooo yeah…) He also really respects and trust Murphy the Madwoman, so he's probs gonna take that advice… at least until he gets what he wants.

28. What faction(s) do they despise?

Oops, I already answered this one lol. See above.

29. What is their moral alignment / karma?

Not pulling punches here: Zirk is evil. He lets fear and selfishness run his life, resulting in the suffering of others. He has a small handful of people he gives a shit about, but I don't think that redeems him. Almost all “good” things he does are still motivated by selfish intentions.

37. What is the worst injury they have experienced?

Zirk has been thru some shit. He didn't turn into the shitty little monster he is because his life was rainbows and sunshine. I would say, consistently ending up as the lowest rung on the social ladder in any group he was part of, and all of the abuses that entailed (for example, his teeth tattoos), were collectively his “worst injury”.

49. What item(s) do they always have on their person?

His glasses! Boy is blind as a bat (one of the things, along with his smaller/delicate stature, that made him a target for most of his life). Finding nice, VATS-connected spectacles when he was looting Vault 111 a couple years ago was a life-changer for him.

52. Can they swim?

Well enough… although it probs isn't too pretty to watch.

55. Are they past, present, or future oriented?

This is a cool question 🤔 I would say up until very recently, present-oriented, because he was constantly scrounging around for his next meal or hit. Recently, however, his gang has swept across the Commonwealth, and he's had to think further ahead so that he can feed his raiders and maintain his safety as top dog. This is not a task he enjoys doing, so he often leaves the minutiae to Gage 💕

59. Do they idolize anything / anyone?

Mama Murphy. She is the first person he's ever met who truly knows and sees him as he is, and she cares for him anyway. This is more important to him than he could ever say, but she doesn't need him to say it 💕

He's also IN LOVE with Gage (not that he'd ever use those words, even to himself), and he really respects and relies on him.

64. How / where do they generally sleep?

The how/where is actually a similar question for him!! He usually falls asleep wherever he can (bed, sleeping bag, large pile of soft dirt), but often around 2-3am, he tends toward night terrors, and often goes sleepwalking/crawling into the nearest small, enclosed space. He knows he does this, so he rarely ever goes to sleep nearby another person. Gage has only witnessed this a couple times, and while familiar with ptsd (raiders have tough lives and rough upbringings, I suspect), he still doesn't know exactly what to do when Zirk does this shit.

[mariacallous]

In politics, the “gender gap” is the difference in the percentage of women and the percentage of men voting for a given candidate.1 The political gender gap has appeared in one way or the other in every election since 1980 with women tending to vote for the Democratic Party and men tending to vote for the Republican Party. But the apparent gender gap among young voters also appears in measures other than politics and points to some deeper and potentially even more concerning issues among young people.

In politics, we are seeing a gender gap amongst today’s youngest voters—aged 18 to 29—with young women being significantly more Democratic in their political leanings than young men. For instance, a recently released national poll by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Harvard Kennedy School finds that among 18 to 29-year-olds, President Biden’s lead with women is +33 points in contrast to young men where his lead drops to a mere six points. When compared to this stage of the 2020 campaign, Biden’s lead among women was nearly identical (+35), while his lead with men stood at +26, representing a steep drop in just the past four years.

When it comes to party identification, Democrats have again lost significant ground with young men. In 2020, 42% of young men in Harvard’s poll identified as Democrats versus 20% who identified as Republican. Now, 32% are Democrats and 29% are Republicans, with the number of independents remaining relatively unchanged. Women over the same period have not moved as much. In 2020, 43% of young women in Harvard’s poll identified as Democrats, and 23% were Republicans. Now, 44% are Democrats, and 18% are Republicans.

Meanwhile, a recently released Economist/YouGov survey shows a staggering rise in support for Donald Trump among young people. In fact, the rise in Trump favorability among the young outstrips the rise in favorability among all other groups in the population except Democrats and liberals. We should view these polls with caution, especially because the subgroups are often too small to be statistically significant.

There are other indications of a growing gender divide among young people that goes deeper than just politics. For instance, a longitudinal analysis by international research agency Glocalities between 2014 and 2023 highlighted the growing rift in Gen Z. It found that young women have become significantly more liberal and embraced “anti-patriarchal” values over the last decade, while young men have stayed relatively the same. Additionally, it showed that young men have been the slowest among all groups to move towards more liberal values over the nearly 10-year period.

Glocalities found young women are most concerned about issues like “sexual harassment, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and mental health problems.” Men were generally more focused on “competition, bravery, and honor.” The study found young men have become more patriarchal in their orientations overall when compared with women and even older men.

The analysis further linked “feelings of despair and societal disillusionment, a focus on patriarchal values, and rebelling against cosmopolitan liberal values” to the growing rise of the radical right. This leads many to fear that as young men are resisting the tides of change, they may be vulnerable to far-right groups and movements who promise a return to more patriarchal systems which offer a break from the social developments which they believe have begun to unfairly work against their societal interests.

Gallup recently studied the gender divide and found roughly 25% of men aged 18 to 29 identify as “liberal,” versus 40% of women in the same demographic—up from 28% in 2003. Men were found yet again to be relatively unchanged in their self-identification during that timeline.

The Survey Center on American Life’s findings also support a divide in self-identification, with young women being much more likely to identify themselves as “feminists” than young men. Only 43% of Gen Z men identify in this way, much less than Millennial men, while 61% of Gen Z women describe themselves as feminist compared to 54% of Millennial women and 49% of Generation X women.

The study also shows young men increasingly feel as though they are experiencing discrimination over the past four years. Nearly half of all men aged 18 to 29 said they felt this way, the highest of all male age groups surveyed.

Men in particular feel isolated. Brookings nonresident senior fellow, Richard Reeves, has studied the issue arguing in his book “Of Boys and Men” that rapid societal changes combined with a market shift from brawn to brain have left many men feeling bereft and without purpose. Reeves, a self-described “feminist”, does not make the argument that the liberation of women is a bad thing but instead suggests finding new roles for men and a redefinition of “masculinity” in this changing world.

Young men have repeatedly been found in recent years to be apathetic towards voting, with young women in recent election cycles constantly turning out to vote at higher rates than young men. Politically, this is good news for Democrats. After all, there are more women than men in the country, they make up a larger portion of the electorate, they are more motivated to vote, and vote blue. From a societal perspective, it could signal potential danger if young men feel less tied to democracy and feel no need to participate in the democratic process while increasingly becoming disheartened with their social status. The incentive for change and action may be there, but not through democratic means. This is made more disconcerting by the fact that this is coming at a time when democracy could yet again be in peril this election year. But what exactly are men experiencing which could make this scenario a potential reality? Well, young men are overwhelmingly the loneliest demographic, with 63% of men aged 18 to 29 reporting being single, compared to 34% of women in the same age group.

Suicide rates among men in 2021 were four times higher among males than females. Men commit almost 96% of the mass shootings in the country, demonstrating how men are very likely to act upon their social isolation in extremely violent ways. In education, women now receive 58% of bachelor’s degrees and 61% of master’s degrees, representing yet another area where men are increasingly falling behind.

The social isolation of men creates major ramifications for women as well. Based on Census Bureau historical data and Morgan Stanley forecasts, 45% of prime working age women (ages 25 to 44) will be single by 2030—the largest share in history—up from 41% in 2018. The social bonds of previous generations appear to be eroding among young people, and this has serious consequences for coupling, future birth rates, and social cohesion.

There are also darker concerns about the potential backlash to recent social developments. History is littered with examples of nations suffering from the consequences of young men finding themselves idle without purpose.

We may be in the opening stages of a social backlash to the progressive social movements of the past decades. When significant societal change occurs, some may feel left behind or cheated. Right now, young men fall into that camp. The challenge now will be ensuring that the backlash does not transform into real damage, especially for women. If the aim is to build a fairer equitable future where all feel they have a role and are respected, the polling of Gen Z appears to show we are moving in the opposite direction.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The conservative “parents’ rights” group will spend more than $3 million on ads in swing states ahead of the election, according to a Wednesday report in the Associated Press.

Known for stirring the panic about pronoun usage in schools and pioneering book bans across the country, Moms for Liberty plans to target voters in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. They hope to expand to Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania later this year, according to the AP.

Tina Descovich, one of the co-founders of Moms for Liberty, said that their goal is to “activate” their members who do not vote. The group doesn’t endorse specific presidential candidates, but their preferences—for electing right-wing representatives—are clear: The latest ad campaign, the AP reports, will attack President Biden for his recently-enacted Title IX rules that extend safeguards to LGBTQ students.

The group refused to divulge their funding source for the new campaign to the AP, with Descovich only saying “investors” want to see the group “grow in specific states.” (As my colleague Kiera Butler has reported, Moms for Liberty has acknowledged that they have worked with the well-funded conservative groups the Heritage Foundation and the Leadership Institute.)

A spokesperson for the group did not immediately respond to questions from Mother Jones.

The announcement comes as Moms for Liberty’s latest effort to soften their image and make inroads in blue and purple states. As Kiera has reported, the group has recently shifted its focus from book bans and pronoun panic to literacy issues, essentially alleging that schools are too “woke” to teach reading correctly. Earlier this year, I attended Moms for Liberty’s town hall in New York City, where they trotted out their new talking points about literacy issues, along with their go-to culture war screeds against alleged indoctrination of students by social justice-oriented teachers and mandatory masking in schools during the pandemic. Backlash to that event was swift, from both local politicians and protesters. Last year, they held their national conference—which Kiera attended—in Philadelphia, where several of the then-Republican candidates for president attended; a few hundred protesters were also present.

The Moms have recently attracted a swell of bad press, thanks to a disastrous 60 Minutes interview in which the co-founders struggled to defend their stances; a chapter leading quoting Hitler in a newsletter last year; some members’ close ties to the Proud Boys; and, perhaps most notably, the group’s national co-founder Bridget Ziegler becoming embroiled in a sex scandal after it came out that she and her husband, Florida GOP chair Christian Ziegler, were involved in a three-way sexual relationship with a woman—even though Bridget Ziegler played a key role in the passage of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, which forbade discussion of LGBTQ issues in many school settings. (Christian Ziegler was accused of rape by the other woman in the encounter—an allegation he denied, and which authorities ultimately declined to prosecute—and was booted from his post within the state Republican party earlier this year.)

Descovich insisted to the AP that the negative press has not hurt the group: “No one reached out to me and said, ‘We’re not going to donate to you anymore because of these stories,’” she said. “Everybody understands that the work we’re doing is going to be under intense attacks and scrutiny.”

An unanswered question, though, remains: Who is the deep-pocketed donor, or donors, paying for their election-year ad buys in swing states?

As the group’s arch nemesis, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, told the AP, there’s likely a few reasons they’re not revealing that.

“Given the timing of their new push and given that they will not reveal their investors, they’re telling you two things,” Weingarten said. “One, they’re telling you it’s not grassroots. And two, they’re telling you that they’re operatives for somebody else.”