#but also while covid and especially while this movement is happening? ????? they-

[waywardstation]

Bad Habits

[SEQUEL TO LEARNED BEHAVIOR] Akari thinks it’s funny that she’s essentially trained Lady Sneasler’s kits to tickle Ingo for food. It starts to lose its humor when it progresses to less playful methods, though.

It's been a while since I got a fic out, hasn't it? Long Covid's taken it's toll on my ability to focus and organize, and sadly write, but I still enjoy doing it just as much as before!! It just takes a little longer to pull things together for now ^^; I wrote this after my friends speculated on a possible sequel to the previous minutes fic I wrote.

OR read here on AO3!

Enjoy!

————

“Ah-hAh! Powder!”

Ingo jumped up from the dojo’s bench with an uncharacteristically-high shout, jerking as if he had been tasered in the back; Powder inadvertently came tumbling out of his coat with the movement, and sprawled onto the ground. The runt seemed unbothered by the jostling; she leapt up and scrambled under her favorite hiding place, the battlefield’s wooden platform, with a plump bean pod between her teeth. 

“Good job, Powder!” A fit of giggling from the bench behind him gave away who had orchestrated this, having once again slipped a bean pod into his coat. But this incident had repeated itself enough times by now that Ingo didn’t even need the hint anymore - how did she keep managing to sneak them in?

“I am… aware you find these situations humorous, Miss Akari,” Ingo fixed his crooked cap and smoothed his coat back down, his face flushing somewhat - he was not fond of such an embarrassing weakness of his constantly being exploited. And Akari’s constant incitement encouraged them to start tickling with intent now, rather than doing so incidentally while searching for food. “But I am afraid I must repeat myself; I really must implore you to stop going down these tracks. Do not positively reinforce this, please.”

“Oh come on Ingo, it’s funny!”  Akari popped open a pod and munched on one of the beans, brushing it off. His tone sounded a little annoyed or exasperated if she was being honest, but he always got a little defensive after a surprise tickle attack. “They’re just playing with you a little! I mean, it’s not like they’re hurting you or anything, right?”

Ingo remained stern, his expression not one of amusement; it appeared as if he viewed tickling to be just as unpleasant as getting hurt. 

“While that is technically true at the moment, I must remind you that they are steadily growing bigger.” He glanced over at Powder momentarily. “This continued behavior is unacceptable, not only because it is inapplicable for wilderness foraging and survival, but because it can also become dangerous for myself, and possibly even other people, as their venomous claws develop.”

The last point especially seemed to put a stop to Akari’s antics; with a look of contemplation, she seemed to consider his words. She was well aware the kits were growing - she got to witness the process almost every day - but she simply had not considered the long-term consequences.

The teen glanced over at Powder beneath the platform, still tearing at her prize with her claws. She knew it would eventually happen, but it was still hard to imagine they wouldn’t always be that size, and of their more subdued temperament.

Ingo’s stern reaction made more sense now.

“I didn’t really think about that.”  Akari turned the empty pod around in her fingers. “Yeah, I guess I should stop then. Sorry.”

But by then the damage had already been done, even if Akari herself did stop slipping beans and berries into his coat; the next time Ingo found himself under attack by the kits about a week later, it was entirely unprompted by the teen.

“We’re back!” Akari announced as she entered the training grounds, a basket held securely in her grip, and Zisu and Rei following behind her. Ingo looked over, away from all the sneasel kits he had been entertaining for most of the afternoon - the group had asked him to bring all the sneaslets to work today, so they could see how much they’d grown. The answer was… noticeably.

At the trio’s arrival, all nine kits scrambled towards them in a hurry to greet them, yowling as if they had been separated for thirty years, not thirty minutes. Rei and Zisu happily knelt down to pet them all, but Akari stepped around the tiny sneasels to approach Ingo.

“I take it you all had a pleasant lunch?” The warden questioned, seeming relieved to get a short break from the kits as he watched them swarm his companions. Though, Akari caught the quick glance he threw at the basket in her hands. 

“Yeah, it would have been nicer if you had joined us though.”

“I would have if I could.” Ingo’s frown pulled at the mere thought of attempting to bring nine sneasels along, or leaving them unattended at the training grounds to join her, Zisu, and Rei at The Wallflower.

Another glance at the basket. Akari mistook his trepidation for interest.

“I know, I know,” she brushed it off, before holding up the basket. “That’s why we brought you something back!”

Ingo’s expression immediately gave way to worry; it was exactly what he dreaded. “Miss Akari, you really didn’t need to-”

“-No, Zisu insisted!” The teen had expected him to resist. “We know you said you’d be fine, but you’ve been here all day. So we went to Floaro’s, which is why it took so long-”

Akari opened the basket and rooted around inside. She pulled out a Jubilife Muffin, and held it out to him. “-But we got one of these for you!”

Akari made the mistake of presenting it for all of the sneasel kits to see as well. Behind her, Ingo could see a few kits turn their heads towards her, forgetting all about Rei and Zisu in a second. His gratitude was pushed down deeper under another layer of alarm.

“Miss Akari, I appreciate the gesture, but I really couldn’t,” An attempt to prevent the inevitable.

“Really? He added oran berries to these ones, and it’s really good!” She tried to hold the muffin out, in hopes he’d take it.

Ingo barely processed her sentence. His gaze was locked past Akari’s shoulder. Four kits’ eyes were now focused intently on her back, along with Rei and Zisu’s own curious looks going between her and said kits.

“Perhaps later, I will try it,” The warden held his hands up, clearly not accepting the muffin. He wanted her to just put it back in the basket.

Another glance over her shoulder. Akari now had the attention of all nine sneasles. They stalked, approaching her carefully with a few more calculated steps. 

“Fine, but it’s not as good when it’s cold,” Akari shrugged, seeming to finally accept his rejection. But by then, it was too late - all nine kits finally took off, racing towards her. 

They were actually going to attack Akari.

Her hand still holding the muffin out, Ingo grabbed it and held it for the sneasels to see their original target no longer had what they desired. The horde immediately diverted from their route. They rushed around a surprised Akari, pouncing to instead latch onto Ingo’s pantlegs.

“Mochi, Duchess! Nettle! No-!” Ingo attempted to correct all the eager kits before they could climb any further up his legs. But his stern voice did nothing to stop the sneasels as they continued to knock into him and pile up.

Together, the tiny sneaslets felled their caretaker. With combined tugging on the pant legs and the collective weight of nine sneasels putting him off balance, Ingo was pulled backwards onto the ground. The moment of vulnerability cost him; the sneasel pile swarmed on top of him in seconds, like a flock of hungry staraptor on a single unfortunate cherubi. 

The kits got to work immediately; it only took seconds for Ingo’s demands to crumble into hysterics. 

“Hey, hEy-! Gh- nOho!” Ingo’s awkwardly-stifled bouts of laughter overtook any attempt to put authority in his voice as the group of sneaslets ganged up on him, pestering his most ticklish spots in hopes that he’d let go of his food. Nudging muzzles, nibbling teeth, and scritching claws - by this point, the kits had learned quite well how to quickly wear Ingo down. It took considerable effort for him not to roll over defensively, his fear of crushing them barely overpowering his desperate reflexes to protect himself. “Please! C-ceASe-! Before one of you- gaH!”

Before anyone could even move to help him, Ingo cut himself off with a sudden exclamation that sounded genuinely surprised, and not in a good way. The horde of sneasels abandoned him as quickly as they had pounced on him, leaving him behind to lie on the ground in front of a stunned Akari.

It only took a moment to become apparent why; their efforts had quickly been rewarded. Balm had managed to pry the muffin from Ingo’s weakened grip and had whipped around to bolt off with his prize as fast as he could, greedy as ever. The siblings’ cooperation instantly dissolved, and the rest of them raced after him in an attempt to steal the prize away, yowling excitedly.

Ingo quickly sat up to defend himself in case another attack would be imminent. But when it was clear the sneasels were too focused on chasing each other, he let out a sigh of relief and reached over to situate his hat back on his head; it had been knocked off in the squabble.

Akari stood there, trying to process what had just happened. Any amusement she normally would have felt gave way to confusion from being caught off guard, then slight concern as she realized Ingo was focused on his hand that previously held the muffin. “…Are you ok?”

“I am alright, but Balm appears to have bitten me… quite hard.” Genuine surprise in his voice overtaking any irritation Akari was expecting, Ingo inspected the soft part of his palm, now peppered with tiny red tooth marks. A few clearly had broken the skin, where new droplets of red began to spring up across his red-smeared palm.

“Here, here,” Akari hastily reached into her satchel for a few scraps of bandaging, handing it to him. The sight of Ingo’s blood dripping down his hand sent a sudden pang of guilt through her. And then that sent another pang when she realized it took Ingo getting hurt to feel this bad about it. “They’ve bitten you before?” 

“Yes. However, they have never drawn blood like this.” Ingo wrapped his hand securely, making sure the bandages covered every puncture.

Akari didn't know what to say to that. She glanced back over at the sneasel kits, now roughhousing over mere crumbs by the training ground’s fence, as Zisu helped Ingo back to his feet.

If the kits had ever used their teeth, they always nibbled on him gently enough to just tickle him. They never bit him hard enough to draw blood. And if any kit was going to bite that hard, Akari had expected it to be excitable Chomp, not mild-mannered Balm.

This wasn’t as playful as it used to be. 

Ingo’s warning of the kits’ development and all the problems that would come with it popped up into her mind again. Was this happening every time he had any kind of food out around them anymore? Ingo hadn’t wanted to accept the muffin from her at first; was it because he knew this would happen? She had stopped slipping food into Ingo’s coat to encourage them, but had she done it to the point of teaching them to do it independently?

…Perhaps, Akari realized, Ingo’s reason for skipping lunch today had extended further than simply wanting to babysit the kits attentively.

————

Ingo was not at the training grounds. He had been expected there early that morning, but he never showed up.

Akari only waited a total of fifteen minutes before telling Zisu she’d make sure he was ok, and had set out to go look for him. He had promised her an early-morning battle the day before, and he always made a point to follow through with his promises. If he didn’t show up, that meant he either came down with a debilitating illness overnight, he had gotten seriously injured on the way to Jubilife, or the Miss Fortune Sisters had decided to try and roadside rob him… again.

All three were situations he’d need help with though if he still was yet to show up, so Akari had set out immediately, backtracking on his usual route to Jubilife from the highlands. 

It had both relieved and worried her that she had made it all the way to the base of Mount Coronet without finding a trace of him. Where was he?

Surely he wasn’t still in Lady Sneasler’s den; it was almost noon by now. But, she had to be thorough. So Akari trekked up the mountainside, taking care to make sure no predatory pokemon were watching her as she deviated from the worn trails, and climbed up the cliffside to the entrance of Lady Sneasler’s den.

“Ingo?” She called out tentatively into the cavern. “Are you in here?”

There was no response.

But… she heard something quiet inside.

Were those the kits she heard? Akari shuffled a bit further in.

Squinting hard as her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, Akari bore witness to a massacre.

Nesting material was sifted about in uneven heaps, as if there had been a struggle. A multitude of shining eyes stared wide in the darkness, catching the dull light from outside as several faces kept focus on her. A motionless foot could barely be made out in the dimness underneath them, sticking out of a mass of indistinguishable, furry forms. The familiar black shoe that was expected to cover it was nowhere to be found amongst the site, most likely lost in the nesting layers.

Something had certainly happened here.

“Ingo?” Akari repeated with both a bit more alarm and certainty this time. The small forms with bright eyes collectively went stiff in the darkness, and a muffled groan sluggishly responded. The form beneath the kits moved ever so slightly.

“…Mmmiss Akari..?” The familiar voice slurred, as if half awake from a fever-induced sleep.

A short yet incredibly heavy stretch of silence, as Akari’s mind stalled on what to do. 

Was he hurt? How bad was it? Why wasn’t Lady Sneasler here? Did a wild Pokémon try to get into the den, and did it maul Ingo in his efforts to protect the kits? She still couldn’t see all that well, what if he was bleeding out, or-?

One of the many pairs of bright eyes flickered out of view as one of the indiscernible kits lost interest in Akari and lowered their head, presumably back towards Ingo. A second later, a subdued jolt of almost-laughter was heard, and the foot sticking out of the sneasel pile jerked suddenly.

“Taro, no-”

…Oh. 

Akari knew what had happened now. She let out a sigh of relief as Ingo continued to chuckle listlessly into the nesting material.

“…S-some assistance, please-“ 

————

Ingo bit into the pecha berry, wiping away the juice with the back of his hand (which still felt quite sluggish and heavy) as he chewed thoroughly. 

At least he could somewhat feel it on his tongue now, and his fingers were beginning to tingle. That was a good thing; it meant the berry was finally starting to lessen the venom’s numbing effects.

Ingo sighed through his nose as he chewed, and rested his head back against the cavern wall; with stiff nerves and muscles, it still took a lot of effort to hold his head up at this point. 

He remained there like that for a few moments, until he became aware something had entered the den. A lethargic glance over, and he met eyes with Akari as she approached to sit down next to him. 

She had returned from taking all of the kits outside the den, both to wait with them for their mother to return and hear what had happened, and to give Ingo some time to eat his pecha berries in peace, without fear of them attacking him for it.

“Um, Lady Sneasler just got back.” She reported after a moment of silence. “I told her what happened. She’s scolding all the kits right now.”

Ingo could hear her yowling from outside, muffled by the cavern walls. The tone was very upset, even more so than he had expected, if he was honest.

“So they just… attacked you while she was out hunting?” The teen’s eyes flitted away from the cavern entrance back to Ingo, who’s own eyes were still closed. With his gaze off of her, she freely observed the tiny scratches peppered around his skin. They were tinged purple around the edges, faded compared to earlier but still noticeable. 

“You’re on the right track.” Ingo paused eating to respond. “I believe they had simply become impatient for Lady Sneasler to return with breakfast, and thought they could instead awaken and pester food out of me as they always do, despite carrying none myself. Yet when I unsurprisingly relented nothing, they grew more aggressive with their efforts, until, well…”

Ingo trailed off. He didn’t have to say anything else, Akari knew the rest of it. He bit back into his berry, static still on his tongue.

“Ugh,” the teen leaned forward, hugging her knees. “Look Ingo, I feel really bad about all this. Like, really, really bad. I’m sorry, they wouldn’t be doing this to you if I hadn’t kept encouraging it.” 

Ingo didn’t exactly jump at the chance to defend her as he chewed on his pecha; while he usually took care not to speak with his mouth full, she had a feeling he was more so agreeing with her, but saving face by not voicing it.

And she couldn’t blame him, he had told her to stop more than once. 

“…I believe things simply derailed slightly more than you intended.” He summed up instead.

She would accept that. “Yeah, they did.”

Ingo swallowed down the last of his pecha berry and relaxed into the nesting materials, now just waiting for the pecha to continue doing its job. “But, this cannot continue; I must set them back on the right track. As Lady Sneasler’s caretaker, I am also responsible for the development of her young, and their success will reflect my abilities as a warden. They cannot sustain themselves on this method in the wilderness. And if anyone is harmed by this behavior, I will be at fault.”

Akari did not really know what to say to that. “So, um, do you know how to get them to stop doing this?”

It felt incredibly awkward - if not humbling - asking if he knew how to essentially clean up her mess.

Ingo simply shook his head. “I will be honest; a problem has developed that I am unsure how to surpass. This is Lady Sneasler’s first litter that she’s had under my care, and I admit that raising Pokémon entirely from adolescence is a different track from battling alongside them, the latter of which I can only faintly recall explicit experiences with. And they ignore any of my attempts to dissuade them. I am… not entirely sure how to conduct corrections to this specific behavior.”

Akari didn’t quite know either. It had progressed past the point of controlled incidents where it would only happen when she initiated it with a well-placed berry or bean pod, and developed into relentless attacks when food wasn’t even present, but simply desired.

She had no idea how to properly correct something as specific as this. But she felt obligated to at least try and figure it out. She put Ingo in this position, and felt he was being incredibly forgiving by not berating her for doing such a thing in the first place.

Though maybe, he suspected she was already doing that to herself enough. 

“Well, look. I kind of did this to you. I’m the one that taught them it was ok to attack people for food.” Akari fiddled with the end of her scarf. “So it’d only be right for me to help, uh, un-teach them. I know Irida’s coming next week to check on them all, and I don’t want to hear you got in trouble because they all attacked her or something.”

The mental image of that disaster seemed to make Ingo chuckle a little bit. She knew he was still under the effects of the poison then, because normally he wouldn’t have considered something like that humorous enough to laugh at.

“The tracks to their desired destination may be long, but help may shorten it. Your assistance in their correctional training would be greatly appreciated,” He finally responded to her offer. His general acceptance eased her guilt somewhat.

“Great. Tomorrow then, we start?” Today would be better, but she didn’t think Ingo would be in any state to start that today.

“Tomorrow fits my schedule just fine.”

[tobiasdrake]

Ace Attorney 4-3, Investigation 1. In keeping with Gavin being surprisingly friendly for a prosecutor, I love the way 4-3 spins directly out of our developing relationship with him specifically.

Klavier Gavin is the only prosecutor ever to voluntarily hang out with the protagonist prior to the big conclusion of their arc. Some prosecutors have showed up to hang out in future titles; In fact, Gavin does too. But this is the first time we've actually been able to get to know them before the showdown.

And you can see why, too. Gavin's not only the friendliest prosecutor. He's also the only one who. Like. Has a life outside the courtroom. Other than Edgeworth being a sentai fanboy, I guess.

This one's going to have to be in two parts.

Rockstar prosecutor Klavier Gavin is a rockstar. So we're going to set a chapter of the story at a rock concert. His rock concert. What a great idea.

OH YOU CAN BARELY TELL THAT A MAN WROTE THIS

The least believable thing in the entire Ace Attorney universe is that the Gavinners somehow have a successful rock career. Rock is a counterculture movement, giving voice to the unheard.

It is physically impossible to get any farther from counterculture than literally cops. This is it. The extreme distant end from counterculture. Who the hell would buy cop-themed rock?

The Daily Wire wishes conservative media was as well-received as the Gavinners.

It's especially bizarre when you consider that we're in the Dark Age of the Law, a period of time when the criminal justice system is so widely known to be corrupt and brutal that pop culture came up with a name for it while it was still happening. Everyone knows that the justice system is broken and exists solely to persecute the innocent but we're all gonna buy tickets to watch a bunch of cops play guitars and cheer for how cool prosecutors are.

Nonetheless, this is such an unassuming setup for a murder. Why would there be a murder? We're here to make music. We're here to make cop music. Can we have one nice evening? But no. Gavin and his guest star Lamiroir take the stage and....

It does not go well. In fact,

It goes aggressively not well. Fortunately, the victim lives long enough to tell us that Lamiroir saw him get shot.

Romein here speaking in code to give us a riddle to solve. I usually hate cryptic moments like this when characters use a short window of opportunity to speak in cryptic tongues rather than deliver useful information. But with Romein, it makes sense. The man has been shot and ours is not his first language. He's wracking his brain right now to find correct enough words to use.

In any case, this sets up our crime for chapter 4-3. A classic Whodunit in an enclosed space - complete with a vanishing killer who somehow teleported out of the room despite us breaking in through the only exit moments after the gunshots were heard.

A limited number of people have access to this backstage area and half of them are cops. One of them shot Romein LeTouse. Which means now would be a good time to talk about the cast of characters involved in this case.

We have two sets of characters here. First is the guest singer Lamiroir and her entourage.

The mysterious and lovely Lamiroir, a famous international singer who is probably the real reason all those people are here. Come for the legendary international celebrity but also cheer for the fucking cops so they don't get mad and shoot tear gas into the crowd.

Siren of the Ballad Lamiroir is easily our most interesting character in this case. Not originally from her "home country" of Borginia, her entire persona is a manufactured illusion.

As well as her manager and translator Romein LeTouse whose name makes me sad that our local salad buffet place shut down during COVID. He's one of only two people involved with this case who can interpret for Lamiroir, who speaks only a foreign language. That's a problem, seeing as he's our vic--

Oh, never mind, she can speak Japanese "English" just fine. They were doing that for publicity. Convenient!

And her blind child pianist Machi Tobaye. He and Lamiroir seem like they make for quite a pair. These two, I can believe having a famous musical career. Machi, incidentally, can "also" only speak his native language just like Lamiroir but I'm sure that won't be important.

These two characters form an inseparable performance duo from a foreign land, whose relationship with each other and their late manager will carry much of the intrigue for this case.

The other key set of characters would be our cops.

Of course we have Ema Skye, our embittered forensic scientist whose talents are wasted as a field detective. Of course, she's definitely off the suspect list on account of the fact that she was with us when the gunshots were heard.

There's Prosecutor Gavin who is having the worst day. He probably didn't dunit but then again it wouldn't be the first time, would it?

And Detective Dickhead. His hair truly must be seen to be believed. He is attempting to pull off the Japanese Thug Pompadour in a way that can only be described as, "Hello, Officer."

Just like Ema, Gavin and Daryan both have airtight alibis as well.

It's hard to get a stronger alibi than "Thousands of people saw me onstage while the murder was taking place."

AND THEN THERE'S THIS ASSHOLE

That's it. That's all we get. Glimpses of the Golden Fucko as he bazingas around dodging attention. Okay, dude. Way to not look suspicious, I guess.

That's it. That is our small cast of characters aside. It's not a lot of people to look into. In fact, Mysterious Golden Fucko aside, nobody seems capable of fitting everything we know about this mystery.

Continued in part 2.

[eli-xr8]

saw ur reply to the hell post. i want to hear your beef

ALRIGHT. Warning, I have a lot of this.

This is a guide to every heresy, every scandal, and every instance of utter bullshit I know of from Hillsong, Elevation, Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Kat Kerr, and others. This is a message to those that follow their teachings, and a guide for those who wish to educate others on this topic.

TW: Mentions of pedophilia, spiritual manipulation and spiritual abuse, etc; general Word of Faith/Prosperity Gospel movement activities.

What are my sources?

· Justin Peters: Why are Charismatics so Weird? series, other assorted videos from him; here's his channel link: https://m.youtube.com/@JustinPetersMin

Warning, the above person is homophobic and calvinist, but it in no way discredits his words about the heretics I will be speaking of here. While I will not go in depth nor take the time to find the proof of the following events, Justin does. His videos are informative and useful, and I reccomend watching his videos if you have the time.

· Fight for Truth Ministries YouTube, Daniel C on YouTube, among many others.

· Scripture and these "preachers'" own YouTube and TV programs.

♪———————

Let's start with one of the richest, well-known and popular Prosperity Gospel teachers.

Kenneth Copeland. Yeah, he's the one that yelled at that reporter and has the eyes that sometimes look like they glow really unnervingly.

First of all, what the fuck is this man doing with the money he receives? Using it for church and ministry expenses, of course!

What are those church and ministry expenses?

· multiple private jets

· huge-ass mansion and multiple vacation homes

· many other things

All tax exempt of course, because it's "church property".

He prophesied Covid-19 would die in 2020 during a heat wave, spectacularly it never happened, and refused to mention it ever again.

Dear Kenneth here also claims to be able to hear God speak (he'd be dead if he did, also would have to be an apostle and have met Jesus beforehand), can supposedly heal people, and speak in tongues — all of which is false. Preaches the Little gods doctrine

——————♪

Hillsong Church

Pastor Brian Houston supposedly concealed his father's child sex crimes, was ruled not guilty but do with that what you will.

Pastor Carl Lentz housed Justin Bieber when the latter was a teenager despote Bieber having a perfectly good mother (as far as I'm aware). Also do with that what you will. Has said many heresies and blasphemies which I can't be bothered to remember (go check out Justin Peters for more info). same financial scams and vision claims as Kenneth.

Close ties with Faith healer ministries.

♪——————

Elevation Church

Pastor Steven Furtick has called himself God Almighty on three occasions. On one he tried to play it off as a tongue-tied moment, same financial scams and vision claims as Kenneth.

——————♪

Joel Osteen

Financial scams mostly directed at the poor, refusal to talk about Hell and sin, etc.

♪——————

Benny Hinn

Where do I even start? He's caused so many to lose their faith because of his healing crusades, where nobody comes out healed, and he's stripped so much money and hope, especially from the lower class. Have you ever seen some of his crusades? He glorifies himself, and swings around his stupid white jacket like a lightsaber and acts like it's Elisha's cloak mixed with Jesus' robe and that it can heal people just by touching them. Also, he's very aggressive about it when he shoves people to "heal" them.

——————♪

Kat Kerr

Fucking delusional. Go watch Justin Peters video about her.

Says heaven has a candyland. Go figure.

♪——————

Joyce Meyer

Has profited off people's money to the point she has a golden toilet. Teaches Little gods doctrine, and the "just have enough faith" healing doctrine.

——————♪

I believe that is all I can remember. Thank you for reading, and stay sharp.

Matthew 19:21:

"Jesus said to him, 'If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me. '"

[racefortheironthrone]

How do you feel about electing the house every four years (presidential years) instead of two?

It is true that the United States is one of the only countries in the world with midterm elections. My understanding is that political scientists really go back and forth about whether this is a good thing - while midterm elections allow for the country to react to the policies enacted in the first two years of the most recently elected government and their outcomes, turnout tends to be significantly lower, which limits the extent to which we're really talking about a new expression of the will of the people.

Moreover, it's my understanding that political scientists worry about whether midterm elections increase the possibility of gridlock due to the tendency for the governing party to lose seats to the minority party - creating more periods of divided government. However, I think it's up in the air whether this tends to shift policy to the left or the right:

2006 saw a massive reaction to the War in Iraq, Bush's handling of Katrina, and Republican sleeze in Congress, shifting control of Congress back to the Democrats for the first time since the Gingrich revolution of the 90s.

2010 saw the Tea Party wave, which led to a persistent shift to the right both in Congress and on the state level. Although the Tea Party's fiscal policies haven't really caught on due to their negative economic effects and political popularity, their destabilizing influence on the Republican establishment certainly has persisted - opening the way for the Trump Republicans and a shift to culture war politics.

2018 saw a massive reaction to the Trump scandals and the Republican attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, breaking the Republican control of government won in the 2016 elections as well as the first major shift to Democrats at the state level since 2010. It also showed a significant shift to the left within the Democratic Party with the election of AOC and the Squad - the first breakthrough for the progressive movement's efforts to challenge establishment Democrats.

Without midterm elections, things would be very different: although Bush being able to muddle through 2006 wouldn't really have changed things because of the way the financial crisis wrecked the Republicans in 2008, the butterflying away of the Tea Party wave would really have changed U.S politics profoundly. The Tea Party wave was unusually significant because of the way it coincided with the 2010 Census and the long-term impact it had on state government - we're only starting to get back some areas that went deep red, and even now huge swathe of the country are dominated by ALEC - so avoiding that shift would really transform U.S politics, especially on social policy.

On the other hand, without the ability to challenge Trump through Democratic control of Congress, U.S policy during the COVID crisis might have been much worse and Trump would definitely have been emboldened to accelerate his campaign of corrupting the Federal government to benefit his personal interests and attack his personal and political enemies. Who knows what would have happened on January 6th if Trump had had two more years of a completely free hand. But then again, if there's no Tea Party wave, does Trump still win in 2016?

So I'm ultimately unsure as to whether midterms are a good thing and it's so momentous a change that I'm a little hesitant to recommend it.

[ener-chi]

Joys of the Day:

-Did more work with Sekhmet. They talked about how illness is often necessary to help the organism get stronger, and to lose the extra chaff, if you will. Used my recent bout with covid as an example, and covid in general with the world. Did a lot of other stuff, too. They're intense, but I like working with them

-Made really good progress with my anxiety today!! Accepting that uncomfortable and bad things and feelings are going to happen is... really difficult for me. But... I think I'm finally starting to accept it, and it is really freeing in a way.

-Getting better at setting boundaries!

-Taco Monday! Normally it's on Tuesday but my partner isn't gonna be here tmrw so we did it today instead (: I tried a new thing with the meat I just learned to get a crust on it and it was a hit!

-Did a makeup session for some qigong classes I missed. It was a 1 on 1 with the teacher. I'm really really glad that I am learning TCM. You can learn and practice qigong and still have a very profound practice and get incredible benefits from it, without knowing the medicine behind it. But knowing the medicine behind it unlocks so many extra layers to it that just make things make sense.

For example, there is a routine in a form we're learning called Pulling Nine Oxen By The Tails (I might be wrong on the name). Anywho, without really showing the form, you start out by mimicking an ox plowing the earth, then grasping the oxes tail. But I had my mind blown because the form really helps to benefit your liver, and especially for Liver Overacting on Spleen - also called Wood Overacting on Earth. And the Ox is a symbol for the Liver, and the Ox plows the Earth...

Just little things like that. And knowing how even the tiniest movement affects certain channels, or you're stimulating certain points - it's just so fucking cool alskdhdhfhfl

-Got to play some games with some friends! Haven't done it in a while, it was refreshing

-I feel like I have/do take things too seriously. I'm starting to realize that and trying to lighten up my grip and it feels nice (:

This ended up being more of a journal post lmao, might as well lean into it. Am still in the middle of the process of transferring schools. That's also happening in the midst of finals season, getting sick, transitioning, big things happening in the lives of people I'm close to...

My life is quite the rollercoaster rn lmao. ANYWAYSSS still have mixed feelings about the whole school thing. But ultimately... it's gonna be okay. I'm going to learn what I wanted and came here for, and that's what matters. Plus soon I get to start needlinggg ahh so nervous! But I'm excited to be able to help people (: I'm going to change so many people's lives. That thought makes me nervous... but also excited

Anywho. I think that's really it. Hope everyone has a good night!

Blessings!

[hazardous-waste-containment]

you are mistaking aesthetics and rhetorical flourishes for material realities. on the point of race alone: fascist Italy and fascist Spain choosing different racial policies from Germany does not suddenly make them less virulently white supremacist and genocidal.

fascist Italian soldiers singing a marching songs about “liberating” Ethiopian women and having them join the blackshirts does not suddenly preclude the genocidal exterminationist bombings like the one in nekemte from happening.

@ex-covid-haver I would suggest that it does actually make them ‘less’ genocidal in the sense that neither the Spanish White Terror nor Italian atrocities in Libya and Ethiopia, while arguably genocidal, approached the total and systematic racial extermination attempted by the Third Reich; also Fascism as practiced in Italy could, and initially did, exist without mobilizing anti-African racism, while Nazism is absolutely inconceivable without antisemitism. So still genocidal yes, but just as genocidal, no. Maybe this is being needlessly pedantic though.

political labels are not like identity labels. It’s not a matter of what one calls oneself. it’s the actions one does. “fascism” has become the common usage broad term for far right politic that existed in Franco Spain, Vichy France, Estado Novo Portugal, Iron Guard Romania, Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan regardless of each state’s profession. the basis on this was not taking the rhetoric of fascists at face value, which many facsists gleefully asserted was of little importance to them, but understanding the material realities of what fascists do.

So here we have the most fully-developed fascist dictatorship in history, two military-led regimes with subordinate fascist components, and three military-bureaucratic regimes of varying radicalization – none of the latter were formed from preexisting fascist movements and all three repressed genuine fascist activism, with the partial exception of Vichy which let some fascists into the upper echelons of government in its later years and under German pressure. You talk about material realities but this paragraph tells me you haven’t taken the time to look at the actual material compositions of any of the regimes you mention. Which is fine! But then don’t make assertions like this, you know?

On this front I would recommend Paxton’s The Anatomy of Fascism, Stanley Payne’s Comparison and Definition (or his much longer but also better A History of Fascism), Gregory Kasza’s “Fascism from Below” and “Fascism from Above” which apply Payne’s categories in detail to Japan, and pretty much anything written by Matthew Lyons.

this is why we speak more often broadly of fascists and not national syndicalists, integral nationalists, falangists, strasserists, etc.

You should though! You should be able to distinguish between different fascist tendencies for the same reason it would be silly to conflate like, Trotskyists, Maoists, and ancoms. They’re just different things! We don’t gain anything by pretending they aren’t. You yourself said in another post that “if we are interested in beating [fascists], we certainly should learn these differences and exploit them.”

because behind all empty postures and carelessly spoken words is a program of supreme repression on behalf of the imperialist bourgeoise, which is Economically invested in white supremacy as part of its colonial/settler colonial/neocolonial rule.

The idea that fascism is just a tool of finance capital is a cliché bordering on a conspiracy theory which has been debunked repeatedly (and just from the examples we’ve used here, I’m curious how fascists operated “on behalf of the imperialist bourgeoisie” in peripheral, semifeudal Romania). See all of the sources cited above, and especially the work of three-way-fight antifascists like Lyons (e.g. “Two Ways of Looking at Fascism”). Anti-Racist Action’s Confronting Fascism project is flawed and messy but still a good starting point for challenging old Marxist dogmas.

The empirical fact of the matter is that the Hitler and Mussolini regimes were autonomous actors which pursued goals that conflicted in important ways with those of the bourgeoisie, even if they could not have been installed and maintained without big business’ acquiescence. Neither regime overthrew capitalists’ economic power over their workers or expropriated their profits; what they did do was break capitalists’ ability to organize as a class and pry capitalist hands off of the levers of state power, subordinating them to the fascist party (especially in Germany after 1939).

[shiffa-glamgo0]

Why Is Glamgo Gaining Popularity in the Beauty Industry?

The beauty industry hasn't remained immune to the wave of change that technology has brought into this era, now defined by convenience and immediacy. Consumers today look for individual experiences, good timing, and all-in-one simplicity, and on-demand beauty services have emerged as a game-changer among consumers. Among the forerunners in this movement is Glamgo, an innovative platform connecting users with available beauty professionals, including beauticians, hair stylists, and makeup artists, on demand. As the demand for beauty services picks up, Glamgo defines what the beauty industry truly means.

Evolution of Consumer Behavior:

The new age consumer is always on the move; trying to balance work, family, and social life. The traditional process involved in a visit to a salon usually requires advance scheduling and involves a lot of time investment, which may not go well for this consumer at all. This is why most people search for on-demand services, giving them a chance to fulfill their beauty desires in the most convenient way possible. Glamgo rides on this wave by providing users the ease to book their beautification services instantly, or schedule them on a later date- all through their fingertips.

Accessing Professionals Instantly:

Glamgo has an essential feature in terms of instant bookability. User can surf through different beauticians in the neighborhood, choose one that best suits his needs and preference without the hassle of long and lengthy procedures before booking and standing up in long queues. This strategy happens to appeal especially to those individuals who would sometimes require services spontaneous enough to fit into situations such as events, changes last minute or indulgence after a tiring week. The beauty of the service is that it takes just a few minutes to find an artist and even book one.

Onsite Personalized Beauty Services:

While Glamgo is convenient, it also does personalization. On the website, users go through profiles, portfolios, and ratings of beauty experts so that they can locate an individual who resembles or incorporates their style and preferences. This will prove very important in an industry where individual needs and tastes can vary greatly. From a distinct makeup style to a personal hairstyle, users can rest assured that they will find a very good artist to bring them the style they are seeking.

Empowering Beauty Professionals:

Glamgo is not only a website for the user but also empowering for the beauty professional. Well, talented beauticians without support from established salons could not come to notice and attract a sufficient number of clients earlier. Glamgo provides them with a platform through which they can illustrate their skills, curate portfolios, and establish their brand. Professionals may work with flexible timetables where work and personal life balance can be sustained. This leads to double benefits, which include better integration of work and life, by having a healthier work-life integration within the beauty industry, therefore attracting fresh talent and a sense of belonging amongst stylists.

Health and Hygiene Focus:

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, perceptions around health and safety in personal care services have dramatically shifted. Consumers are now paying more attention to hygiene practices, and sensibility dictates that consumers have become more reserved to receive beauty services in some venues. This problem Glamgo eradicates by ensuring that registered beauty professionals strictly follow the health and safety standards. This focus creates an added layer of trust for users who may want to prioritize their safety while still indulging in beauty treatments.

On-Demand Beauty in the Future:

The sector of the future will be totally on-demand. The demand for on-demand services seems bound to rise with the passage of time. Glamgo type companies are breaking ground on much more dynamic and accessible beauties landscapes. The huge advancements in technologies from mobile apps to artificial intelligence will undoubtedly find exciting possibilities with tomorrow's future: enhancing user experience, improving on service delivery, and personalizing offerings even more.

[whatyourusherthinks]

Here Review

I was very intrigued when watching the for Here. I know Robert Zemeckus is a bit of a hit or miss director for some, but I like all the movies I've seen by him. All two of them. Yes one of them is Polar Express, I was 5 when that movie came out and liked the book. Anyway, I like the idea that the trailer was showing off, so I was looking forward to this movie.

What's The Movie About?

A single physical spot throughout all of time. Or at least from the K-T Extinction to the Covid pandemic.

What I Like.

The premise I think works! I think the cutting between different eras of time works, and the story being told in a mixed up order works much better than it did in We Live In Time. (Although the stories of the individuals focused on are in order, they just cut through various time periods in a mixed up order.) My favorite characters were the couple that invent the Lazy-Boy, I just like couples who are all over each other no matter what is happening. Tom Hanks and Robin Wright are the main focus of the movie, which is why they are all over the marketing, and I thought they both did a great job. Maybe not surprising since they both have worked with each other and Zemeckis before, especially Hanks, but still credit where it is due. I was pleasantly surprised by the prevalence of the Native American couple. I was also surprised that Ben Franklin is in the movie! Sure, it's a little silly and coincidental, but it's fun! What's also fun is the cinematography. There's a ton of shot in shot uh... shots. What I mean is that they will blend the action from different eras via split screen or sectioning off a portion of the screen to transition to the other time period. There's also a kinda crazy shot where the modern couple are moving a wardrobe in front of the camera, and they film what's on the mirror which is a room you obviously haven't seen for the rest of the movie. But then the mirror transitions to a previous time and plays out in the mirror! I thought it was cool.

What I Didn't Like.

Sometimes the CGI is rough. The de-aging mostly works because they keep people away from the camera for the most part, but there's one particular part where Robin Wright is standing right in front of the camera and they do a fade where she ages 20 years in a second and it's... Not great. Not to mention that hummingbird, bleh. Also, the acting is hit and miss. Since there's no close ups, all the actors have to do more flourishes in their movements and more expressive voices, much like actors in a stage play would do it. It works for half the cast, like Tom Hanks, and doesn't really for the other half, like Paul Bettany.

Final Summation.

Here is... An experience. An experience I ultimately enjoyed, but my knife twist in this review is I don't know Here is an experience that everyone needs to see. While it's filmmaking in ambitious, the plot is a bit of arty Americana dribble that I don't think is going to work for everyone. But I watched this movie the day after the US election, right? Seeing commonality between people across almost all of human history, dealing with similar issues and dealing the with the same emotions... That was something I needed to see.

[woodswallow]

I haven't reblogged this yet or said anything about it, but I really have to say some thing about this...

Damn, this is so incredibly emotional. Good thing we know by now that this was not their end, Rammstein will continue.

We have seen Schneider being emotional on stage a few times now in the last years: 2022 crying behind his drums at one of their first concerts after the long covid-related break, being consoled by Paul with that beautiful kiss (I'm STILL not over that scene <3...)...these were tears of happyness, thankfullness and relief.

Then again 2023 at one of the final bows, where the whole accusation-situation took it's toll – these were tears of sadness very sure, probably with the fear of loss, of losing everything he loved, maybe also because of the great support he received from the audience. This was awful to watch, it broke my heart.

These tears here aren't any easier to watch. I can only guess the reason – probably a mixture of exhaustion, thankfullness, sadness that this huge and incredible stadium era with all it's ups and downs is finally over (I still remember that lovely little interview were he proudly stated in english „I'm a stadium rocker now!“ and his whole face and bright eyes were beaming with joy <3). Watching him how he fights for composure does so much to me...

And what also strikes me: How sunken in and how damn small he suddenly is! He is such a tall man compared to Paul, but suddenly (also because of the angle, yes) they almost seem to be the same height. This says so much about this man who can stand so beautifully proud!

Richard is also fighting hard, wiping and also covering his face twice, looking exhausted and quite bitter.

But what gets me the most, is Pauls reaction. Seeing this man being overwhelmed by his emotions is really getting to me. Paul, the one being described as somehow controlled, chaotic, yes, - but also always alert, always in charge and on top of everything, wanting to know what's going on and happening... Seeing this man being swept away and also letting this happen in front of thousands of people...uff.

There are GIFs existing of him hugging Schneider while still on stage ( https://www.tumblr.com/mrsfitzgerald/757626140736274432/gelsenkirchen-310724 ), then when they go to the elevator, Paul hugs crew members under the stage. There he's already tearing up.

Now here, on the elevator with nowhere to hide, he just has to ride it out (all of them actually – maybe that's what makes this scene so raw – they just have to stand there and feel).

That second GIF, with Paul and Schneider next to each other, almost being the same height, both having their eyes closed, both having the same, heartwrenching expression?....help me please.

I would have l_o_v_e_d seeing Paul taking Schneiders hand.

That last GIF with Paul taking a deeep breath, blinking, briefly closing his eyes, moving his lips like that – I SO know these movements. It's this ��get yourself together“. I don't dare to say I know how he feels, but watching his reactions, reading his body language, I can say, I've been in this emotional state as well a few times already.

It's silly, because we all know that these men are of course human beings as well – but seeing these intense emotions by them on stage, by both Schneider and Paul makes them even more human, even more lovable. I love them showing emotions on stage, no matter if cuddling, kisses, crying, disappointment...

When I first saw these GIFs and especially the second one, I felt like this was a perfect and spot on visual for my Schnaul-fanfiction here https://archiveofourown.org/works/58747918

It's so incredibly when you write a story and after that, things happen in real life – and it seems as if life is imitating fiction!...who has experienced this as well? This fic is so different than all of my others, and I felt so close to Schneider while writing it. Seeing Paul and Schneider now both in exactly that emotional state I wrote about in that fictional story REALLY made me feel...

I love these men (especially talking about Schneider, Paul and Richard), because they love what they're doing, they love each other and they are absolutely not afraid to show this and their emotions to the world.

gelsenklirchen 🥲 31.07.24 ♥︎ video: iinchicore

[tmarshconnors]

Faith and Sovereignty First

The world is changing at a rapid pace, but that doesn’t mean we should sacrifice timeless values in the name of progress. As a Christian Conservative, it’s important to reaffirm what is sacred: the natural family, rooted in tradition, biology, and faith. At the same time, it’s vital to recognise the growing tide of ideologies that challenge this foundation, especially those that come from the LGBT lobby and proponents of gender ideology.

Let me be clear: there is a distinction between affirming the dignity of individuals and opposing powerful lobbies that seek to redefine core institutions of society. Respect for sexual identity whether people agree or disagree on matters of orientation is one thing. However, pushing an agenda that distorts the natural order through gender ideology is another entirely. We must stand firm in rejecting the idea that biological facts can be erased in favour of fluidity that brings chaos to family, education, and society at large.

No to Islamist Violence, Yes to Secure Borders

The rise of Islamist violence across the world presents an undeniable threat to Western civilisation. Europe, in particular, has witnessed terror attacks in major cities, often by individuals who exploit open borders and lenient migration policies. This brings us to the second part of our discussion: the need for secure borders.

National sovereignty should be paramount. A country has the right and duty to decide who enters and under what conditions. Mass migration has not only threatened Europe’s cultural and religious identity but has also strained economies, worsened crime rates, and created ghettos where integration seems nearly impossible. In saying "No" to Islamist violence, we must also be bold enough to say "No" to unregulated, mass migration. This is not an issue of race or prejudice, but of practicality and the preservation of order.

We have to acknowledge the security risks that come from unchecked migration. It's not about denying people a better life; it's about ensuring that those who come in share the values of the country and are properly integrated. I wholeheartedly agree with the Italian PM Giorgia Meloni where she said she is in favour of a  naval blockade to halt immigration.

No New World Order

Another concern that remains front and centre for Christian Conservatives is the dominance of big international finance. While globalisation has promised economic benefits, in reality, it has allowed giant corporations and financial institutions to concentrate power. We must stop the World Health Organisation dictating to us what is good and bad for us. I mean look around you what happened under the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.  I shall always stand against this crazy notion of a one world government or should I say one world socialist government like in the book 1984 by George Orwell. If you haven’t read it. I strongly encourage you to do so. It’s an eye opening. Even better read the Book of Revelations in the Holy Bible from the King James Version. 

Defend What Matters

In a world increasingly gripped by confusion, where long standing values are challenged by new ideologies, we must defend what matters most: the natural family, secure borders, and national sovereignty. We must push back against movements and institutions that erode the integrity of our societies whether they come in the form of the LGBT lobby, mass migration, Islamist violence, or big pharma etc. Do not be afraid to stand alone in this fight.

At the end of the day, this isn’t about hate or division. It's about preserving the identity and security of nations, families, and individuals. If we don’t stand firm on these principles, who will?

The time has come to say "Yes" to what is right and "No" to what threatens our values, freedom, and future. Let's not be afraid to fight for a world that honours the natural order, secures its borders, and protects its people from the forces of chaos and control.   It does not matter how small you are as long as you have faith and a plan of action.

[thevibes1]

Breaking Down Malaysia's Top Headlines: Latest Updates and Live Coverage

Malaysia is a country that never ceases to be in the news, with its dynamic political landscape, thriving economy, and diverse culture. Whether it's a major political shift, economic news, or social issues, keeping up with the latest developments is crucial. This article delves into the most significant stories making waves in Malaysia today, offering insights into what is happening across the country.

Political Landscape: A Nation in Constant Evolution

Malaysia's political scene is nothing short of vibrant. From the power struggles within major parties to the passing of new legislation, the political environment is constantly changing. Recently, the focus has been on the upcoming elections and the strategies political parties are employing to secure votes. The race is heating up, with parties unveiling their manifestos and making promises to address the country's pressing issues, including economic recovery post-pandemic and improving national infrastructure.

These political developments are a central part of Malaysia Today News Today Malaysia, with citizens and international observers keenly watching how these changes will shape the country's future. With new alliances being formed and old ones breaking apart, the political landscape is set to undergo significant transformation.

Economic Trends: Malaysia's Path to Recovery

The economic recovery post-COVID-19 has been a major topic in Malaysia. The country has shown resilience, with growth indicators pointing towards a steady recovery. However, challenges remain, particularly in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, which was hit hard by the pandemic. The government has introduced various stimulus packages aimed at reviving this crucial part of the economy.

On the global stage, Malaysia is working to strengthen its trade relationships, particularly in the ASEAN region. Initiatives like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are expected to play a significant role in boosting Malaysia's economic prospects. For those following Malaysia News Live Today, updates on these economic developments are crucial, as they directly impact the livelihoods of millions.

Social Issues: A Country at the Crossroads

Malaysia is also grappling with several social issues that are making headlines. Issues such as education reform, healthcare accessibility, and housing affordability are at the forefront of public discourse. The government has been under pressure to address these concerns, with various policies being introduced to tackle the challenges.

Education, in particular, has been a hot topic, with debates surrounding curriculum reforms and the digital divide in rural areas. Healthcare remains another critical issue, especially in the wake of the pandemic, which exposed vulnerabilities in the system. As these social issues continue to dominate Malaysia Today News, the government’s response will be crucial in determining the nation's social and economic stability.

Cultural and Environmental Movements

Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures, and this diversity is often highlighted in the media. Recent stories have focused on preserving cultural heritage, promoting tourism, and protecting the environment. Environmental movements, in particular, have gained traction, with increasing awareness about the need to protect Latest Malaysia New natural resources.

Initiatives aimed at sustainable development and conservation are being discussed at various levels, from government policies to grassroots movements. For those following Malaysia News Live Today, staying informed about these cultural and environmental developments is essential, as they reflect the nation's commitment to preserving its unique identity while embracing modernity.

[journeydb]

October 16 2022 Barcelona

Today was CROP Hunger Walk Sunday! Our Barcelona team arrived this morning hungry and ready for snacks before we hit the road.

After I tested negative yesterday for COVID I went to some local bakeries and got baked goods so we could offer breakfast to our walkers. I also made hot chocolate, even though it was pretty warm today. Everyone had water to carry with them so we would avoid dehydration in case it got hotter, which it definitely did.

The first to arrive were Alex and Jessica, Guillermo and Araceli, and Claire.

Then Gustavo and Bettina, and Toni, Angie, and Iris arrived. These friends all know each other now from having walked together in previous years. This was the fourth year we had gathered for this walk and, even though it was a smaller group than in years past, it was still a good turnout.

This year we took the beach path north and noticed that there was a dinosaur exhibition in the area that is used for circuses and various exhibitions above the beach. A few of us agreed if we weren't too tired after the walk that we'd come back to see this exhibition.

We walked as far as the University of Barcelona extension campus and then crossed over the Diagonal to look at the new restaurants and hotels which were built near the Diagonal Mar shopping center (centro commercial).

None of us have ever been to the restaurant in the "red hotel" because it's probably pretty expensive but perhaps Bruce and I will go there sometime in the future.

These modern buildings are architecturally interesting and lovely but what we REALLY need is HOUSING because it's so expensive and there isn't enough of it, like everywhere else. I suppose they are preparing for the big onrush of tourists which they think all that pent-up demand will bring here next year but who knows what will happen if another COVID variant like Omicron brings another shutdown? We are all hoping we are beyond that but some of us believe we are still vulnerable until the majority of people have had ALL their vaccinations.

We walked down Rambla Prim, which is one of the pretty walking malls in our neighborhood, with trees, birds, and flower gardens. There are SO many parks and pedestrian malls all over Barcelona and trees along the causeways, which is one reason it is a leader in the "green cities" movement.

We had to take three photos to make sure everybody was in the pictures! Angie, Toni, Iris and I decided to walk back to the dinosaur exhibition so we all said goodbye and went our separate ways. It was a great day weather-wise and a wonderful walk. We all had a great time chatting and laughing and it was for a good cause, so we felt happy and satisfied.

The dinosaur exhibition was awesome! The replicas were really life-like and some of them actually MOVED! We all enjoyed it a lot, especially Iris.

I was a bit wiped out after just getting over COVID and all the preparations for the CROP Hunger Walk, and, of course, the walk itself, so I left while they stayed to see the rest of the exhibition, walked home, and SLEPT for several hours before making dinner.

[sheerioswifties]

.

[moo-nstone]

ASTRO OBSERVATIONS [part 5]

— people with jupiter in the 8th may experience an “abundance” of traumatic experiences throughout life, often relating to death; these are the people who truly feel like everyone they love ends up dying. at their worst, they can become desensitized to death— jupiter is ruled by sagittarius, a sign known for being in denial when in difficult situations in favor of optimism. these natives can pretend like nothing actually happened, or minimize the situation in their head so that they don’t have to face it.

— okay this might be a weird one... like, you know in asoiaf when arya was walking through the streets and was always like “i’m as quiet as a shadow”? that’s literally the energy of someone with planets in the 12th house/chart ruler in the 12th house. these people are so stealthy. they’re able to move so quietly and without anyone noticing, both literally and figuratively. on one hand, they’re very quiet about their plans and ambitions to the point where other people only find out when they’re achieving success over it; on the other hand, they just. don’t like making noise while walking idk bitch you’ll only see me coming when i’m right beside you, i even get paranoid that i’m breathing too loud and that other people will hear 

— people with moon aspecting mars can be incredibly impulsive when they feel hurt or triggered. yall need to be careful with doing things in the heat of the moment that you know you’ll regret later... but in the moment, you feel so hurt that it clouds your rational side. please be more self-aware about this because you may make decisions that will directly affect you for the worse in the future 

— people with leo mars ft. constantly asking you for pictures... about anything. they just wanna SEE LMFAO THEY DON’T CARE WHAT IT IS THEY’RE SEEING. you just got ready to go out? “send pics of your makeup and your full outfit”. you’re waiting in a long boring line to get the covid vaccine? “send pics of the line”. your mom baked cake? “send pics of the cake”. plus they send so many random pictures while texting, it’s their special love language

— having moon conjunct moon/venus in synastry feels insane. you tell them something you’ve been through, and they’re immediately like “that happened with me as well.” it doesn’t even have to be something grand, sometimes just very specific things you thought were particular about you. the amount of understanding that comes with this aspect in synastry can feel very new and intense especially if you’re used to seeing yourself as the “odd one out”, used to feeling isolated in your experiences 

— people with pluto in the 1st house often feel the need to erase “traces” of their existence, for example deleting messages that they sent people, deleting all of their social media posts. they can feel anxious and paranoid about other people having access to their past self, even if the past self in question is from, like. a week ago 

— people with chiron in the water houses (4th/8th/12th) might’ve suffered bullying to the point where they repress their memories. a lot of their memories of their school years may feel foggy if they were bullied in those years

— also. people with chiron in the 8th house may feel as though they’ve been punished for wanting to experience intimacy. it’s like, the people who were supposed to be the closest to them – for example, their sibling or something – were the ones who hurt them the most. 

— people with mercury-neptune aspects and strong pisces/neptune energy in their birth chart might struggle with only remembering things when they’re right in front of them. you should keep things in your peripheral vision to remind you of reality, especially when it comes to feelings— so that you won’t start getting lost inside your own head. like... keep the letters your friends wrote you by your bedside table so you can read them every time your brain starts convincing you that you’re not loved. keep the gifts you’ve been sent on display in your bedroom wall, or sentimental material things that remind you of past happy experiences.

— earth placements and their thing for asmr... omfg. it’s like they’re always looking for things to up their sensory experience/sensitivity. like, earth signs are the ones most connected to worldly experiences so they feel so soothed with the whole asmr experience: just hearing someone gently whispering or tapping on/scratching things calms them down and helps them fall asleep. they love the tingles it’s heaven for them

— moon-saturn aspects might hold and caress themselves while they sleep because their parents never did. yes i woke up and chose violence <3 your secret is NOT safe with me 💋

— while we’re on the topic of sleeping, a majority of the pisces moons i know need to sleep while hugging something, at least a pillow. they can’t just not hug something while they sleep, it’s very instinctive for them. anyways if any pisces moon needs a pillow to hold, i volunteer as tribute 💋

— virgo placements feel sososo soothed by hearing their cats purr. thinking about how my virgo placement friends are always the ones who send me videos of them petting their cats... and then i get soothed by how soothed they feel. it’s a win win situation, if you have virgo placements it’s hereby your duty to send me a video of you petting your cat while they purr. right now. GO

— people with gemini in the 3rd house might have shaky movements of the hands when other people look at them doing things. very specific i know but the third house rules hands and gemini is a sign that has somewhat of an anxious, twitchy quality to it. on the other hand, people with capricorn in the 3rd house (scorpio risings, using whole signs) have the steadiest hands i’ve ever seen lol their movements ooze confidence, these bitches know how to make you feel as thought they know exactly what they’re doing

— people with venus in the 1st house ft. altering their pics with photoshop and hating posting selfies without filters because they never feel like their appearance is good enough. stop it. you don’t need to always look your best and especially not if your ‘best’ isn’t even what you actually look like. also... don’t even think about making self-deprecative jokes about your appearance. next time i find one of yall saying “ahaha im not bad for a 5 without talent” i’m squishing your head between 2 pieces of toast and calling you an idiot sandwich. you’re BEAUTIFUL 

— having venus in the 3rd house in composite with someone? do you mean calling each other the absolute ugliest nicknames in the most endearing way? 

— leo deals with themes of the ego, and it seems that leo placements often struggle with attracting narcissistic people into their life... leo suns/mercuries can be raised by loud, overbearing, narcissistic parents who see their kid as an extension of themselves and who teach the kid to always be very supportive and caring towards them or else they’ll deny them of words of affirmation-- either by insulting them to shatter their self-esteem or simply never complimenting the kid back. leo moons/mars/venus tend to attract narcissistic partners who only care about serving their own emotional needs and ignore the ones of their partner, and who feed off of their supportive and giving nature. which is why leo placements really need to watch out for being gullible, naïve and dismissing the red flags because my god, you be falling for some shady people. 

— people with personal planets in the 12th house/chart ruler in the 12th house might feel like they can’t let go of their past life— they may dream of memories, people or places from another life. it’s like they can’t detach from it, and even if they can’t directly remember their past life, it’s like they feel it in their bones. also, they might’ve felt... estranged from their family ever since childhood; there may have been feelings of being unable to emotionally connect to their (often, distant) parents, and they might’ve even wondered if they were adopted because of how different they felt to the rest of the family. 

— okay so, a thing that people with saturn in the 3rd house need to look out for is mentally checking out of conversations while they’re still happening. these people can detect when they’re being manipulated really fast and their way of dealing with it can be to immediately shut down, to grow cold and silent and not even bother answering when you’re expected to respond. and, like, that’s great when someone starts screaming at you or being insulting/trying to coerce you into shit, but take notice if you find yourself shutting your loved ones out as soon as they say anything that triggers you. don’t simply detach from them, communicate what’s wrong

— aries placements, ESPECIALLY aries suns and moons, value generosity so much and they get so turned off by stingy ppl who don’t share with others, especially when others need it. like.. if you’re hanging out in a group with them and someone asks for a bite of your food because they have no money and you say no... espect them to never respect you. ever. 

— people with libra placements use soooo many adjectives to describe things. something can’t just be beautiful, it has to be DIVINE and CELESTIAL and INTOXICATING. they can be so expressive god it’s so fcking funny 

— capricorn placements HATE asking others for advice because they think no one knows better than them (and they’re not wrong, lol). when they truly care for someone, they might ask the person for advice simply as a sign that they respect, trust and value their judgement. even if they don’t plan on taking it LMFAO 

— people with mars in a water sign can have this terrible habit of expecting other people to guess what they want. and then they get passive agressive when you don’t instinctively feel what it is they want... and when you ask them “do you want this?”, they go like “FINALLY. i thought you’d never get there”. stop it. i know that you want people to understand you in a way that transcends words, but you can’t expect people to read your mind and then get disappointed when they don’t, thinking “oh if they loved me that much then they would’ve known that i really want chipotle for dinner :(” GIRL WHAT. COMMUNICATE YOUR NEEDS  

[howilearnedtocope]

Why we need masks for all

Okay, I am going to put myself out here: we need masks for all. If you live in a country that doesn’t have widespread use of masks in public, this one is for you.

Here is a graph of coronavirus trajectories by country. All those countries in blue have widespread public use of masks, in addition to other measures.

Obviously I am not basing all of this on a few countries that have managed to slow the spread. Here is a link to a summary of 33 scientific papers that show that masks (even handmade ones, we’ll get to that) reduce spread of infection for the general population. Many of these studies are themselves meta-analyses of data. The evidence is mounting that public mask usage is an important strategy to reduce COVID-19 transmission. I want to highlight this paper in particular which modeled that public mask usage could slow or even stop the spread of an influenza pandemic.

(The CDC and WHO still maintain that healthy people should not wear masks. Preserving them for healthcare workers is important, but that is a separate question from whether they work or not. It seems likely from the evidence presented above that they do help at least somewhat)

Of course, there is a nationwide shortage of masks in most countries. Medical grade masks must be reserved for healthcare workers (if you have some, look for local ways to donate them, many hospitals are accepting donations). So where do we get the masks for the public? We follow the lead of the Czech Republic and Taiwan and make our own. Here is a great summary of how the Czech Republic went from 0 to 100% public mask usage, in less than two weeks.

A person makes masks and a “mask tree” where neighbors could donate handmade masks to others. Note that masks (or anything really) can be effectively sterilized by heating above 70C (158F) either in the oven for paper masks or using regular cycle in your washer and dryer for cloth masks.

Studies have shown even basic household materials like t-shirts can be effective at blocking droplets that contain viruses.

Are they as good as n95 respirators? No. But outside of certain medical procedures, the disease mainly spreads through droplets, and these homemade masks are still pretty good (though not perfect) at blocking those. This goes both ways: the masks provide a layer of protection to protect you, but ALSO contain a lot of the droplets you could be spreading. Some people with the disease don’t have any symptoms at all, so wearing masks is also important to reduce the chance of infecting others.

Masks, like social distancing, don’t have to be 100% effective in order to help flatten the curve.

Here is a model from the Seattle area, which shows how small changes in social contacts can effect total case numbers. You can see that even reducing contacts 25% has a profound effect on case numbers after a few weeks. The same thing would be true if wearing masks reduced transmissions by just 25%.

I want to point out that as long as you don’t take risks you wouldn’t take otherwise and keep your hands off the mask, there is very little risk to doing this now as we wait for further scientific evidence. And the evidence is mounting that simple masks reduce risk and slow spread.

In the Czech republic, they went from no one wearing masks to 100% (it is now mandatory in public) in about 10 days. While the mandatory order to cover your mouth and nose is only a week old, they have seen a slower growth of cases than the rest of Europe despite lots of testing.

Basic masks can be made with just a t-shirt and scissors, no sewing required. This video shows you how, just wear your mask higher on your face than this guy. (Video is changed from original post to one that doesn’t require Facebook login)

And a few more tutorials

DIY facemask with filter pocket from Maker’s Habitat (video)

Facemask with adjustable wire and filter pocket from Easy2Sew (video)

Craft Passion Face Mask Pattern (pattern & instructions)

A Dr Explains how to make a facemask from a HEPA filter (video)

Simple mask that can be made with a sewing machine, from Craft Passion

If you get good at making homemade masks, especially the ones with HEPA filters, some hospitals are now accepting donations of homemade masks as well. Check to see what is going on in your local area.

If the papers cited above are correct, wearing a mask now when you need to leave the house for essential chores will reduce the time it takes to bring our cases down, and public use of masks could be invaluable in keeping cases low when people start to go back to work.

We can change our culture from stigmatizing masks to expecting people wear them. It happened in the Czech Republic in less than two weeks. We can do it too.

If you have the time, please watch this video. It was the thing that really made all of this click for me, and it has a ton of great information. Here is a shorter video from the Czech youtuber who started the movement in his country which I also recommend watching & sharing.

Please reblog & add resouces, tutorials, or mask selfies! There are three main things you can do to help spread the word and normalize mask wearing: 1) share videos & other information on the topic; 2) take a selfie of you wearing a home-made mask; 3) spread the message, with hashtag #masks4all.

[okimargarvez]

16x1 - detailed (1)

Here I am, back from the dead, just about to make the one thing I like most about garvez: analyze their moments. I need more than one post to make it. This is the first part.

First of all, I have to say that, in my opinion, considering their speeches, it seems that they weren't see each other after the date. Probably for covid, but it's not enough. This could seem a wrong thing, but I also see the good side: they didn't see for long time but a) Luke is still so fucking in love with her, even more deeper, because his behavior is like in S15, a direct courtship (he really workship at her throne); b) Penelope can't stand his presence and treats him like in past seasons, especially 13, when she gave him a kind of sweet crap, as "You're annoying but you know I like you... as friend". So, distance didn't change Luke feelings, like happens with big loves. And Penelope trying to give him hard time, makes me think that it's related to what happened during their date.

Ok, it was just once, but what happened between them? I think it was because Pen was through many things in a while and Luke didn't want to push her, so maybe he lost his only (for now) chance to make something really just romantic with her. At the end of S15 he was able to get a date with her, but her breathless "Yeah" now, after 3 years, sounds a creature of the moment (her goodbye) than of her love for him (that is still there, don't get me wrong).

They had the date, but, during the time between the farewell party and the date, she started thinking again that it was better not even try to explore the chance to stay with Luke. And Luke didn't do anything to make her change her mind. I think he didn't even try to kiss her! And if he did, probably she rejected him, with kindness but still did it. Because of her fears. Then covid arrived and helped her to avoid him. He believed to himself, deciding he is good to be just her friend, maybe focused on work (not like Rossi, but not too far). Penelope was so taken by her new life and it was easier for her not think about it. Then THE case arrived and Luke took his possibility to see her again. I think that at this point he doesn't aspect to have a romantic chance with her, he's just happy to see her, get her attention, touching her and, especially, making clear that she's irreplaceable.

Here they are just my thoughts/opinions. Let's get serious.

-

We have to analyze 4 big scene. 2 of them aren't totally garvez, but the subtext is still relevant.

*Scene 1.

Luke and JJ are discussing about the case.

Luke: "Took twice as long as it would've taken Penelope. No disrespect to the Remote Garcias."

Uh oh, someone has problem with changes and replacement? Like someone with all know? Instead of hate them or teasing them as Penelope did with him, Luke preferred to not consider them at all (he will say that even with Pen).

JJ: "We should call them by their names."

JJ is alway sweeter, so she at least makes a try. Look at Luke's reaction. His grimace, as always he talked with someone about Garcia.

Luke: "It's been three years. Who are we kidding? We're not learning their names."

I think he never did a great effort. Did you remember the way he treated Ned, the guy who took Garcia place for few weeks (13x16)? That's all.

*Scene 2.

Again with Luke and JJ.

Luke "Maybe it's time we call our expert."

For Luke Garcia is The expert, he believed that at least since 12x14 ("He's not as good as you"). In this frame we also see his typical hands/fingers movements that he does when he's nervous.

JJ: "Nope. Mnh-mnh. Nope, no. We promised we wouldn't"

Luke: There's a very good chance this UnSub virtually befriended

both girls. And given I don't see any other connections… I'm just saying."

So it's totally his idea to ask her help, even I think his not-selfish side doesn't want to take her to the dark. But the reason he has to see her again is so reasonable...

-

Second part here.

Analysis of garvez scenes