#i dont blame anyone for taking my words with a grain of salt. come to your own conclusions. if oyu like totk's memories cool!

[waywardsalt]

im actually going to tear into totk’s dragon’s tears/ memories rn bc i remember feeling distinctly unsatisfied with them when i got all of them so im just going to write some general bullet points about them, about what i dislike or maybe what i do actually like about them, leaving out both master sword scenes and the mummydorf one because i’m here to talk about the stuff in the past not that

- off the bat (i play this game in english btw so all of this is based on the english text and translation i am aware some stuff is slightly different in other languages) im not really a fan of how the descriptions of all of the tears is just a literal description of what happens?? i think my issue with it is that some of the text is a little bit too in depth, as in it just tells you literally everything about the scene. this might be nitpick-y but i personally dont like it

- what’s up with zelda saying ‘but that must mean...!’ at the end of the scene. is it suggesting that she’s made the realization that rauru and sonia are the first king and queen of hyrule? because they literally tell her that like ten seconds before. i guess it’s suggesting she’s realizing she’s in the past but... idk the texts says ‘she’s left startled by a suspicion that she’s heard those names before’ yeah theyre the first king and queen of hyrule?? they tell her that. they tell her their names and that they are the first leaders of hyrule is she just now connecting the dots that she’s in the past? that’s what the next cutscene implies. but all of the surrounding dialogue and the description don’t suggest that that’s what she’s realizing i feel like this was kind of muddled in the translation

- why did sonia elbow rauru he was just standing weird he didnt say anything this isnt a nitpick im just confused. is it because he’s not being very empathetic towards what zelda’s going through? she elbows him and then she goes and talks to zelda why even elbow rauru. ordinarily you elbow someone like that if you mean for them to go do something why elbow someone if you’re going to do the thing you want anyways

- why doesnt zelda offer to help with the purah pad or anything like that. what happened to her sheikah tech fascination from botw. not even as someone actually familiar with the technology who could give mineru some points as to how it works

- what are sonia and zelda doing behind rauru when he shoots that insane fucking beam at the mulduga swarm they’re clearly doing something with their stones but like... are they amplifying rauru’s power somehow?? what do time powers have to do with the beam of light i dont- what were they doing please the text description only mentions him using his powers so are sonia and zelda just... supporting his powers? idk man

- dragon tear #5 is a whole can of worms with its worse-than-oot reenactment of that one scene from oot. why the focus on sonia and her tear btw. i mean yeah she dies to motivate rauru and zelda but like. why not aim for the new girl who probably doesn’t know how to use it as much and is probably more likely to be separate from the king who can shot insane lasers. im really not a fan of this scene for how strongly the game sides with rauru and zelda being passive and judgemental but ganondorf is literally the best part of it there’s a lot of character in just how he picks up his sword and stands up to leave

- putting memories 6 and 7 together just because of how there was just. no fucking care put into the idea of zelda learning to use her time powers. memory 6 zelda talks about wanting to use her time powers and sonia gives her tips on how she could use it and visualize the use of it and then in memory 7 she can just use it perfectly with great control and timing. why even bother talking about her nothing yet understanding how to use it when the very next scene she just uses it like it’s nothing. how much time has passed we get nothing to show us zelda trying to practice this power just. nope. she’s good she can use it perfectly. also more awkward dialogue sonia saying ‘what a picture zelda paints of him’ as she is. looking directly at zelda. change the line to like, ‘what a picture you paint of him’ she is literally looking right at zelda so why would she say it like that

- generally i feel like memory six should have been before 4 and 5 (4 being where she uses some power to... support??? rauru and it being before memory 5 so that there isnt this weird break in between the memories concerning ganondorf.) memory 6 does not have anything to do with memory 4 or 5 so just put it earlier so there isnt a weird shift in focus between the two big ganondorf scenes

- good god they introduce the idea of sonia and zelda being aware of ganondorf using a fake zelda but theres literally nothing about it having been a problem or them having experience or like. anything. they just TELL you that they know and suggest that it’s been like. a thing for a bit??? also obligatory ganondorf’s face model rigging is fucked comment he’s still the best part

- the pacing of these memories is just weird in general, memories 7 and 8 being separate but the same scene is strange when other memories are long as fuck but cover one event each, plus theres clearly barely any passage of time between memories 7 and 8 it almost feels like they were split up to fill space or just because otherwise it’d be... too long? man idk

- ‘queen sonia needs you!’ girl she is DEAD good fucking luck doing anything to help her

- ganondorf’s horse and its armor both look sick as fuck i really wish you got to see more of it outside the memory it appears in

- everything about the original sages honestly sucks. they aren’t characters they’re just walking macguffins. they have no names and are not relevant or mentioned or make any appearance until they are needed by the story. why does the zora sage talk about getting word about the attacked gerudo village in this scene when like. they’ve all met up and have clearly. been together for a bit. when she gives them the news it’s clearly the first they’ve heard of it... but... why would she wait until this moments to give this info unless for the benefit of the player watching the scene. why does the ZORA sage have this news and not... the gerudo sage?? what’s with the masks. they’re all made of zonaite or whatever sure theyre gifts from rauru but like. i hate that it kind of denotes them being subservient and lower than him and the zonai. honestly i really hate this scene in general mostly because of the uncomfortable showing of how rauru absolutely holds power over them and despite them being leaders as well they are expected to be wholly blindly loyal to him. rauru only gives them these stones when he needs their aid and they swear loyalty too him soon after but you also see that sonia and mineru have stones, too, so they’re clearly withholding these things despite it being kind of reasonable for him to give each race their own secret stone as further proof of their pact? there is so much shit to be said about the imperialistic themes or whatever in this fucking story and i really hate it

- i do kinda like how the next scene shows you that the one rock in the corner of that first hidden room in the forgotten temple is sonia’s grave

- zelda’s phrasing and description of how she and link found ganondorf is weird to me ‘he’s still alive’ ‘he lives on’ girl that was a mummy. he was not moving until you got there. he’s undead at best as far as you know. this is def a nitpick but eh. also the reliance on link is a... bit odd when zelda does not actually know that link is safe until she gets the master sword. its fine but still. also her shell-shocked expression after rauru talks about her being in the past for a reason is a bit... it doesn’t fit her emotion it’s kind of similar to the expression she had when sonia was killed

- the memory about the imprisoning war starts with practically the whole story up until now being repeated back to you by mineru with a decent amount of bias on mineru’s part and while it’s fine because of some of the extra stuff you learn but it does a lot more telling rather than showing when it comes to the actual imprisoning war and... idk the whole thing about their ‘fight’ kind of falls flat when you don’t actually see any fighting you just see that the sages have gotten their asses beat. i think it would have been a little interesting if in the god-awful repetitive sage-awakening scenes they had actually showed you the og sages fighting ganondorf instead of just. slow-mo freeze-frames for whatever. once again ganondorf if the best part of the scene

- the rest of the memories are fine idc

i get the feeling that the japanese-to-english translation was either all-around rough or somehow rushed, because some of the phrases in the game as well as some of the dialogue is really awkward and... could have been better. i don’t know how it works but it feels like a lot of it was very literal, direct translation and no one at noa thought that it ought to be tweaked just a little bit

these memories also do a fuck-ton of telling rather than showing and it really is like they don’t really trust you to connect the dots, and some of it does come off like they either didn’t want to make more memories or ran out of time or something. i felt like the memory of ganondorf just summoning his monsters and riding on his cool horse could have been a bit longer to actually show us the forces of hyrule fighting him and having a hard time with it

a lot of the character animations doesn’t have a whole lot of personality to them, ganondorf is the character who had the most distinct and interesting movements. rauru and sonia had their... singular movement (rauru putting a hand to his chin and sonia taking zelda’s hands) and zelda was kind of just... standing around and reacting to stuff, and neither mineru nor any of the other sages had any really interesting animations asides from mineru’s coughing fit in memory 16 (plus her reclining chair that was a nice touch). very few of their movements really express anything about the characters besides some really baseline values or traits.

the ordering of some memories is kind of odd, the excessive flashbacks in memory 17 are a bit much, the telling rather than showing, the sometimes awkward dialogue, a lot of the scenes are characters just... talking at each other, you don’t actually see very much of hyrule in the past or any characters beyond the main four, and it really did nothing to actually get me to care about these characters at all.

tldr i dont like totk’s dragon tears

[yaz-the-spaz]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on the LM side of things. I feel like Perrie went above and beyond, like Gigi, to sell her sham of a relationship with Zayn. Throughout their entire "relationship" she was constantly dragging him through the mud and cracking jokes at his expense to bring publicity to her band. I understand being under contract to do so, but I dont think that would necessarily go as far to call him a freak, especially when he is expected to be your bf...

And I don’t think he liked her much either. They could have been friends connected in a bad scenario but there were times he looked absolutely repulsed by her. Sure, you could argue that it was due to the fact that she was his beard and he didn’t necessarily want to be attached to that kind of bullshit, but I feel it can be just as equally argued that she just wasn’t a decent person (I’m not saying this is definitively the case, simply a possibility)…

…I don’t know much about LM, they’re music isnt really the stuff I listen to, but even if it was, I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable listening to their music knowing it was made on the back of someone else who both her and her group had no issue shitting on after the whole thing was said and done. However I won’t blame anyone who does like their music and still listens to it, it’s your right to do so…

…I just wanted to offer another perspective and I hope you don’t take this as me coming at you or getting annoyed at you or your comments because that is not the case. I’m sorry this is really long, I just feel like it needed to be said. I hope you have a good day.

i actually don’t disagree with you nonnie…i’m not saying perrie is some great person or that she didn’t do or say some very problematic things (both in general and in regards to zayn), obviously she did (and because of that she is my absolute least favorite person in the band), but the way people hold certain things up, like the indian comment that probably wasn’t even from her, among other things, just frustrates me cause one of the main things we preach in this fandom is take a lot of what’s said with a huge grain of salt b/c 90% of it’s either scripted or not their own words and for ppl to suddenly dismiss that or stop applying it just b/c it’s someone they don’t like i don’t think is very fair. personally for me, even when it comes to people i don’t like i think it’s still important to try to be as fair-minded as possible and to still regard them equally and not just dismiss certain edicts that i would normally hold up with other people (like the boys) and suddenly throw that all out the window when it comes to people i don’t like just because i don’t like them.

that said, all of that in no way is meant to disregard the things perrie’s said and done. definitely the calling zayn a freak thing was way too far and it’s not the only shitty thing she’s said or done and the way she reacted to a lot of things was very poor and oftentimes highly problematic. i’m in no way defending her for all of that or saying all of that should be dismissed or forgiven at all (as i said she’s my least favorite person in the band b/c of all that and if i had it my way it’d be a 3 person band lol cause as it is i mostly only recognize and pay attention to the other 3 anyway). but my comments were more so meant to apply specifically to using print statements as ‘proof’ and also to the way people react to lm as a whole. i’m not sure what you’re referring to when you say the entire band shit on zayn, but as i said there is plenty of evidence of them shading the farce that was zerrie just like the boys did and showing clear annoyance at the focus on it and the fact that it was continuously brought up when all they wanted to talk about was the music. they didn’t choose to be marketed that way and i’m sure if they had any choice about it would’ve wanted to do things a hell of a lot differently and, perrie excluded, i don’t think it’s fair to continue to treat the band as a whole like shit or to continue blame the entire band for something they had no say over esp when there are 3 other beautiful talented women who had no part in any of the zerrie bs (one of which has actually done really great things for lgbtq community as a dedicated ally) who don’t deserve the very blatant and flagrant disrespect they get from 1d fans.

like even now i’m thinking of that anon i got earlier who felt that lm didn’t deserve the award they got for video of the year and said that literally anyone would have deserved it more than they did and that’s more so the kind of thing i’m talking when i refer to people remaining bitter over lm all these years and using that as an excuse to be blatantly disrespectful because while i understand being upset over liam not winning and while i very much understand people’s negative feelings re perrie specifically (which i mostly share to some degree), that doesn’t give ppl the right to be so rude or cruel to the other three girls who didn’t do anything to deserve that kind of treatment or disrespect, (again perrie excluded) they worked their asses off and they’re mega-talented and after all the shit they went through with syco and modest and shitty marketing and managing i’m personally proud that they were able to make such an achievement. i recognize not everyone agrees and that ofc not everyone might like them whether that be purely for reasons of musical taste or whatever other reason and that’s totally fine, i’m not saying anyone has to like them, but to hold their previous marketing over their heads like it’s their fault and treat them like shit for it like so many in this fandom continue to do is something i will never be okay with, and i’d just appreciate if ppl could be a bit more respectful at the very least towards the other three girls (ppl can say what they want about perrie lol)

anyway i just want you to know that i wasn’t offended at all by what you said and i appreciate you being willing to have a rational discussion about this without it devolving into anything rude or problematic. and also sorry this got long as well, but i hope you have a nice day too!

[inv1s]

Enjoy exploring our future. Enjoy the Intraspace! 

         Violet knows the other her was here. She knows they don’t have too much time left, and if either of them wanted to continue existing, things had to be done. What she doesn’t know is what she’s going to say to the other her. As Violet travels to the location specified by the phone app, she thought over and over about what she wanted and what was best for the both of them. Because through everything... from the surge of fond memories and the lasting bonds, Violet knows Vi was happy here. Her? ...She’s afraid to answer. 

        Either way, she’s here in a white tee and sweatpants. She just has to find someone that looks exactly like her — should be easy. Violet’s not surprised, but after asking a few of the Intraspace’s inhabitants, she quickly learns that Vi is rather well known in these parts. The other her was probably way better with technology than she was, which makes sense.

         Anyway, Violet finds Vi in the MMO Zone, catching her at what seemed to be a decent time. Preparing for a dungeon expedition, Vi is clad in black robes, accompanied with a small pocket knife. A... rogue... if she remembers correctly. Still, even as Violet approaches, Vi doesn’t show any sign of hostility, rather, it seems like she was waiting for her.

         “There you finally are,” Vi laughs, sheathing her knife.

         Violet’s not sure how the other knew she was coming for her but relieved, she cracks a tiny smile. “If you were waiting for me, you could’ve waited in somewhere less... obscure.”

         “Sorry. I got bored,” she shrugs.

         “I don’t blame you. This app thing is still new to me so I couldn’t come faster even if I wanted to.” Attempting to pull out her phone, Violet realizes she was in the digital world and instead pulls out an empty flask.

         A chuckle escapes and Vi takes the flask off her hands. “Looks like you’ll have to look for the app in a carrier pigeon instead.” She places a hand on the other’s shoulder as if gripping for her composure back. Nevertheless, she knew why the other was here, and she was ready, willing even. If it meant that both of them would live without this virus plaguing them, a quick agreement was nothing. “So? I can meet you in person and this’ll be over quickly.”

         But Violet pauses, hesitates to log out ( not because she doesn’t know how to ). “Wait —“ She lets out a sharp exhale as her mind races. Was there a better way? Though she wanted Vi to return to a happier dimension, free from whatever the hell this was, she didn’t want to stay here. She wouldn’t wish this on anyone, so if she wanted to be satisfied with her decision, she couldn’t just agree to this. “Vi...? What if... there’s a way for you to go back but — I...” her gaze breaks and she squeezes her eyes shut.

         Concern overwhelms Vi’s features and her lips fall into a frown. While they didn’t share the same mind or memories, Vi heard, knows the other deserves happiness whether that was here or wherever she calls home. She deserved that at the very least, to make such a decision for herself. And if it meant that her existence would become nothing then... Vi’s willing to take the risk. She knows she’s not the real Violet, that she’s just another dimension’s version of her. It pains her to even try to accept the fact — that her life is easily replaceable and means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Even still... she wants to live the life she’s built for herself. But could they both be happy...? “Violet... We can talk about this — let’s talk about it. Whatever’s on your mind. Whatever you think that will make you happiest because... you deserve at least that...”

         “But you’ll —“

         “Yeah I will but... I’m not the real Violet Parr with superpowers and a cool family...” Her eyes start to sting as her nose scrunches, holding back whatever it was that wanted to spill.

         ...Meeting the other’s gaze, Violet mirrors a sorrowful frown. “I’m not you either! I’m not Violet Traux with the sweetest of friends, and a normal student. Do you know how much I’ve wanted that? — my whole life. So you can’t just — “ at this point, she has to wipe her nose with her white tee. “You can’t just say you’re not real and that... you’re okay with going away like that.”

         Vi listens but her heart isn’t in it. “Even still, it’s because of you that I’m able to have all this. It’s because of your existence that another reality was even possible for me here.” Wasn’t there a way for both of them to be happy?

         “But I didn’t choose to come here... or stay.”

         “You just haven’t found your reason to stay.”

         “That’s easier said than done. I’ve tried and have been trying. For months... but I don’t — I don’t feel any attachment to this place...”

         Resisting the urge to slap the real her across the face for spewing such absurd words, Vi instead grits her teeth, tightening the fist by her side. “You can’t hear how ridiculous you sound right now, but you sound ridiculous. How can you even say that right now? What will your mom think? And the friends that you’ve made? They’d be heartbroken to hear that from you. Aren’t connections enough? What more do you need? A million dollars? A significant other? The rest of your family to be dragged into this city? Because having your baby brother living with god knows what kinds of people is better than you suffering here alone? I can’t believe you could be so selfish, Violet.” Her tone, accusatory and sharp, slices the thick silence between them.

         Violet feels the need to apologize, wants to but she knows that won’t accomplish anything. She feels sorry for herself, not the other her. Prolonging the conversation with another retort didn’t seem like the best idea either. But she's right. She is being selfish. But when her happiness depended on having the loving people around her with her, it’s immensely difficult to transition without them. She swallows with a parched throat. “You’re right... I am selfish. But it’s been a long six months and I — I don’t know how much longer I can keep trying — “

         “ — You’re not listening to me, Violet. You need to be even more selfish. You want to get out of here? Great. Do it, find that exit. But you can’t do it alone. There are so many people who feel the same as you do but you still think you’re suffering alone. Wrong. All wrong. There are some things you can lean on others for, and you don’t have to feel like a burden to them. You don’t have to pretend like you have all your crap together. You don’t have to live like a zombie just to count the days. You don’t have to do any of those things. Maybe I’m not the right person to tell you this so take this with a grain of salt: but you have to find the smallest bit of joy you can and hold on to it. Forever and ever, until your heart can no longer handle it. As long as you can make your time here worth the trip, I’ll... fully support you.”

         “...” At a complete loss of words, Violet internalizes Vi’s advice. With her escalating pulse and shaky frame, she finally nods.

        “Anyway... I’ve been playing for a while so my head’s splitting in two. But... I’ll be waiting for you.

         You just have to come.”

...

[eccl3ctic0n3]

As someone who has suffered from mental illness and it's debilitating symptoms I can tell you a truth many won't like to hear about depression and anxiety. Also as someone who has experienced trauma and stress that was some of my own doing and what I allowed or had no control over I will share how to overcome.

Depression is self-centered. Stop wallowing in self-pity. Stop the pity party. Happiness begins with an attitude of gratitude. Be grateful for all that is good and stop dwelling on what is not. You will find a new kind of gratitude that will increase your levels of happiness even during the bad times that will get you through.

Anxiety is fear. Fear of some impending doom that is most likely just not going to happen. Fear will cause you to procrastinate and avoid situations all together. Fear will take your breath away and steal your joy. Fear is crippling and debilitating. It will stop you dead in your tracks and prevent you from making decisions that can benefit you in life. Answer. Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind as you live in Christ Jesus. Ask God to grant you the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference. The Serenity prayer will give you not only peace but the knowledge of when to do something about something and when to let it go. Knowing the difference is the wisdom that comes with this prayer mastered in faith. Let go and let God. Surrender your life and your will over to God's will and purpose for your life. Jesus said, can a man by worry add one inch to his height? No of course not. Worry and constant fear will keep your anxiety levels high and even cause panic. Worry shows that you do not trust God. God says do not fear 365 times in the Bible. That's once for everyday of the year. Pray God strengthen your faith and help your unbelief. Ask Him to increase your trust in Him and then put it into practice. Learn to let what is out of your control go and what is not pertaining to you avoid. Don't take on someone else's stress or worry with them or allow them to put it on you especially through guilt tripping.

PTSD like symptoms from who knows what kind of personal struggles or abuse you have been through do not define who you are. You have to let go of any anger, bitterness, or resentment and completely forgive anyone who had wronged you and DO NOT blame them. Understand that what they did to you was probably done to them and possibly even worst. Even if it seems they did not care or wanted to hurt you it is possible they have no clue or remembrance of their own childhood trauma and don't even realize they do the very same thing they hate. The chances of you getting someone to recognize and admit their wrongs are slim so forgiveness is key. Forgive for you and not them. It sets you free from the pain. Forgive and even forget. Anytime those feelings of anger, bitterness or resentment come up catch them and check yourself. These are YOUR feelings, and YOUR thoughts. No one elses. Stop having a victim mentality and process all those feelings and emotions. You have to live with yourself. It will take time and work and you can see yourself as not only a Survivor but after healing and recovery you can step into the victory of Thriving.

Wake up every morning and tell God or just list 3 things you are grateful for and say them aloud. Do this for 21 days and you can rewire your brain and begin to experience happiness. It will be small and grow overtime as your faith grows and trust deepens to not worry and let things be what they will be.

With traumas and stresses you cannot heal and recover in the same environment that broke you around the same negative, difficult, toxic people. In working on yourself through these things it is ok to to be selfish. It is all about your recovery and your pain and anguish. It's about your thoughts and feelings that lead to depression and anxiety or to dwell on past experiences. Self discipline is the highest form of self-love so diet and exercise is a huge help. Keep someone close you can confide in, trust and talk about everything. This can be a friend or a therapist. A therapist can give you tools to help you manage your moods and regulate emotions while giving you the healthy ways to cope instead of the unhealthy ways that you developed out of pure survival mode. Instead of unhealthy defense mechanisms you developed you can begin to practice healthy ways of responding. The way we respond or react is a choice. Choose to take things with a grain of salt and don't allow what others say or do dictate your mental health and well being. Take control and power back.

Keep a positive mindset and watch what you allow yourself to see, hear and say. Eliminate vulgar language. Verbal abuse is abuse and what comes out of your mouth reveals your heart. What you say is powerful so change your words, change your life. Speak life and build people up don't tear down. If the vibe you put off is love the vibe you will receive is love. Like they say, what goes around comes around, karma is a b**** , what you put in is what you get out, and you reap what you sow. These are all universal truths and principal laws of the universe.

Don't spend forever in self working on yourself. Make it a point to get out of your self and be the selfless kind of person we see in Jesus who gave His life for us. Be humble and esteem the next man as more than yourself. Serve one another in love and sincere truth. Be of service. Volunteer. Give back. Be meek. That is strength under control. Remember what you been through and you are still here stronger than ever and more resilient than ever. God has brought you this far. He has not failed yet and He will not anytime soon. He provides all you needs. Now what do we have to be depressed, anxious, feeling down and out, thinking poorly of ourselves and others about? Not a damn thing. Be grateful and stop whining. Pick yourself up by the bootstraps, dust yourself off, and fix your crown. You are royalty in the household of the Almighty God. A child of the Most High God.

Opinions my own. Don't cry about it. Suck it up. Dont worry. Be happy!!

[emo-water]

i havent read this exact article but i have watched a lot of documentaries on pandemics (so please take this information with a grain of salt because i dont entirely trust those things but ive read about this topic quite a bit too). i want to preface this by saying that i think all of the racist, xenophobic shit against asian people surrounding this outbreak is absolutely fucking disgusting and that i dont want anyone here to use this information as a means to further degrade an entire race of people who are literally doing nothing wrong. i think a lot of it stems from the obvious white-centric culture that we live in and also the fear-mongering thats being pumped out by the media. and i think its really important that our media starts reframing how we tell these stories and focusing on the actual contributing factors to a pandemic (which i will explain below) rather than flat-out blaming asian people for a phenomenon that could occur in any given animal market in the world.

having said that, i would like to share what i know with yall so that hopefully the situation is a little clearer and hopefully to eliminate some of the rampant xenophobia that is currently targeted at asia, and china in particular. ASIAN PEOPLE ARE NOT UNHYGENIC, NASTY DISEASE INCUBATORS. THAT IS NOT WHAT IS CAUSING THESE VIRUSES TO EMERGE. please know this. the only reason that the next pandemic is likely to come out of china is because of its large population and consequently, its important place in our global economy (which promotes more global travel, particularly by airplanes). the reason we see new diseases coming out of these markets is not because they are unsanitary, it is because of the sheer amount and variety of animals (those used for food and for exotic pets) being housed in such a close environment, which provides a prime opportunity for any certain disease to mutate and cross the species barrier.

for example, a pig infected with a certain type of influenza (i cant remember the exact strain off the top of my head) came into contact with a bird infected with a separate strain of influenza. the strain carried by the pig could infect humans, the deadlier strain carried by the bird, however, could not. but when those two strains came together, the viruses merged and the dna mutated (quickly, as viruses tend to do), allowing a deadlier strain of the flu to be contracted by humans. thats typically how diseases that humans werent able to contract turn into diseases that we CAN contract. this type of thing happens pretty frequently and usually doesnt cause any problems. but on occasion, it can create a deadly strain of a disease that we dont have any protection against. this could happen at literally any farm or market (even pet store, anywhere where multiple species are housed together and have contact with humans) in the world.

this new virus gives you absolutely no right to be prejudiced, racist, or otherwise nasty to asian people. china has the misfortune (in this sense) of being a largely, densely-populated important global power and these markets do pose risks to its citizens, but markets like this exist all over the world and any single one of them could cause a virus like this to break out. it could just as easily happen in new york city or london or rio or any other large, densely-populated economic power. you do not get to sit back and blame this phenomenon on asian people or pretend that we are cleaner or smarter or better in any way. literally the only factors that make china a prime place for ground zero of an pandemic are the variety of species being housed so close together and in such close proximity to the largest population of any country on earth.

TLDR

i know i didnt word that nearly as well as i wanted to so i apologize for that but the TLDR is this: china (and asian people as a whole) and their food are not gross or unhygenic or unclean. the primary reasons a pandemic is likely to originate out of china is because these markets have a lot of animals of a lot of different species (which promotes virus mutations and the crossing of the species barrier) and the fact that china has the largest population in the world and that its citizens tend to participate heavily in global travel because of chinas importance in our global economy (which allows a disease to spread faster). MOST IMPORTANTLY, you do not get to use this information to degrade or ridicule asian people. white people are not inherently cleaner or smarter or better than anyone else and we could just as easily cause a virus like this to develop but the global impact would likely be less simply because of population size and spread in western countries. you have absolutely no excuse to be prejudiced or racist towards an entire group of people who are literally doing nothing wrong or out of the ordinary.

Italians literally have maggot cheese. Ain’t nobody joking about it 🤔

[aawarning-blog]

New Post has been published on AAW

New Post has been published on http://www.anamericanwarning.com/2017/09/nfl-players-take-knee-check-first/

NFL Players Take A Knee - Why You Should Check Yourself First

I have been fairly silent on this because I don’t have very nice things to say on it either way. However, as I see more and more posts, I see more and more inconsistency. I was recently involved in several debates over this NFL Flag Kneeling situation and I wanted to share a few thoughts on this because if anything points out the lack of political inconsistency in this nation, this issue is surely it. I can almost bet that neither side of the political spectrum will like this post, but it needs to be said all the same because I would also bet that neither side has given it much thought. To be clear, both the players and the fans are out of control on this one.

First, let us remind ourselves that players didn’t consistently come out for the anthem until about 2009. This is because they were in the locker room getting yelled at by the coaches about how they their jobs were on the line if they didn’t perform out on the field. This is good time to remind everyone that these guys play a game. They are not political leaders so please… take their opinions with a grain of salt. Furthermore, there are no NFL rules demanding that players are present or that they stand, but that is entirely irrelevant and it is a crazy thing to even try to debate at this point. This is because there are already rules in place.

Yes… there are rules for flag etiquette and they apply to ALL citizens. Of course, nobody really cares about that these days. Let me start with something simple. According to the flag codes, the flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. This is broken all the time and nobody says a word. The flag should also not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. This is broken all the time as well and exactly how many protests have seen over these repeated violation? NONE! This is because the people that are complaining about the kneeling are the ones who often violate these rules because they love American so much that the flag simply has to be on everything. So be aware of this before you start casting stones over flag etiquette.

Still, I understand why people are upset at the players. Proper etiquette suggests that we:

Stand for the anthem and remove our sunglasses and hats

Place your right hand over your heart or place your hat over your heart until after the last note (unless you are current military – then you give a salute)

Look at the flag throughout the anthem (if one is present) or the performer if a flag is not visible

Remain quiet

Don’t eat or drink during the song

Sing along if you want

And don’t applaud when it’s over

None of these are difficult to do and it isn’t new information, but try to imagine how many of these are broken on a weekly basis by fans both in the stands and in their homes. I would venture to say almost all of them. Understand that the rules don’t say anything about the privacy of your home being immune to these rules. Are you taking your hat off and standing in your living room when you’re by yourself?

Some have noticed these inconsistencies and pointed out the hypocrisy. Guess what? They are right to do it. Still, we all have the right to peacefully protest whatever we want because this is a free country. This means you can kneel if you want and this means that you are free to stop watching games if you want. Just keep in mind that the vast majority are running the risk of coming across as immature and politically inconsistent if they do either at this point.

In spite of the back and forth, I think it’s also important to note that the protests continue on both sides and that nobody is being oppressed into stopping them. Yes, some of the owners are threatening to fire players but this is no different than if you worked at a bank and decided to use the front lobby as your platform; you run the risk of getting fired when acting out like that. The business has customers to appease and you acting out will likely chase some customers away. You still have the freedom to say what you want and you won’t go to jail for it, but that doesn’t mean your actions are without consequence when you are being paid by someone else for your time.

The players are not the only ones protesting though. I think people that disagree with the player’s position are peacefully protesting by voicing their disagreement, burning jerseys or boycotting the games. If the players or teams don’t mind losing money from those they are pissing off, that’s on them but the fans have the right and freedom to disagree. They shouldn’t necessarily be ridiculed for their protest any more than those taking a knee. And guess what? Nobody on either side needs to die a horrible death for their actions. One side doesn’t get the monopoly on protest and it’s quite hypocritical to suggest that they do. However, the protests on both sides seem silly when you really think about it.

The players are protesting the deaths of young black men by police officers – or so we are told. Maybe they really are but according to the Washington Post, in July of 2016, 1,502 people had been shot and killed by on-duty police officers since Jan. 1, 2015. Of them, 732 were white, and 381 were black. Seems like there is something to unite about because it seems everyone is affected. Or how about this? Why are more people not concerned about the fact that roughly three officers are arrested every day for various crimes and that 40% of crimes committed by cops happen on duty? Seems like something to unite about there as well. If you are one to turn this into a racial thing, then why are more people not concerned about the fact that 93 percent of black homicide victims are killed by other blacks or that 84 percent of white homicide victims are killed by other whites? It’s as though we have lost our collective minds.

But here is my biggest problem with all of this; the flag and/or the anthem do not represent cops and cops do not represent the flag or the anthem. Ironically, most people on either side do not know the documents these things actually represent or the irony of associating one with the other. Furthermore, most officers, soldiers and citizens couldn’t recite Article 4 Section 4 of the Constitution without having to look it up and nobody questions how or why we all pledge allegiance, take an oath, love or even hate something we simply do not know. If you don’t like cops acting in tyrannical ways, perhaps you should have a better handle on the laws that restrict them and that render the supposed laws they are enforcing null and void and then work to get rid of those laws. Just a thought.

Here is the deal though. We all have something to be very angry about and those reasons have nothing to do with heritage, cops, color, political lean, statues, bathrooms, sexual orientation or anything else that is being shoved down our throats as of late. What about our economic state? What about the value of your currency? What about taxation? What about the NSA? What about the IRS? What about our corrupt politicians? What about the erosions of our rights? What about the fact that we call ourselves a free country but we have more laws than we can count and incarcerate more people than any other nation for violations of law that are literally repugnant to the Constitution? Which by the way… this is not the fault of law enforcement; this is the fault of YOU demanding something from your government. This is similar to the fact that most of this is NOT the fault of any president in our lifetime and of which all could be easily corrected by the Congress YOU elect – if you could only come together?

I think the biggest problem we face today is a lack of political and ideological consistency. I blame a lot of this on government run education but still. I find it odd that most pick sides of a situation based on what their opponents believe instead of what is right or even accurate. There also seems to be a lack of research from all and this is true on almost all political hot points (immigration, slavery, Native Americans, Civil War, constitution, police shootings, race, etc). Instead of trying to find a reason to oppose one another, I think we should be attempting to foster a culture of enlightenment. If we want to survive as a nation, we need to stop buying into this whole divide and conquer plan which is working out so well those in power.

Look, if a Democrat wants to take a knee during a song that was written by a Democrat and made the national anthem by a Democrat, it doesn’t automatically make him or her a bad person any more than if a Republican wants to boycott a player for kneeling during the anthem while wiping their face with an American flag napkin and ignoring the news about the player doing drugs, assaulting women and murdering innocent people prior. Additionally, if the NFL wants to support the player’s freedom of expression but fine them when they do a little dance after scoring a touchdown, whatever. The whole thing is crazy anyway. This doesn’t make anyone “bad”. What it does is demonstrate a high degree of inconsistency, ignorance or confusion by all.

You see, I don’t disagree with the player’s reasons for kneeling entirely but if the players want to the follow the example of a sub-par player in his hypocritical statement saying he wants ‘freedom for all people’ while wearing a Fidel Castro t-shirt and talking about oppression by white people having grown up in an upper middle class white household, let them. There is a reason why jocks have a certain stereotype when it comes to their intellect and there is a reason why I don’t turn to them for my political research or opinion. I honestly feel sorry for anyone that does.

Of course, I don’t disagree with those who oppose kneeling during the anthem entirely either, but if people are going to complain and spew hatred for those players while continually breaking every other part of the flag code and demanding the restriction of rights because they don’t understand that the country they live in is NOT a Christian nation, that it is NOT a democracy and that the Constitution was actually put in place to protect those that THEY disagree with, then let them. There is reason why the left views them as a bunch of ignorant rednecks and this is a big reason why I don’t register with any particular party.

I’m a constitutionalist. You all have the right to be as inconsistent as you want and protest accordingly. Of course I believe police and government in general are out of control but I also believe the people are ignorant of their responsibilities to correct it as well. I think left-leaning revisionist history has done more harm than good but I also think that ignorance on both sides has led to protesting the effect, not the cause. Unfortunately, until people are ready to see certain truths, they will not understand the cause and this is going to get worse… not better. Ignorance is NOT bliss… it’s dangerous.

Of course, quite a few who read this will not agree anyway because it opposes what they have already sold themselves on the topic. Regardless, the facts remain and cherry picking your protest from incomplete information or inconsistent premises is not going to solve anything. Continue your protests either way. I’ll support your right to do it while I shake my head in response to your ignorance and inconsistencies.

That being said… if you’re interested in learning some of the historical truths that you were not given in high school, I would encourage you get a copy of RELOADED: An American Warning and Destroying the Narrative: Looking into the Gray. And for the love whatever you hold dear… stop being so quick follow a trend. Try something different… think for yourself!