#School preparedness

[westvalleyfaultph]

The Vital Role of Schools and Educational Institutions in Earthquake Safety

Earthquakes are natural disasters that can strike without warning, causing devastation and loss of life. In regions prone to seismic activity, such as the Pacific Ring of Fire, preparedness is essential for mitigating the impact of these tremors. Among the critical pillars of earthquake preparedness is the role of schools and educational institutions. These institutions play a pivotal role not…

[gracieslays]

school starts tmrw, i have not bought the new uniform, i did not collect the textbooks last week, i havent picked my wednesday classes, i havent even bought notebooks

[a3711]

My dad is a paramedic. He used to RUN this in our town. It wasn’t before prom, it was a whole week of safety stuff. (Still is, dad no longer runs it and there was no simulated car crash by the time I hit that part of highschool much to my dismay)

We had a full-on car accident scene with actors and first responders. It was HORRIFYING to most of the people witnessing it. It was also when I learned that being raised by first responders skews your definition of “horrifying” because I supplied ways to make it worse when I spectated :)

(I recommended a couple of open fractures, for the dead body to have a blood pool, and to have someone hanging by a seatbelt in the second car [car on its side] instead of everyone being out of the car and wandering in shock)

(I was NOT highschool age, I just wanted to come) (I skipped the police station and the morgue part. Not because I was too young, but because I had already been)

(my childhood was totally normal, why do you ask?)

That wasn’t even the end of it. It was a whole presentation deal with photos from actual, real-life crash scenes that my dad or his colleagues had worked as well. I saw the original photos at the ripe old age of 6. (Don’t leave files of gore on the kitchen table people!) Apparently the only questions I had were how fast you would have to be going to catapult someone through the windshield, and also how hard you would have to hit your head on the steering wheel to cause internal decapitation. Such a normal, well adjusted child I was and still am.

The bonus of growing up like this, is that I am rock solid in a crisis and pretty quick to manage a scene. I have borne witness to several car accidents without flinching and am able to act as a responder without issue, panic or hesitation. (I DO HAVE FORMAL FIRST AID AND RESCUE TRAINING, YOU SHOULD NOT TRY TO DO SHIT IF YOU DON’T, NO MATTER HOW YOU WERE RAISED)

My favourite car accident was when a car flipped in an intersection. I opened the back of the car, crawled in to get to the back seat and used my rescue knife to cut the kid free. Carried him out, treated the glass cuts, seated him in our truck, gave him a shock blanket and then walked myself the rest of the way to school (Dad was driving me and busy treating the parent) because I was afraid to miss my physics test. I showed up a half hour late for the test and did it with blood on my jeans. I only told my teacher why I was late AFTER the test, which he was not impressed about. Apparently that is the sort of thing you tell people when you arrive ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Fun times.

please i'm trying to figure out if my high school's administration was insane or something.

[vitalitysight]

Vitality Sight | Emergency Training School | First Aid Classes in Burlington NJ

If you are looking for an option to get prepared for facing emergency situations then Vitality Sight Emergency Training School in Burlington NJ, is your trusted local expert. With years of experience our professional experts are committed to offer valuable life saving skills knowledge that saves your life in danger situations and emergencies. As one of the trusted emergency training school we offer First Aid Classes in Burlington NJ. Whether you want to learn life saving skills or you want to enhance your emergency response abilities Vitality Sight is here to serve the community with professionalism and care they need. Call us now to book your appointment.

[ismailfazil1-blog]

Top Earthquake Safety Tips: What to Do Before, During, and After a Quake

Earthquakes are unpredictable natural disasters that can strike without warning, causing significant damage and loss of life. While we cannot prevent earthquakes, we can take proactive measures to ensure our safety and minimize the impact when they occur. This article provides essential information on earthquake safety, including preparation tips, actions to take during an earthquake, and steps to follow after the shaking stops.

[townpostin]

Jugsalai Launches 'Swachhata Apnao, Bimari Bhagao' Campaign

Two-Month Initiative Aims To Boost Monsoon Preparedness And Public Health Municipal Council partners with schools to educate youth on sanitation and disease prevention. JAMSHEDPUR – Jugsalai Municipal Council has initiated the ‘Swachhata Apnao, Bimari Bhagao’ campaign as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, running from July 1 to August 31, 2024. "This campaign aims to enhance our…

[happy2bmyownboss]

Our 2024-2025 Homeschool Curriculum, Schedule Plans, Resource Links, and Daily Routine - Lots of FREE resources!

[bevanne46]

Quick Tip #29 We should also have an emergency exit plan for our neighborhood and town incase of a natural disaster!

[gravitascivics]

“MILIEU” AS A COMMONPLACE, II

To continue this blog’s account of William Schubert’s commonplaces of curriculum[1] with the last of his concerns, milieu, this posting addresses one of the main elements of American culture.  The nation is deeply entrenched in the prevailing perspective of the natural rights view.  This is mostly demonstrated by how individualistic the US is.  Usually, this characteristic is identified and described as a highly positive quality.  But a more reserved view can be illustrated by how World Population Review recently described this trait:

[A respected think tank] ranks the United States as the most individualistic country in the world.  Personal freedoms are a deeply held conviction for most Americans.  Varying opinions exist as to whether American individualism can go too far at times, such as when many Americans refused to wear masks or follow recommended contained policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, or whether this self-determination makes Americans more resilient and even altruistic (because they wish to help one another directly rather than relying upon the government to do it) than they would be if individualism was lower.[2]

Readers of this blog know the bias here is to see that the levels of individualism the nation holds are highly negative in regard to the health of the nation.

          Probably a good example of how a respected sociologist expressed concern over this trait was Amitai Etzioni (who died this past May).  He documented in 1996 the social trends of deviance and the deterioration of many of the nation’s social institutions as a result of such a view.[3]  Earlier in this blog, it documents how these deteriorating conditions have affected schools.  But Etzioni also sensed the beginnings of a “curl back” period. 

That is, he saw signs that the general population is becoming more sensitive to the lack of values and the consequences such a condition causes.  He cited several movements that are reacting and are based on conservative ideology, such as the religious right.[4]  But he also saw more moderate to liberal responses.  He included in this latter group the current communitarian movement, for which he was one of its main spokespersons. 

The more liberal reaction is not a call for revitalizing a time when Americans were more homogeneous in their thinking, but to a social condition where equality is sustained by meaningful allocation of responsibility and duties and the firm expectation that such an allocation be based on rational and reflected determinations of individual abilities.  Etzioni wrote:

Communitarians called for a shoring up of the moral, social, and political foundations.  Objecting to a liberal notion that the family was dysfunctional, defunct, or unnecessary, but not advocating a return to the traditional family, communitarians have favored a peer marriage in which father and mother have the same rights and responsibilities and both are more dedicated to their children.  Communitarians favored relying on moral dialogues, education, and suasion to win people to their ideals, rather than imposing their values by force of law.  They showed faith in faith.[5]

To what extent the current “curl back” movement is a viable one, time will tell.  And the time since 1996 has not seen meaningful turns toward a more communal nation.

Supporting this general judgment have been various journalistic reports.  For example, Time magazine recently portrays a fairly self-centered cultural bent in America.  After agreeing with the judgment that the bulk of American history could be described as Americans balancing the demands of community with self-ambition, its account reports:

But something has changed. We all feel this. In America today, far too many of us are disconnected from each other, lonely, self-protective, or at each other’s throats. Sacrifice for the common good feels anachronistic. Everything not nailed down has been commoditized or turned into a source of personal enrichment. The daily “shout” shows [sic] and nonstop social media hostility push[es] us into corners and reward balkanization. Sacrificing personal gain for the common good or treating people with different views respectfully or prioritizing collective success over individual success—it’s all for the suckers.

Much has been written about why we tipped toward ourselves over the last several decades. The villains in this story include declines in religious participation and social outings and clubs, fueled in part by television, which keeps us at home. Workplaces also became more focused on profit than on employee well-being and solidarity, and we started lionizing those who stepped over others to get ahead. While those people always existed in society, they were usually identified and treated as outliers that needed to be constrained, not as examples of American greatness.[6]

This account highly echoes what this blog has claimed.  But the judgment of this blog is that Etzioni is right when he argued that a shift toward communal concerns was needed not only on a social basis, but also at the individual level.

          How does the communitarian view agree with the proposed approach of liberated federalism?  The judgment is that it is a very congruent argument with the stated view of the communitarians in terms of goals.  To the extent that communitarians can convince people of their position, such development would be helpful in getting the proposed change in curricular approach, to federation theory, adopted.  But the challenges ahead should not be underestimated.

          One such challenge is the singular expectation that schools are built and maintained to only further the job preparedness of students.[7]  That expectation generally coincides with the anti-intellectualism that characterizes American culture.  But the picture is not so one-sided.  Insofar as curricular documents are political products, they reflect what Americans want.

One can generally find the expectation expressed in those curricula that schools should encourage students to be concerned with basic American political values, encourage them to participate in political processes, and understand the complex interrelationships of complex organizations. 

These are central concerns of the proposed liberated federalism approach.  One can argue that these are more rhetorical than substantive beliefs, but at least one can find among some Americans that, idealistically, believe they should be central.  To indulge in some hopeful thinking, if Etzioni was right in thinking that Americans are becoming more concerned with the lack of moral conduct, perhaps this is an ideal time to meet a growing expectation. 

With what?  For one, with a curriculum reform that fits so congruently with what Americans were able to accomplish some time ago – a balance between self-ambition and communal allegiance.  Liberated federalism is a view that in its elements addresses this seemingly contradictory value scheme.  Within that view, one can realize it is not contradictory if one realizes an assumed truth.

That is that one views reality from a more long-term perspective – as earlier Americans were able to do.  In that perspective, one realizes oneself interest is best served in a federated social environment.  That is the aim of implementing a liberated federalist curricular approach, especially in the nation’s civics educational efforts.

[1] William H. Schubert, Curriculum:  Perspective, Paradigm, and Possibility (New York, NY:  MacMillan Publishing Company, 1986).  The commonplaces can be defined as follows:

The subject matter refers to the academic content presented in the curriculum. 

The teacher is the professional instructor authorized to present and supervise curricular activities within the classroom setting. 

Learners are defined as those individuals attending school for the purpose of acquiring the education entailed in a particular curriculum.

Milieu refers to the general cultural setting and ambiance within the varied social settings found at the school site.

Upon reflection, these commonplaces prove to be helpful in asking insightful questions.

[2] “Individualistic Countries 2023,” World Population Review (2023), accessed October 25, 2023, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/individualistic-countries.

[3] Amitai Etzioni, The Golden Rule:  Community and Morality in a Democratic Society (New York, NY:  Basic Books, 1996).

[4] For example, see David A. Palmer, “Spiritual Individualism, Is the Spiritual Consumer a God?” Medium (April 19, 2021) accessed October 25, 2023, https://medium.com/the-new-mindscape/spiritual-individualism-274361ee74f4.

[5] Etzioni, The Golden Rule, 74.

[6] Richard Weissbourd and Chris Murphy, “We Have Put Individualism Ahead of the Common Good for Too Long,” Time (April 11, 2023), accessed October 25, 2023, https://time.com/6269091/individualism-ahead-of-the-common-good-for-too-long/.

[7] A good deal of the current literature bemoans how schools are not doing a good enough job in preparing young people for the work-a-day world and, only as an afterthought, express concern for civic life.  For example, “Are High Schools Preparing Students for the Future,” XQ Institute (n.d.), accessed October 27, 2023, URL:  https://xqsuperschool.org/reports/are-high-schools-preparing-students-for-the-future/#:~:text=Again%2C%20these%20results%20reflect%20what,characterized%20by%20technology%20and%20automation.

[onemessygeek]

Science Part 2

[seekergkfan]

Essay on "Disasters: Its Causes, Consequences & Mitigation measures"

Essay on “Disasters: Its Causes, Consequences & Mitigation measures”

Disasters: Causes, Consequences & Mitigation measures [PMS 2022] Essay on the topic “Disasters: Causes, Consequences & Mitigation measures” [PMS 2022] Disasters: Causes, Consequences & Mitigation measures Essay on “Disaster: A sudden call to engage in a contest” by CSSMCQs.com Team 1. Introduction 2. Flood Disasters in Pakistan (2022) 3. Causes of Disasters I. Natural disasters: II. Human…

[westvalleyfaultph]

Philippines Seeks $500 Million World Bank Loan for Safer and Resilient Schools

Scan the QR code to get this news on the go. In a significant move to bolster the Philippines’ education infrastructure and disaster preparedness, the government is actively pursuing a $500 million loan from the World Bank. The funds will be channeled into the Infrastructure for Safer and Resilient Schools project, aimed at rehabilitating schools affected by natural disasters like typhoons and…

[lisenberry]

The mountain is you

Ch. 2 - I don't know what it is that I'm climbing to

~2.4k

E/MDNI/18+

CW: BDSM negotiations, dom!Price, dom!Ghost, pain play

(Chapter 1, Chapter 3, Chapter 4)

It’d been a while since John had spoken to his former lieutenant, and even longer since he’d seen him.  The last few years had passed in a fog, so it was a shock when he saw the familiar number come across his phone.  He only briefly hesitated before answering. 

Soap and Gaz texted him all the time.  Links of foolish videos on the clock app, and pictures of mysterious rashes on their body parts that they needed help identifying.

But Ghost wasn’t one to waste anyone’s time.  Whatever it was, it was important.  And as it turned out, he had a proposition for him.

“You need a project, Cap.  Something to keep you sharp.”

“Are you worried about me, Simon?”

“We all are.”

John had been the one to start Life Connect 141.  An opportunity that gave the lads a place to channel their post-combat restless energy in a way that wouldn’t get them a murder conviction or a stint in a maximum-security psych ward.  It kept them together as a team and gave them a purpose.  And the opportunity to launder some of the not-quite-above-board money they’d liberated over the course of their travels.

Some veterans of special ops worked with rescued pit bulls.  Others started fitness programs, backpacking guide schools, and preparedness training facilities.

His boys filled their own rewarding niche.  Even after John’s departure, the company had flourished and from what he could tell, they were all staying out of trouble.

Judging by Ghost’s concern, he was the one who was floundering.  A marriage to the wrong woman, and the subsequent messy divorce, had left him dangerously adrift.  He’d thought about returning to the work, but his heart wasn’t in it anymore.

“Just meet her.  Trust me.  You can decide then if you’re doing me a favor, or the other way around.”

And he did trust Ghost.  With his life.  And if anyone had been keeping track, he imagined the scales were just about even between who owed whom more.

In the end, he agreed to the meeting.  For no other reason than to see for himself what had one of the toughest, most resourceful bastards he’d ever known seeking his expertise. 

They’d been at the table for a half hour, going over your file and discussing the particulars when John glanced up to catch his first impression of you.  A breezy blouse and a long, colorful skirt.  You looked around the outside seating area but didn’t see them.

Or more likely, you didn’t recognize Ghost without his mask on, judging by the surprised laughter that met his ears a few seconds later.

“Ah, dove.  There you are.”  Simon grinned as he stood, pulling you into a friendly hug. 

“You’ll have to forgive me, I’ve never seen you without the mask before.  I’m trying to reconcile the picture in my head.  I’ll try not to stare.”  An endearingly warm smile lit up your face.

You weren’t at all what John had pictured, either.  He’d clearly have to adjust the conclusions he’d reached based on your file.  He’d read about your stressful, demanding job, your high intelligence and predilection for punishment, and he’d imagined someone harder.  Colder.

There was a notation in the margin on one of the pages that had stood out as well. 

Daddy issues??? Undisclosed but probable.

He made his own note to inquire further, suddenly anxious to know everything there was to know about you.

“The mask is an improvement, don’t you think?” Ghost shrugged.  Was he actually blushing? 

Surely it was just the heat of the sun or a trick of the light.

“It has its charms, but you have a very honest face.”  The way you laid your hand reassuringly on his lieutenant’s arm made John clear his throat and offer his own hand in greeting.

As cute as your connection was, you were there for him, and he noticed the way you’d nervously avoided meeting his gaze.  The way you’d chosen to cling instead to Simon, the devil you knew. 

He had no desire to forcibly extricate you from your bond with your previous Dom.  That wasn’t how it worked.  At best, John could match it.  Slowly.  If he did his job right, in time, you’d come to look at him with a similar trust.

“Nice to meet you,” your eyes finally flitted to his as he took your cool, smooth palm into his own. 

It was then that he felt it.  The twitchy, fevered thrill of a worthy mission.

“So, what does that file say about me?”  You sipped your pint, finding your throat suddenly dry and your forehead warm, and in need of something to do with your hands. 

Ghost had excused himself a short while before, after making the introductions and sharing a few stories of his and John’s time working together.   

You’d found being alone with him to be...intense.  He seemed impenetrable.

He didn’t look down at the folder, and kept it closed on the table.  His pen held between his two hands, contemplative and resolute.

“That you’re a pain slut.  With a high tolerance.”  His voice didn’t rise above his gruff, conversational tone, and you didn’t bother to look around at your fellow patrons seated near you.  With the din of the restaurant, they wouldn’t be able to hear.  “Does that bother you?”

“No.  It’s the truth.”  You didn’t have anything to hide.  Not from him at least.  Not if this was going to work.

“What is it about pain that you seek out?”  He crossed his arms over the table and leaned in closer.  Biceps bunching under his t-shirt.  Ghost had always worn a suit.  John looked like he came from a construction site.  Unshaven and slightly dangerous.

You didn't hate it.

“When it’s done right, there’s a moment right before it gets to be too much that my body starts to fight back.  As if to say, ‘Go on, I dare you.  Is that all you’ve got to give?’  And just then, right before I give in and quit, it’s the most powerful I’ve ever been.  The most alive.”

“It’s the rush then, is it?”  He studied you like a therapist.  And you felt like a patient.  Only this therapist’s job was to tie you up and make you cry.  And come.  And cry again.  The thought made you shudder inwardly with anticipation.   

“It doesn’t work for all pain.  It’s not the blood or the risk of injury.  I don’t get off at the thought of the dentist...” you trailed off with a light laugh, finding it easier to talk to him about this than you'd thought. “But sometimes, the more helpless I am, the stronger it feels.  There aren’t too many things you can do without thinking about it.  Against your will.  Beating, breathing, feeling.  There’s a freedom in it.  Again, if it’s done right.”

“You don’t like to think, then.  You’d rather be surprised?”

“I don’t mind surprises.  I like them, actually.  We don’t have to negotiate everything ahead of time, so long as it feels right in the scene.”

You finished off the last of your pint and smoothed the napkin that had caught to the condensation on the bottom.  A first date, a therapy session, and an interview all in one.  And yet it didn’t fill you with the same anxiety as it should.  It could’ve gone wrong in a hundred different ways, and yet the more you confided, the more you relaxed. 

“Talk to me about these hard lines.”  He opened your file, skimmed it, and moved his pen back and forth as if he was underlining something boldly.

“Always be honest with me about what you’re going to do.  Don’t play games or make me have to choose something in order to please you.  Keep me engaged, but if I have to make a decision it will take me out of it.”

“That’s important to know, thank you.”  He made another note on the page.  “It also says no choking, but with an asterisk next to it.  Care you elaborate?”

“When I was little, I had terrible asthma.  Life threatening at times.  It’s under control now, but not being able to breathe, or even the threat of it, doesn’t...” you paused, searching for the right word to convey your biggest fear, “arouse me.  Let’s just say.”

“I understand why it wouldn’t.”  No sympathetic indulgence, thankfully, just a solid nod of support. 

Could he relate?  You wondered what hard lines he had.  You couldn’t imagine anything scaring him. Ghost had reacted the same when you’d had this discussion.  No questions, no bargaining.  Just respect for your vulnerability.  Surprising, from two men who seemingly had none themselves.

It prompted you to delve in further, and leave no room for misunderstanding, just in case.

“No collars, no ribbons, bows, belts, neckties, your hands, anything please.”

“Neck is off limits.  Noted.” 

“You can still kiss me there, if that’s something you like.  Or you can slap me, to get my attention.  And if you need to move me around or hold me down, you can grab my hair.”

You punctuated the last with a helpful smile and a shrug of your shoulders.  His gaze seemed to find your neck then, perhaps contemplating what it’d be like to kiss it.  Did the thought bring him as much excitement as it did you?

“Fair enough.”  A contented grunt was all you received in response.

“You said that this would be a reciprocating agreement.  What do you want from me?”  The question that had been on your mind since Ghost had called you.

With him, you just paid him money.  That was your end of the deal.  Without payment, that left too much to your imagination and you’d let it run a bit wild. 

“I’ll tell you what I want, and when I want it.  Is that clear?  I won’t ask for your permission, and you’ll never have to wonder what I’m thinking.  I don’t hear yes and no, or green and yellow.  Red means take a break and try something else, and the safe word is a hard stop to call it a day.”

“Understood.  Thank you.”  It was a plan you could definitely work with.  “But what about you?  What do you hope to get out of this?”

“I like to be in charge.  Take care of things.  And do the hard things that need to be done.”

“And who takes care of you?”  A simple question, but he seemed to bristle at it.  Perhaps you’d pushed him too far, too soon. 

“Good little girls who listen and behave.”  He adjusted himself in his seat, straightening as if to get back some control.  “Let’s talk punishments.  No spanking, obviously.  You’ll enjoy it too much.”  His eyes seemed to darken in both amusement and desire.

No doubt proud of himself for changing the subject and redirecting the friendly interrogation.

“Hopefully I won’t displease you, but you could ignore me.  That will make me rethink my attitude real quick,” you replied, with an answering grin.

“Ignore you?  I think that would hurt me more than you, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart.  You liked that.  Probably said as much with the flood of heat to your cheeks and the breathless giggle that sounded so foreign to your ears. 

“I think we’ll get along just fine...John?”  You questioned what name he wanted to be called.

“Sir.  Just sir.”

On the day of your appointment, he texted you the location and the key code for the door lock.  You found the building easily, and stepped into the elevator, double checking the apartment number to be sure you were in the right place.

When the code worked on the door to the fifth floor, you entered to find that it was someone’s home. 

The office of Life Connect 141 was in a nondescript office space on the outskirts of Canary Wharf, not far from your office.  If anyone spotted you, you could use the excuse of taking a meeting or doing your due diligence on a property you were looking to liquidate.

This, on the other hand, was well off the beaten path.  A restored factory building in a neighborhood you weren’t familiar with, but appeared to be up and coming judging by the activity along the street.  You’d already noted a few restaurants to try on the short walk from the Tube station and filed them away to pick up something to eat on your way home. 

A flat of this size and builder quality must have cost a premium, or else the owner bought in cheap before the neighborhood began to blossom.  It was well-appointed and comfortable.  Floor to ceiling windows that opened to look just above the shorter buildings next door.  Privacy from looking directly at your neighbors, but still connected to the bustling down below.

Once inside, you followed his directions to the letter.  You’d arrived early, dimmed the lights and set your bag on the hook by the door.  Cell phone ringer turned off and your shoes in the basket in the hall.

"I’ll leave what I want you to wear on a chair, you’ll know which one.  Wear nothing else.  There will be a pillow on the floor, you’ll know which one.  You’ll greet me on it."

As you moved in past the entryway, the remaining room was an open concept.  A kitchen with an attached dining area, and a living space on the opposite side.  Two plush sofas and an assortment of chairs and tables.  You didn’t know what to expect.  A pleasure room, maybe, or a dungeon of racks and toys.

It was just a living room.

Any nerves you’d been holding onto dissolved when you spotted the fabric draped across the lapis lazuli velvet wing-backed armchair.  Was that going to be his seat?  It was large enough to hold both of you comfortably...if you were on his lap.  It was certainly a statement piece.

The outfit he’d chosen was a simple, pink silk backless slip dress.  Not cheap satin, but the softest, sheerest gossamer.  You shivered as you stripped from your street clothes and gently settled the confection over your skin.  It barely covered your ass as you folded your things and hid them out of sight.

You briefly warred with whether to leave your hair up or down, deciding on the former, before you finally took a deep breath to center yourself.  Whatever happened next was out of your control.

When your knees met with the pillow at the foot of The Chair, your mind emptied and you felt the tension that you’d been carrying for weeks start to fade.  

Just in time to hear the click of the front door.

[opencommunion]

"The neo-Zionist view on the past is even more nationalist and romantic than the consensual Zionist view of it. Israel of the Second Temple era was the glorious past which must be reconstructed. ... As a result, neo-Zionists took seriously the idea of rebuilding a Third Temple to replace Haram al-Sharif and preparing cadres of priests to serve there when the time would come – although they differ on how to achieve this goal, whether by exploding the two mosques on the Temple Mount, or waiting for divine intervention to pave the way for their scheme.

... The neo-Zionist interpretation of the idea of Israel constituted the ideological infrastructure for the official educational system. The neo-Zionists produced several educational kits (textbooks, curricula, and so on) which would have the power to impact the next generation of Jews in Israel. These kits could produce only one type of graduate: racist, insular, and extremely ethnocentric. The message that came through clearly ... is to fear the Other inside and around you – the Other being the Arab world around Israel, the Palestinian neighbourhoods, the Palestinian citizens inside Israel, and non-Jewish immigrants.

... Another crucial element was the militarisation of the educational system. In 1998 the Ministry of Education announced a new master plan devoted to linking students more closely with the army. The basic idea was to follow children from kindergarten through high school graduation so as to ensure that they would be well prepared for ‘military environment and values’ and that they would ‘be able to cope with situations of pressure and developing leadership skills on a battlefield’. The level of physical fitness required by the army would be a precondition for matriculation and graduation, and an obligatory, integral part of the future educational system would be participation in army manoeuvres and military indoctrination. This was to be complemented by enriched lessons on Zionism and Eretz Israel studies. In the final three years of high school, the scheme aimed at ‘increasing the motivation and preparedness for the IDF’. During the initial year there would be a focus on ‘the individual’s commitment to his or her homeland’, and in the following two years, on ‘actual participation in military life’. In a way, this had always been done at schools, but always as a marginal part of school life; moreover, its features were formulated by more mainstream Zionists. Now the individual pupil would learn the history of the land according to the neo-Zionist interpretation – an education bound to shape his or her vision of the future."

Ilan Pappé, The Idea of Israel: A History of Power and Knowledge (2014)

[covidsafecosplay]

This Week in Covid & Health News (Posted November 14, 2024)

Covid-Safe Cosplay and its admin are unaffiliated with any of the sites or authors linked below, we're simply sharing the information. If you have related news links that we missed, especially in other languages, please share either in the comments or a reblog.

General

San Fransisco Chronicle: Sonoma County reinstates mask mandate for health care workers amid rising illnesses (Nov. 12, 2024)

NPR: What happens when a vaccine skeptic leads health policy? Ask Florida (Nov. 13, 2024)

Covid-19

The Beacon: Weathered COVID before? Scientists say every new infection puts you at risk of getting long COVID (Nov. 11, 2024)

CIDRAP: Cardiac inflammation markers show role of long-COVID symptoms (Nov. 12, 2024)

Cleveland: Having COVID-19 doubles long-term risk of heart attack, stroke, new Clinic study suggests (Nov. 13, 2024)

Avian Flu

Hawaii News Now: Avian flu detected on Oahu for the first time ever (Nov. 12, 2024)

CNN: Canadian teen in critical condition with bird flu; source of exposure is unknown (Nov. 13, 2024)

Global News: As bird flu emerges in Canada, experts urge preparedness (Nov. 13, 2024)

Stat: Canadian teen's bird flu infection is not the version found in cows (Nov. 13, 2024)

Fortune: Canadian teenager in critical condition with presumptive bird flu as U.S. official warns the virus 'seems to be gearing up for wider impact' (Nov. 13, 2024)

TIME: Is It Time to Worry About Bird Flu? (Nov. 13, 2024)

Whooping Cough

WPRI: 4 Portsmouth High School students have 'very contagious' whooping cough (Nov. 12, 2024)

ABC News: Washington state sees 'sharp increase' in whooping cough cases, mirroring rise across US (Nov. 12, 2024)

KHOU: Whooping cough cases surge in Texas, across country in 2024, DSHS says (Nov. 12, 2024)

KOIN: Whooping cough, chickenpox outbreaks hit Clark County schools (Nov. 12, 2024)

The Spokesman-Review: Six Spokane County residents hospitalized with whooping cough during outbreak (Nov. 12, 2024)

Fox KTVU: Bay Area surge in whooping cough; some counties see highest numbers in decade (Nov. 13, 2024)

CNY Central: Health officials warn of increased whooping cough spread in local schools (Nov. 14, 2024)

Walking Pneumonia

CDC: Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infections Have Been Increasing (Oct. 18, 2024)

WTOP: Urgent care centers report 'unprecedented' spike in walking pneumonia cases around DC area (Nov. 14, 2024)

[waitingonher]

dating percy jackson

pairing: percy jackson x gn! reader

content warning: kissing & couple-ly things

word count: 2,144

author's note: first post on this account!! if any of this sounds familiar, it's cuz i used to have an account but i deleted it cuz i wanted to redo it or smth…LOL 😭😭 but requests are open and i'll be coming out with more original work. enjoy!!

dating percy jackson would be like dating your best friend who you kiss and cuddle with occasionally.

percy’s not a very high maintenance kind of guy, so dating him would be more chill and relaxed. despite this, he’s still so, so incredibly sweet and cares about you so much.

even if he’s very oblivious sometimes…he’s still a sweetheart! 

he’ll do absolutely everything in his power to ensure that you’re safe and alright.

going on quests with him can lowkey get annoying sometimes because he’s always trying to protect you. 

but don’t get me wrong, he knows for a fact that you can definitely handle yourself, but he’s been through so much and the last thing he wants is you becoming injured or worse!! 

his protectiveness comes from a very genuine place, and you know that, but you sometimes like to tease him about it. 

your boyfriend suspiciously eyes the cave you’re supposed to inspect for your current quest, “y/n…” he pauses, turning to look at you, “are you 100 percent sure you’re gonna be okay all alone in there? i don’t like how quiet everything is.” 

you quirk an eyebrow at him, “percy, you’ve asked me this so many times that now i’m starting to think you’re doubting me and my abilities.” 

his eyes widen as he gives you a look of panic, “wait y/n no, i swear i didn’t mean it like that, i was just-” 

you put your arms around his neck, “babe, i’m teasing. i know you wouldn’t do that,” you say, chuckling at his reaction. 

percy rolls his eyes at you and places his hands on your waist, pulling you in for a kiss, “you’re the worst.” 

“i know,” you respond, laughing at your boyfriend. 

if you’re going on a quest without him though…expect him to be 100x more worried about you.

part of him wants to sneak out of camp to join you, but he knows that you’re more than capable of handling a quest without him.

all he can do is just make sure you’re prepared.

nothing, and i mean nothing will be forgotten as long as you have percy.

the night before you leave, he’ll ask you to sneak over to his cabin so he could spend as much time with you as possible.

percy claims it’ll be “a night full of relaxation before your big quest,” but with the way he’s bombarding you with questions regarding your preparedness, you don’t think you’re going to be in for a very relaxing night.

after taking a sip of your tea, you peer over at your boyfriend who opens his mouth to say something, “okay-” 

“love, if you’re going to ask me if i have everything, then the answer is yes,” you utter, leaning in to fix the crooked sheet mask on his face. 

percy chuckles, “how’d you know that’s what i was gonna say?”

“maybe it’s because you’ve been asking me that ever since i got here.” 

he smiles sheepishly, “oh…right.” 

and when you leave in the morning he’s asking you again if you have everything?? as if your supplies somehow vanished as you guys slept the previous night…

iris messages are also a HUGE thing between you guys. 

whether the two of you are away at school, or on a quest without each other, iris messages would be made at every single opportunity. 

cabin sleepovers are a regular for you and percy!

you guys try to have them every couple of weeks and it’s actually a mystery as to how you haven’t been caught yet.

you’ve definitely curated many funny stories of how you’d almost been discovered by a harpy.

percy prefers that you come over to his cabin instead of him going to yours.

this may or may not be due to that one incredibly embarrassing moment where a few of your siblings caught you guys kissing in your cabin’s bathroom… (you and percy were teased for a solid week after that incident) 

it’s safe to say that your boyfriend’s cabin has been the location of all your sleepovers since then. 

you and percy DEFINITELY come up with a really intricate handshake.

it’s the type of handshake that takes more than thirty seconds to complete and consumed most of your free time while you two were memorizing it.

“percy, i love you, but i swear to the gods, if you mess this up again…” 

“um…sorry y/n, but does my leg move this way or that way?” 

but once you and him had the routine down, your friends and other couples around camp were SO annoyed with you guys! 

looking back on it, you two lowkey feel bad for making them watch you guys perform your handshake for minutes on end. 

but what can you say? it’s just too good to not show off.  

you glance up from your interlocked hands with percy and turn your head to face your friends, “okay, are you guys sure you’re looking?” 

annabeth nods tiredly, “yes y/n…we’ve all been watching for the past ten minutes.”

“guys, i swear this is the last time we’ll do it and then you guys can go to bed,” percy announces to the group. 

your friends all collectively let out a groan at the thought of sitting through yet another round of your guys’ handshake. 

you overhear percy talking to one of his friends at the campfire, “okay sure, she might’ve written a song dedicated to you, but did you two create a thirty second long handshake that took literal weeks to memorize? that’s right. i didn’t think so dude.” 

dates are kinda limited at camp, but you guys make do with what you have! 

beach/lake dates are a total must for you and him. 

if you’re not completely confident in your swimming skills, then he’ll take it as an opportunity to teach you!

but if you are a competent swimmer, expect tons and tons of competitions.

whether it be races across the lake or seeing who can hold their breath the longest, you guys have done it all. 

percy then has the audacity to be surprised when he wins every single time…as if he isn’t a son of poseidon?? 

one of your favorite dates of all time was when you and percy went strawberry picking! after picking them, you two attempted to make your own homemade strawberry jam. and to your amazement, it actually turned out okay?? :O

all your friends were pleasantly surprised to hear that no one had burned the kitchen down. 

he also loves to participate in any activities or hobbies that you’re into.

on his own time, percy would try to research or ask your siblings/friends about your hobbies! (he doesn’t want you to find out though) 

he wants to learn more because he genuinely finds them interesting and wants to understand all the terms and definitions of the things you talk about.

but the biggest reason why percy does it, is so he can see your reaction when you talk to him about the subject and he actually responds with an educated answer on the matter instead of his usual head nods! the way your eyes widen and your lips pull back to display the beautiful grin that he’s grown to love so dearly!! it’s like he’s fallen in love all over again. 

once he sees the way you’re smiling at him, he thinks that he wouldn’t mind spending a few more hours in the library. 

percy loves that you show genuine enthusiasm when it comes to his passions and hobbies, so it’s a given that he wants to make you feel the same way. 

if he could, percy could honestly spend all day listening to you talk about your passions. it’s just something in the way your eyes light up that has him utterly hooked.

percy looks at you with such adoration that sometimes you think he’s bored of your rambling.

“ugh, i just love it when-” you gaze down at your boyfriend who has his head resting on your lap. you notice that he’s staring at you, “oh sorry percy, i didn’t mean to bore you.” 

he shoots up out of your lap and looks at you, absolutely dumbfounded, “bored?”

you nod.

“babe, how could i ever be bored of you?” your boyfriend questions with such certainty, as if it were a genuine mystery he wants to know the answer to. 

you give him a shy smile, “i dunno, it’s just you weren’t responding so i thought you got tired of me talking.“

percy smiles sheepishly, “sorry, i just didn’t wanna interrupt you, you looked so happy. and trust me, y/n, i’d listen to you talk all day long if i could.”

you chuckle at his reassurance and lean in for a chaste kiss, “okay weirdo.” 

you guys are that one couple who literally can communicate solely through eye contact. 

someone’s acting stupid in public? you look at percy and he looks at you. next thing you know, the both of you are stifling your laughter. 

on a quest and something feels off? one swift glance at each other and you immediately know what your next plan of action is. 

sometimes it does get annoying though. because now you’re in the middle of a serious camp meeting, tearing up while attempting to hold in the loud cackle you’re both about to let out. 

all because you looked at each other at the wrong moment.

#telapathicconnection

percy also loves it when you wear his clothes!

especially when it’s a jacket or hoodie of his. it’s more personal to percy because it’s not just any other camp half-blood shirt that everyone has. 

he just feels so prideful knowing that it’s you walking around in his clothes. he just goes wild at the sight of you in them. to him, it’s a very effective way of telling everyone that you guys are dating. percy wants the world to know that you’re his and his only! 

one thing about percy is that no matter what, he’ll always make time for you.

oh you’re not feeling well? he’s dropping whatever he’s doing to go see you. you need someone to talk to? he won’t leave you feeling upset, so he’ll create an excuse to leave the sparring arena. 

you obviously do the same for your boyfriend, but you think it’s endearing how he’s so dedicated to you and will do absolutely anything to be there for you. 

when it comes to pda, he doesn’t really mind. his favorite form of pda is hand holding! whether you’re holding hands, linking pinkies, or linking arms, he just loves to show you off while walking about the camp grounds. in general, he just prefers to be touching you in some sort of way. 

at the campfire, he likes to have your hand in his lap so he can play with your fingers. (or your rings/bracelets if you do wear them!)

when you’re in bed, he likes to wrap his arm around your waist. but if you’re not big on cuddling, percy makes sure that his leg is touching your leg, or that he’s at least holding your hand. the list goes on but it’s just his way of telling you that he’s there, by your side!! 

you guys also most definitely have a polaroid camera. one christmas, you gifted him a dark blue polaroid and ever since then, it’s just been nonstop photos of one another. because of the fact that phones aren’t allowed, this is the next best thing to capture memories.

percy can’t even name how many photos he has of you in his nightstand, there’s a lot. so many to the point that he uses an old shoe box of his to hold them all.

but his absolute favorite photo (he keeps this one in his wallet) is a photo of you two sitting on the edge of the pier at the canoe lake. it was taken just after training, sweat drips down both of your temples, and your guys’ cheeks are flushed red. percy is holding the camera with his right hand while he has his left hand wrapped around your shoulders, both of you leaning into each other. and the sun is setting, shades of purples and oranges swirling together to create a gorgeous backdrop for the photo. you two are both smiling, eyes scrunched tightly (partially due to the sun) and teeth wide on display.

he just thoroughly adores your smile.

percy thinks you’re the prettiest person he’s ever seen. especially when you smile like that. and to think that’s how happy he makes you?? he could die happily with no regrets.

all in all, percy jackson is such an amazing boyfriend who loves you with all of his being. 10/10 would definitely date again!!