#not even to mention the unethical labor practices

[casinocircus]

I'm a stiff breeze away from custom ordering my own organic fabrics and making my own damn clothes and im not joking

[starlight-storytime]

essay in tags :p

[kittyit]

This is a long and loaded ask so feel free to delete but it's completely earnest

I've been a radfem for about 3-4 years now (radfemhagen but I got termed) and honestly I still struggle w genuine dysphoria. All the reading, critical thinking, talking w detrans women is definitely eye opening and helped me but it hasn't healed me of my ~gender feels~ if you know what I mean. I remember trying to get tips from other blogs but all I remember was something about doing physical labor with other women or just being around other women but that isn't helping either, I'm so disgusted by my female body and how I'm seen (especially by men and especially as a lesbian) and it's just getting worse. I've been thinking about going on a low dose of T even but I know there's other options to coping, like there HAS to be SOMETHING. I can't just will it out anymore.

Help a gyn out

this and it's probably better saved for an essay but i felt moved to respond to you straight up. i'm going to explain three really important parts of my journey to a place where i almost never experience the intense and life-disrupting distress around my sex (diagnosed as dysphoria) except in times of extreme stress, and even then it's fleeting.

one essential thing i did was stop thinking of transition as an option for myself. this is something i see a lot of detrans/desisted women struggle with. i think this is a mental trap. "if i don't feel better in x amount of time or when i do x, i'll transition" removes the urgency and necessary nature of working through the distress around your sex. i've written in a few pieces about when my girlfriend max asked me to not do it 3 days before my first t shot, it genuinely felt like the last light in a dark harbor going out. i felt utterly hopeless. i felt like my last solution had been taken from me and i would never feel better.

i came to my decision to never pursue transitional medicine first through listening from my girlfriend and other detrans women. to take seriously the pain & trauma detrans women go through. to listen when they said this did not help me, this was not help, it did not fix these feelings of distress. to listen to detrans women is to understand that transitional medicine is an unethical practice being done by unethical practitioners. it's also to understand that this solution is not what it's presented as. taking these women's experiences and analysis seriously meant ruling it out as a coping mechanism for myself, ever. but there are so many reasons to make the decision not to participate in transition medicine - political & practical. not giving money to surgeons who traffic in literal female flesh. not wanting to risk all of the under-studied, ignored negative long-term health effects. not wanting to signal to the women around you that there is no way to survive as a woman like you without transitional medicine. defiance of new patriarchal expectations for women like you. defiance of the pressures that tell you that this is the thing that will make you feel better - like makeup, like labiaplasty, like breast implants, like an elective double mastectomy. defiance in general.

so the first thing was to stop thinking of transitioning as an option. i said no. the second thing was to stop thinking of my distress as dysphoria. to un-diagnose myself with this word that means i need to take T and get a mastectomy and undergo phalloplasty to have a chance of ever being happy. you mention disgust for your body, you mention disgust for how you're seen by men and as a lesbian. disgust for yourself on these points is anger at patriarchy, lesbian-hating society & men turned inward on yourself instead of the people who deserve it. it's an impulse of someone dealing with oppression to blame one's self for it and think there are things we can do to escape it. it's no different than a woman trapped in domestic violence obsessing over what she could have done differently to not set him off this time - the right dinner, place setting, clothing & tone. the idea that woman- and lesbian-hating can be escaped as easily as transitional medicine claims it can is simply not true. the experiece of a woman who passes as a man is another exerperience of womanhood, still under the bell jar of misogyny.

what helped me with these feelings of distress was pinpointing exactly where they came from and what they meant. i know this isn't helpful for everyone. but it's almost like going deeper and deeper on the feeling make it more and more clear what needed to be addressed. here's one spiral to the center: i want to chop off my tits → why? → i hate my breasts → why? → they feel ugly and disgusting → why? → i got them so young, they're so large and people stare → why does that bother you? → i feel so ugly and out of place → why does that bother you? → i feel so alone and worthless → how do you feel? → i feel lonely → what do you need? → i need connection.

"i want to chop off my tits" is not a coherent feeling - every human alive has complex reasons for the things they say, think and do. if you can get to the bottom of where these sensations and feelings and disturbances diangosed as dysphoria are coming from, you can figure out how to address them. what is the feeling at the bottom, what is going unaddressed? and quite honestly a lot of the time it's not an easy answer. sometimes the answers are super hard to grapple with. sometimes the need cannot be fulfilled or are very difficult to fulfill. but once you've decided that transition is not on the table, the quest to find those answers becomes a lot more essential.

this isn't something anyone is really meant to do alone. when i hear you say you hate being seen as a lesbian and how men treat you, i hear an inherent isolation in that. i could be wrong, i know a lot of people can still feel lonely when they have a strong support system, but i would say the majority of women do not have the kind of friend group and number of connections they need to be socially supported. so another big part of this is breaking out of isolation and being around other women who "get it" - whether virutally or in real life. humans are a pack animal and this is an isolating age.

so that's my three parter to your question

1. say no to transitional medicine

2. undiagnose yourself with dysphoria and instead figure out why you're feeling what you're feeling

3. seek out friendship, community, and ways of thought that can help you address those feelings

[beyonsatan]

We need to discuss sex in astrology girlies (will be debunking a few things and will also mention r*pe) 🤒

So let’s first go over what Mars and Venus rule in modern astrology

Venus - relationships, Art, beauty

Mars - sex, aggression, war, passion

Now let’s take a look at what significations these two planets have in Hellenistic astrology which is based in ancient cultures and spiritualities like Indian, Greek and middle eastern thousands of years ago before any social constructs were even able to plague our society

Venus - Marriage, Gold, jewelry, Sex, Pregnancy and love of children, pleasure seeking, intimacy, fun, art, wealth, good fortune, socializing, sweets. gets meaning from the 5th house

Mars - Conquest, Enemies, Separation, Abuse Celibacy, Action, War, danger, Injuries, Death, Sickness, Slaves, labor, evil play, hatred, bad fortune. Gets meaning from the 6th house

Now here���s some background as followed….

Modern astrology was invented in the 1900’s so themes of Christianity and Patriarchy had every opportunity before then to instill some of its values into the practice. the REASON why modern astrology keeps associating mars and Scorpio with sex is because Scorpio rules over the genitals but it only rules over the genitals and not sex at all in traditional astrology. We keep associating the planet of conquest that is mars with sex because we have been taught by a patriarchal and puritanical society to view sex as something that should only be done in secret, is hidden and/or otherwise taboo. When you associate the planet of “conquest” mars that is malefic dominant, wrong-doing, unethical, consumes wastefully and against the good will of others with intercourse, sex then sounds like something that’s exploitative and nonconsensual. Let’s imagine mars did rule sex which it objectively does not, rape would then be a huge theme of that. Mars in general does rule assault but there is nothing amorous and consenting about the red planet. You’re probably thinking to yourself “well patriarchy is at minimum 6000 years old” and you’re absolutely right, patriarchal values are really old but many ancient and indigenous societies had faiths and beliefs that transcended these values and this is what ancient astrology draws from.

I often talk with scorpios and mars ruled people who become frustrated every time at the thought of them being hypersexualized because of their sign and just overall not feeling like a sexual person at all so hopefully this brought some confirmation to any of you mars ruled or dominant people out there.

Hope this helps xx

[g-oblincat]

It really bothers me how people on English speaking internet anonymize and therefore slightly dehumanize Chinese people on the net.

I'm reading an indie game retrospective about the success of their game who named the western streamers who streamed their game early on, but referred to a Chinese one as, I quote, "some Chinese streamer on bilibili" despite the fact that this streamer got them a publisher deal that was a key part of their success story.

I don't think it's just a matter of not naming someone you assume your audience won't know or wanting to avoid mentioning a foreign name (which is ... Still weird...). In lolita circles, people often namedrop brands regardless of if they're western or Japanese, and also regardless of if they're indie or brand. However, I almost never see a Chinese brand named- everyone is always referred to as a "Taobao brand". (Rainedragon has a great post on this from 2018, so I guess this is not a new problem). I definitely notice when creators shoutout western indies who use Chinese manufacturing, but won't name pieces by Chinese designers*. It's giving not seeing Chinese people and designers as members of your hobby community, but some unknown black-box monolith that content just materializes from that you can take from thoughtlessly.

Lastly, I think anyone pulling out the "but the Chinese govt is bad!" Excuse for being rude to random indie clothing designers and game streamers is being intentionally ignorant. How have US people gone thru the trump administration and assume everyone in a country agrees with their leaders. Also if you're truly so horrified by the entire country of China that you don't even want to name them, you can stop taking publishing deals from them and buying cheap blouses and shoes for your wardrobe from them. But you won't.

* Not disparaging western indies brands or using Chinese manufacturing- let's not pretend Chinese manufacturing is unilaterally unethical, or unethical labor practices don't happen in the US.

[idiotsonlyevent]

i've seen a lot of people mention how dorohedoro explores class through its magic system, but i really think dorohedoro could be interpreted as a very thorough exploration of capitalism and how it affects basically every single aspect of society. (spoilers through the end of the manga under the cut.)

in dorohedoro, capitalism is artificially created through chidaruma's meddling. in creating the sorcerers and allowing them to mistreat humans, chidaruma creates 'capitalism' (aka class inequality, leading to class struggle) in dorohedoro's world. this eventually leads to the creation of hole as an entity, representing the personification of class struggle.

smoke, defined by personality and determining someone's abilities, is a form of capital, both a type of currency and a status symbol. not only is a sorcerer's position determined by how much smoke they can create, but the actual function and 'usefulness' (aka 'power') of the smoke is important as well. those without smoke - both humans and weak sorcerers - are opressed.

there are also powerful sorcerers w certain 'unique' abilities like risu and natsuki who cannot conform to these normative expectations due to the nature of their magic, showing that regardless of how 'powerful' an individual actually is, their performance and adherence to norms is what's considered most important; since they cannot conform, then they are considered failures.

en represents success in capitalism; he is a powerful sorcerer, with a useful ability at a high level of mastery, and he can produce a ton of smoke. not only that, but he literally runs a mega corporation! there are jokes throughout the manga of en's unethical and exploitative practices.

but just because he himself is successful and runs a successful business, doesn't mean that any of 'his family' - and by extension en himself - are 'safe' from the dangers of capitalism; he is simply in less immediate danger than everyone else!

en is revived - allowing the rest of the family to survive - because of fujita, ebisu, and sho: the three family members most frequently deemed 'weak' or 'useless.' sho's magic enables fujita to retrieve en's devil tumor for revival, and sho saves the rest of the family from being dissolved by hole. fujita's 'meek loser' demeanor is what allows him to effectively spy on the cross-eyes, retrieve the devil tumor, and negotiate with tetsujo. ebisu's relationship w kikurage and quick thinking allows her to to enlist dokuga's help to transport en's corpse, completing the revival plotline. and this is not to diminish everyone else's contributions, but to note that especially fujita and ebisu are able to help save the family because of the skills they have developed outisde of magic to survive in a world that does not value them. en's, the family's, and capitalism's survival is reliant on those they deem 'useless'; capitalism's survival is reliant on the labor of marginalized and exploited workers.

dorohedoro's cast is filled with characters who are outcasts and don't 'fit in' with societal expectations, and as the story continues, relationships between humans, sorcerers, and those 'in-between' become even more prominent. despite everything - the hardships, the resentment, the difficult histories everyone has - dorohedoro goes out of its way to consistently affirm friendship and solidarity between sorcerers and humans, regardless of the expectations that society has for them and the roles they're 'expected' to play.

dorohedoro does not have an ending that 'solves inequality' - massive social change can't happen overnight. dorehedoro DOES have a hopeful ending, though. it reaffirms that progress is possible. that in a chaotic, unpredictable, unfair world, there is still peace, friendship, and gyoza - we just need to find it and work for it together.

[newkiqx]

Nearly every single modern computer utilizes cobalt, a mineral whose supply chain is so heavily dominated by slave labor that it's practically impossible to ethically source. Ignoring AI, it is even ethical to do digital art at all? The production of a drawing tablet is not a victimless crime.

I feel you when you want to reduce this to something as simple as a comparison. But bear with me (or alternatively, I put a tl;dr/conclusion at the end).

Much of capitalism is unethical - yes. I agree with this point completely. It's impossible to completely avoid unethical consumption in the world we live in. But it's good to be thoughtful of it and I think businesses and governments responsible for bad practice should be held accountable. Sadly I can't change the world on my own in any meaningful way, but i'll do my part where I can & vote people into power that care about this too.

Taking your comparison for a second, I feel like the art project of that OP was asking a much more direct "I bought cobalt I didn't need and then turned into a children's toy, could this be art?". And my reply was basically yeah sure it could be art, but was it worth it? My point is that I'm not sure on that last part, and leaning towards a 'no'. They specifically sourced it unethically and made that the center piece, which is distinct from the utilitarian nature of consumer electronics we need to get through our lives. Unethical sourcing of art can be a goal or statement (like here cw dead pets) but will then of course still be a part of it. I don't think ethics were considered for the post we're discussing though and it instead only discussed the very unproductive 'is it art' discourse. This, of course, matters about as much as my "dick" being objectively "long" or not.

Maybe getting a little sidetracked, but I also want to mention that cobalt is an extremely useful metal, whereas AI.. well.. i've mentioned the very human cost of mturk and the wholesale theft of the entire internet. There's also:

the power required

the jobs in art it threatens and therefore the skilled labor we stand to lose if we're not careful

the inevitable price hike and betrayal of the public as soon as alternatives are out competed (this will happen)

the risks of biases (racism, ableism, sexism) in an opaque weighted system like AI & the fact we cannot deal with this except for slapping some extra prompts in front

AI poisoning our actual collective knowledge with untrue shit. Recent cases in point being the hilarious fake mouse dick science being published and the ai generated inaccurate servals on google, but there's a lot more going on

the risks of companies and people in power using AI to more efficiently screw everybody over and hide behind 'machine told me so' accountability loopholes

the risks of AI being used in all sorts of malinformed use cases

But what are the gains? What do we stand to win? Call me cynical, but we already had an infinite amount of pictures at our fingertips, as well as all the mediocre writing you could ever want (but actually much better because someone loved writing it). I feel like all these general AI's are good for is filling the pockets of some very rich robber barons and grifters, as well as diluting everything that's beautiful and true in the world.

Quick sidenote - Some specialist AI have genuinely already improved the world, like with medical screenings, but even then it's hard to really call it a win because reverse engineering the reasoning of an AI is so fucking hard. And again, they're a slippery slope with insurance companies wanting a piece of that pie badly, just so they can apply their 'justified' penalties to people not even sick yet.

tl/dr; So in conclusion, no, I don't think your comparison holds up. I agree that it sucks that so much of necessary consumption is unethical in ways we can't easily fix as consumers. But one thing bad does not equate other thing good. If anything, it should inspire you to do better where you can make a difference and hold the ones responsible for the exploitation in this world accountable.

Don't let it eat you up though. I'm not even saying you can't use it for inspiration ever. But any art based on these generated pictures cannot be divorced from the ugly side we'd rather not see: the underpaid army of technically not slaves and the wholesale theft of everything.

also sorry but i couldn't not include this (source: matt bors)

[divinecomedyproductions]

RWBY Saints of Remnant Notes: Arthur Gray(Watts); Mad Scientist, Unethical Businessman, and Conniving Rat

Part of The Emperor-Verse

Now this follows up my AU Jacques Schnee and SDC and my AU Adam Taurus, which focuses on their common foe, Dr. Arthur Gray aka Arthur Watts.

I honestly loved Arthur regardless of my gripes with the FNDM's appraisal of him, his design, personality, his color palette, and weapons(neat pistol and rings) hit all the right notes for me and I do feel he along the rest of WTCH didn't really meet their full potential from what I've seen, Cinder and Hazel I have more unorthodox ideas for.

But for Arthur? I feel like the 'Mad Scientist' thing wasn't explored enough, and back when this was a V3 reboot, I had Arthur manipulating Jacques into hating the Faunus(framing the White Fang for his wife's death) but now with the hard reboot and remember Arthur's motivation in canon got my noggin jogging

What if instead of the SDC being the corrupt big business, Arthur had his own mega corporation that was part of the corrupt North instead, and part of something even more sinister?

Thus, I came up with his AU Counterpart, Dr. Arthur Gray, genius roboticist, biologist, and CEO of GigaWatts Incorporated and The Grand Master of the Northern Rite of the mysterious Freemason-Like fraternal organization The Lumen Society ran by Grand Mistress, Professor Salem.

Basically, GWI has taken over most of Atlas in the sense of supplying companies with tech, their own high tech products ranging from domestic, law enforcement, security, and even medicine.

Even Atlas Council and top brass of Atlas military are hiring Arthur to develop their military tech. Despite James Ironwood's protests and continuous vouching for Dr. Polendina instead, who he is supporting in his own department.

Not to mention, the factories are known for unethical labor practices towards faunus, which gives Arthur brownie points for the anti-faunus sentiment in the North, along with countless of corporate CEOs vying to make deals with him and his seemingly wondrous technology.

And with the link to my AU Jacques Schnee link, this corporate machine is crushing smaller companies, SDC among them, under its grey steel boot

Basically, GigaWatts Incorporated is like OCP from Robocop

And even then that itself is nothing for the more unholy role it has for The Lumen Society, or its true name...

The satanic cult known as The Brotherhood Grimm. Whom Arthur's role is developing technology and occult research as they plot to resurrect The Black Empire that nearly destroyed the world in Ragnarok thousands of years ago with Salem as its Black Empress

But we'll get to that later

Arthur is currently tasked to recover an ancient ritual to “transcend” humans and Faunus into “The Grimmborne” or as Arthur calls “The Objective Man”(a reference to CS Lewis's That Hideous Strength)

And with Cinder infiltrating Beacon Academy as a teacher, Arthur finds a team he believe are suitable for experimentation. Though there is complications I will get to later.

He's the same as his Canon!Counterpart in many ways, snobbish, arrogant, passive aggressive(which I intend to show in the pissing contests he gets in with Jacques) but among some things, some which I will leave out for another post, he represents hyper-rationality, pragmatism and luciferian mind and the modern obsession to rationalize everything and destroy anything that can't.

"The poet only asks to get his head into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits." - GK Chesterton, Orthodoxy (1908)

You see, Dr. Gray hates personal and subjective feelings and certain emotions and the concept of the supernatural. He sees them as icky and disgusting things that sully intelligent and rational minds and their judgement of intelligence and "worthiness" instead of basing such things such as statistics, logistics, scientific method and what else he deems to be "real information", and he absolutely despises the concept of The Stoyteller and The Author Allfather as "Ancient Superstition" and he honestly hates both humans and faunus saying "both are subjective animals" which the Grimmborne aka "The Objective Man" shall replace.

He basically uses anti-faunus sentiment in the North to "keep the monkeys fighting each other" while he uses his tech and company as a means to get The Brotherhood's tentacles in The North

And when it comes to Jacques Schnee. There's very bitter history between the two, and Arthur may had some involvement with Mrs. Schnee's death. But Jack has no evidence. And even if he did, the majority councilmen and upper-class North are so corrupt Arthur is pretty much untouchable.

Now his allusion, he has two which is why I changed his last name.

His primary allusion is James Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes novels, but his secondary allusion is The Rat King from The Nutcracker and rat, mousetraps, and mazes are recurring theme with him and his aesthetic along some steampunk. Cuz rats have grey fur and grey is Arthur’s primary color.

It’s also to note he is something of a connoisseur of wine and cheese.

But combining James Moriarty and The Rat King, Arthur also alludes Professor Ratigan of the children's novels The Great Mouse Detective which was also adapted into a Disney Movie(and one of my favorites), and like him, he hates being called a rat among other things, but I'll save that for the story.

and tidbits of Weston from CS Lewis’s Ransom Trilogy(Out of The Silent Planet, and Perelandra) and CA Rotwang from Metropolis but that will come later when I introduce his 'daughter' Maria Gray(which those who know the movie can guess who she is)

Now for his semblance, I call it "electrified malice" which he can channel his repressed disgust, resentment, rage, hate, distain, and while lotta suppressed emotions into lethal green electric energy which he can direct either everywhere from his body like a live wire or from his hands ala Sith Lightning(I mean he is like Palpatine in a way)

The problem is, once he focuses in either spot and his emotions are intense enough, he becomes drunk with his malice which in turn takes him a while to stop, which will cost him dearly in the long run.

You'll see.

[sparkletastic-cookiedough]

I’m fascinated by the guy that “owns” lion Vlad masters. I’m naming him Zeke Morris, and I’m giving him all the lore.

Warning: this is like 80% Zeke Morris content with other OC’s.

Warning: some mentions of animal abuse , neglect, and trafficking. Also technically human trafficking.

//-\\-//-\\

Zeke wasn’t a vigilante. Despite being born with meta abilities, he wanted to live a normal life.

But the ability to talk to animals means that eventually, the local pets know someone who can help them when they’re in trouble.

It started small. Letting squirrels out of traps, helping cats down from trees, finding lost objects.

And then he discovered one of the dogs on his street was being neglected. He tried the local police, but there wasn’t enough proof. So he helped a local dog run away from home.

And then the police came knocking at his door, claiming he’d stolen an animal and Zeke ended up bending the truth a bit. He still got arrested, but there wasn’t any proof, so he got off.

Being arrested ended up meaning he wasn’t able to make his shift, so he was fired from his job.

Zeke really liked helping animals, and would’ve gone into veterinary school or something if he had the cash. Even though his mom let Zeke live with her, and was very supportive, Zeke still wasn’t able to achieve that dream. It wasn’t just the money, Zeke had never done well in school. Sitting still in a classroom all day made him stir-crazy, and he never could wrap his head around chemistry.

So Zeke worked at jobs that barely required a GED. At one point he did some manual labor for a laboratory belonging to LuthorCorp. Then he found out that said laboratory used animal testing and was wildly unethical with its practices. Zeke stopped working for any companies that Luthor owned. Which narrowed Zeke’s job options by a lot.

Zeke had really liked working at the public park picking up litter. It wasn’t a glamorous job by any means, but he got to work outside and talk to all the fat squirrels that were fed by tourists.

Stupid cops. If Zeke really wanted to, crime could probably pay the bills a lot better than any ethical practice could. Local villains were always looking for goons to hire. But Zeke’s mama would worry about him. And if he were in jail, he’d miss her a lot.

“Did you hear about the big kitty that came through?” Zeke overheard one of the pigeons ask another. “I heard about it from Twitchy. Kitty smelled of grave dirt and poisoned food and secret corners you don’t want to hide in.”

“Probably just from Gotham. Twitchy is always scared of something.”

Twitchy was a rat who ran around the city collecting information. Usually of threats.

Zeke had tried to act on the ‘ancient beast that collects corpses for their own amusement’, but it was just an old woman who had a taxidermy hobby.

“Twitchy said the beast was locked in a cage, so we’re safe for now. But if it’s released, the beast will kill us all until the streets run with blood.”

Sounded like Twitchy.

“And get this: the beast said he used to be a human! The humans want to take him as a pet even though he wants to kill them all.”

“Foolish humans”

Zeke froze at the mention that the ‘beast’ was apparently a human once. It wasn’t impossible. Different magical villains had turned people into animals at times. And if one was being sold as a pet, that would be very bad.

Zeke didn’t have anything else he was doing (since he got fired). Might as well investigate.

//-\\-//-\\

“The lying man! Get back before I bite you. I have good teeth, I am very capable of making you bleed.” Twitchy backed into a corner hissing angrily at Zeke.

“I’m not here to hurt you, Twitchy.” Zeke spoke calmly.

“The lying man lied before. Said he’d help, ended up doing nothing.”

“I’m not going to hurt an old woman, even if she’s doing lots of taxidermy.” Zeke said. “Now, I want to know about the beast in a cage you spoke about. The one that claims they were human before.”

“The beast? You want to feed me to the beast of shadows!” Twitchy shook. “Please just eat me yourself. It would be faster and far more merciful.”

“I have no interest in eating rats. And I’m not going to hurt you, Twitchy. Heck, if you wanted to move in with me, I’d allow it.”

“Out to steal my freedom and cage me up! Untrustworthy!”

“I won’t touch you. And I’ll give you a muffin if you tell me where I can find the beast.”

“…Half the muffin upfront.”

//-\\-//-\\

Twitchy had led him to a mouse, who in turn led him to a shady warehouse in the shady warehouse district.

Not a normal pet store, that’s a bad start.

Zeke’s original plan was to talk to the person who ran the pet store or whatever, and let them know they had something that might be human.

That plan was in the dust now. Shady warehouses and legal operations don’t usually mix.

This was probably out of his league. It would be easier to not worry about it and run off.

But the thought of someone being treated like a pet when they’re a fully conscious human disturbed him.

Telling the police hadn’t worked well in the past. This was a much bigger issue though.

It’s said in Metropolis that if you’re ever in need of help, you can call for Superman and he’ll hear.

So Zeke did what any civilian does best. He called for help.

“Sup” said a voice behind him. Zeke turned around and saw the floating teen behind him.

“Supergirl! Listen, this might sound insane-“

“I’m an alien from a planet that exploded who can fly thanks to the sun or something. It probably isn’t more insane than my life already is.”

“Fair. I’m a meta human who can talk to animals. I overheard from a mouse that there’s some kind of animal caged up in there that might’ve once been human.”

“Damn. That’s a tricky problem.” Supergirl floats back and forth. “Even if I go in there guns blazing, I wouldn’t be able to confirm anything on my own since I can’t talk to animals. I don’t have any friends that could pop in last minute…” Supergirl glances at him and a smirk forms on her face. “Say, how would you like to help me out?”

“Uhh, wouldn’t I get in legal trouble?”

“Nah, man. I’ll handle it.”

“Alright then. Glad I can help.”

//-\\-//-\\

Zeke had assumed that since Supergirl would be there, he wouldn’t run into any trouble.

Alas, things went downhill, and the whole operation turned out to be very illegal. Which meant a gunfight.

And logically, considering the local supers, they had Kryptonite.

Supergirl was doing her best to fight in her weakened state. Zeke was hiding in the back with the caged animals, trying very hard not to have a breakdown because crying would not help the situation right now.

Why had he been so stupid? If only he hadn’t gone on some vigilante mission. Then he wouldn’t be in this mess.

A bullet went flying past Zeke’s hiding spot and towards one of the cages. He saw a dark shadowy thing flinch and growl.

Dark shadowy beast locked in a cage… Zeke had a feeling that might be the transformed human.

Regretting every choice he ever made, Zeke slowly army crawled towards the cage. It was a slow process, given that Zeke had no training and was trying to be at least a little stealthy. He was probably doing it wrong, given how much his arms and legs were burning. Just barely, he managed to make it to the cage without stopping for breath.

“Hey there” Zeke whispered to the beast. Up close he could see its thick black mane. That was a lion. A fuckin lion in metropolis. Where did these people get a lion? Who would buy a lion? Criminals were insane. “I’ve got some bandages in my backpack. If you let me, I can patch up that wound…” back when Zeke thought he might go into veterinary training, he learned some basic first aid. It was still useful, living in a city like metropolis. He knew how to bandage a wound in an emergency.

Even without medical training, Zeke knew the would was off. The blood was glowing green. A lion with Meta Powers then? Sure, why not.

The lion glared at him for a moment before responding. “Don’t get any of that on your skin.”

Zeke pulled the gloves out of his first aid kid. Blood borne pathogens are bad even with humans. “Of course. Mind telling me a bit about yourself?”

“I don’t see how it matters, given that those people are going to kill you.”

Zeke turned over to the gunfight, still in the other room. “Sure. Well, I’m Zeke Morris. It’s nice to meet you.” It was easier to pretend to be calm for someone else’s sake. Zeke reached through the metal bars and poured a bit of water over the wound.

“… Vlad Masters”

“I heard you’re originally human”

“Yes.”

“Mind telling me about why you’re a lion now?”

“I do mind, actually. It’s none of your business.”

“Fair enough.” A lot of things in metropolis weren’t his business. Why aliens were invading all the time, why his neighbors were fighting constantly, and now why the magic lion was a lion. Shrugging and moving on was a method of life.

Zeke tried to move for conversation topics that didn’t involve ‘so why are you a magic lion’. It was difficult. He settled for “have any family?”

“I have a godson. Daniel. He doesn’t like me very much though. I doubt he’ll come looking for me.”

“I can’t imagine what that’s like. I have my mama, and I love her more than anything. Without her, I’d probably have died a long time ago.”

“You really shouldn’t rely on anyone but yourself. Anything else is stupid.”

“Not all of us can be strong enough to carry the world on our shoulders.”

“If only Daniel thought the same. Maybe he’d rely on me a bit more.”

Zeke gently pet the lions thick black mane. Vlad acted like he hadn’t noticed, but leaned into the touch a bit. Zeke didn’t comment on this. The gunfire in the other room began to die down.

“I want to get you out of here. I want to help you.” Zeke stood up. “These other animals need my help too, though.”

Zeke went to each of the cages, asking the animals where they came from and their names. The lion hadn’t been the only exotic animal there. One cage held tropical birds. A small fish bowl held a three inch hammerhead shark. A tiger was in another cage.

None of the other animals were transformed humans. Still, their fur was matted and dirty. Their cages were too small. Every animal complained of being tired and hungry. A few of them even had cuts, bruises, and burns.

Zeke cleaned their wounds and promised he’d do what he could to make sure they got help. He promised a hyper intelligent dog that he’d be returned to his owner. The dog repeated his address again and again, making Zeke memorize it before he left.

Supergirl walked back into the room with the cages. “Sorry it took so long” she apologized. “There were more guards than I expected.”

“The Kryptonite was a problem too, huh?”

“Actually, it was fake. I acted like it was real since I didn’t want them to get desperate and resort to using animals as hostages or something crazy like that.”

Zeke nodded. “Has that happened before?”

“Desperate criminals are always the worst” she remarked gravely. “Anyway, we could probably use your help on the return for these animals. I have no idea where we’re supposed to return them.”

“You got it.”

//-\\-//-\\

Vlad watched idly as police, veterinarians, and a few journalists took to the area. Mr.Morris was being very helpful with the aftermath of the debacle. He translated each of the animals with lots of patience, even as police were getting increasingly frustrated with the fact that ‘north of the biggest tree’ wasn’t an address they could find easily.

Vlad thought about his options going forward. Even if he returned to his human form, then what? He couldn’t make a portal home on his own, and there weren’t any man made portals into the ghost zone from this dimension.

There were so many problems. If people here learned what he really was, they might want to dissect him. Or use him as a weapon or a solider. Vlad didn’t want that.

Or they might just kill him. In his lion form, Vlad couldn’t access his ghost powers. Vlad didn’t know if this was temporary or not. He didn’t want to be murdered to test if he could come back. Half ghost and all.

Really there were too many unknowns.

Vlad didn’t trust the ‘heroes’ of this dimension. He couldn’t. So when Zeke came to talk with him about returning home, Vlad persuaded the man to lie.

//-\\-//-\\

Zeke just lied to the cops.

Well, technically he was just translating lion speak, and the lion lied to the police. He’d be innocent in court.

Still, he felt the guilt cloud his mind, as his lion rubbed against him.

His lion.

For some reason, Vlad’s story led to Zeke owning a lion.

Vlad mixed a series of threats and traumatic events together to create a narrative that made Zeke seem like some kind of angel. “The only human that ever showed him kindness.” Vlad was allegedly a lion who had been raised in captivity, and sold from abusive owner to abusive owner.

The police ended up consulting the local heroes. Local heroes panicked, shrugged, and handed the lion off to Zeke with a monthly check to pay for food.

It was a weird situation, and the simplest solution was to give Vlad to Zeke.

Hopefully his mama wouldn’t mind their new pet.

A new business started up in Metropolis by the name of MastersCo. Headed by man who simply goes by the name Masters who just happens to have a large lion with black fur, mane, and red eyes.

Now, as any sane person would think, Masters is the ultimate brain behind MastersCo's brilliant, brutal, ruthless, and utterly efficient business practices that let the seemingly nobody company rise to one of the largest in the city and the world at large.

A fact thag Lex Luthor is both impressed by, and utterly hates for the simple fact he is a targe of an unfortunate amount of those practices.

But you see, in reality, it is the lion that, according to Masters himself. Was an experiment that he managed to save from his brutal captors when he was being trafficked on accident one day and as such, was the reason he made his company in the first place. That is the brains of the opperation.

Who is the lion, truly? Well...

None other than Vlad Masters himself, of course!

Who just so happened to be on the wrong side of his own tech that was supposed to target none other than the hero Phantom. Turning him into a random animal and causing his powers to be temporarily out of control long enough for him to open a portal to another dimension entirely and push him through to get him out of the way and then some.

He never expected that he would be the victim of his scheme. He had Danny right where he wanted him and that, unfortunately, made him cocky. Cocky enough that Danny reversed the tides and it ended up being him to turn i to an animal and forced into another dimension.

He knew he should have had the portal activation be manual instead of automated.

In a last act of desperation, he tried to drag Danny along with him. He failed.

So then there he was, trapped in the form of a lion with powers that did not heed his wishes and, ubfortunately, about to be sold off to the highest bidder. He, of course, would not have gone down without a fight and managed to pull off an act that crashed the container he was teapped in with the casualty of death to those who tried to turn him into a profit. Forrtunately, he was then saved by a man too curious for his own good and had his wounds treated well enough.

Let it be known that Vlad Masters does not forget kindness shown to him, especially when it pertains to his very own life. So he restared VladCo, now known as MastersCo and turned it into an empire in return. Though it also doubled as a rescue for other 'animals like him' he didn't really mind nor care about that fact.

He dislikes Lex Luthor because the man called him a pet. Him a pet. The Vlad Masters, a mere pet!?

The utter gall of that man, truly.

He also holds a dislike for Superman as well, not to the extend of Lex Luthor, but the amount of property damage that man creares is astounding not to mention the fact he exposed Vlads rather... unique heartbeat situation. From nothing of good intent, he has since realized, but still.

He coukd have done without that, thank you very much.

[heibaicom]

Replica Jordan 4s: Are They Worth the Cheap Price?

Air Jordan 4 sneakers have become a classic since they were released in 1989. With their sleek design and superior performance, the Air Jordan 4 became an instant favorite with fans. However, with this high demand, counterfeit versions, also called replica Jordan 4s or air jordan 4, have been on the rise.

A Jordan 4 pair can be quite expensive, as much as sneaker enthusiasts wish to own one. Many people turn to replicas or jordan 4 reps to save money while still enjoying the classic style of the shoe. But are these cheap jordan 4 replicas worth it? Here's a closer look.

Jordan 4 Reps: What Are They?

Replica Jordan 4s are knockoffs of the popular Air Jordan 4. Usually, these sneakers are made overseas and are not authorized by Nike, the parent company of Jordan Brand. They look like the real deal, but are sold for a much lower price point.

Some Jordan 4 replicas are made with the same materials and construction techniques as the authentic shoes, while others are made with less attention to detail and with lower quality materials.

Jordan 4 Reps: Pros and Cons

The most obvious benefit of buying Jordan 4 reps is the price. Authentic Jordan 4s can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, while replica Jordan 4s can be found for a fraction of the price. This makes Jordan 4 reps a more accessible option for those who can't afford top dollar for the real thing.

The availability of Jordan 4 reps is another advantage of buying them. Jordan 4s are only available in limited quantities and often sell out quickly, leaving many fans empty-handed. The replica Jordan 4s, however, are usually available in greater quantities and can be purchased from both online and in-person sellers.

Pros and Cons of Buying Jordan 4 Reps

While jordan 4 reps may seem like a great deal, there are some downsides to consider. As previously mentioned, quality varies greatly among manufacturers and sellers of Jordan 4 reps. There are some cheap Jordan 4 reps that may fall apart after just a few wears. Others look like authentic shoes but have noticeable differences when closer examined.

The ethics of buying Jordan 4 reps are another downside. The purchase of replica Jordan 4s contributes to the black market industry, which often uses child labor and other unethical practices. By purchasing fake Jordan 4s, you are supporting this industry and supporting these practices.

Jordan 4 Reps: Tips for Buying

Whenever you decide to buy Jordan 4 reps, you should ensure you are getting the best quality. Here are some tips:

Make sure you research the seller and the product before you purchase. Read reviews and feedback from other buyers to get an idea of the quality and authenticity.

High-quality materials are important, because some Jordan 4 reps are made with cheap materials, while others are made with high-quality materials that look nearly identical to the originals. Look for Jordan 4 reps that use materials like real leather and have details like the Jumpman logo and Nike Air branding.

You can easily tell a replica Jordan 4 from an authentic one. Even though they may look similar, replicas often have subtle differences that can be identified. Make sure the Jordan 4 reps you're considering are as authentic as possible by looking closely at details such as the toe box shape, the placement of the Jumpman logo, and the stitching quality.

A lot of sellers out there will try to take advantage of buyers who are looking for cheap Jordan 4 reps. Be cautious of sellers who offer prices that seem too good to be true, as it may be that they are selling fakes or low-quality products. Learn more about rep shoe website.

When you buy replica Jordan 4, it may seem like a good deal, but if you support the counterfeit industry, you may contribute to unethical practices. If you really want a new pair of Jordan 4s, consider buying pre-owned authentic Jordans or saving up for them.

In conclusion

While they may offer a cheaper alternative to authentic Jordan 4s, they also come with a number of drawbacks that should be considered before purchasing jordan 4 reps. Be sure to do your research and purchase from a trustworthy seller if you choose to buy replica Jordan 4s. Although Jordan 4 reps may seem to be a good deal, they ultimately support an industry that practices unethical practices. Before making a purchase, carefully consider your options.

[alonelystargazer]

/rant

I hate that everything is '[thing]-core' or '[thing] aesthetic' and then the trend dies in like a month and the cheap clothes people bought end up in thrift shops and ultimately in the landfills (not to mention the unethical business practices and exploitation of labor that comes with fast fashion)

and really, what is it with people trying to keep up with these trends instead of sticking with one long term bc it's genuinely an aesthetic that resonates with them, like what's their personality/identity anyway?

I think back to my middle school days in the late 2000s where emo and scene were weird niche subcultures, with a general sense of community between people who shared similar tastes in music and art and fashion and it become a part of who they were for years, even if most of them ended 'growing out' of that phase later on, but now it just seems like social media (tiktok in particular) has done away with that and everything seems like a trend that's been repackaged for the new generation with a cute name and slightly altered look but people get bored of it so quickly and move onto something else

I feel like social media has played a big part in the decline of subcultures

I may have become the man that yells at clouds bc I don't like the way the youth has become so materialistic and hungry for attention from strangers online but maybe this is just a symptom of a bigger problem

[murderessdominatrix]

came across a post about boycotting, had some thoughts.

if i boycotted every single company that did/does something morally wrong (not just objectionable or questionable but like. morally reprehensible). i would not be able to buy anything at all. (Practically) all clothes sold on the market today use child labor and sweat shops to create them. all restaurants underpay and overwork their employees. all clothing stores are responsible for massive amounts of clothing waste (including goodwill). all meat sold in grocery stores pay their farmers pennies on the dollar and cram their factory workers into unsafe working conditions. all produce sold in grocery stores rely on exploiting migrant workers and/or farmers. all chocolate companies exploit their cacao farmers and rely on child labor to harvest the beans.

'ok but so and so company works hard to be fair trade' and I literally can't afford to buy from that company. i work a minimum wage job where i myself am overworked/underpaid and as a result i only have enough to cover my bare necessities. i can go to a farmers market and pay $10 for about 10 oz of (supposedly) fair trade, ethically sourced blueberries, or I can go to Walmart (notoriously anti-union btw) and pay half that for the same amount of unethically sourced blueberries. But with the $5 I save by buying at Walmart, I can buy unethically sourced meat, also at Walmart. And guess what? The clothes are cheaper at Walmart and shein too!

I can't vote with my dollars. I can barely afford to feed myself with my dollars. So saying things like 'you can suck up being uncomfortable for a bit while we get these companies to change their practices' is just. It's not about being 'uncomfortable' its about not starving!

Not to mention, how long have people been calling to boycott some of these companies? How many of these boycotts have resulted in any measurable change? How many of these companies have been told by the government to change their ways or be fined? And has anything changed?

Boycotting works when there is an organized force dictating the guidelines of the boycott. The only successful boycott I'm aware of is the Delano Grape Strike, and there was a union (the United Farm Workers) dictating the boycott AND the simultaneous strike. They were getting pressure from the production AND demand chain at the same time, allowing workers to get their demands met. People were also boycotting one specific product from multiple growers specializing in that product.

That is very different from an individual, or even a couple hundred individuals going online and saying 'this list of companies are bad, stop buying from them'.

I dont really know what my point is. I don't have a solution besides 'unions are probably more effective'. But I also don't want to say 'boycotting is stupid and useless' because if it is, then what bargaining power do we, the consumer, actually have? I mean, if you don't want to buy from a company, don't. But I dont think I've seen a successful boycott in my lifetime.

[wearejor]

The Endless AI Art Debate

It is no doubt that there is a massive debate over whether or not the use of AI art generation software is unethical.

To understand why people find displaying or claiming these works as your own to be an unethical practice, you must understand how this software works.

Unfortunately, the process by which an "artificial intelligence" generates an image based on a prompt and series of values is a bit confusing for some. I've seen many people confidently but incorrectly describing how this software functions to justify malicious attacks on the people displaying them.

I get it.

You're defending the countless hours of work that talented, creative people have spent creating their stunning artwork. The idea of that work being "stolen" to create similar looking pieces, on the surface, can seem unethical. But again, this is undeniably based on a serious misunderstanding of the software.

How does AI generate art?

The way it is often described is that many dozens, hundreds, or thousands of images and pieces of an artists work are fed into this "AI" so that It may use those pieces in the construction of it's own imagery. The misunderstanding lies in how the actual pieces of this artists work are being used. The software does not store pieces of imagery of any subject by any artist. No tangible, recognizable work by any actual artist is directly used in the creation of these generated works. It also pays to mention that no piece created by AI solely uses data achieved through training on a single specific artist. Every prompt uses an entire model of information collected through a training process that includes the work of artists as well as various collections of photography so that it may learn how certain objects and shapes are expected to look and how to adapt those to a particular visual style. So where does the imagery come from?

Well, the AI is fed works from existing artists, but only to train the AI on what viewers likely do or do not want to see in the results that it generates. The software can eventually identify a particular artists style, and when asked for that style by way of text prompt, can attempt to reproduce that style based on what it has been trained to do when that type of imagery is requested. It understands what a brush stroke by a particular artist looks like by observing the properties of those brush strokes over many images, and it can then generate brush strokes based on those properties. However, each brush stroke the AI creates is it's own, not directly stolen. Paraphrasing is NOT PLAGIARISM.

How do Humans create art?

Here is where the argument that AI art is unethical falls apart.

How did you learn to make art?

Ultimately, the way a human or AI software learn to create artwork is EXACTLY THE SAME. Artists are trained by observing works and techniques from various different artworks and imagery. Through practice, with validation from themselves and others, they learn what types of techniques and imagery looks good or is not well received.

Sorry to break it to you, but your art did not originate entirely in you. Your techniques, methods, and even the imagery you base your shapes and characters off of have come from some outside influence. That influence has been processed by your brain the same way AI art software processes data it is fed. The only things you've added are creativity and labor.

But they're not the same! How dare you compare what a machine makes to the creativity of a person!

Of course they're not the same.

Frankly, I don't really like use of the term AI for this type of software. It's misleading to people who don't fully understand the term, as Hollywood has forced implications of consciousness and actual intelligence or thought on the term. It's not alive, it doesn't think.

But what people have achieved with this software is truly great. They have successfully created a program complex enough to learn actual artistic technique and apply it when asked.

So how do we define art?

Art (n): The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

Alright, so what does that mean?

It means that alone, the AI does not produce art. Therefore it is not an artist. It is not creative. The software requires creativity from an outside source. The user (myself) must feed a request, properties, desired attributes, and instruction for the software to use.

We can easily compare this partnership between User and Software to the relationship between Director and Cinematographers creating films. The Director creates a prompt and gives the camera man a handful of values or instructions to base their work off of. The cameraman is not being creative, and the director is not directly creating art. However, together, the results contain that element of human creativity and skill that defines it as ART.

In conclusion, my role is that of a director. I use my vision, tastes, and understanding of the software to make the software supply the technique it has learned, and the labor to produce the work.

Chill, I do not compare what I do with the technical skill that artists have.

In no way do I find it appropriate for "AI artists" (for lack of a better term) to compare themselves with artists that provide both the creative and technical skill to create art.

That's the distinction. Non-AI generated art is UNDENIABLY more impressive. It takes greater skill than anyone like me can put forth to create similar results. Nothing can take that from you as an artist. Creating art is something sacred and should be deeply respected above any mechanically produced work.

The problem is that REAL artists are being put out of work.

I empathize with you. I really do. But thinking that being put of out of work by a machine is something unique to artistry is just plain ignorant. Many professions that take learned skills and techniques are being replaced by machines, software or otherwise, to reduce costs for the companies who need that work done for them.

But the enemy is not the AI artist. The enemy is capitalism.

There would be no competitive environment to lose your job to if there was no way that some corporate entity could profit off of your creativity and labor.

Think about it. Without the element of capital, AI art poses NO THREAT, as your art would then simply exist as an avenue to express yourself, and nothing more.

So please, properly direct your discontent towards the people who reduce your creative efforts to a number. THAT is what's unethical. Capitalism is unethical.

I'm just having fun with some software.

(pardon typos and grammatical errors. I'm just a dumb fake artist after all.)

[king-killaway]

It's hard to talk about how badly this country, (Untied Sates) has brainwashed its citizens without sounding like a conspiracy theory nut or something of the like.

Every single media that's ever been released by a studio with ties to anything with public opinion is completely Pro-USA propaganda.

The best examples of this is any action movie that uses the US military. Movies that require government approval. And I don't mean, "yeah you're good you didn't screw up a couple of facts", I mean a whole damn, "good you paint the US as the good guys and everything else as bad and evil."

News stations that get funding directly from in House politicians or hell even the ex president (I'm looking at you Fox News).

All of it is subtle too. The propaganda begins at an early age here in the "good ol' US of A", reciting the Pledge of Allegiance from kindergarten everyday up until high school. To the very addition of seminary classes in said high schools even though there's supposed to be "Separation of Church and State".

Even simple things such as ad campaigns that bombard you daily to the point you only take in what they're saying subconsciously. Its become such a normal thing to hear about the newest model of the iPhone that you don't even realize they make them to break in a year or two, just to extort you of your money.

Its fabricated into the very veins of this country that if you "just work hard enough" you can do anything, be anyone. Lies. It's all lies intentionally written to make you feel guilty about being "lazy" because you're not successful, when in reality if you're born poor you'll likely never move any higher on the class scale.

Public education was a driving force of what our country was founded on, but is public education free? No. Not even mandatory education such as grade, middle, and high schools are free. If you send even just one child to school K-12 you'll spend around 200$ to 3,000$+ per year just to have one child in "free public education", and that's just the known costs. More are hidden away in your taxes.

Healthcare is an utter sham. Private pharmaceutical companies are outright inhumane and unethical, but under the facade of Capitalism are completely normalized.

Similarly, privately owned and run prisons are just slavery 2.0. Using underpayed labor to make things like the licence plates on your car. Or forcing them into unsafe working environments, "volunteering" them as firefighters and construction workers. Most prisoners make around 0.25 cents per hour of work and spend almost all of that back to the private prison system for basic necessities like hygiene items. When prisoners are released back into the general public, they've received almost nothing to help them rehabilitate into society and are then brought back into prison for repeating crimes. It's a purposely built cycle to keep minorities suppressed and felons, most of which are there for nonviolent offenses, unable to return to society and reliant on the prison system. The system that then thrives via a workforce that will never deplete and cannot legally unionize.

Engrained even further is the idea of a Nuclear family, an idea only ever truly accomplished by already well off straight white citizens. It is then therefore fault on the individual for failing to meet society's standards of a successful life. May poor and marginalized families are unable to meet this unnecessary standard, specifically Latino families are targeted the hardest by this. It also demonizes any families that have gone through a divorce or families that live in two separate parts of the world.

Christianity is the standard in the US, this is evident from any piece of government document you read. It's a line in the Pledge of Allegiance, which as already mentioned is in itself propaganda dug into child from the moment they start school, "In God We Trust". However, allegedly you have freedom of religion, meaning you can freely practice any religion in the United States without persecution, but that doesn't mean its without bias. Specifically Muslims and Jews are targeted the worst here, especially after 9/11. (Which if you really dig into that event's history you find some pretty fucked up shit the US did, which included the funding and gifting of money, weapons, and military training to ISIS.) Events that you will likely never learn about in a textbook.

You'll also probably never learn about the true extent of the Red Scare on US soil in a textbook either. When US military would stalk and murder suspected "Communist" in its own country. Most of which who died were in fact not Russian Spies, but rather protesters of the Cold War. Plenty of which had access to the creation and distribution of media, specifically movies. Plenty of directors in Hollywood were killed for no other reason that because someone who didn't personally like them called in and accused them of "Communist behavior".

Need I remind people that the holiday of Thanksgiving exists? The celebration of death and plauge to Native Americans within their own homes because of colonization. That before Black Africans were shipped over as property, Natives were originally used as slaves and brutality murdered.

That last year police started riots at peaceful protests, well within constitutional rights, and to top it off the ex president started an insurrection which led to the storming of November 3rd.

And this is all just the tip of the iceberg that is USA propaganda, a system built around keeping minorities from being able to accomplish anything with first "proving" themselves worthy. A system built around Wealthy Christian, White Nuclear families and little room for anyone else. An entire country built on over inflated pride and ego without the guts to own up to its mistakes.

The United States is broken and the first step to fixing this country is to understand what's wrong.

[a-worldd-for-all]

In all of my advocacy, I’ve come to learn that there is no such thing as ethical consumerism and those who espouse zero waste definitely can be great at inspiring people to be more conscious—especially if we’re going to adjust to the continued reduction of water and other resources.

I try to carry my reusable bottles and mugs when possible, not use more water than necessary, make and buy my coffee locally, and to walk more. I participate in grass roots lobbying, educating my community, and environmental cleanups. But I can’t afford recycling and my building doesn’t offer it. Due to health issues, many products I purchase have lots of packaging, my fatigue requires me to sometimes utilize Whole Food’s free delivery service, and I enjoy driving around scenic places when I just can’t muster the energy to hike.

The challenge is that it’s unrealistic to expect people —many who are economically and politically vulnerable — to use their vital resources to fight climate change or be a bit more ethical. It takes an intersectional lens in order to recognize that environmentally friendly lifestyles are inaccessible and those who promote green washing and performative sustainability make it increasingly so by essentially gentrifying sustainable solutions.

Governments and those who hoard resources in secret accounts and companies that eliminate local businesses have to be the ones to address these issues. The inability to pay for quality food, for example, due to low wages drives the demand for processed and poorly grown food. Habits need to be instilled in the values of communities but we need to believe we’re making a difference rather than fake recycling and changing lightbulbs.

Governments are on the hook for this. They NEED to create policy to reel in the monopolies, fund our government, and commit to bold climate commitments that uplift and empower.

But also, corporate AND government supply chains are sourced unethically ( prison labor, unsustainable practices, lobbying and covering up data, defense industries), and that is in turn passed on to the consumer and citizens of the United States, China, Vietnam, Peru, etc. but, again, can we blame Vietnam and Peru completely?

That’s not to say that there aren’t unicorn companies or dare I say governments that can’t get to a zero carbon footprint, but the point is that the ones who are the main culprits of and most empowered to solve issues like climate change, resource deprivation, authoritarianism and instability, as well as ethnic and cultural homogenization are those with that sway and money.

That’s not to say citizens are entirely off the hook. If you know that one garment is made by persecuted minorities in labor camps and choose that over another option you can afford that’s pretty shitty.

But again, you’d essentially have to live off the grid to live an entirely sustainable or ethical lifestyle even if you tried. Those who claim to be able to do this are those who don’t recognize that using the resources that they have to maintain their lifestyle are best used through taxes, activism, conservation, and research and development. Your Tesla isn’t going to matter unless lower and middle class individuals, as the majority of the population, have access to reliable and affordable options and batteries are ethically and sustainably sourced.

In a lot of ways, buying costly green products that also have labor issues, questionable practices, or are luxury just discredits the action in and of itself.

Before you get upset, I’ll explain what I mean. The purchasing of luxury goods like electric cars (so far Tesla, BMV, Audi, etc. ) means that you’re not really helping the wider industry transition. The amount of overhead and investment money needed should come from the companies, but the reality is that many aren’t profiting as much as you’d think. They are also creating vehicles that aren’t practical for average people.

To underline my point, the wealthy are often those who drive innovation by companies that green wash due to their need to promote and adapt to stay relevant and they are the ones utilizing yachts, luxury cruises, private planes, token hunting, causing deforestation, etc.

But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that BIPOC individuals are often taking the externalities of these lifestyles. They’re facing persecution and are subjected to environments that rely on poor supply chains and are politically, economically, environmentally, and socially disadvantaged.

Indigenous individuals often use traditional methods of land management, but many don’t have the ability to live off the land due to environmental decimation, forced migration, and other issues. That’s not to mention the history of atrocities from governments, corporations, and citizens against indigenous people.

People of color are often environmentally conscious at the same rates if not higher, but we have to remember that economics and education often requires people or miseducates them into misusing resources pretty frequently and minority communities face these circumstances at an higher rate. They’re also victims of so many systemic injustices.

Frankly, though, I can continue my guerrilla gardening, volunteering, planting trees all over my parents’ house with the hope they don’t kill them, and be more conscious. We can all use reusable bags and plant trees, but that won’t get the plastics out of the water or prevent the oceans from cooking our fish. It won’t help people get paid more, be less sick, or help us get to work.

So what do we do? We organize. We lobby. We get involved and we force accountability. We hold ourselves and community accountable. Government works for us and these attacks on democracy is literally our job to prevent. It’s not like anyone has more to lose than the public citizens.

[katehuntington]

Title: Changes - part three Word count: ±3000 words Summary “Changes”: Huntress Zoë Sullivan (OFC) crosses paths and swords with the Winchesters, when the brothers stumble on a case she’s already working. When complications arise, they are forced to work as a team. Summary part three: Sam and Dean check out an abandoned house in search for the shapeshifter, but find something else. Episode warnings: Dark! NSFW, 18+ only! Angst, gore, violence, character death. Description of blood, injury and medical procedures. Demon possession, supernatural creatures/entities. Smut, swearing, alcohol use/addiction. Kidnapping, mentions of torture and murder, illegal/criminal practices. Mentions of nightmares and flashbacks.  Music: Hey Man, Nice Shot - Filter Author’s note: I couldn’t be more excited to share Supernatural: The Sullivan Series with you. There are quite a few people I want to thank. @coffee-obsessed-writer​, @soupornatural​ & @mrswhozeewhatsis​, who edited the early drafts, and my girls @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish​ & @winchest09​ who are deciphering the recent version; thank you for helping me with this story and for taking it to a higher level. Everyone who encouraged me to go for it, you are awesome!

Supernatural: The Sullivan Series Masterlist 01x01 “Changes” Masterlist

     "Just remind me, why the fuck are we here again, Sam?”

     A ’67 Chevrolet Impala comes to a complete stop at the end of a long driveway. It’s still dark, but the lingering thunderstorm casts a flash of light on the abandoned house, thunder crackling several seconds later. Hey Man, Nice Shot by Filter is playing in the cassette deck, as the driver in his mid-twenties glances over at the younger guy next to him. Apparently, he is not amused.      “Dean, let it go already. If we have a lead, we follow it. Even if it’s six o'clock in the morning,” the passenger responds, annoyed.      “We don’t have a lead, you have a hunch. That’s my point, Sam. Or should I start callin’ you Jennifer Love Hewitt now?” the driver argues.      “So we don’t have a lead, but that’s exactly why we should--” the passenger wants to continue his sentence, but Dean interrupts.      “You know what I should be doing? Sleeping. In a bed,” he deadpans.      “And you call me a whiny bitch?” Sam sasses back.      “With good reason. Staying up all night is making you cranky,” Dean comments. “We have an appointment with that Cliffer dude tomorrow, during normal daytime hours. We work from there, that’s what we agreed on.”

      Sam bites down on the frustration. He didn’t drag his brother all the way up here and listen to his complaints about working at ‘unethical hours’, as he called it, only to head back to town without giving the place a once over.      “We’re not even certain if he’s the next victim,” he reminds him. “If we find something here, we might actually know what we’re dealing with.”      “I thought you already knew what we’re dealing with?” the older sibling returns, confused.      “I’m ninety-nine percent sure. All we do know for a fact, is because of my research, so back off,” Sam returns harshly, opening his door to get out.      “Someone has to do the driving. If it was up to you we’d end up in fuckin’ Texas!” Dean exclaims, loud enough for his brother to hear as he walks off.

     Sam halts on the driveway and grunts. Why does Dean always have to be such a pain? He turns around and glares at his brother. The headlights of the Chevy are bright; he has to narrow his eyes to see the driver through the glass.      “We’re here already. We might as well check it out,” Sam persists, while raising his long arms to the side, letting them fall slack against his body again a second later.      He waits for Dean to react, but his brother continues to stare back, challenging him without saying a word. His arrogant expression says it all. Left hand on the wheel, the ‘don’t you dare walk any further and get your ass back in the car’ look on his face. Sam is planning to do the opposite, though. After all, he is the stubborn one.      “Whatever, Dean.” Unimpressed, he turns towards the house.      The older Winchester leans out the window of his car, watching his brother like a hawk. “Where are you going?”      “What does it look like?” Without looking back, Sam strolls on with his hands in his pockets.      “Sammy, get back here!” Dean commands with a stern voice.      “It’s Sam!” the young hunter corrects, ignoring the order as he follows the road to the house.      Dean waits for a little while, not wanting his younger sibling to win. But he can’t possibly let him enter the house all by himself; what if there is something inside? Dean won’t let him go in alone, his little brother probably knows that too.      “Stubborn bastard,” Dean curses, kills the engine and gets out of his car.

     Annoyed, he opens the trunk, takes out a duffel and loads an extra gun, which he puts away behind his waistband. He tosses the bag over his shoulder, locks the car and catches up.      “Walking into a possible hideout without a weapon,” he mocks, while handing his brother a gun. “And they call you the responsible one.”      Sam grins. “I knew you’d come around.”       “Wipe that smile off your face, smartass. We’ve got work to do,” Dean mutters, taking the lead up to the front porch.      The younger sibling checks his weapon.“Silver bullets?”      “Yep,” Dean confirms. “One of these to the heart and our Chameleon is dead.”      He grabs the knob and opens the door, which slowly opens with an eerie shriek. Dean pretends to shiver. “Shit just got scary.”       “Cut the crap and be serious for once,” Sam hisses, shaking his head, disapproving.

     The brothers check the living room, holding their flashlights over their guns. They move through the house like trained military, ready to strike if necessary, covering each other as they scan and clear each room. A thick layer of dust covers the tables, couches, and cabinets in the house. A few windows are broken, shattered glass scattered on the windowsills. Plaster has come off the moldy walls, tearing down strips of wallpaper with it. Water damage stains the ceiling, decay creaks the rotten floor; no one has been here for ages.      “Nothing here,” Sam concludes with a lowered voice, still cautious.      “See? Told ya,” Dean rubs in.      “I’ll check upstairs. See if you can find some clues down here,” Sam suggests, ignoring his brother’s comment.      “Fine,” he mutters, as he saunters to the other room, silently mocking his hunting partner.

     Dean rummages through some paperwork, but there’s nothing interesting here. He shakes his head; he can’t believe he let his brother convince him to come with. Hell, he could be fast asleep right now.      “I’m all clear, Sam.” Dean puts away his gun and strolls back to the hallway.      Sam looks down from the staircase, somewhat disappointed.      “Yeah, me too. Let’s get out of here before the--”      The younger Winchester doesn’t finish his sentence, distracted by a noise coming from somewhere inside the house. Dean draws his gun again, his eyes quickly darting to the end of the hall, then back into the room. That wasn’t a mouse or a bird, that much he knows. Seems like they are not alone after all.

     Silently, Sam comes down the stairs. His senses are on high alert, picking up every sound, every smell, even the slightest movement. The feeling they’re being watched settles in his chest, but besides the singular ‘thump’ they heard, the brothers can’t detect anything out of the ordinary.      Dean’s eyes seeks his brother, who looks back and nods. A short connection, eye contact for a fraction of a second. It’s all they need to understand each other perfectly. It crosses Dean’s mind that it’s the first non-verbal interaction between them, since Sam came back from Stanford three weeks ago. The current threat forces him to keep his mind on the job, though.      The hunter approaches the door to the pantry where the sound seemed to originate from, backed up by his sibling. Both have their weapon in hand and are ready to fire. Carefully, the oldest of the two lets his left hand slip from the grip and grabs the doorknob, when he hears the familiar click of the safety switch on a gun.      “What the--”

     A shot echoes through the house, the bullet ripping through his shoulder. Dean hits the wall, the intense white hot pain taking him down. In a light speed reaction, Sam fires his gun twice in the direction where the enemy fire came from, quick to pursue the shooter. When he finds the next room empty, he returns to his brother, who has collapsed against the wall.      “Dean!”      Worried, Sam kneels next to him and keeps him upright. Blood trickles from a hole in his jacket, drenching the navy blue fabric in no time. Dean almost passes out, but he manages to chase the black spots that cloud his vision away. With his jaws clamped shut he grunts in agony.      “That wasn’t rock salt, was it?” Sam assumes, the trace of panic evident in his voice.      “Pretty sure it wasn’t,” Dean groans, fighting the pain.      Suddenly, light illuminates the grim setting. Sam quickly lifts his weapon again, but before the hunter can get a good aim, a distinctive female voice stops him. 

     “Don’t fucking move.” 

     The bright ray blinds the boys, the plating of the weapon catches the light as it caresses the metal; they are looking straight in the barrel. The only thing they hear is their own respiration, Dean’s out of control and labored, Sam’s increased with adrenaline, but relatively calm in the face of danger. Heavy tension hangs in the air, suffocating smog that’s making it difficult to inhale. No one moves, the brothers held at gunpoint both aware a flinch could be the death of them.       “Drop your gun. Now.”      Sam does as told, slowly and calculated. When he straightens himself and leans back on his haunches, he shows his hands, beckoning the woman not to shoot him. What feels like minutes, but are mere seconds in reality, pass by. The beam from the flashlight glides over the men’s faces, as if the beholder tries to see something in their eyes. Then the gun lowers, the safety switch flipped.      “Damn it!”      “You can say that again,” Dean groans.      “What the hell are you doing here, sneaking around in an abandoned house, huh?” their ambusher snaps, irritated, shining the flashlight back on the boys’ faces. 

     When it captures Dean, she keeps the beam of light in place. Wait a minute, he looks familiar. Didn’t his partner just call him Dean?      “We could ask you the same thing.” Sam intends to get up but immediately looks into the barrel.       “Did I tell you you’re allowed to move?” she warns.      Pretending not to be impressed, Sam stays still nonetheless. “Who are you?”      “None of your fucking business,” the young woman counters rapidly and concentrates on Dean again. “I know you.”      Dean swallows, nervously. “I hope not.”       “One of your mad exes?” Sam assumes, the sound of his voice reduced to a whisper.      “Don’t know, but if you’d stop shining that damn light in my face, I could have a better look,” he comments, directing his gaze at their opponent, holding his hand above his eyes to shut out some of the brightness.

     She lowers the flashlight in order for Dean to see her face. Taking the female in, he smirks. Apparently, he likes what he sees.      “No, I have absolutely no idea who you are, unless… Aren’t you that chick from Seattle with the weird piercing?” he wonders.      “Take a better look, Dean Winchester.”      She throws him the flashlight, which he catches with one hand, flips, and aims at her. In front of him stands a young woman, probably in her mid-twenties, with brown hair and dark eyes, dressed in all leather.       “Nice, but that’s not really my kink,” he comments, nodding at her outfit.      Annoyed, she rolls her eyes, clearly not intimidated by the objectification. Dean cannot place her, however, and again he takes her in from head to toe. He can’t see much, only harsh white light and dark shades, but she’s right; he knows that face. The strong profile of her jaw, her nose small, slightly pointed. Her hair is a little shorter than it was back then, but those dark brown eyes, how could he forget?

     “Zoë?”       She looks back at him, a satisfied smile pulling dimples in her cheeks.      “Zoë Sullivan, I can’t believe it,” he gapes, but then clamps his hand around his bleeding shoulder, the slightest movement reminding him of what just happened. “You shot me!”       “Who?” Sam interrupts their intermezzo.      “Yeah, same question. Who is he?” Zoë nods at the tall guy with the surfer hair as she kneels down next to Dean, observing his injury.      “I’m his brother,” Sam elaborates.      “Ah. Sam, right? College boy,” she responds with a tone.      Sam cocks his head back, stunned, then turns to Dean.      “I can see how you two met,” he mocks.      “We weren’t an item if that’s what you mean,” Zoë immediately corrects.      “But we did look kinda cute, didn’t we?” Dean adds, a shit eating grin adorning his face.      The huntress frowns, amused and almost pitiful. Oh, sweetie, not in a million years.      “You never stood a chance, Dean.” 

     Without warning, she tears up Dean’s sleeve to have a better look at his shoulder.      “Hey!” Dean protests stunned.      “You can buy a new jacket with your scammed credit cards later. There was a hole in it anyway,” she dismisses. “Stop whining.”      “If you’re not one of his dates.” Sam gets up and watches the two. “Then how do you know each other?”      “Dean doesn’t date. Dean fucks everything that moves,” she amends again, dodging the question.      “I’m still in the room, y’know?” Dean interjects, but Zoë ignores him.

     Instead she takes off her black scarf, folds it into a bundle and presses it against the entry wound, earning a pained grunt from the injured man. It’s not sterile, but it will have to do for now.       “Keep pressure on that,” she orders, letting him take over with his good hand. “Get up.”      Sam gives his brother a hand and helps him on his feet. A little unsteady and in a bad mood, Dean heads outside.      “Let’s get the fuck out of here.” 

     Zoë holds the door as they exit the house. The thunderstorms have been coming in from the east all night, still lingering in the distance, trees obstructing the view. A faint moon has found a weak spot in the dense clouds above them, its light struggling to reach the earth. Miles from the big city, the scents of nature rise after the rain came down, the smell of pine and damp soil rising from the forest. It’s quiet outside, almost too quiet. She didn’t miss anything, did she?      The huntress glances over her shoulder and takes one last look at the abandoned place.       “Well, that didn’t get me any further,” she mutters to herself, apparently loud enough for Dean to hear.      “You got me shot,” he sneers.      “Oh, don’t be such a baby. It’s just your shoulder. I can aim,” she snaps, not even feeling sorry for the guy.

     “Don’t you check your target before you fire a bullet at it?” he growls, as they walk down the driveway.      “You were the one who told me to shoot first and ask questions later,” she answers smartly.      “That does sound like you,” Sam agrees, earning a death stare from his brother.      “Shut up. Did you book a motel?” Dean waits by the door on the passenger's side and reluctantly tosses his brother the keys. Driving with a bullet in his shoulder has proven to be difficult before, so he’ll leave it to Sam for once.      “What do I look like? A travel agency?” Sam returns smartly, as he unlocks the Impala.

     Dean turns to Zoë. “Where are you staying?”       “Motel 6,” she informs. “But forget the idea of sharing a room.”      “In that case, I hope your motel has more than one room,” he nags, already done with her attitude.      “You need a ride?” Sam offers, not seeing another car anywhere close.      Dean turns his head slowly and gazes over the top of the car. His face is twisted in shock, disbelief and disgust, expressing something along the line of ‘what the fuck, Sam!’       “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” Zoë banishes.      It triggers the hunters to raise their eyebrows at her, and from his peripheral vision, Sam notices the relief on Dean’s face.      “Where did you leave your car then?” he wonders.      “Who said anything about a car?”

     Zoë reappears from under the shading trees, pushing a black motorbike into motion, the chrome Harley Davidson emblem reflecting in the little light the night sky of Rochester offers. It’s clear neither of the boys were expecting this form of transportation, because both their jaws drop.      “You ride a motorcycle?” Sam utters, surprised.      “I don’t ride a motorcycle. I ride a Harley,” she corrects, while putting on her helmet. “You think the leather’s for fun?”      The older one of the brothers nods, approvingly. “Nice ride.”       “Thanks,” she returns, slightly beaming with pride.      “What do you think of mine?” Dean lays his hand on top of his ‘67 Chevy Impala, clearly proud of his baby, but Zoë doesn’t seem overly impressed.      “It’s a car,” she comments dully.

     Zoë starts her Harley, the headlight switching on as she does so. Without further notice, she rides off, leaving Dean, completely flabbergasted. Her tail light disappears as she turns around the corner, the signature Harley V-twin engine roaring when she accelerates.      Astounded, Dean glides into the passenger’s seat, staring blankly down the driveway. “Did she just shoot me and insult my car?”       Sam struggles to hide a smirk as he settles behind the wheel. “I think she did.”      “What a bitch!” Dean scolds, spitting out the final word.      “I don’t know,” his brother questions, shrugging. “I think she’s kind of fun.”       The older Winchester darts his eyes at the driver, his lip twitching, disapprovingly. “Shut up, College boy.” 

     Sam chuckles amused and starts the car. The mix tape in the cassette player automatically continues Hey Man, Nice Shot by Filter. Dean shakes his head, still bothered and frankly, quite insulted.      “Just a car, how could she say that?”      “Let it go, Dean,” Sam consults, as he turns on to 110th Ave NW.

     He follows the single red light in the distance and speeds up before he loses sight of the bright dot. Several thoughts cross his mind while driving to the motel, pondering about the gut feeling that pointed him in this direction in the first place. It bothers Sam that they didn’t make any progress, even though he was sure something was going on around the abandoned property. Oh well, at least they ran into Zoë Sullivan. His brother might not be happy about their encounter, but she clearly knows her stuff; she might have more information on this case. The sooner they finish this job, the sooner they can continue their search for their father. It might not be quite the night he expected, but he can’t deny it was exciting.

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Read chapter four here!