#as a treat.. i should maximize the time i have this break but if i dont take SOME kind of a break im just gonna make sloppy work

[xxplastic-cubexx]

brother just texted me a screenshot of what mr fantastic's gonna look like in rivals and said 'they keep giving everyone beards' like he KNOWS ima be pissed

[pnutbutter-n-j-elyy]

Free VCHA TW: Mentions of Suicide, Eating Disorders, Unconsentual Surveilence and Self-Harm

I don't even know where to start...

My heart absolutely breaks for VCHA right now.

Hearing about everything they’ve been through- the self-harm, the gained ED's, the surveillance, the suicide attempts- it’s devastating.

Especially when those girls minors as well.

No one, especially young girls, should ever have to endure this kind of pain just to chase their dreams.

The fact that KG is filing a lawsuit to terminate her contract says so much about the conditions she’s been facing.

This isn’t just about one group or one company- it’s an industry-wide problem.

And let me preface-

before anyone starts directing all their anger at J.Y. Park, it’s crucial to understand that he isn’t the one pulling the strings- especially in the subsidaries.

Yes, he’s the face of JYP Entertainment and a prominent figure in the industry, but he’s not micromanaging every decision or daily operation involving artists like VCHA. Decisions about trainee management, promotional schedules, or group dynamics are typically made by a network of executives, managers, and staff within the company. J.Y. Park might set the tone as a founder, but the way the system functions extends far beyond him.

Instead of focusing on hating or blaming one person, we should direct our energy toward challenging the larger system. This isn’t just a “JYP problem”- it’s an issue ingrained in the ENTIRE entertainment industry, where idols are often seen as products rather than people.

Real change requires dismantling the exploitative practices and structures that allow mistreatment to happen, no matter which company is involved. Let’s shift the conversation to fight the system that perpetuates this harm, rather than focusing on an individual who is only a visible part of it.

These are kids debuting in hyper-competitive, high-pressure environments, with their lives micromanaged for profit. The secrecy VCHA endured pre-debut only adds to the emotional strain. I hope this lawsuit opens more eyes to the toll this industry takes on these artists.

This year alone has been a disaster for the industry. There have been countless reports of idol abuse, mistreatment, and even deaths linked to the extreme pressures idols face. The tragic situation with VCHA is just another example in a long line of issues that need to be addressed. The exploitation of minors and idols in general in the K-pop industry is a problem that can’t be ignored any longer. It’s beyond time for a widespread reckoning, where the industry shifts its focus from maximizing profits to truly caring for the well-being of its artists.

I hope KG’s lawsuit, along with the attention that this case is receiving, opens more eyes to the toll the industry takes on its artists- especially those who are still so young.

These idols deserve more than just our admiration; they deserve our empathy, our support, and a system that treats them as people, not products. My heart goes out to KG and the rest of VCHA, and I pray they find the healing and support they so desperately need.

They are worth so much more than the system that’s failed them.

#FreeVCHA #ProtectOurIdols

(tags are to spread views quicker)

[shunin-gumis]

As Master Joe Wishes - Track EP

Seasonal Team Event - L4mps

Thank you Myun for handling this chapter!

Location: Tokyo Metropolis International Airport – Arrivals Terminal

Samejima: Thank you all so much for your assistance. 

Samejima: Thanks to you all, I was able to cover up my blunders in this operation.

Hiramei: Joe is safe and the Anonymous members were taken into police custody!! The dignity of JPN’s police force, and my career, are safe and sound!!

Daniel: Treat us to some of the good stuff this time.

Netaro: But, didn’t the guy dressed up as Sammy get away~?

Samejima: Who, and what now? I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Yodaka: Samejima-san, do you have a moment?

Toi: Master, we’ll definitely meet again, so when the time comes we’ll serve you once more.

Joe: Very well, then~! 

Toi: Ah, but I won’t let you have Ani-sama!

Joe: Ufufu, how unfortunate.

Nagi: Master, please call us anytime you feel lonely. Also, anytime you might need your laundry done, Flower Laundry offers overseas delivery.

Joe: You have done well as my laundry maid, Nagi. 

Joe: I will most certainly be in touch.

Ryui: …..

Ryui: Ahh, sorry. For real. 

Joe: ? Whatever for?

Ryui: I left you behind in the bedroom. Sorry.

Joe: … Ryui.

Joe: Look…

Ryui: Hm? Oh, it’s that candy-themed pin badge.

Ryui: You didn’t throw it out?

Joe: Could I ask you to put it on my ear, please?

Ryui: ……

Ryui: … Yeah, sure.

Toi: ……

Nagi: Toi, do you want me to help you pierce your ears sometime? 

Toi: Nagi-kun, you’re younger than me.

Nagi: Oh, right. Sorry, you’re right. 

Ryui: — There ya go. It’s a little crooked, though. 

Joe: Ryui, I owe you an apology as well for all my rudeness. 

Joe: I’m terribly sorry. Furthermore, thank you very much for saving me.

Ryui: (.....) 

~~~(Flashback)

Sakujiro: When a person senses that they are not being valued, that is when they experience true anger. The duty of a servant is to find the true meaning hidden within their master’s demands, and act accordingly.

Location: Tokyo Metropolis International Airport – Arrival Terminal

Ryui: Joe, if you don’t wanna go to Germany, I’ll help, if there’s something I can do.

Joe: Ryui… Thank you.

Joe: I see you worry about me dancing along to my new owner’s tune. But there’s no need for such things.

Ryui: You’ll be fine?

Yodaka: Joe-sama, sorry to keep you waiting. We were talking with the detective.

Toi: Danny-san and Samejima-san, too.

Nagi: What were you talking about?

Yodaka: Joe-sama’s owner has changed to a new individual. The details were arranged by me, and fully discussed behind-the-scenes.

Yodaka: Just now, we’ve settled on various agreements after scoping out the new owner’s management system. It’s now been made official that Joe-sama will be sent to this new party.

Joe: Rather than an “owner”, “partner” is much more fitting.

Joe: It was myself, after all, who scoured the auction sites and dating apps in search of a companion.

Samejima: This would've been impossible to achieve if it weren't for JPN’s relative leniency surrounding AI rights. I’m glad it got taken care of just in time.

Ryui: You’re saying she’s not gonna be locked up in some safety box? 

Netaro: Eeeeexactly!

Ryui: (I see. Thank god.)

Joe: Once again, thank you. Everyone… No, you are all honorary members of the Senba Family. 

Location: HAMA House – Kitchen

Ryui: (Time to make some tea…)

Sakujiro: Oya, are you perhaps taking a tea break?

Ryui: Yeah, I guess.

Sakujiro: These tea leaves should be steamed for precisely 40 seconds to maximize their flavor.

Ryui: Yeah, yeah. Whatever.

Ryui: I’m not officially a servant anymore.

Sakujiro: Indeed so.

Ryui: …But.

Ryui: I guess I learned a lot. 

Sakujiro: Oya. Oyaoyaoya…!

Sakujiro: Rules of the Oguro Family’s butlers, “Butler Oblige –108 Commandments” —  Pledge, “one must be willing to sacrifice themselves!”

Ryui: Can you fuck off–!?

Location: HAMA House – Living Room

Sakujiro: I implore you to stop! Pledge, “one must not speak!”

Ten: Eh, a PeChat… 

Ten: Ugh, how does this guy have my contact info?

Kuguri: Oya? Could it be a stalker?

Ten: Who knows~

Ten: "Get a load of this treasure I got recently."  Eh, don't really care… into the trash, aaand blocked.

Location:  HAMA House – Boar Room

Ryui: Toi, I made tea.

Toi: Yaay♪ I’ll open the cookies I bought earlier. 

Toi: Netaro-san, do you wanna have some with us?

Netaro: I bet there’s no tea for little old me~

Ryui: Take it. 

Netaro: Ohh~! Ryui, you’ve finally decided to quit your rebellious phase and become a good, upstanding boy~!

Ryui: Fuck off, it's as thanks for the jelly ok? The jelly!

Toi: His jelly-bullet saved you, after all.

Netaro: Yupp~. It was suuuper sticky. 

Ryui: Just this once. I made you tea. 

Ryui: And? What were the results of your fortune-telling?

Toi: Oh, yeah!

Toi: It said that somewhere a bit to the west from here, she would have a chance meeting with a wonderful partner.

Netaro: Joe seemed so happy. Isn’t that great, Ryui!

Ryui: Yeah, I guess. 

Ryui: Eh- Oi! Don’t fucking drink my tea!!

Netaro: I want a refill. Reeefillll.

Ryui: Don’t care. Get it yourself.

Toi: Ah. I’m thirsty too, I drank all of mine.

Ryui: I’ll go make more. Wait here and eat your cookies. 

Netaro: What blatant favoritism~~~!

Ryui: …Shut up… 

Ryui: (But I guess making someone happy outta your own will every once in a while isn’t all that bad.)

Ryui: (Though, nobody matters as much as Toi.)

[humanitys-strongest-bamf]

levi drabble? no. 12 please <3 ooh but flip the tables, its levi saying it or dont- okay i cannot decide-

I LOVE THIS???????

also i hope i characterized him okay enough lol. i'm writing this at work in between clients soooo

come torture me with this drabble challenge!

#12: "i wish you wanted me"

Want | Canonverse Fluff Oneshot

✧ word count ➼ 1k ✧ notes ➼ canonverse, captain!reader, mutual pining, this accidentally turned into a oneshot lol

"Captain? Captain, your orders?"

The scout's voice seemed muffled. All of Levi's senses seemed muffled. His gaze was only fixated on one side of the forest, desperately trying to pick up any visual or auditory cues.

"Captain?"

Levi finally got dragged back into reality with that third prompt from his subordinate. Having been fixated on only one thing, anything discussed within the past 5 minutes had been completely disregarded.

"What?"

"Your orders? There are Titans approaching from the left and right flanks," the scout said nervously.

It wasn't like Levi to be this scatter-brained. He always knew what it was that he had to do and he most certainly never missed out on vital information that was being told directly to him. He was overly distracted and it was affecting his ability on the field.

You were currently fighting on the left flank. Another newer squad was fighting on the right. He knew which side he had to go to for reinforcements.

He desperately wanted to go to yours. He wanted to make sure you were safe. He knew it wasn't anything other than a foolish, selfish emotional whim. You were more than capable of taking care of yourself and your squad. Strategically, he had to go to the right flank to maximize their chances of survival.

After clearing out the Titans, the Survey Corps formed a small fortified camp to rest and patch up any wounded before continuing the expedition.

You were currently in front of a campfire with your cloak and uniform jacket thrown off to the side. The only thing you kept wearing was the tank top that was usually underneath your uniform. The only reason for this was to expose your right bicep, which had gotten deeply scratched during your battle fending off the Titans. You had spent the last hour having Levi patch it up after he noticed you struggling to do it on your own.

He was awkwardly quiet the entire time, as if something was deeply on his mind.

"Did your squad do any better?" you asked, breaking the silence.

He grunted. "Not really, but at least no one died."

Simply being able to come out of an expedition without anyone dying was a miracle. Although no one on your squad died either, it was primarily because you had to go in multiple times to save them yourself. It probably would've been more efficient if you went in alone.

"You should really re-evaluate your squad," Levi said bluntly.

Your eyebrows scrunched together as you scowled at him.

"Don't be so arrogant," you scolded. "Not everyone has the advantage of your bloodline."

"Tch," he responded in irritation. Every single time someone attributed his capabilities to his Ackerman heritage made him want to punch something.

"It's not that," he said, matching your tone. "My squad doesn't need me to constantly risk my own ass to save them."

You rolled your eyes.

"Well, good for you, Levi. I'm glad that you're satisfied with your subordinates," you said dryly. "Can you quit being dissatisfied with mine?"

He let your arm go and set the bandages off to the side, irritated by your unexpected commentary.

"I'm not joking around, _____. You shouldn't have to be constantly risking your life out there because of your subordinate's mistakes."

You groaned and slightly pushed him away now that he was no longer treating your arm.

"Why the hell do you even care so much?"

Deep down, you knew. Deep down, he knew. It was quite a while ago, but you both could recall a time in which you two were dancing around the concept of romantic feelings for each other.

Of course, it never progressed to anything. It wasn't appropriate and you didn't want to start a scandal. He was still your superior at the time.

Levi parted his lips to speak, but it took a few seconds for any words to come out.

"I can't stop thinking about you when you're on the field," he said quietly. "And it's a pain in the ass to not be able to focus."

You blinked at him, confused as to where he was going with his comments.

"Why?" you asked. "Am I doing something wrong? I'm not your subordinate anymore, remember?"

He exhaled in almost what seemed like a defeated fashion as he looked away.

"I just," he said with his voice barely audible, pausing as if he was unsure if he should mutter the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

"I wish you wanted me."

Your eyes widened as those deeply buried thoughts and feelings were brought to the surface. You had assumed that he had moved on. After all, it has been some time that you had been promoted to a Captain yourself, yet it was never brought up.

You looked down and shuffled a bit, adjusting your position to be a bit more comfortable.

Finally, you looked up at him, seeing that he was now glancing at you too.

"Who says I don't?" you said quietly before shooting him a small smile.

You saw a sight that you never thought you'd see.

Levi Ackerman was paralyzed. He looked like he couldn't move. He looked like even if you reached out and pushed him off the seat that he'd remain unmoving.

Levi was not expecting your response. He had continuously told himself that you weren't interested and that anything resembling a confession would be a waste of time and would only bring him shame. He wasn't expecting anything good to come out of it.

"I'd be lying if I said that I never thought about how much I want you to want me too," you said, shifting a bit closer to him, placing your hand on his.

Feeling your touch oriented him back to reality as he looked into your eyes. He didn't know how to process this. He had held onto that feeling of rejection, telling himself that he never wanted to feel that way again and that he wouldn't put himself in that position again.

He never expected anything good to come out of those words that he had muttered—but it did, giving him something new, fresh, and hopeful to hold onto.

A/N: this is the pouty face i imagine him making as he says the line ;aljf;alksdf he's so cute i can't

[caliburn-not-calculator]

1, 21, and 26 for the writer asks :3

1: What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year? How did it turn out and would you do it again?

Well, in terms of new… There’s probably a few things, but the biggest and most obvious that comes to mind is my attempts at writing smut for the first time lol. It’s… fine? It’s a process to say the least, love hate relationship there. I’ll probably do it again but not with any regularity.

Just an occasional treat to throw to the heathens /aff /silly

21: Share your favorite piece of dialogue

Oh wow this is… hard to pick. I used to hate dialogue but now I love it, there’s quite a few exchanges I’m really proud of but if I have to pick one…

This is from a wip that may or may not ever happen, and I am going to drop this whole exchange cause I think it hits best with the whole context. 4.5 with the VR-LA and Maxim break up but… messier (Added the initials for clarity)

V: And how would you propose I change? What would you propose I do instead?"

M: Forget, leave it, move on with your life and away from... this— this goal that has already seen your family broken and hurt. What worth is there is continuing to chase it?

V: ... I did forget Maxim. Didn't work. Have some tack and do not ask me to do so again.

M: I am sorry, but the point stands—

V: What point? That I should have left my family to rot? Left them to die? Allowed my captain's death to be in vain? What good, what justice, would that have served? You say evil will always balance out what good we do, well then, shouldn't our good also balance the evil done to us? Should your universal order not work in my favour to?

M: I... VR-LA you could no know they were even alive. It could have been suicide.

V: I had faith.

M: Faith is for fools, do not make yourself one.

V: Faith gives us hope. Don't you dare tell me my hope is a mistake, I have fought too hard and lost too much in the fight to regain it, for it to be insulted by you.

26: If you had to choose one, what was THE most satisfying writing moment of your year?

Uh… oh, oh no my memory isn’t good enough for this… probably any time I finished and posted something, like, the hit of happy fuzzies I get is wonderful. And any time when I wake up to a couple of comments on some this is always such a nice start to a day like seriously <3

I can’t think of a singular moment tho… just, generally yay :D

[alexbkrieger13]

Magdalena Eriksson on taboo in the sports world: "Working for many"

It is 2023 and we are still working to remove the stigma and taboo around talking about periods, Magdalena Eriksson tells a group of 15-year-olds one afternoon.

A stigma she herself did not wish existed when she grew up as a young soccer player.

It is during a training session in the middle of June that Sickla IF's 15-year-old girls are visited by Magdalena Eriksson. The Swedish national team player, who plays for Bayern Munich every day, grew up in a time where periods were somewhat embarrassing and therefore not discussed. Something she wants today's young girls not to have to go through.

- We must dare to talk about this. We must educate girls and coaches in how the menstrual cycle can affect girls' sports performance, says the 29-year-old.

The subject has been on the table for a few years, but despite that, Eriksson believes that we are "far from finished".

- Clubs and associations must start taking responsibility. You have to understand as an association that you have a big responsibility in training your coaches.

The Sickla team's coach Olle Linder, who is surprised that there is not much talk about the subject, felt that the training initially had a "closed atmosphere".

- Even if a famous woman comes here and says the word period, the girls still think it's shitty. It just shows that it is important to dare to talk more about it, says Linder.

Magdalena Eriksson's experiences of talking about periods changed when she came to Chelsea. The English team has been at the forefront by adapting training to the players' menstrual cycle for a few years now. 

This is thanks to the team's coach Emma Hayes.

- I was 24 years old when Hayes made me understand how all these things are connected. When we started talking about Chelsea, we were very unique. We were probably among the first to start talking about periods and sports performance.

The national team star believes that the topic is still taboo, even though you can see that more and more national team players have raised the issue and more teams have embraced the topic.

- It's probably old habits and customs that live on in our culture. Menstruation is also taboo in many cultures.

Research shows: Many people stop playing sports

By collaborating with Libresse's initiative Befriend your body, the national team star wants to participate in the fight for increased self-esteem as well as breaking taboos and normalizing menstruation for young girls in the sports world.

Through several different surveys, the initiators of the project have been able to see that many girls stop playing sports when they are around 15 years old. 

- It is important to become friends with your body, accept it and hopefully love it so that you can continue playing sports, says Oda Mustorp, brand manager at Libresse and one of the initiators of the project.

The goal, according to Oda Mustorp, is to be "the big sister who guides how to get to know your body and can maximize training during the four phases of the menstrual cycle".

More and more club teams and national teams have also chosen to replace their white shorts with other colors, so that the players don't have to worry about bleeding through. It is something that 29-year-old Magdalena Eriksson sees as the simplest solution of all.

- Changing from white shorts should not be a problem. Many have thought it was difficult but did not dare to say anything, and now they have finally done it.

Something else that more and more club teams and elite athletes have begun to understand is how injuries are connected to the menstrual cycle. 

- We have had serious injuries in women's football that can even be linked to the menstrual cycle. We need more research so we know how to both train and treat women, says the national team star and continues:

- We need to make society better for girls to live in. 

[centrally-unplanned]

Do you think Germany could have won on the Eastern front?

Finished Stahel's Kiev book, which is basically more of the same from Barbarossa. He seems like he feels the need to prove Germany couldn't win, not just that he believes it and argues why.

From Tooze we know German war production was geared to aircraft well prior to Barbarossa, and Hitler refused to release large numbers of extra tanks until right before Typhoon. So there's at least some slack here.

I wish he turned the question around, asked what it would take to knock out the USSR, then see if Germany could've managed it.

~Woo Stahel posting! He is definitely a fun read regardless of if one agrees or doesn't. I am infamous for being a Barbarossa truther, I think Germany definitely "could have won" in the East. But of course, it is all around what we mean by that. If I was isekai'd into the head Third Reich in July of 1940 with a cadre of mutuals wielding absolutely authority, could I have beat the Soviets? Absolutely, none could possibly resist my strategic genius, honed on endless rounds of Hearts of Iron & Lesswrong blog posts. But that isn't a realistic scenario right, that isn't going to happen; Nazi Germany didn't have nearly enough hot elf chicks to attract any isekai protagonist portals, for one. We need to be specific here.

I tend to think the material constraints are definitely not overwhelming, the Nazis had a ton of slack. You mention the withheld reserves, and as you know from Stahel's earlier works the entire operation was run on blindly optimistic assumptions, the simple idea that a massive operational victory would usher in complete collapse, and so reserves were unnecessary. A me-at-the-helm Germany with no extra magical resources could still have had double the tank numbers, double the planes, probably a solidly higher cadre of rolling stock for resupply, and certainly things like better winter equipment (there would be hard limits, like truck supply isn't getting much higher I don't think). Something I have often highlighted is that while the Germans were "fuel constrained" it was with a policy of keeping fuel in reserve in large quantities, they were not close to the bottom in 1941. If they treated 1941 as "maximal effort, do-or-die", as I think they should to exploit their real-but-definitionally-temporary doctrinal-tactical advantage, they could not only have had bulkier armored formations and more supply "units" but ran more units in the field at the same time and for harsher tempos - part of why they didn't "field more tanks" is that they thought they were at their supply cap, but that was a policy choice.

I think you in other posts have shown you read the recent ACX review of How The War War Won, a stellar book. They mention in that review that the Germans had as many people working in airplane manufacturing as the US did in late war - of course making far less planes. But still, that was far higher than they were in 1941! Those people generally existed then, many were Soviet POWs but by no means all. Germany "woke up" to the stakes of their war in 1942, and began much more intensive economic mobilization then; nothing material was stopping that sooner.

Something that the Battle of Kiev also breaks down is a common idea that the Nazi operational advantage was predominantly in the surprise of the opening operation, that all their units were pristine and executing long-rehearsed plans, and that the path of Barbarossa was a sort of inevitable fade of that surprise. There is truth in that of course but Kiev was well after the surprise had worn off, and using units that on the Nazi's own operational charts said were so shredded as to be "unfit for offensive operations". And they still pulled off the greatest operational victory Nazi Germany ever achieved anyway. So much of Stahel's (very impressive and valuable) work is listing out like August 1941 memos and diary entries about how the Mud Sea of the Russian Steppe and the endless hordes of Soviet bodies had burned down the spirit of the soldiers, and how all the German officers were getting into fistfights with each other over a broken operational plan they had to pivot on the fly. But they kept winning, so?

Something I will criticize Stahel for is that, to make his case work, he needs Kiev to be exceptional, which he finds in Stalin's idiocy and meddling, making it a battle that should never have happened, that any sane leader would have averted. And Stalin is no strategic genius, for sure. But the case is way too strong - it rests on the hindsight 20/20 idea that the Soviet Union could just toss aside the economic assets of the Ukraine and just go on fighting. We know that that happened, that they could do that. But their victory masks how close to economic collapse they got, the days the spent on starvation-level calories building tanks that broke down after a single battle while running their rail stock and truck fleet into the ground. Perhaps, to not get into it right now, to only be bailed out by Lend Lease, the scale of which in 1941 the USSR could not have bet its horse on. He presents an overly rosy view of the idea of "strategic retreat" that the reality of war and internal Soviet thinking doesn't quite match.

Which is all to say that, under many timelines, the Nazis would have found victories like Kiev, and the Soviet leadership was not comically stupid. Our scenario of victory does no rely on a rigged game of the Nazi leadership becoming ubermensch while the Soviet rats witlessly scurry about their sinking ship or anything. I do think that a Nazi leadership that took the Soviets seriously, prepped intensively, understood the stakes that failing to achieve a quick victory meant a two-front war with probably the US on England's side, a war where they would be outnumbered 5 to 1, and so any price to boost the odds was worth paying, could have at least set themselves up for something like a win. Not guaranteed or anything, maybe not even 50% odds, but a solid chance.

Okay this went way longer than I expected, so to wrap it up quickly the next level is to ask - could the existing Nazi leadership have realized that? Can I kill off or brain-transplant just like few people and change how they operate enough while still keeping them as coherently the same entity? And I think to that the answer is probably not. I'll set aside the long case here, but you know it from reading Stahel - they had awful infrastructure for strategic planning, the median think tank today has a bigger staff than OKW did, they had ideological blinders on Soviet capabilities which they could not shed pre-first blood, etc.

And more importantly, in 1941 they were winning. They seemed safe, they seemed fine. Like, all that 1942 mobilization of the economy? It was done in part via mass-scale slavery and forced starvation. Something the Nazis were perfectly willing to do in 1943! But after they had just conquered Paris? Telling its new allies in Romania or whatever "hey we conquered Europe but our situation is so desperate we need forced labor battalions to man the Skoda Works factories"? This just isn't how politics works, no combatant did that in World War Two. The Allies in their ludicrous industrial might could afford that mistake; the Axis, trying to thread the needle of victory through the miracle eye of unlikely probabilities, could not. I don't think getting so deft a strategic tailor at the helm of the Nazi strategy was in the cards in 1941 in any of the "adjacent" timelines. You would need something pretty big to shift.

[charmedreincarnation]

hi!i'm new in your account.

i'm so tired of my 3d,i want to enter the void state,as someone who's manifested nothing,who's obsessed with void,who' lazy af,who's always complains and all that shit,what you would recommend?

i would be happy to have an answer, I don't know what to do, I don't wanna live as me.

and i'm bad person, everyone hates me,i want to be loved :(

Ok long response incoming!!

If you're someone who is feeling stagnant and is looking for a way to break free from your 3D reality and enter into the Void state, I have a few tips for you.

Firstly, is to find your inner calm. It's important to be mindful and practice mindful exercises, such as meditating or even just focusing on your breath. This can help to quiet your thoughts and tap into the creative energy of the Void.

Second, take time out for yourself to relax and reflect. We often forget to take time out of our day to focus on ourselves and our inner needs. Find activities that help you relax and rejuvenate, such as walking in nature, art, reading, writing or even just having a hot cup of tea.

Thirdly, focus on harnessing your intent and visualizing your desired outcome. The Void is all about potential waiting to be realized. Spend time visualizing what it is you want to create. Get into a space of stillness and focus on sending out your intentions into the world. Believe that you can bring into existence what it is you wish to experience and attract it into your life.

Lastly, don't be afraid to take action when necessary. The Void is a creative space, and you don’t have to put it any work if you don’t want but you’re already speaking negative about yourself and habits so maybe you should to put in some work to manifest the things you desire. Be willing to step outside of your comfort zone and trust in your intuition to show you what is possible.

As for your last two statements, outside from an loa perspective, I've seen many people in similar situations where they start to feel like everyone around them hates them or don't have the same love for them that they would like. It can be a difficult situation to deal with, and trust me I would know and I’ve been here.

it is important to acknowledge that feeling of being unloved and take ownership of your own emotions - no one else is responsible for how you feel, not in a harsh way but in a way I mean that we create animosity toward ourselves. I promise no one feels towards you what you’re projecting that others feel towards you. All this is coming internally.

Second, try to shift your mindset and focus on more positive thoughts like how much you do love yourself, what you appreciate about yourself, and how you are unique. Remind yourself that everyone has faults, but that you are worth loving.

Thirdly, be kind to yourself. No one will love you more unconditionally than you can for yourself. You are a soul stuck in this body remember that, you might as well treat yourself with maximize kindness and love okay? Take the time for self-care and do something for yourself that brings you joy. Take a relaxing bath, read a good book or write in a journal. Journaling can help process your thoughts and emotions, so taking the time to write out your feelings can be beneficial in understanding your emotional state and helping address any underlying issues. I also want to add going outside and laying in the sunlight and listening to birds chirp and life’s beauty helps! I hate to minimize depression and self hatred to being solved by going outside but I promise the sunlight and earth helps from personal experience

Finally, if you feel like no one loves you, and that you are bad person, try to think of someone that does care about you and show appreciation for them. You can also try reaching out to a friend or even a mental health professional to discuss how you feel and get some guidance and support.

I know it can be hard to cope with feeling unloved, but it is possible to take steps to cope with this feeling and build better relationships with others and yourself. Remember, you are never alone and there is someone out there that cares about you. If you ever need someone to talk to, please reach out.

Now through an loa scope.

As we know law of attraction states that your thoughts and emotions are the most powerful tools for creating the life that you want. For example, if you are feeling bad about the current situation you are in, the law of attraction says that if you focus on the positive aspects of the situation, you will start to attract more of what you want.

For example, if you think to yourself “I don’t want to live as myself because everyone hates me”, try to shift your focus to why people may not hate you. Maybe you are an incredible listener or have a generous spirit. Whatever it is, focus on those qualities and start to believe in yourself.

It is also important to speak positively about yourself and the situation. It can feel silly at first but studies have shown that speaking positively about yourself is one of the most powerful tools for creating change in your life. So instead of telling yourself “I am bad person” try replacing that thought with something like “I am doing my best and I will get through this”.

As you start to focus on the positive aspects of the situation and tell yourself encouraging words, you will start to feel your energy shifting. You will become more confident in yourself and be able to take control of your life. You will know that even if people don’t always love you, you have the power to make your life something you can be proud of.

Even scientifically (long study ahead sorry I’m a psychology nerd :p)

Smiling, even when we’re feeling down, can actually be beneficial to our mental health. This phenomenon is known as the Facial Feedback Hypothesis, which is a suggested psychological phenomenon derived from the study of Charles Darwin, where he suggested that facial expressions can influence emotional states.

So how does this work exactly? According to the Facial Feedback Hypothesis, when we move certain muscles in our face, it can trigger the autonomic nervous system to react and send signals to our brain to change the emotional state we’re in. For example, when we smile, certain muscles in the face need to be contracted. This then sends signals to the brain, which in turn releases endorphins—a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and happiness—in the body. This then can make us feel better.

Studies have also been conducted to further support this hypothesis. One of these studies found that even forcing a person to smile—even though they may not be feeling happy—can lead to cognitive changes in behavior which resulted in a positive emotional state. So even if you don’t necessarily feel like smiling, if you force yourself to do it then, according to this study, it can lift your spirits.

Another study has also made the connection between facial expressions and mood. In this study, participants were asked to maintain a neutral expression while appreciating different positive and negative images. The results of the study showed that when participants were asked to maintain a neutral expression, they tended to be less impacted by the images that were presented. On the other hand, when participants were asked to smile while looking at the images, they felt their emotions were impacted more significantly. This is thought to have been because of the Facial Feedback Hypothesis, as the act of smiling activated their brain’s reward system, leading them to feel more emotionally engaged with the images they were looking at. I’m not saying smile through your misery, I’m saying there are ways to help you no for one not feel the need to hate yourself because you are so loved. I just want you to understand that you have the power to create positive change in your life and it’s a liberating feeling, and I hope that this knowledge helps you feel better when faced with difficult circumstances.

The tongue is powerful and you found the law so you can make the best of your life and be your dream self but that change starts within.

[ohheyidothat]

Guess who’s saved enough extra money to take a little break from working 🥰🥰 meeeeeeee! I put in my two weeks today.

I’ve been saying “I’m like a month away from burnout” for like a year? So I’m really ready for a break.

My health needs it—I’ve been barely managing an issue that is treated with Lots Of Schedule And Effort, or Emergency Surgery. I’m excited to put more time into managing it! I do not want the emergency surgery.

I’m worried that the lack of schedule will make it hard to do anything. I’m worried I’ll stay in bed and get depressed. My main motivator in life has been Do This Task Or Lose Your Housing/Necessities/Etc. I kinda struggle to do things for other reasons. Like for fun! Or for long-term benefits that aren’t noticeable right away.

I want to test out some schedules and find one that works for me. I bet there’s a handful of ways to maximize my rest! (Is that resting if I’m busy worrying about the efficacy of the rest?)

I want to plan activities. I want to catch up on the things I’ve realized I lack. I want to learn to cook! I want to figure out how to motivate myself without resorting to Fear. And I want to enjoy being outside while I have the chance to.

I want to learn to plan things. I want to catch up on the stuff I’ve been procrastinating for years. I want to grow a vegetable, or at least fail to grow it—even failing is a goal, because it means I tried!

I’ve learned a lot while working. I’ve learned a lot about social cues and charisma (even if I haven’t figured out how to emulate them). I’ve learned about healthy boundaries and standards. I’ve learned which things I can stand up for, easily, because society actually accepts certain boundaries (needing to leave work 20 minutes early to get a medicine that will ensure you don’t end up in the hospital before your next shift). And I’ve learned which things I should stand up for, with the knowledge that some things are going to be a fight because society doesn’t accept them (needing a day off because that was the earliest appointment your doctor had, and you are not willing to wait an extra week for an appointment on your usual day off).

And I’ve finally learned how to handle people who belittle me! I’m still perfecting it lol. (I’m bad at it still.) But the trick is—ignore them! If you have to acknowledge them, do so as succinctly as possible, and then proceed to ignore them lol.

[uncloseted]

How do you feel about the AI taking over creative jobs discourse? Apologies if you’ve already talked about it, I just wanna add my experience.

Idk why people are getting so freaked out. DGMW, I completely see the worry, but as someone who works in a writing/marketing job everyday, the notion that AI could ever produce the kind of work we do, and well at that, is absolutely not possible. It either makes things sound too casual or very unnatural, it’s hard to make it sound completely authentic. Also, we use AI as a tool IN my job! It HELPS AID us in our work, helps with proofing (admittedly, not always perfectly) but we in the industry use it like a brainstorming tool. It’s actually an amazing tool when utilized correctly, and we know it’s not going to be, like, stealing our jobs from actual talented people. We treat it like an additional pair of helping hands, not stealing hands, or whatever.

I think I've written on this before but I can't find it so it's totally okay that you couldn't find it either 😭

I do definitely get your point. I think AI can be a super useful tool for creative people in the same way that digital animation tools have been useful for the animation industry. But I think this take is putting a lot of trust in industry to make good decisions, and I think that trust is largely misplaced. Corporations don't necessarily care if the work they're producing is bad as long as it's making them money. Sure, an AI is never going to write Before Sunrise. But an AI could probably have written The Super Mario Bros. Movie, because it's a cash grab- people will see it whether or not it's good.

And big corporations know that. They're willing to sacrifice quality in the name of maximizing profit. If that means getting an AI to write a script and having one person go through it to make it seem more human, they're going to do that, because it's less expensive than hiring a whole team of writers to come up with it from scratch. This is one of the big reasons that the Writer's Guild of America is currently striking (and everyone on this blog should support them in that). We've already seen that push to sacrifice quality for profit in action- studios have increasingly been moving towards "Mini Rooms", where only three or four writers are responsible for writing the scripts for a production instead of the usual eight or more. This means that on some productions, the opportunities for writers are essentially being halved, writers are getting paid less for doing more work, new writers are struggling more than usual to break into the industry, and existing writers are having trouble advancing to becoming showrunners.

The SAG-AFTRA actors strike is for similar reasons (and everyone on this blog should also be supporting the SAG-AFTRA strike!) - studios want to be able to scan a background performer’s image, pay them for a half a day’s work, and then use their image for the rest of time without their consent and without paying them royalties. That's a huge blow to the number of roles that will be available for working class actors, in an industry that's already over-saturated. And think about what that could do to the acting industry as AI technology gets better- why would you cast an unknown actor as your lead when you can just resurrect Marilyn Monroe or de-age Harrison Ford? Sure, it will probably look a little janky, but it doesn't matter- it's cheaper, and people will go see it regardless of whether or not the computer generated imagery looks good. Already, janky versions of Anthony Bourdain and Andy Warhol's voices have been re-created instead of hiring an actor to do that work.

And all of this is predicated on the idea that AIs won't get better at their jobs. Sure, they produce copy that sounds unnatural now, but they're not going to stay that way forever. Chat-GPT only launched on November 30, 2022, and already, it's head and shoulders above past AI models that we've had. The more people that use it for their jobs, the more inputs that it gets, and the better it will get at producing "correct" responses. And if people start building AI models with creative industries in mind (which they will), those technologies are going to get better and better, too- at least good enough that they can compete with someone who's kind of mediocre at their job. AI is a tool now, but there's a point at which it could reasonably take over the job on its own, and I don't think that's as far in the future as we might think.

I'm sure there are some studios and agencies that will continue to create human-based work because it is better quality. For example, I doubt A24 is going to convert to AI written scripts or AI background actors any time soon. But even then, it's likely that those studios and agencies will cut down on the number of people they hire and supplement the extra work with an AI. Or, like they did with the advent of the internet, cut down on the number of people that they hire and then increase the speed at which they produce work, creating a more stressful working situation overall.

The bottom line is that I do think AI is a very real threat to creative industries, and it will continue to be unless we decide on how it can and can't be used from now, when it hasn't caused much chaos yet. Corporations don't have the best interests for humans or humanity at heart. Their bottom line is profit, and it always will be. That's why we keep getting remakes of remakes of remakes and reboots upon reboots upon reboots and gritty reimaginings of nostalgic properties. And so if increasing profits means automating out the work of people who actually like their jobs, so be it. That's what they're going to do.

[hralliance]

Affordable Men’s T-Shirt Sale Starts Now

If you’re on the hunt for stylish and affordable clothing, you’re in for a treat! The much-anticipated men’s t-shirt sale has officially begun, offering a fantastic opportunity for fashion-forward individuals to update their wardrobe without breaking the bank. With the rise of online shopping, finding the perfect men’s t-shirt has never been easier. Whether you’re looking for a classic fit or something a bit trendier, there’s something for everyone in this sale.

Why You Should Consider the Men’s T-Shirt Sale

The men’s t-shirt sale features a diverse range of styles, colors, and sizes. This isn’t just a chance to save money; it’s an opportunity to refresh your look with quality pieces. T-shirts are a versatile wardrobe staple, ideal for layering or wearing on their own. With the seasonal shift, having a few new tees can reinvigorate your daily outfits.

Benefits of Shopping Online for Men’s T-Shirts

Shopping online stores for men’s t-shirts offers several advantages. First and foremost, it provides a wider selection than most brick-and-mortar stores. You can easily browse through various styles, from graphic tees to plain essentials, all from the comfort of your home. Plus, online shopping often includes detailed size guides and customer reviews, helping you make informed decisions.

Another major benefit is the convenience of shopping at any time. Whether you’re on your lunch break or relaxing at home in the evening, you can browse and buy men's black t-shirts online or any other style that catches your eye. This flexibility is a significant advantage for busy individuals who might struggle to find time to shop in person.

Finding the Perfect Fit

When it comes to t-shirts, fit is key. The right fit can elevate your look and enhance your confidence. During the men’s t-shirt sale, make sure to check the size charts provided by the online stores. Many brands offer various fits, such as slim, regular, and relaxed. Consider trying on different styles to see which one suits your body type best. If you’re uncertain about sizing, don’t hesitate to reach out to customer service for assistance.

Styling Your New T-Shirts

Once you’ve chosen your favorite t-shirts from the men’s t-shirt sale, think about how you can style them. A basic men’s t-shirt can be dressed up or down, making it a versatile piece for any occasion. For a casual look, pair your tee with jeans or shorts and sneakers. If you want to dress it up a bit, consider layering it under a blazer or a light jacket, along with chinos and loafers.

Don’t forget to accessorize! A stylish watch, a cap, or even a necklace can add personality to your outfit. The beauty of a simple men’s t-shirt is that it allows for creative styling without overshadowing your unique flair.

Sustainability and Quality

With an increasing emphasis on sustainability in fashion, many online stores are now offering eco-friendly men’s t-shirts. Look for brands that prioritize organic materials or ethical manufacturing processes. Not only will you feel good about your purchase, but you’ll also be investing in quality pieces that last longer. During the men’s t-shirt sale, keep an eye out for these sustainable options to ensure that you’re making responsible choices for both your wardrobe and the planet.

FAQs

How long will the men’s t-shirt sale last?

The duration of the sale varies by store. It’s best to check the specific online store for exact dates, as many sales are time-sensitive and may end quickly.

Can I return or exchange items bought during the sale?

Most online stores offer return and exchange policies, but they can differ. Always read the store’s return policy before making a purchase, especially during a sale.

Are there discounts available for bulk purchases?

Many online stores provide discounts for bulk purchases or multiple items. Check the site for any current promotions or coupon codes that can maximize your savings during the men’s t-shirt sale.

What sizes are available in the sale?

The availability of sizes will depend on the specific store. Most online retailers typically offer a range of sizes, from small to XXL or larger. It’s a good idea to consult the size chart provided on the product page.

How can I find the best deals during the sale?

To find the best deals, compare prices across different online stores and sign up for newsletters. Many retailers send exclusive discounts and promotions to subscribers, allowing you to take full advantage of the men’s t-shirt sale.

Conclusion

The affordable men’s t-shirt sale presents an excellent opportunity to update your wardrobe with stylish and comfortable pieces. By shopping online, you can enjoy the convenience of a vast selection, easy access to customer support, and the chance to score great deals. Remember to explore the various styles, fits, and sustainable options available during the sale. Whether you’re looking to buy men's black t-shirts online or explore other vibrant colors, this sale is your chance to grab high-quality t-shirts at unbeatable prices. Happy shopping!

[chipotle]

On evacuations and hurricanes

It’s so easy, watching on the news, to scream at people who don’t evacuate ahead of oncoming storms. I get it. I scream at them, too. It’s often a fitting reaction. And yet. Evacuation is a process. It’s not “throw a handful of things in an overnight bag and floor it.” You still need to put in the time, money, and effort of preparing your house (or condo, or apartment) for the storm, to maximize the chance of having anything to come back to. You need to have somewhere to go: if you don’t have a friend somewhere out of harm’s way you can stay with, the farther you’re going to have to drive to find a hotel room or an open shelter, and the worse the traffic jam will be getting there. You can solve those problems if you evacuate earlier—before the mandatory orders come down—but only if you have the resources to do so. As I’m typing this, on a beautiful-looking Tuesday morning with a partly cloudy blue sky outside my office window, I’m more or less in the path of Hurricane Milton. If it sticks with projections, it’ll pass within 60 miles of here. Over the past day or so, I’ve watched many people who need to panic do so—and many people who maybe don’t need to panic do so, too, often because people are shouting at them on social media to panic. I don’t doubt this is well-intentioned, but I doubt it’s helpful. There’s a straightforward metric to use to decide if you should evacuate: If you are in an evacuation zone that’s been told to evacuate, evacuate. If you aren’t, don’t. Sure, there are exceptions—for instance, if you need power for medical devices, get to a special needs shelter. But evacuating when you don’t need to is at best unnecessary and at worst makes things fractionally worse for people who do have to evacuate by putting one more vehicle on the road and occupying one more hotel room. I’ll be surprised if we don’t lose power and wired internet by Thursday morning, but despite being in the “Greater Tampa Bay Area,” I’m over 30 miles inland on relatively high ground. (“High” is always relative in Florida, of course, but we’re 70 feet over sea level.) There are flooding concerns if the conditions are right, because they’re inescapable here—the state is full of lakes and rivers—but for now they’re not likely. See you on the other side. Footnote: wildfire threat in California vs. hurricane threat in Florida I feel—tentatively—like it’s easier to provision a home (or subdivision) with fire breaks than it is to protect against storm surges, hurricane force winds, and floods. Beyond that, this makes three out of three years I’ve been back in Florida with the area I lived in under the threat of a major hurricane, while there were zero out of twenty years in California with the area I lived in under the threat of burning down. Also, the last two years have taught me to stop treating “it’s okay, it’s a dry heat” as a joke. I’d take a Sacramento August over a Florida one in a heartbeat. (originally published at Coyote Tracks)

[neobestiary]

About Spirits

Spirit (plural spirits)- The source of the supernatural! Spirits are wondrous beings with all sorts of abilities! In addition to being able to shapeshift, the very laws of physics bend to their will! Spirits come in five varieties:

Gnome (plural gnomes)- Contrary to what you might think, gnomes are far from the short, stout men you’d find decorating a Western front yard. Gnomes are spirits that specialize in manipulating inorganic solid matter! They can pass through walls and floors like it’s air, too. Gnomes mostly have reptilian features on them, so if you see a chameleon- or turtle-like person suddenly moving the ground to their whim, you might just be looking at a gnome!

Psychopomp (plural psychopomps)- Death gods, shinigami, whatever you wanna call them, they can communicate with the souls of dead humans and animals—or so they claim—and they can even visit the realm of the dead! Or so they claim. Psychopomps look like all sorts of mammals, and because of that they’re some of the most diverse spirits around. Kitsune? Centaurs? Selkies? All three of those and more are psychopomps!

Sylph (plural sylphs)- Another of the classical elementals, sylphs can manipulate inorganic gasses of all sorts, or in Paracelsian terms, wind! Sylphs resemble birds, and they tend to make that clear by flaunting their beautiful wings! Those wings are mostly just for show, though, since they can fly just fine without them. Did you know tengu are sylphs? I didn’t until one of them told me!

Undine (plural undines)- Undines control the flow of inorganic liquid matter—mostly water! They’ve all got fish-like attributes to them, making them quite adept at swimming! Piss off an undine and you might just suffer a forty-day storm or a rogue wave! Do note that some undines specialize in manipulating water-adjacent matter, such as ice and mercury, so their abilities are quite diverse.

Vulcan (plural vulcans)- They prefer the term “vulcan” to “salamander” to minimize confusion and maximize brevity. Vulcans manipulate plasma (the state of matter), and it seems that humans in the old days mistook it as manipulating fire, because plasma can cause fires. Vulcans resemble amphibians, such as frogs and salamanders, the latter of which they got their historical name after. Vulcans are said to be some of the most destructive spirits; I’ve seen some discharge blasts of electricity and create miniature stars!

Ichor (uncountable)- A spirit’s body contains a substance called ichor, which is essentially their blood. It’s like the sand in the hourglass that tells them how long they have left to live: it slowly depletes over the course of hundreds of years, and if they ever receive a wound or expend too much of their energy, ichor leaks out. In either case, the spirit dies and dissolves into nothing. Spirits can change their form, but only as much as their ichor allows them to. The more ichor a spirit has, the larger on average they are, because they can’t shrink to a smaller size.

Petrichor (uncountable)- A spirit’s skin. Petrichor is malleable and can expand or contract a good bit. However, it’s quite thin (about as thin as human skin), and breaking it causes ichor to bleed out. If a wound isn’t treated in time, then the spirit will eventually bleed out and die. Petrichor can be replenished by consuming organic matter, but ichor doesn’t, so spirits should still be careful with their bodies. Petrichor is what allows spirits to change their form. In addition to being malleable, it can also change color and texture. Petrichor varies between spirits: a vulcan’s petrichor is warmer and smoother than that of a gnome, for example.

Spirits, overall, have extremely delicate physical bodies. Their petrichor is extremely thin, and puncturing it makes their ichor leak out and evaporate. Spirits don’t leave a trace when they die, which also means that they don’t have a fossil record, and their origins are still shrouded in mystery, even to themselves. Spirits can live extremely long lives which can reach thousands of years. They also reproduce asexually, and every fifty years they lay a single egg from which their young hatches. Sexuality and gender are simply constructs to them, so spirits can identify however they please, whenever they please!

Eldritch (plural eldritch)- An eldritch is a term given to any spirit that’s still alive even when they’re supposed to be dead. Like a zombie, except they’re as intelligent as normal spirits are. Eldritch do require some living matter to feed off of to survive, though, and while some regularly feast on detritus or carrion, others will simply possess a living host and start a strange symbiotic relationship that depends from eldritch to eldritch. The powers of an eldritch typically exceed those of other spirits, but that’s not always the case.

Archspirit (plural archspirits)- Spirits have their own form of government; archspirits are leaders of their respective local populations, acting on their behalf and protecting them from harm. In that sense, they’re like tribe leaders. An archspirit’s abilities are also much more potent than that of an average spirit, to an extent that makes them comparable to eldritch, so they’re treated with great respect among the locals. For instance, Hamada Alchias is an archspirit who resides in Tokyo, and thus the spirits living in Tokyo are his subjects.

[battlestarbones]

There's a LOT of well-intentioned misinformation on this post from many many people, but I'm reblogging this comment bc it's the most detailed comment I saw. The above is mostly correct, but a few details are wrong. (110/70 is a lovely, perfectly normal BP and so is 100/60, especially for healthy young people. 135 on top is "elevated" but almost never acutely concerning and so is 95 on the bottom, although it's relatively more elevated.)

Sources: American Heart Association (linked where relevant below) and my education as a 4th year USAmerican medical student. This post is intended as education-only and not as medical advice for any specific individual or situation.

The most important thing missing from most of the advice on this post is that a concerning blood pressure is context-dependent.

Here is a chart from the American Heart Association. From here. All the numbers discussed below are for adults only.

As you can see, a normal BP is <120/80. Usually 90/60 is considered the bottom end of normal BP. This is the ideal range to be in over the long term (for most people) because it is healthiest for your heart, blood vessels, and kidneys. If you're concerned about low blood pressure, you can read more here.

Chronically elevated blood pressure is considered hypertension and should be treated with lifestyle changes and medication to maximize long term health. By definition, hypertension cannot be diagnosed from a single elevated BP reading. It requires multiple readings separated in time.

If you are reading this and already have high blood pressure diagnosed by your doctor, following their advice is your best strategy!

What is a concerning blood pressure? That depends on a lot of factors.

An acute change in BP is often the most concerning. The body habituates/adjusts to even an abnormal BP over time, so it will tolerate BPs in that range better than someone who usually has a very different BP.

For example, a BP of 200/120 is dangerously high for anyone. But I would be much more concerned about it in someone whose typical BP is 120/80 than in someone who has poorly-controlled hypertension and whose BP was 180/110 at their PCP visit last week. That high blood pressure is still going to do a lot of damage long term in the chronic hypertension patient, but I'm much less worried about their body being unable to handle it acutely over hours to days (e.g. causing flash pulmonary edema, hemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction) than I am about the patient without hypertension who suddenly has a sky-high BP. Additionally, quickly lowering BP to "normal" in a patient who has had a very high BP for a long time is often dangerous.

In the opposite direction, a BP of 85/55 is very low, but I am much more worried about that BP in a patient who usually has a normal or high BP than if I'm seeing a patient with chronic systolic heart failure on maximum medical therapy whose BP is maybe 90/60 on a good day. I'm much more worried about the cause of the low BP (and potentially the consequences) in the patient who should have a normal to high BP, compared to the heart failure patient.

As a very general guideline, intended just to provide more context on what a BP reading might mean:

If you are feeling well, a BP reading between 120/80 and about 160/100 is a good reason to make an appointment to see your primary care doctor. They can repeat your BP and give you advice.

If you are feeling well, a BP reading higher than 160/100 is a good reason to call your PCP and ask to speak to someone in the office about how soon they would like to see you.

Now we'll get to the section labeled in the chart as Hypertensive Crisis. The new guidelines break this into 2 categories:

1. Hypertensive Urgency

If the top number is >180 OR the bottom number is >120 AND you're feeling well, this is considered hypertensive urgency. You should call your PCP right away for advice and may need to go to the emergency room, especially if you can't speak to or see your PCP.

2. Hypertensive Emergency

Hypertensive emergency is the ONLY situation in which elevated blood pressure is a true medical emergency. Hypertensive emergency occurs when high blood pressure causes damage to your organs. This is diagnosed when the top number is >180 OR the bottom number is >120 AND you have signs/symptoms of "target organ damage."

From the AHA.

tl;dr: whether a blood pressure reading is "concerning" depends on the context. if you feel well in the moment, your blood pressure is probably not acutely dangerous. if you have any concerns about your own blood pressure, you should talk to a primary care provider. (also fyi cocaine and other non-prescription stimulant use can cause severely elevated blood pressure in otherwise healthy young people and for that reason can lead to severe complications including heart attack and stroke. i genuinely don't care what you put in your own body but i think people should be informed about the risks.)

[unhingedwomandiaries]

Want my old job back? Do I look like I've had a complete mental breakdown? What kind of absolute melon would willingly skip back into that beige purgatory of back-stabbing middle managers whose main talent seems to be pissing all over everyone else's parade?

My ex-"colleagues" (and yeah, those air quotes are doing heavy lifting) had all the moral fiber of a pound shop chocolate bar left in the sun. They're the sort who'd see you drowning and chuck you a concrete life ring, then toddle off to the break room to spread rumors about how Sharon from Accounts is definitely having it off with the coffee machine repair bloke.

And don't get me started on the managers – those brown-nosing berks in their TK Maxx suits hanging crooked like they got dressed in the dark. Just because they've memorized some LinkedIn posts about "maximizing human capital" doesn't give them license to treat us peasants like we're some forgotten Tamagotchi from the '90s. Have a word with yourself, mate.

But here's the kicker – apparently I'm the problem! According to my ex-mate (whose opinion I now value about as much as a broken kettle), I should've known my place. Sure, everyone who got promoted spent half their life having smoke breaks, but they had fancy degrees, didn't they? Meanwhile, there's me, stuck doing SAP programming like some digital house elf, because apparently my Bachelor's degree might as well have been printed on loo roll.

Oh, and get this – I'm "antisocial" because I didn't fancy spending my evenings in some grotty Wetherspoons, pretending to care about x from IT's latest DIY disaster. Sorry I didn't want to watch you lot get plastered on cheap pinot grigio while moaning about your kids! And apparently, my crime of actually caring about the clients and doing more than the bare minimum was some sort of cardinal sin. Heaven forbid someone actually takes pride in their work!

They reckon I was "overpaid" for my "mid-level work" – rich coming from a bunch who couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery without forming three committees and a focus group first. And now they've got some poor sod doing my job for peanuts, probably making them turn their camera off during Zoom calls so no one can see them crying into their Pot Noodle.

But here's the best bit – I'm "welcome to apply" for my old job back! Yeah, and I'm welcome to stick my head in a woodchipper, but surprisingly, neither option appeals. They suggested that next time (ha!) I should "have a better personality" and "be a team player outside of work." Because apparently, being good at your job means nothing if you're not down the pub every Thursday, participating in the office's unofficial drinking Olympics.

Stick in the mud, am I? Well, I'd rather be stuck in mud than floating in whatever cesspit of corporate backstabbing they're swimming in. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to write an angry letter to Walkers about their pathetic excuse for crisp packet sealing. At least that'll be more productive than another bloomin' team building exercise.

P.S. If anyone from my old work is reading this – yes, the "chit-chat area" of the work chat was still inappropriate, you absolute muppets. Just because you label the bin "optional toxic waste" doesn't make it okay to dump nuclear materials in it, does it?

P.P.S. Here's word for word what my old boss actually said about me in a work Whatsapp group, "She's so ugly. There’s some stuff that needs to be said.

She was valued in her position. However, what she always fails to mention is that everyone who got promoted NEEDED to be. Her role was purely programming and project management-based, she was the only person doing her job and had nothing really to do with the role of the other 17 members of the team. It didn’t make sense to promote her in the way those others were promoted. She didn't know half of what those employees do, but claims she did (a lie). Yes, those people smoked, but she was also entitled to breaks. It was brought up by her manager (me); and she just never took them. Also, 4 hours smoke break is an exaggeration, x. The MD of the company wouldn't allow employees to take the mick with smoke breaks—she knows that and you should too, x. They also were vastly more experienced in the job, had knowledge, and were able to communicate with everyone both in their team and the wider company. Those people who got promotions, yes, they weren't perfect people, but they knew their stuff and were approachable. They were my friends and they went to the pub every week with us as a team. They went above and beyond outside of work. She never went out once with us. She's not a team player. I don't even think she can drink more than one beer.

Yes, there were times where they'd have fun and have jokes because being part of a team includes getting along with the people you work with. Sorry if she thought those jokes were inappropriate. She needs to get a grip and loosen up. Uptight American is what she is. When work needed to get done, it got done. That's why the company that paid her wages approved the promotions. It wasn’t just an internal thing.

She was also overpaid for the job role she did, and the company that ultimately paid her wouldn't put out more money because they didn’t want to. That sucks, yes. No need to moan about it. Moaning insinuates that she is slating us. That's lawyer up time and she knows that so she should shut her mouth.

She's more than welcome to apply for your job back, or even any other role, but maybe next time be the bigger person."

[amyannedivergentpractice]

Project Statement.

Throughout this project I will be looking at the living and surviving a depressive episode and mental breakdown. Exploring the different emotions which follow such as feeling trapped, fighting to be accepted and struggling to feel worth love or even worth self-love. With themes such as life/death, sculpture, maximalism and art deco together to create a bright, in your face, unapologetic sculpture which will be used in contrast to the previous statement of the shame which was felt after an unsuccesful suicide attempt. I intend on creating something which forces the viewer to look and to see/ live this experience with me, although typically you are expected to hide you depression (often seen as a taboo) you are often expected to feel shame surrounding this experience. Instead i am showing a feeling or progression and perhaps relief as if i had not attempted at that time I may not have been found and my life would not have been saved. My intentions for my work is to show progression and living on after an experience like that, not giving up and learning to live with yourself.

Throughout this project I will be taking inspiration from artists such as Anthony Gormley and his use of moulds, casting and the use of creating moulds of his own body. This allows Gormley’s work to become personal to himself as an artist. Also by looking back at some of my previous works such as: ‘Eye Sore.’ (2021), ‘Eye sore pt 2.’ (2021) with continuing the use of neon, eye catching tones and the use of a colour so bright it makes it difficult to look at.  ‘Restrained.’ (2023).  Also being a previous work which I was inspired by the use of three dimension protruding from the canvas.

By bringing in the neon colours and use of materials such as plaster I will be attempting to continue the themes of; mental illness, progression, life, feeling restricted and trying to break free.

Eventually i will be displaying my figure sculptures with materials like tiles and plaster board I intend on experimenting with different methods of creating, using moulds, plaster, mod-rock and will experiment with using materials to create a stand. 

I will be using/ experimenting with the neon colours to emphasise that even though you are expected to be ashamed of your experiences with suicide, it should still be spoken about and acknowledged and treated as a learning curve not a secret.

'Eyesore' (2021)

'Eyesore pt 2' (2021)

'Restricted' (2023)