#also this might be a regional thing. i live in a kind of conservative area and those ideas bleed over even into people who are well meaning

[lipkisser69]

i’ve noticed something a little silly throughout my transition in regards to the way people (mostly strangers but i’ll get into it) use pronouns for me. obviously, before i started testosterone and for several months into it, people who didn’t know my pronouns were using she/her because they (understandably) read me as a cisgender woman. that only started consistently changing this summer, when strangers would finally read me as male. i was also putting more effort into being masculine (binding more, wearing more masc clothes, etc) and less effort into being feminine. once i started feeling more comfortable with myself, i started being fem again, wearing more makeup and dressing in more fem outfits. and then people started using she/her for me again.

it’s not because i don’t pass. if i dress masculine or neutral people use masculine terms for me. even if i dress fem, most people will quickly correct themselves when they hear me speak. what i’m referencing is something i’ve noticed among queer people (and occasionally allies). several people i’ve talked to have told me that they were positive i was a trans woman until i mentioned something suggesting otherwise (surgeries, straight up saying i’m a trans guy, etc). and this got me thinking about why that might be the case.

i think that, despite how far we’ve come, there’s still a hesitancy to accept gender non-conforming individuals, regardless of their presentation. i’ve heard about masculine cis women being mistaken for trans men and feminine cis men being mistaken for trans women. and i think it’s great that a lot of people are trying to be accommodating of trans people, and i’m not saying these assumptions are inherently malicious. i just think that the community could do some self-examination as to why they automatically assume that anyone presenting masculine is a man or anyone presenting feminine is a woman. in my case, it feels like i have to prove myself as a man again the same way i did before i started testosterone.

that feeling doesn’t really change with people who do know me, too, unless we’re pretty close. for example, at my job we have a paper proudly displayed on the two door with all of the employees’ pronouns. and i think that’s great!! it’s really awesome that my job is accommodating and encouraging trans people (who make up the majority of the workforce at my job) to be able to be themselves. my pronouns being listed on there, though, have caused some people to make assumptions about my identity that are very obvious to me. i don’t even think they know they’re doing it, but here’s what i see: my pronouns are listed as he/they (because those are the pronouns i use). sometimes i come to work wearing really feminine makeup. i also have long hair. my coworkers see this and assume that i’m a trans woman. but my pronouns are he/they (obv gender doesnt always equal pronouns just bear with me). i prefer he/him in most situations (that’s not noted on the sheet), but since people assume i’m a trans woman, they default to they/them. which isn’t necessarily a bad thing and it’s not misgendering in my case. and i wouldn’t really care that much if they didn’t immediately switch to he/him upon learning i have a uterus (not for long though‼️). and i don’t think it’s something they even realize they’re doing!!!!!!!!!!!!! people have very specific ideas about gender ingrained in their minds, so when someone doesn’t fit those expectations, their biases are even more obvious.

just something i’ve noticed.

[copperbadge]

Hi Mr Starbuck! Some friends and I are moving in a few months and we're eyeing various places all over the US. Chicago came up as a relatively affordable big city (compared to LA and NYC) and I have to ask the resident Tumblr Chicagoan his opinion. As a resident who lives and works in the windy city, what's your big pros and cons of residing there (especially things you might not encounter as a tourist)? (also, how accurate is your "guide to chicago" still, since its been a few years!)

Well, I definitely have opinions!

The guide to Chicago is no longer accurate -- too many places have closed or moved, and the pandemic altered a lot (for example the Money Museum still exists but I'm not sure if it has regular hours even now). I should do a new one but like, I really don't get out much anymore so I can't talk about restaurants outside of a VERY local area, and I never could talk much about hotels, which just leaves points of interest mostly already covered by Atlas Obscura. :D At this point it'd just be kind of moot, others are doing it better than I am.

Chicago is inexpensive compared to New York or Los Angeles, but like, that's everywhere in America. Chicago is still a quite pricey city to live in, mainly because the taxes are so high -- 10.25% sales tax, for example, and my property taxes are also pretty steep. People joke about Taxachusetts, but I'm pretty sure Chicago at least has it beat (and 2/3 of the state's population lives in Chicago or the outlying suburbs). Housing is not at a premium in the way it is in NY and LA but depending on where you want to live and how far you want to commute it can still be very expensive. My housing was never less than half of my monthly income until I bought this place, and then ONLY because the job I'm in now came with a $10K/yr raise from my last one.

Chicago does have great culture, great museums, great food, and it's a liberal island in a pretty conservative region. It is however quite segregated, so if you are any race other than white, living here can get a little more complicated than I've portrayed it as a white dude. There is significant crime and particularly gun crime, but it's generally confined to specific regions of the city. That said, even if you discount crime, the Chicago PD are corrupt as fuck and uninterested in being helpful, so if you are from a demographic the cops enjoy harassing, it will not be different here.

I do love the city, warts and all. I like the water, I like the people, I like the midwestern vibe. I'd find it very hard to leave, especially because I have a network of friends here, but also because I just plain like it and I know it really well. There is a very short list of cities I'd consider leaving Chicago for, and most of those would have to have a well-paying job waiting for me. But it did take me time to fall in love with it -- it took a few years before it felt like home.

It's a little difficult to get more specific without knowing more about your situation -- what you do for work, what your budget is like, what your goals are in leaving where you are. Do you prefer to drive most places? (Parking and traffic can both get dicey.) Can you tolerate taking public transit if driving is inconvenient? Is the industry in which you work something that has a lot of openings here? Do you want to live in an urban environment, and if so are you prepared to live in a likely somewhat shitty apartment to do so? If you prefer to live in a house, are you prepared for a long commute? What do you like to do for fun and is there a thriving culture for that here? What is it important to have access to -- museums, concerts, theater, sport? Where do you need to travel to regularly (ie, I go to Austin several times a year) and how do you prefer to travel there?

Anyway, yeah -- like, I love it but I have few illusions about it. If you want to chat further feel free to hit me up by email, happy to answer more specific questions!

[practicalsolarpunk]

Let’s talk about seed bombs

They’re pretty cool, right? Planting flowers, saving the bees, guerilla gardening, what’s not to love? But there are some things to consider before jumping in, in order to ensure that they are effective and to avoid causing any harm to the local ecosystem.

1. Native species

Many of the seed bombs available for purchase are... less than responsible about what kinds of seeds they use, even the ones that advertise as native. Read the list of species, look them up, ascertain whether or not they’re actually native to your specific region.  Take the U.S. for example. It’s a massive country, and while a particular plant may be native to the country in general, it may be native to a state on the opposite coast. Do your research, make sure the seeds are actually native to your specific area. 

Some resources to help with that*:

https://www.audubon.org/native-plants

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/

https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/Plants

https://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/pollinator-friendly-plant-lists (scroll down on this page and there’s some international resources, too)

2. Where to place them

This one is a bit harder, because there are so many variables.  Is the soil bare? Why? Is the soil so poor nothing will grow there, not even the most tenacious weeds? Is it high traffic? Is it heavily compacted? Some kind of pollution leaking into the soil and making it inhospitable?

Or is the soil covered? Is it grass? Is it a native grass? Does it get mowed? Is it going to get sprayed? If it isn’t grass, what’s already growing there? Is it native species? Is it naturalized, polite, nonnative species that aren’t threatening the biodiversity of the regions? Or is it a highly invasive nonnative that will choke out anything else trying to grow?

Observe the area for a while.  What kind of sunlight does it get? Is it wet? Dry? Is there erosion? Mixing many different types of seeds together into one bomb might not be the best idea - even plants that are native to your area can have vastly different needs. The resources above should also have information about the growing conditions for the plants. Again - do your research. 

3. Saving the bees

Not to stir the pot too much, but honeybees, while facing issues due to pesticides primarily, are not really in danger of extinction, they’re supported by humans enough to survive.  Native bees, on the other hand, are, and we depend on them just as much, if not more, for pollination of our food than we do on honeybees. Pretty much globally, native bees and other pollinators and insects in general are in dire straits.  They are desperately in need of love, less poison, habitat, and food sources.  So, what kinds of bees and other pollinators do you have in your area? Which ones are most threatened? What do they eat? Where do they live? Many times, native insects have their own niche they fill, with specific plants that they depend on, and those plants depend on those specific insects in return.  It’s pretty fascinating to do a deep dive into local insect and plant species, and their interactions. Once again, research is the way to go!

Some resources*:

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/pollinate/

https://saveplants.org/pollinator-search/

4. Over seeding

Ok, some of the recipes I’ve linked below call for absurd amounts of seeds per batch - don’t do it.  The seeds won’t spread out, so they’ll all be attempting to grow in maybe a few square inches of space at the most.  Each bomb should only have a few seeds, otherwise in their fight for space, sun, nutrients, and water, they’ll all die.  Putting a dozen or more seeds in a single bomb is wasteful, expensive, and counterproductive.  There is literally no benefit to it, please, for the love everything green and growing in the world, don’t do it.

Now that we’ve covered some of the things that need to be taken into consideration, let’s talk about how to actually do this, hopefully successfully!

1. Seriously consider making your own! The process of making them involves wetting all the ingredients, including the seeds, which may start the germination process.  If they then dry out again, they likely won’t grow.  It will likely work best to make them right before planting, and toss them before they have a chance to dry too much.  Also, if you make your own, you can be 100% sure that the species are well suited for the area, because you’ve done your research! Good for you, working hard to ensure those little bombs have a big impact!

Here’s some recipes, take your pick! (But, as mentioned above, ignore the parts that say to use too many seeds - you only want a few in each bomb. depending on the type of seed.)

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-make-seed-bomb

https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/make-seed-bombs-earth-day-activity/

https://seed-balls.com/basic-seed-ball-recipe

And a handy image via this site:

[photo id: a graphic titled How to make seed bombs. Below it reads: You will need: meadow flower seeds or seeds collected from the garden, peat-free compost, water, powdered clay from craft shops - use clay soil if you can’t find any, mixing bowl.  1. In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of seeds with 5 cups of compost and 2-3 cups of clay powder. 2 Slowly mix in water with your hands until everything sticks together, then roll mixture into firm balls. 3 (no words, but a drawing of seed bombs laying on grass). 4 Now for the fun bit - plant by throwing your seed bombs at bare parts of the garden!]

2. Toss them out in the spring (or whatever season they germinate best in), when you know there will be a few rainy days in row.  Seeds need wet to germinate, and good, steady moisture for the first bit of growing.  If that isn’t feasible in your region, consider going back to water them gently at least once a day for a few days or a week or more, until the seedlings are strong enough to withstand a bit of drought.  Unless, of course, the seeds are wet loving, and have been tossed somewhere that already maintains a decent moisture level for them.

3. Where to get seeds

Collect from native plants already growing in your area, that you have permission to collect from, or that are on public land.  Make sure you are 100% sure of your id - don’t want to be spreading invasive species around!

Buy them from a reputable source such as*:

https://www.prairiemoon.com/ (they have lots of awesome info about native species in north america - a great resource!)

https://www.nativeseeds.org/  (focuses on food crops mostly, but a fantastic resource all the same)

https://www.seedsource.com/

Another method if you’ve got space is to buy seeds, but plant them in your own garden and collect seeds from them. Those seeds can get really expensive, so this way you only need a few, and then with time they’ll multiply!

Try to make connections with people in your area already growing native plants - they’ll probably be happy to help you get started with some seeds!

Phew that was a lot of information! I hope it helps you all in your bombing adventures!

- Mod S

*North America focused, I’m sorry, I tried to find resources and databases for other regions and couldn’t find ones that looked reliable or comprehensive. If anyone has any, please add it on or send in an ask.

[simonalkenmayer]

Obviously humanity has changed significantly over the years in which we have communicated and the cultures and religions we develop, but has humanity changed in any physical way? Like walking different or any vestiges of a much older version of humanity?

Oh yes. Yes yes. In fact one thing that’s been amazing to behold are the sorts of changes that have come about simply because of nutrition.

One I always discuss is how populations with certain conserved regions of DNA from various hominid species react when refined sugar is introduced to their area through trade. For example, after Japan opened up and stopped being isolationist, and trade truly began to increase to the west, average height leapt upward. Another would be these bodies we see on movies. Let’s use the superheroes as an example. Marvel’s Thor and Captain America and Starlord and so one can only achieve those body types through exceptionally managed diets. I read recently they were only allowed to eat a handful of almonds for dinner while filming. That’s absurd, obviously unmanageable for any real person for any length of time. They’re also dehydrated. Point is, the human body could never ever, before this era, navigate nutrition the way it does today. Those body types with all the muscles were impossible on regional diets. A good example of this is how people of African descent genetically processed carbohydrates or fats. And so on.

Nutrition is just far better today. Better comprehended, better managed, better supplied. Here’s another example: we now know that childhood nutrition is critical, and we know what kind of nutrition must be had to build a human brain to maximum efficiency. The nutrition a mother and child get during pregnancy and for the first five years after are absolutely critical to establish all the necessary immunities, brain development and so on. This is one way that socioeconomics and therefore racism plays into life. If a person lives in an underprivileged community that has poor access to good nutrition, and the parents cannot gain nutrition through government based programs, that child is being given less of a chance to develop the strength, stamina, and even neuronal development it needs. It might have a direct physical impact on their abilities later in life. Combine this with other factors in communities with less money, like worse conditions, lack of heat, stress, poor enrichment due to schools being underfunded, lack of good quality childcare, and so on, and you are crippling people, obviously keeping them in a preset status to be exploited forever, perpetually. I would absolutely love to see what change could be achieved if every socioeconomic group below the poverty line had guaranteed stable and state-of-the-art nutrition only, for two generations. I can promise you there’d be a massive change in reality.

So yes, nutrition alone has changed your life expectancy, your height, weight, body fat, even your appearance. Teeth and bones are better, senility and decrepitude later in life is less common. Degenerative conditions, less common. Better mental acuity. Better endurance and strength. Lower body stress in terms of food. That one factor alone has been amazing to see.

So yes. You’ve changed profoundly in my lifespan. You’re taller, faster, stronger, longer lived, more intellectually swift, better coordination, better social structures, better hygiene, medicine, and on and on. Even your color is changing, as people become more socially accepting of mixing, which by the way, will strengthen your genes.

I’ve seen much change.

[carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory]

Cities are Not Biological Deserts

by Nicole Heller

Cities are increasingly important in organizing the experience of people and their interactions with nature. In 1950 there were 2.5 billion people on Earth and 30% lived in cities. Today, there are 7.5 billion people and 55% live in cities. By 2050, there will be an estimated 9.5 billion and 68% will live in cities.

Generally, cities are not good places for other critters to live. The abundance of pavement, buildings, traffic, pollution, pesticides, herbicides, and other hazards make cities really hard places for plants and animals to survive and breed. From a conservation science perspective, cities have long been considered dead spaces, or biological deserts. But more recently researchers are paying more attention to nature in cities. One reason for their interest involves people’s need for nature. Study after study confirms the basic biophilia hypothesis, that people want to associate with nature; they are happier and healthier when they are near plants and animals in their daily lives.

Berlin is recognized as a city that works for people and biodiversity due to its high percentage of green space, variety of habitats, and thoughtful regional planning. Photo by Filipe Varela on Unsplash.

Cities have also drawn the attention of researchers because of some really exciting things are happening within their limits, such as growing populations of peregrine falcons , sightings of rare birds using cities parks during annual migrations, and even discoveries of new species not previously known to science. While cities are overall negative for biodiversity, recent research findings raise important questions: Can human cities be good for non-humans too? Can urban wildlife include a broader spectrum of creatures beyond the common city-adapted species like European sparrows, pigeons, and black rats? What about species special or unique to the regions in which cities are located? How can we make cities work for biodiversity?

A few years ago I posed these questions along with colleagues from the Resilient Landscape program at the San Francisco Estuary Institute. We wanted to learn if there were general lessons that could be distilled from recent and ongoing research projects about what kinds of species can benefit from cities and if so how might city planners utilize this information to prioritize actions that would help cities contribute positively to the resilience of regional biodiversity, or at least do more to diminish the negative impacts.

Earlier this year, some of our findings were published open source in the journal Bioscience, The Biological Deserts Fallacy: Cities in Their Landscapes Contribute More than We Think to Regional Biodiversity, by Erica N Spotswood, Erin E Beller, Robin Grossinger, J Letitia Grenier, Nicole E Heller, Myla F J Aronson.

The study, which includes citations from dozens of regional research projects around the world, identifies five pathways by which cities can help regional biodiversity. “Cities can benefit some species by releasing them from threats in the larger landscape, increasing regional habitat heterogeneity, acting as migratory stopovers, enhancing regional genetic diversity and providing selective forces for species to adapt to future conditions under climate change (e.g., a phenomenon we are calling preadapting species to climate change), and enabling and bolstering public engage­ment and stewardship.”

Each of these pathways is described in greater detail in the study. Four categories of species commonly utilize urban habitat, with varying degrees of success, and the study explores examples of how specific species in specific places demonstrate these five pathways.

Overall, the role of cities in supporting landscape-scale biodiversity is an understudied area of research. As cities continue to grow in number and size, human populations rise, and climate change continues, paying attention to the experience of other critters, and how we can make space for them to survive and thrive in anthropogenic habitats, will be more important than ever. This research identifies opportunities to reconcile cities with biodiversity. Opportunities exist to learn more about the unique resources that cities can provide, which specific types of species can take advantage of these resources, and how this information can be incorporated into city plans for parks and green spaces. The San Francisco Estuary Institute has begun this applied work in their report Making Nature’s City, which presents a science-based framework for increasing biodiversity in cities.

What excites me are possibilities if we really try. For the most part cities have been developed with little or no concern for biodiversity. Often people think that humans and nature just can’t coexist. What if city planners and conservation professionals start applying these lessons from ecology more broadly and work together with citizens to deliberately steward biodiversity in cities? How abundant and rich with diverse life could cities become? How happy would that make humans? I wonder. And I am hopeful.

If you are interested in urban nature, you can help to measure its diversity by participating in the museum’s upcoming City Nature Challenge. You never know what you may find in our city. Our combined observations, coupled with the museum’s collections and records, will provide important benchmarks to help track how local species are doing as the region keeps growing and changing in the 21st century.

Full Article Citation

The Biological Deserts Fallacy: Cities in Their Landscapes Contribute More than We Think to Regional Biodiversity By ERICA N. SPOTSWOOD , ERIN E. BELLER, ROBIN GROSSINGER, J. LETITIA GRENIER, NICOLE E. HELLER, AND MYLA F. J. ARONSON

BioScience, Volume 71, Issue 2, February 2021, Pages 148–160, https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaa155

Nicole Heller is Curator of Anthropocene Studies at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences working at the museum.

[parsleysagerosemary-and-time]

Local Practice Series 1: Build a relationship with your land by investigating and investing in your region

I think one of the biggest and most important things you can do when beginning to localize your witchcraft or pagan practice is understanding your ecological region. Witches and pagans have an earth-based spirituality or practice. That means connecting with where you are on this earth, and how you integrate and embed yourself into that place. Part of that means being able to identify:

Indigenous flora (plants) and fauna (animals)

Interesting and important landforms and sites

Where indigenous flora, fauna, and landforms may be under threat

Ways you can protect and conserve your local region’s natural areas, landforms, and indigenous flora and fauna

That seems like a lot, right? And where do you start? How do you do any of that without getting overwhelmed? Same way you eat an elephant - one bite at a time.

Begin by identifying your local ecological region

Search for “Natural regions and subregions of [insert your state/county/province here]” in your favourite search engine, and you should get a number of links listed. Your best bet is through your state/county/provincial parks websites, because they should have some content about the regions they service. For instance, when looking for my region, Calgary, Alberta, I’ve found this super useful document:

Natural Regions and Subregions of Alberta: A Framework for Alberta’s Parks

It not only identifies the different regions and subregions, but the landforms present, common indigenous animals and vegetation, as well as rare or endangered animals that depend on the regional environment. These types of parks documents give a great overview of what kind of a ecological environment you live in, and all the highlights of them from a regional perspective. For where I live in Calgary, we’re part of the Alberta Grasslands region, specifically the Foothills fescue.

Additionally, consider downloading Seek by iNaturalist on your phone, which is a well-used and helpful app for identifying plants and animals in your region, and also gives suggestions of the types of flora and fauna you might encounter. It partners with the California Academy of Sciences, National Geographic, Our Planet: Netflix, and the World Wildlife Foundation. It provides challenges, allows you to note observations, provides achievements, and so forth! It’s a really handy app to have, in general. Credit for this one goes to another commenter on tumblr who referenced it on another localizing your practice post (I believe by @will-o-the-witch).

Your Parks department in general will have a lot of great information about the land you live on and work with, even if you live in an urban environment, like me. For instance, I can find information for self-guided walking tours, guided walking tours, natural areas, parks, volunteer opportunities, events, and so forth, from my city’s parks department page. If you start nowhere else, start here. Visiting your local parks, exploring your city or town, engaging with the land through things like river and road-side clean-up - these are all ways to begin building a relationship with your community, and the land you live on and work with.

Your city, like mine, might have a terrible and labyrinthine website where it’s impossible to find individual pages through the site architecture, but google is your friend! Google “Wild animals in [insert the name of your city/town/]” and your search should result in at least a few pages which can provide more information. Your city or town’s parks department should also point out any animals of interest, and give information about them, as well as conservation information, and likely, helpful resources for living with those animals, ensuring your safety, or ensuring theirs! As an example, when I google for Calgary, I get this:

Wild animals in Calgary’s natural areas

Which is a great overview of the types of wildlife I can encounter in the city, and points me to something super cool -- bat conservation! Before I discovered this page, I had no idea that my region even supported a large number of bats! Now, I know that bat conservation is important and necessary. While it can be super overwhelming and lead to a lot of executive dysfunction/cognitive overload to try to protect all the ecological concerns, conserve all the landforms, flora, and fauna that need conservation, and engage in multiple volunteer opportunities, I want to tell you that it’s okay to just pick one. Even just reading about it or learning about it. Something that sparks your interest, something that’s manageable for you to do. In my area, for me, there are two things I’m super interested in, now that I’ve found out this information:

Volunteer riverside clean-up

Bat conservation (AKA building and setting up bat houses!)

I work a lot with the Bow, Elbow, and Sheep rivers. I walk their shores, I collect their stones, I swim in them, I use them as delivery mechanisms for spells and I call on their power, and the power of their genus loci (as opposed to the indigenous spirits, though I honour and awknowledge them when working with these rivers) for certain workings. Whenever I walk along them, I’ll pick up any trash I see, as an offering. Doing a more concerted riverside clean-up? Big offering! It’s a great way to show the spirits of place that you mean what you say, and that you’re someone they can trust with their power.

I love bats. I’ve always loved bats -- maybe it’s the witch in me. Discovering that bat conservation was relatively simple, also, was a wonderful thing! If I don’t have the energy, I can donate a small amount to a foundation (or a large amount), I can join a conservation society and pay membership fees, or I can make or buy a bat house and install one on my property. However, in anything, there may be snags, and you might need to come up with creative workarounds. For instance, I can’t install a bat house on my tiny apartment balcony. But I do know of a lovely park that has the right kind of environment to support a bat house, and a local community garden that would benefit from having one. Those are two opportunities to do even more good than putting a bat house on my balcony. So I took ten minutes and emailed - firs the city, to see if there was any chance I could get permission to install a bat house in the park, and second, the community garden, for the same.

Instead of just spiritually connecting with the rivers and with the bats, by localizing my practice and engaging in building a relationship with the rivers and the bat population, I’m actively connecting on intellectual and physical levels. I am honouring and offering to the spirits of the animals and the rivers. I’m investing in them, in hopes that with consistency, they will invest in me, too. What ecological region do you live in? What local indigenous plants and animals are you drawn to? What kind of conservation/volunteer/protection efforts are you considering (or are actively) engaging in? How have you built a relationship to the land you live on and work with? Let me know! I’d love to hear! xoxo, Delta

[chasingshhadows]

Advice for writing about small towns

So I come from a small (midwestern) town. And I mean - an actual small town (less than 1,500 population). I’ve lived in towns of under 500 population, and in towns of about 2,500 population, and in towns of 15k population, and in cities of 100k, and currently in a 700k city. 

So here’s some things about small towns you might not know if you’ve never lived in one:

If it’s got a population higher than 30 thousand, it’s not a small town. It’s just a town. Hell, I’d probably argue that if it has a population higher than 10 thousand it’s not small town, but I’m being generous. However the people in towns 30k--50k probably think they’re in a small town (they’re not).

The experience is vastly different depending on how far you are from a small-large city. And by that I mean - the people are vastly different. 

Are you less than 60min drive to a city of 80k+ population? the people are probably less likely to be farmers, more likely to work in said small-large city and commute (which doesn’t mean that everyone commutes or that no one is a farmer). The people probably lean slightly to the right of the closest city, but aren’t necessarily staunch conservatives. The town sizes probably bottom out around 2k min. 

Are you more than 2hrs drive from a city of 80k+ population? The town is more self-sufficient. Most work within their small town or a nearby small town. Depending on the terrain, more people are farmers. They’re probably mostly conservative, both socially and fiscally. The town sizes could be as small as 300 people.

The farther from the city, the more likely to be conservative, more likely to be farmers (depending on the terrain).

Population 15k+:

This town probably has a (singular) hospital, several doctor’s offices, probably a dozen department stores - and if it’s rural enough, probably a couple kinds of hardware/diy type stores (lowe’s, menard’s, home depot etc.)

There are several options for vets and at least one emergency vet 

1-2 dozen hotels

If it’s got anything touristy, double the hotels (2-3 dozen) - touristy being water, especially large lakes, hiking trails, fesitvals, nearby ski resort - any thing that would draw people there on vacation, even if it’s only people from that region 

Also add a “down town” area - boutiques, nice restaurants, probably a theatre

It has at least 4 options of elementary schools, and 3 options each for middle and high schools. It might have a community college (but probably not). There are private or charter options, specifically for religious students

There are multiple denominations of churches (catholic, lutheran, baptist, episcopal etc). Depending on ethnic make-up, it may or may not have a synagogue. It probably won’t have a mosque.

If it’s in a rural-ish area (the closest towns are all smaller) it probably has some kind of shopping mall. If it’s the smaller town, it may not.

It’ll have several bars, probably clustered in a central location, with a few others a little farther out from that area. 

This town has a few coffee shops (3-10), but may or may not have an actual starbucks. At least one is a local place, at least one is a chain (starbucks, dunkin, biggby). 

People drive everywhere. There is a bus system, but only the “down town” area would have issues finding parking. Most businesses/hotels have their own parking lot.

Most people live in houses but there are a few (3-7) apartment complexes, most of which are several buildings

There will be lots of restaurants, mostly chains or small mom & pop places, with at least a couple niceish options

This town might even have its own airport, but likely only serves regional flights to “nearby” larger towns/cities. Regional means like, less than 2hr flights, so that’s probably a bigger distance than you’d think.

There are dozens of gas stations and at least a dozen fast food places

Is it on a freeway? increase the gas stations, fast food places, department stores etc. 

This town probably has a rec-type center with a community pool and courts and what not. There are several options of gyms.

Population 10k ish:

May or may not have a hospital - if it does, it’s small. A few doctor’s offices, a couple of department stores, at least one hardware/diy type

A few vets, may or may not have an emergency vet

a dozen or so hotels. again - double that if it’s got smth that would attract people, especially water.

may or may not have a “down town” area

2-4 options at least of elementary, 2-3 options of middle and high school. No community college.

Still at least a few options of churches. Still might have a synagogue, still probably doesn’t have a mosque.

Probably doesn’t have a shopping mall, but might have a “business district - basically a few intersections with most of the stores, hotels, and restaurants.

Probably has at least two, maybe three coffee shops. At least one is a chain.

Probably doesn’t have its own bus system unless it’s near enough to a town of 15k+ or more - people drive everywhere. There’s plenty of parking.

Most people live in houses, but there are a couple of apartment complexes. Mostish of the houses have yards, but some might not.

A few options of restaurants, but maybe only 1-2 niceish places. A couple chain, a couple mom & pop. 

It would be strange for this town to have an airport. May have a landing strip at most, but unlikely.

There are probably half a dozen to a dozen gas stations. Several fast food places.

Is it on a freeway? increase the gas stations, fast food

This town might have a community rec center w/pool. Still a couple options of gyms.

Population 5k ish:

This town doesn’t have a hospital. It probably has 1-3 doctor’s offices. At least one department store

2-3 vets, likely no emergency vet

3-8 ish hotels or inns 

Might have a quaint but very small “down town” area

Likely only 2 options of schools, maybe only one high school. Possible to go to school with same people your whole life

2-3 options for churches. Probably doesn’t have a synagogue unless there’s a large Jewish population 

There’s no shopping mall of any kind, but probably has an area where most of the businesses are - at most 2-3 intersections worth

Probably has a coffee shop or two, but might not. Could be a chain or a local - but probably a local.

There’s no bus system unless it’s near enough to a town of 15k+. People drive everywhere.

Most everyone lives in houses. Most if not all have yards. There might be 1-2 apartment complexes but maybe not.

There are a few restaurants - mix of chain and mom & pop places. Might have a nice restaurant, but only one.

There’s no airport.

There are probably 2-6 gas stations, maybe 1-2 fast food. 

Is it on a free way? increase the gas stations and fast food.

Likely does not have its own rec center/pool, but probably has 1-2 options of gyms.

Population under 2k ish:

No hospital. Probably has one doctor’s office, but might not if it’s close enough to a larger “small” town. No department stores, but probably at least one, maybe 2 decent grocery stores. Could be a local chain or a mom & pop.

Probably has a vet’s office, but just one. 

1-2 inns/motels. If it’s an older town, it has like, a street that’s mostly made of older style buildings and is the “down town” - just a couple of blocks

Just one school system - elementary through high school. Everyone goes through the same school - you probably graduate with the same people you went to kindergarten with

1-2 churches. Probably no synagogue

There is probably a generalish area where the store/post office/school/etc is, but those are probably just as surrounded by homes and yards as everything else.

This town probably doesn’t have a coffee shop, and if it does, it’s local, not a chain.

There’s no bus system unless it’s close enough to a town of 15k+. People drive.

There might be an apartment complex. Everything else is houses. The houses pretty much all have some kind of yard.

There are probably two restaurants, probably both local. Nothing fancy. 

No airport.

Probably 2ish gas stations.

Is it on a free way? add a gas station and a fast food restaurant.

There’s no rec center (unless maybe an outdoor like, field type rec center), but still likely has at least one gym.

I could keep going down but I think you get the idea. If you’re writing about an actual town, do research on its population. If you’re making up a town, think about what size you need it to be to have the things you want (or don’t want). 

If your “small town” has more than one hospital, it’s not a small town. If it’s got a population above 10k, there is definitely more than one (and likely, many) hotels. 

Is it near decent-sized water (largeish lake, ocean)? People probably have vacation homes there. That increases property value and tourism. Even if it’s not a like, nationally-known vacation spot, people within 100-200 miles could likely make weekend trips there.

Is it the largest town within 75-100 miles, even if it’s under 20k? it’s probably got more department stores and other such industry bc it’s serving a population greater than its own. if there are other towns nearby of equal-to-larger size, it might need less of those things.

[molkolsdal]

Pakistan's Transgender Community Is Hiding Out in a Hostile City

As Peshawar has come under increasing sway of an extremist view of Islam, its community of transgender hijras has been increasingly marginalized.

By Beenish Ahmed, 16/05/2014 Photos by Abdul Majeed Goraya

"My father used to beat me and ask, 'Why do you have to go around pretending to be a girl?'"

Now at 35, she says her cheeks burn and fists tighten if anyone refers to her as a man.

Khushboo, whose name means fragrance, classifies herself as a hijra, a South Asian gender designation that encompasses transgender and transexual people, as well as transvestites and eunuchs.

She has a different definition for herself and the estimated hundreds of thousands of other hijras across the region. "Our souls are female and our bodies are male," she says, dipping a rag into a red plastic pail filled with a chalky mixture of water and face powder. Surrounded by a group of several other hijras in a room they call their "office," Khushboo smears the dripping rag over her face and adds, "I've known I was a hijra since I was a child."

She used to wear her sisters' clothes. At 16, Khushboo slipped out of the house in one of their outfits and didn't return home for years. Along with another hijra, she settled in Peshawar, a city in northwestern Pakistan one night's drive from the costal city of Karachi where she'd grown up.

Peshawar has long been home to cultural traditions that insist on strict gender segregation, and the city has come under increasing sway of an extremist view of Islam in recent years. These intolerant, conservative beliefs are made brutally clear through the bombings and shootings that are now near-weekly occurrences. Taliban suicide bombers killed 85 worshippers at a church there last September, and militants killed thirteen people at a cinema showing pornographic movies in February. Lesser attacks are momentary blips on local news coverage featuring bloodied streets and blaring sirens.

Khushboo points to battered doors and broken windows around her. She says young men—"college boys" she calls them—wreak havoc on her and fellow hijras who are preparing for a dance performance later that night. Sometimes the men recite scripture and beat the hijras to shame them out of their profession as dancers, and other times they force them to dance or even rape them, she tells me.

Despite the extremism that has only further marred the city since her arrival nearly 20 years ago, Khushboo has an affinity for Peshawar because it's where she had a sort of rebirth as her new self.

Free from the abuse of her father and brothers, as well as the sense of dishonor she felt on behalf of her mother and sisters, Khushboo embraced a new life of openness—and was adopted into a new family.

"In this field we have mothers. We have gurus. We have uncles and aunts," she says, and then points to a girl who's rolling a spliff in the corner of the room. "She's my daughter. I'm a daughter of someone so she has a grandmother too. And," Khushboo adds, "She also has a father."

That last bit comes so quickly that I almost miss it. I inquire further about the girl's "papa" and Khushboo says, "Her father is married to someone else, but he loves me." She then goes on to explain what their relationship entails—and it's all very practical until it gets utterly tragic: "If I'm sick, he comes by and brings me medicine," she says proudly. "If I don't have money he drops some cash off. If I die, it's this man who will dress me up as a man and take my body to his house to carry out the cemetery. He might not explain the full story and just say that I was killed in the market or that there was some kind of shooting, but he's the one who will take care of the funeral."

I can't help but think that this grim possibility is one that Khushboo has discussed with her "husband"—and one that he too has come to terms with.

"In Pakistani society, there is a really strong [sense of] place and family," says Dr. Jamil Ahmad Chitrali, a professor of anthropology. "There is no alternative for anyone."

Based at the University of Peshawar, Chitrali has written about the city's hijra community. He says that by forging the same sorts of familial connections that they left behind, hijras create a social order that mimics the very society from which many of them fled.

"It's forcing all those revolutionary individuals who are against those binaries of man and woman to come into a structure which is reaffirming patriarchy," he says.

Pakistan's hijras have made some strides in recent years despite their rather isolated existence. In 2012, the Pakistani Supreme Court allowed for a "third gender" category to be added to national identity cards, which effectively gave hijras increased legal standing. It's because of this broader recognition that hijras could vote in that year's presidential election—at least five hijras even ran for office.

But the third gender classification has made little practical difference in Khusbhoo's life. "We live in a third world," she says, the difference between her life and that of a cisgender person just as stark as the difference between life in Pakistan, and say, Monaco.

And, she says, no matter what she does, she'll always be seen as different.

"Even if I give up dancing, everyone will still call me a hijra so what's the point? Why not do what I love?" She adds that even if she were to become a traveling evangelist, her family would still regard her with the same disdain. "I'm better off staying a hijra."

And that's the hardest thing that Khushboo has to face: her family. She got back in touch with them after five years of not speaking, and goes to see them in Karachi at least once a year. But when she does, she goes dressed as a man.

Though she moves about as a woman in Peshawar, Khushboo wears a black floor length, full-sleeved robe (or abaya), and a face covering (or niqab) that reveals only her eyes to hide herself from prying eyes. Even so, she's been thrown out of several houses by people who fear hijras will ruin their neighborhood.

While they occupy a marginalized space across Pakistan, hijras are probably worst off in Peshawar. In all of the other major cities in the country, they are frequent sites at traffic intersections or in shopping centers where they offer a prayer for a few rupees. Many passersby fear denying them might mean a curse and so will either oblige quickly or turn away completely.

I've spent a lot of time in Peshawar over the years, and have never seen hijras out in public the way they are in other cities. After speaking with Professor Chitrali, I learned that might be because hijras have a different role in the Pathan society that dominates the Peshawar area. In this part of the country, hijras aren't seen to have some sort of greater spiritual connection than cisgender people—instead, their role is celebratory. They're often asked to sing and dance at weddings and births.

"It's their performance which gives [a family] social recognition," Chitrali says, though the tradition is fading as weddings move from family houses into wedding halls. Some might have other professions—Khushboo says she has hijra friends who are lawyers and pilots and act cisgender in order to maintain their jobs, though they're free to "be themselves" with her and other hijras. Due to a lack of societal acceptance, many hijras live marginalized lives as low-income entertainers, but they've got a bit of a role as educators, too. Hijras sometimes teach—or even initiate—young men into sex. For many in Peshawar who live by strict religious and cultural codes that denounce almost any pre-marital interaction between the sexes as sinful, hijras provide a sort of in-between, or a "cushion," as Chitrali calls it.

"If you cross the domain of manhood into womanhood, that is against the culture, that is crossing your limits. But you can always move into the gray area, so this hijra community, in that sense, in a clear binary of man and woman among Pathans, [forms] a gray area." But he says that this "learning experience" is becoming less common with such how-to's readily available on the internet.

In Peshawar's increasingly religiously-motivated milieu, the presence of hijras—be they dancers or sex workers—is frowned upon and politicians vie for favor by pushing them out of their homes and worksites.

Seeing this, Malik Iqbal says he wanted to do something. "I sympathize with them because no one gives them any space," he tells me.

He rents out the office that Khusboo and her fellow hijras use to prepare for their dances.

"I didn't used to be on their side," Iqbal says. "Now I help them. I say they're humans too. We should have some empathy for that reason. Not just me, everyone should empathize with them as people."

But some believe Iqbal's connection to hijras goes beyond a shared humanity. Though he refuses to speak about it, Iqbal was arrested in 2010 for attempting to marry a hijra called Rani. Such a union would be illegal under Pakistani law, which only recognizes marriages between men and women. He has repeatedly denied the charge and claimed that police were trying to extort money from hijras at an event that wasn't a marriage but an innocent birthday party. Either way, the shock the story garnered reveals just how far removed everyday Pakistanis are from the hijra community. A big-grossing film called Bol, or Speak—released in 2011—may have helped some, but real connections like Iqbal's remain few.

And not everyone in close proximity to hirjas is sympathetic. Noor Illahi, who owns a grain shop down the street from the hijras' office, doesn't have a problem with the hijras themselves or even their work, but thinks they should find some other place to go. "My work has suffered because of them. The other storeowners and I, we think they should be given some place off to the side. It should be separate."

He's worked in his store for 15 years and says that sales have dropped fifty percent since the hijras set up shop next door a few years ago. "There are a lot of fights here now. They create quite a scene sometimes."

The raucousness has driven away his customers. Those who stop in the area are more interested in the hijras than the sacks of flour he has for sale.

"I'm not personally offended by them. But look," he says, pointing to a group of several white shalwar kameez-clad men loitering outside the hijra's building. "These poor people have earned just three or four hundred rupees all day ($3-4) and they'll come here and waste it all on them."

The men are all rickshaw drivers. One by one, they go on the record to deny being there to solicit sex. "We're just here to chit chat with them," one says while peering over his shoulder to see if any of the hijras have come out into the alley. "It's a totally innocent relationship that we have with them."

Back up in the hijras' office, the lights have gone out as a part of the rolling power outages that have frustrated Pakistanis for years. It might be another hour before they're ready to leave for their performance. When they do, they'll be cloaked in massive shawls and under the cover of night.

[allscalliepsds]

RP GUIDE: TIPS FOR WRITING ITALIANS CHARACTERS!

So, from one Italian roleplayer, check this list for creating credible Italians fictional characters. I don’t know if you’re ever gonna read this post, but let’s try. Aaaand, if it works maybe one day I’ll do a list of italian faceclaims, or italian names and surnames. (Obviously, I’m not used to writing in english. Ignore my mistakes, lol)

• We have very different features. We’re not all tanned, with brown eyes and brown hair. My best friend is pale as hell and blonde like a freaking scandinavian. So we have lighter skin, darker skin, we’re tall, very short, redheads. And we have different cultures here! You can use asian faceclaims, black faceclaims, tunisian faceclaims... your character can have any kind of origin and still have the italian citienzship.

• Food is important. And by saying this I do not only mean that things like pineapple pizza or carbonara with pancetta are unacceptable! I mean that we EAT together. Most of Italians families have lunch together daily, same happens for dinner. Eating means spending time with family and friends. On sundays a lot of families reunite and have lunch with other relatives like grandparents or uncles, without even being on holiday time. We do not need Christmas or Easter to have lunch with relatives. Talking more about food: every place has its own speciliaties, so look for them when creating a character.

• Talking about food, WE DO NOT SHARE PIZZAAAA! Okay, maybe we do, sometimes, but it’s different. I’ve seen a lot of American tv shows or movies where they order just one pizza for four family members. Like, what?? Here in Italy most of the times we have one pizza per person. Because Italian pizza is obviously better and lighter, so you don’t get your belly full just by eating two slices unless you’re 5 y/o.

• We might be spending a lot of time complaining about our country and what doesn’t work, but in reality we are very proud and sometimes a lot patriotic. You know what really gets me super mad? Scrolling tik tok and seeing Americans that call themselves ITALIANS just because their grandma’s uncle was from Salento. No the hell no, that’s not how it works. You’re not Italian you cunt. 

• We’re a little bit a cliché, I gotta give you that. Sometimes more than a little bit. When quarantine/lockdown started here in Italy it was sooo hard finding flour and baking powder at the supermarket. And it’s not just a Super Mario thing: we do actually say mamma mia! But we’re not all the same. Please do not consider always the same kind of relatives: conservative religious parents with that grandma that always cooks a lot of stuff and blablabla. Think out of the box!

• Talking about grandmas: if you wanna follow that cliché of the Italian grandma that cooks and makes you eat until you pass out, it’s fine. You can do this. One of my grandma is like this and even though we have lunch in like four people she’s still gonna cook for an entire army. But if you don’t wanna do that, then don’t. My other grandma does not know how to cook and so she doesn’t that much. It’s fine, no one’s gonna revoke your character’s Italian citizenship if you don’t stick to those basic clichés we’re tired of.

• Please, look for a map. Not every Italian lives by the sea, it isn’t always sunny and hot and you don’t always feel in the right mood for a gelato. The northern part of Italy is colder and there aren’t as much bathing areas. Even if your characters lives or is from Sicily ( which is where I’m from ), it isn’t sure that he’s gonna have the beach next to his house. I’m a lucky person, in jenuary from my balcony I can see the sea on my right and the vulcano Etna covered by snow on my left. But it depends, so choose a city and look for it.

• We have dialects. So, let me try to be clear. Italy is a country divided into 20 regions, okay? Sicily is a region of Italy, Lazio ( where Rome is, to be clear ) is another Italian region. The official language is obviously Italian. So since I’m from Sicily, with a girl from Lazio/Rome I’m gonna speak Italian. But, inside the regions, there are dialects. Since I’m sicilian my dialect is called siciliano, and it’s influenced from all the past invasions. Sicily was conquered by arabs, and arabs also conquered Spain which is why some words in siciliano are similar to spanish words. Even though we have dialects we can understand each other pretty well. Southern dialects are all pretty similar, for example. But I gotta be honest, I don’t understand a single words in northern dialects. If you wanna stick to that grandma cliché I mentioned before, then add the dialect to it. Grandparents speak dialects. Generally speaking, old people speak dialects way more than the younger ones. Unfortunately it’s a culture that is starting to disappear.

• Please, dress properly. You’re never gonna see a true Italian walk out of his own house in his pajamas and with slippers, that only happens in nightmares. We’re classy. And by saying this I do not mean that we dress Dolce&Gabbana and Gucci. We don’t. I mean, rich people do, they’re lucky enough. So you do not need to mention important and expensive brands. We’re not all rich. Or at least I’m not as I wish. Last thing: it’s VersacE, not Versaci.

• Italy is (unfortunately) a pretty religious country. You know, we have the Vatican here. The most common religion here is Christianity. Not everyone practise it, and not everyone goes at the Church every sunday. 

• ROME AND MILAN AREN’T THE ONLY TWO ITALIAN CITIEESSS! I know, they’re the most known, Rome is beautiful and in Milan there’s the fashion week, I get that. But Italy is full of beautiful places. Maybe you don’t wanna choose unknown little towns with less then 3.000 habitants, but be original.

• There isn’t a large representation of Italy outside our country, so you might know very few of how we live here and what our habits are. Let me do just a small list of things:

- At 18 years old you are old enough to take your driving license, your car, and to drink. Obviously do not do everything together, lol. But you can buy alcool at 18 and go to the clubs.

- We kiss. If you’re my friend I’m gonna give you two kisses on the cheeks to say hi and to say goodbye. Even if you’re not my friend but you are with my friends, I’ll do that to be polite. And sometimes It can be pretty boring, but If I’m leaving a room with 12 people I (more or less) know I’m gonna kiss all of those 12 people.

- We have school from monday to saturday, mostly from 8 am to 13 pm. So we do not spend the afternoons at school like Americans do, and we do not have all those extracurricular activities and sports.

- We do not use snapchat anymore, while I know that it’s still a thing somewhere else. And for texting we mostly use Whatsapp and Telegram. Not iMessage because not everyone has an iPhone (they cost a little bit more, here), and neither we use Messanger that much.

- We do study a lot of art, history and literature. They’re not optional subjects. And we really praise our artistic patrimony. You can’t live here and study in Italy and then don’t know how to recognize a piece of art of DaVinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli or Caravaggio. If you’re Italian you know who Dante is and that he wrote The Divine Comedy.

- I don’t know how it is in the rest of the world, but when we go out (like, at night??) we have this thing of going downtown. So you can go to a restaurant with your friends for dinner or you can go out after dinner and just meet your friends at a square, grab a beer at the nearest bar and sit on a bench or on the stairs of something that faces that square and even stay there all night. It might sound strange, but that’s how it works and in towns where there are a lot of young people or university students those squares and those bars next to them are always full of people. Here’s an example.

[sadbirder]

A Comparison Of Contemporary Landscape Photography With Traditional 19th Century Landscape Painting

The aesthetics of both contemporary landscape photography and traditional 19th century landscape painting hold much the same purpose, the objectification of nature as a servant to human kind. Both practices give misguided representations that nature is something which is ours to have. This way of seeing is an anthropocentric hangover that has no place in contemporary aesthetics because the belief that nature is ours to have because it belongs to humans is outdated and no longer practical or realistic in today’s world. 

19th century landscape painting is from a time when all people believed all of everything on Earth was here exclusively for humans to exploit, consume and dominate as they please. There were scientists and thinkers during this century who began to consider that perhaps nature was not here for us. Alfred Russell Wallace wrote in his book, The Malay Archipelago, that he noticed that very large fruits grow on very tall trees throughout the region. He suspected if one of these large fruits should fall on a human from such a height, it would likely kill them. He questioned why and if these plants were truly put there by god with exclusive reference to human kind. I am guessing that at the time, not many Europeans had seen large fruits growing on incredibly lofty trees.

Another figure, who had thoughts like this in the same era, was Henry David Thoreau. His book Walden explores what it is to live off the land without exploiting the land or the creatures on it. He did not hunt or keep animals and he grew a permaculture-esque farm/garden. He did this as capitalism was still growing into the dominant way of living in the western world. It is incredibly compelling to read the experiences of someone rejecting the latest fashion trends, a glamorous life based around financial assets and the need to eat meat on a daily basis in the context of that particular moment on the timeline of human history. The themes central to this book examine the state of the world and the ways in which people live on it and engage with it, the observations Thoreau makes are pertinent to scrutinising how we exist today.

Sunrise - Claude Monet

Landscape painting from this time does not share the same progressive thinking. At least, if it did at all, that is not why the paintings are cherished today. The 3 examples I have chosen, each show a romanticised view of a landscape that has been largely altered by the domineering presence of humans. The views also show people working or give the idea of work. Work is an unnatural process exclusive to humanity, it is the method and process of human domination of nature. In his book, Future Primitive Revisited, John Zerzan refers to this as the division of labour. Zerzan explains that there is a symbiotic relationship between the division of labour and domestication of humanity and nature that perpetuates negative cycles in human social structures.

Monet’s Sunrise shows what is still celebrated today as a beautiful sunrise scene. In reality it is a factory. Based on the era in which it was painted, it is presumably full of workers in poor working conditions. The factory is causing a great smog which is completely altering how the view of the river before it appears. The painting beautifies the cancerous smog as scenic and romanticises the factory as if it is something other than an eyesore, filled with miserable people. By extension, it celebrates the idea that humans and nature are here purely to serve capitalism by being functional workers. Humanity, in this painting, is not shown as a part of nature but as a tool for its subjugation.

The Hay Wain - John Constable

The Hay Wain by John Constable gives us a peaceful view of a man working the landscape of his farm with his horse and his dog. This painting is renowned for its beauty. Constable’s paintings have been so celebrated, that the entire area where they were mostly created is still preserved to this day as the Dedham Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB). This so-called beauty is the farmed landscape of south-east England. This area was once, in its entirety; ancient, deciduous woodland but is no longer so due to the consequences of work and human activity.

This molestation of an entire habitat is something the British government seeks to preserve for tourism and capital gain. This is done under the guise of maintaining the lie that the quiet countryside of little England is; A: a reality available for all to attain B: a beautiful thing because it is still in it’s natural state. Again, within a painting celebrated for its beauty in depicting nature, we have ugliness and artificiality. A destroyed habitat, forced animal labour of the horse, a dog breed (Border Collie) selectively bred to exploit obsessive behavioural tendencies and forced to work. Here again, humans, animals and the land represent the means of the domestication of nature in order to create an artificial, human-dominated landscape. This painting tells us that nature only has merit if it has a purpose in serving the functionality of the human world. Nothing about it is natural, or beautiful.

Ivy Bridge, Devonshire - JMW Turner

Ivy Bridge, Devonshire by JMW Turner is similar to the previously mentioned landscape paintings. The natural landscape is sliced by a bridge being crossed by a horse-drawn cart in an area of England densely littered with ANOBs. I am not certain if each of the artists’ intentions were necessarily to celebrate these altered and artificial landscapes as natural beauty in their works. It is said that Turner wrote a poem of his experiences working on the Devonshire commissions revealing that the landscape raised questions about morality for him. It could be that Turner and the landscape painters of the 19th century were attempting to expose the fakeness of the setup. Nonetheless, the paintings are today incorrectly treasured as depicting the beauty of the world in it’s natural state.

The foundation of the idea that these paintings display to us natural beauty come from the views of people who lived in an era when it was conventional to believe that the Earth and nature were there for humans to sculpt in whatever way they liked. This essentially means that to celebrate these paintings today as natural and beautiful is to celebrate human domination of Earth and the domestication of its people and creatures. This celebration preserves two great lies. The first lie is that the Earth, as manipulated by humans, is in it’s natural state. The second lie; This manipulation, caused by human domination, is beautiful.

Thomas Heaton

All of the contemporary-traditional landscape photographers I have looked at are well known on instagram and each of their posts boast thousands of likes, often in the name of conservation. When I look at their photographs, I feel uninspired. How could this be so? Nature is inspiring. They are technically spectacular photographs of incredible scenery but post-production techniques such as the over-saturation of the colours create an unrealness. This is uncomfortable because it presents nature as having to be more than what it actually is to be considered a sight worthy of seeing. While thousands of people do engage with these photographs online, what does it do now for changing how we intereact with nature? How does it change the fundamental way we see the world and does it seek to change the anthropocentric viewpoint that the world is here for us?

Daniel Kordan

This style of photography has not progressed much since Ansel Adams pioneered it last century. Someone told me that this kind of photography is important because it shows people what we stand to lose if humans continue on this path of domination and extraction of nature. I ask the question then, is this tactic flawed? This method of revealing the beauty of nature in photography is not new. It has been a somewhat ubiquitos model for conservation and widespread awareness of nature in photography since Ansel Adams began his career in the 1920s. While this has achieved some huge successes in protecting wild landscapes, these very landscapes are still under threat.

Ansel Adams, Cathedral Peak and Lake, Yosemite National Park, 1938

Climate change, habitat & biodiversity loss are not known as entities who recognise borders and boundaries. Our activies outside proctected areas affect what is within them. I view this kind of photography as a green-washing activity. Consciously our not, these photographers play into the narrative that the landscape is something to be conquered. This is reflected in the corporate funding these photographers receive to travel the world and take these spectacular shots and then share them online with generic captions such as “Get out there and live it.” 

The consequnece of this tactic inspires swarms of amateur photographers into contributing to destructive tourism practices, not to mention the volume of iphones and camera gear purchased. These tourists flood the landscape and attempt to recreate, often successfully, the style of their favourite landscape photographers’ work. They too can share the images on social media and receive kudos for how in touch with nature they are, compliments are given to their highly technical photography. 

This style of photography ignores at large the impacts of current ways in which the human world engages with nature. These photographers leave the inevitable cigarette-butts, food packaging and other litter spread throughout almost any natural landscape out of frame. They might not even see the trash, it is hard to see human waste in a landscape when you do not want to see it. If photographs dealing with conservation of nature showed us the real way in which we interact with nature, would humans therefore be able to finally see nature?

This raises the question of what makes the professional a more worthy artist than the amateur recreationists? The method is also boring, old fashioned and it does not work. Why is climate change etc. getting worse if the tactic of showing people what we might lose is successful? This is because it is not, truly successful. It creates a narrative that the world is our pretty little thing to look at and this objectifies it. Photographers are asking people to look, but not see. In essence, professional landscape photographers whore out to us 5-second-views of a world that really requires vast amounts of time invested in multi-sensory observation to actually see. This tactic does nothing to push for a fundamental shift in how all humans interact with the more-than-human natural world because it does nothing to ensure that nature is seen. If nature is not even seen, how can we challenge the ways which humans see it and engage with it? The practice of how nature is represented in art must change in order to facilitate a change in the ideological practice of seeing nature.

Psychescape - Terri Loewenthal

Photographers like Terri Loewenthal speculate that perhaps the views of nature offered from art is a gendered issue and that we are too used to male-dominated views of the world. She seeks to reject technically-accurate recreations of landscape through photography by choosing to explore imperfection with her photographic practice. She does this in her Psychescape series of works by using a hand-built optic that manipulates the colours and shapes in a photograph at the moment of shooting. She is changing how her camera sees the world, in order to ask us to change how we see the world. Loewenthal intends to achieve this, unlike Ansel Adams and so many after him, by not keeping the human world out of shot. To show views of nature that include humanity which are beautiful in their coexistence.

Contemporary landscape photography and traditional 19th century landscape painting share a similar view of the world in both aesthetics and ideology. They continue to feed a narrative that the human-world is outside of the natural world, that the two are separate.  The practice of doing so has led to a great un-seeing of nature from humans in art and lived experience. We know that we need to change the ways in which humans live and interact with the world in order to ensure that humans can continue to exist in the world. We know that it is necessary for humans to coexist with nature in order to take steps in dealing with climate change and other such natural world catastrophes of the contemporary era. For a long time, landscape painting and landscape photography has refused to play a role in changing how we see nature by showing human dominated views and misleading interpretations of the way that nature is before us. Artists are now seeking to show that humans and nature are part of the same whole. Rejecting views which celebrate the human domination and domestication of nature by bringing the interconnectedness of humans and nature into aesthetics is key to fundamentally shifting the role of art in shaping how humans see nature.

[alexanderpusheen]

what frustrates me the most abt this china narrative is that the US created al qaeda and ISIS, those groups are recruiting and causing terrorism in xinjiang, china has been trying to handle the situation with re-education programs often suggested by westerners, and its still being treated as this major human rights violation. there are actually dozens of countries with several robust anti radicalization programs that are just as strict, like singapore, colombia, yemen, bangladesh, saudi arabia, and indonesia. this paper ive linked to was even funded by the DHS so like...why has detaining someone and basically reverse brainwashing them out of being a terrorist been so acceptable for so long but now its an issue? 

if you take issue with chinas program, you have to prove its somehow exceptional to these other programs. since we really dont have any way of knowing what is truth or reality thanks to the enormous disinformation campaign going on, you fucking cant. we dont even know what the programs entail because even googling it gets you exclusively hyperbolic concentration camp accusations. 

what i will say is that relations between the han majority and the uyghur minority have been strained since at least the 80s. link is the notoriously conservative and pro US intervention human rights watch, so dont say im using pro commie sources or anything. every time i do any bit of research on this i seem to find an attempt from major news outlets in the early to mid 2000s or late 20-teens to prove this all started or became dramatically worse now, but things have always been tense. and its not really a surprise that things really got bad after the collapse of the soviet union, an event that was geographically close to china and the xinjiang region and also just like, a fucking major global event in general.

what i find to be very odd is just how dramatically the narrative has changed. the diplomat, one of my favorite periodicals, went from taking very nuanced and balanced positions on xinjiang that i almost completely agreed with to being just as aggressive as outlets like the BBC and CNN in the span of five years. they have eleven pages worth of articles on xinjiang, mostly covering the terrorism and beijings response (which i agree is too harsh) and xinjiang muslims’ relationships to the greater muslim world. 

an example is how this article talks about the conflict at the time which warns of escalating violence as a result of han chauvinism and beijing being unable to deal with the extremism holistically. it points out how there were uyghurs captured among taliban ranks in afghanistan and how many might have even been working with ISIL.

The threat will not be an existential one to the Chinese state, as most Uighurs would prefer a peaceful accommodation. But even if only 1 percent of Uighurs hold extreme views, there are 10 million in Xinjiang and even for a state security apparatus as formidable as China’s, 100,000 or more angry people present a tough challenge.

i think its totally right that china does not allow people in that area to have cars, woodcutting tools, and amonium nitrate (which is used in bombs) is very strictly regulated. i completely agree that this is not how you combat terrorism. most people do not want war and broadly punishing these people is itself a human rights violation that went unnoticed until now.

however, in that same year, the diplomat also published this article about the infamous turkestan islamic party. members of TIP are like, literal jihadists lmfao.

TIP fighters call on the world’s Muslims to join the jihad against Western countries in internet videos. Perhaps most worringly for China, the TIP believes that Muslims may fight locally using various means instead of coming to Syria and Iraq to conduct a “holy war” against the “infidel” Western regimes.  

yeah i definitely want to hear more about what these guys have to say. the article is really good because i think it highly illustrates just how dangerous these people are. theyve killed hundreds of people across china and want to establish a fascist religious state in xinjiang. while the article speaks for itself, i believe the last paragraph really highlights why china is being singled out whereas countries like france and canada are considered allies to muslims for whatever reason:

However, as experience has shown, China takes a passive position in the struggle against global Islamic jihad in Syria and Iraq. Beijing has not sent its troops to the Middle East to fight ISIS and has instead confined itself to diplomatic support for Russia and the United States. The Chinese government uses the attacks of Islamic jihadists to persuade Western countries to support Beijing’s position on Xinjiang and turn a blind eye when the freedom and rights of Uyghurs are harshly suppressed by Chinese security forces. Therefore, China is not perceived by the West as a reliable partner in the fight against terrorism. [emphasis mine]

im just a little surprised to see that a lot of these violent attacks from extremists throughout the years have targeted not just han chinese but also other uyghurs. in the west people do not typically sympathize with terrorists as freedom fighters, even on the left, because we know that no matter how angry or how seemingly justified the violence might seem, terrorism is unacceptable and it grossly misrepresents islam. it is a fascist act because those terrorists often follow an extremely right wing version of islam. also, we know that those who carry out terrorist attacks even outside of the west are middle class and professionals in some way, not poor and marginalized people. the level of nuance afforded to terrorists outside of xinjiang is pretty staggering. 

yet in china, there seems to be this excitement than they are killing chinese people, even if some of those chinese are other uyghers or otherwise muslims. those who carry out attacks in xinjiang dont get any nuance or analysis because theyre justified.

ive referenced the diplomat earlier but this article from 2013 says it perfectly: Call Tiananmen Attack What It Was: Terrorism. except terrorism is bad. and the west wants you to support the uyghurs. and make no mistake, they do not want you to support the millions of uyghurs who want to live peacefully, free of any repression, american or chinese. they want you to support the jihadists randomly blowing up chinese and tourists alike because you are meant to sympathize with their plight.

terrorism isnt something to be romantacized or cheered on. it is something someone or someones do when they feel they have no other option. people do not want to kill even those they feel they have every right to because thats a line you cant uncross. murder changes you, justified or not. see the last chapter of wretched of the earth for this.

terrorism is great, however, for destabilizing a region or a country, and xinjiang is resource-rich. establishing a US-friendly regime, no matter how good they are on human rights, is the goal. the US does not care about muslims. they do not care about human rights. china, also, does not really seem to care about muslims or human rights either. but we’ve seen this since vietnam, and the US has learned since vietnam. the vietnamese were sympathetic. they were minding their business. 

after vietnam, merely being communist isnt enough to warrant invasion. theyre killing their own people. nevermind that bolsonaro kills his own people and no one wants to invade (yet--biden has mention sanctions wrt us which is scary but again, thats got everything to do with making sure latin america is loyal to the west, not HR offenses). korea, although it was before vietnam, was less publicized and learning from vietnam gave the US a valuable lesson: always blame the victim. and thus, the US blames the victims of its violence. even if its ‘justified’, even if its ‘true,’ as was the case with saddam hussein, invading and occupying was the nightmare no one but the imperialists anticipated. because they dont broadcast what occupying forces do to the occupied. i am old enough to remember abu ghraib. have it seared in my memory forever. you perhaps are also old enough to remember, but also think millions of abu ghraibs and guantanamo bays are always worth it, always justified. 

i know people arent going to read this and remind me really rudely that they didnt read it but i want to really emphasize how one of imperialism and colonialisms features is ethnic and racial separatism. how the rwandan genocide couldnt have happened without previous belgian and french rule. how yugoslavia wouldve remained a single country had it not been for NATO. i think its easy to diminish the role of the colonizer in all of this, but it is actually one of its goals: divide and conquer. exacerbate the existing conflicts to the point of genocide. 

and if the west succeeds in balkanizing china, you will get more racism rather than less. you will see more violence against muslim minorities rather than less. they will feel less empowered rather than more. china has to learn that they are also to blame in a way that will be catastrophic for over a billion people. han chauvinism and outright racism must be addressed beyond window dressing.

wrapping up, china is in the wrong here. what theyre doing is racist and humiliating a population that has to be empowered. and the one child rule, even for the han majority, is imo fucking evil lol like sorry tankie tumblr im tankie too but i cannot for the life of me accept that as a good thing.... but i also dont buy the accusations of genocide, because even tho a lot of these articles are kind of glossing over it, china is trying to handle the terrorism in the region. imo theyre feeding into it by getting more han in the area, but also having more han but forcing them to take worse jobs would be a show of good will. idk, this situation is extremely complex and frankly, most uyghers do not want secession. 

i also take extreme issue with people saying that adrian zenz is somehow reliable. not only is he a nazi crackpot, hes also literally the only source for almost all of what we know about this in the west. that is not how you do journalism. i dont understand how people are saying ‘yeah hes an extremely fascist grifter but also i believe him because hes anti communist and also anti china’. thats also not really the point? the point is that hes also the ONLY SOURCE on almost all of this, which is alarming. 

i also find it very startling that in order to keep interest in the story, every few weeks the US has to remind people that the chinese are also doing what the US is doing to women in its own camps. forget that the US is separating minors from parents (since 2008). forget that the US is sterilizing women en masse (since 2017). forget that the US is raping women at the border (since there was a border). forget the US even has camps because now they arent even called that anymore. this is not that ‘you can be angry at two things at once’ but a clearly cynical attempt to get its citizens to forget that the US is detaining, deporting, sterilizing, and raping, and gassing non US nationals. 

they are not ‘your own people.’ they are me. the other. i am an immigrant to the US, currently in my country of birth, so i am the other to you, the american. the chinese are doing the evil crime of killing their own. but the americans could never kill their own because they dont consider black americans to be their own. latin american nationals are not their own. bombing millions globally is not their own. thats always justifiable. there is clearly an element of racism in how these crimes are perceived as more or less evil.

the way immigrants and black americans are brutalized in the US is almost naturalized. like its the way things are supposed to be. you can live with that. its upsetting that you have to hear about antiblackness and the like but you know thats just how life is. you dont necessarily call for the US to be sanctioned or bombed by other countries because you believe in the inherent goodness of white america. but countries like china and iran and north korea deserve to be starved and killed for their crimes. and you can never say ‘maybe bombing and starving a country isnt the answer’ because it means you agree with it. you can never say ‘this is clearly propaganda to make me hate another race so much’ because it means youre a genocide denier. im sorry, but again, i remember iraq in 2003, i remember libya in 2011. i dont buy it.

finally, theres been a lot of attacks on asian people in the US lately and if you cannot see the violent way the US talks about china the country and how that influences people to harm asians within the US then idk what else to tell you. people will really believe this shit and say the chinese are all blood thirsty islamaphobes and thus need to be harmed. ‘im not like that! i defend my asian friends from racism!’ thats nice and all but idk how spreading some sinophobic propaganda designed by the US to make you support some kind of violence against one billion chinese people isnt inherently racist. also its unhelpful because sanctions dont really solve problems. but ive spoken too much.

[thebestintoronto]

15 Best Day Trips from Toronto

Looking for the very best day trips from Toronto to go on?

Whether you enjoy impromptu trip or planned experiences, there are plenty of awesome outing you can take place from Toronto

Whatever the season is, there's constantly something fun to do despite where you do an excursion in Ontario!

If you do not have an auto, rent out one for your adventure!

You can get a day long rental (grabbing as well as leaving in midtown Toronto) from Expedia for as reduced as $91, that includes limitless mileage and complimentary cancellation as much as 6 hours prior to pick-up.

If you're not originating from midtown, you can get cars and truck services as low as $58 from areas in the GTA, such as Richmond Hillside, Markham, or Pickering!

Whether you enjoy roaming around charming communities, sipping glasses at wineries, or hiking through nature, there are all kinds of amazing local areas to road trip to in Ontario.

Right here are some enjoyable day trips from Toronto to journey to, regardless of what the period!

The most effective excursion from Toronto.

1. Twist via Royal Prince Edward Area

Prince Edward Region has ended up being a prominent spot for excursion from Toronto, full of Instagrammable areas and also cool places.

Drop in one of their dozens of wineries and also breweries for an afternoon of tasting, or hit up the Royal prince Edward Area Lavender Farm for some adorable images.

There are also beautiful coastlines and nature spots to go treking in, if that's what you're into!

Here are some suggestions for things to do throughout your Royal prince Edward County excursion:

Visit the white dune at Sandbanks Provincial Park Take a look at the sedimentary rock bluffs at Little Bluff Conservation Area

Best time to go to: summer through loss

2. Discover the historic community of Port Hope

Port Hope is an enchanting little heritage town in Ontario, and also there are lots of fun things to do midtown throughout the year.

If you go to during the autumn, you can even do some salmon angling right in the heart of downtown Port Hope.

It's additionally the town they filmed the It motion pictures in, so you can walk around and also discover all the shooting places!

We checked out while they were shooting, which is why you see American flags in the photo above.

It: Chapter 2 is available on Crave Canada if you intend to see before searching places in Port Hope!

Best time to go to: spring via fall

3. Get a preference of neighborhood in Kawartha Lakes

South Pond Farms is widely known for their program on Netflix, Preference of the Country.

Their home is absolutely stunning (you can remain there on Airbnb), as well as they provide delicious dishes using ingredients from their very own yard.

Discover lunch and dinner events on their web site.

Finest time to visit: springtime with loss

4. Lay out in the sun at Sauble Beach

Sauble Beach is more than simply an Instagram-worthy sign.

Read a book with your toes in the sand, play some coastline volley ball, or endeavor out into the clear blue water!

It's the perfect area to take a day trip from Toronto.

If you want to clear out a little bit further, you can head a hr up north to Tobermory as well.

Ideal time to go to: summer with fall

5. Study the Grotto in Tobermory

Tobermory is most significantly recognized for their Grotto, an extraordinary swimming hole you would not believe remained in Ontario.

Paid vehicle parking is restricted as well as you need to get online in advance, even if there are vacant places when you show up.

Additionally, make sure to examine the weather ahead of time-- we scheduled our car parking and also really did not end up going since there was an awful thunderstorm en route!

This is the farthest eliminate of all nowadays trips from Toronto, however it's definitely achievable if you agree to head there very early and leave late!

Finest time to see: summer season

6. Walking at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park

If you wish to see cliffs, holes, as well as caverns, Mono Cliffs is the area to go.

The park itself will certainly take a couple of hrs to hike, yet you'll wish to explore outside the park too!

I have a different article all about just how to invest a day hiking at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park.

Finest time to see: year-round

7. Prance via lavender areas in Milton

Lavender areas for life ...

Take the eliminate to the spectacular Terre Bleu Lavender Farm in Milton and also get some charming Instagram photos.

Check out right when it opens up in the early morning, due to the fact that it gets active extremely promptly!

Terre Bleu is the largest lavender ranch in Ontario, with over 40,000 lavender plants that bloom at different times during the year!

Oh, and you're mosting likely to want to try the lavender ice cream-- it's amazing.

Best time to visit: summertime

8. Store vintage in Guelph

The Aberfoyle Vintage Market is paradise for vintage purchasing.

You'll find all type of trendy gems like license plates from the 70's and also vintage coke indications from old diners.

There's a heap to see around the marketplace, and also you'll certainly be able to spend an entire day below.

One day might not even suffice to check out the whole thing!

The Aberfoyle Antique Market is open every Sunday throughout the summer season and loss, so you can definitely make several journeys.

Don't fail to remember to bring reusable carryall for your rewards!

If you're looking for much more adorable vintage shops in Guelph, take a look at Outpost Vintage and also Wild Rose Consignment.

Finest time to go to: year-round

9. Go hiking in Cambridge

Cambridge is just one of the prettiest cities in Ontario, with its mix of historical buildings as well as vibrant street art.

There's a charming coffee shop called Monigram Coffee Roasters that makes great sandwiches, as well as lots of treking trails within the city!

Ideal time to see: year-round

10. Go tubing in Elora

Laze around down the Elora Canyon and let the river bring you!

It lies in the Elora Canyon Conservation Area, so you can do a little hiking on the path later on if you're in the state of mind for it.

Don't forget to bring water footwear, as well as don't do this if you dislike bugs.

If you can't swim (like me lol), see to it you're with somebody that understands exactly how-- the ending requires you to swim to coast.

If you remain in the state of mind to do some actual swimming, drop in the gorgeous Elora Quarry afterwards!

Ideal time to visit: summer

11. See a theater show in Stratford

Fancy seeing a live theatre program?

Stratford is everything about arts as well as culture, as well as you most likely currently recognize them for the Stratford Event.

I attended Eliminate a Mockingbird in 2014, and it was remarkable!

This Shakespeare-loving town is filled with unusual boutiques, awesome neighborhood consumes (the Stratford Cook Institution is found here), and also lots of fun points to do.

Finest time to check out: year-round

12. Go through falls in Hamilton

Hamilton is referred to as the waterfall funding of the world, with over 100 waterfalls to explore.

Spend a road trip in Ontario discovering Hamilton's stunning falls and eating at some of the best Hamilton restaurants on King William Street!

If you enjoy hiking, you need to definitely do the Dundas Height trek for the unbelievable views.

There are likewise a lot of charming and Instagrammable areas in Hamilton, consisting of Motel Dining establishment and also Hi Baked Sugar Shop.

I've got a post everything about just how to invest a day in Hamilton!

Finest time to see: summertime through fall

13. Go white wine sampling in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Niagara-on-the-Lake is the ideal place for white wine lovers, with practically 100 wineries found here.

Visit 1 or 2 and also check out Niagara Falls, or simply invest an entire day seeing as lots of wineries as you can!

Definitely stop by Stratus Vineyards-- they make possibly my preferred icewine.

Likewise an enjoyable reality: icewine is spelt as one word here in Canada!

Finest time to go to: summer season through loss

14. Obtain touristy at Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is simply among those outing from Toronto that never ever gets old despite the number of times you visit.

Take in the sights of Horseshoe Falls, do some touristy tasks along Clifton Hill, and ride the Niagara SkyWheel while viewing the sundown!

It's the ideal place for an outing, yet you can also invest a weekend break in Niagara Falls.

Best time to go to: year-round

15. Walk the Toronto Islands

If you prefer to remain as close to the city as possible, the Toronto Islands is the perfect field trip within the city.

All you require to do is take a ferryboat over to the islands, and also you can invest a day strolling or cycling around!

I have a different article all about points to do at the Toronto Islands.

Best time to see: springtime through autumn

Ideal day trips from Toronto:

Prince Edward Area

Port Hope

South Fish Pond Farms near Kawartha Lakes

Sauble Beach

Tobermory

Mono Cliffs Provincial Park

Terre Bleu Lavender Ranch in Milton

Aberfoyle Vintage Market in Guelph

Cambridge

Elora Canyon

Stratford

Hamilton

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Niagara Falls

Toronto Islands

Toronto is near a great deal of great communities and also areas for field trip, whatever activities you're interested in doing!

I've also got a post all about road trip tips that you might find useful.

Will you be doing any kind of one day trip in Ontario this summertime? What are several of your favourite outing from Toronto? I 'd like to know in the remarks!

P.S. if you liked this article, you could like this blog post on exactly how to do an outing to Niagara Falls, or any other articles on taking a trip in Ontario.

The post “ 15 Best Day Trips from Toronto “ was originally seen on Diary of a Toronto Girl

Looking for IV therapy services in Toronto? Contact The IV Lounge.

[alienalgae]

do,,,, all of the questions >:))) (if you want)

1. favourite place in your country?

Tatra Mountains are the absolute best

2. do you prefer spending your holidays in your country or travel abroad?

Abroad! Travelling to other countries is one of my favourite things in the world

covid19 has entered the chat

3. does your country have access to sea?

yup, Baltic Sea, I live by said sea and it’s very fun

the farthest possible place from the mountains tho :\

4. favourite dish specific for your country?

pierogi obviously :)  pierogi are boiled dumplings in the endearing shape of a cloud filled with meat, mushrooms and cabbage, lentils, cheese or fruit, my favourite are pierogi with blueberries <3

5. favourite song in your native language?

today it's Deszcz na betonie by Taco Hemingway

6. most hated song in your native language?

the entirety of disco polo

7. three words from your native language that you like the most?

rzeżucha banan (as an insult) żelki

8. do you get confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom?

yeah, mostly with Russians and Ukranians, mostly by Americans because they have no idea of what's in Europe (no offence yall)

9. which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best?

Germany and Slovakia, they're both so fun!

10. most enjoyable swear word in your native language?

💫kurwa💫 is the most common one although my personal favourite is ja pierdolę (fuck me/fuck this/fuck my life) chuj also rolls of the tongue pretty nice (means dick but is used as an exclamation)

11. favourite native writer/poet?

Wisława Szymborska, very cool lady, Nobel Prize winner

12. what do you think about English translations of your favourite native prose/poem?

never searched for that, probably cringe

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?

many weird/fun Christmas and Easter traditions (mostly food related)

14. do you enjoy your country’s cinema and/or TV?

cinema meh, tv hell no!

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get?

ALL of politics basically,,, maybe Podlasie

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with?

I hate all the stereotypes but I have to agree with them because of the VERY LARGE :((( part of our society that actually is conservative / close minded / uneducated / alcoholic / nationalist / homophobic / all of the above and brings shame onto the whole nation

17. are you interested in your country’s history?

only the last century excluding WWI

18. do you speak with a dialect of your native language?

nope

19. do you like your country’s flag and/or emblem? what about the national anthem?

i mean it's only two colors, what opinion there is to have??? the anthem’s melody is nice

20. which sport is The Sport in your country?

Ski Jumping

21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be?

um ME (as in get rid of, the government)

22. what makes you proud about your country? what makes you ashamed?

i like the folklore - traditional art, fashion and dance

i'm also really proud of Polish scientists like Maria Skłodowska-Curie or Copernicus, the present day musicians, they're really talented, and Polish climbers, they're badass ;)

23. which alcoholic beverage is the favoured one in your country?

💫vodka💫

24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country?

probably Russians

25. would you like to come from another place, be born in another country?

yes, very much so. Poland's cultural heritage is cool but the government, church and the society in general are all rotten, we have much less career/job opportunities than the rest of Europe, also terrible homophobia :(((

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

it's mostly comic relief based on stereotypes or sadly sth associated with WWII tragedies

27. favourite national celebrity?

???

28. does your country have a lot of lakes, mountains, rivers? do you have favourites?

mountains on the south, many lakes on the north-east, my favourite are High Tatra Mountains and all the little lakes there

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country?

here's the thing: Tricity consists of well, three cities:

Gdańsk - the big old one, some parts date back to like the middle ages, most developed, many green areas

Gdynia - the young modern one, harbour, kind of industrial landscape, lots of cultural stuff happening, pretty artsy

Sopot - a little, romantic town, inhabitet mostly by tourists and the elderly, you usually go on dates or Sunday walks with your family there

Gdańsk's and Gdynia's football clubs are archenemies and that's how the discussion of which city is better started. the beef is real.

30. do you have people of different nationalities in your family?

Italian, English :D

Thank you @silversickles​ for this ask, I had so much fun answering it aaaah <3

[mitigatedchaos]

(~1,500 words / 6 mins)

google Zarus

- @contemplate-everything

Hah, I had forgotten about him, but when it comes to "The Gods are Racist," he isn't what I had in mind. (I'll tag in @samueldays and @morlock-holmes as well.)

To put it simply, in any fantasy setting in which there are multiple sapient species (to call them 'races' suggests a smaller difference between them than there is, in my opinion), we must wrestle with the question of why there is any species less intelligent, less kind, and shorter-lived than the smartest, kindest, longest-lived humanoids.

There are a whole lot of different perspectives we can take on this, which makes it a fertile creative territory.

There are, broadly, four major reasons a species can be evil (or 'evil') in a fantasy setting: environment, culture, innate, or selected.

1. Environment.

In a friend's setting, orcs are not less intelligent or inherently more bloodthirsty than humans, but have been pushed onto more marginal lands that have less productivity, making it harder for them to develop 'civilized' agricultural states. They end up more likely to raid as well, as their economic production for advanced goods is lower.

A species could also be otherwise normal, but are widely hooked on evil magic drugs that just aren't available in other areas, or have a local environmental pressure that murders kind people.

2. Culture.

A species may worship an evil god and exist within a culture of self-sustaining evil norms, where social approval is based on being evil and altruistic people are considered exploitable morons. A member of that culture has, as their entire life experience, expectations formed on this basis.

3.A. Innate (Body)

A species may have a fundamental evil resource conflict with another species. For instance, a vampire who must murder one human a year to survive would have to be crazy moral in other ways (such as, I dunno, holding closed a gate to the infernal realms?) not to come out, on balance, quite evil just by surviving.

Alternatively, a species that has a very high fertility might quickly exhaust local carrying capacity and come into resource conflicts with neighbors more often.

3.B. Innate (Mind)

This is basically an AI safety argument. A species could be designed to enjoy cruelty more, or to be more xenophobic, or more paranoid, or to have more bloodlust or less inhibition, just as an AI could be designed to be a paperclip maximizer. In a fantasy setting it can be an absolute binding, but it could easily just be an increased frequency. Imagine having an implant in your head that rewards being a bad person.

A species might also not be innately more evil, but have greater risk factors, such as a natural craving for power and complexity, or an ability to consciously control their own sense of empathy for others.

4. Selected

A species (such as fiends) may be impossible to become or impossible to remain as without being evil.  Thus, the entire population of that species consists of evil people, or people who were once extremely evil.

I actually like all of these, as they provide a rich palette to paint with and can be used to create morally-challenging scenarios when used together. Giving orcs the capability to be good but having a tougher time of it will tie the clerics and paladins in knots - but also more clearly separates them from the neutral and evil characters.

And let's give four reasons for their existence as well.

1. Evolution

In our world, humans ended up being the only sapient species, but in a world with magic, evolution might go in very different directions. It could be simply that no one made goblins on purpose, but a sapient species with short lifespans, small resource usage, and high fertility has an evolutionary edge in many regions, particularly when technology levels are low.

On the flip-side, elves living for such a long time allows them to access more magic and more complex magic, resulting in a feedback loop in environments where magic resources are rich. Same for intelligence, which is used for developing and casting spells - but also for finding mutually-beneficial arrangements.

In a magic-evolutionary environment, it's possible that the species create the gods rather than the other way around, so they tend to (probably accidentally) create deities that reflect their strategies and tactics, which then reinforce them both culturally and environmentally.

2. Evil Deities

Evil deities are, well, evil. In the interests of spreading their evil influence, it would make sense to create evil sapient creatures, even if a handful of them will defect to good. The suffering of these creatures matters little to their creators, as evil deities are evil.  This seems to be the usual reasoning.

3. Divine Ecology

If gods need prayers, then a logical thing to do is to deliberately create sapient species that will worship you. Creating an evil species is like creating a brainwashed population, only it's down to the innate level so it's even more effective. This evil species also won't have moral objections to spreading your worship by conquering the rest of the planet.

Alternatively, species may not be equally easy to create. Creating an elf species might cost Divine Points, which then can't be used for shaping mountains or adding oceans or building temples or something. It might also be high-risk - long life may mean low fertility, which could be devastating if there's some kind of depopulation event.

4. Mortals & Evil Mortals

In this scenario, both the long-lived species (like elves) and the short-lived or 'evil' species (like goblins) were deliberately engineered on purpose, probably by evil wizards. Who was going to stop them? Paladins? That sounds like a quest!

This situation may have occurred much earlier, in a more advanced body-hopping fantasy-transhumanist civilization, where elves were high-end 'sleeves' and goblins were cheap and expendable bodies that people would exit once the time period was up. Then that civilization collapsed, and the body-hopping technology was lost... until now...

This gives us multiple options for a "The Gods are Racist" campaign.

1. Undoing the Dark Gods' Handiwork - A group of adventurers set out to remove the evil influence that the Dark Ones exert over orcs and goblins, and possibly increase their lifespan and intelligence to be similar to that of humans (or even elves). The Good gods support this quest.

BRANCH: The Dark Ones do exist and do corrupt the orcs, but the original technology used by the body-hopping civilization to create orcs is discovered, calling into question just who or what the good deities are, since this is completely incompatible with the creation mythology.

BRANCH: Removing the evil influence is possible (and successful), but increasing the lifespan is not, imposing a moral dilemma.

2. Undoing the Gods' Handiwork - A group of scientific-rationalist transhumanist adventurers challenge the deities, which in a more Greek god type way, have made the different species different without appropriate moral evaluation.

BRANCH: Turns out the Greek gods are just very powerful and very obnoxious wizards that have become full of themselves over the millennia. No higher entity is discovered with certainty. Subsequently voluntary species-change technology is introduced; only thanks to vanquishing the wizards is its energy cost economically feasible.

BRANCH: Turns out the Greek gods were once mortal and they would really like to retire from this deity thing. They scout the adventurers as their replacements, who end up having to make a lot of similar decisions due to similar resource constraints, just like the last batch and the batch before that.

3. Elf Supremacy - A group of adventurers find a magical device able to turn other sapients into elves. They discover this when they accidentally use it on themselves.

BRANCH: This is part of a plot by the Elf Deity (who is Evil) to transform everyone into elves, thus taking all worship in the entire world for himself. The party must root out and stop this vile Elf Conspiracy; unfortunately being an elf is considered so desirable that the conspiracy has many backers and this proves difficult. They end up having to take assistance from rival evil deities.

BRANCH: At first they use this device for immense profit, because so many people want to be elves, before discovering the effects are contagious, unleashing the (involuntary) Elf (Transformation) Plague. It turns out this was why the technology was not used before, and they must embark on a quest to stop it on behalf of the Elf Deity, before the other deities go to war.

BRANCH: As a subversion, it turns out there’s nothing especially dangerous about the technology at all.  The adventurers spend the rest of the campaign increasing their opportunities for their company, Elf Inc., to make huge amounts of money, and occasionally being challenged by conservative elements in other societies as they expand their markets.

4. Newly Unequal - All the species were equal until just a few hundred years ago.

BRANCH: This was the result of an elf supremacist wizard using magic to transfer other species' positive attributes to elves. The quest to stop him failed. Fortunately, this power is concentrated in a series of physical artifacts that can be destroyed. Elves aren't even a 'real thing,' but rather are descendants of a specific kingdom at the time of the switch, which has used this transferred power to subjugate the other 'species'.

BRANCH: Every kingdom in the world is still trying to figure out what happened as the global political situation has been rapidly destabilizing. It turns out that actually, this is what the species are normally like (in the absence of intervention), and a series of magical stations built by an ancient empire drained energy from more powerful species and transmitted it to less powerful species for the benefit of ideology and political stability. The adventurers face a moral choice in reactivating it, not least because the effect will rapidly kill some of the oldest members of the high-power species.

[ericasean01]

Ecosole simplifies the management of the collection of edible vegetable oils

Waste oil or used oil is that which is contaminated with other substances and consequently is not quite as safe for use; it may be hazardous. The possible toxicity saw to the introduction of several environmental regulations that govern and also require for the safe disposal of these oils so that damages to the natural environment, living organisms and humans are reduced. Waste oil recycling has for that matter become huge company with the business needing cooking and motor oils. Waste oils can get cleaned up and then utilized in different industries. Once the contaminants have been removed, the purified variety can be utilized in electricity plants in the production of electricity for companies, schools and even homes. Utility and industrial boilers can also use it or it could be mixed for marine fuels. Lubricants are also obtained in the recycled refined oil. The other areas where the utilized recycled oil can prove to be beneficial are in industrial burners, molding firms to release products, for bitumen based products, hydraulic oil, as an additive in product manufacturing and even as transformer oil. To begin the recycling procedure, you can deliver your used oil into a nearby collection facility that may pre-treat and recycle it or perhaps sell to a specialized used oil recycler. There are so many used oil recycling facilities now and you may be certain you have played a part in maintaining the environment and saved energy at the same time whenever you have your waste oil disposed properly. Not so many men and women consider improper disposal of used oil and they'll pour it out without a care in the world. However, this improper disposal leads to the oil getting into back yards, landfills, storm drains as well as sewers. It usually means that the dirt, drinking water and groundwater may get contaminated and sewer treatment systems can also get damaged. When you recycle the waste oil, you keep it away in the lakes, rivers and streams in addition to the ground water sources which you get your drinking water from. Recycling oils normally saves the environment, conserves energy and keeps you protected from hazardous contamination. You can easily get motor oil from your boat, motorcycle, lawnmower, vehicle or truck recycled. It's in itself a show of commitment to maintain the environment secure, for the sake of future creation and also for the conservation of energy resources. In as much as it is important to choose your used oil to a collection and recycling facility for the same, you need to make sure that you properly handle the oil before it has accumulated. In case you have waste motor oil, maintain it in a container which has a secure and a tight lid to make sure that there are not leak risks. Milk jugs which have protected caps may very powerful storage units for the petroleum. Ensure also that you don't combine the waste oil using any other substance, whether it is transmitting fluid or antifreeze liquid. The containers should then be kept away from ignition sources and kids. Do not overfill. Make sure the parking brake is set and start the motors in a well-ventilated place after you change the oil. Its pressure light may be on, but it should go out after a few seconds. Once the light goes out, permit the motor to run for a couple more minutes. Display responsibility. Protect the environment and preserve resources by taking your used oil and filter to your nearest used oil collection center. My buddy visits a used automobiles centre in Alexandria after do-it-yourself oil change into dispose-off used oil. Used oil is a concern of every restaurant proprietor. This natural byproduct of deep frying foods creates an annoyance for any owner. What can you do would all of those gallons of oil generated every day that won't put a strain on your business's budget? Luckily, there are a number of recourses for disposing of oil and also an astute owner can even turn that waste to profit. Most restaurants still use conventional oil disposal solutions to haul off the huge quantities of used cooking oil which are created during the course of routine business. However, depending on where your business is found, you could have more choices than you understand. Having a rising demand for oil to be utilised in a number of products and in biofuels, restaurant owners are finding they no longer need to pay to get rid of their unwanted acrylic. Finding a service prepared to cart your oil away for free or, if you're lucky, one that's ready to pay you for it might be as easy as perusing your regional yellow pages. When was the last time you looked to get a petroleum service? If it's been some time then you may not be aware of how much things have changed. What used to be a bothersome waste product has now become a valuable commodity. A growing number of refineries are ready to pay a nice price a barrel of waste oil to be used in feeds, fuels and other products. Therefore, many waste petroleum services are prepared to really cover your used cooking oil. In some regions, where you will find local rendering plants and refineries that use waste oil within their production, waste oil collection services can amass an ordinary cost $30 per barrel. As a result of this high cost and the ease of collecting the oil from your waste oil bin, a number of these services are ready to pay upwards of $10 per barrel for your own oil. The waste oil can then be taken to refineries and rendering plants where it's used for a number of things. Waste oil is used in animal feeds as a source of high energy fat. Waste oil can also be utilized to create biofuels which are starting to replace traditional fuels in several of industrial equipments. For those owners who aren't concerned about making a few bucks from their oil, but would rather help boost their image locally, there is another exciting option to get rid of all that oil. Riding the wave of the present trend towards environmentalism, industrious"green" mechanics have begun a movement amongst environmentalist everywhere in the region of alternatively fueled cars. Individuals have begun to convert diesel engines to run on pure vegetable. Waste oil burns clean and gets surprising excellent mileage. By earning your waste oil readily available to the public you're playing a role in helping the environment and building your reputation as an environmentally friendly business. We are living in an age where the environment and the ozone need much care. If we don't take care of our planet now, there can be very little that we can do to fix it later. One of the regions where folks lack in is that of properly disposing of used cooking oil. I have seen that many people, from individuals to restaurants, find it hard to properly dispose of the used oil. They simply throw it down the drain or in the backyard. This isn't ideal since it may have adverse effects of the organisms living in the garden and it might lead to drain blockages that can be unhygienic. For that reason, it's of extreme importance that you eliminate your favorite sunflower oil at a healthy and hygienic manner. It is important for the health and the health of the eco-system. There are a number of ways which you can locate a used oil collector. These would be the people or companies which have the infrastructure to collect and dispose of the oil in a secure way. Firstly, you can find out from other restaurants that they use to collect the oil. Usually huge restaurants contract oil collectors to gather from them on a daily or weekly basis, depending on their volume of used oil. You could contact the local municipality and request a list of used oil collectors. Google, of course, is among the chief procedures to find what you're looking for. So it's also excellent place to search for reputable collectors. If they have a site, you could find out even more about how they do it or you can contact them directly to find out more about this process. These kind of businesses will typically collect the used frying oil from you and take it back to their premises where they will bottle it to recycling purposes or eliminate it in an eco manner method. The used cooking oil could be utilized as biodiesel or from the chemical market. It's very important that you do check the trustworthiness of the collector as a number of them might not be reputable. Used oil can be a harmful substance and incorrect disposal can be damaging to certain eco systems and to individuals. Figure out if they have a certification that verifies them to be used oil collectors and that the oil isn't recycled back into the human food chain. There are many ways to dispose of used oil, but it is best to get in contact with a respectable company that can do this. Our core focus at Golden Fry would be to provide specially customized goods and solutions to Restaurants, Take-Aways, Food Manufacturers, Caterers, Wholesalers, Supermarkets and Spaza Shops. We are a licensed used oil collector. Are you considering starting a mobile oil change business? Well, there are a whole lot of things that you ought to know, and I bet you are outside searching for information online are not you? Okay so, allow me to give you a few pointers and tips. Below are some questions which lately were requested of me by someone like you who wants to start their own mobile oil change business too. These questions must do with removal of used oil, and also what to do with it once its collected - where to take it. You will find DOT rules, EPA rules, and local principles most likely in your area. You have to adhere to every one of these. Depending on the amount that would need to put up a diamond shaped placard on your vehicle. To receive supplementary information on Raccolta Olio Verona please learn more here. And you'll need to ensure that you can include the oil if the used oil tank gets a leak. Wouldn't it have been fine if they had comprised the oil that spilled into the Gulf of Mexico and cleaned up on shore? See that point an why this is a significant consideration. Additionally that petroleum was crude oil, the petroleum that you collect from cars and trucks once you change the oil is filthy refined oil, much more serious into the surroundings. Today's high-performance CNC machines operate in extremely substantial levels of speed, requiring an oil mist eliminator to remove vast amounts of coolant. As an example, the Haas MDC-500 Mill DrillCenter features a high-volume coolant pump along with a 40-gallon coolant tank. Mist eliminators are intended to take out the oil mist and smoke from cutting fluids in metalworking environments. The health dangers of petroleum exposure associated with the machine tool sector have been well recorded. The websites for OSHA, NIOSH and the CDC provide an abundance of valuable information for both employers and employees regarding safety problems and cutting fluids. Among the most common afflictions of employees exposed to oil mist is Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP). This can be an allergic reaction to machine lubricant which worsens with continuing exposure. HP is due to germs in the cutting oil that affect air sacs from the deepest part of the lung. Symptoms include fever, chills, deep coughing and shortness of breath. A mist eliminator accumulates and eliminates the damaging particles and smoke from petroleum jelly. Does an oil mist eliminator protect workers health, it may also help increase production and improve your shops overall atmosphere. It is undoubtedly very important to get your car's oil changed on-time. But since it's all about the very valued part of your vehicle, the engine, it is very important that you have essential information about it such as quality to use, timing of change (if it really is important to change car oil after 3000 miles), and many other tips. You might not be close to an auto mechanic or you just wish to home improvement, a friend of mine in Fairfax, VA gave quite helpful tips regarding this: Do not alter oil while the engine is hot. Let it cool for a couple hours. It can burn you badly. Allow it two hours at least to cool before beginning. When engine is hot, its temperature generally touches 250 levels. It may burn you badly. Another reason why you should cool down the oil is that all residue settle into the bottom of the pan. Oil chemistry and engine technologies have now improved to the point that most cars can go a few thousand more miles before changing it. So 3,000 mph change is not necessary for all the cars. Although most cars require 4-5 quarts of petroleum, you must nevertheless owner's manual for the recommended amount is necessary and more notably recommended grade of motor oil for use. If you're traveling on bike or automobile for a lengthy journey and you think your car needs oil change, here is a great tip to get assist. The natives can buy the used oil from you. They purchase and use it to paint on the underside and foundations of homes. It prevents termites from eating the wood. So, if you're on the street and want to change the oil, just walk up to a few of the houses and tell them that you need to change your oil. They will assist you if you request them to bring their own container to take used oil. Oil recycling company initiatives make it possible for restaurateurs and professionals from the food service industry to maintain the environment a cleaner and greener place. By using these tools, restaurants, specifically, can turn waste into profit in a short time period. Clients that use oil recycling include little cafes as well as large institutional facilities, like kitchens in medical facilities, prisons, or colleges. Assessing the use of animal and plant byproducts is one approach to reduce environmental waste. Oil recycling company services include everything in the pick up of cooking fats, regular grease trap maintenance, as well as the cleaning of grease interceptors and capture basins. Restaurateurs who would like to increase their bottom line or receive their establishment up to code may benefit from such services. It is irrelevant whether a facility produces just a couple gallons monthly or has a large grease trap that needs constant cleaning, all businesses or institutions in the food service industry can profit from this sort of recycling agency. Partner using an oil recycling firm whose primary aim is to maintain grease traps, so the amounts comply with your city's codes. As you do have to spend less on maintaining collection methods, the assortment of this oil or grease is entirely free. Therefore, recycling is a sustainable and cost-effective way for a company to increase its bottom line. The gas that is made from recycled oil isn't just renewable, it is a clean-burning replacement fuel which makes it possible for the U.S. to rely less on oil sources from overseas countries. Not only is biodiesel better for your environment, it produces more job opportunities throughout the U.S. EPA-designated fuels meet stringent technical qualifications for quality and performance in motors. As a result, biodiesel fuel that's created by recycled means may be utilized in all types of engines, and is even covered by leading engine manufacturers' warranties. Since the start of the 21st century, the manufacturing of biodiesel fuel has gone from 25 million to over one billion gallons. The biodiesel fuel industry jobs that it will fabricate approximately 10% of the diesel transportation reservations by 2022. If that goal is met, it usually means that the U.S. will depend less on oil imports, and that, in turn, will also lessen the trade deficit. Biodiesel plants are situated across the U.S., including all the facilities equipped to produce as much as three billion gallons of biodiesel fuel per year.

[joeyqtef975]

Why  Most Individuals  Will Certainly  Never Ever Be  Fantastic At Milfporn

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Advocates say the adult movie market, which presented a widespread system of testing and call tracing to secure performers from HIV in the 1990s, has experience that might help Hollywood and also various other industries trying to find a safe way to reactivate. " The difficulties for sports, for Hollywood, and the porn market are all different but in reality, we each have things we can pick up from each various other." Globally, pornography is a 97 billion dollar market, navigate to this web-site and also the US represent 12 billion of it. In 2017, the International Organization of Net Hotlines "traced online child sexual assault product to over 70 countries," as well as greater than 60 countries in 2018. Top porn enjoyment companies, like Pornhub, promote to as well as receive content from nations around the world.

Health divisions require to be able to promptly recognize individuals understood to have actually been occupationally exposed to STDs/HIV for therapy, follow-up, and also companion management to control more spread of illness to others in the community. Movie critics have long argued that adult video is a magnet for creepy fans, pushed young women and Sexually transmitted diseases, asserts the market refutes.

A bulk of the participants at the Cambridge Union argument assumed so. I wish this symbolizes the beginning of an actual push back versus the pornography market; that youths will not enable it to distort and also deteriorate their own sexuality and also sexual orientations, none much more.

They see the magic of the movie-making and the creative thinking that goes into these productions. They appreciate and also recognize everything it takes to make it take place. Porn-studio proprietors state they'll default prior to they would certainly allow prophylactics to hinder of sales.

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Given that its launch, the film has triggered significant discussion about the experiences of female performers and also the porn market itself. For Hollywood stars to return to function, they might need to begin acting like porn stars.

Disease private investigators have actually regularly been not able to establish contact with revealed and also infectious performers to initiate prompt treatment as well as companion solutions as well as contain the spread of infectious illness to entertainers as well as their partners. Some grown-up movie industry testing centers, manufacturing business, and ability firms have actually not been cooperative in supplying performer contact info to the local health department. This situation results in a lack of ability by neighborhood wellness divisions to recognize the resource of potential illness episodes as well as place a fast public wellness action when such break outs take place.

Take The Next Step Fund The Battle Against Huge Porn.

Diane Fight It Out is Chief Executive Officer of the Free Speech Coalition, the profession organization for the pornography industry. She claims the debate regarding wellness threats in the pornography industry is out of touch with fact, because adult performers get examined more frequently than any various other populace in the nation. It seems that the historic taboo of black men copulating white ladies is one sexual hang-up that also the pornography industry hesitates to get over. Regardless of just how often individuals utilize pornography-- Pornhub alone declares it acquired 28.5 billion sights in 2014-- its economic power remains covert amongst the masses. Unlike various other types of enjoyment, whose information consistently obtains splashed across the front web page of customer magazines, rumblings within the grown-up show business are normally just adhered to by specific niche trade audiences.

Annually, Pornhub releases a report showcasing stats from their "top 20 nations." The 2019 list of top 20 periods throughout a number of continents. Human trafficking in the pornography sector can not be isolated to one area or one populace. With most of porn easily accessible online, pornography of a trafficking survivor living overseas is just a search away. Regional wellness departments monitor STD/HIV treatment and also follow-up of revealed and infected people for condition examination objectives. Regional enforcement of the adult film market, however, has actually been met with significant obstacles, most notably in Los Angeles where the sector is mostly based.

It's much less typical currently than it was twenty years ago for stars to obtain multi-film agreements. This is an outcome of the shrinking of workshop budget plans and also eruption of web traffic to tube sites like Pornhub and also Redtube, which reveal content made by various other producers without paying for it. In her publication, Tarrant approximates that piracy sets you back the pornography sector some $2 billion a year. There's nothing incorrect with need or having a sexual cravings as long as both celebrations are consenting adults. When it concerns internet porn, that line is so regularly blurred or non-existent, that it is necessary to be clear about what constitutes dream and also reality.

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Yet if you're watching pornography that portrays physical violence as well as aggression towards females, or you're proactively searching for ladies that look underage, just how does that notify your own intimate connections? There will always be a market for pornography, that a lot is clear fromHot Ladies Desired, yet visitors can select which web content to engage with. If we can develop a greater need for even more moral porn, ladies in the industry will undoubtedly get much less duties that need their subjugation, and also our individual partnerships will certainly be favorably impacted also. The documentary 'Hot Girls Desired', generated by Rashida Jones and released in the springtime of 2015, complies with numerous young women residing in a North Miami Coastline residence as they try to enter the amateur pornography sector.

The conservative Washington, D.C.-based National Fixate Sexual Exploitation suggests that porn viewing has sustained harassment and also sexual physical violence in other profession. Some evidence supports the claim, but there is also research study that associates the freedom to check out grown-up content with fewer occurrences of rape-- the concept is that porn can promote as a risk-free sex-related release. A shooting postponement in the pornography sector was raised this weekend after an adult-film entertainer whose HIV-positive test triggered a weeklong closure of Los Angeles-area manufacturings was retested, with adverse outcomes. In my experience, gay porn, and also the whole grown-up market, has actually ended up being far much less taboo and much more extensively accepted. I have actually located audiences are far more sex positive, they're individuals that understand the art of pornography as well as see beyond the sex.