#are purely good faith cooperation

[kkglinka]

I'm looking around at all the immigrants and naturalized citizens who voted republican because they're conservative, because they come from evangelical or catholic backgrounds and... How many of them routinely and unwittingly violate their oath of naturalization.

The biggest offender is blatantly taking advantage of their native citizenship to benefit from govt services not afforded to non residents. Part of naturalization is renouncing that birth citizenship.

For years, while trump was in office last time, my bank's website kept asking if I held dual citizenship. This is absolutely irrelevant to holding an account. That was ICE working through financial institutions to entrap immigrants.

The second biggest offender is participating in groups or organizations considered to be seditious or domestic terrorists by the FBI. Who decides which groups count? Guess! See if you can guess. Fun fact, the silly, goofy society for creative anachronism was investigated as such, years ago, and remains classified as the united states' largest (non hostile) civilian militia.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

600+ Personality Traits

as reference for your next poem/story

Positive Traits

Accessible - easy to speak to or deal with

Active - disposed to action; energetic

Adaptable - capable of being or becoming adapted (i.e., suited by nature, character, or design to a particular use, purpose, or situation)

Admirable - deserving the highest esteem

Adventurous - disposed to seek adventure or to cope with the new and unknown

Agreeable - ready or willing to agree or consent

Alert - watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency

Allocentric - having one's interest and attention centered on other persons

Amiable - friendly, sociable, and congenial

Anticipative - given to anticipation (i.e., the act of looking forward)

Appreciative - having or showing appreciation (i.e., a favorable critical estimate)

Articulate - expressing oneself readily, clearly, and effectively

Aspiring - desiring and working to achieve a particular goal

Athletic - characteristic of an athlete; vigorous, active

Attractive - arousing interest or pleasure; charming

Balanced - being in a state of balance; having different parts or elements properly or effectively arranged, regulated etc.

Benevolent - marked by or disposed to doing good

Brilliant - distinguished by unusual mental keenness or alertness

Calm - free from agitation, excitement, or disturbance

Capable - having or showing general efficiency and ability

Captivating - charmingly or irresistibly appealing

Caring - feeling or showing concern for or kindness to others

Challenging - invitingly provocative; fascinating

Charismatic - having, exhibiting, or based on charisma (i.e., a special magnetic charm or appeal)

Charming - extremely pleasing or delightful; entrancing

Cheerful - full of good spirits; merry

Clean - pure; free from moral corruption or sinister connections of any kind; fair

Clearheaded - having or showing a clear understanding; perceptive

Clever - mentally quick and resourceful

Colorful - full of variety or interest

Companionable - marked by, conducive to, or suggestive of companionship; sociable

Compassionate - having or showing compassion; sympathetic

Conciliatory - intended to gain goodwill or favor or to reduce hostility

Confident - having or showing assurance and self-reliance

Conscientious - meticulous, careful

Considerate - thoughtful of the rights and feelings of others

Constant - marked by firm steadfast resolution or faithfulness

Contemplative - marked by or given to contemplation (i.e., an act of considering with attention)

Cooperative - marked by a willingness and ability to work with others

Courageous - having or characterized by courage; brave

Courteous - marked by respect for and consideration of others

Creative - having the quality of something created rather than imitated; imaginative

Cultured - cultivated (i.e., refined, educated)

Curious - marked by desire to investigate and learn

Daring - venturesomely bold in action or thought

Debonair - suave, urbane; lighthearted, nonchalant

Decent - marked by moral integrity, kindness, and goodwill

Decisive - resolute, determined

Dedicated - devoted to a cause, ideal, or purpose; zealous

Deep - of penetrating intellect; wise

Dignified - showing or expressing dignity (i.e., the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed)

Directed - having a positive or negative sense

Disciplined - marked by or possessing discipline (i.e., orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior)

Discreet - prudent; modest; unobtrusive

Dramatic - having or showing a tendency to behave or react in an exaggerated way

Dutiful - filled with or motivated by a sense of duty

Dynamic - energetic, forceful

Earnest - characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind

Ebullient - having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm

Educated - having an education; skilled

Efficient - productive of desired effects

Elegant - of a high grade or quality; splendid

Eloquent - marked by forceful and fluent expression

Empathetic - involving, characterized by, or based on empathy (i.e., the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another)

Energetic - operating with or marked by vigor or effect

Enthusiastic - filled with or marked by enthusiasm (i.e., strong excitement of feeling)

Esthetic - artistic; appreciative of, responsive to, or zealous about the beautiful

Exciting - producing excitement (i.e., something that rouses)

Extraordinary - exceptional to a very marked extent

Fair - marked by impartiality and honesty

Faithful - steadfast in affection or allegiance; loyal

Farsighted - having or showing foresight or good judgment; sagacious

Felicific - causing or intended to cause happiness

Firm - not weak or uncertain; vigorous

Flexible - characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements; tractable

Focused - a state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding

Forceful - possessing or filled with force; effective

Forgiving - allowing room for error or weakness

Forthright - free from ambiguity or evasiveness

Freethinking - thinking freely or independently

Friendly - showing kindly interest and goodwill

Fun-loving - lighthearted and lively

Gallant - nobly chivalrous and often self-sacrificing; spirited

Generous - liberal in giving; magnanimous

Gentle - free from harshness, sternness, or violence; docile

Genuine - free from hypocrisy or pretense; sincere

Good-natured - of a pleasant and cooperative disposition

Gracious - marked by kindness and courtesy

Hardworking - constantly, regularly, or habitually engaged in earnest and energetic work; industrious, diligent

Healthy - prosperous, flourishing

Hearty - enthusiastically or exuberantly cordial; jovial

Helpful - of service or assistance; useful

Heroic - exhibiting or marked by courage and daring

High-minded - marked by elevated principles and feelings; also: pretentious

Honest - genuine, real; marked by integrity

Honorable - deserving of respect or high regard; illustrious

Humble - not proud or haughty; unpretentious

Humorous - full of or characterized by humor; funny

Idealistic - of or relating to idealists or idealism (i.e., having a standard of perfection, beauty, or excellence)

Imaginative - given to imagining; having a lively imagination

Impressive - making or tending to make a marked impression; having the power to excite attention, awe, or admiration

Incisive - impressively direct and decisive

Incorruptible - incapable of being bribed or morally corrupted

Independent - not requiring or relying on others

Individualistic - pursuing a markedly independent course in thought or action

Innovative - characterized by, tending to, or introducing innovations (i.e., a new idea, method, or device)

Inoffensive - giving no provocation; peaceable

Insightful - exhibiting or characterized by insight (i.e., the power or act of seeing into a situation)

Insouciant - lighthearted unconcern; nonchalance

Intelligent - guided or directed by intellect; rational

Intuitive - possessing or given to intuition or insight

Invulnerable - immune to or proof against attack

Kind - of a sympathetic or helpful nature

Knowledgeable - having or showing knowledge or intelligence-

Leisurely - characterized by leisure; unhurried

Liberal - marked by generosity; openhanded; broad-minded

Logical - skilled in logic; analytic; capable of reasoning

Lovable - having qualities that attract affection

Loyal - unswerving in allegiance

Lyrical - having an artistically beautiful or expressive quality suggestive of song

Magnanimous - showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit

Many-sided - having many sides or aspects; interests or aptitudes

Mature - based on slow careful consideration

Methodical - habitually proceeding according to method

Meticulous - marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details

Moderate - avoiding extremes of behavior or expression; calm, temperate

Modest - decent; unpretentious

Multi-leveled - having a scale (as of difficulty or achievement) with multiple positions or ranks

Natural leader - a person who has qualities that a good leader has

Neat - habitually clean and orderly

Nonauthoritarian - not authoritarian (i.e., of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people)

Objective - expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations

Observant - paying strict attention; keen; mindful

Open - characterized by ready accessibility and usually generous attitude; responsive

Optimistic - of, relating to, or characterized by optimism; feeling or showing hope for the future

Orderly - well behaved; peaceful; tidy

Organized - having a formal organization to coordinate and carry out activities

Original - independent and creative in thought or action; inventive

Painstaking - taking pains; expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort

Passionate - capable of, affected by, or expressing intense feeling; enthusiastic

Patient - bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint; not hasty

Patriotic - befitting or characteristic of a patriot (i.e., one who loves and supports his or her country)

Peaceful - untroubled by conflict, agitation, or commotion; quiet, tranquil

Perceptive - responsive to sensory stimuli; discerning; observant

Perfectionist - having a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable

Personable - pleasant or amiable in person; attractive

Persuasive - tending to persuade (i.e., to move by argument, entreaty, or expostulation to a belief, position, or course of action)

Planful - full of plans; resourceful; scheming

Playful - full of play; frolicsome, sportive; humorous

Polished - characterized by a high degree of development, finish, or refinement; free from imperfections

Popular - commonly liked or approved

Practical - actively engaged in some course of action or occupation; useful

Precise - strictly conforming to a pattern, standard, or convention

Principled - exhibiting, based on, or characterized by principle (i.e., a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption)

Profound - having intellectual depth and insight

Protean - displaying great diversity or variety; versatile

Protective - intended to resist or prevent attack or aggression

Providential - coming or happening by good luck especially unexpectedly; fortunate

Prudent - having or showing good judgment and restraint especially in conduct or speech; cautious

Punctual - being on time; prompt

Purposeful - full of determination

Rational - having reason or understanding; reasonable

Realistic - able to see things as they really are and to deal with them in a practical way

Reflective - marked by reflection; thoughtful, deliberative

Relaxed - easy of manner; informal

Reliable - suitable or fit to be relied on; dependable

Resourceful - able to meet situations; capable of devising ways and means

Respectful - marked by or showing respect or deference

Responsible - able to answer for one's conduct and obligations; trustworthy

Responsive - quick to respond or react appropriately or sympathetically; sensitive

Reverential - expressing or having a quality of reverence (i.e., honor or respect felt or shown; deference)

Romantic - having an inclination for romance; responsive to the appeal of what is idealized, heroic, or adventurous

Rustic - characteristic of or resembling country people

Sage - wise through reflection and experience

Sane - rational; able to anticipate and appraise the effect of one's actions

Scholarly - of, characteristic of, or suitable to learned persons; learned, academic

Scrupulous - having moral integrity; acting in strict regard for what is considered right or proper

Secure - trustworthy, dependable; assured in opinion or expectation; confident

Selfless - having no concern for self; unselfish

Self-critical - inclined to find fault with oneself; critical of oneself

Self-denying - showing self-denial (i.e., a restraint or limitation of one's own desires or interests)

Self-effacing - having or showing a tendency to make oneself modestly or shyly inconspicuous

Self-reliant - having confidence in and exercising one's own powers or judgment

Self-sufficient - capable of providing for one's own needs; haughty, overbearing

Sensitive - highly responsive or susceptible; delicate; touchy

Sentimental - marked or governed by feeling, sensibility, or emotional idealism

Seraphic - suggestive of or resembling a seraphim or angel

Serious - thoughtful or subdued in appearance or manner; sober

Sexy - sexually suggestive or stimulating; appealing

Sharing - to talk about one's thoughts, feelings, or experiences with others

Shrewd - marked by clever discerning awareness and hardheaded acumen

Simple - free from guile; innocent; modest; naive

Skillful - possessed of or displaying skill; expert

Sober - marked by temperance, moderation, or seriousness; calm

Sociable - inclined by nature to companionship with others of the same species; social

Solid - sound; reliable; serious in purpose or character

Sophisticated - finely experienced and aware; intellectually appealing

Spontaneous - controlled and directed internally; natural

Sporting - of, relating to, used, or suitable for sport

Stable - firmly established; enduring

Steadfast - firm in belief, determination, or adherence; loyal

Steady - not easily disturbed or upset; dependable

Stoic - not affected by or showing passion or feeling

Strong - extreme, intense; ardent; firm

Studious - assiduous in the pursuit of learning

Suave - smoothly though often superficially gracious and sophisticated

Subtle - delicate, elusive; obscure

Sweet - marked by gentle good humor or kindliness; agreeable

Sympathetic - given to, marked by, or arising from sympathy, compassion, friendliness, and sensitivity to others' emotions

Systematic - marked by thoroughness and regularity

Tasteful - having, exhibiting, or conforming to good taste

Teacherly - resembling, characteristic of, or befitting a teacher

Thorough - complete in all respects; having full mastery

Tidy - methodical, precise; neat and orderly

Tolerant - permitting or accepting something (such as a behavior or belief) that one does not like

Tractable - capable of being easily led, taught, or controlled; docile

Trusting - having or showing trust in another

Uncomplaining - accepting pains or hardships calmly or without complaint

Understanding - endowed with understanding; tolerant, sympathetic

Undogmatic - not dogmatic; not committed to dogma (i.e., something held as an established opinion)

Unfoolable -impossible to fool (i.e., deceive)

Upright - marked by strong moral rectitude

Urbane - notably polite or polished in manner

Venturesome - inclined to court or incur risk or danger; daring

Vivacious - lively in temper, conduct, or spirit; sprightly

Warm - secure; ardent; marked by or readily showing affection, gratitude, cordiality, or sympathy

Well-bred - having or displaying the politeness and good manners associated especially with people of high social class

Well-read - well-informed or deeply versed through reading

Well-rounded - fully or broadly developed

Winning - successful especially in competition; tending to please or delight

Wise - marked by deep understanding, keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment

Witty - marked by or full of clever humor or wit

Youthful - having the vitality or freshness of youth; vigorous

Neutral Traits

Absentminded - tending to forget or fail to notice things

Aggressive - marked by combative readiness

Ambitious - having a desire to be successful, powerful, or famous

Amusing - giving amusement; diverting

Artful - using or characterized by art and skill; dexterous

Ascetic - austere in appearance, manner, or attitude

Authoritarian - of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people

Big-thinking - tendency to think about doing things that involve a lot of people, money, effort, etc.

Breezy - airy, nonchalant

Businesslike - serious, purposeful

Busy - full of activity; bustling

Casual - feeling or showing little concern; nonchalant; informal

Cautious - careful about avoiding danger or risk

Cerebral - primarily intellectual in nature

Chummy - quite friendly

Circumspect - careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences; prudent

Competitive - inclined, desiring, or suited to compete (i.e., to strive consciously or unconsciously for an objective)

Complex - having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated; complicated; intricate

Confidential - entrusted with confidences

Conservative - marked by or relating to traditional norms of taste, elegance, style, or manners

Contradictory - involving, causing, or constituting a contradiction (i.e., logical incongruity)

Crisp - concise and to the point; lively

Cute - attractive or pretty especially in a childish, youthful, or delicate way

Deceptive - tending or having power to cause someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid

Determined - characterized by determination (i.e., the act of deciding definitely and firmly)

Dominating - dominant; domineering

Dreamy - quiet and soothing; delightful, ideal

Driving - acting with vigor; energetic

Droll - having a humorous, whimsical, or odd quality

Dry - not showing or communicating warmth, enthusiasm, or tender feeling; uninteresting; plain; aloof

Earthy - practical, down-to-earth; unsophisticated

Effeminate - having feminine qualities untypical of a man

Emotional - markedly aroused or agitated in feeling or sensibilities

Enigmatic - of, relating to, or resembling an enigma; mysterious

Experimental - of, relating to, or based on experience or experiment; tentative

Familial - of or relating to a household or family; homey; domestic

Folksy - homespun; having or showing an unpretentious informality

Formal - following or agreeing with established form, custom, or rules

Freewheeling - free and loose in form or manner

Frugal - economical; careful in the management of money or resources

Glamorous - full of glamour; excitingly attractive

Guileless - innocent, naive

High-spirited - characterized by a bold or energetic spirit

Hurried - going or working at speed; hasty

Hypnotic - readily holding the attention

Iconoclastic - tendency to not conform to generally accepted standards or customs

Idiosyncratic - peculiar; eccentric

Impassive - unsusceptible to or destitute of emotion; apathetic

Impersonal - withdrawn; having or showing no emotional warmth or interest in others

Impressionable - inexperienced; easy to influence

Intense - extreme in degree, power, or effect; passionate

Invisible - discreet; not readily seen or noticed

Irreligious - lacking religious emotions, principles, or practices

Irreverent - lacking proper respect or seriousness

Maternal - of, relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of a mother; motherly

Mellow - pleasant, agreeable; laid back

Modern - being or involving the latest methods, concepts, information, or styles

Moralistic - characterized by or expressive of a narrow moral attitude

Mystical - impossible to prove, understand, or explain by either the senses or intelligence

Neutral - not decided or pronounced as to characteristics; indifferent

Noncommittal - having no clear or distinctive character

Noncompetitive - not inclined towards or characterized by competition or rivalry

Obedient - submissive to the restraint or command of authority; willing to obey

Old-fashioned - adhering to customs of a past era; outmoded

Ordinary - being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events; normal

Outspoken - direct and open in speech or expression; frank

Placid - serenely free of interruption or disturbance

Political - involving or charged or concerned with acts against a government or a political system

Predictable - behaving in a way that is expected

Preoccupied - lost in thought and unaware of one's surroundings or actions; distracted

Private - preferring to keep personal affairs to oneself

Progressive - liberal; not bound by traditional ways or beliefs

Proud - feeling or showing pride

Pure - having exactly the talents or skills needed for a particular role; immaculate; innocent

Questioning - skeptical; inclined to doubt or question claims

Quiet - calm; gentle; easygoing

Religious - scrupulously and conscientiously faithful; zealous

Reserved - restrained in words and actions

Restrained - not excessive or extravagant

Retiring - reserved, shy

Sarcastic - given to the use of sarcasm; caustic

Self-conscious - conscious of one's own acts or states as belonging to or originating in oneself

Sensual - devoted to or preoccupied with the senses or appetites

Skeptical - relating to, characteristic of, or marked by skepticism (i.e., an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object)

Smooth - amiable, courteous

Soft - lacking firmness or strength of character; feeble

Solemn - marked by grave sedateness and earnest sobriety

Solitary - not gregarious, colonial, social, or compound

Stern - having a definite hardness or severity of nature or manner; austere

Stolid - having or expressing little or no sensibility; unemotional

Strict - stringent in requirement or control

Stubborn - justifiably unyielding; resolute; mulish

Stylish - conforming to current fashion

Subjective - arising out of or identified by means of one's perception of one's own states and processes

Surprising - of a nature that excites surprise (i.e., a taking unawares)

Tough - capable of enduring strain, hardship, or severe labor

Unaggressive - not aggressive; not given to fighting or assertiveness

Unambitious - feeling or showing a lack of ambition (i.e., desire to achieve a particular end)

Unceremonious - not ceremonious; informal

Unchanging - constant, invariable

Undemanding - not requiring much time, effort, or attention

Unfathomable - incomprehensible; impossible to understand

Unhurried - not hurried; leisurely

Uninhibited - free from inhibition; boisterously informal

Unpatriotic - not feeling or showing love for or devotion to one's country

Unpredictable - tending to behave in ways that cannot be predicted

Unreligious - having no connection with or relation to religion; involving no religious import or idea

Unsentimental - not marked or governed by feeling, sensibility, or emotional idealism

Whimsical - characterized by whim or caprice; especially: lightly fanciful

Negative Traits

Abrasive - causing irritation

Abrupt - rudely or unceremoniously curt

Agonizing - causing agony (i.e., intense pain of mind or body)

Aimless - without aim or purpose

Airy - affected, proud

Aloof - removed or distant either physically or emotionally

Amoral - having or showing no concern about whether behavior is morally right or wrong

Angry - feeling or showing anger (i.e., a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism)

Anxious - characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency; worried

Apathetic - having or showing little or no interest, concern, or emotion

Arbitrary - marked by or resulting from the unrestrained and often tyrannical exercise of power

Argumentative - given to argument; disputatious

Arrogant - exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one's own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner

Artificial - imitation, sham

Asocial - not social; rejecting or lacking the capacity for social interaction

Assertive - disposed to or characterized by bold or confident statements and behavior; aggressive

Astigmatic - showing incapacity for observation or discrimination

Bewildered - deeply or utterly confused or perplexed

Bizarre - strikingly out of the ordinary

Bland - dull, insipid

Blunt - insensitive

Boisterous - noisily turbulent; tumultuous

Brittle - lacking warmth, depth, or generosity of spirit; cold

Brutal - cruel, cold-blooded; harsh

Calculating - marked by prudent analysis or by shrewd consideration of self-interest; scheming

Callous - feeling or showing no sympathy for others; hard-hearted

Cantankerous - difficult or irritating to deal with

Careless - negligent, slovenly

Charmless - unpleasant and without charm or interest

Childish - marked by or suggestive of immaturity and lack of poise

Clumsy - lacking tact or subtlety

Coarse - crude or unrefined in taste, manners, or language

Colorless - dull, uninteresting

Complacent - marked by self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies

Complaintive - prone to complain

Compulsive - of, relating to, caused by, or suggestive of psychological compulsion

Conceited - having or showing an excessively high opinion of oneself

Condemnatory - expressing strong criticism or disapproval

Conformist - following or seeking to enforce prevailing standards or customs; opposing or avoiding unconventional thinking and behavior

Confused - being perplexed or disconcerted

Contemptible - worthy of contempt (i.e., the act of despising)

Conventional - lacking originality or individuality; trite

Cowardly - being, resembling, or befitting a coward (i.e., one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity)

Crafty - adept in the use of subtlety and cunning

Crass - having or indicating such grossness of mind as precludes delicacy and discrimination

Criminal - guilty of crime; disgraceful

Critical - inclined to criticize severely and unfavorably

Crude - marked by the primitive, gross, or elemental or by uncultivated simplicity or vulgarity

Cruel - disposed to inflict pain or suffering; devoid of humane feelings

Cynical - having or showing the attitude or temper of a cynic (e.g., contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives)

Decadent - characterized by or appealing to self-indulgence

Deceitful - deceptive, misleading

Delicate - weak, sickly; fragile

Demanding - requiring much time, effort, or attention; exacting

Dependent - relying on another for support

Desperate - having lost hope; suffering extreme need or anxiety

Destructive - designed or tending to hurt or destroy

Devious - not straightforward; deceptive

Difficult - hard to deal with, manage, or overcome

Dirty - morally unclean or corrupt

Disconcerting - causing embarrassment

Discontented - dissatisfied, malcontent

Discouraging - causing someone to feel less confident or less hopeful

Discourteous - lacking courtesy; rude

Dishonest - characterized by lack of truth, honesty, or trustworthiness; unfair, deceptive

Disloyal - showing an absence of allegiance, devotion, obligation, faith, or support

Disobedient - refusing or neglecting to obey

Disorderly - engaged in conduct offensive to public order

Disorganized - lacking coherence, system, or central guiding agency

Disputatious - inclined to dispute; controversial

Disrespectful - showing a lack of manners or consideration for others

Disruptive - disrupting or tending to disrupt some process, activity, condition, etc.

Dissolute - lacking restraint

Dissonant - marked by dissonance; discordant; incongruous

Distractible - when attention of the mind is easily distracted by small and irrelevant stimuli

Disturbing - causing feelings of worry, concern, or anxiety

Dogmatic - characterized by or given to the expression of opinions very strongly or positively as if they were facts

Domineering - inclined to exercise arbitrary and overbearing control over others

Dull - tedious, uninteresting

Egocentric - self-centered, selfish

Enervated - lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor

Envious - feeling or showing envy (i.e., painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage)

Erratic - characterized by lack of consistency, regularity, or uniformity

Escapist - relating to avoiding an unpleasant or boring life by thinking, reading, etc., about something more exciting or fun, especially something that could not really happen

Excitable - capable of being readily roused into action or a state of excitement or irritability

Expedient - governed by self-interest

Extravagant - lacking in moderation, balance, and restraint

Faithless - not to be relied on; untrustworthy; disloyal

False - not genuine; intentionally untrue

Fanatical - marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion

Fanciful - marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience

Fatalistic - having or showing a belief that the future is determined and cannot be changed

Fawning - seeking or used to seek approval or favor by means of flattery

Fearful - causing or likely to cause fear, fright, or alarm especially because of dangerous quality

Fickle - marked by lack of steadfastness, constancy, or stability; given to erratic changeableness

Fiery - easily provoked; irritable

Fixed - firmly set in the mind

Flamboyant - excessively showy

Foolish - showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment

Forgetful - inclined to forget what one has learned or to do what one should

Fraudulent - characterized by, based on, or done by fraud; deceitful

Frightening - causing fear

Frivolous - marked by unbecoming levity

Gloomy - lacking in promise or hopefulness; pessimistic

Graceless - lacking a sense of propriety; immoral

Grand - lavish, sumptuous

Greedy - marked by greed; having or showing a selfish desire for wealth and possessions

Grim - ghastly, repellent, or sinister in character

Gullible - easily duped or cheated

Hateful - full of hate; malicious

Haughty - blatantly and disdainfully proud

Hedonistic - devoted to the pursuit of pleasure

Hesitant - slow to act or proceed (as from fear, indecision, or unwillingness)

Hidebound - having an inflexible or ultraconservative character

High-handed - having or showing no regard for the rights, concerns, or feelings of others; arbitrary, overbearing

Hostile - marked by malevolence; having or showing unfriendly feelings

Ignorant - unaware, uninformed

Imitative - imitating something superior; counterfeit

Impatient - not patient; restless or short of temper especially under irritation, delay, or opposition

Impractical - not practical; impracticable; idealistic

Imprudent - lacking discretion, wisdom, or good judgment

Impulsive - prone to act on impulse

Inconsiderate - careless of the rights or feelings of others

Incurious - lacking a normal or usual curiosity; uninterested

Indecisive - not decisive; inconclusive; irresolute

Indulgent - willing to allow excessive leniency, generosity, or consideration

Inert - sluggish

Inhibited - not confident enough to say or do what one wants

Insecure - beset by fear and anxiety; not confident or sure

Insensitive - lacking feeling or tact

Insincere - not sincere; hypocritical

Insulting - giving or intended to give offense

Intolerant - unable or unwilling to endure

Irascible - marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger

Irrational - not using or following good reasoning

Irresponsible - having or showing a lack of concern for the consequences of one's actions

Irritable - easily irritated or annoyed

Lazy - disinclined to activity or exertion; not energetic or vigorous

Libidinous - having or marked by lustful desires; lascivious

Loquacious - given to fluent or excessive talk; garrulous

Malicious - having or showing a desire to cause harm to someone; given to, marked by, or arising from malice

Mannered - having an artificial or stilted character

Mannerless - lacking good manners; impolite

Mawkish - exaggeratedly or childishly emotional

Mealymouthed - not plain and straightforward; devious

Mechanical - without thinking about what you are doing, especially because you do something often

Meddlesome - given to meddling (i.e., to interest oneself in what is not one's concern)

Melancholic - tending to depress the spirits; saddening

Meretricious - superficially significant; pretentious

Messy - extremely unpleasant or trying; slovenly

Miserable - causing extreme discomfort or unhappiness; being likely to discredit or shame

Miserly - marked by grasping meanness and penuriousness

Misguided - led or prompted by wrong or inappropriate motives or ideals

Mistaken - wrong in what you believe, or based on a belief that is wrong

Monstrous - having the qualities of a monster (i.e., a threatening force; of unnatural or extreme wickedness or cruelty)

Moody - subject to moods; temperamental

Morbid - abnormally susceptible to or characterized by gloomy or unwholesome feelings

Muddleheaded - mentally confused; bungling

Naive - deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment; credulous

Narcissistic - of, relating to, or characterized by narcissism (i.e., egoism, egocentrism); e.g., extremely self-centered with an exaggerated sense of self-importance

Narrow - illiberal in views or disposition; prejudiced

Narrow-minded - not willing to accept opinions, beliefs, behaviors, etc. that are unusual or different from one's own; not open-minded

Negativistic - having an attitude of mind marked by skepticism especially about nearly everything affirmed by others

Neglectful - given to neglecting; careless, heedless

Neurotic - behaving strangely or in an anxious way, often because one has a mental illness

Nihilistic - holding a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is senseless and useless

Obnoxious - odiously or disgustingly objectionable; highly offensive

Obsessive - excessive often to an unreasonable degree

Obvious - very noticeable especially for being incorrect or bad

Odd - differing markedly from the usual, ordinary, or accepted

Offhand - done or made offhand (i.e., without premeditation or preparation; extempore)

One-dimensional - lacking depth or complexity; superficial

One-sided - limited to one side; partial

Opinionated - firmly or unduly adhering to one's own opinion or to preconceived notions

Opportunistic - taking advantage of opportunities as they arise (e.g., exploiting opportunities with little regard to principle or consequences)

Oppressed - burdened by abuse of power or authority

Outrageous - violent, unrestrained; going beyond all standards of what is right or decent; deficient in propriety

Overimaginative - excessively imaginative (e.g., devoid of truth)

Paranoid - characterized by suspiciousness, persecutory trends, or megalomania; extremely fearful

Passive - lacking in energy or will; lethargic

Pedantic - narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned

Perverse - turned away from what is right or good; corrupt

Petty - marked by or reflective of narrow interests and sympathies; small-minded

Pharisaical - marked by hypocritical censorious self-righteousness

Phlegmatic - having or showing a slow and stolid temperament

Plodding - proceed slowly or tediously

Pompous - having or exhibiting self-importance; arrogant

Possessive - manifesting possession or the desire to own or dominate

Predatory - inclined or intended to injure or exploit others for personal gain or profit

Prejudiced - resulting from or having a prejudice or bias for or especially against

Presumptuous - overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy)

Pretentious - characterized by pretension (e.g., making usually unjustified or excessive claims)

Prim - stiffly formal and proper; decorous; prudish

Procrastinating - habitually and/or intentionally putting off the doing of something that should be done

Profligate - wildly extravagant; shamelessly immoral

Provocative - serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate

Pugnacious - having a quarrelsome or combative nature; truculent

Puritanical - : of, relating to, or characterized by a rigid morality

Reactionary - relating to, marked by, or favoring reaction; especially: ultraconservative in politics

Reactive - done in immediate response to something especially without thinking or planning

Regimental - of or relating to a regiment; dictatorial

Regretful - full of regret (i.e., sorrow aroused by circumstances beyond one's control or power to repair)

Repentant - experiencing repentance (i.e., the action or process of repenting especially for misdeeds or moral shortcomings)

Repressed - characterized by restraint

Resentful - full of resentment; inclined to resent (i.e., to feel or express annoyance or ill will at)

Ridiculous - arousing or deserving ridicule; extremely silly or unreasonable; absurd, preposterous

Rigid - inflexibly set in opinion

Ritualistic - stressing the use of ritual forms; adhering to or devoted to ritualism

Rowdy - coarse or boisterous in behavior; rough

Ruined - bankrupt, impoverished; devastated

Sadistic - taking pleasure in the infliction of pain, punishment, or humiliation on others

Sanctimonious - hypocritically pious or devout

Scheming - given to forming schemes; devious

Scornful - full of scorn; contemptuous (i.e., manifesting, feeling, or expressing deep hatred or disapproval)

Secretive - disposed to secrecy; not open or outgoing in speech, activity, or purposes

Sedentary - lazy; not doing or involving a lot of physical activity

Selfish - concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself

Self-indulgent - excessive or unrestrained gratification of one's own appetites, desires, or whims

Shallow - lacking in depth of knowledge, thought, or feeling

Shortsighted - lacking foresight

Shy - sensitively diffident or retiring; reserved

Silly - exhibiting or indicative of a lack of common sense or sound judgment; frivolous

Single-minded - having one driving purpose or resolve; determined, dedicated

Sloppy - slovenly, careless; disagreeably effusive (i.e., marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm)

Slow - lacking in readiness, promptness, or willingness

Sly - lightly mischievous; roguish; furtive; dissembling

Softheaded - having or indicative of a weak, unrealistic, or uncritical mind

Sordid - marked by baseness or grossness; vile; meanly avaricious; covetous

Steely - harsh and threatening in manner or appearance

Stiff - stubborn, unyielding; harsh, severe

Strong-willed - very determined to do something even if other people say it should not be done

Stupid - marked by or resulting from unreasoned thinking or acting; senseless; vexatious, exasperating

Submissive - submitting (i.e., to yield oneself to the authority or will of another; surrender) to others

Superficial - concerned only with the obvious or apparent; shallow

Superstitious - of, relating to, or swayed by superstition (i.e., a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary)

Suspicious - disposed to suspect; distrustful

Tactless - marked by lack of tact (i.e., a keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense)

Tasteless - having no taste; insipid; dull

Tense - feeling or showing nervous tension

Thievish - given to stealing

Thoughtless - lacking concern for others; inconsiderate; reckless

Timid - lacking in courage or self-confidence

Treacherous - likely to betray trust; unreliable

Trendy - marked by ephemeral, superficial, or faddish appeal or taste

Troublesome - difficult, burdensome; giving trouble or anxiety; vexatious

Unappreciative - not giving recognition or thanks for something

Uncaring - lacking proper sympathy, concern, or interest

Uncharitable - lacking in charity; severe in judging; harsh

Unconvincing - not convincing; implausible

Uncooperative - marked by an unwillingness or inability to work with others

Uncreative - lacking originality of thought; not productive of new ideas

Uncritical - showing lack or improper use of critical standards or procedures

Unctuous - having, revealing, or marked by a smug, ingratiating, and false earnestness or spirituality

Undisciplined - lacking in discipline or self-control

Unfriendly - not friendly (e.g., hostile, unsympathetic; inhospitable, unfavorable)

Ungrateful - showing no gratitude; making a poor return

Unhealthy - of a harmful nature; morally contaminated

Unimaginative - having or showing a lack of imagination or originality

Unimpressive - not attracting or deserving particular attention, admiration, or interest

Unlovable - incapable of inspiring love or admiration; not having attractive or appealing qualities

Unpolished - not polished (i.e., characterized by a high degree of development, finish, or refinement)

Unprincipled - lacking moral principles; unscrupulous

Unrealistic - not realistic; inappropriate to reality or fact

Unreflective - unthinking, heedless

Unreliable - undependable, untrustworthy

Unrestrained - immoderate, uncontrolled

Unstable - wavering in purpose or intent; vacillating; characterized by lack of emotional control

Vacuous - marked by lack of ideas or intelligence; inane

Vague - not thinking or expressing one's thoughts clearly or precisely; vacant

Venal - originating in, characterized by, or associated with corrupt bribery

Venomous - spiteful, malevolent

Vindictive - intended to cause anguish or hurt; spiteful; vengeful

Vulnerable - open to attack or damage; assailable

Weak - not firmly decided; not factually grounded or logically presented; ineffective, impotent

Weak-willed - not having the determination that is needed to continue with a difficult course of action

Willful - obstinately and often perversely self-willed

Wishful - according with wishes rather than reality

Zany - strange, surprising, or uncontrolled in a humorous way

Sources: 1 2 3

[jointherebellion215]

If It's True

Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen x female!reader

Summary: When an unexpected guest crashes your House's welcome feast for the Harkonnens, your life unknowingly becomes the start of a sad, sad song.

Word Count: 872

TW: Manipulation, Dark!Feyd-Rautha (so Regular Feyd-Rautha), she/her pronouns, AFAB reader, songfic

A/N: Hi, it's your friendly neighborhood shitposter. I'm taking a huge leap of faith with this fic, because I truly haven't written anything in YEARS. This idea has been bouncing around in my head for days, thus "the trilogy was born". This is meant to be Part One of a three part series, based on different songs from the musical Hadestown. I've obviously written this with very very dark interpretations of the songs and the themes. If enough people like it, I'll post parts two and three. Please let me know if it's any good, I'd love some feedback :)

AO3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Dune properties, characters, or storylines-- nor do I own anything related to Hadestown. The images used in this are not my own, and any similarities to stories other than what I derive inspiration from are strictly coincidence.

What’s the use of his backbone

If he never stands upright?

“We welcome you to Kolhar, my lords Baron and na-Baron. Our House humbly offers our services and facilities to your use. I toast to our continued cooperation and to the strength of our Houses.”

As your father raised his cup, others of our House followed suit. The official welcome feast was well underway, though House Harkonnen had been planetside for at least a week already. The past few days had been for inspecting our mines and factories, ensuring that our production of their ships and swords were up to standard. 

Now? Pure pageantry. You found it a bit redundant, but it was necessary to ensure your good standing among the Houses of the Imperium. It was a grand occasion, in which the leaders of your father’s council were present, as well as the highest ranked mine workers. 

The doors to the large hall slam open, a familiar figure storming in. Your heart flutters at the sight of your beloved parting the crowds before him. The man who you had met by complete coincidence, one of the workers in a local steel mine, who you had spent the better part of a year meeting in secret—had crashed the court. You noticed a bruise growing on his cheek and blood trickling down his temple, indicating that his journey to enter through the doors was easier said than done. His voice soon bellowed throughout the hall. 

“My Lord Duke, I refuse to let your daughter’s hand be taken by the na-Baron. She cannot marry him.” 

The crowd gasps, as do you. You had spent the past week showing the na-Baron Feyd-Rautha around the grounds, the training of your most fierce warriors, and the best of your planet’s culture. You had shared a laugh or two and shown your prowess as a leader. Yes, you’d spent quite a bit of time with him, but marriage? This was news to you. 

You turn to your father, who gives you an apologetic grimace. Several Harkonnen guards step forward to seize the love of your life. You quickly stand to protest, but the na-Baron stops the guards in their track with a single snap of his fingers. He offers a hand to calm the crowd, an eerie stillness in his form.

“It is true, I have offered my hand to the Lady.”

I believe that with each other, 

we are stronger than we know.

“There must be a way around this. Even if this is in defiance of the court, they can’t punish all of us! We work their mines; they couldn’t truly function without us. We are the ones who truly hold the power! I implore you to stand with me, show them our strength!”

Your love stands strong, chin raised in the crowd, voice pleading with his brothers and sisters to stand beside him. He was convinced that this moment could provide a great revelation, that somehow your situation was different. That the consensus of a crowd could make the na-Baron stand down. Surely, your story could convince even the coldest of hearts that love can conquer all. He must have some sentimentality that resonates within him.

That's one of the main reasons why you fell in love with him. He's always so full of hope. Always willing to see the world as it could be, in spite of the way that it actually is.

But you knew better.

“This is treason.” Someone whispers in the room. Murmurs of assent soon follow, and your heart drops. The crowd around him quickly dissipates, as if the mere act of touching him promises death. 

And the ones who deal the cards

Are the ones who take the tricks

With their hands over their hearts

While we play the game they fix

You start to plead with your father to spare your lover. He doesn’t know any better, he wasn’t raised in the ways of politics or court. It’s purely out of his love and devotion to you, so please—

Feyd-Rautha stands up and the room is immediately devoid of sound. He cranes his neck to look at you.

“You love him?”

You swallow harshly, lifting your chin. “I do.” You went to your lover, making a bold statement in linking your fingers together. Presenting a united front. Hoping that somehow, your kind attitude the past week towards the na-Baron would allow this leniency.

A gleam flashes through his eyes, almost imperceptible. He gives a blackened smile, making show of placing his hand over his heart. Confusion fills you. He slithers down the steps towards the pair of you, boots echoing in the Feasting Hall, each step making your lover’s hand give a slight tremor. Your mind stands strong in its conviction, in the thought that you’ll have to fight for what you want. But a small tendril in the back of your mind gives the slightest hesitation. The smallest indication of hope. Maybe…

Piter leans towards his Baron, whispering concerns in his ears, but is quickly paused by the Baron’s hand. Vladimir gives a slow, menacing grin. He responds to his Mentat in a low voice,

“Don’t bother. You know that my nephew loves to play with his food.”

Is this how the world is?

[sunderwight]

I keep seeing people argue that Aziraphale is "intelligent" or "not a fool" and that this means he can't possibly have fallen for the Metatron's blatant manipulation tactics or still genuinely believe in Heaven's righteousness.

Setting aside the validity of various theories (most of which I at least find interesting, if not outright compelling!) I think there's an issue here, which is that intelligence doesn't protect you from cult-like thinking. Especially not when you've been more or less born and raised in the environment.

In fact, what intelligence tends to do to people who have been indoctrinated into cults (and a cult is exactly what GO Heaven operates like) is give you even more tools for justifying or thinking your way around the contradictions of the cults actions vs message.

We even see Aziraphale do this, several times!

In fact, at the end of S1 doing this is part of what helps save the day. When he points out that Heaven can't know that they aren't defying God's ineffable plan while trying to follow the Great Plan, he's not just talking them into standing down, he's giving them an out. Because the whole Armageddon thing has already gone to shit and cannot proceed without Adam's cooperation, what they're really dealing with at that point is getting Heaven and Hell to accept that without retaliating. Even when Satan shows up it's because he's pissed, not because doomsday is still on.

Aziraphale uses the cult's own logic to give Heaven (and Hell) a plausible reason to back down without completely losing face. They don't have to admit that they were wrong, they can just file everything under "ineffability". Aziraphale pulls this off so well in part because he's been doing this to himself for millennia.

When he doesn't understand or really approve of the Flood, he files it under "ineffability". God has a plan but it's too complex and beyond even angelic comprehension to understand, so there must be a good reason for the Flood, it's just that Aziraphale can't see it. When he sees Heaven being complicit in Job's suffering and the potential murder of his children, he reconciles it by deciding that what God really wants is for him and Bildad to secretly stop it. But he flounders on that later, because to some extent I think he knows that this reasoning is self-serving.

(Knowing it's self-serving doesn't refute it, though, it just means that he worries about that until he talks himself into a bunch of reasons why it's still probably true.)

In S1, when Crowley broaches the subject of the apocalypse, Aziraphale's initial response is to recite the propaganda. It's all going to go according to plan, and it will all be great! When that doesn't work (because of course it won't be great, he's going to end up losing his true home and the person he loves most if this all goes down no matter who wins), he lets Crowley help talk him into how he could thwart the plan without "really" betraying his concept of God.

Basically, if Aziraphale's values come into conflict with Heaven, he decides that God secretly agrees with him. It's very like people who find their values coming into conflict with the institution of their church or temple, and so decide that there's nothing wrong with their actual religion, it's all just normal human corruption (or in GO's case, angelic corruption) muddying the waters of an otherwise purely good thing.

Now in real life of course this gets to be a thorny issue, but keeping it simple there isn't really a total separation between a faith and its institutions. You can't claim that there's nothing in the religion that lends itself to bad takes, just like you also can't claim that any ideology or belief system is invulnerable to corruption. Likewise, even if every bad thing in GO were to turn out to be the fault of Heaven and Hell and not God, God would still be accountable for a lot of the situation because God still set the stage.

But what matters for Good Omens and Aziraphale and this post is that, Aziraphale has put considerable mental energy into justifying how God and Heaven can still be Good and Right even as both of them do things he finds intolerable. Whether it's "God secretly wants me to do what I think is right instead of what I'm being told" or "Heaven has earnestly misinterpreted the will of God due to not knowing as much as I do", he puts his intelligence to use in protecting himself from the kind of revelation that would uproot his worldview.

The only kind of knowledge that actually protects people from cults is the knowledge of how they operate, and awareness that you're dealing with a cult. Aziraphale has a terrible disadvantage on both fronts because even though he's spent years watching humanity get into hot water with this stuff, he does so with the firm perspective that things are different for angels. He can't necessarily apply what works for humans to himself, because he knows he's a different kind of being (and unlike with IRL cults, it's actually true in his case, though I think demons and angels are both less different from humans than they believe).

Though, interestingly, he's closer to a accepting the truth when it comes to the differences between angels and demons. In S1 he is fully confident that he could possess someone, because even though angels don't do that, demons can. Whether he admits it or not, Aziraphale really does believe that Crowley is not meaningfully different from himself in terms of personhood or ability. If he can make the leap to the idea that angels and demons are not exempt from human-oriented concepts of self-determination and free will and unfair treatment by authority, and reconcile it with his own intense distress at challenging a core belief, then the fact that he's quick on the uptake will really start to work in his favor.

[the-lean-buddha]

My thoughts on the news about The Long Walk's film adaption

I have very little faith that The Long Walk will be a good adaption but maybe I'll be wrong! I can dream, and I've been wrong before. Here are my thoughts on the casting announcements and set pictures.

Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson are the leads, according to Deadline, which means they're presumably Garraty and McVries. Jonsson seems like a good actor but an awful fit for either character, and with Hoffman (presumably Garraty) it comes down to how good an actor he is, I guess, because I can see it working if I squint but I haven't seen anything from Hoffman to suggest he can do Garraty. And I reaaaaally doubt he could do McVries. McVries has a bite to him.

Joshua Odjick is Native American so he's presumably Joe or Mike (not to say that a different character couldn't theoretically be Native American in the adaption, but it's key to Joe and Mike that none of the other Walkers understand their culture at all, and only Baker defends their parents). It's odd that either of those two would have a prominent enough role to be cast already, so I wonder if either one of their roles is beefed up, or if Mike and Scramm will be a composite character and Joe won't feature at all. Alternatively, Odjick isn't playing a Native American character (or he is but Mike and Joe are adapted out), in which case I'd guess Parker.

Roman Griffin Davis is someone I've only ever seen in Jojo Rabbit so I don't know how much range he has. I think he'd fit best as Barkovitch but I wouldn't be surprised if he's been cast as Baker or Olson.

Charlie Plummer is Stebbins. I say this almost entirely because he's a long-haired blonde. If McVries is black then book descriptions (and characterizations, let's be honest, you can't make McVries a black kid in the 70s and keep his character the same) are thrown out the door already, but google Charlie Plummer and tell me he's not been cast as Stebbins. Also, take a look at this.

Ben Wang is Asian American and there are no explicitly Asian American characters, so we've gotta guess this one purely on Vibes (Olson and Barkovitch could both be canonically Asian American, but Barkovitch is openly racist, so). From Wang's YouTube channel and some clips of Chinese Born American I found, he's a nice and playful guy (hmu Ben let's get a lemonade, also tell me who you're playing), so I'd assume Baker or Olson or Abraham because they fit that the closest, I guess? But this is unfortunately a flawed way of guessing because actors playing lunatics are sometimes normal people in real life, walking among us, going almost undetected.

Tut Nyuot's a young, sweet-looking kid. I'd assume Percy? Again, weird to cast Percy already because he doesn't even have any lines in the book, but I can't imagine Nyuout playing a character who's supposed to be the same age as Charlie Plummer's character. Maybe he's unexpectedly good at playing deranged assholes like Barkovitch? We'll see.

For Garrett Wareing I'd say Olson, looking through clips and interviews.

Jordan Gonzalez gives me no strong impression. Sorry, Jordan. Feel free to give me a stronger one over lemonade (and tell me who you're playing). If I'm held at gunpoint then I'll say Abraham.

Mark Hamill is presumably playing the Major. He's absolutely not who I would have picked because he overflows with character and I always pictured the Major as a stoic, empty Big Brother type figure, whose moments of charisma and friendliness were obviously just an act. And I guess Hamill could play that, but I think the Major will more likely have a lot more personality and vim and vigor in the movie, if Hamill was cast - he's easily the biggest draw in the cast. Not necessarily a bad way to portray the Major, but easier to mess up. We'll wait and see.

Judy Greer as presumably Mrs. Garraty will presumably be fine.

Set photos look promising, aesthetically. No half-track, though. And there's a tank. Why is there a tank?

There's a Deadline article suggesting that there are only 50 kids and the pace limit is 3mph. But there's also an article suggesting it's still 100 kids so it might be a mistake? If it's 50 kids then that's presumably done for practicality but it's a bad change, the number will either get too low too fast or it'll drop too slowly (and also no 47 and 61 which would be weird but that's not significant). 3mph isn't necessarily bad, it's more feasible, but it does mean the "first into Massachusetts in seventeen years" can't happen. Maybe they'll make New Hampshire the record instead.

i want lemonade

Reblog with your thoughts! We've got news, people, and I'm sure someone somewhere is more excited about that than I am. Let's get some discussion going on in here.

[innoqueer]

BrigadeQueer

bɾiɡaˈde(jɾu) kuir

[PT: Brigade(iro)Queer. bɾiɡaˈde(jɾu) kuir. End PT]

╰┈➤˗ˏˋBrigadequeer is a queer stance based on the brazilian phrase "Menos Briga, Mais Brigadeiro". This queer stance is focused on the Brazilians who are Anti-Radqueers. This is stance is playful in it's own way and similar to eepyqueer, since this stance is for the Brazilians who want peace and respect.

The word "Brigade" was taken from one of the parts of the word "Brigadeiro", Brigadeiro is a traditional Brazilian dessert made of chocolate, condensed milk and sprinkles.

This stance is ONLY for Brazilians, fuck off TransIDs, TransBrazilians, TransLatinos, TransSouthAmericans, ArissoBrazilians and ArissoLatinos.

Emoji Code: 🍫🇧🇷 (Chocolate emoji and Brazilian Flag)

Coined by me

This Stance is

Anti-

Radqueer

They are fucked up. They promote things that are made by pure prejudice.

TransID / TransX / Trans+

It's impossible to indentify as another race since it passes through DNA and you can't change it using hormones, even if you amputate your hand and switch it for a hand of a Black person being a white person the hand gradually will become white, it's the same for nationality, disabilities, and etc.

ArissoHarmful

We acknowledge that there are people who have delusions of being harmful, but Arissoharmful are made by Bad Faith, they glorify/romantize those harmful things

Xenosatanism

They are the same as Radqueers but worse.

Nazism / White Supremacy / WinterQueer / WinterPunk

There's no pure race, no perfect people, and genociding POC and Disabled People is something useless, why you have prejudice???

Pro-Contact Paraphiles

You are admiting that you abuse minors, animals and bodies.

Neu-Contact Paraphiles

Being neutral is no worse than pro, you still admit that you abuse.

Complex-Contact Paraphiles

Children, animals and dead bodies cannot consent, they don't know what is happening nor cannot feel romantic feelings towards you, since 1. Animals can see you as a parent since you raised them or they are genetically programmed to be docile, 2. Children don't even know what is really romantic feelings, 3. Dead bodies cannot say nor react, so how do you think they will consent????

MUDs (Medically Unrecognized Disorders)

You can't just 'coin' disorders, to acknowledge a disorder there's years of researching and studying. And you need to have a degree in psychology and other things to finally see if this 'disorder' is real. Most of the MUDs are just another disorder with other name or just a fusion between disorders.

"PD Abuse" (including "Narc Abuse", "BPD Abuse" and others)

"PD Abuse" doens't exist, and yes that exist abusers who their disorder don't make them abusers but their actions.

Incest (Including Pseudo-Incest)

1. There's no consenting when two family members have a romantic relationship since there's power imbalance, like: you don't want to make a family member sad. 2. Biologically it's wrong since there's high chances of a child born of an incest die prematurely and/or born with deformations and disabilities. In the Pseudo-Incest is a moral thing, since you wouldn't date your own sibling since you were created as siblings.

Harrassment

Why would you harras someone who don't have the same opinions as you???

Pro-

Recoining/Reclaiming of Terms stolen by the Radqueer community

Arissomei/Arissodic

Personality Disorders

Recovery

Otherkin / Alterhuman

Fictionkin

Kin for Fun

Neu-

Proship

We are ok if it's for coping mechanism and if the person is not openly Proship nor posts about the Proships they writes. Otherwise it's fetishization and cooperates with Pro-Contact Paraphiles and Complex-Contact Paraphiles. People who use this stance are inheritly anti-non trauma-related proship.

Syscourse

Contradictory Labels / Good Faith Identities

Tagging: @blankqueer, @antiradqueer, @gender-mailman

This stance is serious like Innoqueer /srs

[walkswithmyfather]

Ephesians 1:11-14. “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own[b] by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”

Colossians 1:11b-14. “May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

1 Peter 1:3-5. “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.”

(All Bible verses are in the New Living Translation)

“God’s Healing Grace” By In Touch Ministries:

“Because of Christ, our brokenness is being made whole, and we can look forward to a glorious future.”

“In his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul wrote that God brought “all things together in Christ” (Eph. 1:10). This means that because of Jesus, we are being healed in ways we could never have accomplished on our own. His death and resurrection:

• Freed us from sin. We are indwelt by God’s Spirit and have His power to resist temptation and obey. 

• United us with our Savior. We live in Christ and He lives in us. He is with us always, wherever we go. 

• Made us family. God is our heavenly Father, and we are His sons and daughters. Our spiritual family extends all over the world. 

• Transferred us into the kingdom of light. The world is ruled by darkness, but anyone who calls Jesus “Savior” lives in the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:12-13). We are citizens of heaven. 

• Gave us an eternal inheritance. We’ve already inherited the promises of Scripture, but more awaits us in heaven (1 Peter 1:4).

• Initiated sanctification. To sanctify means “to make holy.” With our cooperation, the Spirit transforms us into Jesus’ likeness throughout our years on earth. 

When life wears you down, ponder all the ways God is actively healing you. He won’t give up on your redemption, even if you at times feel like giving up.” Amen! 🙌

[canary0]

So.

My Friendly Neighborhood.

Good aspects: Interesting inventory management, tense moments and atmosphere, good voice work (kudos to the voice director Brendan Blaber/JelloApocalypse), interesting premise, having the puppets just be unexplained and part of the world feels fresh.

Bad aspects: Fake loading screens are weird and distracting, highlighting can be a little subtle.

Aspects up to personal taste, but I hated: The not-especially-subtle implication that the in-story show was meant to instill Christian values in kids, and the game's overall implication that this is an unambiguously good thing, and the loss of it will cause societal downfall because no one can be trusted to make their own moral decisions. The bad faith criticism of children's television.

That last bit, but extended (break if you don't want to read the extended rant, 'cause that's basically what it is):

The marketing niche for Sesame Street and the marketing niche for something called "Dinosaur Mayhem" would be two completely different age ranges and developmental stages. The game kind of implies stuff like Sesame Street was replaced with things like, say, Transformers or generally unnamed violent kids' cartoons, but that's not true at all.

First, Sesame Street is still running. It's had the occasional threat over the years, but people still see the value of it. Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, the other implied reference, ran practically forever. These days, kids also have things like Paw Patrol, Dora the Explorer, Doc McStuffins, Bluey, and in general a whole lot of perfectly wholesome childrens' programming. There is no lack of love and cooperation in it.

Kids grow into shows with higher stakes and more conflict as they get older and are more ready for that kind of content. They're not going to keep watching shows for 2-6 year olds forever. That's not a failure of media - it's just kids entering a different developmental stage. Not everything is going to be appropriate for the very youngest, and that's actually a good thing.

Diversity of media and media that expands subjects people are exposed to as they get older and can handle it is good. It creates room for creative, interesting shows. It respects the developmental changes kids go through. Gravity Falls, to give an example, is not out-competing Sesame Street.

What gets me also is that there's a bunch of manipulation and negging and you get attacked and defend yourself and the game treats you like a monster for it, and the people who are mistreating the main character as correct. Lil' hinky, I think.

It was just frustrating, so I wanted to rant about it. The game was good and then fumbled the landing.

This is all purely my personal opinion, and you're free to disagree. Any interpretation of a given piece of media is valid, and mine is not correct any more than anyone else. Please don't take this as me claiming the final word. This is just what I personally took away from it.

[frostbittenbard]

M u t i n y

You should have known that I'd never obey This is the price that you pay Gloves coming off, yeah, I'm taking the reins This is a mutiny

Of course it had to be spiders...

'Killing spiders, even unintentionally, is punishable by death by the law of Lolth', a law Tathlyn knew well, having spent most of his life within the walls of Menzoberranzan.

And yet, where was his Mistress to call off her children?

The spiders approached in droves, his companions brandishing their weapons to ready for battle.

"We're about to be eaten by spiders and you're just standing there?" Astarion called out in disbelief, "Need I remind you you're our best crowd control? Do something!"

Tathlyn's hand moved to his weapon, but fear denied his hand to clasp it.

As they closed in, a tower of crimson stepped in front of him, axe raised high. "You alright, Soldier? We need your help here"

"I-" his breath hitched. He was no longer in the Underdark, why was he afraid?

'Why do you follow a god who causes you fear? Because you were born to? You owe her nothing. If anything, she owes you for how you were treated'

The thought danced through his mind, his but in a voice that was not.

Karlach made ready to swing, but was stopped as a spear materialized above them, seemingly made of pure moonlight. It fell, point first, and pierced clean through the head of the spider.

'She has only brought you misery. Take this gift, a show of good faith, and fear not her wrath. I will protect you'

As he looked past Karlach and the speared carcass of the spider, he spied on a ledge further in the cave the silhouette of a tall drow, her hair like spun moonlight dancing around her.

Eilistraee

Within Gale's musings, he had learned of this Seldarine, beloathed daughter of Lolth and advocate for peace and cooperation for the Drow. One who loved her people enough to descend with them that she might yet light the way back up. Withheld from his people for fear they'd answer her siren call.

But all she offered was peace. Why wouldn't he trust her? It's all he ever wanted, after all.

Carefully moving around his friend, he pulled the spear from the arachnid, nodding to the presence before him as he called upon frost to lock the beasts in place.

Beasts, and nothing more. No longer will he be beholden to fear.

A new path is lit, and he need only follow the torchlight.

So, anyway, I got Tathlyn a cool new spear that gives him Moonbeam. :3c

[eggs-can-draw]

you can't be doing my girl Kaede dirty like that, first Sayaka, now this? manic pixie dreaming some guy's life on the way out is the least relevant aspect of those characters!!! And you dare call yourself a woman liker? When only looking at those really interesting and morally complicated girls from the lenses of how they affected those boys? For shame.

My girl, Kaede Akamatsu, is a scheming, lying, betraying murderer who felt the weight of the shot put ball in her backpack while talking about trust and cooperation. She dirties her hands, she makes sacrifices, she's the boss and feels responsible for the group but doesn't actually trust them. She's reassuring herself more than them, she doesn't really believe what she preaches, and she's scared, but she's responsible and so - she resorts to denial, toxic positivity, being too pushy, and still feeling like it's not enough and being restless, fidgeting, planning to do something on her own, because if she can't pull through on all her promises then she still has to try to do her best for everyone's sake.

When she doesn't claim the first blood perk it has nothing to do with Shuichi and forcing him to face the trauma or with guilt and wanting to be executed, she wants to catch the mastermind, for the group's sake, that's all that's on her mind. And when she makes him go through the trial the way she does it's for the sake of the group then his, she needs him to be able to lead in future trials and save the group, it's not exposure therapy, he's reliving the trauma to his detriment. Really, the promise is because she's already thinking that a murder can happen again and at most she can hope that this will make the next person hesitate.

V3 has such a strong theme of characters being fucked because of their sense of duty, everyone who killed or tried to felt obliged to, this includes kiyo feeling like he owes to deliver friends for his sister. Kaede isn't just Shuichi's fridged pure angel on his shoulder, he made up an idealized version of her to cope, sure, but she's there setting an example, so you can see Kaito with his hero complex and Kirumi's devotion in the next chapter and know that they're fucked. None of them are okay in that way, down to Shuichi on his executioner duty.

The previous games are like "wouldn't it be fucked up if even our bright youth was capable of atrocities?" and v3 is like "what if you tried to do something noble but were deeply mentally ill, and also who are you to make this decision for others? What if we'd rather all die together than let you take away the burden of the sacrifice all for yourself?"

She is morally gray and she did things that were not good and she is going to be so fucked up about it post-game and she kind of already was in-game, the lack of faith in people from the audition video seeping through the optimistic facade. This is such a rich mess of a character and you're going to say she's your fave because of Shuichi? Seriously?

Don't take it as me being personally mad at you, I am just opinionated about those stuff

Oh my god you’re so right fucking eating this like a fifty three course meal bestie. Legit I will be thinking about this all day you’ve wormed your way into my brain bestie

[trashdemon132]

My parody version of Warrior cats Into the Wild

Battle Cats by Mary Huntsman. It was about an abused and neglected cat Copper who was abandoned by his owners and Copper finds himself in the forest where some forest cats who live there offered him a home to stay in only to discover that the healer of the group found out that Copper is a part of a prophecy that can save them all.

Difference

Instead of the suffix ’star’ at the end of every leader’s name it will me replace with ‘Stellar,Bright or Sun’ (I know they’re not good, but I’m tired so let me live OK? 😭)

The healers can have a mate and kits as long as they have a fully trained apprentice. So thing of it like an huge long final test for the apprentice if they’re mentor is pregnant and see if they can take over for six moons 

Firestar/Rusty’s name will be Cooper and he’s the opposite of his canon counterpart he’s still a hero, but because he was abused by his owners he’s extremely timid nervous and anxious all the time and almost left the group of cats three times and none of them could blame him. It seems like he’s not up to something like this. But the healer keeps telling/forcing him to come back because he’s a part of prophecy. His apprentice name was Sparkpaw and his warrior name is Sparktail on account when the sun shines on his pelt and when he gets scared his fur bristle up it looks like fire sparks. His leader name is Sparkbright unfortunately because of this name some cats who don’t live in the forest, assume that he will be a she-cat because the name sounded feminine. It doesn’t make it better that he has a high-pitched, feminine voice.

Grarystripe’s personality is heavily changed. He’s not the goofball comedy relief, tom cat but a grumpy slightly mean and sarcastic cat that not many members of the group will spend five minutes around. His parody name is Grayspots on account when he was a kid and he snuck out one night a small dog basically around his size (he was 5 moons old when this happened.) and the dog bit his side it but the dog didn’t hit his skin, but the dog to rip out a huge chunk of his fur, leaving a part of his skin exposed. Because of this, he swore revenge on that small dog.

Ravenpaw personality has changed a little bit. He now has this goth personality and a bleak look on life and the world he’s still a little timid but he knows how to fight when needed and it’s not afraid to speak his mind and call someone out even if its a cat who has high authority over him and because of that he gets in trouble a lot. In this parody, he didn’t end up leaving the group and receive his warrior name Ravenrain on account of his gloomy personality. The only things that he likes to do when he isn’t working is hanging out with his friends (at least he thinks they’re his friends)Sparktail and Grayspots,hanging out with the elders or the kits or spending time with his farmer boyfriend Spots. (Barley I know not a good parody name for him.)

Bluestar’s personality is slightly the same except when the forest caught on fire She didn’t lose her faith in Starclan but instead announced that she is extremely tired and believes she is too old to stay leader, and she’s aware at her that she may have dementia so the best thing to deal with this is to step down as leader and retired to the elders cave. Because of this she didn’t die in the first arc, but instead died in the third arc because of her old age. Her parody name is Stellarsun

Tigerstar/Tigerclaw’s personality change largely He’s basically neutral instead of pure evil he was born incredibly intelligent so he’s planning out battles and battle strategies instead of participating in them which surprise cats because of his size and muscle. His father Pinestar stayed in the picture because Starclan and Goosefeather didn’t see him becoming evil and training in a dark forest and didn’t tell him to kill his own son. Therefore, he didn’t grow up with it resentment against kittypets so he completely ok with Sparktail. Tigerclaw does not want to be a leader of the group or any group he’s more comfortable being on the sidelines planning out plans and strategies. His parody name is Quickclaw because on account of how quick, he is think he can think battle plans through and bring his group to victory and he still has abnormally long claws.

Part 2 tomorrow!

[rametarin]

The purpose of the activism in question is to be a mindworm into the social dynamics and relationships and disseminate them to the grassroots, letting them know what new things are taboo or will get you considered a Bad Person with the weight of a bad impression or negative assessment coming to you if you look like the potential offender.

It's to draw lines in the sand and go, "If you're beyond this line, we will consider you a Bad Person, or adjacent to Bad People, for good people stand behind this line, not in front of it," And then watch you to see what you do. Do you go where they want you to be and say what they want you to say to prove your goodness, or do you out yourself and expose yourself to their hostile ignorance and polarizing world views, where they blame you for your own lack of cooperating or being mindful of their sensitivities for what they do to you by reaction.

When I was a young man, there was a period where the big swansong activism was to maintain that any time an unfamiliar white person used the word black to refer to those of sub-Saharan African descent, it was considered inherently close to a slur. The discourse that, "whites are inherently racist because white culture is racism" wasn't spoken out loud, but they would say, "You sound like an ignorant racist Confederate America Georgian slavemaster when you say black. Say African American." And if you just said black casually, someone that wanted to treat you and perform bad faith would just say they "read the racism" from you using the word black. Tried to make when non-black people used the term black out to be as archaic as using the word colored or negro. So if you didn't get with the program and slipped up, people that were punished and informed the word black was off limits would let you know, you'd just hit the same social faux pas as using a racial slur casually. And they used that to ostracize and shun people, because "tolerating racism is bad and if you do, we'll note it and tell others about you doing it."

Online activism is merely the same sort of interpersonal activism and nannying to "spread awareness" and impose new social moores and mentalities and justifications for whom gets punished for behavior or misbehavior, and what is the basis for what is correct and what won't be allowed to be the rules.

And anything can be MADE toxic and radioactive at any time if there's willing participants that will use any given logic to retroactively turn someone someone did, "problematic." There's lots of left-wing ablism that went into making fun of Ronald Reagan's dementia that would be decried now as "a product of its time" and wrong. It's about organizing control over what is acceptable and not and why and getting a mechanism to disseminate it from above. Social studies in college do this and have an entire social eco-system not unlike how churches in the North American Deep South function (or, used to)

And further examples? Look at any TERF space. That's simply radical feminism (derogatory). But, it's feminism centered around woman as a biological state, not adopting the belief that a woman is purely a social construct and gender existing outside of biology, divorcing the term from its biology and denying biology is necessary for it to exist as a woman at all, or that biological females were ever women on the baiss of their biology. TERFs writing poetry about being a female and synonymous with woman become ripe real estate for Trans INCLUSIVE Radical Feminists jumping up and going, "EXCUSE ME MA'AM BUT YOUR FEMINISM TREATS TRANSWOMEN AS WOMAN AS CISWOMEN, RIGHT?" And we all knows the answer to that question and the shitstorm it brings. Out of a seemingly positive, benign, shaped-to-seem-uncontroversial statement. That Trans Women Are Women, Just Like Cis Women, so cis women defining being a woman by their female sex are commiting a Bad Thing and Not Being Inclusive(tm) so they're committing a badthink and wrongthink.

Peer-to-peer activism would then dictate that the TERF then get cast out and rebuked by right-thinking radical feminists for their "bigotry" (whatever their true feelings and level of respect they have for transgendered people. Whether the usual slavering growling cis-exclusiveist or someone that believes transwomen are valid but woman is defined by their cisness first) And then those peers inform the rest that Samantha isn't cooperating by rebuking all ideas gender is anything but an idea you wear like a coat.

And Online Activism goes further, because the new Bad Thing comes from academic articles and academic writers that write thinkpieces that become the next two minute hate and outrage and because of their institutional authority and hierarchical position, the weight of their opinions becomes manifest in their sycophantic understudies. So any academic decides to write a piece about how microbrewing is white supremacy? The underlings beneath them follow, accept that as true and then decide to be progressive, good people, they have to treat microbreweries as white supremacist and microbrewers as racists- if they're white.

And as we saw during Gamergate among the Games Journos, that would organize the writers and then perform what were called Information Cascades to hitpiece certain subjects and treat that like they were the mouthpieces of Gamers and Good Videogame Culture, as if that was what gamers and gaming was clamoring for as an industry. They'd write about how "modern gaming is racist and white supremacist- here's how we can fix that" and postulate their ideological bullshit, using gaming culture as their platform no matter what the actual gamers had to say about it.

Online activism is about trying to create realities and control groups of people through fear via standards and ideology.

I feel like. Part of the reason we're seeing hot takes like "video games like Stardew Valley are bourgeoisie and you should feel bad for playing them" and "if any actor in a TV show even hints at supporting any part of Israel then we need to boycott that entire show" and stuff like that is.

Online activism does virtually nothing. It does virtually nothing, guys. You can reblog and repost stuff all day and it does nothing. And so there's this desperate need in people's minds to Do Something, but social media platforms have so thoroughly trapped us into the idea that This Is How You Connect With People, that we think blogging = activism.

But nothing we've reblogged thus far has made a significant difference in the world. So we keep reblogging, desperately, convinced that if we root out the real evil in our media consumption or if we pare down our beliefs to the One True Ideal and force everyone around us to share that ideal, then finally Something Will Change For The Better.

Log off. Go give blood; there's a critical shortage right now. Help someone in your community; it might not fix wars that are thousands of miles away but it'll help that person. Call or email your local representative about issues that matter to you. Fucking vote. Do something in the not-online space. It'll matter more than 100 posts in a row about Important Things.

[bengilmourpreach]

Reflection/Sermon on John 6

Preached at Castle Hill Uniting Church September 2024

It is remarkable that every week, across this vast land and across the planet, the church gathers to do something remarkable: we reflect on ancient texts, seeking wisdom that speaks to our current lives and communities. In an age saturated with information—from ancient myths and philosophies to modern media—people like you and me gather in towns and cities, seeking to understand God's wisdom. We connect these ancient words with our traditions, reason, and experience to discern God’s way in Christ as good news for our souls and, more than that, for all creation.

Why is this remarkable? Because, like you, I am filled with doubts, fears, and questions, my soul is not pure and free. In a world where chaos, domination of nation-states and cooperations, and conflicted and competitive individual agendas often reign, I, too, seek a saviour—a healer—someone who can speak wholeness, peace, and healing into our souls, the very core of this lived life. I long for relief from all that causes dis-ease, hoping to find healing and balm for our world, creation, and souls. I yearn for someone who can transform us from merely reacting to this chaotic world to finding the peace, the shalom of God that comes to us in Christ.

Life is not without its challenges. Some in our community struggle with the rising cost of living and crippling debt, while others silently suffer from various forms of dis-ease and mental anguish. The turmoil in global politics and war disturbs us, and the growing disparity between the haves and have-nots in our own country can leave us feeling shaken and uncertain. These challenges are often exacerbated by systemic issues that are indifferent to how hard one works. Even within our own church, we wrestle with decisions and proposals that challenge us—whether it’s ACT 2, Presbytery projects, or the growth and sustainability of our congregations. Confronting these challenges—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—reminds us of life's fragility and resilience.

In these times, our churches become sanctuaries where we seek to make sense of it all, hoping to encounter Christ's presence, who shows us the way of peace and life, as a gift for our souls. Yet, we must also recognise the temptation for ourselves and our faith communities to lose their way, becoming co-opted by native self-sufficiency or political agendas, whether hyper-individualist, socially conservative, or progressive reactionary politics. Sometimes, life pushes those buttons, and we want to speak and get angry and act, thinking we are on the side of ‘right’ rather than listening and engaging in God’s good ways for us. While it is important for the church to engage with the world around us as a sharing in Christ’s mission, we must be vigilant not to let unrealistic views of self-perfection, dominant political narratives, and their binary reactions swallow our identity in Christ as children of creation, children of a Creator who calls us into a deep, transformative relationship with God. At the heart of our witness stands Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Christ. And so, we turn our ears, our hearts, and our minds to truly hear and see.

In today's Gospel reading from Mark, we encounter a pivotal moment where Jesus confronts the Pharisees and scribes on an issue that seems, at first glance, to be about physical cleanliness. The religious leaders question why Jesus' disciples do not follow the tradition of washing their hands before eating, a practice rooted in the purity laws of their time. In response, Jesus challenges them with a profound question: "Why do you abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition?" (Mark 7:8).

Jesus goes on to explain that it is not what goes into a person from the outside that defiles them, but what comes out from within, from the heart: "For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come" (Mark 7:21).

This statement invites us into a deeper reflection on the nature of true righteousness, or being in God’s wholeness. Contemporary biblical scholarship often highlights how Jesus’ teachings shift the focus from external observances to the condition of the heart or the inner life—what we might call the soul. Biblical scholar Joel Marcus notes that Jesus is redefining the boundaries of purity and impurity, suggesting that moral and spiritual defilement is an internal issue, not something that can be managed merely through external practices. Our reading from James, takes this one step further, reminding us, our outer expressions should reflect the motivations of God in Christ in action.

This challenges us to consider how our soul—our inner life, thoughts, intentions, and desires, shaped by our personalities and formative experiences—can define or defile us. The Pharisees' focus on ritual purity lost sight of the more significant ethical and spiritual dimensions of God's commandments, allowing human traditions to overshadow the deeper call to justice, mercy, and love as reflected in the Law of the Scriptures.

As we delve deeper into Jesus' teachings, we may encounter a tension between different understandings of the inner life. Augustine of Hippo, one of the most influential theologians in Christian history, argued that our inner life is defiled by sin and can only be made whole through God’s grace. In contrast, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a philosopher of the late modern period, proposed that the inner life is inherently pure, untouched by sin (as it is pure nature), and is the best place from which to critique the real defilements of societal, political, and social systems. This philosophy has gained much adherence in our contemporary culture—the idea that "you be you" is perfect. In this view, the gospel helps you live your best life. But the true gospel reveals that it is God’s gift that transforms us into the likeness of Christ, into who we were created to be as a becoming work of God in us, away from sin.

Jesus's ancient wisdom challenges the modern idea that simply being your authentic self is inherently pure, good and universally true. The inner life requires attention because all kinds of evil can flow from it. While the notion of inherent purity may resonate with some today, we must acknowledge that our true selves, as psychology reminds us, are not formed in isolation but are shaped by society, culture, and the environment—including genetic factors and formative experiences. And that all of this is shaped by sin, that which is not loving, just and true. It isn’t healthy to base our self-making as the foundation of our inner life being pure..

Therefore, matters of the soul are not just about self-expression or authenticity; they are profoundly about our divine/human relationships. It is within these relationships that transformation becomes possible—a transformation that is not self-generated but is a gift of God in the grace of Christ. Confession, then, is not merely an admission of guilt but a prayerful invitation for God to work within us. It is a recognition that the Holy Spirit, the animator of life, there is a deep communion with our human existence, guiding us toward wholeness in God; this is marked every time we celebrate communion.

In this light, the defilement that Jesus speaks of is not merely a matter of external actions but is deeply rooted in the condition of our hearts—hearts that are formed by and can be reformed through our relationship with God. The transformative power of Christ’s love and grace calls us to examine our inner lives, not in isolation but in the context of our relationships with others and with God.

As we reflect on today's readings, let us remember that the true matters of the soul involve this dynamic interaction between the divine and the human, where transformation and renewal are always possible through God's grace. This is the ministry of Christ. Now for you and me, a deep wisdom we need to be reminded of time and time again, why, because the God of Love, is doing a becoming work of God’s love in us.

So then, what might defile us from this becoming work of God’s love? There are biases, often hidden and unexamined, that corrupt our soul—our inner life—without us even realizing it, needing the light of Christ. How do these biases of the soul corrupt our behaviors with others? Biases, like Jesus' critique of the religious leaders' adherence to tradition over love, can subtly shape our actions and attitudes in ways that distance us from God’s true call of love, peace and justice. Unexamined, these biases can lead us to justify harmful behaviours, uphold unjust systems, and even distort our understanding of what it means to follow Christ and to use Jesus' words; these defile us.

Take, for example, the bias that might cause us to dismiss the struggles of others as due to their own failings, rather than acknowledging the systemic issues at play. Or the bias that leads us to favour those who are like us while ignoring or devaluing those who are different or think differently. These biases, deeply embedded in our societal and cultural frameworks, can defile us from within, leading us away from the radical love and justice that Jesus calls us to embody.

Let me share with you a story that illustrates this journey of faith for Clare.

Not far from here, a woman named Clare lived in a suburb of Western Sydney. Clare was a loving mother and caring grandmother, respected in her community and church for her can-do attitude and kindness. However, over the years, her relationships with her daughter, Sarah, and her granddaughter, Lily, had become strained.

One Sunday, after a particularly challenging sermon on humility and being attentive to one's soul—one's inner life—Clare felt compelled to examine her own heart. She realized that she had often dismissed Sarah's struggles as a working single mother, attributing her challenges to a lack of effort or organization. Similarly, she underestimated Lily's opinions, considering her too young to understand the complexities of life. More than that, Clare began to see that she felt ashamed that her daughter's relationship with her ex-husband didn’t work out and believed Sarah could have done more.

Clare began to see how her biases had clouded her judgment and prevented her from simply listening and seeing Sarah as Christ saw her—with deep, compassionate love. She noticed that showing true compassion to those closest to her was hard, and there were things holding her back. She prayed for guidance and decided it was time to seek reconciliation.

The next week, Clare invited Sarah and Lily over for dinner. As they sat around the kitchen table, Clare confessed her shortcomings, admitting that she had not fully understood or appreciated their experiences. She asked for their forgiveness and expressed her desire to learn from them and support them better.

This honest conversation marked the beginning of a new chapter in their relationship. Clare's home, once a place of unspoken tensions, now fosters more understanding and honest conversation with love. Through this journey, Clare experienced something of Christ’s reconciliation at work in her, a gift within her soul—a willingness to admit her faults and biases rather than holding rigidly to expectations of a so called “tough love.”

Clare's story reminds us that the journey of faith is not about achieving outward perfection or living one's best, perfect life with the best habits and practices. Rather, it is about continually seeking to open our hearts and actions to the love and justice of God in Christ in us. Some call this faith based reflection-action-reflection or living with deep contemplative prayer. We see this way of life, love, and justice clearly in Jesus Christ. As James reminds us, it is about being doers of the word, allowing our faith to shape our lives in ways that bring healing and wholeness to ourselves, our relationships, and our communities.

The truth is, we need Christ, the Christian community, and each other to see our biases and examine the defilements of our own hearts. Including me. What biases might we/you be holding onto that are preventing us/you from being transformed into a soul reflecting God’s love, peace, and justice? How might we, like the religious leaders Jesus challenges, be clinging to traditions or ways of thinking that need to be re-examined in light of this Gospel?

Ok, it is important for me to name some of by basis, and how the wisdom of Christ challenges me

Amy-Jill Levine, a prominent Jewish New Testament scholar, critiques the way Christians often portray Pharisees, arguing that such portrayals can be misleading and contribute to harmful stereotypes. Pharisees are frequently misrepresented in Christian teachings as legalistic, hypocritical, and rigid. This portrayal contrasts sharply with historical evidence, which shows that the Pharisees were a diverse group within Judaism, known for their emphasis on ethical behaviour, interpretation of the Torah, and their focus on making the laws of the Torah accessible to ordinary people. Transformation of our minds in Christ begins with the recognition that all people are created in the image of God and work in progress—far from perfect or pure, but more complex, with much good, and if we are honest, not that different to ourselves. I have written whole groups (like previous denominations I was a part of) of as being like Pharisees. I confess this so that my soul may be transformed by the love of God in Christ.

Just as Amy-Jill Levine critiques the misrepresentation of Pharisees, it's important to move beyond stereotypes of neurodiverse individuals as rigid or legalistic. This reframing can foster a more inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated rather than misunderstood. For example, someone with autism might adhere closely to rules or routines, not out of legalism or stubborn, judgemental inflexibility, but because these frameworks help them navigate a world that often feels overwhelming or chaotic.

I confess that I have struggled in the past with this, as my father had a late adult life diagnosis of Autism (he is ok about me sharing this; we are in a good space), but I judged my father without knowing how much God loves him and acknowledging the way he navigates life is just different, not wrong. Here, we both share a deep faith and have, in our own ways, been captured by the love of God, be it expressed differently at times.

The challenge for us today is to heed Jesus’ words and turn our attention to the motivators of our inner lives—the thoughts, attitudes, and intentions that shape our actions. It is much more complex than self correcting this to wholeness, as we all have biases and blindspots, we cant see things with the mind and heart of God, we can only discern this in Christ. We are invited to bring our biases into the light of Christ and the safety of trusted relationships in Christian community, and family, allowing God’s grace to transform us. Only then can we truly live as doers of the Gospel.

As we reflect on today's readings, let us commit to examining our hearts, embracing the soulfulness of this embodied reflective doing life, confronting our biases, and seeking Christ’s death and resurrection transformation of our very beings, so that we may be born anew with love in all our interactions with others. May we be doers of the word, living out our faith in ways that bring healing, reconciliation, and peace to our world. And may we embrace the transformative power of Christ's love, allowing it to shape us into a community that reflects God's justice, mercy, and grace with all. It is here the father of lights, the giver of every good and perfect gift is glorified in and through as as Children of God.

In the Uniting Church's Basis of Union, it affirms that we belong to the people of God on the way to the promised end. It encourages us to pray that, through the gift of the Spirit, God will constantly correct that which is erroneous in our life, bring us into deeper unity so that our worship, witness, and service will seek to reveal God's eternal glory through Jesus Christ, now, this day and forever. Amen.

[quransurahverses]

5:1

O believers! Honour your obligations. All grazing livestock has been made lawful to you—except what is hereby announced to you and hunting while on pilgrimage. Indeed, Allah commands what He wills.

5:2

O believers! Do not violate Allah’s rituals ˹of pilgrimage˺, the sacred months, the sacrificial animals, the ˹offerings decorated with˺ garlands, nor those ˹pilgrims˺ on their way to the Sacred House seeking their Lord’s bounty and pleasure. When pilgrimage has ended, you are allowed to hunt. Do not let the hatred of a people who once barred you from the Sacred Mosque provoke you to transgress. Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness, and do not cooperate in sin and transgression. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is severe in punishment.

5:3

Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, and swine; what is slaughtered in the name of any other than Allah; what is killed by strangling, beating, a fall, or by being gored to death; what is partly eaten by a predator unless you slaughter it; and what is sacrificed on altars. You are also forbidden to draw lots for decisions.[1] This is all evil. Today the disbelievers have given up all hope of ˹undermining˺ your faith. So do not fear them; fear Me! Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your way. But whoever is compelled by extreme hunger—not intending to sin—then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[1] To make a decision in pre-Islamic Arabia, a person would draw one of three straws: one saying “Do it,” the other “Do not do it,” and the third was left blank, whereas in Islam there is a special prayer (called istikhârah) for guidance when making a decision.

5:4

They ask you, ˹O Prophet,˺ what is permissible for them ˹to eat˺. Say, “What is good and lawful. Also what is caught by your hunting animals and birds of prey which you have trained as instructed by Allah. So eat what they catch for you, but mention the Name of Allah over it ˹first˺.” And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is swift in reckoning.

5:5

Today all good, pure foods have been made lawful for you. Similarly, the food of the People of the Book[1] is permissible for you and yours is permissible for them. And ˹permissible for you in marriage˺ are chaste believing women as well as chaste women of those given the Scripture before you—as long as you pay them their dowries in wedlock, neither fornicating nor taking them as mistresses. And whoever rejects the faith, all their good deeds will be void ˹in this life˺ and in the Hereafter they will be among the losers.

[1] “The food of the People of the Book” here means the meat of the animals slaughtered by the Jews and Christians.

[piouscatholic]

NOVENA TO SAINT JOSEPH

3rd Day: Man Chosen By The Blessed Trinity

Saint Joseph, you were the man chosen by God the Father. He selected you to be His representative on earth, hence He granted you all the graces and blessings you needed to be His worthy representative.

You were the man chosen by God the Son. Desirous of a worthy foster-father, He added His own riches and gifts, and above all, His love. The true measure of your sanctity is to be judged by your imitation of Jesus. You were entirely consecrated to Jesus, working always near Him, offering Him your virtues, your work, your sufferings, your very life. Jesus lived in you perfectly so that you were transformed into Him. In this lies your special glory, and the keynote of your sanctity. Hence, after Mary, you are the holiest of the saints.

You were chosen by the Holy Spirit. He is the mutual Love of the Father and the Son -- the heart of the Holy Trinity. In His wisdom He draws forth all creatures from nothing, guides them to their end in showing them their destiny and giving them the means to reach it. Every vocation and every fulfillment of a vocation proceeds from the Holy Spirit. As a foster-father of Jesus and head of the Holy Family, you had an exalted and most responsible vocation -- to open the way for the redemption of the world and to prepare for it by the education and guidance of the youth of the God-Man. In this work you cooperated as the instrument of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was the guide; you obeyed and carried out the works. How perfectly you obeyed the guidance of the God of Love!

The words of the Old Testament which Pharaoh spoke concerning Joseph of Egypt can well be applied to you: 'Can we find such another man, that is full of the spirit of God, or a wise man like to him?' (Gen. 41:38). No less is your share in the divine work of God than was that of Egypt. You now reign with your foster-Son and see reflected in the mirror of God's Wisdom the Divine Will and what is of benefit to our souls.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for having made you the man specially chosen by Him. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the grace to imitate your virtues so that I too may be pleasing to the Heart of God. Help me to give myself entirely to His service and to the accomplishment of His Holy Will, that one day I may reach heaven and be eternally united to God as you are.

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Novena Prayers: ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-st-joseph-304

#SacredHeartPH #LoveIsHere

[becausegraf]

Yes yes yes to all of this!

'Being yourself' has its limits when the stability of a whole nation relies on people having a sufficiently tidy mental image of their ruler.

In Gulool Ja Ja's case, this effect is magnified because *he* is magnified, literally. He can get away with showing the public very 'likeable' flaws, his quirks that are no threat to people and even help him earn people's trust more. 'Silly Papa and his goofy eagerness to spar'.

But just imagine what it would look like if the Dawnservant allowed himself the leeway that 'regular people' get with showing even the slightest bit of aggression, anger, hostility, impatience, direct 'butting heads' conflict?

You so easily forget that before we got to know him, our expectations of him were *very* different based only on what we saw.

It's easy to 'at a glance' interpret him purely visuallu as an adversary, some kind of powerful beast to defeat, as the Warrior of Light. More a thing than a person, something to beware of before it does something vicious.

If Gulool Ja Ja ever became known to his people as someone who pits his sheer might against others over selfish, petty slights; someone who doesn't have to play fair and can't be trusted to yield if he simply doesn't like a particular outcome; someone who seems willing enough to turn his own citizens into competitors to overpower or take out at a whim -

Gulool Ja Ja only needs to make a single impulsive mistake, one moment where he *intimidates the shit out of someone*, one incident that reminds people of his monstrous, scary power and that they are safe entirely as per his personal commitment... and he could end up with a brushfire of distrust spreading everywhere.

He *has* to be approachable, because his entire reign is founded on people giving each other some good faith in advance and cooperating as equals. Mutual respect and trust can't exist when one party feels like their collaborator could and would simply use force to get their way in a conflict of interests.

Gulool Ja Ja is a scary motherfucker in terms of just how easily he could Fuck You Up if he felt like it.

His actions have to consistently remind people they are safe, that HE is safe. A single screw-up of losing his patience or composure at the wrong time could shatter that critical sense of security, and the moment enough people became truly frightened and wary of him...

I can't imagine that would end well.

Traveling with a party seems like a crucial element, not just because it's easier to get shit done as a team, but because it gave him the social backup of people that could vouch for him, that gave him the chance to demonstrate his trustworthiness, that would be able to step in and take over should a situation of someone deciding to pick a fight with him begin to escalate.

Constant avoidance of direct, open conflict is pretty much a requirement for the job. The way he pulls it off with such skill and self-control while making it seem wholly natural, as if it couldn't be any other way, god damn, son. That's some hella finesse.

(Ugh he's so cool I love him)

On the role of outsiders.

One thing I think makes the Scions' relationship with Wuk Lamat unique isn't that they're mentoring her--I don't really see it as a mentor relationship and for various reasons I think it's better for it not to be that--but that, as outsiders, she finds that she can show vulnerability with them that she's only rarely been able to show with anyone else.

When we meet Wuk Lamat in 6.55, it's pretty heavily telegraphed that she's posturing a lot to cover up some personal weaknesses or insecurities. This made me really curious about her, who she was and what that overconfident demeanor was covering for. And when I got into Dawntrail and started getting to know her, I wasn't disappointed.

(No Wuk Lamat hate on this post, please. Any responses clearly trying to pick a fight will be removed and blocked without reply.)

Wuk Lamat has a couple of foils in this story, but a big one is Sphene, and I love @unmovingtroika's description of Sphene as "unpersoned to an extreme degree." And as a distorted mirror of our main character, Sphene reminds us that any person in a position of authority or heroism is depersonalized to some degree, no matter how down-to-earth or benevolent.

Gulool Ja Ja is really presented to us as very much a people's ruler, the charismatic blessed siblings who united the peoples of Tural through curiosity and open-mindedness and understanding. And that may be largely true, but it's also made of him a myth, a legend inscribed in stone and memory. Meanwhile in the course of Dawntrail's story we also meet the real person Gulool Ja Ja... at least, the one who's left. The man who has spent three years grieving his brother, his ever-present companion, the Reason to his Resolve, a man who for the sake of political stability has had to hide his grief and loneliness from even his own children, as he does his best to carry out the work they had begun together, and complete the Rite of Succession in his brother's absence. And if there are places where Gulool Ja Ja failed to foresee the potential negative outcomes to the Rite, like Bakool Ja Ja's actions endangering his people, we might see there in hindsight the Head of Reason's absence in the final stages of the Rite's preparation. And we see, in some of Zoraal Ja's anger and resentment and insecurity, a glimpse of the ways in which the people's Dawnservant might have failed his own son.

One of Wuk Lamat's early growth moments is when the Scions convince her that she doesn't need to try and hide her obvious seasickness--an affliction she can't help, and which represents no failure of character on her part but which is, well, embarrassing. I love that she seems to particularly connect with Alisaie, who's had her own experiences of feeling inadequate next to her sibling, and feeling the need to prove herself on her own terms.

Could Wuk Lamat have been convinced to drop the act by her allies if they weren't outsiders? The problem is that everyone else in Tural, even her own siblings, are the people she'll have authority over if she wins. Erenville frequently rolls his eyes at his old friend's posturing, and fairly so, but Wuk Lamat doesn't behave that way just because she's insecure. In the same way that her father has had to conceal the death of his brother even from his own children, Wuk Lamat recognizes the danger of showing weakness before the people she will have to rule--especially when she's already aware of her reputation as being less qualified than her brothers. But these outsiders from Eorzea are different. They're allies who will never be her subjects. In private moments, she can be a person with them. She can be vulnerable. She can be Lamaty'í.

(Incidentally, I think this is also why I found Sphene calling her Lamaty'i so unsettling. Initially it seems like a simple misunderstanding, an outsider mistaking a very personal nickname for someone's "public" name. But in the hindsight of what we learn about Sphene, I think it feels a lot worse. Sphene is, consciously or unconsciously, pushing past the walls of formality and reticence that necessarily exist around a ruler when interacting with most people--nevermind a foreign head of state whose intentions are unknown. She's positioning herself as a friend when she is not.)

As the story progresses, we learn the Wuk Lamat and Koana have always been close. Now, in the Rite of Succession, they must treat one another as rivals and can no longer share confidences--at least, at first. Koana's love and protectiveness of his sister emerges with a vengeance when Wuk Lamat is in danger--and I'd venture a guess that he, too, feels safer showing this sudden vulnerability before his allies and those of his sister, because again, they will never be his subjects. While we get only briefer glimpses of Koana's journey with Thancred and Urianger, I'd guess that their friendship has affected him in similar ways.

One of the benefits of blessed siblings is that they are never alone. They bring two perspectives to any situation, but they also have one another to confide in, to understand, to commiserate over the burdens of leadership in a way they can't with anyone else, not even family. Wuk Lamat and Koana taking on the role of Dawnservant together brings the benefit of their very different strengths and perspectives to their people. But it also means that neither must take on those burdens alone. When their allies depart, they will still have one another. There will always be someone at their side with whom they can just be a person.

The tragedy of Zoraal Ja is that he's evidently never had that kind of relationship with anyone. The myth of his seemingly miraculous birth has depersonalized him from the very start. All his life, he has carried the burden of living up to the expectations of the Resilient Son, and has never enjoyed the close relationship his brother and sister have with one another. To the very last, he attempts to live up to the legend alone--and he fails.

One of the biggest themes throughout Final Fantasy XIV is standing together. There is strength in companionship and cooperation, but for that strength to flourish, there must also be trust and vulnerability. Wuk Lamat and Koana ultimately find that in one another, as siblings and co-rulers, but the Scions play the important role of offering them an outsider's friendship in their journeys when they are cut off from one another, and would otherwise be alone. As Ketenramm and Galuf Baldesion once were to Gulool Ja Ja, the Scions to Wuk Lamat and Koana are neither mentors nor subjects, but companions and friends.